Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

Castillo told him to wait. He didn't want a record, should the FBI have a "locate but do not detain" out on their former co-worker, that Two-Gun had rented a vehicle and driven himself from the airport to the Double-Bar-C.

That hadn't happened. Yung walked off the next regional jet that landed at Midland International.

Minutes before Two-Gun and Davidson walked into the ranch's library, Corporal Bradley had updated the data bank with new information. Colonel Hamilton's suitcases were now in Fort Bragg. But the 727 had not yet left for Africa. It had been discovered that an Air Tanzania already existed, which made it necessary to remove most of that color scheme and replace it with a scheme identifying the aircraft as part of the fleet of Sub-Saharan Airways, Ltd.

Corporal Bradley was thus able to demonstrate the command post's new installed technical capabilities to Yung.

While he was doing that, one of the AFCs went off, the caller identified as Alex Darby. He was in Fulda, in Otto Gorner's office. A conversation followed, during which it was learned that Edgar Delchamps's going to Vienna had been something of a mistake, as Eric Kocian was in Budapest. God only knew when he'd get to Budapest now. It was also learned that the transmission of the late Herr Friedler's notes would be begun as soon as they could be scanned.

As Lester was demonstrating how the changed data--Last Known Location of 7-Darby, A--could be entered into the data bank so that it could be shown on one of the monitors, Svetlana came into the library. She wore another new cowgirl suit, one much like the other--just as form-fitting--but the denim was red in color.

She kissed Castillo somewhat less than chastely on the mouth, then whispered something in his ear, and then finally said, "Lester, if you'll show me how to do that, I can do it."

"It's not hard, Colonel," Bradley replied, at which point Castillo deduced from the look on Two-Gun's face that he now understood the cowgirl was one of the Russians Castillo had gotten out of Vienna, and also that Miller had not advised him that the relationship between the Russian defector and Colonel Castillo was not one that one would normally expect.

"Close your mouth, Two-Gun," Davidson advised, "and pay attention to what Lester's teaching Sweaty. You're here; you're going to be on the duty roster."

[TWO]

0700 10 January 2006

The world map now showed that the Sub-Saharan Airways 727, having refueled in Morocco, was somewhere over the Sahara Desert, en route to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tan

zania.

It also showed Colonel Hamilton and DeWitt in Brussels, Belgium, where they would board an Air France flight to Dar Es Salaam International Airport, Tanzania, at 2300.

They learned from Sandor Tor, via the AFC installed in Eric Kocian's Hotel Gellert apartment overlooking the Danube in Budapest, that Edgar Delchamps had gotten as far as Vienna. He had telephoned to say he would be along in a day or two, just as soon as he took care of something he had to do in Vienna.

Because Delchamps was not answering his cellular telephone and had not provided an alternate number at which he could be reached, Colonel Castillo could not ask him what the hell that was all about. And Castillo needed Edgar in Budapest to go through Billy Kocian's files to choose what would be scanned and sent to Midland.

At supper--Dona Alicia and Estella prepared a rack of pork, Svetlana made garlic mashed potatoes, and an enormous salad, and there were several bottles of a very nice Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon--Dmitri Berezovsky confessed to Castillo that he was a little worried about Delchamps. The Russian said that while he really liked Edgar--he thought they had become friends--he struck him as the kind of man who had to be kept on a short leash.

"I think he was kidding when he said he'd like to whack the CIA station chief lady," Castillo replied.

Svetlana said, "Of course he was, my Carlos. I was the one who wanted to kill her."

Judging by Dona Alicia's face, Castillo could not tell whether or not she thought that Svetlana was only making a little joke.

After supper, Dmitri beat Two-Gun at chess six games in a row, one lasting an exhausting two minutes and twenty seconds by the clock.

And they watched television and the monitors and waited.

[THREE]

0700 11 January 2006

The monitor showed the updated data that Colonel Torine had called in: that the Sub-Saharan Airways 727 and its cargo and crew were on the ground at Kilimanjaro International and that Uncle Remus was looking around to see what pickup trucks or similar vehicles were available for purchase in the nearby towns of Arusha and Mosi.

Sandor Tor reported that Edgar Delchamps had called again and said that he would arrive by train from Vienna at 1415.

"I guess he did whatever he had to do in Vienna," Dmitri observed.

"He spent a lot of time in Vienna," Castillo said. "So far as we know, he has a Fraulein--more likely a Frau, I suppose--with whom he passed a little time. He knew there was no rush."

"Isn't he a little long in the tooth for that sort of thing?"

"I don't think so. Sandor Tor told me that Billy Kocian has two very good friends in Vienna. And you know how old he is."