Outside the window, a man jumped off the boat and tied it to the dock. Five people then climbed off, each carrying a black duffel bag. Once they were all on the dock, the first man released the rope from the cleat and tossed it back on board. The boat pulled away.
“Very efficient,” Dino said. “Do they practice that at the Farm?” The Farm was the CIA’s training center.
“I’m afraid Agency training procedures are classified,” Lance said.
“So, yes, then.”
Stone’s eyes narrowed as the agents began walking toward the house. “Is that Carly?”
“As a matter of fact, it is,” Lance said. “I thought Agent Riggs would be perfect for this assignment.”
“AgentRiggs? I was under the impression she had not taken a position with the Agency.”
Lance waved Stone’s comment off. “It’s just a matter of time.”
Carly Riggs was a lawyer at Woodman & Weld, and a brilliant one at that. She had aced the New York Bar Examination and immediately proved her worth after joining the firm by bringing in several high-revenue clients.
Lance had gotten wind of her talents and, despite Stone’s warning, offered to put Carly through CIA’s new agent trainingprogram without officially hiring her. She had readily agreed and taken a leave of absence, which had been extended when the two-month training had ended, to go to the government’s language school on the West Coast.
Stone had made her promise not to accept a job offer from Lance without speaking to him first. Though it had been months since they last spoke, he knew Carly was the type of person who would keep her word.
Stone headed out the rear door, Lance and Dino following behind him.
“Stone!” Carly said, seeing him. “I know it’s your place, but I didn’t realize you’d be here, too.”
“I didn’t realize you’d be hereat all. What happened to language school?”
“Oh, I finished that weeks ago. I’m now proficient in both Spanish and Mandarin and have a working knowledge of Japanese and Russian.”
“Then why are you still at the Agency?”
“I’m doing an internship.”
“The Agency has internships?”
“We do for Carly,” Lance said.
“I’m not talking to you,” Stone said. On the subject of Carly, he and Lance did not see eye to eye.
“Don’t worry, Stone,” Carly said. “Bill Eggers knows.” Bill was Woodman & Weld’s managing partner.
“Does he know when you plan on returning to the firm?”
“Um, about that. We need to have that talk I promised you.”
“Don’t tell me—”
“I haven’t said yes to anything yet.”
“But youhavebeen offered something, haven’t you?”
“Not true,” Lance said. “No offer has been made, only possibilities discussed.”
Stone glared at him. “I clearly remember telling you she was off-limits.”
“Excuse me,” Carly said. “You don’t decide my life. I do.”
“What Carly said,” Lance said.
