The Hostage Part 44

"May I point out, Mr. Secretary, that we all work for the President? And that it is at the President's order that I am taking the call?"

"Major Castillo," Hall said. "You understand that you take your orders from either the President or me? And only the President and me?"

"Yes, sir."

"I will, of course, seek clarification of this from the President," Montvale said.

"We both will, Mr. Montvale," Hall said, and then, when there was no response from Montvale, went on: "Okay, Charley, go on."

"Sir, Amba.s.sador Silvio is with me. We're in his office in the emba.s.sy. The call is on the speakerphone."

"Good evening, Mr. Amba.s.sador," Hall said. "You've heard what's been said so far?"

"Yes, I have, Mr. Secretary," Silvio said.

"Do you know the director of national intelligence, Mr. Montvale?"

"Yes, sir. I know the amba.s.sador. Good evening, sir."

"How are you, Silvio?"

"Very well, sir. Thank you."

"I attempted to call you, Silvio, earlier, when the President brought me in on this. You were not available."

"When was that, sir?"

"Forty-five minutes ago, an hour. I'm curious why you weren't available."

"I was with Mrs. Masterson at that time, sir."

"And they didn't tell you I was calling?"

"I left instructions that I was not to be disturbed when I was with her, Mr. Montvale."

"Even for a call from me?"

"From anyone, sir. It was my intention, sir, to return your call when Mr. Castillo had completed his call to Secretary Hall."

"I must say that's an odd priority. But why don't you tell me about Mrs. Masterson? The President is deeply concerned."

"Yes, sir."

"Mr. Montvale," Hall said. "May I respectfully suggest that you telephone Amba.s.sador Silvio when Major Castillo has finished his report to me?"

"You don't seem to understand, do you, Hall, that I am acting at the orders of the President?"

"From the tone of your voice, Charles, and if I didn't know better, I might think that two of my most senior staff are having a little tiff over turf," the President of the United States said. "You fellows don't mind if I join the conversation, do you?"

"Of course not, Mr. President," Montvale said.

"Good evening, sir," Hall said.

"You on here, Charley?" the President asked.

"Yes, sir," Castillo replied. "And so is Amba.s.sador Silvio, sir."

"How much did I miss? I hate to make you go over it all again, but I just couldn't get the G.o.dd.a.m.n . . . get my distinguished visitor to leave."

"I was just about to start, Mr. President."

"Start with the condition of the female agent," the President said.

"Yes, sir. Special Agent Schneider is in surgery. She suffered three gunshot wounds from a nine-millimeter Madsen submachine gun. . . ."

It took Castillo perhaps five minutes to report what had happened, and what was planned. The President had interrupted him three times, once to ask where the Argentine police were when the emba.s.sy car had been attacked, a second time to ask what Castillo thought about the quality of the medical treatment Special Agent Schneider was getting, and a third time to ask what had been done about notifying Schneider's family, and that of Sergeant Roger Markham.

"That's about it, sir," Castillo concluded.

There was a ten-second silence, and then the President said: "You haven't had much to say, Mr. Amba.s.sador.Can I take that to mean you and Charley are on the same page?"

"Yes, sir," Silvio said, simply. "We pretty much see things the same way."

"And would you tell me if you didn't?"

"Yes, sir, I would," Silvio said.

There was another long pause, and then the President said, "You ever hear that story about the people who went to President Lincoln to tell him General Grant was a drunk? Lincoln was pretty fed up with people around him bickering, and history tells us he had one h.e.l.l of a temper. But this time he kept it in check. What President Lincoln said was, 'Well, find out what General Grant is drinking and I'll see that my other generals get some of it.' "

The President paused. "Now, Mr. Amba.s.sador, changing the subject, I wonder if you would be good enough to send me, via Major Castillo, a bottle of whatever you two have been drinking? I'll share it with Secretary Hall and Director Montvale."

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. President," Silvio said, a smile in his voice.

"Just idle curiosity," the President asked, "what will it be?"

"Major Castillo, sir, shares my appreciation of a local wine, a cabernet sauvignon from the Sentenir bodega in Mendoza."

"I'll look forward to it," the President said. "Maybe two bottles would be better than one. Better yet, make it a case."

"Yes, sir."

"One more thing," the President said. "Charley, are you watching your back?"

"Yes, sir."

"I guess what I really meant to ask is who's helping you watch your back?"

"Sir, as we speak, my Marine bodyguard is standing outside the amba.s.sador's door."

"Well, do what he says, Charley. Too many people are getting shot down there."

"Yes, sir, I will."

"Unless someone has something else, that would seem to be it."

No one said anything.

"Okay. I'll see you sometime late tomorrow, Charley. And, Charles, Charles, I think it would be a good idea if you went down to Mississippi with us, too." I think it would be a good idea if you went down to Mississippi with us, too."

"Of course, Mr. President," Director of National Intelligence Montvale said.

[FOUR].

As Castillo came out of Amba.s.sador Silvio's office, Corporal Lester Bradley, USMC, popped to attention and said, "There are two Air Force officers to see you, sir. I asked them to wait in the outer office."

"Thank you, Corporal," Castillo said and went into the outer office, where he found Colonel Jake Torine and the light bird pilot of the Gulfstream-if he had ever heard his name, Castillo couldn't remember it now- sitting in the row of chairs against the wall. Both were in civilian clothing: sports jackets and slacks.

"I was just about to call you," Castillo said, shaking Torine's hand.

"We heard what happened," Torine said. "How's that female Secret Service agent doing? Betty?"

"Betty took three hits. She's in surgery now."

"Nice girl," Torine said. "Is she going to be all right?"

"Jesus Christ, I hope so," Castillo said. "I'm going to the German Hospital from here."

"Any change in the plan for tomorrow?"

"No. Mrs. Masterson has decided she's going ahead with the whole dog-and-pony show. Jake, just now I remembered, or think I did, something about an ambulance configuration for the Gulfstream."

Torine shrugged, indicating he didn't know either, and then asked, "Walter?"

"Yes, there is an emergency ambulance configuration for the C-37," the lieutenant colonel confirmed.

"Installed on the one you're flying, Colonel?" Charley asked.

"Yes, there is."

"Tell me about it, please."

"May I ask why you're asking?"

"What, is it cla.s.sified or something, Walter?" Torine asked, sarcastically.

"Yes, sir, as a matter of fact it is. The configuration of all Eighty-ninth Presidential Airlift Group aircraft is cla.s.sified-"

"Jesus Christ!" Torine exploded. "And you're worried Castillo doesn't have the proper clearance-or maybe it's me?"

For a moment, Charley thought the light bird was goingto say just that. But then, as Castillo studied him, he thought, This chicken-s.h.i.+t light bird has only now decided that a full bird colonel sent on Presidential Orders as pilot in command of a Globemaster more than likely has the proper security clearances, and since he was senior, if he said it was all right to describe the configuration of the Gulfstream, any breach of security would fall on his shoulders. This chicken-s.h.i.+t light bird has only now decided that a full bird colonel sent on Presidential Orders as pilot in command of a Globemaster more than likely has the proper security clearances, and since he was senior, if he said it was all right to describe the configuration of the Gulfstream, any breach of security would fall on his shoulders.

"Three of the seats on the left side of the cabin can be placed in a horizontal position," the light bird began. "There is a mattress and sheets-rubber and the ordinary kind-stored behind the galley. Behind the paneling by the sheets is some other medical equipment. A blood pressure device, things like that. And an oxygen feed, connected to the aircraft's main oxygen supply."

"What's on your mind, Charley?" Torine asked.

Castillo didn't reply directly.

"Colonel, you came direct from Was.h.i.+ngton," Castillo said. "Can I extrapolate that to mean you can go direct Jorge Newbery-Philadelphia?"

"Are you a pilot, Major Castillo?"

Aha! Somebody's tipped him-and I think I know who-that he's dealing with a lowly major. That's why he doesn't want me to know the secrets of the Gulfstream.

"Yes, I am," Castillo said.

"With some experience in long-distance, jet-long-distance, flight?"

"I know for a fact that he flew the right seat of a 727 from Costa Rica to MacDill, and worked the radios and everything," Torine said, smiling at Charley. "What's with all the questions, Walter?"

"Sir, it would be easier if the major were conversant with the problems involved in a flight of that distance."

"Can your fancy little bird make it from here to Philadelphia nonstop, or not, Walter? Jesus Christ!" Torine exploded.

"Theoretically, yes. But it would be prudent to think of somewhere to refuel if fuel consumption turned out to be greater for one reason or another than planned for."

"Worst fuel-consumption scenario, Colonel. Can you make it from here to Miami?"

"Very probably. There are never any guarantees."

"What about MacDill?" Castillo asked. "As a refueling stop?"

"Very probably," the lieutenant colonel said, after considering it for a moment.

"Thank you," Castillo said.

"But speaking hypothetically, MacDill requires advance notice-twelve hours, I believe, I'd have to check-to refuel transient aircraft."

"I'm not being hypothetical, Colonel," Castillo said. "What's going to happen is this: Amba.s.sador Silvio at this moment is arranging for an American physician . . ."

He paused and looked at Torine.

". . . who fortunately (a) is a fellow Miami Cuban, and (b) is in town conducting a seminar at the University of Belgrano, and a nurse or maybe two."

Torine nodded his understanding, and Castillo looked back at the lieutenant colonel.

"You are going to fly Special Agent Schneider, the doctor, and the nurses from here to Philadelphia just as soon-maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow-as they say she's up to the trip."

"On whose authority, Major?"