Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

"Right after I erred on the side of caution and got in the BMW, Ambassador Silvio showed up. With an embassy Suburban. And no, Colonel, sir, he didn't see me, as I had erred on the side of caution. . . ."

"Okay, Jack," Castillo said.

"But I think it's possible he recognized Darby's car, as he is a clever guy. He did not come over to say 'Howdy.' Then the Gulfstream landed and Montvale and the others got out and had a conversation in which Montvale got red-faced and waved his arms around. I think maybe they were talking about you."

"And then?"

"They loaded into the Suburban and drove off."

"You have any idea where they went?"

"Yes, sir, Colonel, sir, I do. In the BMW to which I retired, erring as I said--"

"Enough, goddamn it, Jack," Castillo said.

"There is an embassy radio, to which I listened, and am thus able to tell you they reported they were going to the embassy."

"Not to the safe house?"

"I'm guessing, Charley, I can't read lips, but I think maybe one of the reasons Montvale was so pissed was that he asked the ambassador about the safe house and the ambassador said, 'What safe house?'"

Castillo turned and looked at the Aero Commander.

Everybody had gotten out of it.

And why didn't I think that at one o'clock in the afternoon of a sunny summer day in Argentina, the sun quickly turns the interior of an Aero Commander into an oven?

He signaled to Alfredo Munz to come over. Munz alone.

And why am I not surprised that everybody's coming over?

When Pevsner's men saw Munz, Svetlana, and Bradley walking to Castillo and Davidson, they got out of their cars and walked to them. When the gendarmeria officers saw Pevsner's men walking to Castillo and Davidson, they got out of their cars and walked to them.

Davidson read Castillo's mind.

"Well, maybe they'll think Little Red Under Britches is a movie star and we are her groupies."

"The Air Force Gulfstream brought Ambassador Montvale here," Castillo announced when the little group had gathered around him. "They went to the embassy, which is where Jack and I are going. Alfredo is going to take Svetlana to Pilar. Lester, you take the AFC and go with them."

"Yes, sir."

Castillo turned to the gendarmeria officer.

"What are your orders?"

"To place ourselves at your orders, mi coronel."

"You have two cars?"

"Si, mi coronel. The Mercedes and the Ford."

"Send one of the cars with me, and the other with El Coronel Munz. Follow him and these gentlemen, but go no farther than the gate of the country club; we don't want to attract any more attention than we have to."

"Si, mi coronel."

He turned to the people Munz had called "Pevsner's people" and took a chance and spoke Russian.

"The Panamericana is so busy this time of day that following someone is very difficult."