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"That just may be an indication that I act impulsively," Castillo said.
"No, Mr. Castillo. What it is is that you're what Alex Darby told me you are."
He looked at her quizzically again.
She explained: "One really tough sonofabitch, and just the guy you need in your corner when you're really in trouble."
"Well, if you believe that, ma'am, please believe I'm in your corner."
"Mr. Castillo, for God's sake, the President is waiting!" Special Agent Willkie called.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Castillo said.
She reached up and kissed his cheek, said, "Thank you," and went back to her seat.
Castillo looked at Colonel Torine.
"You heard all that, right?"
Torine, his face stern, nodded.
"Would you come with me, please? I may need a witness."
"Sure," Torine said, turned his head and raised his voice. "Bill, I'm leaving the aircraft. It's now yours."
"Yes, sir."
When Special Agent Willkie saw Colonel Torine follow Castillo down the stairs, he looked at him in surprise, and then announced, "The President said nothing about wanting to see anyone but you, Mr. Castillo."
"Well, then I guess he'll be surprised when he sees Colonel Torine, won't he?" As soon as they were standing on the runway beside the Globemaster, Special Agent Willkie spoke to his lapel microphone.
"Mr. Castillo insists on bringing the pilot with him."
"Not 'the pilot,' my friend," Torine said, not very pleasantly. "Colonel Jake Torine, U.S. Air Force."
"He says his name is Torine," Special Agent Willkie said to his lapel microphone.
Thirty seconds later, Special Agent Willkie said, "If you'll get in the Yukon, please, gentlemen, I will escort you to the President."
They had been in the backseat of the Yukon about thirty seconds when Torine touched Castillo's shoulder and pointed out the window.
Castillo looked and saw soldiers armed with Car 16 rifles forming a perimeter guard around the Globemaster.
"I didn't know they trusted Air Force guys with loaded guns," Castillo said.
Torine smirked. "Those aren't Air Force guys, wiseass. They're soldiers, almost certainly Special Forces and probably Delta Force. And at least one of them is Gray Fox. That is Sergeant Orson, isn't it?"
Castillo looked. One of the soldiers was a tall, blond sergeant first class named Orson. The last time Castillo had seen the Gray Fox communicator/sniper was in Costa Rica, where Orson had very professionally taken out two of the terrorists who had stolen the 727.
"I'll be damned, that's Orson all right."
What the hell is going on? The Yukon stopped in front of the wide flight of stairs that had been rolled up to the huge Boeing, and Castillo and Torine got out. There was a knot of people guarding access to the stairs, including two females who were obviously Secret Service agents.
One of them spoke to her lapel microphone, and then turned to Castillo and Torine.
"You may board, gentlemen," she said. "The President is expecting you."
XII
