Agent Alisha MacAleer has put the past behind her as best she can, but her trust in the CIA is no longer what it was...and the Agency's faith in Alisha is fractured, too. When a mission goes sideways-again-thanks to her ex-lover Frank Reichart, Alisha's loyalties are called into question. Furious to learn that brilliant but treacherous Brandon Parker is back developing the next generation of his sophisticated artificial intelligences, assigned to desk duty, and sure that there are answers that only she can get to, Alisha is left with an impossible choice. She can follow orders, or she can strike out on her own to uncover Brandon's intentions, Reichart's secrets, and the hidden mastermind behind the game she's been drawn into-a mastermind whose identity she suspects, but could never guess. With no support, no resources, and no safety net, Alisha must believe that honor can survive a trial by fire....