The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

Castillo made the introductions.

"General Wilson," Castillo then went on, "flew with my father in Vietnam. I bumped into him at Fort Rucker, and since we were going to fly over what used to be the beautiful Gulf Coast, and there was room in the plane…"

"Welcome to Overturned Oaks, formerly Great Oaks, General," Masterson said. "Any friend of Colonel Castillo is welcome here. We're all indebted to the colonel. And in that connection, Colonel, let me say that whenever your promotion came through it was long overdue."

"I am ready and willing to sign autographs," Castillo said.

Max had already discovered the Masterson children, and they him.

"Where'd you get the dog, Colonel?" J. Winslow Masterson III asked, as he shook Max's paw. "He's awesome!"

"My grandmother told me that since I didn't have a family, I should get a dog. And I always do what my grandmother says."

"Pay attention," Mrs. Winslow Masterson said.

"And speaking of grandparents," Betsy Masterson said. "Dad, Mother, this is Charley Castillo, who took such great care of us in Argentina, and brought us home."

"My wife and I are very grateful to you, Colonel," Philippe Lorimer said. He was a very small, very black man with closely cropped white hair and large intelligent eyes. If there was visible evidence of his heart condition, Castillo couldn't see it.

"How do you do, sir? Ma'am? Mr. Ambassador, the secretary of State sends her best regards to you and Mrs. Lorimer."

"That's very kind of her," Lorimer said. "But why do I suspect that's not all she sent?"

"Sir, in fact, the secretary hopes that you'll be willing to have a private minute or two with me. Perhaps out of this heat?"

"Of course. But why do I suspect that's going to take a lot longer than a minute or two?"

Castillo was aware that General Wilson was taking all this in but had absolutely no idea what anyone was talking about.

Ambassador Lorimer looked at Jamie Neidermeyer, then at Castillo.

"I'm surprised that someone like you, Colonel, needs a bodyguard," Lorimer said.

"Dad!" Betsy Masterson protested.

"The one advantage to being an old and retired ambassador, sweetie," he said, "is that after a lifetime of subtlety, evasion, and innuendo, you can just say whatever pops into your mind."

"The same thing is true of being a retired general, Mr. Ambassador," General Wilson said.

"Actually, sir, Jamie is my communicator," Castillo said. "They keep me on a short leash to make sure I don't say whatever pops into my mind."

Lorimer laughed.

"He's got one of those satellite telephones in that suitcase?"

"Yes, sir."

"With which you have direct contact with the secretary of State?"

"Yes, sir, if you'd like to."

"Don't plug it in yet, young man," Lorimer ordered. "I don't wish to speak to Secretary Cohen until after the colonel and I have had our two-minute chat."

"You have a beautiful home," General Wilson said when they were in the foyer of the house.

Castillo thought the house made Tara, of Gone With the Wind, look like a Holiday Inn. Off of the foyer, a curved double stairway rose to the second floor. It was not hard to picture Clark Gable carrying Whatshername, the English actress, up the steps to work his wicked way on her.

"Thank you," Mrs. Masterson said. "It's been here a very long time, and God spared it."