Stuart Woods_Stone Barrington 14

incident,” Tiptree said, sitting down. My ambassador has already spoken to the prime minister, and I assure you, there will be repercussions.”
    The colonel sat down next to him. “I give you my word, Mr. Tiptree, there is nothing…” And then the colonel’s head exploded.
    Tiptree leapt off the bench, flecks of gray matter dotting his dark suit, and backed away from the nearly headless corpse, now lying on the gravel path. “Jesus H. Christ!” he said aloud. He could hear doors being flung open and boots pounding on the earth. “I didn’t do it!” he yelled.

35
    H olly and her group were sitting on their patio having breakfast when Thomas Hardy arrived and pulled up a chair.
    â€œColonel Croft is dead,” he said.
    Holly reacted with surprise, but she was not displeased. “Oh, good,” she said. “Now we can rip out those fucking bugs.”
    â€œI suppose so,” Thomas said. “His people will be in such disarray that they probably won’t even be listening.”
    â€œHow did he die?” Stone asked.
    â€œThere is a courtyard at the police station, and word is, he was sitting on a bench there, talking to a man named Tiptree from the American embassy, when his head exploded. No one heard a gunshot.”
    â€œSingle shot from a silenced rifle, explosive-tipped bullet,” Dino said, matter-of-factly.
    â€œCould be, I suppose,” Thomas replied.
    Holly was staring out to sea, an amazed expression on her face. “It’s Teddy,” she said.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œIt’s Teddy Fay; this sort of thing is his specialty.”
    â€œThis is the man you came here to find?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œBut why would he shoot Colonel Croft?”
    â€œI can’t go into that,” Holly replied. She stood up. “Will you excuse me? I have to make a phone call; I think our work here is done, Stone. We can go home today, if they can send an airplane.”
    â€œJust a minute,” Thomas said. “You’re not going anywhere today, and maybe not for several days.”
    â€œWhat?” she asked.
    â€œThe airport is closed; the prime minister is furious about Croft, and he is determined that whoever killed him is not going to get off the island, which means nobody else is, either. The airport is closed.”
    â€œOh, shit,” Holly said. “No reflection on your lovely inn, Thomas, but I’m ready to get out of here. I miss my dog.”
    â€œI can understand that,” Thomas replied, “but be assured, you are welcome to stay on here for as long as this takes.”
    â€œExcuse me,” Holly said again, then left. She went into the cottage, got her satphone from the safe and went out back, dialing Lance’s direct number.
    â€œLance Cabot.”
    â€œIt’s Holly; shall we scramble?”
    â€œYes, please.” There was a click on the line. “How’s this?”
    â€œFine. There has been a major uproar here.”
    â€œWhat’s happened?”
    â€œColonel Croft was shot this morning by a sniper with a silenced weapon; he’s dead.”
    There was a stunned silence. “I’m going to have to get back to you,” Lance said, and hung up.
    Holly stared at the phone in her hand. “What the hell kind of reaction was that?” she said aloud.

    L ance hung up the phone and looked across his desk at Hugh English, who had turned a funny color. “I’m sorry, Hugh, please go on.”
    â€œAs I was saying, Lance,” English said with elaborate courtesy, “it appears that you have co-opted an agent of mine, the result of which is that he has been arrested and is probably being tortured by that animal Croft.”
    â€œHugh, the director has already spoken to you about this.”
    â€œRight, and now I am speaking to you about it.”
    â€œHugh…”
    â€œWhat in God’s name was he doing for you that would result in his arrest?”
    â€œHugh, he was simply retrieving some documents from the St. Marks government computers, something I understand he’s been doing for months. The fact that he was doing it for me had nothing to do with his arrest.”
    English suddenly jumped and grabbed the vibrating cell phone on his belt. “Yes?” His face slowly grew more astonished as he listened. “Why?” he demanded. “Are you perfectly serious about this? I’ll get the ambassador on it