"Get the weapons and gear moving to Rucker right away," McNab ordered. "There's a buck general there, Crenshaw, I've dealt with before. I'll get on the horn to him and give him a heads-up, tell him to stash the weapons and gear until Charley knows what he wants to do with it."
"Yes, sir."
"I'll also tell him to expect eight Huey pilots-and four crew chiefs-from the 160th at Campbell, same story. I'll get on the horn to Campbell myself as soon as I can."
"Yes, sir," Kingston said.
"Anything else for right now?"
Kingston looked at Castillo.
"The money?" Kingston said.
"You've got a black account here, sir?"
"In the base branch of the Wachovia Bank."
"If you'll give me the number, sir, I'll get on the horn to Dick Miller, and the money will probably be in it by the close of their business day. How much will you need, sir?"
"This isn't going to be cheap, Castillo. We've got-"
"Will a million cover it for openers, sir?"
"More than enough," Kingston said.
"Wrong answer, Tom," McNab said. "Probably not, Colonel Castillo. But we can always come back to you for more, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"That's it, then?" McNab asked.
"I think that covers just about everything for now, sir," Kingston said.
"Yes, sir. Thank you both."
"Why don't we see if Miller is going to have any problems getting the money down here before I start loaning you money from my special funds?" McNab said.
Castillo took his cellular phone from his pocket. Kingston handed him a slip of paper.
Ninety seconds later, Castillo broke the connection.
"Done, sir. Major Miller sends his compliments, sir."
"Story going around is that he's being retired medically. True?"
"Yes, sir. First of the month. He's going to work for me."
McNab shook his head.
"Goddamn shame," he said, and then heard what he had said. "I don't mean his working for you, Charley. I meant…his being involuntarily retired."
"Yes, sir. It is."
McNab shook his head and then smiled.
"Okay. Those shrill girlish giggles you may have been hearing are those made by my wife when she is playing with a dog. I suspect everybody's here. Once again, my timing is perfect."
He began to scrape the meat scraps from his plate onto another and then reached for Castillo's plate.