The Outlaws (Presidential Agent 6)

Or because he’s really happy to see the reinforcements?

Leverette finally turned Castillo free.

“Now,” Leverette announced, “just as soon as I have a little something to cut the dust of the trail, we will see what Charley’s problem is, and set about solving it. I already have the essential ingredient.” He dug in his pocket and came out triumphantly with a small bottle. “Peychaud’s bitters. I never leave home without it. I shall also require rye whisky—good rye whisky—some simple syrup, absinthe, lemons, ice, and a suitable vessel in which to assemble the above.”

“I feel better already,” Castillo said.

“What is he talking about?” Pevsner asked.

“A Sazerac,” Castillo said.

“And what is a Sazerac?” Tom Barlow asked.

“Nectar of the gods,” Leverette said. “God’s reward to the worthy.”

He examined the stock of intoxicants in the bar, finally coming up triumphantly with a bottle of Van Winkle Family Reserve rye in his left hand and a bottle of Wild Turkey rye in his right.

“These will do nicely, but I can’t find any syrup, absinthe, or lemons. Presumably, there is room service?”

“Lester,” Castillo ordered, “get on the horn and tell room service that Mr. Pevsner requires immediately what Uncle Remus just said.”

“Yes, sir,” Bradley said, and started for the telephone.

“You’re all going to sit around and get drunk, is that the idea?” Pevsner asked unpleasantly. “We have a serious problem and—”

Leverette interrupted him. “Charley, I hate to tell you this, but I’m starting to dislike your Russian buddy. Again.”

“Me, too,” Edgar Delchamps said.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Pevsner demanded angrily.

“Somebody who thinks he’s Ivan the Terrible, Jr.?” Leverette asked innocently.

Castillo laughed, but even as he did, he realized that was not the wise thing to do.

“Not one more word from anybody!” Svetlana snapped. “Not one!”

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

Castillo and Leverette had much the same thought at the same moment, but Leverette was the first to say it out loud: “Be careful,” he said in Russian. “Sweaty just put on her podpolkovnik’s hat.”

“You’d better be careful,” Castillo said. “That’s way over your word limit. What Podpolkovnik Alekseeva said was ‘Not one more word.’”

“I said from anybody and that includes you,” Svetlana snapped. “For God’s sake, Charley, you’re in command. Act like a commander!”

Everyone looked at Castillo to see what his reaction to that would be.

His first reaction was a sudden realization: This is getting out of control.

And the commander is in large measure responsible.

Sweaty’s right about that.

His next reaction was: On the other hand, Sweaty should not have snapped at the commander like that, telling him to act like a commander.

One of the problems of having women subordinates is that one cannot jump all over their asses when they deserve it.

Especially when said female subordinate is sharing one’s bed.