'Now they were here. Eve Anders and Dimitri Vladim, who had found each other in one war, were about to be involved in another. Ready to choose a new direction.

Now, the secret service. This was about patriotism.

As well - Eve admitted to herself - as feeding her ambition. Becoming one of an elite group was a step towards fulfilling the deal she had made with herself: never let life become humdrum or domesticated. Never be defined by a man.

Her assets were intelligence, fearlessness and determination; her liabilities, passion and what her brothers called going off in all directions at once?'