Jack has never known an ordinary life. "The Center," a shadowy organization with its own hidden agenda, has been his home, his school, and his job. Under the command of a man he knows only as his guardian, Jack has trained relentlessly in order to carry out the Center's secret missions. In the three years since he turned thirteen, he's been given more and more complex assignments, rarely questioning the reasons behind each operation. Now, going by the name Jack Carlisle, his orders are to go to Maine and befriend high school track star Leo McCormack.
Jack finds Leo easy to like, and soon the like becomes something more. He knows he shouldn't act on his attractionit's against all the rules. However, Leo wants Jack in his life as much as Jack wants Leo, and soon the two begin a relationship. Jack gets a sweet taste of real life, but when the mission ends the fallout could be disastrous--and not just because Leo's father is the target of the operation.