“It’s Stone. Somebody is breaking into my Paris house as we speak. I think Casselli’s people are taking Hedy.”

“I’ve just tried to reach the man on her, and I’m getting no reply.”

“I told her to hide her cell phone in her crotch—you can use it to trace her.” Stone gave him the number.

“I’ve just heard: my man on Hedy was found unconscious by his relief man. He’s on the way to the hospital. I’ll trace Hedy.”

“And cover Le Bourget. They may be trying to fly her here. I’ll get this end covered. Call me with news.” Stone hung up, found Jim Lugano’s card, and called his mobile.

“Lugano.”

“Jim, it looks as though my girl, Hedy Kiesler, has been taken from my Paris house. I’ve notified Rick LaRose, and he’s covering Le Bourget, in case they try to move her here. I’d appreciate it, since you have a presence at Ciampino, if you’d cover that end. We’ve got to try to get her back before they have a chance to spirit her off to Naples or somewhere else.” He told Lugano about her cell phone and gave him the number.

“I’m on it, Stone. I’ll be in touch.”

Stone hung up the phone with a sinking heart. He had no doubt that Casselli would kill her or worse, if he felt like it.

Dino came over. “Your face is white. What’s wrong?”

“It looks as though Casselli’s people have taken Hedy from the Paris house.”

“Oh, shit.”

“I told her not to go out until I reached Rome, but she went grocery shopping this morning. Rick’s man who was on her is down.” He told Dino about her cell phone.

“That was a smart move,” Dino said.

“I hope to God they don’t find it,” Stone replied, and he meant it.

28

Rick LaRose pressed a button on his phone that rang a dozen other phones, the users of which punched on and waited for instructions.

“This is a Mayday,” Rick said into the phone, “this is not a drill. Our surveillance subject, one Hedy Eva Marie Kiesler, has been taken from the Barrington house in Saint-Germain. I want a full-blown alert in the neighborhood, and team one to Le Bourget, all FBOs covered, now. I want a list of every aircraft taking off from that airport today, whether a flight plan is filed or not, its destination and time en route, with particular attention paid to flights to Italy or near the border. All teams: she’s probably in the trunk of a car or in the back of a van, and that will be tough. Use firearms as necessary, but be careful. Any questions?”

No one spoke. Rick hung up and called Jim Lugano and told him what he’d done.