five years, we can revisit this.”
“Sir, this sounds more like something for the State Department, not intelligence.”
“State disagrees, and we work at the pleasure of and under the direction of the President.”
Holy shit, this was a big fucking deal.
“I’ll do my best, but I can tell you he’s not going to change his plans at the directive of the United States. Considering his prior relationship with the agency, I’d think you would talk to him yourself.”
“Those aren’t my orders. Or yours. That’s all.” He picked up the phone on his desk and I was dismissed.
Fuck.
I headed out to my car and called Erik.
“Ace. How’s it going?” The King of Limaj, a small eastern European country that bordered the Middle East, Turkey and Georgia, was a good friend. Almost like family, though I wouldn’t tell Director Dickhead that.
“I need to talk to you. Can you send the jet for me? I need to get to you sooner rather than later.”
“We’re actually in Vegas for a few weeks. Can you get here commercially or do you still need me to send the jet?”
“I’m good. See you tomorrow.” I disconnected. He knew me well enough to know if I wasn’t talking about it on the phone, there was a reason.
I met with Erik the next day and he was as pissed as I’d expected him to be.
“The CIA has no say in what I do with my country,” he grumbled, twirling a snifter of brandy between his fingers. “Do you think they know something we don’t? About traitors within Parliament and/or our military?”
I shrugged. “If they do, it’s news to me, but obviously they only tell me what they think I need to know.”
“I appreciate the heads-up,” Erik said, “but I’m not putting my plans on hold. The CIA can kiss my ass.”
“I figured as much.”
“But what about you? What happens to you if you don’t get me to stop?”
“I’m trying to hang in there for one more year, to get my pension, but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t. I’ve got a trust fund from my dad, and I know a European king who’d probably be willing to give my sorry ass a job.”
Erik grinned. “Any time, my friend. Any time.”
“In the meantime, if you wanted to buy me some time, keep your plans under wraps. You can keep things quiet while you’re in the planning stages.”
“I can.” He nodded. “And I’m happy to do that for you. What are you doing next?”
“Actually, I’m on assignment.” I grinned back at him. “I’m trying to convince the King of Limaj to put his plans to build an intelligence agency on hold.”
“Oh, wow.” Erik raised his eyebrows as if he had no idea what I was talking about. “Well, good luck with that. He’s probably not going to cooperate, so it might take a while.”
I laughed. “I’m counting on it.”
Chapter Two
Shannon
I loved my job, but some days were harder than others. Today was one of those days I couldn’t wait to get home, run myself a bath and pour a glass of wine. My students had been restless, the staff meeting endless, and I’d lost my favorite pair of gloves. The last year had been lovely but the three years before that had been hell, between my disaster of a marriage and losing my dad. The opportunity to teach high school level English at an exclusive private school in Cologne, Germany, had been just what I needed. Peace and quiet in my personal life, a job I loved, and malleable teenagers to help mold into young adults. Money wasn’t an issue, because I’d inherited a sizeable sum when my father and grandmother had died, so all in all, most days were fine, but when I started feeling like I was going crazy… That was something else altogether.
Shit. I needed to get my head out of my ass.
I managed a smile for Mrs. Winkelhofer, my elderly landlady, as I let myself into my apartment building. Normally I ran after work, but I hadn’t been sleeping worth a damn so it was getting harder to find the energy to run. Fear was getting to me and there didn’t seem to be a damn thing I could do about it. If I was still in Washington, D.C., it would be a different story, but here in Germany I was beginning to feel very alone.
My father had been a Marine and a United States senator before his death two years ago, so if I