The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

"It was brilliant just a few minutes ago," Castillo said. "Now it doesn't seem either very brilliant or especially important."

"Let's hear it," Delchamps said.

"I was worried about the Hueys and the guys from the 160th on the Ronald Reagan."

"Why?" Torine asked.

"There's a two-star admiral on board. Two-star admirals tend to cover their ass. We can't afford not to get those choppers repainted and off the ship, but the senior 160th guy is a major. Majors tend to do what flag and general officers tell them to do."

"I knew a major one time, an Army Aviator, who didn't seem all that impressed by two-stars," Darby said. "He even stole one of their Black Hawks."

"Borrowed, Alex. Borrowed. I gave it back," Castillo said.

"What are you thinking, Charley?" Torine asked.

"That we need a more senior officer aboard the Reagan," Castillo said. "Like maybe an Air Force colonel bearing a letter from Truman Ellsworth or maybe even Montvale, saying in essence, 'Don't fuck with the Hueys.'"

"God, you are devious!" Torine said. He thought that over a moment, and then said, "What if I got on-what did Edgar call it?-'the 007 radio' and called Ellsworth and said I was a little worried…"

"Talk about devious!" Delchamps said.

"…he would think it was his idea," Torine finished. "When are the Hueys going to leave Rucker?"

"I don't know," Castillo said.

"So you call-you, Jake," Delchamps said, "and find out, and then you call Ellsworth and say, 'I just found out the choppers are about to go on board the Reagan, and I'm a little worried about something going wrong.'"

"Why do I feel I have just been had?" Torine asked. "Okay, Charley, you're right. Some admiral is liable to feel he can't get in trouble launching black helicopters if something happens-like being too far at sea-that keeps him from launching them."

"Thanks, Jake."

"Don't be too grateful, Ace," Delchamps said with a grin. "Nobody's going to shoot at him on the Reagan, which I think explains his sudden enthusiasm."

Torine gave him the finger.

"We can call from right here, right?" Torine asked.

Castillo nodded.

"That will be all, Colonel," Torine said. "You may now go brief the troops."

X

[ONE]

Nuestra Pequena Casa

Mayerling Country Club

Pilar, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina 1220 9 September 2005 Castillo rapped a spoon against his coffee mug and waited silently until everybody who had gathered in the quincho was looking at him.

Then Castillo began: "An initial review of our current situation, gentlemen-and lady-suggested the possibility of some minor problems. A more detailed analysis indicates that we are really in the deep do-do."

That got the chuckles he expected.

"Let me trace the events from the moment Max found Lieutenant Lorimer sneaking through our shrubbery…"

Castillo had gotten as far into his recapitulation of what had happened since they had hurriedly left Argentina as the Chicago meeting of Special Agent Timmons's family-and the mayor-when Jake Torine appeared in the door of the quincho.