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

“Right. Okay, sweetie, I’ll see you when I see you, if I see you at all.” She kissed him again, grabbed her toolbox, and fled the premises.

Joan came in. “Okay, you ready for some training?”

“No, I am not. I have to be in the mood for that sort of thing if I want to remember it.”

“Then let’s leave the codes as they are for the moment, otherwise you’ll light up this place like a Christmas tree the first time you try to arm the system.”

“Agreed. Oh, you’d better call Bob Cantor and tell him Strategic Services are running the thing now.”

“Already done. He was hurt a little, I think.”

“Can’t be helped. We can’t have strange people roaming the house at will, even if we are photographing them while they’re doing it.”

“When are they going to invent a camera that shoots intruders with something more serious than a lens?” Joan asked.

“They probably already have, but that would rob you of the pleasure of killing strangers and messing up the rugs.”

“Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted.”

“By the way, Holly Barker is choppering in tomorrow around midday. If I’m not here, please see that she gets settled and that Helene gives her lunch.”

“I keep hoping she’ll come and stay,” Joan sighed.

“Not while she can pretend she’s President of the United States. I can’t compete with that kind of fun.”

“I guess not. Still, I worry about her working too hard.”

“You can mention that to her when she gets in, but don’t expect her to take you seriously. She thrives on overwork.”

“I’ve never understood people like that,” Joan said.

“Who does? They’re a breed unto themselves. Still, I’d rather have Holly keeping an unblinking eye on the world more than anybody else I know.”

“Me too.”

47

HOLLY BREEZED INTO the house in time for lunch, and they had it on a little table in Stone’s study. “So,” he said, “how goes the nation?”

“Steady as she goes,” Holly replied. “With women in charge, did you expect anything less?”

“Certainly not, and I haven’t noticed any stray nukes going off.”

“Nor will you on our watch.”

“Are you really enjoying yourself, Holly?”

“I simply can’t tell you how much. It’s like playing with the world’s largest chess set, and I get to make all the moves. Well, many of them. Well, I get to suggest which moves are to be made, and sometimes my advice is taken.”

“Does Kate Lee really need a national security advisor?” he asked mischievously.