The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

"I was beginning to worry that you'd been stolen by gypsies," she said as she opened the conversation. "Where are you, Charley?"

"In Paraguay. Where's Dick?"

"He's arranging Ambassador Lorimer's trip down to the estancia. Oh, hell, I cannot tell a lie, Charley. He decided he's up to flying the Gulfstream as copilot, and in the absence of the only one who could have told him no, that's what he authorized himself to do. Shall I call him and tell him you said no? They probably are still in the country."

Castillo considered that for a moment.

"No. He would know you ratted on him. It'll be all right; all he'll have to do is work the radios. But it poses a problem right now."

"What do you need?"

"Continuous satellite surveillance starting yesterday-using every sensing technique they have-of a small piece of Paraguayan real estate."

"You found where they have this guy? God, that was quick."

"Where we strongly believe he is," Castillo said. "Two very good shooters from the stockade did it. I was going to have Dick set up the surveillance-"

"You don't think I can?"

"I think we have to go through Montvale, and I'm not at all sure that Montvale will produce what he promises to produce. I was going to send Dick to Fort Meade or Langley-wherever this stuff will come in-to watch what he does and make sure that it doesn't slip through the cracks and that no copies are passed around the intelligence community. I can't afford any tracks, either."

"I can go to Meade or Langley and do that as well as Dick could. And he's not here. Unless you don't want me to…"

"With profound apologies for not remembering that you are, of all of the merry band, the best one to deal with the ambassador, Agnes, get the SOB on the line. And listen in, of course."

"You're forgiven," Agnes said.

"White House."

"Colonel Castillo needs Ambassador Montvale on a secure line, please."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Ambassador Montvale's line, Truman Ellsworth."

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; "This line is secure. Colonel Castillo calling the ambassador."

"The ambassador's not immediately available. Will the colonel talk to me?"

"Ellsworth," Castillo jumped in, "when the ambassador becomes available, tell him that when I couldn't get him, I called the President and that he'll probably be hearing from him."

"Hold one, Castillo."

"And how are things in the Southern Cone, Charley?"

"Looking up, Mr. Ambassador."

"What can I do for you?"

"Got a pencil? I want to give you some coordinates."

"Coordinates of what?"

Castillo began to read the coordinates from the laptop screen.

"Wait, wait a moment, Castillo…okay, I'm ready. Start again."