Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

"She's one of them," Duffy said simply.

"She and her brother have information I need."

"So Alfredo says. What I want are the names of the people who tried to kill my wife and children."

"I will first have to find out who ordered the attack on you," Castillo said. "And then, if you can get him, you can find out from him who actually attacked you and your family."

"You find out who he is--or she is--and I'll get him," Duffy said.

"I'll do my best, Liam."

Munz, Sparkman, Davidson, and Bradley walked up to them.

"Nice flight, Lester?"

"I was never in first class before, sir," Bradley said.

"Well, that was certainly a mistake. We'll take the difference out of your pay."

Bradley recoiled at that, but it didn't take him long to realize he was having his chain pulled.

"Do you have a pistol, Lester?"

"No, sir."

"Get him one, Jack," Castillo ordered. "Make sure Little Red Under Britches sees you give it to him--and that she sees you chambering a round, Lester."

"Yes, sir," Bradley said. "Little Red--what did you say, sir?"

"The lady in the car is a SVR officer, Les. A lieutenant colonel. I don't think she'll try to run away--she'll have no idea where we will be, and I have all of her identification in my briefcase--but she may. I don't want her dead."

"Yes, sir."

"I just happen to have one with me," Davidson said, and took a Colt Model 1911A1 from the small of his back. He handed it to Bradley. "There's already one in the chamber."

"Yes, Sergeant Major," Bradley said politely, then with speed and precision that visibly astonished the gendarmes, he ejected the magazine, worked the action to eject the round in the chamber, caught it on the fly, examined the pistol to make sure the chamber was indeed empty, fed the just-ejected round to the magazine, fed the magazine to the pistol, let the slide slam home, carefully lowered the hammer to de-cock it, and finally slipped the pistol under his belt on the small of his back.

"He's usually much faster than that," Davidson said with a straight face.

"Bradley--" Castillo began.

"May I see you a moment, please, Colonel?" Alfredo Munz interrupted.

Castillo followed him toward the Aero Commander.

Duffy's face showed that he didn't like Munz and Castillo having a private conversation.

But there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done about it.

Munz, his back to Duffy, immediately proved him wrong.

"Take out some money, and count out a lot of it, and hand it to me," Munz said. "I'm making it seem like I don't want Liam to see."

Castillo didn't hesitate.

"Charley, I think I had better go with you to Bariloche," Munz said.

"I can handle her, Alfredo."