"I saw the sports news while I was at the airport. You won some sort of championship?"
"Yep. I"m a kick boxer. Actually, the World Kickboxing Association doesn"t hold competitive championship bouts like there are in regular boxing. What this was was a special produced by Showtime. You know, the cable TV channel? They held an elimination championship special, and...well, I came out the winner."
"Congratulations, Mr. Hawthorne. By the way, Morrow said your first name was Eric?"
"Arik. A-r-i-k. How "bout you? What should I call you? Lieutenant?"
"My name"s Corinth Marya."
"Corinth, huh? Bet they called you "Corrie"."
"If you were a gambling man, you"d win that bet."
He smiled, a genuinely pleased smile, and her heart sped up a few beats. The sun was pouring down on them, and he seemed
