111 comments/ 165000 views/ 294 favorites I Won't Hurry You By: I Won't Hurry You "The three western powers quickly became one bloc against the Russian sector. It became the West versus the East. Under our guidance the western sectors became known as the Federal Republic of Germany. The Russians immediately created a twin political organization called the German Democratic Republic. Both the Federal Republic and the GDR claim they want to unite all Germany, but each wants to be the controlling influence. "Until now, it has been a political battle, but the Berlin Airlift shifted it a little into a military confrontation. Our battalion specializes in analyzing Russian military capability. The other battalion is more into the political aspects of the situation; in addition they analyze the military potential of the eastern countries bordering Germany. "I'm going to give you the basic manuals of how an armored division is organized, and in particular, how our division is organized. Later I'll give you the equivalent manuals of a typical Russian armored division. Eventually, you'll be one of many here who studies how the specific Russian divisions in the Soviet sector are organized. However, first you have to learn about our own units. "Once you get the feel of the job, I will give you specific assignments based upon signal intelligence that we intercept along with information that is received in other ways. "For now, get comfortable with the job, meet your fellow officers and enlisted men, and stay out of trouble." "Yes, Sir." He pointed out my desk that was covered with thick manuals and walked away. It appeared I had some reading to do. ------ That night I met Elke at our agreed upon meeting place. We walked for an hour speaking nothing but German and then stopped at a small restaurant and we ate a sandwich. After dinner she started to teach me how to speak Russian. Two hours later I walked her back to her apartment and watched her as she walked up the steps. For the next three weeks we did the same thing. Finally Elke said, "It's not practical that you buy me dinner every night and we walk the streets. You must come to my apartment—I'm going to be embarrassed because the room is so poor—but I'll cook our meal and we can spend more time practicing Russian." The next day we met at our spot and walked to her apartment. When she opened the door I had to force myself not to wince. The main room had an old couch, a small table with two cheap chairs, and against the wall, a two-burner cook top and small oven. The only window in the room looked at the wall of the next building. She showed me the second room—a painfully small room almost completely taken up with her bed, an inexpensive wardrobe cabinet, and a cheap end table holding a tiny lamp. A curtain separated the bedroom from a tiny bathroom with a shower, basin and toilet. What I did see was that everything was very clean. We walked back into the main room and I noticed an old phone on a small table by the door. She saw my look and explained, "The telephone comes with the apartment, but I never use it since it costs so much money to make calls." "Write down the number for me, Elke, so I can call you if plans that we make are disrupted because of my job." "Yes, Dave." Once I got over the initial impression of her tiny apartment, I realized that the aroma of something very good permeated the rooms. She had cooked dinner for us—sauerbraten, potatoes, and cabbage. She had prepared a typical German dinner. The meal was excellent and Elke beamed when I complimented her. German was coming back easily to me, and Elke and I spoke only German unless it was our Russian time. After dinner we spent the next three hours on my Russian. We quickly decided it would be easier if I just came to her apartment after work instead of forcing her to meet me on the street. I increased the money I gave Elke so she could buy food for our dinners. It actually was better for me; the restaurants were costing me most of my monthly pay. Another three weeks went by. We went to inexpensive restaurants two nights a week, but the rest of the time Elke made dinner for us and we ate at her apartment. She was an excellent cook. She also was starting to relax with me. The first time she giggled and then laughed I was shocked—she was so beautiful when she laughed I couldn't believe it was the same desperate woman I had met on the street. One night we had finished dinner and she was washing the dishes. I brought over a dish just as she turned and our bodies met. I could feel her breasts and she knew it. She blushed. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Elke, it was my fault...and I enjoyed our encounter," I teased. She blushed again and nothing more was said. The next night we had another great dinner and then spent three hours in an intense Russian lesson. Their language is very difficult to speak, read, or write. Elke wanted me to be perfect in all three! At the end of the lesson I said, "I have to go." She walked me to the apartment door and looked at me. It wasn't her normal look—it was a look of expectation. And then I realized that every night I went home and dreamed about how beautiful she was. I had never tried to make a move on her since I didn't want to take a chance that it would spoil our relationship. Her look said I was wrong to be so careful. I put my arms around her waist waiting for any resistance. There was none. I pulled her to me, and she quickly came into my arms. She looked up at me and I kissed her. Her lips were soft and moist and my erection was immediate. I knew she felt me. We broke our kiss and she leaned her head against my chest. I could feel her soft hair and smell her fragrance. My hands moved from her waist to her back; I could feel the straps of her bra as I lightly caressed her. We stood that way for several minutes. Finally I backed away and said, "Thank you, Elke, for a wonderful night." She smiled shyly at me, as if she were embarrassed by her emotion. I walked back to the base that night in confusion. I thought, "In college I met girls, bought them three beers and fucked them. If I knew a girl had broken up with her boyfriend, I was there for the rebound, which usually meant sex. "Yet here I have a woman absolutely defenseless—at my complete mercy—and I do nothing for weeks and then hesitate to even kiss her. What is causing me to act like this? "Love," I answered myself. During the next month I saw Elke at least five times a week. I always spent the weekend days with her so that we could spend more time on my language training and, I have to admit, because I was becoming more and more attracted to her. I was lucky to have met Elke for another reason. The military had a huge reduction immediately after the war and terminated over eighty percent of its officer base. The lifers clung to their jobs if they could, but most of the younger officers were released—both voluntarily and involuntary. Consequently, the other officers who had made the cut were much older than me. The program that paid my way through college was now suspended and my class was the last one that had to perform their military obligation. Others were not permitted to enter active duty, but rather were ordered to serve in the reserves. The end result was that I was the youngest officer in the company, and had few friends. My job was better than boring, but not something that made one meet each new day, anxious to get back to work. My section's job was to profile the typical Russian armored division, including number of men, types of fighting equipment and weapons used, and the tactics and strategy when engaged in battle. Each scrap of information came to the section. It might be from a newspaper article, intercepted signal communications, defectors who had served in their military, and in some cases, spies who worked for us. Each piece of the puzzle was added to prepare a picture of what was assumed to be our next enemy. However, I was under no delusion that my unit was anything but a very tiny cog in the military intelligence community. The German military in the Russian sector, which was sometimes described as an independent force, mimicked the Russians; so to know one was to know the other. Captain Myer had learned about my Russian lessons. One day he stopped by my desk and gave me three books written in Russian. One was written just after World War I and the other two more recently. All three of them focused on the role of Russian armor in the military. "Dave, take a swing at these books and see if there is any useful tactical information." "Yes, Sir. Can you tell me if these books are classified? Can my teacher help me if I run into translation problems?" Myer answered, "They are public documents, so there is no military classification to them." Elke and I spent many nights together as I struggled with her help to translate those books. It was tough, but Elke pushed me. I would whine, "Elke, we need to take a break. Let's go for a walk or something?" She would look at me with that stubborn German look and reply, "Dave, it's good for your career; you must work harder." A month later I wrote a fairly lengthy report on the philosophy and psychology of the Russian armored division for the period between the two great wars. One point I emphasized was the apparent lack of creative decision-making just prior to and during battle—the Russians had a battle plan and gave it to the armor. Armor was expected to execute the plan without deviation, even if the battlefield situation they expected to find had significantly changed. Captain Myer came up to me a couple weeks later. He grinned, "You did a good job with the report. I liked it, but better for you, Colonel Weldon liked it too. He told me to tell you, 'Well done.' " Elke beamed with pleasure and hugged me when I repeated Myer's words to her. Our relationship was slowly changing. The good night kiss at the door had become more intense, and then there was more than one kiss. Lately we had kissed passionately and pressed our bodies against each other—her breasts pushed into my chest and my hard cock pushed into her pelvis as we continued those good night hugs. I looked forward to the weekends. I would come to her apartment early and she prepared breakfast for us. Then we would start out on our weekend plan. Sometimes it would be a day at the park where Elke and I would spread a blanket and enjoy the lunch that she had prepared. Other weekends we would take a commuter train to nearby cities and explore them. One Saturday in the late afternoon Elke took me to a beer garden on the other side of the city. The music was happy and lively, and the teenage kids danced and raced through the tables as they played their games. After a few beers Elke giggled, "Dave, you must dance to the happy music." "But Elke, I'm not a good dancer and I've never seen this type of dance before." She reached out her hand, "I will show you." The band was on break so I took the opportunity to buy another pitcher of beer for Elke and me. Just as I arrived at our table I heard a familiar voice say, "Good evening, Lieutenant." I turned and answered, "Good evening to you too, Top." He said, "My friends and I are at a nearby table and I spotted you. I don't want to interrupt anything, but decided to say hello." "You're not interrupting anything; I would like to introduce you to my Russian teacher." I held out my hand for Elke to stand and said, "Elke, this is First Sergeant Franklin; Top, this is my teacher, Elke." Franklin grinned and said, "Good evening, Elke." Elke held out her hand and said, "Dave speaks of you often. I am honored to meet you." Franklin was taken aback and tried to make a joke, "Does he say anything good about me?" "It is all good, First Sergeant. He says you are a soldier's soldier." Elke immediately saw we were both embarrassed by her statement. Elke blushed, "I apologize First Sergeant Franklin; I meant no embarrassment." Franklin grinned at her to ease her discomfort and answered, "How can I be upset when I receive such a compliment? Obviously, the Lieutenant is getting smarter the longer you teach him." We spoke a few minutes longer and he returned to his table. An hour later we left the beer garden and took a bus back to Elke's apartment. We stood at the bottom of the stairs. Elke said, "Please come up for a few minutes. It's early and we can talk." I sat in the couch while Elke opened a bottle of inexpensive German wine. She sat next to me as we sipped the wine. "Dave, I like the First Sergeant. I'm sorry if I spoke incorrectly." "You were fine Elke. He likes you—even though you caught him by surprise with your praise, he clearly appreciated what you said. I could see him looking at you when we danced." We sat there quietly and each of us had a second glass of wine. It was starting to get late, so I stood and held her hand as we walked to the door. The kiss that night was different. It started slowly and then grew in passion. For the first time our tongues met—I could taste the wine on her tongue. The kiss finally ended and she put her head on my chest. I could feel her soft hair and smell her fragrance. "Elke," I whispered, "I don't want to leave." She pulled away from me and our eyes met. Seconds passed; finally she said, "Then stay." I took her hand and we walked into her bedroom. The single light in the room cast a soft glow as she stood in front of me, waiting to see what I would do. My hand lightly caressed her cheek. As soon as she felt my touch, she closed her eyes. My hands held her face as I leaned over, and we kissed again. Her mouth opened and once again our tongues touched and teased each other. The feel of her soft hair and her fragrance overwhelmed my senses as we kissed. My mouth continued to kiss her face and then her neck and earlobes. My tongue flicked into her ear and she flinched and then groaned with excitement. As I kissed her, my hands roamed over her back and then sank lower as I cupped her ass and pulled her into me. She gasped, but there was no resistance. We pulled apart for a moment and she looked at me. "You are beautiful, Elke—the most beautiful woman I have ever touched." Her answer was another passionate kiss. My hands went to her waist and then slipped under her sweater so that I could feel her skin. I moved my hands up the sides of her stomach until they touched the strap of her bra. I continued up so that my hands were under her arms and embraced her bare shoulders. The feel of her skin was extraordinary; I could not believe how much my body wanted this woman. After five minutes of hugging her and feeling her bare back and shoulders, I brought my hands down to the bottom of her sweater and gently pulled it up over her head. I looked for resistance or fear, but there was none. She stood upright before me with only a bra covering the upper part of her body. She didn't wait for me as she put her hands behind her back and reached for the clasp. Moments later her bra fell to the floor; she stood proudly before me. Her skin was flawless. I saw her perfectly formed breasts for the first time. Her areolae were small; they highlighted nipples that were hard and pointy. I could see the tiny bumps on her areolae and my tongue teased each one. She groaned and encouraged my teasing. I finally led her to the bed. I found the buttons on her skirt and released it. The skirt fell to the floor and she lay down on the center of the bed. My hands went to her panties, and she lifted so that I could slide them down her legs and drop them to the floor. I lay next to her and my fingers went to her slit; it was wet with her moisture. Her pubic hair was wild and untrimmed, but the thin, white strands of hair did little to conceal the soft curve of her mound. Her musky smell was an aphrodisiac to my body. I touched her inside thighs and she spread her legs wide, permitting me access to her most sensitive area. I played and teased her for ten minutes or so when she whimpered, "Take off your clothes and make love to me." Minutes later my cock pushed into her. The smooth, wet walls of her vagina captured my cock and I could feel her muscles squeezing it—the feel of those muscles clutching me was extraordinarily erotic. Quickly we started the rhythm of love and it escalated faster and faster until just before I emptied myself, she suddenly arched her pelvis into me and her violent spasms started. It was a perfect first time. When we were done, I pulled her to me. Her fragrance blended with the tinge of sweat that our lovemaking had started. As I caressed her back, I felt her tongue lightly lick my nipples. We fell asleep clutching each other. I woke up that morning with her face on my chest and my knee lightly touching her pubic hairs. When she was sleeping, her face was one of beauty, and I didn't move since I didn't want to wake her and ruin this picture. Finally she woke and looked at me. "I hope my Lieutenant was not disappointed?" Moments later I was bringing her to another orgasm as my cock aggressively penetrated her. I could feel her vaginal walls squeezing me and again we climaxed at the same time. She put her head on my chest as we recovered from our sexual joust. I stroked her back and felt the thin sheen of perspiration created by our physical activity. My face rested on her hair and we enjoyed the glow that comes when everything happens just right. After a while it was time to get up. With some care, we washed each other in the tiny shower. Afterward, I dried her and touched every part of her body that I now knew was the best thing that ever happened to me. We spent the rest of Sunday walking in the city. It was a Russian day, which meant the entire day we talked to each other in Russian. Each time I tried to switch to German, Elke got upset. "You have to learn Russian for your career, Dave. Don't cheat and speak German." "But I can't tell you how much the weekend has meant to me speaking in Russian." "Try, my Lieutenant." Chapter 3 The weekend that we first made love was perfect—it was as good as any dream I ever had about Elke and me. The following Monday I couldn't wait for work to be over so that I could rush to Elke's apartment. I walked into the room and Elke was putting our dinner into the oven. She had heard me open the door and turned to me as I hurried over to her. I put my arms around her and kissed her. She returned my kiss, but there was a hesitation—a lack of passion. "What's wrong?" "Nothing, Dave." "Elke, something's wrong. What is it?" She looked at me shyly, "I enjoyed our weekend, but maybe our situation is going too fast. You're not always going to be posted here and..." "But Elke, I love you." She smiled sadly at me and then touched my face as she stood on her toes to kiss me—this time with a little more enthusiasm. After the kiss she whispered in my ear, "When there is no good ending in sight, why rush?" So much to my dismay, our relationship went forward in slow motion. I wanted to move into her apartment; she said it was too soon. I wanted to make passionate love with her nightly; she resisted in her quiet way. "You must learn Russian, Dave. We will maybe have fun in bed next weekend." I was frustrated. The next weekend I spent Friday and Saturday night at her apartment. We made love, but I soon found out that Elke was shy in bed. She was able to come every time I entered her, but any experimentation was frightening to her. On that Saturday night I was kissing and licking her breasts waiting for those groans of pleasure to start when I started kissing her stomach and then her pelvis as my fingers combed her thin, pubic hairs. I spread her labia and my tongue licked her clit. I Won't Hurry You "Dave, what are you..." and she gasped as I sucked her tender, little point of pleasure. Quickly her groans became louder and she started to spasm violently as my tongue brought her to climax. She cuddled next me later and said, "No one has ever done that to me before." "Did you enjoy it?" "But should we be doing it, Dave?" "Answer me, Elke. Did you enjoy it?" "Yes, you drove me crazy with pleasure—I lost control of my body." "Then we should be doing it. Anything that I can do to give you pleasure, we should be doing." With a breakthrough in her sexual shyness, I thought it was a wonderful weekend for both of us. I wanted to sleep with her Sunday night too, but she sent me back to my base housing. Early the following day I joined Top for our ritual cup of coffee. He was always first in the office and I, being an early riser, was always the second one in. Top said, "Captain Myer tried to reach you Saturday night to see if you were free for a meeting Sunday morning. I called you, but the duty officer said you weren't in." "I was at Elke's." He looked at me and asked, "When you filled out the foreign contact sheet for Elke, did you write down her address and phone number?' "I didn't know it then, Top." "How about now?" I blushed, "I'll update the sheet today." There was a pause and then he said, "Lieutenant, can I ask you a question?" "Sure, Top, fire away." "What are the odds that you'll be wearing four stars when you retire from the Army?" I looked at him in surprise—what a strange question. "Well, Lieutenant?" I chuckled, "Maybe a million to one and that's wildly optimistic." He looked at me with concern on his face and quietly said, "That's about the same odds that this military command will give you permission to marry a foreign national while posted here." He stared at me. "You know, First Sergeant, that policy really sucks." There was nothing he could say other than a little nod to acknowledge that he understood. What Top had just told me wasn't a shock—I'd already quietly checked to see if any exceptions had ever been made; the answer was no. I finished my coffee and went to my desk to begin work. My job actually had become much more interesting. Captain Myer and I got along well and he had assigned me to a specific Russian armored brigade that was stationed in East Germany. My team consisted of five enlisted soldiers and myself. As opposed to studying the ideal Table of Organization and Equipment for a Russian armored brigade, I now had the responsibility of tracking an actual one with real officers and men. It was like a jigsaw puzzle where each scrap of information added to the overall picture of the Russian unit. In some units of the brigade we had learned the names and ranks of the officers commanding them. Later that afternoon Captain Myer walked up to my desk with a smile on his face. "How did you do it, Dave?" "Do what?" Captain. He handed me twenty sheets of papers, each one identical—it was my orders promoting me from second lieutenant to first lieutenant. I was pleased, but not surprised. The army constantly changes their rules for promotion. After the war the regulations for promoting second lieutenants were fairly simple—after two years in grade with no adverse efficiency reports, the promotion to first lieutenant was automatic. However, each year in college taking military courses and summer camp counted for one-eighth of a year, so I had picked up six months through that rule. In addition, proven proficiency in foreign languages also counted. At language school I had breezed through the French test and had remembered enough German to just make a passing mark. Korean was an automatic, and two weeks ago I had passed the Russian verbal test. The combined languages advanced my promotion another six months. "I guess it was summer camps and foreign languages, Captain." "Whatever it was, congratulations, First Lieutenant Wheeler. You better trade in your gold bar for a silver one." He grinned again and walked away. I thought, "At least something good happened today. -------------- My relationship with Elke progressed slowly with no realistic outcome in sight. She was getting less shy in bed and our sex life was getting better as many of her inhibitions disappeared. Weeks went by and one night Elke and I were in the early stages of making love when she suddenly grabbed my cock and put it in her mouth for the first time. Her warm, wet mouth massaged my cock as I got more and more excited. I said, "Elke, I'm going to come." She pulled back and looked at me as the first spurt caught her on the chin and then over her chest and breasts. She was stunned at first, and then giggled, "I'm not very good at this." "I think you did fine, Elke, and with a little practice, you will be perfect." I got up and went to the bathroom to wet a cloth; she lay quietly as I cleaned the mess we had created. By then she was ready and I made her come with my mouth and then pushed my cock into her and waited for her to catch up with me. When she smiled, I started a slow rhythm of penetration and withdrawal and soon our bodies were in a frenzy of love making as our bodies sought release. We climaxed together and fell asleep in each other's arms. The next morning—somewhat typical to our relationship—she was withdrawn and sad. I thought I knew females, but Elke had me perplexed. "Elke," I pleaded in frustration, "why do I think you are the happiest woman in Germany and hours later you seem to be the saddest?" "It's the way it is. Please understand." I shrugged in confusion and changed the subject. Several weeks later Elke told me that the pharmacy, by German law, had to give her a week's vacation and that the following week she would not be working. "Isn't it your choice when you take vacation?" "No," replied Elke. "They have to give me a week off, but they have the right to tell me which week." I had a thought. "Elke, if I can take a couple days off, would you go with me on a little holiday?" "Where?" I was getting a little excited. "We can take the train into the mountain area and stay at a place on the lake. I've heard people at work talk about it and they all say it's a very nice resort." Elke grinned at me shyly. "I would like to go there with you." I talked to Captain Myer. I had been working a lot of extra hours and I knew he thought my work was good. When I told him I wanted the following Monday and Tuesday off, he agreed. In a very nice gesture he said he would keep me on duty so that the two days off would not be counted against my leave time. That Friday in the late afternoon, Elke and I boarded a train to the mountain region. We arrived three hours later and easily found the resort cabin that I had reserved in advance. The two-room cabin was both primitive and wonderful. The living room and kitchen were in one room and the single bedroom in the other. Off the kitchen was a porch with a table and two chairs that faced the lake. Our sunset view was spectacular. We sat on the porch, sharing an inexpensive bottle of German wine, and watched the sun sink into the distant water. We were tired from the trip and we went into the bedroom. We were going to have sex, but after cuddling, we both fell asleep. I woke up first and watched Elke sleeping. The sheet had pulled down during the night and I could see her naked chest and breasts move as she slept. Her face was so peaceful and beautiful; I was in no hurry for her to wake up—I wanted to enjoy the sight of her body. Eventually she stirred and then her eyes opened and saw me looking at her. "Coffee?" I asked. "Yes, please, my Lieutenant," she answered. We had coffee on the porch. The resort owner had a map of the walking trails and, after buying some sandwiches for lunch, we explored the nearby hills. We stopped at a camp site that had a table and ate our lunch and sipped from a small bottle of wine that I had carried in our lunch bag. We arrived back about four o'clock and took a shower and then made slow, gentle love with each other. When Elke came she squeezed me as hard as she could. I was happy. Sunday was more of the same. After a late coffee we rented a row boat and I took us out into the lake with our lunch sandwiches. After two hours of going almost nowhere, I steered us into the shore and we ate on the stone beach. As I rowed back I saw the warm sun reflect off of Elke's chest. She seemed so happy. "Take off your blouse, Elke," I asked. "But, Dave, people will see." "There is no one on the lake but us, Elke...for me?" She blushed, but her fingers went to her buttons and the blouse came off. Her small bra still hid her breasts from me. "Elke?" "You want me to take off my bra." "Yes." "What will you think of me?" "That you are beautiful." She was blushing furiously, but her hands went behind her back and her bra dropped to the bottom of the boat. "Is that what you want?" "What I want, Elke, is to say that you are beautiful and I love you." She gave me a sheepish smile and leaned back against the bow of the boat. She made no attempt to hide her breasts from me. An hour later we came close to shore and she put on her blouse. She put her bra into the lunch bag. It was another night of slow, loving sex. When we were done I said, "I love you." She didn't answer; she was asleep. Our last day at the resort we hiked the hills again and then tried to swim in the lake. The water was ice cold and it was impossible to stay in it for more than thirty seconds. We gave up and dressed and walked to the small town two miles away and shopped for trinkets. In the early evening we were still in the town and decided to eat at a small restaurant off the main street. The fish just caught from our lake tasted great and the sweet German wine complemented the meal. Our table had a single candle burning and the light reflected off Elke's face and chest. She seemed happy. We walked back to our cabin and took our shower together to get the day's dirt off. We opened a bottle of wine and sat on the porch watching the last light of day disappear into the water. I pulled Elke into the bedroom. The previous two nights had been gentle sex, but I knew in my heart that Elke wanted more. I took off her clothes and then mine and started to tease her with my tongue. Each time she reached for me, I stopped her. The more I teased her nipples the more she asked for relief. I spread her legs and licked her inner thighs repeatedly, but refused to lick her clit. She was screaming at me now—she wanted relief and I wasn't giving it to her. Finally I pushed her legs back against her chest and sank into her with one thrust. She screamed with pleasure and started coming—violently arching her pelvis into me to gain more penetration. At the apex of her arousal she wailed, "I love you!" As our bodies subsided I thought, "That's the first time she ever said that she loved me." I looked at her and she started crying. I didn't know if it was tears of joy or something else. All I knew was she was sobbing and clutching me. I just held her. When I tried to talk, her finger went to my lips as a signal to say nothing. Long minutes went by as she cuddled into my chest sobbing; I went to sleep. In the middle of the night I woke up and she wasn't in bed; I found her on the porch staring at the lake. "Come back to bed, Elke." She followed me as I pulled her arm and led her into the bedroom. When I woke up the next morning I found her on the porch drinking coffee. We sat there in silence. Finally, she said, "It was a wonderful holiday. I'll never forget it." She stood up and went into the bedroom to pack for our trip back. The train ride back was mostly in silence—Elke was in another one of her quiet moods. We got back to the apartment and had a dinner at a local restaurant. It was driving me crazy; Elke wouldn't talk to me! We went back to the apartment and I insisted that I stay for the night. I clutched her naked body next to mine and we fell asleep. When I woke up she was already awake drinking her coffee. I poured my coffee and sat next to her. She wouldn't speak to me. Finally, I showered and put on my uniform. "Elke, I have to leave." She walked over to me, her face drawn and sad, and silently hugged me. When I tried to kiss her, she turned her head and I kissed her cheek. It was a twenty minute walk to the front gate of the post. As I stood in line to have my identification checked, I thought back about the weekend. She was so happy...she said she loved me for the first time...and so sad—like death. Just as I reached the MP guard station I thought, "Fuck this! Elke has to tell me what's going on." I turned away from the gate and hurried back to the apartment. I walked into the apartment expecting to confront Elke, but she wasn't there. I spotted a piece of paper on the kitchen table and picked it up. My darling Dave, You have to believe that I loved you with all my heart. I lied to you and deceived you, but I never betrayed you. You must believe me; I never betrayed you. It is true that I was married, and my husband died in a military accident. But we lived in the Russian sector. And I hid from you that I have a daughter, Sophie, who is now almost three. When my husband died the Russians told me to go into American sector and spy. I refused. But there was no money and they took my Sophie and said they would take care of her, but I had to spy for them. They are forcing other women to do the same thing. If I refused, they would harm my Sophie. I met you and told the Russians your name. They encouraged me to be friends with you...and more. For months they were patient, but after a while they demanded that I get information from you. I stalled, but then they threatened Sophie last week. I cannot betray you; I cannot sacrifice my daughter. You must promise me that you will take my body to Choiden and display it to the deputy mayor so they know I am dead... I froze—"my body"—and looked at the closed bedroom door. I dropped the note and ran to the door and crashed it open. Elke was in her blue dress that she wore on our first dinner date. The bed was neatly made and she lay on top of it. Her face was ashen. Two empty vials lay on the tiny end table. "Elke," I cried as I ran to the bed. She didn't move. I shook her violently and saw no signs that she was alive. I moved my lips to hers and felt a faint wisp of air escape from her mouth. I completely lost it; no rational thought came to my mind as I saw the woman I loved, dead or almost dead. I had one thought—I need help. I ran to the phone and called the staff room where Top and I had coffee every morning. "First Sergeant Franklin." "First Sergeant, it's Wheeler. I have a medical emergency and a security..." "What's the medical emergency, Lieutenant?" "It's Elke; I came back and she..." "Lieutenant, what did she do?" "She took pills and I can't..." "Lieutenant, wait there. I'll be there in 10 minutes with a doctor. Just wait." I cracked the door and ran back to Elke. She wasn't moving and I couldn't see her breathing. Minutes later I heard people coming into the room. A major and Top rushed into the bedroom. The major picked up the empty vial of pills and read the prescription. "Fuck," he said. "Get him out of the room, First Sergeant." Top pulled me from the room. Minutes later we heard a terrible retching sound coming from the bedroom—it seemed to last forever. Then there was silence; twenty seconds passed and the retching started again. Ten minutes later the Major came out of the bedroom and looked at Top, "We have to get her to the hospital, now." Top looked at me. "You said a security problem, too?" "Yes, I found..." He interrupted me. "Is there a back way out?" "Yes, the alley." Top looked at the Major and said, "Major, go down to the car and tell the driver to bring it around to the alley. I'll bring the girl down." He turned to me, "I'll get Elke; you lead the way." He came out carrying Elke. She was unconscious and looked terrible. I led him down the back stairs and he put her in the staff car. I tried to get in with her, but Top stopped me. "You can't do any good, Lieutenant, and we have to talk." "But Top..." "Lieutenant, I have to know what's going on. You can't help her—the doctor is doing all he can. Let's go back to the apartment and you can tell me what happened." I knew Top was right—there was nothing I could do for Elke—and reluctantly climbed the stairs back to the apartment. I handed Top Elke's note. He read it and looked at asked, "Did you read the whole thing?" "No, when I read about her body..." "Lieutenant, read the rest of it." I took the note: You must promise me that you will take my body to Choiden and display it to the deputy mayor so they know I am dead. The deputy mayor will tell them. With my death Sophie should be safe; she will be in an orphanage, but they should not harm her. I could not see any other ending. I've always loved you, but when I told you that I loved you last weekend, I knew that you would become more and more demanding with our relationship, but we can never have a happy conclusion. I could not betray the man I loved. Good-bye darling. Elke The First Sergeant took the note from my shaking hands. He said, "Sit down, Lieutenant. We need to talk. "Did Elke ever ask you about your job?" "It was just the opposite, Top. She told me she didn't want to know what I did. She said her job was to teach me German and Russian, so that I would have a good career...that's all she talked about; my career in the future, not my job." "Lieutenant, did she act strange at all since you've known her?" "Yes. She was nervous at times and I found her crying when she thought I was asleep." "Start at the beginning, Lieutenant—from the day you met her until this morning." I talked for about thirty minutes. I told him everything that I could remember from our day-to-day Russian lessons to our dates. I explained that she told me that Choiden was her home town, and that about two months earlier she had taken a train there by herself to "see her old friends" she had explained. When she came back from that trip she was quiet and depressed, which at the time I thought was strange. Finally, I couldn't take it any more. "Top, I have to go to the hospital." He stood up and went to the phone and dialed a number. "Corporal, I need a staff car. We're going to drop the Lieutenant at the hospital and then I need to talk to the boss." There was a pause while the corporal said something. "Corporal, tell him that I said I need to see him immediately—that it's much more fucking important than his weekly staff meeting." Another pause. "Just say what I just said. Get off your ass and send the car. Have it waiting for us a block east of the apartment, and we'll meet it there." We didn't say much while we waited for the car. Finally he said, "Lieutenant, for now, you worry about Elke. Once we know her situation, we'll figure out what has to be done. "Don't talk to anybody about this note—even the doctor or Captain Myer. After I brief the Colonel, we'll make a decision on who should be made aware of the situation. Until then, assume nobody has the need to know." He dropped me off at the hospital. I hurried into the reception area and asked who I should talk to about Elke. The head nurse pointed at a chair and said she would try to get some information. She came back ten minutes later and told me that the doctor would be out to talk to me shortly. Fifteen minutes later the Major who came with Top walked up to me. "Lieutenant, she is one very lucky woman—she'll live, but another thirty minutes and she would have died. We pumped out her stomach twice and now have her on fluids that will mitigate the pills that she took. I Won't Hurry You "She won't be really conscious for quite a while—probably until tomorrow morning. "Lieutenant, this appears to be a suicide attempt. At a minimum we have to notify the German authorities, and I would guess she'll need some psychological counseling. I'll take care..." "Major," I interrupted, "there are some things that you aren't aware of, and before you do anything I suggest you talk to Colonel Weldon or First Sergeant Franklin." He looked at me in surprise. "Isn't Colonel Weldon the Commander of the intelligence battalion?" "Sir, please talk to the Colonel or First Sergeant. "Can I see Elke now?" He considered my request and then said, "Follow me." We walked down the hall until we reached a door. He opened it and said, "Just look." Elke looked terrible. Fluids were going into her through an intravenous line, her hair was wet and plastered against her face, and an oxygen mask was over her nose and mouth. "Major, she looks awful." "Lieutenant, we saved her life; she looks worse than she is. Come back tomorrow." I thanked him and left. As I walked through the front doors of the hospital, an MP jeep was waiting. A corporal jumped out of it when he saw me and saluted. "Lieutenant, my orders are to take you to Colonel Weldon." I returned the salute and sat in the front next to him as he started the engine and headed to battalion headquarters. I walked into the outer office. Top was sitting at a desk. "Lieutenant, the Colonel and I just talked to the doctor. I'm glad you followed my advice—the Major won't talk to anyone about Elke. "We know she's going to live, which is good news. The problem is that the corner she was in is still there—either she betrays you or she sacrifices her kid. The Colonel is waiting to talk to you. Top knocked on the door and we entered the room. I went to attention and reported in. The colonel immediately told me to sit down at the conference table with him and Top. "Lieutenant, I know your girlfriend is going to make it—the doctor was confident there would be no long-term bad effects. From what First Sergeant Franklin has told me, you've done nothing wrong. Our problem is what are we going to do now? "We'll question your girlfriend when she wakes up tomorrow. I want to talk to her before you see her, so don't go to the hospital until Top calls you. Don't go to work tomorrow either—wait in your quarters. Understand?" "Yes, Sir." "There are quite a few problems here, Lieutenant. First, your girlfriend is being squeezed by the Russians to spy on us using her kid as leverage. Second, her note implied other women are being forced to do the same thing—not all of them would refuse to cooperate—we need to identify those women. "First Sergeant Franklin suggested a short-term solution—that we give her information that will keep the Russians happy. Of course, that doesn't solve her long-term problem. "Will she be missed at her job?" "No, Sir, she's on a week's vacation." "Did anyone see her being carried out of her apartment?" I thought for a moment. "I don't think so, Sir. Most of the occupants work. There was no one in the hallway or the back stairs. It's not a very busy apartment." Top asked, "Does she have any friends?" "Just me." Weldon stood up. "Until we see her, there's no sense talking this thing to death. Lieutenant, you're not in trouble as far as I can tell, but you're restricted to your quarters until we talk to your girlfriend and Top calls you. Understand?" "Yes, Sir." "You're dismissed." I went back to my room confused and frustrated. The only good thought I held was that Elke was still alive. However, it was clear that she was in a terrible situation, and I couldn't think of any way she could get out of the trap. My helplessness sent me back into a depression. I didn't sleep very well that night—pictures of Elke in her apartment bedroom and in the hospital would not leave my mind. I had desperate thoughts—resign my commission and bring Elke to the US with me, or hide in Europe—but I knew none of them were realistic. I finally fell into a troubled sleep in the early hours of the morning. I awoke about 1000 and drank some coffee, and then went back to my room to wait for the phone call. Instead, at about 1300, there was a knock on my door. "Come in." It was the First Sergeant. "Good afternoon, Lieutenant." "How's Elke?" "She's fine, Lieutenant. All the drugs are gone and there are few apparent after effects. She is logical and physically looks a hell of a lot better than when we saw her yesterday. She wants to see you." I stood up, but he held out his hand and said, "We'd better discuss the situation; Colonel Weldon asked me to bring you up to speed." He chuckled, "The Colonel thinks that Elke, you, and I have bonded a little, so I get to do the talking." I sat back in the chair and waited. "Lieutenant, from now on what you hear is considered top secret. You can't talk about it to other officers, enlisted personnel or civilians under penalty of military court martial. Do you understand?" "Yes, Top." "We talked to Elke for five hours. You were the first soldier she approached. Everything she wrote in the letter seems to be true—you did not reveal any military information, and other than giving the Russians your name and rank, she told them nothing. "But the game was coming to an end. They demanded that she get more aggressive in getting information from you or her daughter would suffer. Apparently there are five women working out of this network—three of them have their young children being leveraged against them; the other two seem to be spying without any overt coercion. "She's agreed to work with us—we will give her information, and she'll feed that information to the Russians. The information will be good stuff, but nothing that can hurt us. "We need to identify the other four women who are spying. She's agreed to help us find the women, but she had a condition." "What?" I asked. He looked at me. "You know that girl is a lot tougher than she looks. The Colonel started yelling at her, but she stood her ground—actually she told him off...The Colonel hasn't been told off for a while; it was interesting to watch." "What's Elke demanding?" "She wants us to get her kid out." "But Top, that's impossible. Her daughter's in the Russian sector of Germany." "That's what the Colonel told her, but she's one stubborn kraut." "So how did it end?" "The Colonel said he would kick it upstairs. Here's the argument. The kid is only ten miles across the border in a farm house with the other two kids. There are never more than five soldiers there and a woman to watch the kids. It's some type of regional spy center since they have a communications room and a fairly high-ranking officer in charge. "A quick snatch isn't that impossible and who knows the information we'll find. If nothing else, we'll have Elke identify the other four women. If we snatch the one kid, we might as well get all three and take the other women into custody at the same time. We have special teams that practice that shit all the time." "You would really go after Sophie?" "Lieutenant, that decision is even over the Colonel's head—the division commander, his S2, and Military Intelligence at Ft. Meade all have to sign off on it. I can't tell you what they'll decide. "Now you know as much as anyone. Go see your girlfriend." I got up to leave but stopped and asked, "Top, I'm glad you're the one talking to me, but I'm surprised an officer isn't butting into the middle of this." He chuckled, "The Colonel and I go back a long way. We had some situations together as grunts. In fact, he insulted me and offered me a field commission. I turned it down to stay with my men, but he kind of feels I fucked up when I said no. He gives me a lot of space. "Go, Lieutenant." I practically ran to the hospital. There was an MP at Elke's door, but he nodded permission to go in. She was dozing when I walked up to her bed. She looked beautiful as she lay there, but I noticed that her complexion was even whiter than normal and she looked drawn. I touched her shoulder and she opened her eyes. She cried with surprise and then I leaned over and hugged her. She was sobbing, "I'm sorry, Dave, I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive me for lying to you?" I stroked her hair and shushed her as we hugged. Finally I forced her to lie back down. I pulled up a chair to the bed and held her hand. "How do you feel, honey?" "I'm fine, Dave, but I'm so sorry..." "Elke, I love you; there is nothing to be sorry about." Tears were filling her eyes again. She stammered, "Did the First Sergeant tell you everything? I am so ashamed." "Yes, Elke, but don't be ashamed. You never betrayed me and you were protecting Sophie. It's the Russians who should be ashamed for using little children to blackmail their parents." "I promised your Colonel I would cooperate with him and give the Russians special information to mislead them, but I insisted that he bring Sophie to me." "Elke, the First Sergeant told me that the Colonel would ask permission to see if they can rescue Sophie." I could see the stubborn look on her face. "Dave, I want my Sophie." Chapter 4 The next morning Elke was released from the hospital. However, before she physically left the building she sat down with the First Sergeant, an intelligence officer from the 2nd Armored Division's S2 office and a sketch artist. I was politely, but firmly, told that they would be more productive if I weren't with Elke when they talked. It was obvious to me that they were trying to identify the other four women whom the Russians had either coerced or talked into spying in our regional sector. When the meeting was over Top walked over to me and said, "She's trying, Lieutenant. It's just going to take time to learn everything that she knows. "When does she go back to work? "Monday," I replied. "Why do you ask?" "Lieutenant, that's how she passes any information to the Russians—a customer comes in and buys something and the exchange is made then. I'll talk to the Colonel and make sure we have something for Elke to give them." The following Monday Elke passed on the news that in four weeks there would be joint maneuvers with our armored division and a newly formed Federal Republic armored brigade. The information was harmless since there would be a public announcement revealing the same news within the next ten days. However, it was the first information that Elke had passed to them. The theory was to start with some small stuff and string it along to better and better information. The pressure would be less on Elke and Sophie, and it would give Division time to decide whether to go for the kids or not. The next information she gave was that the West German armored brigade Commander was retiring and named the new commander. Then Top told her to pass along to them that ordnance for our tanks was being upgraded and the new ammunition would be arriving in three months. Elke was given an identification card so she was now allowed to enter the outer perimeter of the base, if she was accompanied by an American soldier. The Officer's Club was in that area, so I could take Elke to dinner at the Club. The real purpose was to allow the First Sergeant and others to meet with Elke to continue their questioning. I would walk into the club with Elke and she would disappear for an hour or two while I sipped at the bar. She would come out of the meeting and we would have dinner together. The short-term situation was fine—Top told me that three of the other four women had already been located and were being watched, and that they were close to finding the fourth. Elke was more relaxed because the Russians were now happy with her and the threats to Sophie had disappeared. And, of course, she thought it was only a little while longer until permission was given to bring Sophie out. While Elke was more relaxed, I was more nervous—everything I had experienced with the Army bureaucracy was that you never got what you expected. So I assumed that the decision would be not to go for the kids—I couldn't believe that we would risk an international incident to grab three kids just because their mothers were spies, or to reward Elke. Elke was scheduled to go to Choiden in three weeks for her quarterly visit with Sophie. Our activity picked up since this would be an opportunity for Elke to really concentrate on the layout of the building, the men involved, and the routine they performed. She met with Top every third day now to prepare her for her visit. To make her visit easier with the Russians, she was given critical information to pass along—the specification manual on the new ordnance for the tanks. Since I was, in theory, a supply officer in armor, it would be consistent that I would have access to the manual. "But, First Sergeant," I asked, "won't this information hurt us?" "Yes it would, Lieutenant, but they already have the manual; don't ask me how we know." She told them on Tuesday that I was leaving the manual in the apartment when I went to work. On Thursday she took it to the pharmacy and gave it to her contact; two hours later it was returned to her. It was a week before her visit to Sophie. Elke reverted back to her depressed mood as she worried whether she could fool them during the visit. Our sex life was zero; all I did was hold her during the night hoping that she would have a good night's sleep. "Dave, I'm scared. If they catch me in a lie, they will hurt Sophie. One of these times I will make a mistake and they will know." I lied to ease her fears, "I think the permission to go for Sophie will be made right after you return. That's why they want you to be watchful when you're there." On Thursday night we had our last meal at the club. The First Sergeant and others met with Elke to go over again what they wanted her to observe when she was seeing Sophie. There were two buildings. The farmhouse contained the soldiers' quarters and the communications room. The small barn behind the house was where the children and the woman slept. As accurately as possible they wanted Elke to be able to sketch the layout of the rooms, the access ways and any other physical things with the buildings that could either help or harm the team that we would possibly send in. I took her to the train station the next day and we hugged. "Elke, don't be brave and don't do anything that you haven't done in the past. If they find you in a room where you have no business, it will be very bad." "I understand, Dave. I'll be careful. If I make a mistake, Sophie will suffer." ------- I spent a nervous weekend and met her train that Sunday night. She rushed into my arms and we kissed. "Dave..." "Wait until we get to the apartment, Elke." She nodded her understanding and kissed me again. When we entered the apartment Elke said, "They are very happy with me. The Commander took me into his office to congratulate me on the information I have given them, and the manual that they copied. He said that now that I have your trust, I should be able to get more and better information." "How is Sophie?" "Dave, she is getting so big. She was so happy to see me—we played all day until she fell asleep exhausted. I miss her so much." I could tell that she was happy and excited—the visit had gone well, and she had accomplished what we asked her to do. We went to bed and for the first time in weeks the sex was uninhibited and not constrained by stress or worry. We went to the club the next night. The First Sergeant met us inside the door. "Lieutenant, you might as well have dinner by yourself—this will be a long meeting. We have food for Elke." Three hours later Colonel Weldon walked up to me. "Lieutenant, follow me." We walked into a small office. As soon as I closed the door he said, "I never thought we'd go after your girlfriend's kid—too much political risk whether the grab was successful or not. "The situation just changed. When the Commander of the unit invited her into the house to compliment her on the information and encourage her to get more, he received a phone call. She heard him discuss in Russian a matter that is known to only three people in the Federal Republic. It appears that the Russians have a spy at the highest level of the new government. "The decision is being made as we speak. We have to find out the identity of the spy; we think that information might be where they are holding the kid. "If the Federal Republic is compromised and embarrassed, it will be a huge setback for us. "This will take a while. Be patient, Lieutenant." "Yes, Sir." Two hours later I was told to come to the meeting room. Top was there along with Colonel Weldon and two other officers I hadn't met before. Elke was beaming. "Dave, they are going in to get Sophie." I looked at Top. His nod confirmed that Elke was right. I met Top for coffee early the next morning. He said, "Lieutenant, we've had a team getting ready for the last three weeks in case the answer came down to go in. We already know the rough location of the buildings and some pictures of the outside. With Elke's help we have the last details of what we need. You don't have the need to know any details about the operation, but the night they go in for the grab, Elke will leave her apartment and never return; she should be ready to leave any time in the next three weeks. She'll live on the base until decisions are made about what to do with her and the girl. "We've located the other four women and they'll all be taken into our custody the night of the operation. It's going to be a little messy since two of them have a relationship with a major and a light colonel. "Until then, continue your normal routine, both at work and with Elke. I'll continue to give her information that she can pass on." "Top, what are the chances this is going to work?" "Lieutenant, I know these soldiers. They are the best there is for this type of operation. If what Elke told us holds up, there's a good chance the team will bring the kids back." ------ One week later Captain Myer stopped in front of my desk, "Dave, Colonel Weldon wants to see you immediately. Be prepared; he really sounded pissed off. "What did I do now?" I thought. I walked into the outer office and the Sergeant said, "Go right in, Lieutenant; they're waiting for you." I entered the office and spotted the First Sergeant and Colonel Weldon sitting at the conference table. I stopped in front of the Colonel and went to attention. "Lieutenant Wheeler, reporting as ordered, Sir." He pointed at a chair and said, "Sit down, Lieutenant." He paused to collect his thoughts and then continued, "We have a four man grab team that has been training for weeks to pull this off and get the kids out. These enlisted men are experts at this type of thing—they train for it all the time. "I've just received orders from the Division's S2 that we have to have an intelligence officer included in the grab team. I violently disagreed with that decision and went to the Division Commander; he backed his S2. "So now we have to pull one of the four experts and replace him with an officer. Of course, you would have to volunteer." I was surprised...no shocked, "Me, why do you want me...Sir?" "Top thinks that you have common sense, that you know what you don't know, and that you won't try to be a hero. Most of our officers would want or insist that they take charge of the team. That's not going to work—it's bad enough to pull a man from the team, but to put an outsider in charge of them would be a disaster. "You would nominally be in charge of the team, but in fact, Sergeant Waters would be in charge. You would have to instantly obey any "suggestion" he gives you. I Won't Hurry You "Well, Lieutenant?" I really had no choice. The operation was for Elke, and Elke was my responsibility. "Yes, Sir, I volunteer." The Colonel nodded as if this was expected and said, "You're relieved from all duties. I'll speak with Captain Myer. Go with the First Sergeant, and he'll explain how it's going to happen." We drove to a building some distance from the office. Something had bothered me ever since Elke came back from Choiden. "Top, they never were going after Sophie, were they?" "Lieutenant, you and I don't know the answer to that question. War and spying is nasty business, and sometimes bad things happen. No good can come to you and Elke if you let that question fester in you. "You should focus on the mission. "Right now you're going to meet the team. You're going to face a great deal of hostility from these men. They train as a team and you're breaking up the team. They know you didn't make the decision, but you're an officer. Their attitude against you doesn't make sense, but it's the real world." As usual, the First Sergeant was right. I walked into a small room and three pairs of hostile eyes stared through me as he made the introductions. There was no hand shaking, smiles, or even an attempt at politeness. The three were all infantry sergeants, obviously in great shape, and they looked mean. The head of the team was a soldier named Waters. Top took me over to a wall where a large cardboard was nailed up. The room layout of the farmhouse and barn was sketched on the cardboard. He started pointing out the various rooms when I heard one of the men mutter, "Candy ass Lieutenant. Probably hasn't fired a gun in..." Top whirled around; it was a person I hadn't seen before—his face was hard and I could see a vein throb in his forehead. "Waters, you're a god damn, fucking moron. The Lieutenant volunteered for this; you know he wasn't part of the decision, and you don't know him. You're making an assumption—an assumption that can get your team killed. "The Lieutenant will do his job, which is anything you tell him to do. "Are you going to do your job, Waters?" "Jeez, Top, take it easy. I was just..." "It ain't 'Top,'Sergeant; it's First Sergeant." The room was deadly quiet. Finally, Waters said, "I'll do my job, First Sergeant." I'd never seen this side of Franklin and was surprised, if not a bit scared. The gentle sarcasm and chiding which was the personality that I had seen was gone; in place was one tough soldier who wouldn't back down to anyone. His face relaxed and the tension in the room dissipated. The plan was meant to be simple. The two other sergeants would go over two nights before the grab, hunker down, and observe the buildings to make sure that nothing that Elke had described had changed. Waters and I would go over on the night of the operation and meet up with the first two. Assuming no surprises, we would overpower the staff and take over the building at 0300—that time of night everyone should be asleep or wishing they were. "We" was not quite correct. The three sergeants would overpower the staff. When the buildings were secure, Waters would signal me to approach the buildings. My job was to gather any information in the house such as codebooks, signal communication and records. Elke had spotted two safes that were open when the communication room was staffed, and a filing cabinet in the Commander's office. We were hopeful to get some useful information. Waters asked when I had last fired a rifle. Somewhat embarrassed, I told him at Officer's Basic School, which was over a year ago. He made the decision that I would only carry a sidearm with three loaded magazines. We would go over and come back in a liquor truck that was used for smuggling—the Russian border guards got a case to let the truck go over the border, the mayor and army garrison commander of the city got two cases each for allowing the smuggling, and the restaurants paid an enormous price to obtain the scotch for their customers. Everyone was in on the take—the truck had been crossing twice a week for months. The truck had a false compartment in the front; it looked like the liquor was stacked against the wall, but the wall hid a two-foot concealed space right behind the cab of the truck. We would stay at the farm house until our truck came back at about 0600. The four soldiers and three kids would squeeze into the hidden compartment and cross back into West Germany. It would be a very tight fit with seven of us in such a tiny space, and it was obvious why the team was limited to four members. There was also a "Plan B." Everyone but me winced when "Plan Bravo" was described. Our normal helicopter was "the bubble" that could be used for observation, or medical evacuation with two stretchers lashed to the outside struts. It was called the OH-13H Sioux. Our division had recently received the Sikorsky model S-55, which the army designated as the H-19C. It was designed as a utility troop carrier with a crew of two and a top speed of 75 mph. It was the first helicopter that could carry soldiers or wounded inside the hull, and the payload was about 1000 pounds. The helicopter was still being tested; the jury was out whether this new concept was viable. In any case, an H-19C would be flying just inside the American sector border starting at 0300. If something went wrong with the truck, we would call it in and exit through the air. The calculation was that it would take 12 to 14 minutes from the time we called until the helicopter arrived at the landing zone. To make Plan Bravo even dicier, the radio we would use—a modified PRC-10—had a limited range and we were at its limit. Nobody liked Plan B. It was risky, the helicopter was still experimental, and infantry troops wanted their feet on the ground. The payload of 1000 pounds was pushing the limit for four soldiers with their equipment and three kids. To better the payload odds, it would be flying with only one pilot instead of its normal two. After hearing about the helicopter, I winced also—this was not the way I wanted to come back. As Top drove me back from the planning meeting he asked, "How many times have you fired your sidearm?" "One hundred times, Top—twenty-five times at each of the summer camps, and once as a requirement for passing the Officer's Basic Course." "So you haven't fired in over a year?" "Yea." He turned the jeep around and we headed for the armory. He looked at me, "Check out a sidearm and bring three magazines and 500 rounds with you." We drove to the firing range and as we arrived, a sergeant ran over and spotted the First Sergeant. 'Hi, Top. What do you need?" "A place on the short range, and keep the officer-in-charge away from me." The sergeant grinned, "No problem." We stood in front of the target thirty feet away. "Lock and load, Lieutenant. Three magazines." I fired away and when I was finished, we walked up to the target. Top looked at it for a few seconds and finally said, "Lieutenant, there is bad and god awful. What do you think?" "I'm a little bit south of god awful." His plan over the next two hours was to make me an expert. He quickly abandoned that idea and tried to make me adequate with the sidearm. Finally he came to the conclusion that he should teach me how not to shoot my fellow soldiers. We were driving back from the firing range when Top said, "Lieutenant, I strongly suggest you don't chamber a round unless Waters tells you." The answer was obvious; I agreed. That night I told Elke about the change of plans. Already stressed to the limit with fears about Sophie, when she learned I was going with the grab team, she lost it—crying for hours. All I could do was hold her. The two sergeants went over the next night. They used the radio to send a single, pre-arranged number each night that said the insertion was successful, they were observing, and nothing had changed from what Elke had told us. Two nights later Waters and I slipped under the liquor truck and pulled ourselves into the hidden compartment and resealed the floor hatch that we had come through. It was a tight fit and coming home would be much worse. The First Sergeant had assured me that he would meet Elke at her apartment and take her back to the base as soon as he knew we had crossed the border. Waters and I had an uneasy truce. Nothing was said until we felt the truck braking. "We're at the border," he whispered. We heard some laughing, the back door of the truck was opened and then shut, and the truck slipped into gear as it lurched forward. Thirty minutes later the truck stopped again and we heard two knocks on the panel. We unlashed the floor plate and dropped out. The truck left and continued its journey. It was pitch dark and I could hardly see Waters standing next to me. He whispered, "Don't move; they'll find us." Minutes later I heard two fingers click—the two sergeants were there and quickly led us to their observation post in a clump of trees next to an open field about 200 yards from the farmhouse. They had dug a shallow depression between two bushes, lined it with a blanket and then covered themselves with brush. During the day they were invisible, but had a clear look at the farm house and barn. At night they carefully explored the farm field locating the landing zone if Plan Bravo were executed, and deciding the best approach to the buildings without being seen. There was one hitch—we were expecting two guards, two communications soldiers, the woman who cared for the kids, and the Commander. They told us that the Commander had left the farm house in the late afternoon and had not returned. We hunkered down to observe, waiting for 0300. Waters whispered, "Lieutenant, nothing is going to happen for a while; just try to sleep." He had become a comedian—there was no way I could sleep. Our hiding place was next to a large farm field. I could smell the fertilizer—probably cow or horse manure or both—permeating our area. I thought, "I'm in a world of shit." I nervously giggled to myself—I had exactly described my situation. The time came and the three disappeared into the darkness. Before they left they gave me the binoculars, radio, and the marking lights in case Plan Bravo took place. One sergeant would take care of the woman first, and then join the other two. Waters would take out the outside guard, and then the three would enter the house. I was watching through the binoculars—twenty minutes later I spotted a shadow appear behind the outside guard who was smoking. The cigarette fell to the ground. There was no sound. Another fifteen minutes went by, and then I saw a single beam of light flash in my direction—the signal that the house was secure. I ran to the house and entered the main room. Four men and a heavy-set woman were lying on the floor handcuffed to one another. They were all unconscious—each had been given a shot that would knock them out for at least five hours; we would be long gone by then. The truck was expected at 0630. Waters immediately posted an outside guard and sent the other sergeant to watch the kids. When it was time to leave we would wake them and give them candy that was treated with a drug that would keep them drowsy and quiet. He turned to me, "Do your thing, Lieutenant." I walked into the communications room and found both safes open. I opened a duffel bag that I had brought and dumped the contents of both safes into it. There would be plenty of time to see what we got later. I searched the rest of the room and found nothing else. Next was the Commander's office. It had a desk with a phone, a bed, filing cabinet, and a bookcase—it was exactly as Elke had described it. I searched the filing cabinet first. It was unlocked, which made me suspicious. There were some folders in it that I put in the duffel bag, but I didn't believe any sensitive information would be left in an unlocked filing cabinet. I searched the bookcase next, but other than some pornographic picture books there was nothing else. I spotted a door to the closet and opened it. Much to my surprise I found a heavy, very large safe. I yelled, "Waters. Come here." Waters stared at the safe and said, "No one told us about this." "Can you blow it open?" I asked. "No way, Lieutenant. We didn't bring that kind of stuff with us." He tried the handle to confirm it was locked, cursed, and walked away. I was frustrated—there had to be something good in the safe, and I couldn't get to it. For minutes I stared at the safe in dismay, but then I remembered something. A month earlier the security section of the battalion had come into our office during the weekend. After five hours they had found the combinations of over fifty percent of the safes in the room. Both enlisted men and officers had written the combination to their personal safes and hid them in their desks or underneath things on their desks. It was assumed they wrote the combination down when they first got it, but then, when they were sure that they had it memorized, they forgot to destroy the paper with the combination. Colonel Weldon was embarrassed and chewed ass from the top down—no one was spared his anger at such a stupid, lazy action. With nothing to do I went back to the commander's desk and searched every drawer, checking to make sure nothing was taped to the underside—nothing. I searched each item on his desk and still didn't see anything until I pulled a picture frame apart—the picture was of him receiving a medal from a general. On the backside of the picture was taped the combination. I was excited and hurried over to the safe. Seconds later I twisted the handle and the door swung open. "Waters," I yelled. Waters walked in and stared, "Shit, Lieutenant, you did it. Take everything." The safe contained about 50 audiotapes. On each of the tapes was attached a piece of paper that had a name on it. Three large manuals were in the safe. I opened one of them and it appeared to be a diary or log of activity. There were about 30 folders—some very thick and others with only had three or four pages. In some of the folders there were pictures—of naked men and women. The women were all extremely pretty, but the men ranged from muscular bodies with military type haircuts to old men with protruding stomachs and white hair. Finally, I found a thin notebook—each line had a day of the year and a six-digit number after the day. I couldn't make sense out of it. I emptied the safe and put the contents into the duffel bag, which by now was quite full. I walked into the communications room to find Waters. He sat at the desk calmly smoking a cigarette. He looked at me, glanced at his watch, and said, "A little more than two hours and we're gone." I replied, "I think I found some good..." At that instant, the phone rang. Waters and I stared at the phone. He said what I had just thought, "Fuck!" It rang a second time. "We have to answer it," I said. "We're fucked," he repeated. I picked up the phone and altered my voice to a higher pitch and said in German, "Do you know what time it is?" A voice responded, "Who is this?" I replied, "I worked 12 hours today and finally got to sleep, and I get an imbecile who asks me do I know who I am. "What number did you dial, idiot?" "68-66543." "You dummy. You dialed the wrong number." I slammed the phone down. I looked at Waters. "He's going to call back. I'll answer in Russian and try to fake it, but I think we're in the shits." The phone rang again. The Russians are uncomfortable talking on the phone and tend to take an aggressive posture. I answered with a typical Russian response, "So talk." "Who is this?" the same voice demanded. I ignored the question. "Me? I'm on my duty station." There was a two second pause and then I heard the click as he hung up. I looked at Waters, "I think it's the boss and he's on to us." I didn't like Waters, but I have to admit that in a second he made a decision. He yelled to the outside guard, "We're going to Plan Bravo, get the kids and set up a landing zone." He reached for his radio and yelled, "Eagle, Farmer. Plan Bravo. I repeat, Plan Bravo." I heard the response, "Roger, Farmer, 14 minutes." Waters replied, "It might be hot." "Roger." Waters looked at me. "The town is five miles away. It will take him some time to get troops. My guys will take care of the kids and set up the landing zone. Your job is to get the duffel bag to headquarters. Any questions?" "No, Sergeant." I heard the screams of little children as they woke up to soldiers pulling them from their beds. Waters left me to make sure his men knew where to set up the landing zone—deep in the farmer's field with no obstructions for a helicopter coming in. He came back to the house and we stood there watching the road. Waters was smoking another cigarette. The radio came alive, "Three minutes." We both saw three sets of headlights coming into view about 1500 yards down the road. "Fuck! Let's go, Lieutenant—the train's leaving with or without us." We started running just as we heard the distant sound of the helicopter. The other sergeants with the kids were at the landing zone. We were maybe 200 yards away. I had just thought, "The irrigation ditches will stop the trucks from coming into the field—we're going to make it," when I heard the sound of automatic weapons start firing. The helicopter swooped in and landed. The sergeants with the kids climbed aboard. We were only 40 yards from the helicopter when I heard a thud, and grunt. I heard Waters gasp, "Shit." I looked back and saw he was down, writhing in pain. "Fuck," I thought. I ran back to him and yelled, "You've got to stand up so I can carry you." I reached and grabbed his arm and I pulled as he braced himself on his good leg. As soon as he was standing, I put my shoulder into him—Waters on my left shoulder and the duffel back hanging from my right. Those 40 yards seemed to take forever. I heard bullets hitting the ground near me, but the distance was still great enough to prevent accurate fire. The helicopter's engine started racing even before I got to the door; Waters was yanked from me and pulled into the helicopter. I threw the duffel bag on the helicopter's floor just as I heard the engine go to full power and start to lift. I reached for the edge of the door and caught it; the helicopter lifted and half my body was dangling out the door. Hands grabbed me and violently pulled me into the helicopter—I banged my leg really hard, but it didn't matter—we were at 20 feet and moving. Someone pulled the door shut and the noise abated a little. I lay on the floor of the helicopter as it picked up speed and altitude. The kids were in the corner held by a sergeant. I spotted Sophie—a miniature version of Elke. The other sergeant was cutting the pants leg of Waters to expose the wound. It was obvious he was in great pain. "Do you want some happy juice?" he asked Waters. He gasped, "Once we cross the border." Ten minutes later the sergeant yelled, "We're across." As the sergeant took the needle out to put him out of pain, Waters looked at me and said, "You ain't so bad after all, Lieutenant." Ten seconds later Waters closed his eyes. I had crawled over to Sophie and hugged her as she slept in her drugged state. I assumed that everyone could see how scared I was; my body was shaking and I felt I could lose it at any time. "Lieutenant." I looked up. The other sergeant looked at me and pointed, "Lieutenant, you got dinged." I glanced down and saw that blood had stained my entire right leg; I felt the first spasm of pain. "Ten minutes out, Lieutenant," yelled the sergeant.