The Hostage (Presidential Agent 2)

"Why not?"

"Because the only way a brand-new Secret Service agent like me is going to be allowed to try to find the bastards who whacked Masterson, Markham, and almost whacked Betty is if you can fix it. And I really want those bastards, Charley."

For a moment, Castillo couldn't find his voice. Then he said, "For however long I'm on this, Jack, if I have anything to say about it, you will be, too."

"You'll be on it a lot longer if you get your act together. Starting with nobody has to know about you and Betty. Can you get that Air Force colonel to keep his mouth shut?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. It was just the four of us in the hotel room, and Markham's dead, you say the Air Force guy will keep his mouth shut, and if you and I play it cool, no one has to know about you and Betty."

"That'll be tough for me to fake, Jack."

"You're supposed to be a hard-ass. Fake it."

Corporal Bradley returned to the corridor.

Castillo touched Britton's shoulder and went into room 677.

When he came out of the toilet, there was a large, well-dressed man with a full, neatly trimmed mustache standing with his hands folded in front of him, by the door, which was closed.

Castillo was startled, but quickly recovered.

If this guy wasn't supposed to be in here, Britton wouldn't have let him in. Maybe he's a doctor, or something.

No, he's not, unless the doctors around here wear shoulder holsters.

Conclusion: One more guy from SIDE. A senior guy from SIDE.

"Senor?" Castillo asked.

"Senor Castillo?"

"Si."

"I am el Coronel Alejandro Gellini of SIDE, Senor Castillo."

Castillo crossed the room to him and put out his hand.

"Mucho gusto, mi coronel," Castillo said.

"I have just seen Ambassador Silvio, senor. I conveyed to him, on behalf of the President of the Nation, our profound regret for what has happened to the female Secret Service agent and the Corps of Marines sergeant."

"That was very good of you, of the President, mi coronel," Castillo said.

"Ambassador Silvio told me that you are in charge of security for Senora Masterson and her children, in fact of everybody."

"That's true," Castillo said.

"And I have come to personally assure you that all the resources of SIDE will be used for the protection of Senora Masterson and her children and of course the female agent and yourself while you are in Argentina. I give you my personal guarantee that nothing like this will happen again."

"Mi coronel, that's very kind, but I have to say that el Coronel Munz is already doing everything possible."

"I have replaced el Coronel Munz as director of SIDE, senor."

"Excuse me?"

"El Coronel Munz has been relieved of his duties, senor. A board will be convened to look into allegations of his dereliction of his duties."