W Griffin - Hunters

Pevsner met his eyes for a long moment, then said, "I didn't know what to think."

"Your apology is accepted," Castillo said.

"And Alfredo?"

"He's near here."

"I want to talk to him."

"He won't come here."

"There are some questions I have to ask him, and I want to do that face-to-face and alone."

"Well, he won't come here-he doesn't trust you, Alek-and I won't take you to where he is. The telephone won't do?"

Pevsner shook his head. "I need to look in his eyes."

Castillo didn't reply.

"He trusts you, apparently," Pevsner said.

"I think so."

"Do you trust me?"

"Let me ask that first, Alek. Do you trust me?"

"With the caveat that we have different agendas, yes, I do."

"Same answer, Alek. And now let me tell you what my agenda is: I want Howard Kennedy. Let me rephrase that. I am going to have Howard Kennedy."

"Which means what?"

"That I am going to run him down and then take him to the United States. The deal we have is still on. But it no longer includes Howard Kennedy."

"Why do you want Howard Kennedy?"

"For one thing, I want to know what his relationship with Colonel Pyotr Sunev was…is."

"I don't think Howard even knows who Sunevis."

"Kennedy knows who Sunev is," Delchamps said. "We have a very reliable source who saw him and Sunev together in Cozumel. In that hotel you own there, the Grand Cozumel Beach and Golf Resort."

Pevsner considered that carefully but didn't challenge it. Instead, he asked, "And if I don't choose to give you Howard Kennedy?"

"You don't have any choice, Alek," Castillo said. "I'm going to have him."

"Before either of us says anything more that we both might later regret, let's get back to Alfredo Munz."

"You're not proposing a swap?" Castillo asked, incredulously.

"Now you owe me an apology," Pevsner said. "On several levels. I don't barter away my friends. Both Alfredo and Howard are friends of mine."

"You're going to have to convince Munz of that; he doesn't think so."

"That's one of the reasons I have to see him."

"That brings us back to step one. I told you he's not going to come here."

"I keep a suite in the Sheraton, the one here in Pilar, right off the highway, near the Jumbo," Pevsner said. He waited until Castillo nodded, indicating he knew what he was talking about, then went on: "I use it to accommodate business associates I'd rather not have in my home."

"And will I bring Alfredo to your suite in the Sheraton? Come on, Alek! He's my friend. I'm not going to set him up to be whacked!"

"Charley, I swear before God I mean Alfredo no harm!"

"I wish I could believe you," Castillo said. "But why should I?"

"Because it's the goddamned truth, that's why!"

"What exactly do you want to ask him, looking into his eyes with that penetrating stare of yours?"

"That's really none of your business."

"It is if you want me to even ask him to put his neck in the garrote," Castillo said.

"Then we have a problem, because I won't tell you. You'll have to be satisfied that I mean Alfredo no harm."

"And I am determined that he will come to no harm," Castillo said. "He has already taken a bullet for me and one is too many. So I suppose our conversation is over. I know you're going to tell Kennedy he is no longer part of the deal. I have no problem with that. I can find him. But anything else you do to protect him from me will nullify our whole deal. You understand?"

Pevsner nodded coldly.

"I really am sorry it came to this," Pevsner said. "I think, in the long run, we will both regret it."

"I need a minute alone with you, Ace," Delchamps said, "before you kiss Aleksandr good-bye for all time. You want to take a walk for a couple of minutes, Alek, or is there someplace we can go?"

"I will leave you alone," Pevsner said. "When you have finished, I'll be right outside that door." "You really want to walk out of here, Ace?" Delchamps asked softly when the door had closed behind Pevsner.

"No. I thought he would cave and he didn't. But now I don't know what the hell to do next."

"He's one tough sonofabitch," Delchamps said. "Let me ask you this: would Munz tell you about their conversation if they had it?"

Castillo considered the question.

"You're wondering if he would tell you all about it?" Delchamps pursued.

"He'd tell me all about it," Castillo said ten seconds later.

"Well, then?" Delchamps asked.

"How do we explain our change of mind?"

"We tell him if there is to be a meeting, it has to happen right now, and the reason for that is that he wouldn't have time to set up a reception for Munz at the hotel."

"Those ex-Stasi bastards are pretty good," Castillo said.

"Thank you, sir. I will want to remember that, so I will write it down."

Castillo shrugged an apology.

"Want me to handle Pevsner?" Delchamps asked, and then, when Castillo nodded, went to the door and pulled it open. "Deal time, Alek," he said.

Pevsner came into the living room and looked between Castillo and Delchamps.

"Well?"

"Colonel Castillo will go this far," Delchamps said. "One, he will ask Colonel Munz if he is willing to meet with you. If Munz is willing, two, we will tell you where to meet us, and give you fifteen minutes to get there. Three, you will come alone, and if there is anything that even looks suspicious we'll takeoff."

"Agreed. But I would like Janos to drive me."

Delchamps considered that for ten seconds, then said, "Okay, Janos can drive."

Pevsner nodded.

"Let's go, Colonel," Delchamps said.

Pevsner followed them to the door.

As Castillo and Delchamps approached the car, Delchamps quietly but clearly said, "You get in the back with that damned dog, Ace."

"Charley!" Pevsner called from his doorway.

Castillo turned to look at him.

"Thank for the flour and tree syrup," Pevsner said and smiled.

"You're welcome," Castillo replied, then got in the backseat of the BMW.

Max licked his face. [FOUR] "You open to suggestions as to how we do this, Ace?" Delchamps asked after they had left the Buena Vista Country Club.

Castillo nodded and Delchamps offered a plan.

"Great minds," Castillo intoned solemnly when he had finished, "walk the same paths."

"You're only saying that because you had absolutely no idea how this should be handled in a professional manner," Delchamps said.

Castillo took his cellular phone from his pocket and pushed an autodial button. He put the phone to his ear and, after a moment, said, "Castillo, Alex. We're on our way back there. ETA ten minutes or less. When we get there I want that Traffik ready to move with Solez at the wheel and Munz in the back. I want Davidson and Kensington, with Car-4s and handguns-and Whizbangs, if there are any-ready to get into this Bimmer the minute we get there. Delchamps and I will transfer to the Traffik. Delchamps will need something heavier than his pistol. If there's another Uzi there, fine. Put that and some Whizbangs in the Traffik. If not, a Car-4. There may be people watching who I don't want to see any of this happening. Do what you can about that. Got all that?"

"Yeah, I think so," Darby said. "What's going on?"

"And make sure that Solez has a cellular I can call from this one."

"Both that BMW and the Traffik have radios. Did you know that?"

"No, I didn't. But I don't know how to work them and there's not time to learn."

"You don't want some company on this excursion?"

"No. The rest of you go on high alert. It's possible that this excursion is being set up as a feint to cut down the people sitting on Kocian. The priority is still to keep him alive."

Alex Darby thought over what he had just been told.

"You're not going to tell me what this is all about?"