conflict. Do the job we both know you can do.”
He grinned. “Was that a compliment?”
She pursed her lips. “If I say yes, can we drop the subject?”
He spun in his chair, then leaned on the desk. “If I say yes, can we go out for dinner?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes.”
He frowned. “Wait, I lost track. Is that ‘yes, that was a compliment’ or ‘yes, we can have dinner’?”
She stood. “It was ‘yes, this conversation is over.’ ”
His frown deepened into playful confusion. “I think I’m a yes behind.”
She leaned toward him with a smug, playful smile. “That’s because I’m one step ahead of you.”
He threw another ball of paper at her. She snatched it out of the air and threw it back. “Do you want to review your strategy with Legacy?”
He shrugged. “What’s to review? Show up. Act like I don’t like the fey—which won’t be tough—take notes, and leave.”
“Where were you born?” she asked.
“Philadelphia.”
She shook her head. “Wrong. Never use your own data for a persona.”
“Persona? You’re going to make me a glamour?” he asked.
“No, but you’re still undercover. That’s as much a persona as a glamoured persona. You need to be convincing. You are going to get to know these guys like friends. You don’t know how long you’re going to be there. You need to create a credible life for yourself that has no connection to who you really are. When it’s all over, you don’t want to leave anything behind that might lead to the real you.”
“The real me,” he said.
“The real you,” she said.
He cocked his head at her. “Is this the real you I’m talking to right now?”
She blinked. Not the question she was expecting. In the brief pause, a cascade of thoughts and emotions sped through her mind. Yes. No. What? Of course. But . . . He’s baiting me. No, it’s fair given the context. Ouch. Talk about pushing a button. How dare he? Is he serious or playing with me? Again. “Ha-ha,” she said. It was the best she could come up with, and she felt stupid for it.
Sinclair’s measured look said he wasn’t sure how to interpret the response. With a subtle flick of his eyebrows, he decided to let it pass. “Okay, so I need a better cover than a name.”
“Cress can help you build a legal framework in case someone decides to look into your history. She’s good. Excellent, in fact. Your job is to build the personality—who you loved or hated, your favorite books and movies, what you like to eat. Drill it into your memory and stick to it. The slightest lapse can be trouble, so keep it simple but keep it . . .”
“Real,” he finished.
“Yes.”
A faint smile creased his face. “This is what you do every day?”
She shook her head. “Not every day. Most jobs only require an occasional appearance. Only deep cover takes over your life.”
He laughed. “I’ve been driving limos every day for two months.”
She smiled. “But you didn’t need a persona for it, just a name. As Bill Burrell, limo driver, you’ve been interacting with low-level Legacy staff briefly. The job doesn’t require that you interject yourself into the workings of someone’s life. You get to be Bill Burrell and go home at night. It’s different now that they’re letting you in deeper. You become someone else. Start by creating a job history. What did you do before you drove limos?”
He pursed his lips. “Circus performer.”
She didn’t laugh. “Too contrived.”
“It was a joke,” he said.
She compressed her lips. “I know you think it was, Jono, but you need to understand something. I take this seriously, and you need to take this seriously. When you’ve proved you can do the job, then you can joke.”
It was his turn to get annoyed. “I’m getting tired of all this ‘proving myself’ bullshit.”
“It’s hard. I know. But it’s that way because the stakes are high. A mistake can cost lives. Look what happened on the road this morning. You
He grinned. “Was that a compliment?”
She pursed her lips. “If I say yes, can we drop the subject?”
He spun in his chair, then leaned on the desk. “If I say yes, can we go out for dinner?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes.”
He frowned. “Wait, I lost track. Is that ‘yes, that was a compliment’ or ‘yes, we can have dinner’?”
She stood. “It was ‘yes, this conversation is over.’ ”
His frown deepened into playful confusion. “I think I’m a yes behind.”
She leaned toward him with a smug, playful smile. “That’s because I’m one step ahead of you.”
He threw another ball of paper at her. She snatched it out of the air and threw it back. “Do you want to review your strategy with Legacy?”
He shrugged. “What’s to review? Show up. Act like I don’t like the fey—which won’t be tough—take notes, and leave.”
“Where were you born?” she asked.
“Philadelphia.”
She shook her head. “Wrong. Never use your own data for a persona.”
“Persona? You’re going to make me a glamour?” he asked.
“No, but you’re still undercover. That’s as much a persona as a glamoured persona. You need to be convincing. You are going to get to know these guys like friends. You don’t know how long you’re going to be there. You need to create a credible life for yourself that has no connection to who you really are. When it’s all over, you don’t want to leave anything behind that might lead to the real you.”
“The real me,” he said.
“The real you,” she said.
He cocked his head at her. “Is this the real you I’m talking to right now?”
She blinked. Not the question she was expecting. In the brief pause, a cascade of thoughts and emotions sped through her mind. Yes. No. What? Of course. But . . . He’s baiting me. No, it’s fair given the context. Ouch. Talk about pushing a button. How dare he? Is he serious or playing with me? Again. “Ha-ha,” she said. It was the best she could come up with, and she felt stupid for it.
Sinclair’s measured look said he wasn’t sure how to interpret the response. With a subtle flick of his eyebrows, he decided to let it pass. “Okay, so I need a better cover than a name.”
“Cress can help you build a legal framework in case someone decides to look into your history. She’s good. Excellent, in fact. Your job is to build the personality—who you loved or hated, your favorite books and movies, what you like to eat. Drill it into your memory and stick to it. The slightest lapse can be trouble, so keep it simple but keep it . . .”
“Real,” he finished.
“Yes.”
A faint smile creased his face. “This is what you do every day?”
She shook her head. “Not every day. Most jobs only require an occasional appearance. Only deep cover takes over your life.”
He laughed. “I’ve been driving limos every day for two months.”
She smiled. “But you didn’t need a persona for it, just a name. As Bill Burrell, limo driver, you’ve been interacting with low-level Legacy staff briefly. The job doesn’t require that you interject yourself into the workings of someone’s life. You get to be Bill Burrell and go home at night. It’s different now that they’re letting you in deeper. You become someone else. Start by creating a job history. What did you do before you drove limos?”
He pursed his lips. “Circus performer.”
She didn’t laugh. “Too contrived.”
“It was a joke,” he said.
She compressed her lips. “I know you think it was, Jono, but you need to understand something. I take this seriously, and you need to take this seriously. When you’ve proved you can do the job, then you can joke.”
It was his turn to get annoyed. “I’m getting tired of all this ‘proving myself’ bullshit.”
“It’s hard. I know. But it’s that way because the stakes are high. A mistake can cost lives. Look what happened on the road this morning. You
Similar Books
