Stone Barrington 27 - Doing Hard Time

danger?”
    Teddy handed him photographs of Majorov and Chernensky. “The larger, younger of the two men is Yuri Majorov, who sent the two men to follow you in New Mexico. You are unlikely to see him, but the other man is very dangerous, and you must be on the lookout for him every time you leave this bungalow.”
    “And what if I see him?”
    “Either tell me, or if I’m not available, shoot him.”
    “Are you serious?”
    “Yes. Let’s go over to the armory and spend an hour on the range.”

Peter turned out to have a good eye and a steady hand, and Teddy was pleased with his performance, standing, kneeling, and prone. Next he had him fire while moving left and right, and he was not so happy with his prowess in that mode. Still, he could shoot—if he could bring himself to shoot. Teddy didn’t know how to teach that.
    Teddy checked out the handgun and holster for the .380 pistol Peter had been firing, then they rode back to the bungalow in Peter’s golf cart, with Teddy on high alert.
    “Well,” Peter said, when they got back inside, “that was fun, but I’m glad it’s over.”
    “You need more work on shooting while moving,” Teddy said.
    “You know what’s scary about this?” Peter asked. “How seriously you’re taking it.”
    “You’d better take it seriously, too, until I can neutralize the Viper, or you won’t finish the film you’re working on. And by the way, when you come to the airport tomorrow morning, have the driver pull into the hangar before you get out. There’s nothing to hide behind at an airport, if shooting starts.”
    A voice came from behind him. “Shooting? What shooting?” Ben Bacchetti and Hattie Patrick stood in the doorway.
    “Ben, Hattie, you remember Billy Barnett, from New Mexico?”
    “Sure,” Ben said. “Hi, Billy. We’ve been in the recording studio. What’s going on?”
    “Well,” Peter said, “you remember the car following us on the road?”
    “Yeah, I think so.”
    “The guy who sent the car is in L.A., and Billy thinks he might send somebody else to look us up.” He handed Ben the photographs.
    “This guy is a threat?” Hattie said. “He looks like somebody’s grandfather.”
    “That’s because he has survived every encounter he has ever had with an opponent,” Teddy said. “You would be unwise to underestimate him.”
    “What do we do if we see him?” Hattie asked.
    “Run,” Teddy replied.
    “Ben shoots,” Peter said to Billy.
    “Good. You want me to get you something to shoot with?” Teddy asked.
    “I’ve got the old man’s .38 back at The Arrington,” Ben said.
    “Carry it. I’ll get you a license.”
    “What about me?” Hattie asked.
    “Do you want to walk around armed?”
    “Well, no.”
    “Then let me worry about you. Just keep a lookout for that old man in the photograph.”
    “This is playing like a movie,” Hattie said.
    “Don’t make the mistake of believing that,” Teddy replied. “Everybody needs to be wary for the next few days.”
    “What happens in a few days?” Ben asked.
    “Don’t ask.”
    •   •   •
    Stone left the Wilshire Boulevard office of Woodman & Weld and drove back to The Arrington. He noticed a brown SUV a couple of cars behind him that turned whenever he did.
    •   •   •
    He found Mike Freeman sitting by the pool with a Bloody Mary frozen to his fist.
    “Did you have a good day?” Mike asked.
    “Pretty good. I’ve been going over Peter’s contract with the studio. Our L.A. office did the dogwork, and they did a good job.”
    “God forbid a partner in a law firm should get the crease in his pants wrinkled.”
    “Mike, your people drive brown SUVs, don’t they?”
    “Brown, black, blue—whatever the dealer has when we’re shopping for cars.”
    “A brown one followed me from the Woodman & Weld offices just now. What’s going on?”
    “You remember why you came back out here?”
    “I do.”
    “Your fears were warranted. Majorov has turned up in L.A. with an assassin in tow, and I’m taking precautions.”
    “I see. What precautions have you taken with Peter?”
    “Billy Barnett.”
    “Is he enough?”
    “I believe he is.”
    The door slammed, and the kids came out of the house.
    “Welcome home,” Stone said. “How was your day?”
    “Extremely interesting,” Peter said. “I spent part of it learning to shoot a handgun. Billy was my instructor.”
    “How’d you do?” Stone asked.
    “Pretty good, I think. Billy seemed pleased,