The Hunters (Presidential Agent 3)

“I hear things, Charley, as you know. That one I heard from Major Miller. I had to remind him you had given me your word that I would be in the loop. He did not, however, tell me where you had gone from Budapest. I had to learn that myself.”

“Learn it? Or make a guess?”

“I made a guess and then sought confirmation. Have you by any chance been in touch with Ambassador Silvio? Or Mr. Darby?”

“I’m calling from the residence, sir. Ambassador Silvio is with me. Mr. Darby is just outside.”

“And how is Mr. Yung? Was he able to accomplish what you sent him down there to do before that horrifying carjacking incident?”

“You heard about that, did you?”

“Secretary Cohen was good enough to call and tell me what Ambassador McGrory had called to tell her. Crime seems almost out of control down there, doesn’t it?”

“Yung’s here with me, too. He wasn’t badly hurt. I presume he did what I sent him to do or otherwise he would have said something. I’m probably going to bring him to the States with me.”

“To do what?”

“To see what sense he can make of all the files we now have to work with.”

“Are you also going to bring your source?”

“What I’m going to do is put my source in a safe house here that the Lorimer Charitable Fund has rented and he will work with his files, Yung’s files, and whatever else I can get him.”

“The Lorimer Charitable Fund? I rather like that,” Montvale said. “I don’t want to appear to be looking for praise, Charley, but you do remember my contribution to setting up the fund, don’t you?”

“And I shall be forever grateful to you, sir.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Charley?”

“Now that you mention it, there’s an FBI agent, a ‘legal attaché,’ in the Montevideo embassy, one Julio Artigas, who I think would be of far more use to Ambassador Silvio than he is to Ambassador McGrory. Could you arrange his transfer?”

“What’s that all about?”

“He’s come up—on his own—with answers to questions Ambassador McGrory may ask him.”

“Is anyone else liable to do that?”

“I hope not. I don’t think so.”

“I’ll have a word with Director Schmidt the first chance I have.”

“Today would be nice, sir. As soon as we get off the phone would be even better.”

“That important, eh? Consider it done. Will you spell that name for me, please?”

Castillo did so.

“Got it,” Montvale said.

“That’s all I have, sir, until I can get to Washington and brief you fully.”

“The sooner you can do that, the better.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

“We still have the matter of exploding briefcases to deal with, you know. I find that quite worrisome.”

“Yes, sir. So do I. And I’ll get on that as soon as I can.”