Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

Republica Oriental del Uruguay

1505 4 January 2006

Chief Inspector Jose Ordonez of the Interior Police Division of the Uruguayan Policia Nacional--an olive-skinned, dark-eyed man in his late thirties who was well-tailored--walked into the interior patio five minutes later.

"The door was open, Mr. Ambassador," he greeted Lorimer politely. "I just came in."

"You're always welcome here, Jose. I'd hoped that I had made that clear when you last visited." He gestured toward the table. "We're just finishing lunch, but there's more than enough--"

"That's very kind, Mr. Ambassador. My day has been extraordinary, and I haven't had my lunch." He looked around the table, nodding.

"Good to see you, Jose," Munz said. "Extraordinary, you say?"

Ordonez took an open seat at the table. "Quite. I began the day very early."

"Is that so?" Castillo said.

"Someone rang my doorbell at an unholy hour," Ordonez said. "But when I got out of bed, no one was there. This, however, had been slipped under my door."

He handed Castillo a plain white letter-size envelope. It was unsealed.

Ordonez nodded at it. "Please. Have a look."

Castillo opened the envelope, took out a single sheet of paper, and read it.

Castillo handed it to Alfredo Munz, who read it, then handed it to Edgar Delchamps, who read it, than passed it to Alex Darby, who read it:

REFERENCE INTERPOL WARRANTS EUR/RU 2005-6777 FOR BEREZOVSKY, DMITRI AND EUR/RU 2005-6778 FOR ALEKSEEVA, SVETLANA

RELIABLE SOURCES SUGGEST BEREZOVSKY AND ALEKSEEVA MAY BE IN THE COMPANY OF C.G. CASTILLO. LTCOL CASTILLO IS A US ARMY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER WHO ALSO POSSESSES OTHER IDENTIFICATION, INCLUDING THAT OF A SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT OF THE US SECRET SERVICE. HE WAS SEEN IN BUENOS AIRES 2 JANUARY 2006

IT ALSO HAS BEEN LEARNED THAT THE RUSSIAN OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE BEREZOVSKY/ALEKSEEVA CASE, COLONEL EVGENY ALEKSEEVA, OF THE SVR, IS EITHER IN BUENOS AIRES OR EN ROUTE. HE IS TRAVELING ON A DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT.

Darby folded it and handed it back to Ordonez, then said: "If I didn't know better--no member of the FBI would ever do something like this, as we all know--I'd say that somebody has slipped a confidential FBI backgrounder to a member of the local law-enforcement community."

Ordonez did not respond to that. Instead, he said: "So, Colonel, before I had my breakfast, I made a couple of calls--these reports would have been on my desk anyway when I went to work, you understand--and learned both that your beautiful airplane had landed at Punta the previous afternoon and that Mr. Darby had taken the Buquebus to Montevideo.

"I then called the Conrad, thinking maybe you might be there playing a little Vingt et Un or something like that. And, sure enough, they told me you were there, in the company of what the manager told me was a truly striking red-haired lady.

"I asked myself, 'Since I made it so clear that I personally and the government of Uruguay semi-officially have stated that we would prefer that you take your tourist business elsewhere, why are you unable to resist the temptation to return to Punta?' "

Ambassador Lorimer placed a plate heaped with slices of beef tenderloin on the table before him.

Castillo avoided the question. He gestured at Ordonez's lomo. "There are some lovely grilled peppers to go with that, Jose. Won't you try some? And some really nice Cabernet Sauvignon. I'll get you a glass. Unless, of course, you're on duty and not drinking?"

Castillo got up from the table, and returned with a bottle and held it up.

"It's called Bodegones del Sur, and it's from the Bodega Juanico. The label says it has a complex aroma, whatever that means, with notes of mature fruits--which calls to my mind a mental image of a cologne-soaked elderly gentleman of exquisite grace. . . ."

Ordonez shook his head. "Pour the wine, please, Colonel. But, for the record, I'm always on duty."

Castillo half-filled the large glass before Ordonez, then helped himself to one.

"I'll join you, so there will be two of us always on duty giving in to Demon Rum. Or Demon Cabernet."

They touched glasses.

Ordonez put some beef in his mouth and chewed.