"What?"
"Bounced bullets."
"You mean ricochets?"
"Exactly. Those marvelous windshields on that armored BMW, designed to keep bullets out, in this case may unfortunately have kept them in as well."
"Jesus, I didn't think about that."
"We'll find out when we get to the hospital."
And there's something else I didn't think about, either!
He took out his cellular and punched an autodial button.
Alex Darby answered on the second buzz.
"Darby."
"Castillo. There's been an ambush. My car, at the Sante Fe Circle in San Isidro. They got Sergeant Markham, and Betty Schneider is in a chopper on the way to the German Hospital."
"Are you all right, Charley?"
"I don't know if 'all right' is the phrase, but I wasn't in the car. I was drinking wine in a bar."
"Where are you now?"
"In Colonel Munz's car, on the Accesso Norte, on the way to the hospital."
"So the Argentines know."
"They told me… me, the guy who's supposed to be on top of things."
"Charley, you can't blame yourself for not being in the car."
"Who do you think these bastards were trying to hit? Me, or a female Secret Service agent and a Marine driver?"
"I'll have people at the hospital in ten minutes. Don't move from there until they get there."
"If you have anybody to spare, send them to the Masterson house. Tell them not to let Mrs. Masterson hear what happened."
"Charley, it'll be all over the television and the radio."
"Then make sure she doesn't watch TV or listen to the radio. I want her to hear about this from the ambassador. As soon as I get off this with you, I'm going to call him."
"Okay, Charley. Anything else?"
"Find Tony Santini, tell him to get Jack Britton something heavier than his Glock, then get him a car and send him to the hospital."
"Done."
"I'll be in touch, Alex," Castillo said, pushed the END key and then the autodial key for Ambassador Silvio. Then he pushed the END key again and turned to Munz.
"Alfredo. Sergeant Markham's body. What's going to happen to it?"
"When my people have finished doing their work at the Sante Fe Circle, it will be taken to the German Hospital for an autopsy."
"Is an autopsy necessary? We know what killed him. 'At least one gunshot wound to the cranium, causing severe trauma to the brain.' "