The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

"Yeah, well, what the hell."

"Jake, I want you to take a close look at the pilots."

"What will I be looking for?"

"Any of them who would be uncomfortable with a really dirty operation."

"Ouch! That's likely?"

"It looks that way. I don't want you to explain the operation and then ask for volunteers. I'll do that here. But if there's somebody who strikes you as…being reluctant…to do what has to be done, just leave him on the carrier."

"These are all 160th pilots, Charley. I don't think I'll find anybody…"

"You never know. I knew a 160th guy who turned in his suit and became a Catholic priest after Kosovo."

"Anything else?"

"Don't put the Argentine insignia on the birds until the last minute; this operation still may get called off."

"Done."

"And keep me posted."

"Will do."

"Give the admiral my regards when you have breakfast," Castillo said. "Out."

Castillo held out the handset to Bradley, who didn't make any effort to take it.

"Sir," Corporal Lester Bradley said, "Mr. Darby wants to talk to you. I'll have to set that up at the console. Just watch the legend, sir, until you see his name."

Castillo nodded, and Lester trotted back into the house.

He held the handset in his palm until the legend read ALEX DARBY ENCRYPTION ENABLED.

"What's up, Alex?"

"D'Elia had an interesting telephone call from some friends vacationing in Paraguay."

"Really?"

"They asked him to send them a couple of dozen golf balls."

"You don't say?"

"They said they were completely out, and they'd had to spend a lot of time looking for balls in the rough, and although they'd found a bunch they found only one really good one. They said they were watching that one very carefully."

"Bingo!"

"I don't see what else they could mean, Charley."

"Neither do I."

"You going over there?"

"Just as soon as I can get to the airport."

"When you find out for sure, do you want me to tell the Irishman?"