Page 22 of Stuart Woods' Golden Hour

“If wedodraw them out, then what? Do we detain them? Or do we terminate them?”

“Hopefully, neither.”

“Your CIA watchers will handle that?”

“As I said, hopefully.”

“And if they don’t?”

“Then we do what needs to bedone.”

8

A few minutes before 6:00p.m., Billy joined Stacy and Lizzie in the hotel lobby.

“Ladies, you look lovely.”

Lizzie, dressed in a Black Halo sleeveless jumpsuit, gave him an exaggerated bow, while Stacy, decked out in an emerald green Elliatt cocktail dress, smiled sheepishly and said, “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.”

“My thanks in return.” Billy was wearing a gray Emporio Armani suit, a black shirt, and a gray tie that had a hint of red running through it.

“Good, I’m not the first,” Adriene said, joining them.

“Is that a Ramy Brook?” Lizzie asked as she checked out Adriene’s dress.

Adriene spun around. “You like it?”

“Not like. Love.”

“How did it go with your adoring fans earlier?” Billy asked.

“Exhilarating and surreal,” Adriene said.

“You should have seen her,” Lizzie said. “She took to it like a real pro.”

“Sheisa real pro,” he said. “No problems with anyone?”

While most fans were well-behaved if a little excited when meeting a star, a few crossed the line into dangerous. There had been one in particular during the filming ofStorm’s Eyewho had taken it all the way to murder.

“Not a one,” Adriene said. “They were all so nice. I was just sorry I couldn’t sign something for everyone.”

“I take it the little general had you moving right along.”

“ ‘Little general’?”

Lizzie raised a hand. “That’s me. I have a bit of a reputation.”

“Well deserved,” Billy said.

“I’d like to think so,” Lizzie said. “But don’t worry, I save my true bite for unruly members of the press.”

The elevator opened and Peter, Hattie, and Tessa stepped out. Like the others, they were dressed to the nines: Peter in a black Prada suit, and Hattie and Tessa in dresses by Versace and Dolce & Gabbana respectively.

Lizzie waved over the Strategic Services detail—a group of three men and three women, all dressed in black suits.

“Ready to depart?” one of the women asked.

“We are.”

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