The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

I never thought of that before.

What would my father think of me if he were around to have a look?

There were nine men in flight suits sitting at the dining room table of the Magnolia House with Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Richardson III when Castillo and Neidermeyer walked in.

"I would have called 'attention,' Colonel," a barrel-chested, nearly bald man greeted him, "but I knew you would really rather have me kiss your Hudson High ring."

"My God, look what the cat drug in, all the way from Norwich," Castillo said happily.

He put his briefcase on the table, went to him, and wrapped him in a bear hug.

"How the hell are you, Dave?"

Max sat down and looked up at them curiously.

"Where did you get the dog, Charley?"

"Long story," Castillo said. "But he won't tear your leg off if you're polite."

Dave squatted and accepted Max's paw.

Castillo became aware that except for Richardson the other men at the table had stood up.

"And I know who these guys are," Castillo said. "The misfits, scalawags, and ne'er-do-wells the colonel decided he could get rid of when they laid the personnel requirement on him."

"You got it, Charley," a tall, lanky man said, laughing. "Good to see you."

"Where we going, Charley?" another asked.

Castillo didn't reply directly.

Instead, he said, "Has Colonel Richardson gotten you all a place to stay? Chow?"

"They've all been given transient quarters," Richardson said. "We were discussing somewhere to eat when you came in. And there are two vans for their use while they're here."

"I can't stay, Charley," the barrel-chested bald man said. He held up a can of 7UP as proof suggesting that he was about to fly and had not been able to help himself to anything alcoholic.

"The boss," he went on, "is out of town and I'm minding the store. And as the commanding officer, when General McNab said 'ASAP,' I made the command decision that the best way to do that was fire up a Black Hawk and fly these clowns down here. And I knew, of course-being an old buddy who is at least a year senior to you-you would be delighted to tell me what the hell this is all about."

"Nice try, Dave," Castillo said. "But if you're not staying, I can't tell you."

"Nothing?"

"Not one goddamn word, Colonel."

"He just shifted into his official mode, Jerry," Dave said. "So there'll be no arguing with him. We might as well go home."

"Yes, sir," one of the pilots said.

"You understand, Charley, that it's breaking my heart that you don't trust me?"

"Don't let the doorknob hit you in the ass, Dave."

Dave put out his hand.

"Great to see you, Charley," he said, warmly. "You've got four more pilots and two crew chiefs coming. You want them flown down?"

"The sooner they can be here, the better."