Covert Warriors (Presidential Agent 7)

Gimpy, Danton thought, must be the big black guy in the aviator sunglasses.

“What’s the LCBF Corporation?” he asked.

“That’s who’s going to pay you your combat pay, Roscoe,” Delchamps said.

Porky Parker’s eyebrows rose at that.

“Think of it as our basic corporate structure,” Two-Gun amplified. “Providing complete financial services to our little community.”

“All right, David,” the elderly lady said, a little impatiently. “Now it’s your turn. What the hell happened at Langley this morning?”

“. . . And so the President told me he was accepting my resignation and to get off his goddamn helicopter, and then I ran into Roscoe, and he brought me here,” Porky Parker concluded.

“I said, and you all heard me,” one of the middle-aged men said, “that there was something phony about that failed microphone.”

“What is that sonofabitch up to?” the elderly lady asked softly.

“I have no idea,” Parker said. “My question is, what do I do now?”

“You stay out of sight,” Delchamps said. “I already told you that. Maybe go to Mexico with us. You’ve got your passport?”

“My official passport is in my briefcase with my laptop,” Parker said. “The last time I saw it was when I asked one of the Secret Service guys to watch it for me backstage in Auditorium Three.”

“I hoped you kissed it—them . . . the passport and laptop—good-bye,” Delchamps said.

“My regular passport is in my apartment,” Parker said.

“Outside of which members of the media can be counted on, sitting,” Roscoe said, “burning with desire to hear your version of your surprising and sudden departure from distinguished government service.”

Which will also screw up my exclusive interview with Porky.

There was a buzzing sound.

“Our master’s voice,” Dick Miller said as he took a CaseyBerry from his pocket and put it to his ear.

“How nice of you to call,” he went on. “I just put you on conference, Charley.”

Roscoe saw Delchamps and Yung quickly put their CaseyBerrys to their ears. He took out his own, found the CONF button, and pushed it.

“I didn’t call to chat, Gimpy,” Castillo’s voice announced. “I called hoping to hear that Edgar has Roscoe in the bag and that you’re about to go wheels-up. Better yet, that you’re already in the air.”

Danton made a face.

“Roscoe in the bag”?

What the hell does that mean?

“Ace, Roscoe is in the bag,” Delchamps said.

What the hell are they talking about?

“And he brought Mr. John David Parker with him,” Delchamps continued.

“What the hell is that all about?” Castillo said.

“Roscoe, would you be so kind as to tell our leader what the hell that’s all about?”

“The press is looking for him,” Danton said.