The Hostage Part 37

"Munz says give him thirty minutes' notice. He has people standing by."

"Will the motorcade be secure?" Amba.s.sador Silvio asked.

"Actually, sir, there will be three motorcades," Santini said, "each consisting of a Gendarmeria National lead car, followed by a Policia Federal car, followed by two armored emba.s.sy cars with blacked-out windows, followed by another Policia Federal car and an ambulance and a Gendarmeria chase car. They will go to the house in San Isidro by three different routes. The emba.s.sy cars will have security personnel in both. Mrs. Masterson will be in one of them."

"Which one?" Castillo asked.

"I'll decide that just before we leave the hospital," Santini said.

Castillo had just thought, That three-motorcade business is really clever; thank G.o.d Santini really knows how to handle things like this That three-motorcade business is really clever; thank G.o.d Santini really knows how to handle things like this, when the amba.s.sador asked, "Sound good to you, Charley?" which brought on the sobering realization, Jesus Christ, Santini may be good, but this is my responsibility. Jesus Christ, Santini may be good, but this is my responsibility.

"It sounds fine to me, sir," Castillo said.

"Well, let's go see how Mrs. Masterson feels about all this," Amba.s.sador Silvio said. "As Charley says, it's her call."

No, Castillo thought, Castillo thought, it's not. It's mine. I have both the responsibility for her safety, and the authority to say, "No way are we going to put her in the line of fire again. I don't care if the Argentines like it or not." it's not. It's mine. I have both the responsibility for her safety, and the authority to say, "No way are we going to put her in the line of fire again. I don't care if the Argentines like it or not."

The roll-down metal shutters over the windows of Elizabeth Masterson's room were closed. The fluorescent lights in the room were harsh.

She was sitting in an armchair, wearing a dressing gown. The ashtray on the small table beside her was full of b.u.t.ts. Most of them were long, as if she'd taken just a few puffs before putting them out.

"Good morning, Betsy," Amba.s.sador Silvio said, taking the dirty ashtray from the table and handing it to one of the guards at the door with the unspoken order to bring a clean one. "How are you?"

"How would you suppose I am, Mr. Amba.s.sador?" she asked, sarcastically.

"I hoped I was Juan to you, Betsy," Silvio said. "You remember Mr. Castillo from yesterday?"

"Good morning," Castillo said.

She acknowledged his presence with a slight inclination of her head and the faintest of smiles.

Yesterday she looked sick. Today she looks bitter. And more than a little wary. She obviously would prefer that I not be here. What the h.e.l.l is she hiding?

"Mrs. Masterson," Castillo said, "this is Special Agent Schneider of the Secret Service. If you have no objection, she'll be with you and the children."

"h.e.l.lo," Mrs. Masterson said, with a smile that looked genuine. She put out her hand.

"I'm very sorry about your husband, Mrs. Masterson," Special Agent Schneider said.

"Thank you. Would you be offended- What do I call you?"

"Betty would be fine, ma'am."

"Would you be offended, Betty, if I said you're not what comes to mind when you hear 'Secret Service'?"

"Not at all."

Betsy Masterson turned to Silvio.

"I heard a doctor tell a nurse-I guess they think I don't speak Spanish-something about a ceremony at the Catedral Metropolitana. What's that all about?"

"Actually, it's the reason I'm here, Betsy," Silvio replied. "What the Argentine government wants to do is to place Jack's casket in the cathedral-to have him lie in state, in other words, with an honor guard-let the public pay their respects tonight and tomorrow morning, and then, in connection with a memorial ma.s.s to be celebrated by the papal nuncio, to award Jack the Grand Cross of the Great Liberator. Either the President or the foreign minister-probably the President-will do that. It's quite an honor."

"Jack didn't like either one of them," she said, then immediately added, "I shouldn't have said that."

"You can say anything you want to say," Silvio said.

"Am I expected to partic.i.p.ate in this?"

"All you would have to do is be there, and that's entirely up to you, Betsy. Mr. Castillo and I are agreed that it's your decision. The entire diplomatic corps will be there."

"In other words, it would be what Jack would call a command performance?" she asked, but it was a statement, not a question.

"Jack had a good many friends in the diplomatic corps," Silvio said.

"When Jack thought it was in the interests of the United States, he could make the devil himself think they were close friends," she said.

"That's true," Silvio said, with a smile.

"Jack would want me to partic.i.p.ate in something like this, so okay."

"To repeat myself, Betsy, that's entirely up to you."

"Not really," she said. "My father would not understand my not partic.i.p.ating. It's always been duty first with him, too. He used to say-and I don't think he was joking-that a diplomat should be like a Jesuit priest, who gives up his personal life and comfort to serve something far more important. And we both know Jack went along with that notion. Which brings me to my family. Have they been told what's happened?"

"I spoke with Amba.s.sador Lorimer shortly after I saw you yesterday," Silvio said. "I didn't get into your abduction, just . . . what happened to Jack."

"What exactly did you tell him?"

"That Jack had been a.s.sa.s.sinated by parties unknown," Silvio said. "I'm aware of Amba.s.sador Lorimer's physical condition-"

"That was the right thing to do. Thank you."

"He wanted to telephone, but I told him-I guess this is a diplomatic obfuscation; I really believed it was in a good cause-that you had been sedated, and it probably would be best to wait until you felt yourself again, at which time you would call him."

"Again, Juan, that was the right thing to do. And thank you again. Well, I feel myself again. When do I get out of here?"

"An hour after you say the word, Mrs. Masterson," Castillo said. "It will take us about that long to arrange your transportation."

She looked at him, and not with grat.i.tude.

I don't think I've done anything to annoy her-except maybe being an intruder into the diplomatic community-so that leaves her being afraid of me.

What the h.e.l.l is that all about?

And how come her brother, the UN diplomat-Jean-Paul Lorimer-wasn't in the conversation? She didn't ask if he'd been notified, and he wasn't mentioned in that diplomatic holy orders speech she gave.

"What's the word?" she asked, almost belligerently. "I want to get out of here and be with my children."

"You just said it, Mrs. Lorimer. I'll tell Mr. Santini to get things rolling."

"Good."

"Mrs. Masterson," Castillo went on, "Colonel Torine, the pilot of the C-17-the Globemaster III that the President sent down here-is outside. I thought perhaps he could tell you about what's planned to get you and the children out of here and back to the States. And that you could tell him what you require."

She looked at him and nodded, then turned to Betty Schneider.

"Would my children be safe at the ceremony in the cathedral?"

"The head of SIDE, Mrs. Masterson-" Castillo began.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Castillo, I asked her."

"Excuse me."

Betty exchanged a glance with Charley, who nodded, and turned to Mrs. Masterson. "Mr. Santini and Mr. Castillo are better equipped to answer that, Mrs. Masterson, than I am."

"Still, I'd like to hear what you think, please."

Betty nodded, and then after a just-perceptible hesitation said, "The Secret Service is pretty good at protecting people, Mrs. Masterson, but it's not perfect. President Reagan was shot. A crazy woman shot at President Ford twice."

"Let me put it this way: If they were your children, would you take them to the cathedral?"

"Fortunately for me, I don't have to make that choice. And I certainly wouldn't presume to advise you what to do."

"Thank you. I appreciate your honesty," Mrs. Masterson said, and then looked at Castillo. "My children and I will attend the ceremony at the cathedral. I want them to have that memory, of their father being honored. And Jack-and my father-would see it as my duty."

Castillo nodded.

And again, no mention of the brother.

"Send in your colonel, please, Mr. Castillo," Mrs. Masterson said. "I'd like to be able to tell my children what's the agenda."

Castillo nodded again, and left the room.

El Coronel Alfredo Munz was standing in the corridor with Colonel Torine, Jack Britton, and Tony Santini.

"She has decided to attend the ceremony, with the children," Castillo announced. "And she wants to go home."

"Give me thirty minutes," Santini said.

"I told her an hour," Castillo said. "Which will give me a chance to take a look at her house before we send her out there."

"Everything's in place, Charley," Santini said evenly.

"I'd like a fresh look myself," Munz said. "I directed some modifications to the plan."

Well, maybe that got me off the hook with Santini, who understandably wonders who the h.e.l.l I think I am to be checking his work.

"Tony, what this probably is is me covering my a.s.s, but I want to see for myself the arrangements at the house and at the cathedral," Castillo said.

"Your call, Charley."

"And I want you to get Schneider a cell phone. I want the number of mine on an autodial b.u.t.ton on it, and I want the number of her phone on mine."

Santini reached in his pocket and came out with a cellular telephone.

"I already gave one to Jack and one to Colonel Torine," he said. "And if you'll give me yours, I'll put their numbers in it."

Castillo handed him his telephone and then looked at Britton. "I'm presuming you've met Colonel Munz."

"Yes, sir. He's offered, when you're finished with me here, to send me to his headquarters and show me the investigation so far."

Castillo turned to Munz. "Thank you, Alfredo. Will it be possible for us to get a copy of the investigation report?"

"Of course. It may take some time to get it translated."

"You give me the report, I'll translate it."

Munz nodded.

"Colonel, why don't you go in there and tell Mrs. Masterson about the travel plans?"

"When do you want to go wheels-up, Charley?"

"What I'd like to do is go directly from the cathedral to Ezeiza," Castillo said. "I haven't asked her-or the amba.s.sador-but shoot for that."

"You're not going in there with me?" Torine asked.

"I have the feeling she'd rather I just went away," Castillo said. "But yeah, just as soon as Tony gives me my cellular back, I'm going in there. I've got to get you some wheels."

[FOUR].

Dr. Jose Arribena 25 San Isidro Buenos Aires Province, Argentina 1035 24 July 2005 Major C. G. Castillo stood in the middle of the residential street in front of the Mastersons' property in the upscale San Isidro neighborhood. He pulled out his cell phone, punched an autodial b.u.t.ton, and Special Agent Schneider answered on the second ring.

"Schneider."

"h.e.l.lo, baby."

"Yes, Mr. Castillo?"

"I love you."

"So I have been led to believe."

"And vice versa?"

"That is my understanding of the situation. Where did you say you were, sir?"