Chapter 1

Ethan Carter pulled his Ford F-250 into the parking lot of the "Grand Oak Country Club." Twenty years. It felt like another lifetime since he'd walked the halls of Northwood High. The truck, a dusty, dark gray Super Duty, looked out of place next to the gleaming luxury sedans and a particularly loud, orange McLaren that was practically screaming for attention. Ethan cut the engine. He wasn't here for a stroll down memory lane. He was here because Maria Rodriguez had asked him to come. And because, officially, his agency liked its senior people to maintain some semblance of a normal life, even if "normal" was a carefully constructed facade. A few early arrivals were already milling near the entrance, women in expensive dresses, men in tailored suits. He spotted Bradley "Brad" Harrington Jr. almost immediately, holding court by his McLaren, a bright orange bullfrog in a puddle of money. Jessica Monroe, Ethan's unrequited high school crush, clung to Brad's arm, her laughter a little too loud. As Ethan walked towards the entrance, Jessica's eyes flicked over him, then to his truck, a small, dismissive smile playing on her lips. "Well, well, if it isn't Ethan Carter," Brad boomed, his voice dripping with condescension. "Still driving a work truck, I see. What are you, GSA? Still pushing paper for the government?" Some of the nearby classmates snickered. Jessica chimed in, her voice like ice. "Some things never change, do they, Ethan? Still aiming low." Ethan just gave a noncommittal nod. "Brad. Jessica." He saw Maria waving from the doorway, a genuine smile on her face. That, at least, was a relief.