Strategic Moves (Stone Barrington 19)

“Todd Bacon.”

“Your acolyte? The new CEO of your new air transport company?”

“One and the same.”

“Why would he do such a thing?”

“I think he’s angry at Pablo over the thing with the flying Mercedes. He had planned the whole operation, then, at the moment it was about to come to fruition, Pablo ruined it for him.”

“Have you confronted him?”

“Lance is doing that right now, and he’s better at those things than I.”

“I hope he tears a strip off his hide,” Stone said.

“I think he’ll do more than that,” Holly said. “I think Lance is angry enough to fire him. Hang on a minute, will you?”

Stone hung on.

“More spy stuff?” Willa asked, brushing her mussed hair out of her eyes.

Holly came back on before Stone could reply. “Okay, it’s done. Todd Bacon is off immediately to man a radio listening post in the Aleutian Islands, off Alaska.”

“The perfect place for him,” Stone said.

“I have to agree,” Holly replied. “There’s a fly in the ointment, though.”

“What’s that?”

“I have to go up to Newburgh and get the air cargo thing running smoothly while Lance looks for somebody else to run it.”

“For how long?”

“For as long as it takes,” she said. “I suppose there are worse assignments, but it does take me away from the center of the action. It’s Lance’s way of telling me that I should have somehow prevented Pablo’s automotive aviation event. This is going to drive my boyfriend crazy.”

“Then you’d better get it up and running smoothly fast.”

“Oh, and Lance is going to the director about funding for protection for Pablo.”

“May I make a suggestion?”

“Yes.”

“Hire Strategic Services; protection is what they do best.”

“What a good idea! I have to go tell Lance. Goodbye!”

Stone hung up.

“Did you finish?” Willa asked.

“My conversation?”

“No, what we were doing. Did you finish?”

“Sort of, but I was interrupted.”

“I didn’t finish,” she said.