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Back Below the Belt Save as PDF
Chapters (67)
  1. Cover
  2. BOOKS BY STUART WOODS
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  66. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  67. What’s next onyour reading list?

“Station somebody to keep an eye on our glasses and fill them when they get empty,” Dino said.

“You will not run dry.” Ken went about his business.

“When is Viv back?” Stone asked, for lack of anything else to say.

“Tomorrow.”

The two were uncharacteristically silent. They finished their drinks, and they were instantly refilled.

“We’d better not drink dinner,” Stone said. “Let’s order.”

They ordered and were waiting for dinner when Lance called.

“Hello, Lance.”

“My people are here and are still going through the house. Ed is not present, and they say that the house has been gone through by pros. They got Ed’s safe open in the study, but I don’t know if they got the strong case. There’s still some cash in there.”

“What do you think, Lance?”

“I think that, best case, Ed is in the trunk of somebody’s car. Worst case? Well . . .”

46

ED RAWLS GRADUALLY CAME TO. They had injected him with something, and he felt numb all over. Gradually, it became clear to him that he was in the trunk of a large car, driving over smooth pavement. He was not bound or gagged, for which he was grateful. Probably, they had thought the drug would keep him out until they reached their destination.

As he became more conscious he began to explore his surroundings with his hands. He found a tire iron, which he put under his body, where he could reach it when he needed it.

There was a bit of light at the upper-right-hand corner of his space. He felt that surface, and it seemed to be the back of the rear seat. He pressed very slowly on the seat and a seam of light opened from top to bottom. Finally, he could see the back of a man’s head in the front passenger seat.

He continued to push the seat back, running his fingers down the crack of light slowly. The seat continued to give. Soon, light opened in the middle of the rear seat, which meant that it was not a bench, but divided. He could see the back of the driver’s head now, and the two men were talking, something about sports.

Ed stopped pushing on the seat. It was clear that he could press on it until it would leave half the trunk exposed, but the driver might catch that in the rearview mirror. He pushed again, but the seat back came to a stop, as if there were an obstacle to its opening. Ed got his whole hand through the opening, feeling for the obstruction, and he found it.