DISCLAIMER: The AGENCY and all the usual suspects of it and of the King-Stetson family aren't mine; I borrowed them with love from Warner Brothers and from Shoot the Moon and thank them kindly for the years of enjoyment I've received from them. Everything else is a product of my overactive imagination; please don't use the ideas or characters without asking me first.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: About the time zones: GMT = Greenwich Mean Time (the Prime Meridian); Eastern Standard Time = GMT minus 5 hours; Israel = GMT plus 2 hours. If it's noon in London (GMT), then it's 7:00 AM in Washington D.C., 2:00 PM in Tel Aviv, and 4:00 AM in San Francisco. This becomes crucial as the story unfolds...



Chapter 4 * Interstate 64 between Richmond and Roanoke, Virginia * January 22, 1989 * 5:30 p.m. EST (GMT-5)

Dr. Palmer's breakfast companion looked around her at the assortment of people in the truck stop as she waited for the buyer with less visible impatience than she felt. The chemical in her oversized bag, tightly capped and packaged for transport though it was, made her nervous – Palmer had told her of its properties before he gave it to her. At least Palmer himself was out of danger, safely on his way out of the country under an assumed name, from where and to where she was not informed. Her job ended tonight with the passing of the formula and the catalyst to the representative of her clients; she would vanish into middle America, never again appearing as she had to Dr. Palmer over the past three months.

She was impressed with herself that the cigarette she held didn't even shake. Perhaps the only good thing about America, she thought to pass the time, was the cigarettes – menthol, filtered, low-tar, nearly any way you could want a nicotine fix you could find in a convenience store. Not like the long lines in Leningrad for the rotten, medicinal tasting tobacco that made Russian cigarettes vile by comparison.

You really shouldn't smoke, a gruff male voice beside her interrupted. Those things are nothing more than cancer sticks.

Probably true. However, I can afford the treatment.

Here or abroad?

The recognition codes complete, she waved her contact to the chair opposite her. You have the required payment?

I do, and the bonus. You have the information?

I do. And the part that will make it all work.

A waitress came by; the man ordered a cup of coffee and a ham and cheese sandwich. he ordered when she shifted restlessly in her seat. You and I both have long drives ahead of us. You really should eat.

Where am I going?

I don't know, but you are leaving from Nashville. I, on the other hand, must drive to Norfolk for my flight. That was a lie, but she needn't know that.

Tomorrow morning very early. Here comes the waitress; order something.

She missed the brief eye contact and nod he gave to another man at the door as she grudgingly asked for a cheeseburger with fries and a soda; when the waitress left, the man chatted amiably about the weather and the stock market. I lost nearly half a million dollars in the crash of he laughed. None of it real, of course.

The woman just wanted to leave; she knew, however, that until he was finished eating, she would get neither the money nor the plane ticket. He finally quieted when their meals arrived; he took his time and asked for three refills on his coffee before he finally signalled for the check. It's on me, he grinned, looking her over appreciatively. Damn shame we have planes to catch.

Isn't it? she asked, faking interest.

He led her out to his car, where he pulled out a large suitcase and an envelope. You can unzip it a little if you'd like, he said, indicating the bag.

That won't be necessary. She fished in her shoulder bag for the container and the envelope that told how to use its contents. Finding them, she handed them over carefully, reiterating the warning exactly as Dr. Palmer had made her memorize.

Oh, we'll be very careful with this, don't worry, he replied. Would you like help carrying that?

Only for appearances. Maybe we'll look more like lovers passing in the night than what we really are.

He carried the heavy suitcase to her car a few aisles away; taking her suggestion literally, he pulled her to him and kissed her viciously. Then he walked away. She spat in a most unladylike gesture, got in the car, and drove off, speeding west down the highway.

Following a safe distance behind, the man and a companion watched as her car careened out of control on a curve and plunged over the side of a steep embankment. A fireball, larger from the accelerant placed inside the passenger compartment by the companion while the woman sat at dinner with the other man, erupted a brief time later as the two men watched from the shoulder.

Very good, Amahl. No one will ever link her to us. They got back into their car and headed off down the highway, turning off two exits later for the private airport where a small plane waited to take them to Dulles and a non-stop flight to Riyadh, Saudia Arabia.

Washington, D.C. * 6:30 p.m. EST (GMT-5)

Ian Marlowe rang the doorbell nervously – a feeling he had not had in ten years or more when picking up a date. He pulled at the collar of his civilian suit, so unfamiliar in its softness and lack of starched creases. But Joanna had assured him that he looked devastatingly handsome and had sent him off with the same gentle kiss she always had for him, the friendly one that held a tinge of regret at things never come to pass. He only hoped that Francine had similar tastes in men.

When the door opened, there was momentary silence on each side, followed by two people gulping for air as they made eye contact. There was no mistake; Francine and Ian had electricity and chemistry and biology and everything else in the world going for them as they stood staring at each other across the open doorway.

Wo-won't you come in? she finally asked, stepping aside without losing his gaze.

I'm not sure that's a very good idea, he replied honestly when he found his voice a moment later. We might not come out again.

She studied him for a moment, lost in thought, before she nodded and reached back for her coat.

Please, let me help you, he said, taking her fur from her and stepping in just to the edge of the sill. With practiced ease, he held the outer garment in just the right way to help her slip into it, catching a hint of the spicy fragrance she wore. Francine, you look beautiful, he commented softly from behind.

Francine turned with the smile that few people ever saw. You are, she said with difficulty, the most handsome man I have ever seen.

They didn't talk much until they were seated at dinner in a posh restaurant suggested by Amanda Stetson during a frantic consultation when he dropped Andy off with Joanna at the IFF offices. (Andy thought they were the IFF offices; Ian would have known, even had he not met the others at an intelligence briefing, that the film company was a front. But then, he was Naval Intelligence, so it was his job to figure these things out.) Lee had been kind enough to show him the shower facilities and to lend him a spare razor and an iron when Ian realized that he should have gone back to the BOQ before he brought Andy into the city. At least he had had enough foresight to toss the suit into the trunk!

Marlena is really quite a character, you know? Francine said by way of starting the conversation. Three hours later, they came full circle, having discussed their jobs (in so far as they could in a public setting), politics, sports, religion, relationships, and Joanna on the journey through a five course meal.

Yeah, my girls are pretty special. I always figured that Joanna's children would be the closest things to nieces and nephews I'd ever get, so I've undoubtedly spoiled Marlena rotten. But under the circumstances, who can blame me?

No one. I had no idea JoJo had been through so much, Francine said, falling for the compassion in his eyes. I'm surprised you didn't step in.

Ian shook his head ruefully. She is way too much my little sister for me to love her the way she deserves to be loved. Which, I'd say, is a good thing for us, wouldn't you? The dark eyes lit up as he smiled. Because otherwise, I wouldn't be here asking you to dance.

She rose gracefully in her black wrap dress and took his proffered arm to be led to the dance floor. When he took her into his arms as the next song started, the last doubt vanished from her mind. This man would be hers, or she would die trying.

Ian, enjoying the sensation of her so close to him, thought about all the things he would be doing if the woman in his arms were one of his usual dates. But this woman, this incredibly beautiful woman with the golden hair and the sapphire eyes and the ruby lips, this woman was different. He could no more try to get her to invite him in for the night tonight as he would any other date than he could let her go as the music ended. Francine Desmond deserved so much more than that. So he kept hold of her, pulling her closer, whispering in her ear to see her smile and to catch the sparkle of those deep pools of blue as she looked up at him.

When eventually the band finished their last set, Francine unwrapped her arms from Ian's neck with regret evident on her face. I feel like Eliza Dolittle, she laughed, clinging to his arm as he opened her car door a few minutes later.

Before or after?

Just as. You know, after The Rain in Spain bit when she and Professor Higgins dance.

Ah, yes. I Could Have Danced All Night, too, my dear.

With the shyness that seemed to come only in his presence, Francine cleared her throat before she spoke again. she started, and waited until he looked into her eyes, we still could. She stepped closer to him, found herself enveloped in his arms again. I have a stereo... She watched, enthralled, as his obvious desire for her warred on his face with something else that she could not quite name but knew was much deeper than animal lust.

Oh, Francine, he sighed, burying his face against her silken hair. I'm not going to cheapen this night by rushing into anything, he continued after a long silence. And if I go inside with you tonight, I won't come out until morning.

Francine was shocked into stillness against him. No man had ever put his emotions ahead of his physical desires for her before; she found it intoxicating as she listened to his heart thudding in his chest and his breath coming unevenly while he struggled with his decision. After several minutes in his embrace, she realized that she was crying, the power of his gesture unexpectedly laying open her heart to let out some of the pain she kept so tightly under control.

Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry, he said when he noticed, reaching out with his pinky to wipe a tear from her long lashes.

She sniffled and shook her head. Please don't apologize, she asked through quiet wheezes, you have no idea how deeply what you just did for me touched me. Another moment passed. That's the first time a man has shown that much respect for me in a very long time. Maybe ever.

Overwhelmed, he kissed her forehead and tightened his arms, not wanting the moment to end. Joanna had described the moment she fell in love with John like this, the burning desire to ravish with kisses and much more coupled with the dizziness of emotional presence and magnified by the stomach churning fear of rejection. Nothing else existed in the moment for Ian except Francine, huddled against him as the spasms of her crying subsided.

She reached one hand up to trace the line of his jaw, his strong cheekbones, his lips with a feathery finger. Kiss me, she demanded softly, trust and desire and forever sparking in the pools of blue blazing at him in the glow of a streetlight above them.

Are you sure? he asked, to give himself time to control his reaction to her touch.

As I've never been befo –

He cut off the rest of her reply as he touched his lips to hers, feeling the warmth of her breath on his cheek and the suppleness of her lips as they parted, pulling him into the kiss, asking for more and welcoming it greedily. His right hand moved to her head, his left to her waist as the kiss deepened; he felt her hands caressing his arms through his overcoat and the only part of his brain that was still capable of rational thought was grateful for the extra layer between her hand and his skin. In an instant, or so it seemed, he backed away carefully, reluctantly. Francine, if we don't go now, if I don't leave you at home...

She smiled that hidden smile again and kissed him lingeringly, caressing his full lips with hers in a way that left him more aroused than even the kiss a moment before. I know, Ian. Thank you.

He untangled himself from her carefully, helped her get into the car. He was surprised when she reached out her hand and took his right in her left as he drove her home, more so when she asked him not to walk her to the door.

With another teasing kiss through the car window, she explained. If you get to the door, I won't let you leave. She turned and walked away, but turned back to him halfway up the walk. Pick me up at 10 tomorrow for brunch before Marlena's party. We can shop for her then, too.

Ian went back to the BOQ at Walter Reed, where he had a room across the hall from Andy's and from the one Joanna shared with Marlena. He took a very long, very cold shower before he crawled into the hotel-style bed and fell asleep with thoughts of Francine dancing through his vivid, erotic dreams.

Chapter 5 * Tel Aviv, Israel * January 23, 1989 * 3:00 p.m. (GMT+2)

Ali stood watch as a group of Jordanian men well covered as permitted and security cleared Palestinians unloaded helium canisters from a delivery truck at the back entrance to the Tel Aviv Holy Land Hotel. The Purim celebration scheduled there for Tuesday was the largest party of its kind in the entire nation; Ali could not bypass the opportunity to wreak havoc and death on such a large scale. Most of the canisters really did contain helium; four of them, however, contained an aerosol of Botulinum A bacteria. These would be set into the air conditioning system on a timer that would shower the droplets over the food and the waitstaff just before the party started.

Others of his hired band were taking calls from parents frantic for party supplies and balloons as Purim approached; from the volume reported, small tanks containing Tabun, and if they were very lucky, VX-2, would be left in dozens of homes in the Tel Aviv area over the next three days, causing harm to the nation of Israel. His gambit had been a resounding success; it seems parents are always looking for new and different ways to entertain their children.

And then there was the news from Texas. Or, more accurately, his source, who was shortly to be a final, severed link between Project EDIN and the devastation that was about to happen on over 50 kibbutzim along the Mediterranean coast of this country that was a carbuncle on the face of the globe. Perhaps, indeed, Allah had known that the time was not right 10 years ago when the first pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Now, however, all was ready. It would be a glorious beginning to a new Intifada, one that would finally eradicate the Jewish nation and its people from earth.

And with any luck, he would send a few of its friends to oblivion, too. If he could only manage one last power play in America, perhaps even today...

he urged his workers in Arabic. We have much work to do!

Maplewood Drive, Arlington, Virginia * 12:30 p.m. EST (GMT-5)

I'll get it, Grandma! Jamie King hollered when the doorbell rang. His stepfather's description of the unexpected birthday guests left a lot to read between the lines – and if Jamie read it correctly, one of them was a real knockout. He wanted to see them before his older brother could work his considerable teen charms on her. He threw open the door with a grand, Welcome to our house! and was surprised seconds later that it was not the beautiful woman who brought him up short but the adorable little girl with the big floppy bunny.

Hello. You must be Jamie, Andy Forest said, amused that Marlena had the same effect on the teenager as she had had on him for a year and a half.

Uh, yes, I am. You must be Doctor Forest. Jamie stuck out his hand self-consciously. And you're Miss Marley, I guess, he continued, smiling shyly at the woman beside the doctor.

she replied with a beatific smile, taking his hand and squeezing just as a lady should.

A brief tug on the leg of his jeans brought Jamie's attention back to the little girl with the bunny. I's Marlena, she announced proudly.

And I'm Jamie. Who is this? he asked, carefully pointing at the rabbit as he knelt down to her.

she replied with a tone that left no doubt that the answer should have been obvious.

Nice to meet you, Bugs, the young man said, grasping a paw and shaking it seriously.

Marlena giggled and the bond was complete. Jamie ushered the guests in, taking their coats and leading them into the family room, where Dotty greeted them like old friends, made the appropriate fuss over Bugs, and generally made them instant family. Philip came in and fell into conversation with Andy and JoJo after Marlena gave him only cursory attention – she was too wrapped up with Jamie to care much about anyone else.

Amanda and Lee came in about 10 minutes later, apologizing for leaving their guests with strangers.

Oh, nonsense, Amanda, Dotty interrupted. They weren't strangers – just friends we hadn't met yet.

That's right, JoJo emphasized. You all are so gracious to do this. I cannot thank you enough, especially with everything that's going on... She nudged Andy a fraction.


Amanda, you cannot possibly know what this means to us, he said, trying to say exactly what was in his heart without letting his brain get in the way. Here we are, one tenuous link from long ago in a city we don't like getting filmed in the middle of – a quick pinch from Jo kept him from revealing too much to Dotty and the boys – a tough situation at work, and you offer not just hospitality but family. That's pretty special.

Amanda blushed and kissed his cheek. It's the least we can do. Now, please, sit and enjoy. Francine and Ian should be here soon, and so should Billy and Jeannie.

Lee sat in his favorite chair in the den, watching the many personalities interact: amused at the glow emanating from Francine and Ian when they came in together; loving the love-hate relationship between Dotty and Billy playing out over the years – albeit mellowed somewhat in the year that she had known the real connections around Billy, the Agency, IFF, Francine, Lee and Amanda; surprised at Jamie's attention to Marlena and not at all surprised at Philip's intense concentration on her mother, half-listening to Andy and Amanda beside him as they caught up on all the news that happens in 18 and more years. Despite the threats from the world, Lee Stetson was a very happy man for the moment, because his wife was the most beautiful, gracious person in the world.

The doorbell rang again a little before 1:30; Lee rose and let in the magician Amanda had hired, showing the high schooler into the dining room that the boys had turned into an impromptu theatre for the occasion. Philip reluctantly tore himself away from Miss Marley to help his friend from school set up, and when the boy was ready a few minutes later, Philip played emcee.

Ladies and Gentlemen, boy and girl, he announced from a prepared card, earning a scowl from his little brother in the process, Allen the Amazing will now fascinate and thrill you with his skills of presti...prestidigitation, whatever that is –

Magic, you –

Amanda shushed.

– prestidigitation and prognostication. I present, Allen the Amazing!

Allen really was pretty amazing, especially for a sophomore in high school. Marlena laughed riotously at every trick, which made Jamie laugh, and everybody joined in as the show progressed. Even Dr. Smyth, who arrived halfway through, became infected with the giggle bug.

Amanda and the other adults watched in awe after the show as the birthday girl threw herself in Dr. Smyth's arms and brought tears to his eyes with her kisses. He was a completely different man as he basked in her aura.

Ian couldn't watch. He left the dining room quietly, stepping into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Francine came in behind him, worried, wordless.

He used to be like that with me, when I was her age, he said in a low whisper she almost didn't hear.

You've known him that long?

He looked at her with wide brown-black eyes. He's my uncle, Francine. My mother's older brother.

She watched as he paced, choked back a laugh as he ran his hand through his hair in a gesture long-familiar on another man. What changed?

He stopped his frantic walk in front of her, took her soft, manicured hands in his. My mother got caught in an affair with a young Air Force officer when I was 12. He said she disgraced the family and hasn't spoken to her – and barely to me – since. He even made me stop calling him Uncle Austin.

Perplexed, Francine tried to formulate a rational question out of what she wanted to know. So then how does he know JoJo and Marlena?

Our parents are very close. Austin met Jo's aunt, her father's sister, at a party Mama Marley gave. Can you believe he was actually married – blissfully so! – for a little more than a year. She died of cancer at Thanksgiving within about two months of diagnosis – and then Mom's affair the next summer sort of twisted him up even more. The only times I've ever seen him truly smile since the day Mom confessed to the affair have been in the presence of either Joanna or Marlena. Somehow, Joanna simply stayed in his heart when he threw everybody else out. The admission hurt; he squeezed her hands and pressed his face into them, letting her feel the tears that would not come while he looked at her.

She certainly doesn't like him, though.

Voice muffled in the velvet palms, he clarified. When he stopped speaking to me, Jo told him with all the dignity that a 7-year old could muster that he would have to let me back in before she would ever forgive him. She would see him, spend time with him, love him in her own unique way, but not forgive him for hurting me. She's been true to that ever since, hence the Uncle Smith moniker he so despises. Ian laughed a little. No one was more surprised than her when he showed up for Marlena's baptism after the row they had at our high school graduation. I have no idea what they said to each other at the christening, but he won permission enough to be a part, however small, of Marlena's life, too. So here we are in an absurd situation nearly three thousand miles and twenty five-plus years from where the story started, sitting in a stranger's kitchen talking about the uncle who disowned me and runs your life.

It was a little absurd, Francine acknowledged, to be dating the boss's nephew. But at least there won't be any favoritism...

Ian gave a genuine laugh and kissed the hands that he wanted to be doing far more with than just kissing. Forty five hours and thirteen minutes and already I can't live without you.

Francine looked at her watch. she corrected, and kissed him gently on the lips.

Jeannie nudged Amanda as they strolled into the kitchen together. Outer Mongolia, eh? she whispered.

Amanda stifled a chortle with a tremendous sneeze that didn't quite seem fake.

Bless you, the new lovers said together, still intent on each other.

Thank you, Amanda replied, feeling like she had interrupted something. She didn't leave, though. After all the times Francine had prevented Lee from kissing her early on in their budding romance, turnabout, a least a little, was fair play.

Over chocolate cake and fudge ripple ice cream, Francine watched Dr. Smyth and JoJo carefully. They obviously communicated several times, but not to JoJo's satisfaction, as when he took his leave, the cheek she offered came coldly. Marlena, unaware of the tension between her mother and the man she called , kissed him soundly several times and made him promise to see her soon. Even that passed uncomfortably between the two adults, Miss Desmond saw, as the mask they all knew settled so carefully into place on the Agency leader's face when Marlena went off to play with Jamie.

Who was that man? Jeannie asked carefully when Dr. Smyth was gone. I mean, I know who he was, but where is the real one and do we have to have him back?

That was the real one, Joanna said sadly. And it is a very long story, so please don't ask.

At a quarter to three, Jamie carried a tired Marlena into the family room where the adults sat talking. Miss Marley, Marlena wants to go for a ride.

JoJo looked at a clock and nodded. A nap-time ride, sweetheart?

Marlena nodded against Jamie's shoulder. Jamie come, too.

Can I, Mom? Please? He looked so adorable and so grown up holding the smaller child on his hip as he did.

If it's okay with Miss Marley, then sure, you can go, Amanda said, her heart breaking just a bit as she saw a glimpse of the future still far-off.

Tank you, Aunt'Manda, Marlena said sleepily with a bright smile nonetheless.

You're welcome, Marlena, she replied. You mind Miss Marley, Jamie.

I will, he said softly, and left the room with his charge.

Philip looked after his brother with undisguised envy. Oh, that's very clever, he said, more loudly than he intended. Silence settled on the room as the remaining adults gave him their undivided attention. The fifteen year old smiled nervously, not realizing that he was, at that moment, totally transparent to everyone.

After a minute of silence, Dotty finally gave him a way out of his predicament. Which trick did you just figure out, Philip?

The teen sagged in relief, off the spot, and explained a trick to the group, all the while seething at his little brother for finding a way to spend time with the gorgeous older woman away from the other grown ups.

Frankfurt International Airport, Frankfurt, Germany * 8:55 p.m. (GMT+1)

Dr. Frank Palmer, who had discarded that identity three airports ago, stepped off of his fourth airplane in twenty-seven hours, having flown across the United States under his first assumed name, to Singapore under his second, and to Germany under his third. The connections had been oh, so tight, and the fugitive had no reason to think that he would be ending his journey here. Looking out at the multitude gathered at the end of the long ramp, he searched for a sign with his current name on it. He found it, finally, and was surprised that the man holding it actually steered him toward a limousine outside the airport rather than another gate or terminal. As usual, though, the man who met him said nothing, simply directed him with gestures as they reached the train station in downtown Frankfurt. Palmer got out of the car, walked into the expansive structure, and saw another man with a sign. When he reached this second man, Palmer extended his hand as if to greet a business associate; he felt the briefest of stings as the new man shook his hand and passed it off as nerves. A few moments later, new passport and train ticket to Rome in hand, Palmer stopped in the men's room to wash his face. He never exited the restroom; shortly after he dropped to the floor, a janitor retrieved his body and carted it off, erasing another link in the chain to the terrorists in Israel.

The Streets of Arlington, Virginia * 3:00 p.m. EST (GMT-5)

Philip would have been appalled to discover that his brother had hardly noticed how beautiful Marlena's mother was. Jamie, besotted with the three year-old, sat in the back seat and held her little hands in his as she nodded off to sleep in her car seat. He kept up a lively though quiet conversation with Miss Marley as they drove through the neighborhood streets in the comfortable sedan, and he was beginning to realize that, like his mother and Lee, she had some secrets that needed to be kept for safety.

You're Dr. Forest's bodyguard, aren't you? he asked after she told him about her job.

You're a perceptive young man, she replied, impressed with his analytical skills.

Well, I know that Mom and Lee and Miss Desmond don't really work for a film company, either. They work for Mr. Melrose at his agency – but they don't know that I've figured that out, so please don't tell them.

How do you know you didn't just give away a secret to me?

It was a fair question; Jamie swallowed before he answered. Lee showed me some of his old picture albums last night when he was explaining the party to us. I saw a picture of him and Marlena's father in one of them, and I know Lee was in Military Intelligence in Vietnam.

You are a perceptive young man. She looked in her rear view mirror and didn't like what she saw. Jamie, I need you to keep quiet for just a minute, hon. We may have a problem. Several random turns later, the car following them was still there. Jamie, can you tell me the fastest way back to your house from here? she asked, controlling her voice mightily for the young man's sake.

Jamie looked out the window and made a quick assessment. Right at the next stop sign, go six blocks, and turn right again. We're about two miles from the house now.

The attack, when it came four blocks from the Stetson home, was well-coordinated. A station wagon pulled out of a driveway in front of her car, blocking her access to Maplewood Drive, while the chase car and a van boxed her in. Something shattered the front passenger side window, trailing smoke, and that was the last thing Joanna saw as the world shrank to a pinpoint and disappeared with the screams of a terrified teenager ringing in her ears.