The Hostage (Presidential Agent 2)

"Yes, sir."

"This won't take long. First, a quick question. What's Mrs. Masterson like?"

"Very tall and elegant. Very intelligent."

"Is she going to weep, maybe get hysterical?"

"I doubt that very much, Mr. President."

"Thank God for that. Okay. What I didn't say in the conference room was that in order to keep you out of the sight of the eyes in the White House, I want you to avoid going there as much as possible."

"Yes, sir."

"I also told Matt Hall privately that he'll be your conduit to me. A three-man loop, in other words. If he's for some reason not available, the switchboard has been told to put you through to me, and there will be an any time, any area White House pass for you in the guard shack closest to the OEOB at all times. Just identify yourself, and they'll pass you."

"Yes, sir."

"Natalie Cohen isn't happy with the finding, but she'll go along with it. The director of the FBI and the DCI are going to like it less than Natalie does, but I don't think they'll fight it. Charles Montvale loathes the finding. I understand why. I suspect that he will be searching for your failures, so that he can bring them to my attention. I'm going to speak privately to him. If he poses problems, tell Matt Hall. Or me."

"Yes, sir."

"And how do you think General Naylor regards the finding?" the President asked.

"Sir, I think his reaction is much like mine."

"Which is?"

"That you have given a lot of responsibility and a lot of authority to a very junior officer."

"Not without a good deal of thought, Charley. Not without a good deal of thought. Now go change your clothes." [THREE] Keesler Air Force Base Biloxi, Mississippi 2120 25 July 2005 Jake Torine was waiting at the foot of the stairs to Air Force One when Charley Castillo came down them. They could see the Globemaster III was now backed up against the open doors of a huge hangar and that the hangar was really crowded.

Outside the hangar, and just inside it, held back by rope barriers and lines of airmen facing them, was a huge crowd of spectators.

Farther inside the hangar, what looked like a company of Air Force airmen was formed on one side of the cavernous space. Across from them was a U.S. Marine Corps band. A reviewing stand, with a lectern bearing the presidential seal, was in the rear of the hangar facing outward. The rear of the stand held maybe fifty American flags-of course there're fifty; one for each state-on either side of the presidential flag.

Next to the presidential flag were those of the secretary of state, the secretary of Homeland Security, and one that had to be the brand-new flag of the director of national intelligence. Flanking that were the flags of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and maybe a dozen personal flags of the general and flag officers of the armed forces-the red one with four stars is Naylor's-present for the ceremony, most of whom were already on the platform.

Standing at Parade Rest in front of the reviewing stand was a ten-man squad of Marines in dress uniforms and a second squad composed of two men from each of the armed services, each under the command of a crisply uniformed lieutenant.

And in front of the reviewing stand were two black-draped catafalques ready to receive the caskets.

Well, that's a nice touch. They're going to put Markham beside Masterson.

"Very impressive," Torine said, as the Secret Service Yukon stopped beside the Globemaster.

"The White House billed this as a major foreign policy speech," the Secret Service agent driving the Yukon said.

The proof of that was the unruly sea of television cameramen, still photographers, and what had become known as "print journalists" held back by barriers and more airmen on both sides of the reviewing stand.

Castillo and Torine got out of the Yukon and found themselves facing four soldiers wearing green berets and armed with Car 4s.

"I'm Colonel Torine, the aircraft commander-" Torine began.

"You are armed, sir," one of the Special Forces soldiers said to Castillo. It was an accusation.

Well, so much for trying to conceal a.45 under a seersucker jacket.

"Yes, I am."