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childhood and friends painted a rather normal picture of a woman with no idea what was she stepping into. Or maybe she did know; he reminded himself to be open-minded to all possibilities.
    Ever since he ’d joined the agency ten years ago, he had learned that things weren’t always what they seemed. In his last year at the university, earning his diplomas in science, politics, and sociology, he had been contacted by Bernard White, an enigmatic, eccentric professor who had watched him for the last two years of his studies. The invitation to Bernard’s extracurricular courses seemed like an unexpected yet most appreciated gift at the time, and Jon jumped at the opportunity to spend time in the company of the man he’d come to admire. He still remembered his excitement when he realized he had been handpicked to join Bernard’s private group of excelling students. The meetings soon convinced him that being a professor was only one facet of the man’s mysterious personality. The team of young men just like himself spent numerous afternoons and evenings at Bernard’s country house, where they learned the true purpose of their meetings.
    The agency was a part private, part government sponsored organization to fight and detect crimes and terrorism, both domestically and globally. Jon’s IQ and outstanding results in psychology and human behavior investigation prompted the agency to offer him a job in the New York office. He accepted gladly, images from Bond movies and the spy novels he remembered devouring as a teen swirling in his head. The truth had proved both more exciting and terrifying. He had joined numerous operations uncovering potential threats to the public and soon advanced to a second in charge position.
    And then he went to Iraq. It was supposed to be a month -long reconnaissance trip. The military had contacted the agency with a request for their input in a developing terrorism case that was slowly spiraling out of control. Training the Iraqi military personnel had been difficult enough. The daily danger of being attacked by insurgents took its toll on everyone on base. Jon had soon realized that the news back home didn’t paint the true picture of what went on in the dusty roads and barracks on the outskirts of Baghdad. Understaffed and underequipped, the base personnel tried to juggle educating the local police and military with the safety of both the westerners and the local population. He had spent numerous hours talking to the soldiers, listening to their stories and watching them work in conditions that were unimaginable to anyone back home. He had made some really good friends there, too.
    His main objective was cracking down on the insider terroris t cell that had originated in the Iraqi army. One of the local informants warned the Americans about the ever growing group of insurgents joining the base under the pretense of signing up for the police forces. Apparently, there was a plan to attack the base if the cell numbers and organization advanced enough for them to actually stand a chance of overthrowing the leadership. The usual methods of pinpointing the culprits didn’t work in those exceptional circumstances. With few resources and hostile attitudes from numerous local politicians, using the agency seemed like a good choice for the frustrated commander.
    The one month project soon stretched beyond two months. Jon’s official position as a private contractor allowed him access to daily activities inside the base and in the surrounding areas. He had worked cautiously yet steadily, tightening the loop around the cell and gathering the information needed to successfully stop the potential attack.
    He hated thinking back to those final days before hell broke loose . As he took a big gulp of his red wine, he realized he should have asked for something stronger. He craved the burning sensation of alcohol going down his throat. Not that he really enjoyed drinking. Quite the opposite, truth to be told.