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needs to see you in his office,” Nate said over the speaker in her booth, turning her smile to a frown. Ed must need a coffee.
    Stopping to chat with a colleague here and there along the way, Geri took her sweet time. Ed could wait. Sticking her at a desk to decipher nonsense all day, Ed wasted her talents of disguise and adaptability. After completing a successful stint of intel gathering during the Tex-Mex War, she had hoped for a field assignment with the CIA. Instead, she had been traded to the FBI like a broken-down relief pitcher. For the past two years, she was never the right agent for the job.
    When Ed’s admin told Geri she could go in, she waltzed through the door and plunked down in a hard chair.
    Finishing up a call on his specs com, Ed held up a finger for Geri to wait a minute and turned to his window. This man had no fashion sense, a classic nerd with a crew cut, a short sleeved, button-down shirt, and gray slacks hiked a little too high. Watching the strain on his face to keep from expressing emotion, Geri wondered who needed the anonymity to be seen only on the small frames of his glasses.
    “Yes, I know… I am well aware… Yes, I have things under control… Of course.” He paced, sounding agitated. When he disconnected, he sat down at his plain metal CC desk, removed the specs, and rubbed his temples.
    “Rough morning?” Geri asked with a smirk.
    Ed nodded and a grin spread across his lips. She took advantage of being his favorite. Unfortunately, he played the overprotective, doting father
    “Those specs always give me a damn headache. Good to see you, red.”
    She hated when he called her red, but she just smiled.
    “You too, boss.”
    He took a sip from his mug, which had an alien, pointing a ray gun, pictured on it saying,
I AM your leader.
    “I heard you did a fine job at the range. Glad to see you keeping up your skills.”
    “Uh huh.” She strummed her fingers on the arm of her chair, then looked at her nails.
    “Enough with the chitchat, eh? I’ll get to the point. Geri, I think you are ready for a field assignment.”
    Geri’s eyes brightened. Now Ed had her attention. She leaned forward.
    “I’m listening. Please continue.”
    “We have word a small-time private detective is snooping out info on Hasan Rakhi.”
    “Ah, yes. The boy genius. The Creator of pop travel.”
    “Precisely. For now, the detective is harmless. So before we send you in, we need you to read up on Hasan, his sophisticated plantation compound, and the detective, Jameson Cooper.”
    Geri’s expression sank a notch. More homework.
    “Now, Geri, that’s why we are here. We must be thorough. And once you’re up to speed, you will get your undercover identity and be ready to protect the Creator, as needed.”
    Ed’s desk buzzed.
    “Yes, Cheryl?”
    His admin’s face appeared.
    “Blake is here,” she said.
    “Good. Send him in.” Ed tapped his desk and the image faded. “You know Blake, don’t you, Geri?”
    Sure she did. A legend at the office, Agent Blake earned his nickname, the Tiger, for being strong and agile and a master of ambush.
    “By reputation only.” Geri had heard he used any means necessary to nullify his targets. Nerves of steel. To Geri, that also meant a heart of stone.
    When Blake stepped in, Geri stood up as Ed went over to greet him. With short, spiky, dark hair and keen, almond eyes, Blake wore all black and an iron gaze of self-assurance. Standing straight, Geri could almost look him in the eye. She judged him to be five-foot-ten, but his solid stance made him seem a full foot taller.
    “Blake, this is Geri. Geri, Blake will be your mentor on this case. He trained in Hong Kong with the Chinese Regulators who restored order when the Eastern Union collapsed. He works behind the scenes and will back you up.”
    “I feel safer all ready,” Geri said. “Nice to meet you.”
    Blake gave her a short nod. Friendly character.
    “Good. Well, Geri, you have a lot of reading to do.