Hazardous Duty (Presidential Agent 8)

“That’s what you were really doing at the Greenbrier, Madam Secretary, meeting with the public-spirited citizens who are going to fund the library. And what Roscoe was doing here was getting the story for his millions of readers and of course Wolf News.”

“And that’s why your fiancée threw the French gentleman at him, right? President Clendennen isn’t going to believe this, Charley.”

“He will when Dr. Aloysius Casey shows him the cashier’s check for ten million dollars.”

Dr. Casey said, “I’ll throw in a million, two m

illion if I have to, but I’m not going anywhere near that craz—the President. No way, Charley.”

“You have been running at the mouth, Aloysius, about once a Green Beret, always a Green Beret,” Castillo said. “Now it’s time to put up. This Green Beanie needs your help.”

“Well, if you put it that way,” Dr. Casey said reluctantly. “I guess I do hear the bugler sounding ‘Boots and Saddles.’”

“Into the valley of madness, so to speak,” Annapolis said, chuckling, “rides the Merry Irish Outlaw.”

“One more word out of you, Admiral, and you’ll be on Aloysius’s Gulfstream with him,” Castillo said.

“My lips are sealed,” Annapolis said.

“And where do you plan to be, Charley,” Secretary Cohen asked, “when all this is going on?”

“I haven’t quite decided that yet—”

“Cozumel,” the Widow Alekseeva furnished.

“Suffice it to say, a considerable distance from our nation’s capital and the Commander in Chief.”

“Arranging the wedding details,” the Widow Alekseeva concluded. “You’re invited, too, of course, Madam Secretary. You and your husband, even if you’re not sure he’d defend your honor if some French pervert shouted at you to show him—”

“If You Know Who is really curious, Madam Secretary,” Castillo interrupted, “tell him that I’m somewhere in the Western Hemisphere training SEALs to defend our merchant ships from the Barbary—excuse me, Somalian pirates.”

“What SEALs?”

“The ones I’m going to tell General Naylor you said it’s all right to send to me in Mexico. I think you’d have to agree that hearing I’m training SEALs would please You Know Who more than hearing I’m going to Mexico to get married. I’m going to call General Naylor just as soon as we get off our CaseyBerrys.”

“You’re insane. This whole thing is insane,” Secretary Cohen said. “I refuse to have anything to do with it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Castillo said. “In that event, I’m all ears to hear your solution to the problem.”

There was a long, long pause, finally broken by Secretary Cohen.

“How long do you think it will take for Dr. Casey to come to Washington?” she asked.

“Flight time in his Gulfstream, plus however long it takes for him to go by the bank to pick up the check and get to the airport.”

“Please have him call me when he’s an hour out of Reagan National.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The green LEDs on the CaseyBerrys faded after the secretary of State broke the connection.

“May I ask, Colonel, how you plan to use the SEALs?” Annapolis asked.

“Of course you may,” Castillo replied. “I fully understand why a former naval person such as yourself would be curious.”

This was followed by sixty seconds of silence, following which Annapolis asked, “Well, are you going to tell me?”

“Frankly, I’m still considering my options,” Castillo admitted.