Card Shark visits Metropolis, Pennsylvania

Life, Death

After a commissioned theft at the Metropolis Museum of Modern Art is foiled by the Gironde School staff who had been supervising a school trip, the Card Shark Syndicate sends a Spades team led by Face Card member Poker Face to the school grounds in retribution. Alas for them, Poker Face's remains are found by the county sheriff five miles away, in a single-car fatal accident, with an awful lot of incriminating weapons piled in the back seat.

Not known to any outsiders: The Card Shark attack did take place on the campus.

During the museum robbery, one of the Deck Agents managed to plant a tracking device on the Wyldfire agents. They do not know if they have discovered Wyldfire's secret base of operations, or if this is merely a case of bodyguards shepherding the students back home. Either scenario works for the Spades, who intend to drive home the message that interfering in a Diamond operation comes at a high cost.

The unexpected breach of site security disturbs everyone in Wyldfire, especially those who had adjusted from a life as hunted fugitives to a comfortable stationary existence. The safety of this campus needs a major redesign.

In the epilogue, Thomas takes his friend Jarissa aside for a very personal request: He needs Rissa to stay. He'd like for her husband to stay at the Gironde school also, but he says that he needs for Rissa not to run away, because he can't feel safe unless she is nearby. This is not an easy thing for Rissa to promise, but she does so.