"Yes, sir."
"My name is C. G. Castillo. Can you patch me through to the secretary, please?"
"No, sir. The secretary is out of the country, and the secure voice link is down."
"Okay. Put me through to the White House switchboard, please." "White House."
"C. G. Castillo on a secure line for the secretary of state, please."
"Her voice link is down, Mr. Castillo. We have a secure teletypewriter link. You'll have to dictate what-"
"Before we try that, put me through to Secretary Hall's office in the Nebraska Complex, please."
"Secretary Hall's office or your office, Mr. Castillo?"
"Okay, my office."
There was the sound of the phone ringing twice.
"Mr. Castillo's line. Mr. Miller speaking."
"What are you doing there at four o'clock in the morning?"
"I had them move a cot in. It's a long ride back and forth to your apartment in the back of a Yukon. I was starting to feel like a dummy in a disaster exercise. Where are you?"
"Budapest."
"Montvale wants to talk to you. So does the boss. And we have a mysterious message from your pal Natalie. The encrypted voice link on her plane is down, and so is the one in the embassy in Singapore. Heads are going to roll about that."
"Read me the message. Maybe I won't have to talk to Montvale."
"Okay. You going to write this down, or do you just want to hear it?"
"Just read it."
"Okay. 'Top Secret-Presidential. From SecState to SecHomeSec. Start Please convey following personal to C.G. by most expeditious means. Charley, believe me, I didn't know Yung was working for me until an hour ago. I have spoken with Ambassador Silvio in Buenos Aires and Ambassador McGrory in Montevideo and told both to tell Yung he is to put himself and whatever intelligence he has developed at your disposal. That's all I felt safe in doing as there is something wrong with the secure voice link on both the plane and in the embassy, believe it or not. Let me know what else I can do. Best personal regards. Natalie. End Personal message from SecState.'"
"Got it, Dick."
"Who the hell is Yung?"
"He's an FBI agent in Montevideo."
"And he's working for Cohen? What's that all about?"
"I don't know. And I guess I won't find out until we get to Buenos Aires."
"When are you going there?"
"Just as soon as we have lunch."
"Will that little airplane make it across the South Atlantic?"
"God, I hope so. Dick, wait until we're out of here- say, nine your time-and then tell Secretary Hall I called and have Secretary Cohen's message. I don't want to wake him or Ambassador Montvale at four in the morning. And send one to Secretary Cohen, quote Got it. Many thanks. Charley, end quote. And send one to Ambassador Silvio saying we're on our way and will be there however long it takes to get there. We should be wheels-up out of here in no more than two or three hours."
"The Gray Fox radio link is up and running in Buenos Aires. Should I use that?"
"Absolutely."