The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

Castillo pressed the speaker button, then said: "Good morning, Susanna."

"How are things in our nation's capital?"

"I just had an unpleasant session with one of your coworkers, a guy named Milton Weiss. Know him?"

"Unfortunately."

"Is Eddie Lorimer around?"

"Right here, Colonel," Lorimer's voice came over the speaker.

"Colonel DeBois of DIA has been asking about you."

"I guess that was bound to happen. Colonel DB's one of the good guys, Colonel. What did you tell him?"

"Nothing, of course," Castillo said. "Hold one, Eddie."

He put his hand over the microphone.

"I'm sorry, Colonel," Castillo said. "But that concludes your tour of the Office of Organizational Analysis."

DeBois looked at him a long moment before he spoke.

"Thank you, Colonel Castillo. If you ever need anything, anything at all, you know where to find me."

"Thank you, sir. And if you hear anything interesting, I'd be grateful if you'd pass it to Major Miller."

DeBois nodded and walked out of the commo room. Castillo put the handset to his ear and turned off the speaker.

"Susanna, how long will it take to get just about everybody there? Including Darby and Santini? And Munz."

"Probably the better part of two hours."

"Well, it's important. So will you set it up, please? Give me a call when everybody's there."

"Will do," she said.

"Break it down, Neidermeyer," Castillo said, and handed him the handset. "Stay loose. As soon as I'm finished with that call, we're off."

"Yes, sir."

Castillo walked out of the commo room and sat down at his desk.

"You shut off the phones in the hotel?" he asked.

Miller shook his head.

Castillo picked up one of the telephones on his desk and punched one of the buttons on it.

"And how are you this bright and sunny morning, Uncle Billy?" Castillo asked in German.

"I probably shouldn't admit this to you," Eric Kocian said, "but I'm actually feeling pretty chipper. Madchen and I took our morning constitutional past the White House. I was reminded of what people say about Paris."

"Which is?"

"Beautiful city. If it wasn't for the people, I'd love it. And then I came back to the hotel and had a word with the manager-"

"What didn't you like?"