The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

Pilar, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina 1125 9 September 2005 When Munz slowed the BMW as they approached the striped pole barrier to the country club, he looked over at Castillo, who was sitting beside him. Max had somehow managed to squeeze himself between Castillo's feet, and now had his head on Castillo's lap. Castillo, his head bent, was apparently asleep.

Munz smiled and shook his head.

"We're here, Karl," Munz announced. "Our gendarmeria escort has just left us."

Castillo's head immediately jerked erect.

"Would you believe I was thinking?" he asked.

"No," Jake Torine said from the backseat.

Torine was jammed in between Alex Darby and Edgar Delchamps.

"I was trying to make an

important decision," Castillo said.

"And did you?"

"I thought I would seek your wise counsel before reaching a final decision," Castillo said. "Based on your vast poker-playing experience."

"What the hell are you talking about, Ace?" Delchamps asked.

"When do I call that Evil Leprechaun sonofabitch and tell him I surrender?"

"Is that what you're going to do?" Darby asked.

Castillo did not reply directly. Instead, he went on, "Do I call almost immediately, as if my superior in Washington immediately caved in? Or in an hour-or two or three-giving Duffy the idea that my superior ordered me to surrender only after solemn thought, probably after he consulted with his superiors?"

"I gather you are not going to seek Montvale's sage advice?" Delchamps said. "Or anybody else's?"

"Two problems with that," Castillo said, "the first, of course, being that Montvale is not my superior. Second, my asking Montvale would permit him to happily run to the President-who is my boss-then sadly report that, as he predicted, the impetuous young colonel has gotten himself in a bind in Argentina. The idea there being to really put me in Montvale's pocket. So the only 'anybody else' I can call is my boss-'Good morning, Mr. President. The Lone Ranger here. A redheaded Argentine cop has got me by the balls and I really don't know what to do.'"

Delchamps chuckled.

"Make the call in two or three hours, Karl," Munz said, softly but seriously.

"Reasoning?" Castillo asked.

"Liam Duffy would be suspicious if you called him right away, that you did not consult with your superior and were lying to him. He expects that you do have a superior-far down the ladder from your President, but a superior, or superiors. If you wait the several hours, he will probably think that you have been ordered to cooperate with him. And will think that makes you less of a problem to him."

Castillo grunted, then looked at Darby.

"Alex?"

"I think you should follow Alfredo's advice," Alex Darby said. "He tends to be right."

"Jake?" Castillo said, turning.

"That's a decision someone of my pay grade is not qualified to make," Torine said.

"Edgar?"

"I go with Alfredo," Delchamps said.

"Okay. I'll call him in three hours," Castillo said.

"Karl," Munz said, "remember that Duffy said, 'Munz knows how to contact me.'"