Noble Projects

Liam Martin, retired CIA field agent, almost destroyed his budding romance with Mary Riley when he went off to Texas to help break up an insurrection plot, solve a murder, and preserve his daughter's security team in Niger (the story of which is told in Resurrections), but they managed to reenergize their relationship. In time, they moved in together under unusual circumstances, but she refused to quit the job where she and Liam first met.

Each has an adult daughter, whose activities provide both crisis and celebration. Mary's daughter, Lisa, a teacher at Indiana University, comes to live with them for the summer, pregnant and wanting an abortion. This causes her devoutly Catholic mother terrible pain and forces mother and daughter to reevaluate their relationship. Liam's daughter, Cathryn, gets a promotion at her NGO employer and gets engaged to her team's security guy, Brian, who enabled their escape from a hostage situation at the end of their last expedition in Africa. Brian is a displaced Irishman in the country under the protection of the CIA.

In addition to their daughters' activities, Liam focuses his penchant for helping solve the problems of others by creatively addressing two local issues. He confesses some of his black ops history to Mary, and she her lingering fear for the stability of their relationship to him. Life is good.

Then this good life is shattered by physical problems. Liam suffers a severe injury during his daily run, requiring surgery, a cast, and causing a test of his character. Mary is beset with a life-threatening disease and undergoes dreadful chemotherapy. As they struggle with these challenges, the opportunity for a major change in their lives emerges, as does the possibility of a future enriched with happy family interactions.