events of the night repl

orgetown. She had on a simple trench coat, the collar pulled up against a breeze that carried the first hint of winter

fé where Kailee was already waiting under a la

lice sat down. "You look tired. See?

ll marble table. It was for a ridiculously expensive restaurant. "This is where you'

with a vengeance. "Kailee, I told you, I'm not interested. I nee

tting that dirtbag Brandon win. You can't just lock yourself away." She leaned forward, her voice softening, playing the friendshi

er. It was easier to agree than to arg

beamed, her miss

sat a black Cadillac Escalade. The windows were tinted to a degree t

dly turning a solid silver Zippo lighter over and over in

On the screen was Alice's entire life, distilled into data poin

n a classified overseas operation two years ago. The details were scrubbed, but he remembered it. He had been monitoring the communications for that op. He remembere

hat w

e returning to the woman at the café.

ling of being watched. Her posture straightened. Her head turned, her eyes scanning the street, the storefronts, the

ars of living alone in the city

y, pushing her chair back. "I n

hug and a final word of encouragemen

and ducked into a narrow cobblestone alleyway that ran between two histori

too closely, Leo," he murmured, a low chuckle

rting to the reflection in a boutique's display wi

ainst a brick wall to catch her breath. The feeling of being

s the black metal card from the night before. She remembered last night after closing the door, there was a strange

f the chaos, of the dangerous, magnetic man who had b

he card into a nearby public trash can

ed on the tablet. The video was from a city traffic camera, zoomed

sharp breath. He looked in the rearvi

datory smile of pure delight. He snapped the Zippo lig

secure phone. "It

has been unexpectedly moved up. He's on his way to the airport now. The rese

hanging up. He leaned bac

fly away. It was time to show her

is voice smooth as silk. "I