VanOps is an agency within the American Intelligence community.
When we first are introduced to this organization, we are told that VanOps is "an ultra-black covert agency". It is a bit later that further intel on it comes in, letting us know that it was "the most secret CIA group in Washington, the blackest of the black. It was an outgrowth of the old CIA Stargate psychic spying program and now had a broader mission - to keep an eye out for any sort of advanced or obscure technology that threatened the security of the United States". Additionally, we learn that it was subsequently placed under the control of the [apparently new cabinet position] Department of Extreme Threats.
While the personnel amounts in VanOps must be fairly large to have more than one director, we readers will follow the activities of three, the first two of whom are not operatives when we first meet but who will be pulled into VanOps missions and then over time complete training to become official. They are:
Madeline 'Maddy' Marshall - a computer programmer specializing in developing mobile apps for phones - she is roughly 30 years of age with olive complexion and green eyes. One opponent thought of her as "tall for a woman" with "sexy long dark hair", "a world-class athlete and national ski champion who had been a favorite for Olympic gold, she'd used her lightning-fast reflexes to become a warrior in an unusual martial art", namely aikido in which she is an instructor. Her last name had been Argones but she chose to adopt her mother's maiden name.
Will Argones - twin brother of Maddy - an engineer by profession and physics expert by desire - Like his sister, he is olive-hued with green eyes and dark, curly hair often ruffled.
Teddy 'Bear' Thorenson - once a high school classmate of Maddy and Will, extending to having had an unrequited crush on her back then, Bear is a VanOps agent having joined after serving a decade in the U.S. Marines, some of that as a helicopter pilot.
Considering that VanOps deals a great amount with outré technology and when we first meet Maddy and Will they are having issues with some very strange and much sought-after strange obelisks, the recruiting of that pair into the organization makes perfect sense.
Good Lines:
- Thought by Will about Bear when first reconnecting after a decade: "Most men with that many muscles didn't have much in the way of brains".