The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

"Four," Walsh said.

"Let me make sure I understand this," Inspector Saffery said. "While these people held the DEA agents, they forced heroin on them? Turned them into addicts?"

"Correct," Walsh said.

"That's hard to believe!" Mrs. Dumbrowsky said.

"The ones who were addicted were released after there had been a successful delivery of a large drug shipment," Walsh said.

"This is the first I've heard of this!" Saffery said, indignantly.

"Inspector," Walsh said, "think about it. If you were a field agent who had become involuntarily addicted, would you like that information to become widely known? Even-perhaps especially-within the FBI?"

"As Mr. Ellsworth has pointed out, this is nothing more than hearsay," Mrs. Dumbrowsky said. "The State Department has heard nothing like this."

"And unless the colonel has some more fascinating hearsay to relate," Weiss said, "I really do have other things to do."

He stood up.

"As a matter of fact, Mr. Weiss, I wasn't quite through," DeBois said, coldly.

Weiss reluctantly sat down.

"Putting everything together, Timmons had been wondering if perhaps the Paraguayan drug-shipment operation was being run by someone other than the Paraguayan/Colombian/Bolivian drug people."

Castillo glanced at Weiss.

You didn't expect to hear that, did you, Milton?

But who is he talking about?

I can't believe that Timmons got into the Stasi/DGI involvement.

"That's absurd!" Weiss said.

"Why is it absurd, Mr. Weiss?" DeBois asked, courteously.

"On its face," Weiss said.

"Wait a minute," Saffery said. "Why not? The drug trade didn't start last week. A lot of these people have lived in the States for years-some of them even legally with Green Cards, even citizenship-"

"Your point, Inspector?" Weiss interrupted.

"What I'm saying is that they've been in the States long enough to figure out what Cousin Jose back in Colombia has been doing wrong and to tell him how to do it right."

"Define 'right' for me, please, Inspector," Weiss said.

"Don't kill our DEA people," Saffery said. "That draws attention to you. Knock off that macho bullshit-excuse me, Mrs. Dumbrowsky-that doesn't make us any money. Getting the stuff through is what makes us money."

"With all respect, Inspector, I still think that's absurd," Weiss said, and stood up again. "Mr. Ellsworth, if I have to say this

, if the agency comes by some solid intelligence, it will be immediately brought to your attention, and that of Ambassador Montvale."

"Thank you," Ellsworth said.

The rest of the CIA delegation was now on its feet.

They followed Weiss to the door.