Page 21 of Stuart Woods' Golden Hour

Teddy hung up and returned to the living room.

“In theory, it won’t be happening again,” he said.

“Just in case the theory proves false…” Vesna pulled out a device about the size of a standard smartphone and set it on the table. “I’ll leave the detector with you, and you can scan at will.”

“Much appreciated.”

“I have also left a bag in your room with the items you requested.”

“And I thank you for that, too.”

While he might have been able to smuggle weapons into the country on Centurion’s jet, he hadn’t wanted to take a chance that they’d be discovered. Hopefully, he wouldn’t need to use the ones she brought, but he’d rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them.

“Can you tell me what this is all about now?” she asked.

“That deep, dark cell you mentioned earlier? There’s an even deeper and darker one waiting for you if you share anything I’m about to tell you without my okay.”

Though he trusted Vesna more than nearly anyone else in the intelligence world, it was best to lay out the consequences of breaking that trust in clear terms.

“What is that phrase you once taught me?” She thought for a second, then her face brightened. “Ah, yes. The bowl of silence.”

“The cone of silence.”

“I understand and accept,” she said.

Teddy laid it out for her, omitting names that she didn’t need to know, the possibility of a mole at the CIA, and the fact that his mission had come down from the director personally.

When he finished, she said, “So, you’re trying to smoke out whoever is behind these murders by using you as bait.”

“Precisely.”

“Bold. I like it.”

“That makes one of us.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “It’s the best plan for the job.”

“But you would rather not be the piece of meat sitting in the trap.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

“I’m guessing that in addition to me keeping you safe, you’d like my help in figuring out who these people are.”

“Correct.”

“Well, I do prefer you breathing than in a pine box.”

“Why, thank you.”

“I’ll poke around and see what I can find out. I assume the sooner we figure this out, the better.”

“You assume correct,” Teddy said.

“Understood. I have a question.”

“And that is?”

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