“Woodman and Weld were also going to call him. I talked to the duty officer at the State Department and he put me through to the head of the Caribbean desk at home. He promised to try to get permission to send a cable in the secretary of state’s name. I’ll call him back after nine to see how he did. Oh, Woodman called the president last night; he was unavailable, but he did get the White House chief of staff on the line, which is almost as good. He had seen the 60 Minutes report and promised to get some sort of protest out first thing this morning.”

“That’s wonderful, Bill. Anything else?”

“The PR people have been on it all night; they’ll report to me at the office at nine. I’m afraid we’re going to miss a lot of morning editions, but they think we’ll make some of them.”

“Hilary Kramer promised me she’d get us in the Times this morning.”

“Hang on,” Eggers said, “I’ll see.” He was gone for a moment, then returned. “She made the front page, lower right-hand corner, continued inside. It’s good stuff, Stone, and she quoted you about every American sending a wire.”

“Thank God we made that one.”

“I’m sure we’ll be all over the morning television shows, too; you want to be interviewed over the phone?”

“I’m going to be too busy; you do it.”

“If they’ll talk to me.”

“Tell them you’re Allison’s attorney, too.”

“Okay. I’d better get on that right now; they’re already on the air.” He hung up.

Stone switched on the television and, over the satellite dish, got the Today show. An hour later he heard Katie Couric interviewing Eggers and Eggers reading out the prime minister’s fax number.

“Yes!” Stone screamed. He got into some clothes, jumped into Thomas’s car, and headed for Government House. The jail door was open this time, and after searching him, they let him into Allison’s cell. He held her close for a moment, then looked at her. She seemed surprisingly normal. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m nervous as a cat,” she said, “but I got some sleep last night, amazingly enough.”

“I was here late last night, but they wouldn’t let me in.”

“I got the things this morning,” she said. “Thank you so much.”

From the window over the heavy wooden door outside the cell came a loud noise—a creaking of hinges, a slap of wood against wood, and another sound that made chills run up Stone’s spine.

“What’s that?” Allison asked.