Page 41 of Freedom Fighters
Olivia found her tongue. “It’s good to meet you. I wasn’t awareof the family connection until Nick phoned you.”
Adán smiled. It was the same sexy smile that graced magazine covers and billboards. He winked. “Nicky likes to use me as a trump card. It’s good to know the fame is useful for something.” He glanced at Nick. “You will have seven minutes with Richard. That’s how long it takes to the get to the cathedral.”
“It’s seven minutes more than I could havearranged for myself. I’m grateful, Adán.”
“How is it going?” Adán said. “There not much on the news and that’s filtered anyway. How is itreallygoing?”
“We have a tiny toe-hold,” Nick said. “The next week will decide things. One way or another.”
Adán sobered. “What can I do?”
“Keep talking about what is happening on Vistaria. Draw attention to us.”
“I mean, what can I do toreallyhelp?”
“That is helping.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do know. Your face is too well known, Adán. You step foot on Vistaria and Serrano will have you in irons and will parade you around like a prize chicken. He knows your family connections, too.”
The agents shifted and drew closer to them, hemming them in.
Adán sighed. “I don’t like sitting in Hollywood and play-acting while this is going on.”
“Everythingyou do and everything you’ve done is far more effective than anything we can do in Acapulco. You’re helping, Adán.” Nick grinned. “Besides, movie goers the world over would shoot me if anything happened to you.”
Adán gave Nick a sour smile as the Presidential motorcade pulled up beside them. An agent opened the door and stepped back.
Adán climbed in first, then Nick waved Olivia into the carand stepped in himself. Richard Collins the Third sat in the far back corner and was shaking Adán’s hand as Olivia settled on the seat opposite them.
Once Nick was sitting and the car was rolling once more, Adán spoke, using English. “Mr. President, may I present Nicolás Escobedo, PresidentPro temof Vistaria.”
Collins turned his attention upon Nick. “Nicolás Escobedo. Your people did well,at the White Sands. I’m sorry I can’t acknowledge you officially.” His bushy eyebrows came together in a frown. There was more gray in them than the television showed. The hazel eyes beneath them were alert and gleaming with intelligence.
“This is Olivia Davenport de Castellano,” Adán added. “Señora Davenport is Vistaria’s Ambassador to the United States.”
Collins’ eyes twinkled. “It is goodto meet you at last, Olivia. You have your father’s eyes and, I’m told, his stubbornness.”
“I prefer to think of it as knowing my own mind, Mr. President.” She leaned forward. “Is there any way to break this deadlock between you and Mexico? You’re both waiting for the other to acknowledge us.”
“I think it’s far too early to start talking about diplomatic treaties,” Collins said. “You’ve yetto win your country back.”
“I agree completely,” Nick said. “Although, allies don’t need diplomatic treaties to work together.”
Collins looked at him. “You want our military aid.” He said it as if it was a fact.
Nick shook his head. “We can win this war without the United States. You, however, might want to provide aid and troops just to ensure the outcome.”
Collins smiled. “Out of the goodnessof our hearts?”
Olivia recognized that the President was asking indirectly what was in it for the United States. It was a fair question.
“You saw what Serrano did at the White Sands,” Nick replied smoothly. “You can infer from there what sort of man Serrano is. Do you want a man like him leading a nation lying so close to your own borders?” Which told her he had understood the President’s irony,too. Then Nick added the kicker. “Vistaria is eighty miles from the coast of California, Mr. President. That’s closer than Cuba.”
The President made a harrumphing sound in his throat and Olivia hid her smile. No President liked to be reminded of the Cuban Missile Crisis, but in this case, it was an apt analogy. If Serrano gained control of Vistaria, who would he turn to for allies and friends?He had ruined any chance of winning America’s approval.
She looked through the tinted window as the car turned. They were pulling up in front of the cathedral.
