The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

"I remember," Castillo said. "So?"

"I suggest it might be better if I was your contact with Duffy."

Castillo was considering the implications of that when Delchamps said, "He's right again, Ace."

"Okay again, then," Castillo said.

He looked out the window. They were almost at Nuestra Pequena Casa.

"I thought with a little bit of luck I might never see this place again," he said.

Susanna Sieno opened the door of the house as they pulled up to it. Max got out first, climbing over Castillo into the rear seat and then jumping out the rear door as Darby opened it.

Castillo swore.

"Not very well trained, is he, Ace?" Delchamps asked innocently.

There was a man sitting in a straight-backed chair just inside the door. He stood up and came to attention as Castillo entered.

He was short, stocky, olive-skinned, had a neatly trimmed pencil-line mustache and a closely cropped ring of dark hair circling the rear of his skull, the rest of which was hairless and shiny. He was wearing a shiny blue single-breasted suit, a white shirt, and a really ugly necktie, which ended halfway down his stomach.

That Irish sonofabitch has had the balls to put a spy in here!

Confirmation of that seemed to come when the man said, "Buenos dias, mi coronel. A sus ordenes."

Castillo nodded, and replied in Spanish, "Good day. And you are?"

"Capitan Manuel D'Elia, mi coronel."

Castillo continued the exchange in Spanish: "And what are you doing here?"

"I am here for duty, mi coronel."

"Comandante Duffy sent you?"

"No, mi coronel."

"Then who did?"

"General McNab, mi coronel."

"You're an American?"

"Si, mi coronel."

"Where are you from, Captain?"

Captain D'Elia switched to English. "Miami, Colonel."

"It's not your day, is it, Ace?" Delchamps said. "He really got you."

Castillo flashed him a dirty look.

D'Elia said, "I sent Colin Leverette to Rucker-he said he knew you, sir-while I got the team moving from Bragg. And I brought up the rear. I got here yesterday morning. Mrs. Sieno brought me out here."

"Your whole team is here?"

"Yes, sir."