Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

"I told you before: thirty minutes after we get to the airport. Where are we going?"

"Edgar, you can discuss Miss Moneypenny with Alex personally," Castillo said.

"Why are we going to Buenos Aires, Charley?" Delchamps asked warily.

"Because when Colonel Berezovsky and Lieutenant Colonel Alekseeva, the spies who want to come in from the cold, do come in from the cold, that's where they want to go."

"He's already been in touch? Christ, you just got here."

"I work fast," Castillo said. "Can we get out of here tonight, Jake?"

Torine nodded, and repeated, "Thirty minutes after we get to the airport."

Castillo looked at his watch. "It's seven-forty. Let's shoot for a ten o'clock takeoff. Sparkman, get out there and file a flight plan to Prestwick, Scotland. Then we file a new en-route flight plan to Morocco or someplace else that's our best and safest route to Buenos Aires. That'll work, Jake, right?"

Torine nodded. "Let me get this straight. We're taking this Berezovsky character with us?"

"And his wife and daughter. And, of course, Little Red Under Britches."

"What the hell does that mean?" Delchamps asked. "Why are you calling the sister that?"

Castillo exchanged glances with Davidson and grinned. "That's undercover spy talk, Edgar. You wouldn't understand."

"And if we told you, we'd have to kill you," Davidson added.

"Until this moment, Jake, I thought we were having our chain pulled," Delchamps said. "Now I don't know." He looked at Castillo. "You've actually got the SVR's Berlin rezident in the bag?"

"Plus the Copenhagen SVR rezident."

"I'll believe this when I see it," Delchamps said.

"Oh, ye of little faith!" Castillo said.

"If you think they hate you at Langley now, Ace," Delchamps said, "wait until they hear about this."

VI

[ONE]

General Aviation Apron West

Schwechat Airport

Vienna, Austria

2145 28 December 2005

"Work the radios, First Officer," Colonel Jake Torine said.

Castillo checked the commo panel, saw that the radio was set to the correct frequency, and pressed the TRANSMIT button on the yoke.

"Vienna Delivery, Gulfstream 379," Castillo announced.

"Gulfstream 379," the traffic controller replied in English, "this is Vienna Delivery. Go ahead."

"Gulfstream 379 at Block Alfa Six-Zero. We are a Gulfstream Three with ATIS information Bravo. Request clearance to Prestwick, Scotland, please."

"Gulfstream 379, Vienna Delivery. Your clearance is ready. Advise when ready to copy."