The Hostage (Presidential Agent 2)

"I'm not going to have to. The old man mobilized the Mississippi State Police. There's about fifty of them, under a lieutenant colonel. And the head man, a colonel-tough bastard-is here as a friend of the family. So's the governor. Plus of course the sheriff and all his deputies."

"You don't see any problems in protecting the family?"

"No," D'Allessando said flatly. "But it would help, Charley, if I knew who popped Masterson and why, and why they may try to pop the widow and the family."

"I'll tell you what I know, Vic. It's not much. I have no idea who these people are. None. All I know is that it has something to do with Mrs. Masterson's brother. She-just now, after we landed here-told me that the people who grabbed her in Buenos Aires want her to tell them where her brother is, and promised to kill her children and family."

"And she didn't tell them?"

"She doesn't know where he is. He works for the UN in Paris, but we can't find him."

"Interesting."

"She said they killed Masterson to make the point that they meant what they said."

"And you have no idea why they want the brother?"

"No. All I know is they shot Masterson with Israeli-made nine-millimeter cartridges, and killed the Marine sergeant driving my car-and wounded a female Secret Service agent in the car-by sticking one of those through the window and emptying the magazine, also loaded with Israeli-made nine-millimeters."

"With a Madsen?"

Castillo nodded.

"How do you know that?"

"I think Sergeant Markham saw it coming, and as he tried to move out of the way, pushed the window-up button. It was automatic, and caught the Madsen. It was still in the window when I got there."

"That's interesting, too. There's not too many Madsens around. And that's all you know?"

"And I just now learned, in a sixty-second conversation with Mrs. Masterson, about Masterson getting whacked to make the point that they want the brother at any cost."

"Somebody's going to have to talk to her some more," D'Allessando said.

"I know. I don't know how much time there will be now, but that's why I'm here."

"Who's in charge?"

"I am."

"I mean, now that they're in the States. And after the funeral?"

"I am, Vic."

"No shit?"

"The President just told me."

"That's stretching your envelope some, isn't it, Charley?"

"Understatement of the year," Castillo replied. "I'd like to introduce you to Mrs. Masterson, Vic. See if you can reassure her that she's safe now."

"I want to meet her, too," D'Allessando said. "Now?"

Castillo nodded.

D'Allessando spoke to a lapel microphone Castillo had not noticed.

"Three coming through the side door," he announced. [FOUR] Lieutenant Colonel McElroy, the aide to the commander in chief, was standing at the foot of the steps to the passenger compartment of the Globemaster.