The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

"Not that one, Weiss," Castillo blurted. "That's the door to my office."

By then Weiss had cracked the door open.

He turned to look at Castillo.

Max, towing Sergeant Phillips behind him, shouldered the door open.

The edge caught Weiss on the side of the face.

"Sonofabitch!" he exclaimed, and backed away, running into the rest of the CIA delegation and causing further consternation. No one actually fell down, but almost, and two briefcases hit the floor.

Max went to Castillo, sat down, and offered him his paw.

"Colonel, I'm sorry," Phillips said. "I didn't realize how strong he is!"

"Presumably, Castillo, that animal is yours?" Ellsworth said.

"Actually, I'm just minding him for a friend," Castillo said. "You all right, Mr. Weiss?"

Weiss glared at him, then marched to the other door, and the CIA delegation departed.

The others in the room were reacting as if an auto accident had just happened before their eyes. No one moved, or showed any inclination to do so.

"Well, it would appear this meeting is over," Castillo said.

Ellsworth looked at him with a stone face, then turned to those at the table and said, "Yes, it would appear that way. Thank you, all, for coming."

"Colonel," Castillo said to Colonel DeBois. "May I have a moment of your time, sir?"

He gestured toward the open door to his office.

DeBois nodded, stood up, and walked to the door, then through it. Castillo, with Max and Phillips behind him, followed, and then Miller.

"Dick," Castillo said, "close and lock that behind you, will you, please?"

"I thought I heard you say 'my office,'" DeBois said. "Are you going to tell me what's going on here, Colonel?"

Castillo did not immediately respond.

He said, "Take the leash off Max, Phillips, and then see if you can raise the safe house."

"Yes, sir."

Max-as if he had understood what Castillo had ordered-sat down and allowed Phillips to remove the wire leash from his neck. Phillips went into the commo room. Max walked to Castillo and lay down at his feet.

Castillo met DeBois's eyes.

"Sir, with respect, you are not here and never have been here. But if you had been here, everything you might have seen, heard, or intuited is classified Top Secret Presidential."

DeBois's eyebrows rose, but he didn't reply.

Phillips came to the door of the commo room and said, "We're up, sir."

"Sir?" Castillo said, and asked DeBois with his eyes to go ahead of him into the commo room.

Sergeant Neidermeyer handed Castillo the handset.

The screen flashed the legend SUSANNA SIENO.