the aircraft came to a halt. Immediately, two fuel trucks appeared ahead of them, rushing toward the airplane. They were wearing red flashing beacons on top, like an airplane. The pilots shut down the engines and refueling began. It didn't take long, but where was the extractee?
As the fuel trucks pulled away Stone heard the whine of the tail platform lowering. He got up, walked back to one side of the trailer, and looked aft. A car was racing up the highway behind them, toward the airplane. With a screech of brakes, a black Mercedes drove up the tailgate and stopped behind the trailer, and the ramp began to close. Simultaneously, the engines began to start, one by one. Stone went back to his jump seat and strapped in.
The copilot shoved the throttles forward, and the engines began to spool up for takeoff, but above the noise came a sound Stone had not expected to hear: the firing of automatic weapons.
The pilots released the brakes and the airplane surged forward, and the sound of gunfire was left behind. But out the pilots' windows Stone could see the flashing red beacons on the two fuel trucks, still ahead of them on the road, and the airplane was catching up fast.
'The trucks have to get to an exit to get off the highway,' Stone said aloud to nobody in particular.
'Pray they do,' Mike replied over the headset, 'and soon.'
The trucks were, no doubt, unaware of the airplane behind them, but then the copilot switched on the landing lights and they were illuminated. The aircraft had reached a point where Stone could read the license plates on the trucks when the pilot rotated, barely clearing the two highly flammable vehicles.
'Now all we've got to worry about is the mountains,' Todd said.
'Yeah?' Stone asked. 'Why don't we worry about what the people shooting at us might have hit?'
'Okay, that, too,' Todd said.
The airplane rose rapidly, and Stone could see the shadowy mountaintops being left behind. He began to breathe again.
The copilot unbuckled and began to walk aft in the airplane. 'Come on,' he said, 'let's look for damage.'
Stone unbuckled and followed Todd and Mike aft. Holly was right behind.
'It's hard to see bullet holes with no sun outside,' Mike said.
'Maybe,' Stone replied, pointing, 'but you can see them in the Mercedes.' There were two holes in the left front fender.
Todd jerked open the rear door of the car. 'Everybody okay in there?' He apparently heard what he wanted to hear. The driver got out of the car, and Todd helped a man out of the rear seat.
He was a little over six feet tall, about 180, Stone reckoned, with thick, longish salt-and-pepper hair, a straight nose, and a firm jaw-line. He looked very fit, but he was moving in a shuffle, since his hands and feet were shackled to a thick leather belt around his waist.
Todd led him to the trailer, and Stone followed, curious about the man. He was allowed to use the toilet, then he came out and shuffled toward one of the big reclining chairs.
'Okay,' the man said, stopping, 'I'm aboard. Can we shed all this hardware now?'
Todd shrugged, came over and removed the shackles.
'Good evening, Mr. Gelbhardt,' Stone said.
The man looked at him with a small smile. 'Call me Pablo,' he said. 'It has been a long time since anyone called me anything else.'
'Have you had a pleasant journey?' Mike asked.
'There are no involuntary pleasant journeys,' Estancia replied. 'I thought my bladder would burst.' He took a seat.
'Tell me, Pablo,' Stone said, 'was the shooting directed at us or at you?'
Estancia smiled broadly, revealing excellent dental work. 'A good question,' he replied.
TWENTY-FIVE
Pablo Estancia was dressed in tan slacks, a yellow silk shirt, and a nicely tailored dark blue blazer with brass buttons. He seemed perfectly at ease as he surveyed his new companions.
'Now, let's see,' he said. 'The young gentleman is so CIA that he might as well have the letters tattooed on his forehead.'
Todd seemed to blush.
'You, sir,' he said to Mike Freeman, 'are too old to be CIA and on this particular mission. I think you are a retired intelligence officer, but considering your accent, not from the United States.' He turned to Holly. 'This very attractive woman is mature, yet still involved in Agency activities, probably in a supervisory position.'
They all laughed, then Estancia turned toward Stone and appraised him carefully. 'You, sir, are a little too polished-looking, even in those clothes, to be CIA, or even FBI.'
Stone laughed. 'So who am I?'
'You are a lawyer,' Estancia said, 'but an unconventional one.'
'Not a bad guess for a cold reading,' Stone said.
Estancia chuckled. 'This airplane is not military, but CIA,' he said. 'No one aboard is in uniform. Where, may I ask, are we heading?'
'To the United States,' Holly replied.
'And where will we land?'
'Not too far from the coast.'
'And then I will be transported to a safe house for interrogation?'
Holly shrugged. 'Perhaps.'
'Well,' Estancia said, 'allow me to make you a promise: I will answer your questions truthfully, in return for immunity from prosecution for myself and my household.'
'Your household?' Todd asked.
'My wife, children, their children, my mistress, and my domestic staff, numbering twelve.'
'We can talk about that,' Holly replied, 'once we are settled at our eventual destination.'
'This is a very impressive airplane,' Estancia said. 'May I look around?'
Todd looked at Holly. 'Why not?'
Mike led Estancia out of the trailer and into the cargo bay.
'Astonishing!' Estancia enthused. 'I could ship anything in this aircraft, and as much of it as anyone could buy!' He looked into the cockpit. 'Amazing avionics,' he said. 'Complete situational awareness at all times. Tell me, did you pick me up at an airport, or on a road?'
'On a road,' Todd replied.
'I thought so.' Estancia stepped forward and peered at the very large multifunctional display in the center of the instrument panel, and at the moving map displayed there. 'And I see we are headed for-what is the name of that airport? It used to be an air force base.'
'Stewart International,' Todd said.
'Ah, yes, at Newburgh, north of New York City.'
'Correct,' Todd replied.
'Well, thank you so much for the tour,' Estancia said. 'May I return to that very comfortable chair in the caravan?'
'Sure,' Todd replied.
They all trooped back into the trailer. 'A nice television,' Estancia said. 'Do you have movies? I love movies.'
'Yes,' Mike replied. 'What would you like to see?'
'Do you have Singin' in the Rain?' he asked. 'That is my favorite movie. I love Gene Kelly, and Debbie Reynolds is very cute.'
'I think we can manage that,' Mike said. He found the DVD and inserted it into the machine. He also turned on the smaller screen to show the moving map.
'Very nice,' Estancia said. 'I enjoy watching our progress. I am very impressed with all the trouble you have
