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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?

As they approached the ramp, Fred came out of the building with Bob on a leash. Bob went nuts when he saw the airplane.

Stone greeted them both and ordered enough fuel to get them to Rockland with reserves. They stowed Bob’s bag with his food and toys, then took off for Rockland under Visual Flight Rules without filing a flight plan.

At Rockland, they put Stone’s airplane into a hangar and, at his insistence, locked it. “If anybody should ask, I’m not here, and you haven’t heard from me,” he told them.

The three of them piled into a Cessna 182 and made the flight to the island of Islesboro in fifteen minutes, setting down on the fairly short landing strip. Seth was there to greet them in the 1938 Ford station wagon that belonged to the house.

“Can’t say I’m surprised to see you,” Seth said, shaking their hands. “Nothing you’d do could surprise me.”

Another fifteen minutes and they were at the house. Seth took their bags upstairs.

“Anyone asking for me?” Stone asked when he came down.

“Yup, Jimmy did, when I went to the store.”

“So by suppertime everybody will know I’m here.”

“I expect so,” Seth said. “That okay with you?”

“Oh, sure. There are no secrets around here. Any phone calls?”

“One. They hung up when I answered.”

“Maybe that was Ed,” Stone said to Holly.

“Or somebody else,” she said darkly.

11

DINNER WAS THE USUAL FIRST-NIGHTER: lobster bisque followed by lobster, shelled and tossed in butter.

“You wouldn’t get this in Santa Fe,” Stone said to Holly. “I’m sorry to have yanked you out of the town so quickly.”

“Don’t worry, I’m happy to be here.”

Seth came in with the strong case. “This yours?” he asked, holding it up by the handcuff. “I found it in the car.”

“Yes, I forgot that. Just leave it here by me,” Stone said.

Seth, being a Mainer, liked to mind his own business and didn’t ask about the handcuff, just set the thing down where he was asked to and left.

“What do you suppose Seth thinks about that?” Holly asked.

“He can think whatever he wants to,” Stone said. “After all, nothing I do surprises him. He said so himself.”

After dinner he went to the secret room maintained by his cousin Dick Stone, after whose murder Stone had come into his house. He unlocked it, revealing the small office. “The Agency computer is gone,” Stone said.

“The Internet setup, too. Now you’re just an ordinary civilian who has to supply his own Wi-Fi.”

“Already supplied,” Stone said. He opened Dick’s safe and tucked the strong case inside, then he closed it and unlocked the compartment that held Dick’s weapons. Gone were the fully automatic machine gun and the assault rifle. The riot gun and a couple of handguns were still there.