The Hunters (Presidential Agent 3)

“And the same thing for the apartment in Paris?”

“I think so. Now that I have had a chance to think it over, they’d be pleased. Perhaps I can suggest it was offered as a courtesy to a fellow diplomat.”

“The sooner that could be done, the better. Of course, we have to wait until the scenario I described unfolds. If it does.”

“It’ll work, Charley,” D’Allessando said. “You’ve got all the angles covered.”

“You never have all the angles covered, Vic, and you know it,” Castillo said and then turned to Masterson. “This now brings us to the bad guys.”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” Masterson confessed. “We don’t even know who they are, do we?”

“No, sir, we don’t. I intend to do my best to find out who they are.”

“And ‘render them harmless’?” Masterson asked, softly.

Castillo nodded slightly but did not respond directly.

“What they did was find Mr. Lorimer, which among other things they’ve done suggests that they’re professionals. And what they did was send an assault team to the estancia. I think it’s logical to assume they wanted to make sure he didn’t talk about what he knows of the oil-for-food business and possibly to get back the money he skimmed.

“By now, they have certainly learned that their operation succeeded only in taking out Mr. Lorimer. And that somebody took out their assault team. And they will have to presume the same people who took out their assault team have what was in the safe: money or information. They don’t know who we are—we could be someone else trying to shut Lorimer up, somebody after the money, or Uruguayan bandits. I don’t think it’s likely that they’ll think an American Special Operations team was involved, but they might.

“I think it’s likely the people who bushwhacked us are the same people who killed Mr. Masterson, but of course I can’t be sure. But if they are—or even if it’s a second group—and they are professional, I think the decision will be to go to ground.

“They may be capable of—it wouldn’t surprise me—of keeping an eye on her bank accounts, or yours, to see if they suddenly get sixteen million dollars heavier. But that’s not going to happen.

“What I’m driving at is there is no longer a reason for them to try to get to Mr. Masterson or the children. Lorimer is out of the picture and she has nothing they want to give them.”

“You think we can remove Mr. D’Allessando’s people, is that what you’re saying?” Masterson asked.

“Well, they can’t stay indefinitely,” Castillo said. “And Vic tells me he’s run the retired special operators from China Post past you.”

“Very impressive,” Masterson said.

“And very expensive?” Castillo asked.

“Uh-huh,” Masterson said. “But what I was thinking was that the children—for that matter, Betsy, too—would probably be more at ease with them than they are now with all of Mr. D’Allessando’s people. They must have grown used to private security people in Buenos Aires.”

“The people I brought over here are good, Mr. Masterson,” D’Allessando said. “And, frankly, a job like this is better than commuting to Iraq or Afghanistan, which is what they’ve all been doing.”

“Okay, so that’s what I’ll recommend to Betsy,” Masterson said. “When do you want to talk to her, Charley?”

“Now, if possible, sir. I’m on my way to Texas. I want to see my grandmother, and I can be with her only until they call me to tell me what’s happened in Uruguay.”

“I’ll get her on the phone,” Masterson said as he reached for it. “And I’ll get you a car to take you to the airport.”

“That’s not necessary, sir.”

“Biloxi? Or New Orleans?” Masterson asked.

“New Orleans, sir.”

III

[ONE]

Office of the Legal Attaché

The Embassy of the United States of America