Stone - 25 - Collateral Damage

room?”
    “Just around the corner to your left,” the woman said.
    “I’ll be right back.” Jasmine stepped out the door and walked toward the emergency staircase, which had a large exit sign above it, well lit. As she did, her cell phone began to vibrate in her jacket pocket, the signal that all was ready. She checked to be sure she had enough bars, then pressed a speed dial button on her phone, put it back into her pocket, opened the door to the stairs, and started to run down them. She descended two floors, stepped outside into South Audley Street, where a black taxi waited for her, its engine running. She got into the vehicle, and as it rolled away the bomb inside the rear door of the embassy detonated with a huge roar.
    Protected by the buildings on the west side of the street, the taxi drove down to Mount Street and took a right. Now sirens could be heard. The taxi got to Park Lane and made a left turn, filtering into traffic. The driver edged into the right lane and turned into Hyde Park behind the Duke of Wellington’s house, now a museum. They were all the way to South Kensington before the first emergency vehicles made it into Grosvenor Square.
    The taxi stopped, Jasmine got out, removed a roller suitcase from the cab, and looked at her watch as she headed for the London Underground entrance. The second bomb, the one on a timer in the DHL van, would be going off at this moment.
    Ten minutes later she was speeding west, toward Heathrow Airport. Once there, she would take a taxi back to her new home on the Thames, along with the rolling suitcase, looking like any other Heathrow arrival.
    —
    Holly Barker got out of the chopper at the East Side Heliport and into the black SUV waiting for her. As she did, her cell phone went off, and she dug it out of her pocket. “Holly Barker.”
    “It’s Scotty,” her secretary said. “Where are you?”
    “I just arrived in New York.”
    “Can you get in touch with the director? Her cell phone didn’t answer. I know she got back last night, but she’s not in the office yet.”
    “Yes, I can.”
    “Tell her this: a large bomb has detonated at the rear door of the London embassy, and there are many casualties. Hang on,” she said, “other line.” She came back after a moment. “A second bomb has gone off in a delivery van parked in North Grosvenor Street, probably on a timer. That’s all I’ve got. I’ll call you when there’s more.”
    “I’m headed for the East Side station. Call me on a secure line there.” Holly hung up and pressed the speed dial button for Kate Lee’s cell phone. It rang five times before it was answered.
    “Yes?”
    “It’s Holly. Where are you, Director?”
    “In my car, on the way to Langley.”
    “Tell your driver to take an alternate route on surface roads and to proceed with caution,” Holly said. “There’s bad news from London.”

The phone was ringing in the office as Holly hurried into the room, and she grabbed it. “Holly Barker.”
    “It’s very bad,” the director said. “There are at least thirty casualties, including Tom Riley.”
    “How did they get to Tom?” Holly asked, knowing that his office was several floors up.
    “For some reason, he went down to sign for a package, which was the bomb. A second bomb went off in the delivery van, which was sitting in Upper Grosvenor Street, doing a lot of damage to the offices across the way.”
    “What can I do to help?”
    “Ed Marvin, the deputy London station chief, had coronary bypass surgery yesterday and won’t be back at work for at least six weeks, and Lance is in Hawaii at a Pacific Rim security conference, so you’re now acting London station chief, until we can sort things out. An airplane will be waiting for you at Teterboro at eight P.M. , and the chopper will take you out there at seven-thirty. You’ll be met at London City Airport, and the Connaught will have a suite for you. Call me from the embassy on my cell as soon as you’ve assessed the situation. Don’t worry about the time difference.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    “And, Holly, I’m sorry about your New York visit. Since Stone is a consultant to us, you can take him along, if you can talk him into it.”
    “I’ll order him to come,” Holly said.
    “Good luck.” The director hung up.
    Holly dialed Stone’s number, and Joan put her through to her boss.
    “Have you heard about London?” Holly asked.
    “I’m watching it on CNN right now,” Stone replied.
    “The