"Casey," he announced into it. "There's a half-dozen Model 3405s waiting to be shipped to Bragg. Put three of them in the Gulfstream in the hangar."
Then he hung up.
"What are you going to do about the ambassador?" McGuire asked.
"Try to hide from the one in Washington," Castillo replied, "and put the one in Mississippi on hold. What I have to do now is get to Washington."
Mullroney's face showed that he was trying hard to make sense of what had been said and not having much success.
[FOUR]
Double-Bar-C Ranch
Near Midland, Texas 1225 3 September 2005 As Torine lined up with the runway, Castillo saw there was a Bombardier/Learjet 45XR parked beside the horse-head oil pump.
"Look who's here," Castillo said.
"Put the wheels down, First Officer," Torine said. "We can chat later."
Dona Alicia Castillo was again waiting for them, this time beside a Chevrolet Suburban, and this time a heavyset, almost massive dark-skinned man was with her.
Castillo came down the stair door first. He went to his grandmother and kissed her.
"Nice landing, gringo," the large man said. "Jake must have been flying."
Castillo gave him the finger.
Fernando Manuel Lopez and Carlos Guillermo Castillo thought of themselves as brothers-they had been raised together since puberty-but they were in fact first cousins.
"Are you on parole, or are Maria and the rug rats here, too?" Castillo asked.
Dona Alicia shook her head at both of them.
"Now stop it, the both of you, right now," she ordered.
Lopez answered the question anyway.
"They're in Cancun," he said. "Taking a pre-going-back-to-school vacation."
"You are going to have lunch," Dona Alicia said. "That's in the nature of a statement, not an invitation."
"Nevertheless, I gratefully accept, Abuela," Castillo said.
"Eddie," Castillo ordered, "why don't you take Sergeant Mullroney for a walk?"
Lorimer made a Get up, let's go gesture to Mullroney, who stood up and followed Lorimer off the verandah where lunch had been served.
"Presumably, you think you have a good excuse for that discourtesy," Dona Alicia said when they were out of earshot.
"There are some things we have to discuss that are none of his business," Castillo said.
"Then why is he here with you?" she demanded. Before Castillo could reply, she said, "I just saw on Colonel Torine's face that he thinks I'm wrong. Sorry, Carlos."
"I'm the one who should be…is…sorry for involving you in the first place," Castillo said. "If I could have thought of someplace else to take Munz's family, believe me, I would have."
She looked at him for a moment. "Thank you, Carlos."
"For what?"