The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

"Gualeguaychu," Munz furnished, making it sound like Wally-wha-chew.

"Where someone-one of us-will meet us and drive us into Buenos Aires."

"Not to the safe house?"

"I'm going to the Four Seasons, where I will entertain Comandante Duffy at breakfast. But on the way to…wherever the international bridge is."

"Gualeguaychu," Munz repeated.

"How do you spell it?"

Munz spelled Gualeguaychu.

"No wonder I can't pronounce it," Castillo said. "On the way to Wally-wha-chew I'm going to suggest to Ordonez that he go home by way of the estancia. A couple of words from him to the local cops who are sitting on the place will make Colin's job easier and get them accustomed to helicopters dropping in unannounced."

Yung nodded.

"You seem to be in pretty g

ood spirits, Charley."

"Compared to this morning, you mean?"

Yung nodded.

"This morning, after meeting with the Evil Leprechaun, I thought this operation had no chance at all of succeeding. Now I think the odds are one in, say, eight or ten that we can carry it off. That's a hell of an improvement, wouldn't you say?"

XI

[ONE]

Presidente de la Rua Suite

The Four Seasons Hotel

Cerrito 1433

Buenos Aires, Argentina 0700 10 September 2005 "Fuck it," Castillo said, more or less to himself. "We can either carry this off or we can't. And I don't think the Evil Leprechaun would be dazzled by uniforms. Yours or mine or both of ours. So it's civvies, Pegleg. Go change back."

Wrapped in a plush, ankle-length, terry-cloth robe with the Four Seasons logo embroidered on the chest, Castillo was in the large sitting room, standing by the plateglass windows that offered a view of the Retiro railway station and, at a distance, the River Plate.

First Lieutenant Eddie Lorimer, wearing a Class A uniform complete to green beret and ribbon decorations-and there was an impressive display of ribbons-stood between Castillo and the others in the room, the latter seated on couches and chairs and at the dining table.

Edgar Delchamps, reclined in one of the armchairs with his legs stretched straight before him, cleared his throat.

"For what it's worth, Ace," he began, "I agree with you. But that leaves unanswered the question of how do we dazzle the bastard?"

"Looking at the beautiful Mrs. Sieno just now, I realized how," Castillo said, and gestured at Susanna Sieno, who was sitting at the dining table. Her husband was on one of the couches, seated beside Tony Santini.

"Why do I think I'm not going to like this?" Susanna Sieno asked.

"Females are masters of deception," Castillo said. "They're born with the ability, which is why they run the world."

Mrs. Sieno gave Lieutenant Colonel Castillo an unladylike gesture, extending her center finger from her balled fist in an upward motion.

Castillo gestured dramatically toward her.

"Exactly! Right there the lady proves my point. Complete control. And how do they do that? They wing it, that's how. And that's what we're going to do."