The Hunters (Presidential Agent 3)

“I’m going to tell him that who was here when we got here is classified ‘Top Secret Presidential.’ I have no reason to believe that he will breach security regulations.”

“Then you are naïve.”

“Well, what do you want to do?” Castillo asked.

Kennedy looked at him for a moment, then walked quickly to the fuselage door and opened it.

“Well, how are you, David?” he said. “Long time no see.”

He put out his hand.

“I thought that was you, Howard,” Yung said.

“Glad to see me?”

“‘Surprised’ is the word that comes to mind.”

“I’m on the pariah list, but I don’t have leprosy,” Kennedy said, nodding at his still-extended hand. “We go way back, David.”

Yung looked at Kennedy’s extended hand.

“Yeah, we do,” he said and took it. “And I just realized I’m glad to see you.”

“That you saw him, Yung, is classified Top Secret Presidential,” Castillo said.

“That’s good,” Yung said. “That saves me from having to decide what to do now that I have seen him.”

“Do you mind if I interpret that to mean you wouldn’t have reported me even without Charley’s invoking the criminal code vis-à-vis unauthorized disclosure of classified information?”

“To tell you the truth, Howard, I don’t know what I would have done,” Yung said.

“Okay, Howard, get Colonel Munz out of here,” Castillo said.

“He’s unconscious,” Yung said.

“Probably asleep,” Castillo said. “Shake him and find out.”

El Coronel Alfredo Munz woke instantly when Yung touched his shoulder.

“Aha!” he said, cheerfully. “We have arrived. I must have dozed off.” He spotted Kennedy. “¡Hola, Howard!” he cried. “I didn’t know that you were going to be here.”

“Alfredo, can you walk?” Castillo asked.

“Certainly I can walk,” Munz said and tried to get out of his seat.

“That’ll be easier if

you take the seat belt off,” Castillo said, then added: “Unfasten it for him, Yung.”

Yung did so. Munz got out of his seat and went through the door. He started to walk across the hangar floor, then felt a little woozy and staggered. He put his good arm out like the wing of an airplane, cried, “Wheee,” and started trotting in curves around the hangar.

Kennedy went quickly to him and steadied him.

“What we are going to tell my wife is that I shot myself when I was cleaning my pistol,” Munz confided to Kennedy. “And you are my witness. My wife says you have an honest face.”

Kennedy maneuvered Munz over to Castillo.

“Howard’ll take care of you now, Alfredo,” Castillo said. “Thanks for everything.”