"Thank you, sir. I do."
"Good morning, Charley," Secretary of State Natalie Cohen said.
None of the others said a word.
"Okay, let's get to it," the President said once the steward had delivered Castillo's coffee and left the room. "In as few words as possible, Charley, take it from the beginning. You have five minutes."
It wasn't hard for Castillo to start. He had expected the question and had spent all of his time in the air mentally rehearsing what he would say.
It took him longer than five minutes, however, and he wasn't quite finished when the door opened and a Secret Service agent put his head in.
"Excuse me, Mr. President. There's a kid being held at the elevator who says he's Colonel Castillo's bodyguard. He also says he's a Marine corporal. He says he has something Colonel Castillo absolutely has to have."
Montvale looked at the agent and blurted: "Jesus Christ! You actually came in here with something like that for me?"
"I think he was talking to me, Charles," the President said, and looked at Castillo.
"Corporal Lester Bradley, sir," Castillo confirmed.
"Get him in here. I can't pass up the opportunity to see the colonel's bodyguard."
"Yes, Mr. President."
Bradley came into the room two minutes later. He carried Castillo's laptop, Yung's report, Torine's Proposed Operational Orders, and the AFC handset.
He popped to attention and saluted the President, who crisply returned it.
"You're Colonel Castillo's bodyguard, are you, son?" the President asked.
"Sir, yes, Mr. President, I am, sir."
"For God's sake, he's not old enough to vote," Montvale said disgustedly.
"Sir, no sir, I'm not old enough to vote, but I am Colonel Castillo's bodyguard, sir."
"Who has twice saved my life, so lay off him, Montvale," Castillo snapped, then heard himself. "I'm sorry, Mr. President."
"If he's your bodyguard, I would presume he already knows what we're talking about here?"
"Yes, Mr. President, he does."
"Stick around, son. I want a word or two with you when this is finished."
"Aye-aye, Mr. President, sir."
"Okay, Charley, wrap it up. We're running out of time."
It took Castillo another three minutes.
"That's about it, sir."
"It's about time," Ambassador Montvale said.
"Shut up, please, Charles. I'm thinking," the President said.
That took a full twenty seconds.
"Bottom line, Charley," the President said. "Even if I believed everything you have told me, there's just not enough there for me to authorize a clandestine mission--or even an overflight, except by satellite--to look into it."