Page 125 of Stuart Woods' Golden Hour

“Then we have a screening to get to.”

Since Vesna would be posing as Stone’s date this evening, he offered her his arm.

As she took it, she said, “This is already starting off better than most dates I have been on.”

“Careful,” Billy said. “Stone has a reputation.”

Vesna raised an eyebrow. “Good or bad?”

“That depends on who you talk to,” Teddy said.

“Or how you define the word ‘bad,’ ” Stone added.

“Forget what I said earlier. This is starting off better thananydate I have been on.”

45

Across town a similar meetingwas occurring in a Braun Logistics conference room. The only differences were that none of the fourteen men present had altered their appearance, and only two were wearing tuxedoes.

“If there are any questions, ask now,” Dieter said.

He scanned the group, but as he expected, no one spoke up.

Dieter wished he could have assembled the crème de la crème of the BLS special projects unit. But per Braun’s instructions, they were spread across the globe in position to terminate the remaining Golden Hour agents as soon as Braun and Dieter finished dealing with Fay.

The only trusted men he’d been able to retain had been Rolf, who was the only other person beside himself wearing a tux, and Andreas, who would be overseeing the others.

The other eleven in the room were made up of a mixedbag of freelancers. Not ideal, but they were only there as backup and would be unlikely not to see any action.

“There will be zero tolerance for mistakes today,” Dieter said. “If even one civilian catches on to what we are doing, the mission is blown. Is that understood?”

This was greeted by a less-than-perfect chorus ofyeahs.

“Transportation is waiting in the garage.” He nodded at Andreas.

“All right, everyone,” Andreas said. “Get moving.”

He and the others departed, leaving Dieter and Rolf alone.

Dieter handed Rolf a business card with the Trust’s logo on it. “Just in case something happens, and we need to act quickly. Otherwise, Braun will use one of his.”

Rolf nodded and slipped the card into his pocket.

While Andreas and his team would be stationed outside the event, Dieter and Rolf would be accompanying Braun to the film festival’s opening-night event.

Dieter’s phone buzzed.

“Yes?” he answered.

“Barnett just left the hotel,” his watcher reported.

“Alone?”

“No. With his Hollywood friends.”

“You still have eyes on him?”

“He’s three vehicles in front of me. On expected course.”

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