The Greys

By Eric Werner

Captain Thomas Krueger is a Marine commander who has just returned from fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. After he is awarded for his heroism during a violent battle where beings from another world made a surprising appearance, Krueger is reassigned by his Afghan commander to Camp Pendleton, California, to complete SEAL training and investigate recent activity by the mysterious alien presence known as the Greys.

As Krueger slowly learns of the extent and complexity of the alien presence, he is joined by Samuel Diaz, a naval physicist who helps him understand the mission of the Greys: to observe and influence civilization--sometimes with deadly consequences. Along their journey, the two men are united with a beautiful starlet and harassed by a suspicious CIA leader, all while the Greys speed up the timetable on their evolutionary experiment. As the heroes are placed in one dangerous situation after the other, their battle escalates into a last-ditch effort to save the people of Washington, D.C. before the Greys enslave them all.

In this science fiction thriller, military investigators take on a challenging assignment to expose the activities of an alien group determined to infiltrate humanity and control mankind forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Oct 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781480819351

Eric Werner

Eric Werner graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology in 1980. He served in the Marine Corps from 1984 to 1988 and is a former Corrections Officer. Eric currently lives in Danbury, Connecticut, where he enjoys studying UFO history and lore. This is his debut novel.

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Copyright © 2015 Eric Werner.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-4808-1926-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-1927-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-1935-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015945286

Archway Publishing rev. date: 10/13/2015

Contents

Prologue

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Epilogue

PROLOGUE

Captain Thomas Krueger looked over the vast expanse that is the Koh-i-Baba, the western extension of the Hindu Kush mountain range. The mountains were a current stronghold for the Taliban.

Captain Krueger, a company commander, led a reconnaissance company into the unconquered mountains of Afghanistan. Captain Krueger was attached to Force Recon, but he currently commanded an infantry company. The intelligence from naval intelligence stated that over twelve hundred Taliban troops were deploying on Foladi Peak, which is located south of Bamyan, Afghanistan.

Tom moved his company in a tight formation to patrol the densely forested peak. Battalion headquarters put air support on standby if he needed it. He called his platoon leaders in for a conference. Using a makeshift map made from the dirt and small rocks, Tom explained the tactical situation. Next, Tom took the time to explain his revised operations order.

The point squad informed Tom that a wash was one click up the access trail. He knew the Taliban would use this change in the mountain’s landscape to ambush the troops. The Taliban would almost certainly line up to ambush Tom’s men as they tried to avoid the impediment.

Tom redeployed two of his platoons to the far east of the towering mountain. Thinning his men was usually a bad idea, but Tom needed on-ground intelligence.

Tom’s men moved cautiously through the brush, fearing improvised explosive devices. He knew IEDs—would surely line the sides of this wash. The marine company carefully picked their way up the sparse vegetation. The troops movement became slowed as the mountain grew steeper.

The eastern part of Tom’s command was moving up the far side of the mountain. Tom hoped his troops would soon be deployed on higher ground, before the Taliban arrived. Tom had the rest of the recon battalion move silently up the wooded front of the mountain. His designated point squad was unexpectedly hit with machinegun fire as soon as they reached the gully.

The attacking Taliban fighters exposed their individual positions as they let loose their weapons. Tom’s snipers picked the exposed fighters one by one. The platoons deploying on the eastern slope radioed that they were in position. The men positioned there fired their heavy machine guns on their enemies main body. Tom’s strategy of using elevated troops allowed round after round of fire to hammer the Taliban’s advance. The majority of the Taliban’s main body could not ascend the mountain, so they moved laterally across the mountain.

The marines’ sniper fire rained down on them heavily, and caused the religious zealots to rush forward. Hundreds of the fighters changed direction and rushed down the slope to avoid the ambush. The fleeing terrorists were blasted with light machine-gun fire. An Apache helicopter reached the firefight and lit up the battle with its mini-guns. The ferocious fire from these modern-day Gatling guns killed dozens of the Taliban fighters.

Out of nowhere, a huge cloud drifted over the mountain. The dark clouds presence clouded everything in the battle. The American troops fire became ineffective in the haze. Gradually a shadowy form materialized from the approaching cloud’s mist. The glaring sunlight filtering through the cloud limited the exposure of the UFO. The cloudy sky revealed only part of the saucer. The visible section of the ship emerged from the clouds in a crescent form. Twelve hundred meters away from the mountain, a thousand Taliban looked up to see the six hundred–foot symbol. The mullahs in the rear decided it was a sign from the heavens and ordered their commanders to press the battle. The fighters realized that Allah was there to guide them, and they charged the Americans.

Captain Krueger’s clever deployment was becoming strung out. It was stretched into two main bodies. The frenzied freedom fighters rushed as fast as they could run to attack Tom’s men. The dug in Americans were hit with the enemies overwhelming firepower. The marines were sitting ducks in this ferocious barrage. The two infantry platoons on the eastern slope were at approximately the same elevation as the charging Taliban. Tom knew his detachment was going to be overwhelmed by the enemies superior numbers.

Tom took a squad with heavy machine guns and ran recklessly up the steep mountain trail. Rapid fire from the squads .50-caliber machine guns forced the larger Taliban force to go to the ground. Round after round was sent Tom’s way as he raced through the heavy fire. During the charge, Tom used up the remainder of his ammunition. The Taliban fighters saw this and stood up yelling Allah’s name. They began charging at Tom. Tom knew his current effort was futile, so he ordered his men back down the slope. Tom provided cover for his men by firing his nine-millimeter pistol.

An older Taliban soldier stood up and fired an old Soviet RPG. Tom dove to ground as shrapnel flew all around him. Out of ammunition, Tom pulled his KA-BAR fighting knife and prepared to fight the two zealots closest to his position. Tom stabbed the nearest fighter directly in the throat. The second fanatic was whacked with the butt of Tom’s knife. Several other Taliban climbed down the rock, that stood above Tom.

One of the fighter’s brains flew apart, while another terrorist was hit in the leg by Tom’s snipers. Three more Taliban leaped in with Tom. The attack caused Tom to be forced against the rock wall behind him. He stabbed the fighter in front of him in the chest. The next zealot rushed from behind, and Tom flung him hard onto the ground while stabbing him. A third one tried to bayonet Tom’s chest, but Tom backed away. He hurled dirt in the man’s face as the man charged forward a second time. Tom used the blinded man’s momentum to slam his head into the granite wall. The last remaining Taliban fighter backed off the rock face above.

The recon troops higher on the mountain stymied the main Taliban body’s advance with well-placed sniper rounds. Tom backed down the mountain as a hundred Taliban began descending the rock face next to him.

The helicopter squadron returned and fired their rockets into the Taliban’s main body. The enemies body parts flew everywhere.

Tom ran down the mountain in a reckless sprint. The trail lit up as rounds flashed all around him. An Apache helicopter arrived with three of its brothers, and their onboard mini-guns began taking a horrible toll on the exposed Taliban.

Tom ordered the remainder of his troops to retreat and carefully make their way back to base. There, the new commander, Major General Nathan Greene, demanded an immediate assessment of the current situation. Tom reported everything, and the general rushed a fresh battalion of infantry into the mountains. Ultimately, the military action caused one of the biggest routs the Taliban experienced in the war.

Tom eventually received a Silver Star for his heroism. General Greene rushed Tom’s medal through command and in doing so showed his troops that he was one of them. Over the next weeks in Afghanistan, Tom got to know his commanding officer real well.

Tom was surprised to find how easily the general accepted the UFO story. The general’s demeanor during Tom’s tale was one of understanding and genuine respect. Tom quickly grew to respect his new commanding officer. He asked the general’s opinion one day about SEAL team training.

The reply was blunt. An officer’s career is over, if they take that direction!!!

Two weeks after that short conversation, Tom found himself reassigned to Camp Pendleton, California.

After that, his life became really weird and very dangerous.

1

The tall, muscular man managed a full sprint as he crossed into the vast cornfield near the O’Dell farm. Too frightened to stop, he gasped for air and then forced himself to pick up the pace. The name tag on the man’s chest read Krueger. Tom, as his friends called him, went to the farm at the behest of his commanding officer, Major General Nathan Greene.

Only minutes before, he had been standing in front of a nineteenth-century barn. The huge man-made structure looked like a postcard’s depiction of a New England farm. Tom had received a promotion to major in the Marine Corps and was there to interview the owners of the farm. The family had called and explained to General Greene that they were in possession of clear photos of UFOs. The elderly people were so sincere in their story that Tom felt a pang of sympathy for them, even though it was his job to debunk them. Tom knew that these honest people were about to receive a deluge of skepticism because of their claims. After the base photographer took pictures, Tom and his two orderlies walked down the country road. Reaching their parked vehicle, the men climbed into their seats.

A bright light shot out from above and grew in intensity. Tom’s enlisted subordinates squirmed and looked to him for leadership. As this was happening, a green cone-shaped light shot down on them from above. Tom watched incredulously as the light pulled the men through the windshield. It was as if the glass were a fluid and the light a tow cable. A second green cone maneuvered to cover Tom’s hunched body and abduct him, as well.

The military vehicle was dragged by the light and hit a large rock on the side of the road. The impact sent Tom sprawling out of the driver’s-side door. Tom was now truly terrified, and he took off at a sprint down the dirt road. His dress blues were stretched tightly across his fast-moving body. A gusting wind made the taut clothes even stiffer as he ran. Tom’s hat flew off his head to reveal his thick black hair.

Tom glanced up to see his men floating upward within the green cone of light.

The impossible situation destroyed his core belief that there really wasn’t much to these UFO reports. Tom was now certain that this was the work of creatures from another world. The beautiful farm could still be seen from Tom’s position, but everything else seemed like a nightmare. The aliens he saw in Afghanistan were for real! It’s impossible! They can’t really be here! Tom cried out as he ran.

The whole sky darkened above and a mother ship broke through the clouds above the smaller UFO to reveal itself. Tom was stunned to see that the ship was at least a mile in diameter. Even though he could barely breath, he forced himself to pick up the pace. Tom winced as he understood that the two enlisted men were gone, probably forever.

Keep going! Don’t quit! Ignore the breathing. You ran cross-country in high school! You graduated SEAL team training. These thoughts and many more raced through his mind as Tom struggled to keep going. He was already running at full blast, and he prayed that he could reach the cornfield a quarter mile away before he stopped. The upcoming field was a mere half mile from the farm. Tom kept one foot in front of the other and ran with everything last bit of strength in him. Only abject fear could make a man run that hard, and he was truly terrified. The edge of the cornfield came up suddenly. Tom lunged and pierced the maturing crop. The tall stalks he ran through somehow made him feel safe.

A gnarled dead tree stood out in the distance, signifying the beginning of a vast swamp. The green light stretched to touch Tom’s pant legs, and he reacted by leaping into space—just like the way he did in high school to set the school record. His long jump back then had reached twenty three feet. Tom didn’t know far he flew this time, but he still knew that this was his best jump ever. With a crash and a roll, Tom fell more than fifteen feet into a creek bed. The damp, shallow muck soaked his entire body.

He threw up his lunch and staggered through the slimy water to keep moving. Stumbling forward like a dying man, he headed toward a dead tree at the swamp’s edge.

To Tom’s right a series of unnatural eyes stared back at him. They looked out at him with an unnatural darkness. Almost like medical students learning their trade.

Tom felt an overpowering need to look up at the tree and saw four owls sitting on a limb. Something is wrong with their eyes! Tom fearfully babbled as he collapsed into unconsciousness.

2

It was a bright, beautiful day and Major General Greene enjoyed it as he drove to Bethesda, Maryland. He came to visit his former executive officer and check on Tom’s condition. General Greene needed his senior officer, since a man like Tom was impossible to find.

Even seated, it was obvious that the six-foot-three senior officer was a powerful man. General Greene worked out regularly with weights. His taut body belied his age; Greene was in exceptional condition for a sixty seven year old man.

Major Krueger lay asleep in the psychiatric ward at the naval hospital. The phone call General Greene had received from Patty, Tom’s wife, was heartrending. She cried on the phone, saying she felt that Tom was going to remain a vegetable. Tom, one of the strongest men the general had ever met, lay curled up on a fetal position, seemingly a broken man.

Tom stopped moving and rested with his head slumped between his knees, in a catatonic state.

The general patted him on the shoulder as he addressed his former colleague. You don’t look too good, my friend!

Nathan, the moss went all the way up the tree! It prevented me from climbing. I couldn’t get up there. I have to kill the owls! They tried to get me, but I swung at them. My arms missed so many times! The voice reached an inaudible pitch as the general’s man continued to talk nonsense.

Tom, listen to me! I need you back on duty as soon as possible. Be the marine I know you are, and pull yourself together!

Yes, Tom mumbled.

Good!

Nathan, I fought them off as long as I could, but they kept multiplying. Like an endless swarm of locusts! They are going to tap the glass! Nathan, I know they going to tap the glass!

Nathan knew that Tom was referring to a speech the general had given to the director of the CIA about the aliens’ purpose on Earth. The general believed that the Greys had been there for many millennia. He also believed that they had tinkered with human DNA numerous times in human evolution. However he didn’t subscribe to the UFO buffs’ theories that the Greys controlled everything. Many of the civilian experts believed that humans had always been under the Greys’ influence. The UFO enthusiasts argued that we couldn’t have achieved anything without the Greys’ help. The general, who really was in the know, knew that they were really there only to watch what mankind did. However things indicated that the Greys were about to do something big. General Greene referred to this activity as ‘Tapping the Glass’.

They were a lot like ichthyologists, spending years watching an aquarium, fully aware that the fish weren’t going to do anything truly different … ever. The Greys observed people only to confirm what they already knew. Nevertheless, in unscheduled instances, the watchers tapped the glass and observed, even though they were absolutely sure what was going to happen.

Yes, Tom, I believe they are about to do it again, which is why I need you back on duty!

Yes, sir. I will report for duty tomorrow morning!

Take a full month! You deserve it! the general replied, believing that he wouldn’t ever see the major again.

The junior officer lay down and went to sleep quietly. In his sleep, Tom tried desperately to speak to the two enlisted men in an unknown place.

The general sat in the backseat of his limo in quiet reservation. He had been taken aback by his junior officer’s condition. It was hard to believe that the man lying in that bed was an American hero. The general purposely acquired Tom right after he completed SEAL training.

Major Krueger is a man’s man! I won’t give up on him! the general blurted out!

3

The North Korean hospital was situated against the Taebaek mountain range. The nearest mountain range to it was the Kumgangsan in Kangwon-do, North Korea. The asian mountain range ran along the east coast of the communist country.

The hospital had formerly been a Buddhist temple before the Communists took over. On the outside, the medical clinic appeared like a postcard in a gift shop. Multiple buildings were attached by carved stone stairways to blend pictorially into the nearby mountains. A flower garden in front of the clinics main office, amplified the beauty of the setting.

The temple-turned-hospital was the architectural diamond in the socialist republic’s propaganda efforts: a perfect hospital for the whole world to see. Of course, the image of tranquility was over a decade old. The new center was currently being retrofitted for genetic research. Billions of the people’s money was dumped into the top-secret research conducted there. In the square where the monks had once played and meditated, a zoo of animal species stood waiting to be used in the research.

The last patient that had been housed there was a cousin of the premier, and he had died a year earlier. Despite the severity of his illness, the man had been transferred to another hospital. The colorful setting somehow reverberated evil and the man’s death forecast a deadly future.

A welcoming committee made up of the center’s directors, and scientists waited patiently for their guests to arrive. Two of the dignitaries were Nobel laureates. On the horizon, a large plane circled, and prepared to descend on an unseen runway. The plane’s arrival made the dignitaries noticeably excited.

The drone completed its sweep near the DMZ. Then it changed its trajectory to fly directly into North Korean airspace. Anybody watching the plane knew that this was highly unusual. Politically, it was troubling, and it meant that there would be consequences for the United States and its allies.

Fifteen minutes after the drone passed, a military limousine pulled up to the welcoming committee. Unmistakably to the people in US military intelligence, the man leaving the vehicle was none other than the Chinese secretary general. The man’s gaunt figure was easily recognizable, despite his attempt to cover a balding head with his arms. Several newly appointed North Korean brass fell in behind the powerful Communist leader’s security people to somehow add to the importance of the visit. Meanwhile another drone flew toward the communists from behind the horizon. The dignitaries hurried into the secure building after seeing it.

General Greene looked over the hospital report on Major Tom Krueger’s rehabilitation with concern. Then he called Edwards Air Force Base to get data from the drones’ current mission. The top-secret quantum computer, held at the NSA, whirred into operation, and a long report assembled itself.

The general quietly read the report. Walking as he read, he underlined several parts to look up on his own. Pausing for now, the general walked across the corridor to the restricted library. This particular library was only for people with Q clearance. After a frustrating search, General Greene found what he came for. The Stanford research center reported in the April 2012 CIA report that violations of international genetic laws were continuing in North Korea.

He learned from the report that the North Koreans were experimenting with hybrids. The report went on to explain what they were working on. A chimera is a single organism composed of genetically distinct cells. Chimera’s are made from a mixture of two or more species in one body. Not all chimeras are considered to be unethical. For example, faulty human heart valves are routinely replaced with valves taken from cows and pigs. This surgery performed makes the recipient a human-animal chimera and the treatment is a widely accepted heart treatment. For many years, scientists have added human genes to bacteria and to certain farm animals.

Several odd effects can result in male and female organs and two different blood types in the same specimen. Other times, there are subtle variations in the animals form. Animal chimeras are produced by the merger of multiple fertilized eggs. In plant chimeras, however, the distinct types of tissue may originate from the same zygote. The difference is often due to mutation during ordinary cell division. Normally, chimera features are not visible on casual inspection. Sometimes it has been detected in the course of proving parentage.

Chinese scientists at the Shanghai Second Medical University in 2003 successfully fused human cells with rabbit eggs. These embryos were reportedly the first human-animal chimeras successfully created. The specimens were allowed to develop for several days in a laboratory dish. Then the scientists destroyed the embryos and harvested the stem cells. In Minnesota the previous year, researchers at the Mayo Clinic operated on pigs. The scientists created human blood that flowed through the swine’s bodies.

Chimera researchers feel that humanlike animal specimens make better research models. Ultimately the goal is to have organs produced and transplant them into human beings as needed.

But to create human-animal chimeras, like monsters in Greek mythology, raises troubling ethical questions. What subhuman combination might be produced for selfish purposes? At what point would the thing be no longer considered human? And what rights, if any, should it have?

The general made a call to the National Intelligence Agency and set up a private meeting.

4

Tom was now out of the hospital and continued his recovery at home. Patty moved from her Georgetown home with Oliver, the Kruegers’ three-year-old son, to Tom’s rehabilitation center. She decided to take care of Tom’s rehabilitation herself. Finally, nine months after the incident, Tom got back into his workout routine. His psychotic incidents and the violent nightmares were slowly becoming things in his past.

General Greene paced back and forth in his office and knocked over the leather chair next to his mahogany desk. A captain in the army’s intelligence agency came in. The general steadied himself and addressed the junior officer.

Captain Moore, what good news do you have for me?

I’m sorry, sir. I really don’t have any. Lieutenant Colonel Peters, my superior, sent your memo to every intelligence agency and, for that matter, anyone who would listen, and the reply was always the same: ‘We cannot violate North Korean national borders to learn about genetic engineering violations.’ The CIA felt that even if they are making chimeras to create super-soldiers, it will be more than a decade before the process reaches maturation.

Two weeks later, a weak but enthusiastic officer named Krueger reported for duty. The general wasted no time and let Tom enter his secure interrogation room. There, the general began to discuss his thoughts with Tom on the similarities between alien hybrids and the North Korean chimeras.

Tom, I don’t mind telling you this; I am absolutely excited to see that you are fully recovered.

Sir, what can you tell me about my men?

"The two of them reappeared over a three-day period. Their bodies were in various states of emaciation and duress. I can’t tell you more, other than the two have been quarantined by air force intelligence.

I hate to put you back to work so soon, Tom. However the North Koreans have been pursuing research into human-animal chimeras. Unfortunately I have no other way to go about achieving what I need done.

What do you need, sir?

Your friends the aliens have long since ruined countless lives with their experimentation. Abductees that we are monitoring have increasingly stated that there is going to be changes coming, in other words another tap on the glass is on its way. Something big is building. I obviously can’t interrogate the Greys, so I need to understand what they are doing. I have acquired classified intelligence that most in our community consider to be hearsay. What I have learned is that the North Koreans—with Chinese help—are making chimeras. The international community would be outraged if they knew. However, to avoid stirring the pot, the National Security Council has ordered that this issue is off limits. However I must know how far along they are in this huge and well-financed project!

Sir, if it can wait a month or maybe two weeks, I will handle the intelligence gathering—even if I have to do the reconnaissance myself.

All I believe that is necessary is that you fly into Seoul, South Korea, and meet with people I have used for intelligence for years.

Tom rested for an additional three days before flying into Incheon International Airport. Tom stepped into the first cab that arrived, and it turned out to be a lucky decision. The cab driver spoke fluent English like a lifelong American. Fifteen minutes later, the cab ride reached the outskirts of the city. Tom told the driver to drive a little longer, and then he asked the man to stop at a new destination. It was simply good spy-craft to be somewhat unpredictable. Tom also did this to get a lay of the land. The taxi drove through the slums of the city, reaching Guryon in the city’s low rent district. The driver handed Tom a brochure on the city. Tom skimmed the leaflet hoping to find Guryon’s prominent buildings. Kenji the cab driver interrupted Tom’s pondering and gave him some advice.

Guryong is a shocking contrast to life in the rest of Seoul’s Gangnam district. It is the last shanty town in the Gangnam area. The people there are fully destitute. Be very careful there. They need someone to blame, and you could be it.

The driver dropped him off in front of a brick office. The isolated building was set up for commercial activity. The structure stood out in contrast to the corrugated shacks that were used to transact business. A rusted sign on the building stated it was the —the Rio Grande—also seemed out of place. Tom ignored the sign and walked in confidently.

Three men sat at a small wooden table and ate kimchi. Tom flashed a few of the hundreds he carried with him and walked cautiously toward the table. One of the men got up and brought a chair over. A short, wiry man looked at Tom without speaking. After about thirty seconds of this odd behavior, Tom decided to break the silence.

I have brought the money, so let’s skip these stupid games and get down to business. I am here to see Ki-woong. I was also promised disks. Let me meet the woman that worked in the hospital.

The wiry man motioned toward the kitchen, and ten South Korean police charged into the room. Tom dove at the man sitting to his left. Knocking the short man to the floor. Tom then forced himself to his feet. After standing Tom punched the closest policeman. Then he swung the table like a club, to prevent the police from shooting him. The diversion allowed him to dive out the window. Several rapid shots were fired at Tom, but the bullets only grazed him. His body fell through space. The pit that he dropped into was dark and forbidding. The cavernous depths became pitch black as he dropped. Tom couldn’t ignore the foul smell overwhelming everything in the deep cave. Millions of fish lie dead in the water that he descended toward.

Smack went Tom’s body as he forced aside the decaying flesh floating on the water. Returning to the reeking surface, Tom got an idea where he landed. He looked up to see bamboo ramps that lined the sheer face of the gap. The crevice the water flowed through was a smugglers’ cave created by a massive earthquake a long time ago. Tom watched policemen climbing down the narrow bamboo ladders to arrest him.

As his focus continued to return, Tom spied a tall, dark-haired American. He was clothed in a dark pin-striped suit. The man arrogantly flung his business card and hit Tom in the face. An aggressive action like this implied that the man didn’t like him. It also meant he worked outside of regular channels. In other words, he was a spook. Tom read the card to confirm what he already knew. The business card read, Special Agent Raul Ortiz, Central Intelligence Agency.

Tom ignored Ortiz’s threat and ducked under the water and began to swim. Tom used his SEAL team training, as he easily made his way through the murky water.

5

Tom left the cavern and entered the flowing river that strayed to the right. He looked above and saw barriers preventing people from falling into the water. The side of the bank was still too high and extended twenty feet above him. Lining either side of the fenced stream were masses of onlookers. Some of the jeering onlookers found it entertaining to throw things down at him. Tom sank underwater and swam as far as he could. Two hundred yards along, he surfaced when his air gave out.

He climbed out of the water about three miles from where he fell in the foul drink. Tom found an old man sitting against a tree. Peeling a twenty out of his money pouch, Tom pointed toward the man’s clothing and waved more bills. The man nodded with his head, and a little girl scurried toward the men. The kid seemed to come from nowhere. She took the money from Tom and led him to a bathhouse. Clothes were laid outside the shower. The girl patiently waited for Tom outside the bathhouse. Clean and relaxed Tom left the showers and gave the kid another twenty. The young girl left him as quietly as she appeared.

Tom left the red-light district and walked through the streets of the city. He felt safe in the knowledge, that he no longer stuck out. Tom walked for a while and found a stand that sold maps. The map showed that the DMZ was about thirty miles from where he stood.

A tired Tom called his contact in Seoul. After arguing with the man about the CIA’s involvement, he got the man to agree to pick him up. The contact also agreed with great hesitation to put him up for the night.

Arriving at the contact’s spacious house in the suburbs, Tom entered and then thanked his hosts. After a few moments of