The Shooters (Presidential Agent 4)

Ninety seconds later, there was the sound of the sliding door opening and then closing.

"The drapes are in place," Master Sergeant Gilmore said. "Somebody can hit the lights."

When the lights came on, Castillo didn't see any kind of a chain on either Gilmore or Technical Sergeant Bustamante, who looked like Captain D'Elia's younger brother.

"You used

a chain, Sergeant Gilmore?"

Gilmore pulled a thin chain from a deep pocket on the hip of his trousers.

"Clever," Castillo said.

"Well, you know how it is when you're in the stockade, Colonel. You've got nothing to do but think up things like this."

Castillo laughed.

The Army's elite Delta Force-and some other, even more secret units-were housed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in what at one time had been the post stockade.

"Isn't a stockade a military prison?" Sergeant Mullroney asked.

"Yes, it is, Mullroney," Castillo said, mock seriously. "It's where we keep people like these two chained up when they're not working."

He went to Bustamante and offered his hand.

"My name is Castillo, Sergeant. We're glad to have you."

"I'm glad to be here, sir."

"That's because you don't know what's going to happen," Castillo said.

"Can I ask another dumb question?" Mullroney asked.

Castillo thought, Not "no" but "hell no," and was about to say exactly that when Mullroney asked anyway.

"Maybe I'm out of line, Colonel, but was pissing off that CIA guy the way you did smart?"

You bet your ass you're out of line.

Who the hell do you think you are, calling me on that?

But, actually…

"Actually, I'm glad you brought that up. What I was trying to do with Crawford was make him think I'm a wiseass out of my league." Much like you, Mullroney. "I think I managed to do that, but I couldn't make him lose his temper, and I tried. Okay?"

Mullroney nodded.

Castillo looked at the others and went on: "Crawford is dangerous. I still don't know what he's up to, but he's not on our side. Everybody got that?"

There were nods.

"Okay, the burglars are Sergeants Bustamante and Gilmore, from Captain D'Elia's team. This is Colonel Munz, who works for me; Lieutenant Lorimer, who also works for me; and Sergeant Mullroney, who is a Chicago cop and Timmons's brother-in-law. And Corporal Bradley, our designated marksman."

Castillo looked at Gilmore.

"So what have you got?"

"I don't know if it's what you're looking for, Colonel," Gilmore said. "But there is a very strange setup on the river a couple of miles downstream from the hotel. You have a laptop, sir?"