Because you're angry with the world, and want to vent it on somebody and he was there.
But it wasn't smart.
"Good morning, sir," Castillo said. "Alex."
"The Mastersons are three minutes out," the ambassador said. "We just got a call from Mr. Santini."
"Yes, sir."
"What I would like to do," Silvio went on, "if it's all right with you, is stay behind when the Mastersons go to Ezeiza, then go out there with the casket."
"Anything you want to do, sir, is fine with me."
"Tony needs to know, Charley, if you're going to go out there with the Mastersons," Darby said.
"Tony has more experience than I do," Castillo said. "I don't want to get in his way."
"Then I'll go with the family," Darby said, "my wife and I will."
"Fine. And I'll go out there with the ambassador."
"Okay," the ambassador said. "Let's go find our seats, Alex."
A moment after they had left, Castillo decided he should be outside when the Mastersons arrived, and walked out of the alcove. Corporal Lester Bradley followed on his heels.
They found themselves standing alone in the narrow street outside the church.
I wonder where the hell the gendarmes are?
Then he saw. There were gendarmes at either end of the street. Some were blocking the street where it entered Plaza de Mayo. At the other end, a gendarme was making policeman-like traffic-control gestures, and a moment later a Peugeot sedan started backing into the street. An embassy BMW followed, then a GMC Yukon XL.
"I guess they're backing the convoy in so they can get out quick," Lester said.
"My thoughts exactly, Corporal Bradley."
"Permission to speak, sir?"
"Granted."
"You really ate that lieutenant a new asshole, didn't you, sir?" Bradley said, admiringly.
"You weren't supposed to hear that, Corporal."
"Hear what, sir?"
Castillo smiled at him and shook his head.
Bradley pointed up the street.
Tony Santini and two other Americans whose faces Castillo recognized but whose names he didn't know were walking quickly down the street to them. Both were wearing topcoats Castillo knew concealed submachine guns.
"How's Schneider?" Santini greeted him.
"Awake and hurting. She was really unhappy that she didn't hit one of the bastards with the one shot she got off. Britton and a DEA agent named Ricardo Solez are with her."
"You checked inside?" Santini asked, nodding toward the cathedral.
Two embassy Yukons had now backed down the street to where they were standing. One of them discharged six Americans, three armed with M-16 rifles, two with Uzi submachine guns, and one with a Madsen. Santini motioned one of the men with an Uzi to them, and then looked at Castillo.