Black Ops (Presidential Agent 5)

"I will have that name, Alfredo. That's not negotiable."

"Liam, I know a good deal about you. You're not only a good policeman but an honest one, and we both know that's not always the case in Argentina. I sincerely admire you."

Duffy looked at him a long moment. "But?"

"But there are forces in play here that you don't understand."

"Such as?"

"I had two reactions when I heard of the attack on you and your family," Munz explained. "The first was personal--that it was a despicable act, beneath contempt."

"And the second?" Duffy asked softly.

"That your quite natural reaction to it was going to cause Carlos and me trouble."

"I don't need any help fr

om you or Carlos to kill the bastards--"

"We know that, Liam," Castillo interrupted. "But why don't you let us tell you why we don't want you to go out and eliminate the bastards right now?"

Duffy looked at him angrily.

"Pay close attention to me, Liam," Castillo said, his tone of voice now suddenly the opposite of mockingly amused. "We can do this nice, between friends, or we can do it the other way."

"You're not actually threatening me, Carlos?"

"That was a statement of fact, not a threat," Castillo said. "You ready to listen?"

They locked eyes for twenty seconds, then Duffy nodded.

"The same day that you and your family were attacked, Liam," Castillo then said, "a German journalist was assassinated in Germany, an Austrian couple was murdered--garroted--in Vienna, and an attempt was made to murder an American policeman and his wife in Philadelphia."

Duffy considered that for a moment, then asked softly, "There was a connection?"

"And General Sirinov also ordered the elimination," Berezovsky added, "when they were to attend the journalist's funeral several days later, of two other journalists, and, if possible, of Colonel Castillo."

"How could you know this?" Duffy said, and without waiting for an answer went on: "General who? They tried to kill you, too, Carlos?"

Castillo nodded.

Berezovsky went on: "Lieutenant General Yakov Sirinov runs Directorate S of the Sluzhba Vnezhney Razvedki, SVR. He ordered the appropriate SVR rezidents--those in Berlin, Vienna, New York, and Buenos Aires--to carry out the eliminations."

"How is it that you know this?" Duffy demanded.

"Because, Comandante, I was at the time the Berlin rezident. Something that I doubt one might find noted on anything from Interpol."

Duffy took a moment to consider that.

"You're telling me this man," he then said, "this General Sirinov . . . is that right?"

"Lieutenant General Yakov Sirinov," he furnished.

". . . ordered the murder of my wife and children?"

"Of you, certainly," Berezovsky said. "I don't think your family was on the order. But, on the other hand, I don't think his order said, 'Make sure this man's family is not hurt while you are eliminating the comandante.' " He paused while that sank in, then went on: "On the other hand, considering what we believe to be his second purpose, he very well may have ordered the elimination of your family."

"What do you mean, 'second purpose'?" Duffy asked.