Read From Russia Without Love for Free Online

shit is denting my skull.”
    “Maybe you should stick your head out the window, Sonny,” Chris said sharply. “You might see some birds.”
    “That’d be a hell of an improvement,” Sonny mumbled.
    Minutes later, they reached a white stone mansion perched on a bluff with a spectacular view of the setting sun. Below, the the dark-blue waters of the Aegean Sea contrasted the light-blue sky. Chris parked on the street behind several luxury cars, allowing enough space for their SOG team to make a quick getaway if necessary.
    Walking onto Xander’s property, they traversed a cobblestone pathway, past olive trees and grapevines, until they reached a thick oak door. Chris pulled out his cell phone and tapped it until his audio recording app came on, and he pressed Record before returning his phone to his pocket.
    Sonny knocked.
    Chris did a quick scan of their surroundings. If shit hit the fan and they were split up, the ocean was within walking distance, and he’d take to the sea and kick-stroke-and-glide while Hannah and Sonny escaped through the city.
    There was no answer at the door, so Sonny knocked harder.
    Finally, a tall man opened the door. Chris sized him up as being fit and about his same height, but the gray in the man’s beard marked him as older. Chris introduced Hannah, Sonny, and himself.
    “Ah, yes, the legal attachés. I’m Xander Metaxas,” he said, his voice like honey. “Ambassador Garcia told me you were coming. I am so sorry to hear about Mr. Winthrop. Please, come in.”
    Inside the entrance hall, the high wooden ceiling was finely carved, and a grand piano stood to the side. The black marble floor looked somewhat dated, but it was shiny and clearly expensive.
    “Nice floor,” Chris said.
    “Thank you.” Xander led them across the hall. “This house has seen a fair amount of remodeling since the eighteenth century, but the floor is original. It is called Ashford Black Marble, imported from England, but it is actually limestone.”
    “It’s beautiful,” Hannah said as Xander gestured them into a spacious main room where a cluster of guests stood next to a grand fireplace and a butler served drinks to the guests standing under a crystal chandelier.
    “A house as fancy as this,” Sonny said with a snort, “and I’d think you’d at least be able to afford a new floor.”
    Chris clenched his teeth, and Xander gave Sonny a quizzical look. The New Yorker was going to get them into trouble before they could find anything out. Chris needed to find some way to build a rapport with Xander. And fast.
    Xander was wearing what appeared to be a Yale ring. “I see you’re a Yale grad.” He pointed to the man’s hand.
    Xander nodded. “Did you graduate from Yale, too?”
    “Harvard, actually,” Chris said.
    Hannah smiled at Xander, then at Chris. “Sonny and I will let you two exchange Ivy League stories.” She looped her arm through Sonny’s and pulled him along.
    “Yes, please, help yourselves,” Xander said.
    She bowed her head graciously, and they strolled deeper into the house, where most of the guests were congregated.
    Xander turned to Chris, a calm, carefree smile on his face. “Would you like a drink?”
    “No, thank you.” His purpose here was to find out about the hostage’s kidnapping, and having a purpose helped him to relax. He didn’t need a drink to do that for him.
    “I had a friend in Harvard,” Xander said. “Which dorm were you in?”
    “Wigglesworth Hall.”
    “Ah. I do not know it. Sadly, I only visited the campus once.”
    Chris directed the conversation back to Xander’s own experience. “Yale is an excellent university. And now you own Athens Sustainable Energy. That’s quite the accomplishment.”
    Xander nodded. “The earth’s resources are finite, so we must manage them effectively. Our descendants’ survival depends on it. The twin pillars of my company are energy efficiency and renewable energy.”
    “Do you see yourself in competition with