Absinthe and Chocolate — Dale Amidei

At the top of her profession. Bottoming out personally.

The "intel" game is changing; international intelligence entities react to the growing influence of an emergent private sector effort. The USIC's Director of National Intelligence assigns Dr. Rebecca Boone Hildebrandt, a case officer empowered to take any necessary action, to safeguard the firm's growing data store.

Strikes, targeting key company players, force suspending operations in securing corporate infrastructure and remaining personnel. The agent responsible for covertly shepherding InterLynk responds to attacks targeting her principals; to counterbalance an attempted hostile takeover of the private company, Boone gathers her own assets: no strangers to direct action.

Ranging from Switzerland through New York City to the Russian forests, the resulting covert conflict pits committed professionals from the spectrum of international intelligence against equals. The prize: technology housing intelligence that could reverse the balance of power between East and West.

Approx. 83,400 words / 288 pp. print length.