Dishonorable Intentions by Stuart Woods Read Free Book Online

until he gets tired of it. We’ll be in England before he figures it out.” He picked up the phone and called Mike Freeman at Strategic Services.
    â€œYou ready for your flight tomorrow, Stone?”
    â€œI am, Mike. Would you let your pilot know that we’d like to board in the hangar, before the airplane is towed out?”
    â€œSure. Somebody tailing you?”
    â€œProbably a couple of Russian gentlemen.”
    â€œI’ll see what I can do about that.”
    â€œThanks, I appreciate that. Will you be flying with us tomorrow?”
    â€œMe and Viv Bacchetti. We have business in Paris and Rome.”
    â€œWhy don’t you stop by my place for a couple of days, since we’re landing there anyway.”
    â€œWish I could, but duty calls. Maybe on the way back, if you’re there long enough. We’ll be on the continent for a week to ten days. One of our stops is attending the opening of the new Arrington, in Rome. Will you be coming down for that?”
    â€œIt’s a thought. Let’s see how it goes.”
    â€œOkay, see you tomorrow.” He hung up.
    â€œWe’ll board tomorrow in the hangar, protecting us from prying eyes. My friend Mike Freeman is coming with us, and so is Viv Bacchetti, who works for him.”
    â€œHow nice. Oh, and here’s a little something for you.” She handed him a gift-wrapped package.
    Stone untied the ribbon and opened it. “Wow! That will hold a whole bottle!” He walked to the bar, opened a new bottle of Knob Creek, found a little silver funnel and filled the flask. “Perfect!” He gave her a big kiss.
    â€œI thought it was
you
.”
    â€œAnd you were right.” He set the flask in his briefcase. “Come on, you haven’t had the tour yet.”
    He showed her the living room, dining room, and his study, then took her up to the master suite, where Fred had already deposited her luggage in her dressing room.
    â€œWhat are we doing for dinner tonight?”
    â€œI think we’ll have it here, in my study, just the two of us.”
    â€œThen I don’t have to dress?”
    â€œYou may wear as little as you like.”
    â€œWell, no, not if someone is serving us.”
    â€œA dressing gown will do.”
    â€œI think that’s called ‘slipping into something more comfortable.’”
    â€œI believe so.”
    â€œWhat time are we departing tomorrow?”
    â€œWe taxi at eight AM sharp, which means we’ll have to leave the house at six-thirty, to allow for rush-hour traffic between here and Teterboro. Breakfast at five?”
    â€œIf you can wake me.”
    â€œI’ll find a way.”

11
    F red drove them to Teterboro the following morning in the Bentley, and they used the back entrance to the Strategic Services hangar to avoid walking to the airplane through Jet Aviation.
    The crew welcomed them and took their luggage, and shortly, Mike and Viv were aboard, along with some other Strategic employees. A tractor towed the big business jet out of the hangar and onto the ramp, and the crew, having already run through their initial checklists, immediately started the engines. Moments later they were taxiing.
    Mike came and sat down next to Stone. “You were right about having a tail. Two large Russian gentlemen. My people discouraged them, and they have no idea that you’re on this aircraft.”
    â€œThank you, Mike, that’s a relief.”
    â€œThe crew has requested an expedited departure. There’s not a lot of traffic this morning, so we’ll be wheels-up shortly.” As he spoke the airplane made a turn and began its takeoff roll; a moment later the nose lifted, and they heard the sound of the landing gear coming up.
    â€œWe’re off,” Stone said to Gala.
    â€œWhat a relief!”
    â€œHe won’t know we’re on this airplane, so he won’t know where we’re going.”
    â€œWonderful. I think