The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

"Okay. Then I go in the Huey and they follow me in their Aerospatiale."

"You mean with my pilots, of course."

"It would be better if I went as copilot."

"Can you fly a Huey?"

"No, but I'm a quick learner." When that got the dubious look that Castillo anticipated, he added, his tone bordering on annoyance, "Yeah, I can fly one, Jose."

Fifteen minutes later, as Castillo was talking to the Uruguayan pilots beside the Aerospatiale, he heard Miller's voice on the Aerospatiale's radio.

"Carrasco approach control, Gulfstream Three Seven Nine."

Castillo walked toward the runway to watch the Gulfstream land. Bradley walked up to him.

"I'm sure that's our airplane, sir," Bradley said, pointing.

Castillo looked at Bradley, then at the Gulfstream touching down.

"Our airplane," huh, Lester?

Another reason I can't send you back to the Marine Corps.

You not only consider yourself a member of this ragtag outfit of ours, but you have earned the right to think just that.

Three minutes later, the Gulfstream rolled to a stop on the tarmac in front of the civil aviation terminal and next to the helicopters.

Miller was the first to come down the stair door. When he saw Castillo, he tried-and failed-to make it appear he was able to reach the tarmac without difficulty.

Castillo walked to meet Miller.

"Who told you that you could fly that down here?" Castillo greeted him.

"I got tired of riding a desk, Charley," Miller replied, unrepentant.

"And if the Air Force couldn't operate the rudder pedals-for any number of reasons that come quickly to mind-then what?"

"If I had had to push on the pedals, I would have pushed on the pedals, and you know it."

Next off the airplane was a burly man whose loose raincoat only partially concealed the Uzi he held against his leg.

Christ, if Ordonez sees the Uzi, will he make waves?

The burly man recognized Castillo-who did not recognize him-and saluted. Sort of. He touched two fingers of his left hand to his left temple. Castillo returned the salute with the same subtle gesture. Then the burly man, satisfied there was no threat on the tarmac, turned to the stair door. When Ambassador Lorimer started down the stairs, the burly man started to help him.

Lorimer curtly waved him away.

"Ah," Lorimer said. "Colonel Castillo. How nice of you to meet me. Entirely unnecessary, of course."

"How was the flight, Mr. Ambassador?"

"It made me feel like a rock-and-roll star," Lorimer said. "Where's your dog?" He looked around and finally located Max. Edgar Delchamps had him at the end of a t

ightly held leash.

"Ah, there you are, Max!" the ambassador said, put his fingers to his lips, and whistled shrilly.

Max towed Delchamps to the ambassador without apparent effort. The ambassador squatted and scratched Max's ears.