W. Griffin - The shooters

"This line is secure. Colonel Castillo calling the ambassador."

"The ambassador's not immediately available. Will the colonel talk to me?"

"Ellsworth," Castillo jumped in, "when the ambassador becomes available, tell him that when I couldn't get him, I called the President and that he'll probably be hearing from him."

"Hold one, Castillo."

"And how are things in the Southern Cone, Charley?"

"Looking up, Mr. Ambassador."

"What can I do for you?"

"Got a pencil? I want to give you some coordinates."

"Coordinates of what?"

Castillo began to read the coordinates from the laptop screen.

"Wait, wait a moment, Castillo…okay, I'm ready. Start again."

Castillo did, then said, "Would you read those back to me, please, so we know we have them right?"

Montvale's exasperation was evident in his voice as he read back the coordinates.

"Okay?" Montvale asked, finally.

"Okay. Now what I need, starting immediately, is satellite surveillance of that area. I want everything: photographs, infrared, electronic emissions of all kinds, everything those clever people have and I probably don't know about."

"What are they looking for?"

"Whatever they can find."

"What's there, Colonel?"

"I think Special Agent Timmons is there, but before I go after him, I want to make sure."

"Go after him?"

"That's what I've been ordered to do, you'll remember. But I've been thinking about the sensitivity of the operation."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"So what I want you to do, please…" His voice trailed off in thought, then he said, "Where is the first place the imagery will go? Langley or Fort Meade?"

"I'm surprised you don't know. It goes to Meade, then is linked to Langley."

"Okay…"

"Do you have any idea what you're asking? How difficult it will be to shift satellites? How much it will cost?"

"I didn't think it would be easy, Mr. Ambassador. And I'm sure it will be expensive. Would you rather I ask the President to authorize it?"

"What's in the back of my mind…are you interested? And can I say what I have to say without you taking offense?"

"Of course."

"If you have found Timmons and if those helicopters you're trying to send down actually get there and you can stage a successful operation, fine. But you're not sure you've found Timmons. And something-God knows, anything-can interfere with those helicopters getting down there-"

"I'd love to have them, the helicopters, of course, but I have a Plan B in case something goes wrong. And didn't you get Colonel Torine onto the Ronald Reagan to ensure that everything possible is being done, will be done, to get them to me?"

"Yes, I did. But to continue, if something goes awry, questions will be asked, especially about the satellite surveillance. People are going to know that happened."

"I have a Plan B for that, too, Mr. Ambassador."

"Do you really?"

"When you order the surveillance, I want you to have the analysts at Meade taken off all other duties until this is over. I want them told this is classified Top Secret Presidential. And I want the automatic link to Langley cut off."

"What are you going to do with the data at Meade?"

"Mrs. Forbison will be there. She will forward to me what the analysts tell her."

"Your office manager?"

"Actually, she's the deputy chief of OOA for administration," Castillo said. "And she's been cleared for the Finding."

"You're going to send her to Meade?" Montvale asked, incredulously.

"And by the time she gets there, I hope you'll have ordered that no one but she-or whichever of my men with a Finding clearance she designates-is to get any of the material generated by the surveillance."

"When is she going to Meade?"

"Just as soon as we get off the phone. Right, Agnes?"

"Yes, sir," Mrs. Forbison said.

"Good evening, Mrs. Forbison," Montvale said, icily. "I wasn't aware you were on the line."

"Standard office procedure, Mr. Ambassador," Agnes said, sweetly. "Whenever the chief is speaking with you or the President. You didn't know?"

"No, I didn't."

"Unless you've got something for me, Mr. Ambassador, that's all I have," Castillo said.

"I'll get right on this, of course," Montvale said. "And you will keep me up to speed, right, Colonel?"

"Absolutely," Castillo said. "Break it down, Lester."

"It's broken down, Lester?"

"Yes, sir."

"Get Agnes back for me, please."

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Yes, Chief?"

"Who won that one, Agnes?"

"You did. Hands down. You couldn't tell?"

"I thought I did. So why am I worried?"

"What happens now?" she asked.

"I'm going to Buenos Aires first thing in the morning. There's a lot to be done. I'm going to leave Lester's radio here, so you'll be able to send the data to the shooters here. How do I get them into the voice-recognition circuit?"

"You identify yourself-it has to be you, me, or Miller-and say, 'Adding voice-recognition personnel.' Then you have them give their names and say a few words."

"Stand by," Castillo said, and motioned for Sergeants Bustamante and Gilmore to join him.

"You heard that?" he asked, and they nodded.

"Colonel Castillo. Adding voice recognition personnel. Master Sergeant Gilmore."

He looked at Gilmore and said, "Repeat after me: 'Master Sergeant Gilmore.'"

"Master Sergeant Gilmore," Gilmore said.

Castillo nodded and went on: "'When I failed reconnoitering as a Ranger, I had to become a Green Beanie."

Gilmore automatically began, "'When I failed'…" Then he paused. "With all possible respect, Colonel, sir, screw you."

An artificial voice joined the conversation: "Sufficient data. System recognizes"-the voice now changed to Gilmore's-"Master Sergeant Gilmore."

Castillo nodded appreciatively.

"Colonel Castillo," he went on. "Adding voice-recognition personnel. Technical Sergeant Bustamante."

He looked at Bustamante, and said, "Repeat after me, 'Technical Sergeant Bustamante.'"

"Technical Sergeant Bustamante," Bustamante began, then quickly added, "Thank you, Colonel, for all those very kind things you have said about me. While I'm normally a modest-"

"Sufficient data," the artificial voice broke in. "System recognizes"-and Bustamante's voice added-"Technical Sergeant Bustamante."

"Wiseass," Castillo said.

"Okay, Agnes, they're on. The communicator will be able to help you pick what data to send down."

"I wasn't going over there by myself."

"If they say something about the radio, tell them to check with Montvale. But don't let it out of your hands. Entirely separate from this, those NSA guys would really like a look at the encryption circuits."

"I will guard it as I would my virtue."

"That's the best you can do?" Castillo said with mock shock.

There was a moment's silence, then Agnes said, with laughter in her voice, "Screw you, Charley!"

"Break it down, Lester."

"Okay," Castillo said. "In the morning, Lester, Max, and I are going to go to Buenos Aires. Lorimer and Mullroney are going to go to the embassy and nose around, half for show, half to see if they can come up with something."

Lorimer and Mullroney nodded.

Castillo went on: "Colonel Munz will do whatever he thinks makes the most sense. You two will start writing the ops order, based on what you know and what intel we get from the satellite or anybody else. Number them. Whenever one is complete, based on what you have, send it to me. To the safe house. There's a radio there, and probably some others have caught up with us by now. Between now and oh dark hundred-I want to leave as early as possible; it's a long way to Buenos Aires-Lester will check you out on the radio and procedures. Any questions?"

Heads shook.