Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

"Get them out to where?" Kocian asked.

"Someplace in the open," Castillo said. "Where we can meet them and where we can see people approaching." He paused and then went on: "I think Billy's right. We should not let these bastards think they've scared us. Which means we will go to Saint Elisabeth's. You game for that, Otto?"

"Of course," Gorner said firmly after hesitating just long enough to make Castillo suspect he really didn't think that was such a good idea.

"The boys and Helena?" Kocian asked.

"Surrounded by our security people," Castillo

said. "Not sitting with us. We have reserved seats?"

"Of course," Gorner said. "But I can change the arrangements for them."

"Okay. Now, what we need is a place in the open not too far from Saint Elisabeth's where we can meet. Suggestions?"

No one had any suggestions.

Finally, Castillo had one: "Otto, you know the place, the walk, just below the castle? That's open, not far from the church. . . ."

Gorner nodded.

"That'd do it," he said.

"How quick can we get our security people over to the Europaischer Hof to take Yung and Doherty there?" Castillo asked. "They're armed, right?"

"Yes, of course they're armed," Gorner said. "And I can call the supervisor."

He reached for the telephone on the table and began to punch numbers from memory.

"That raises the question of weapons for us," Castillo said. He looked around the table and asked, "Weapons?"

Everybody shook his head.

"This is Otto Gorner," Gorner said into the telephone. "Who's in charge?"

"It would take a couple of hours to get the weapons from the Gulfstream," Jake Torine said. "Presuming we could smuggle them off the airfield."

"So that's out," Castillo said. "Damn!"

"Hunting weapons here, Charley?" Davidson asked. "Rifles, shotguns, anything?"

"There's a cut-down single-shot Winchester .22 rifle in the wardrobe. Or there was the last time I looked. I didn't see any cartridges." Castillo paused in deep thought, listened as Gorner finished his call, then said: "We have to get weapons from someplace. Otto, does the security service or whatever you call it have some sort of arsenal we can get into?"

Gorner didn't answer directly. Instead, he reported, "The supervisor will move four men from the church to the Europaischer Hof, and take your men to the Philipps Castle. Which means there will be that many fewer to protect the Friedlers."

"The bad guys are not after the Friedler family," Castillo said. "They're after you and Billy. And me. Now, get back on the phone and call whoever you have in the Bundeskriminalamt and tell them you have learned of a credible threat to you and Billy and the Friedlers--no details--and to act accordingly. Let them deal with the local cops."

Gorner reached for the telephone.

"Before you do that, Otto," Castillo said, "tell me about weapons. Is there anything here? Hunting rifles, shotguns, anything? Or can we get some from the security people?"

"I very strongly suggest we go to the police," Gorner said. "They know how to deal with situations like this."

"Otto, right now I'm not asking for suggestions. I asked where we can get our hands on some goddamn weapons! Answer the question!"

"Cool, Charley, cool," Davidson said in Pashtu.

"Otto," Kocian said. "He may not look like it, but Little Karlchen is actually very good at what he does. If there are any guns, tell him."