"What I said to her, in effect, was that if she had been truthful, I thought Markham would still be alive and Schneider would not have been wounded."
"You called her a liar to her face, Charley?" Natalie Cohen asked in sad disbelief.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm afraid I did."
"And what was her reaction?" the President asked, softly.
"Not much at the time, sir, but just now, just before we came here, she came to me again, and said that now that she was in the United States, she could talk. She told me that her abductors wanted her to tell them where her brother is-"
"Her brother?" the President asked.
"Jean-Paul Lorimer, sir. He works for the United Nations in Paris. Mrs. Masterson said her abductors threatened to kill her children if she didn't tell them, and to kill the children and her family if she revealed any of this. And they murdered Mr. Masterson to prove they meant what they were saying."
"Sonofabitch!" the President of the United States said.
"Mr. President," Natalie Cohen said, "we've been trying to find Mr. Lorimer for several days without success. All we know is that he's not in his apartment and hasn't been in his office."
"Mrs. Masterson said she had no idea where her brother is," Castillo said.
"And why do you think, Major," Montvale asked, "that Mrs. Masterson chose to confide in you, rather than in, say, Ambassador Silvio or her friend the CIA station chief?"
"Probably because we had just landed in the United States," Castillo said.
"If I may, Mr. President?" Colonel Torine asked.
The President waved his permission.
"I was privy to the conversation between Major Castillo and Mrs. Masterson just now," Torine said. "And the reason she gave for her going to Major Castillo was because she believed what Mr. Darby had told her about Major Castillo."
"And that was?" Montvale asked.
"Apparently, sir," Torine replied, "Mr. Darby told Mrs. Masterson that he believes that Major Castillo is- this is just about verbatim from Mrs. Masterson-'one really tough sonofabitch, and just the guy you need in your corner when you're really in trouble.'"
The President cocked his head and smiled. "Well, for once I find myself in complete agreement with the opinion of a CIA station chief. That pretty much answer your question, Charles?"
"Yes, it does, Mr. President."
Castillo saw that General Naylor was quietly coughing behind his hand. From long experience, Castillo knew he did this when he wanted to conceal a smile.
When Castillo glanced at Secretary Hall, Hall winked at him and didn't bother to try to conceal his smile.
Up yours, Ambassador Montvale, you pompous sonofabitch! Charley thought, then caught himself.
There you go again, stupid!
If there's anybody you should try to get along with, it's Charles Montvale, the director of national intelligence.
You haven't been in his presence ten minutes and he's already decided-probably with justification-that C. G. Castillo is one arrogant little sonofabitch who needs to be cut down to size as quickly as possible.
The worst thing you can do to a guy like Montvale is humiliate him in the presence of his peers and the President of the United States. He's not going to forget or forgive that.
"Why do you think these people want the brother, Charley?" the President asked. "And who do you think they are?"
"I have no idea, Mr. President," Castillo confessed. "But I think talking to him-presuming I can find him- is the next thing I should do."
"And the UN says they don't know where he is, Natalie?" the President asked.
"We wanted to contact him when Mrs. Masterson was abducted, so that he could deal with the family, as their father, Ambassador Lorimer, has serious heart problems. Nothing. And all our embassy in Paris has been able to come up with is that his car is in his garage, his clothing is in his apartment, and it looks like he's just taken a trip or something. Apparently, he's pretty much his own boss, going wherever he wants, whenever he wants."
"These people have killed to show how much they want this fellow," the President said. "So his life is in danger. Are you going to tell the UN that? Would that get them off the dime?"
"Sir, I presume that the UN, in New York and Paris, knows of the Masterson murder."
"But not what Mrs. Masterson told Charley, right?"
"No, sir. I'll get on the horn right now to our UN ambassador and have him pass that on if you think I should."
"I wish you wouldn't," Castillo blurted.
"Why not?" Natalie Cohen asked curiously, not offended.
"I have a gut feeling it's the wrong thing to do."
The secretary of state looked at the President. His face was thoughtful.
"I'm about to make a point here, so pay attention," the President said. "We're going along with Castillo's gut feeling, not because I necessarily agree with it, but because I don't feel strongly enough about it to override him. And I am the only person who can-and from time to time will-override him. Okay?"
"Yes, sir," Dr. Cohen said.
"What are you going to do about the missing brother, Charley?"
"I'm going to go to Europe and see if I can find him."
"When?"
"As soon as I'm sure Mrs. Masterson and the children are safe, sir. I gave her my word she will be protected."
"And she will be," the President said. "Did you notice some of your Delta Force buddies out there, Charley?"
"Yes, sir, I did."
"The attorney general agreed with me that in this situation the use of troops to protect the Mastersons was justified. Obviously, there's a time limit. But for now, I'd say they're safe."
"Mrs. Masterson asked Special Agent Schneider to find out about private security, sir. I'm going to see what I can do."
"That out of the way, you want to go to Europe as soon as possible?"
"Yes, sir."
"You want to ride to Washington with us? I suspect that you can get to Europe quicker from Washington than you can from Biloxi."
"Sir, I asked my cousin to bring the family's airplane here. I want to use that."
"Not an Air Force plane? A Gulfstream, maybe?"
"I think a civilian airplane would be better, sir. Less conspicuous."
"And very expensive to operate. What about that? Who's going to pay for that?"
"Sir, the last time we used it-in the 727 operation, flying it to Mexico and Costa Rica-it was leased to the Secret Service. I was hoping that could be done again."
The President looked at Secretary Hall. The Secret Service had become part of the Department of Homeland Security.
"Any problem there, Matt?"
"No, sir," Hall replied, and then added, "It's here, Charley. Fernando is in the hangar where we'll… hold the ceremony."
"Okay, then," the President said. "Anything else you need right now? Equipment, people?"
"It's a long list, sir."
The President signaled him to continue.
"I'd like to stop at Fort Bragg and pick up a Gray Fox satellite radio, and an operator, and take that with us. And I'd like another installed at the Nebraska Avenue complex, and a third to be sent to the embassy in Argentina with an operator."
"That will pose no problem, will it, General Naylor?" the President asked.
"None, sir. I'll get right on the horn to General McNab."
"Anything else, Charley?"
"Yes, sir. I'd like to borrow one of Colonel Torine's pilots, one with over-the-ocean experience. I've never flown across an ocean by myself."
"Shouldn't be a problem, should it, Colonel?"
"Unfortunately it is, sir," Torine said. "Until this moment, Mr. President, I had no idea Major Castillo was not entirely satisfied with my flying skills. I am crushed and humiliated beyond words."
"You mean you want to fly his airplane?" the President asked, smiling.
"Very much, sir."
"So ordered," the President said.