Page 137 of Stuart Woods' Golden Hour

51

Teddy was carried down ahallway, his feet dragging behind him.

“Finally,” the familiar voice of Felix Braun said. “Get him inside.”

Teddy’s handlers maneuvered him through a doorway and into a room, where he was dropped into a chair that didn’t move.

“Don’t just stand there,” Braun said, “tie him up.”

Someone grabbed one of Teddy’s hands and set his forearm on the arm of the chair. Using the heel of his palm as a base, Teddy adjusted his arm’s position so that it was hovering above the chair. He held it there as a cord was wrapped around and tied off. While it appeared to be snug, it wasn’t. He did the same with his other arm.

Once that was finished, Braun said, “Wake him up.”

A needle pierced Teddy’s arm and a jolt of adrenalinerushed through his system. His eyes opened wide as he sucked in breath.

Across a metal table from him sat Braun. Behind Braun were Dieter Wenz, his buddy Rolf, and a man Teddy guessed had been in the van. The only other person present was Jillian. She was pressed against the wall near the door, looking very much like she wanted to be anywhere else. Teddy could sense no one standing behind him.

“I bet you didn’t think we’d be seeing each other again this soon, did you?” Braun said.

“What’s going on?” Teddy said, as he began quietly working his arms from their restraints. “Why am I here?”

“Because we have business to discuss, Mr. Fay. Or can I call you Teddy?”

“What?” Teddy’s left hand slipped free of the first loop. “My name’s Billy Barnett.”

Braun smiled. “Sure, youareBilly Barnett. But underneath your Billy Barnett façade, you’re Teddy Fay.”

Teddy’s left hand was almost completely free now, and his right was not far behind.

“I have no idea what you’re going on about. I don’t know who this Teddy person is. But why don’t we make a deal.”

“What kind of deal?”

“You let me go now, and I won’t let anyone know what you’ve done tonight.”

Braun smirked. “Let me get this straight. You’re saying you’ll give us apassif we let you walk away?”

“Exactly that,” Teddy said, both of his arms now free. “I won’t say a word.”

Braun glanced at Dieter. “What do you think, Dieter?”

“I think he’s lying,” Dieter said.

“I couldn’t agree with you more. But we need to remember, it’s all people like him can do.” Braun focused back on Teddy. “Let’s stop playing games, shall we? We both know who you worked for and what you did.”

“I work for Centurion Pictures.”

“Youworkfor the CIA.”

“I guarantee you, I don’t work for the CIA.”

“You worked for them when you killed my father.”

A click came over the comm in Teddy’s ear.

“Your father?” Teddy dropped all traces of fear from his expression. “You mean Tovar Lintz? The same man whose efforts contributed to the deaths of thousands?”

Braun stared at him, looking like he could hardly believe what he was hearing. “You…you admit it? You’re Teddy Fay?”

---