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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?

“Clear, sir. I’ll issue the orders now.”

Alf hung up and settled down to watch and wait.

—

STONE REACHED INTO his jacket pocket for something and struck hard metal. He came out with the key to the strong case. He walked out to Joan’s office. “FedEx this to Ed Rawls in Virginia for earliest possible delivery, please.” He handed her the key.

Joan looked at it closely. “I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” she said.

“You don’t want to know.” He went back to his desk and sent Ed an e-mail, advising him the key was on its way.

—

IN ENGLAND the sun was setting. Don called his men together. “Establish a rough, square perimeter around the cottage, with one man at each corner, full body armor,” he said quietly, so the family wouldn’t hear. “We’ll be relieved in four hours by another team. At any sound of gunfire withdraw to the interior of the cottage and prepare for an assault.”

The men did as they were instructed.

—

AT THREE PM, fifty-one media outlets in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, and Atlanta nearly simultaneously received a DVD from Knott Industries, together with a press release with an activation time of seven PM EST, announcing a press conference on the Capitol steps at 6:45 the following evening.

—

STONE WAS WATCHING the evening news when the story broke. Nelson Knott, sitting in the library of his Virginia home, made a three-minute statement announcing his candidacy for President of the United States, and the formation of the Independent Patriot Party, with offices in every state and sixty of the country’s most populous cities, which would be open for business at eight o’clock the following morning. Knott looked relaxed and comfortable in a V-necked cashmere sweater and appeared to be speaking without notes. He also announced that he fully expected the new party to have candidates on the ballot for all House and Senate seats by Labor Day. At least fifteen of these would be converts from the Republican rolls in both houses.

Stone met the Bacchettis at eight at Rȏtisserie Georgette, and they ordered drinks. “Did you watch the news?” he asked them.

“You bet your sweet ass,” Dino said. “Knott’s announcement was very slick. Is anybody from the administration going to comment?”

“I expect so.”

“Are the books on their way?”

“They’ll all be delivered by three PM, Eastern, tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait,” Dino replied.

56

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Ed Rawls was having breakfast in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. He felt for the small 9mm pistol in the pocket of his robe, then went to the door. A man in a Federal Express uniform stood at the door. Ed put his hand inside his robe pocket and thumbed back the hammer on the weapon, then opened the door.

“Good morning,” the man said. “I have a delivery for you, and I need a signature.”