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"Give me all the details, and slowly. I'm going to have to tell the President and Natalie."
"Natalie already knows. Ambassador Silvio just talked to her, and she said she would tell the President."
"Okay. Now you tell me what you know."
"Yes, sir. There's not much beyond what I already have told you. A truck driver found Mrs. Masterson wandering dazed on a street in the port. She had been drugged. He called the cops, the cops found Masterson's body, searched it enough to find his diplomat's carnet, and called SIDE. The colonel from SIDE, a heavy hitter, was sitting outside Masterson's house with one of Darby's guys.
"Darby's guy called Darby, Darby called the ambassador, and then called me and said he was sending a car for me. The SIDE colonel, his name is Munz, was in Darby's guy's car. When we got there, Mrs. Masterson was already in an ambulance, with an oxygen mask, and there were cops all over the place.
"Darby, the ambassador, and the embassy security guy, Lowery, and some of his guys showed up moments later. Once the ambassador had seen Mrs. Masterson, they took her to the hospital. The SIDE colonel sent two cars and eight of his men with the ambulance, and Lowery and some of our people went with them."
"How is Mrs. Masterson?"
"She's still pretty much out of it, but once they get her to the hospital-"
"What the hell is going on, Charley? Who the hell is doing this? Why?"
"Nobody has a clue, and every time I think maybe this, or maybe that, it doesn't wash."
"For example?"
"A bungled kidnapping. Why did they kill Masterson if he paid the ransom? Why didn't they kill her, too? They killed the cabdriver, maybe-probably-because he saw them. So why let her live? She certainly saw something. I just wish the President had sent somebody who knows what he's doing down here."
"He didn't. He sent you," Hall said, and then asked, "You think Masterson was trying to pay the ransom? Where would he get the money? I thought you said there had been no contact with the kidnappers?"
"Somebody contacted Masterson last night. Maybe before. Otherwise, why would he have gotten away from the agency guys-and SIDE-watching his house?"
"Okay."
"And as far as getting money to pay the ransom, all that would take is a telephone call, telling somebody- his financial guy, probably; they're old friends-to get five hundred thousand, or a million, in cash and get it down here as quickly as possible. A courier could have been on the same plane I was on, for that matter, and there's a direct American Airlines flight from Dallas. Or he could have hired a Citation or something like it. He has-had-the money, and he was desperate."
"Yeah," Hall agreed thoughtfully, and then asked, "Where are you?"
"I'm with Ambassador Silvio. In his office."
"He knows you were sent down there by the President?"
"Yes, sir."
"What's your next step? You know he's going to ask."
"I'm going to go to the hospital. Maybe, when she comes out of it…"
"How am I going to be able to get in touch with you?"
"Santini, Joel's buddy, loaned me a cellular. I don't know if you can call it, but I know I can call the States with it."
"Give me the number."
Ninety seconds later, as Castillo held it in his hand, the cellular rang.
"Castillo."
"It works, apparently," Hall said. "I'm going back to the secure line."
Two seconds later, Hall said, "I could have said this on the cellular. Keep in touch, Charley. Let me know anything you find out."
"Yes, sir."
