W. Griffin - The Hostage

"Hand your umbrella to the major, please," Castillo said. "And take a seat. I'll save what I have until everyone's on board."

It had been Major Castillo's firm intention to greet Special Agent Schneider formally.

She blew this plan out of the water by smiling at him again, then sitting down next to him, innocently resting her hand on his shoulder in the process, and saying, "Hello, Charley," so close to him that he could smell her breath.

Peppermint. They had apparently issued chewing gum to counter the pressure differential that occurs when an aircraft makes a rapid descent from cruising to approach altitude.

So the plan to greet Special Agent Schneider with "Good to see you again, Schneider," or words to that effect, was replaced with, "Jesus, I'm glad to see you."

As he also became aware of Special Agent Schneider's perfume, he became simultaneously aware that Special Agent Yung hadn't missed a thing.

It took several minutes for the umbrella shuttle to get everybody off the Gulfstream into the bus, including the crew. Special Agent Jack Britton was about the fifth man to climb onto the bus, and for a moment Castillo didn't recognize him. The last time Castillo had seen him, Britton had been wearing a somewhat straggly beard and the Philadelphia conception of Arabic robes, and his hair had been both cornrowed and embedded with beadery.

Now his hair was neatly cut. He wore a well-fitted suit. He looked, Castillo thought, like Colin Powell.

Britton's grip was firm.

"I don't know the protocol-am I supposed to call you 'sir'?-but it's good to see you."

"Charley's fine, Jack. It's good to see you, too. Ready to go to work?"

"I would like to visit a gentleman's rest facility first; the one on the airplane went on the fritz somewhere over Brazil. And if possible, I'd like to get something to eat."

"There's probably a men's room in the hangar. You want to take a chance? What's going to happen here won't take long. And then it's about ten minutes to the hotel."

Britton looked at the driving rain and said, "I think I'll wait."

While this was going on, Castillo was more than a little aware that Special Agent Schneider's upper leg was pressed against his, no doubt only because the seats in the Mercedes Traffik seemed to have been designed for midgets.

Finally, everyone was aboard.

Castillo stood up and faced the rear of the bus.

"May I have your attention, please?" he began, and when he had it, went on: "My name is Castillo. As I understand you have been informed, I have been placed in charge of the American investigation into Mr. Masterson's murder, and the abduction of Mrs. Masterson. Additionally, I have been given responsibility for the safety of the Masterson family while they are in Argentina.

"The investigation itself is being conducted by Argentine authorities, under the overall control of SIDE, and I think you all know what SIDE is."

There was a tug on his jacket, and he looked down and saw first that Agent Schneider's eyes were even deeper and more lovely than he had remembered, and also that she was shaking her head just enough to indicate she didn't know what SIDE was.

"I'll brief you and Agent Britton separately later, Agent Schneider," he said, and then went on. "It has been decided that this investigation, and any prosecution resulting from it, will be done by the Argentine authorities."

"Who the hell decided that?" Special Agent Holtzman demanded.

"I did, and Ambassador Silvio concurred," Castillo replied. "And let me bring you up to speed on what else the ambassador and I have decided. There will be no communication of any sort by any means with any federal agency in Washington or elsewhere without the prior approval of Ambassador Silvio or myself. I want that clearly understood. Are there any questions about it?"

An agent in the back said, "You mean I can't call my wife and tell her I got down here all right?"

"You can call anyone you wish, as long as there is no reference to the situation here. Clear?"

There were murmurs.

"Nothing is going to happen tonight. Special Agent Yung will take you to your hotel and get you fed, et cetera. In the morning, I will inform him, or you, Agent Holtzman, your call, where you can meet with the Argentine authorities. They have agreed to make you privy to what they have learned so far, but I want it kept in mind this is their investigation, and things will be done their way. We're here to help, that's all.

"So far as interviewing Mrs. Masterson is concerned, for a number of reasons, including that she was drugged by her abductors and is still in the hospital, unless there is some overriding reason for the FBI to question her, all interviews of her will be conducted by Special Agent Santini of the Secret Service, and Special Agent Schneider. If she is interviewed by the FBI, it will be in the presence of one of them, or of Mr. Alex Darby."

"Who's he?" Holtzman asked.

"He's the commercial attache of the embassy. He has the complete confidence of the ambassador, Mrs. Masterson, and myself."

"What the hell are we doing down here, then? If we can't even-"

"You're here, Agent Holtzman," Castillo interrupted, "for the same reason I am. The President has ordered it."

"May I ask a question, sir?" a man in an Air Force flight suit with the insignia of command pilot and the silver leaf of a lieutenant colonel asked.

I wonder how long it will be before Yung confides in the lieutenant colonel that the hotshot in charge is really a lowly Army major?

"Yes, sir, of course."

"How long are you going to need the C-37?"

"I'll be able to answer that better in the morning, Colonel. After I get my orders. That's the best I can give you right now."

"Fine. How's the security here?"

"That platoon of men in the brown uniforms-the ones with the submachine guns-will guard the Gulfstream, Colonel. They're Gendarmeria National."

"You think that's enough?"

Castillo felt the eyes of the SIDE agents on him.

"I have no problem with them at all, Colonel."

"Good enough. Thank you, sir."

"That's all I have. I'll give Agent Yung my cellular number in case anything comes up, but please don't call it unless it's really necessary. I've been up since half past six, and I want to go to bed."

"I'll bet," Special Agent Yung said softly, with a knowing smile.

You sonofabitch!

"You have that list of names for me, Agent Yung?" Castillo asked, smiling at him warmly. [THREE] The rain, if anything, was heavier, and Castillo thought that if the Gulfstream had come in ten minutes later there would have been a real problem.

Where, other than Ezeiza, was the alternate field? And how much fuel was remaining? It was a long flight nonstop from Andrews.

Sergeant Roger Markham got himself soaking wet first getting into the bus from the BMW, and then, now armed with a description of it, getting Betty and Jack's luggage from the other bus into the BMW.

Betty's umbrella was blown inside out as she ran for the BMW-Castillo wondered how she had managed to hang on to it at all-and she was soaked, too, when Castillo and Britton made their dash from the bus to the BMW. Britton got in the front seat.

I didn't elbow Jack out of the way. This time the fickle finger of fate got me the backseat next to her.

Hey, stop! An officer and a gentleman does not make passes at his subordinates.

For Christ's sake, remember that!

Major Castillo smiled at Special Agent Schneider. She appeared to be shivering.

"Cold, Schneider?" he asked.

"Freezing," she admitted. "What is it, winter down here?"

"Yes, it is. They should have told you. Here, let me give you my jacket."

The first duty of an officer is to take care of his men.

And that's what she is, one of your men. Remember that!