W Griffin - Hunters

"Yes, sir. I thought of that. And I don't want him. I want to get rid of him now before he chains himself to my desk."

"I don't think I have to tell you that Montvale is a powerful man. And a dangerous one."

"I've already figured that out," Castillo said.

"In North Africa," Naylor said, almost to himself, "when Eisenhower sent Omar Bradley to Patton as his liaison officer-read spy-Patton outwitted Eisenhower by asking that Bradley be assigned as his chief of staff. That put Bradley under Patton's orders. That kept him from communicating anything to Eisenhower without Patton knowing about it and not communicating anything Patton didn't want communicated."

"I've heard that story," Charley said.

"I don't think you want this fellow Ellsworth as your chief of staff," Naylor said. "Ellsworth is not Bradley; he works for Montvale and that's not going to change. And you're not Patton, who had as many stars as Bradley. You're a lowly lieutenant colonel and Ellsworth is…a former under secretary of state."

"That's what worries me," Castillo said.

"The difference here is that Patton worked for Eisenhower. You don't work for Montvale. But that's what he's after. If he can't get that right now, he'll use Ellsworth as your puppet master."

"That's what it looks like to me, sir," Charley agreed.

"Goddamn it, I hate Washington," Naylor said.

V

[ONE] The Daiquiri Lounge The Army and Navy Club 901 Seventeenth Street NW Washington, D.C. 2105 4 August 2005 Ambassador Montvale was waiting for them in the lobby. They all walked up the stairs to the second floor, then into the Daiquiri Lounge, taking a table in the bar where Castillo knew he and General Naylor could smoke cigars.

It immediately became apparent that before their conversation could begin, they were going to have to deal with other guests in the lounge.

The commander in chief of Central Command was not only known to-that is to say, a friend of-half a dozen officers and their wives having after-dinner drinks there but, as one of the most powerful officers in the Army, was someone to whom it was necessary to "make manners."

Once the first old friend walked over to shake General Naylor's hand, everyone else decided that it was not only all right for them to do so but expected of them.

Each visit-however brief-required that both Ambassador Montvale and Lieutenant Colonel Castillo be introduced. And Lieutenant Colonel Castillo was not used to-and thus made a little uncomfortable by-being addressed by his new title.

Finally, it was over, and the waiter, who had hovered in the background awaiting its end, came to the table.

"Gentlemen, what can I get for you?"

"I'm a scotch drinker," Montvale answered, looking at Naylor. "Nothing fancy, no single malt. Something like Chivas Regal. That okay with you?"

"Fine," Naylor said.

What is he trying to do, establish the pecking order by telling Naylor what to drink?

And why did Naylor go along?

Castillo looked at the waiter. "Yes, please," he said.

When the waiter had left, Montvale asked, "What are you going to do in Paris?"

"Sir, I'm still looking for the people who murdered Mr. Masterson," Castillo said.

"That's what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No, sir."

"Maybe you should. Maybe there's something I could do to help."

Castillo didn't reply.

"Well," Montvale continued, "if you didn't want my help, then what is it that you wish to talk about?"

"Mr. Ellsworth, sir."

"Truman Ellsworth. A good man. What about him?"

"I'm sure he is, but I don't want a liaison officer."

"Oh! Right to the bottom line!"

"Yes, sir."

"I could offer any number of reasons why a liaison officer who enjoys my trust could be very useful to you."

"I'm sure you could. But, thank you very much just the same, I don't want Mr. Ellsworth."

"Because you think he would be spying on you for me?"

Castillo didn't reply. But he thought of something that might provide an excuse for him not to do so immediately.

Maybe I'll think of something.

"Sir, excuse me. I have to make a call."

Montvale looked at him impatiently. Naylor looked at him curiously.

Castillo punched an autodial number on his cellular telephone.

"Dick," he said a moment later, "I think I can make the 2330 Air France flight to Paris. Can you send my luggage-and the suit and shirt and tie I left on the bed, and my laptop case-to the Army-Navy Club? Just tell the driver to wait outside."

Castillo listened for a moment, then said, "Actually, I'm having a drink with General Naylor and Ambassador Montvale." He paused. "Yes, I will. Thanks, Dick. I'll check in from Paris."

He pushed the CALL END button and turned to General Naylor.

"Major Miller's compliments, sir," he said.

Naylor nodded.

"What's your objection to having Mr. Ellsworth work with you?" Montvale asked, resuming the conversation as if there had been no interruption.

Castillo met his eyes for a moment.

I might as well go down fighting.

"I've been thinking about that, sir," Castillo said. "I certainly can't order you to do anything. But if you elect to keep sending Mr. Ellsworth to the Nebraska Complex, I'm afraid what he's going to be doing is sitting in an office all day without very much to do at all."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Unless Mr. Ellsworth has access to the Presidential Finding establishing the Office of Organizational Analysis, there's nothing I can tell him about what we're really doing."

"That's ridiculous and you know it," Montvale snapped. "Ellsworth has had the highest-level security clearances for years."

Again Castillo didn't reply and again Montvale took his meaning.

"You're not actually suggesting, Castillo, that you're not going to give Truman Ellsworth the necessary security clearance, are you?"

"Sir, I don't see where Mr. Ellsworth has the Need to Know about the Presidential Finding and my mission."

"I'll clear him for the Finding!"

"Sir, I don't believe you have that authority," Castillo said. "As I understand it, only the President and I do."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! Just who the hell do you think you are? I'm the director of National Intelligence. I decide who is cleared for what."

"Ambassador, you don't have the authority to clear anyone for that Presidential Finding," Castillo said.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to see what the President has to say about that," Montvale said, "and about your attitude."

"Yes, sir. I guess we will," Castillo said.

"Before this gets out of hand, gentlemen," General Naylor said, "I'm going to say that neither one of you wants this disagreement to go any further."

"Nothing is going to get out of hand, thank you very much, General," Montvale said.

"Good," Naylor said, "because it would not be in the best interests of the country-or either of you-if it did."

Montvale looked icily at him.

"Frankly, General, I was hoping that you would help me reason with Major Castillo, help him to understand where he fits into the system."

"It's now Colonel Castillo, Mr. Ambassador," Naylor said.

"Lieutenant colonel, I believe," Montvale said. "Like Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, who was also a junior officer given more authority than he was equipped to handle. You remember Lieutenant Colonel North, don't you, General?"

"I don't have the feeling, Mr. Ambassador," Naylor said, "that the President thinks he has given Colonel Castillo more authority than he can handle. Do you?"

Montvale didn't respond.

"Let me suggest a scenario, Mr. Ambassador," Naylor said, glancing around the lounge, then, satisfied no one was trying to follow their conversation, continued in a lower voice: "This dispute comes before the President. That would force him to choose between you two. From what I have seen of the President, he doesn't like to be forced to do anything."