The Straw Man

The Legend of Nat Turner

An exciting CIA Novel that you will not want to put down

John Weems

Background

North Carolina holds many surprises for those who have never spent time there. The state is regarded as the most progressive of its southern sisters. In recent years the south has come alive, and North Carolina and the other southern states now comprise one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. Today North Carolina and the South are not even reminiscent of the region that was portrayed so vividly by American novelists in the first half of the twentieth century.

North Carolina is fortunate to have a favorable balance between industry and agriculture. While there are those who view this southern state as rural, many of the nations' major industries make their home here. North Carolina is the leading manufacturer of furniture, and many of the great names in furniture owe their existence to the craftsmen of this state. Great textile manufacturers have chosen North Carolina as their base of operation, locating factories and mills throughout the state. North Carolina attracted attention in the early part of the twentieth century when the nation's large tobacco firms chose to locate their home offices and processing facilities in the state.

Geographically the state is exceedingly diverse. The highest mountains in the eastern half of the United States, complete with winter resorts and ski slopes, are located in this traditionally warm southern state. The eastern shoreline is famous for its barrier islands, known as the Outer Banks. These banks protrude proudly but menacingly, into the Atlantic Ocean. The state is famous for such varied reasons as the first English settlement in the New World, the first manned flight at Kitty Hawk by the Wright Brothers and the home base of Black Beard the pirate.

Cape Hatteras, known as the "graveyard of the Atlantic", constitutes the easternmost tip of the barrier islands. It is at this precise point the Gulf Stream, which guards and warms the shoreline of the southern half of the United States, chooses to leave the North American continent on its journey through the north Atlantic. The point of departure is clearly visible. This visibility is the result of the Greenland Current which sweeps down the coastline of the northern half of the East coast of the United States and plunges broadside into the Gulf Stream, creating a ridge which often rises three to four feet out of the water. This geographic phenomenon serves as the primary ingredients for the production of terrifying storms. The rugged shoreline and these converging currents provide treacherous sea lanes for ships which attempt to hug the coastline for safety.

While a reasonable portion of the populace of the United States may underestimate the virility of North Carolina, the Soviet Union does not. Located among the sand hills of the southern part of North Carolina is the massive military base of Fort Bragg. This military base is the home of both the Eighty-Second Airborne Division and the special services force commonly known as the Green Berets. Fort Bragg, one of the major locations used for basic military training by the infantry, has between fifty and seventy-five thousand military men and women in residence at all times.

Located adjacent to Fort Bragg is Pope Air Force Base, one of the nation's oldest Air Force installations. This base, named for 1st Lt. Harley Halbert Pope, provides airlift support for airborne forces, supplies equipment for the military, and aides in the evacuations of wounded military personnel.  Due east of Fort Bragg is one of the largest Marine bases in the world, Camp Lejeune. This military establishment serves as one of the chief strategic bases in the United States. When trouble erupts anywhere in the world, the marines of Camp Lejeune are usually the first to be assembled for immediate dispatch. A few miles northeast of Camp Lejeune at Cherry Point, North Carolina, is located the major marine military air base. The most recent addition to the arsenal of the Cherry Point facility is the vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Harrier Jump jet, built by the British.

Located in the very heart of eastern North Carolina, near Goldsboro, is Seymour Johnson Air Base used by the Tactical Air Command as the staging area for its largest transport planes. These planes often have proven to be the difference between success and failure in many of the United States recent military campaigns. Based at Seymour Johnson are the C-130 Hercules, the C-141 Starlifter, and the C-5A Galaxy, the largest airplane now flying in the world. The logistics of supply has made the Tactical Air Command famous. Their heroic exploits of supplying troops can be recounted on every continent. One recent example illustrates the tactical importance of this base. The airplanes from Seymour Johnson were called upon to supply Israel during the second Arab-Israeli war. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities Russia had supplied five Arab nations for two years with the obvious purpose of annihilating Israel and returning this ancient land to Arab control. When the Egyptians caught the Israeli's by surprise and stormed across the Suez Canal, the Israeli's could do nothing but fall into rapid retreat. They were totally unprepared for this war. Israel was immediately attacked from all sides by Syria and other Arab Nations. The future looked bleak indeed.

The United States immediately started an airlift to Israel of military supplies primarily using C-141's and C-5A's from Seymour Johnson. Within six days Israel had been supplied with enough equipment to equal the efforts of the Soviets over the two year period. After eleven days Israel was so much better supplied than the enemy that the Arab nations simply called off the war. Even though the C-5A was instrumental in this victory, those congressmen and critics of Lockheed Aircraft's cost overruns in the development and manufacture of this airplane never have given either the company or the aircraft the credit deserved.

A few miles north east of Goldsboro near Greenville stand an amazing array of radio antennae. Dotted among the tobacco fields of this area are located the most powerful radio transmitters in the world. It is from this location the Voice of America beams its programs around the globe. One hundred miles west of these transmitters lies Raleigh, the state capitol. This southern capitol, along with the village of Chapel Hill and the city of Durham, form the three points of a triangle framing the Research Triangle Park. During the last thirty years this park has attracted research facilities from the foremost companies in the United States. These companies have built complex and sophisticated research facilities with laboratories conducting basic research in the areas of pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, electronics, and genetic engineering. This research complex has garnered much of the highly classified basic research contracted by the federal government. An amazing array of international companies whose home offices are not within the confines of the continental United States has chosen to place their research facilities within the park.

Adjoining this research complex are three well known research universities: The University of North Carolina nestled in the cozy little village of Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University located virtually within the shadow of the capital building in Raleigh, and Duke University situated in the bustling industrial city of Durham. These three major universities lend an educational and academic air to the area.  Whenever serious military trouble develops anywhere in the world, eastern North Carolina goes on alert. In an area most people could cover with their thumb on a map of the United States, stands the attack arm of this powerful country. This small area is literally the tip of a spear standing ready to be hurled in time of danger and crisis. Yes, the communist nations are very aware of North Carolina, and consequently have devoted more than an ordinary share of resources and personnel to monitor the activities and facilities of this area.

Prologue

Amboise Manor House

Leesburg Virginia

April 15, 2008

“Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a 25 year old blend of the rarest of Scotch Whiskies. I can think of nothing more pleasurable than story telling over a glass of good single malt or something very special like Johnnie Walker Blue. In my opinion that is the recipe for a perfect evening”.

The flames in the fireplace had slowly retreated from a roaring inferno to a calm tapestry of reds and yellows. The smell of the hardwoods burning permeated the room and complimented the taste of the rare whiskies being savored by two men. A misting rain blanketed the windows as ghostly as a spirit floating through the parlor of a haunted mansion. The wind was not a gale but its presence was not to be denied as it tormented the branches of the large oaks on the front lawn and teased the shrubbery that brushed gently against the library windows. It was a perfect night for tales to be told, a beautiful moment ripe for secrets to be shared between two old and very close friends.

These stories and secrets have nothing to do with wispy spirits of the nether world. This is a special moment in time for two men to share confidences that conceivably should not be told. But as most would agree, why do we have secrets if they can not to be shared with the right person at the right time?

This magical night is proving to be special. Two distinguished elderly gentlemen in the twilight of their careers sharing time and place together have the opportunity of opening the windows of history that otherwise will be lost forever in the quicksand of fading memory. Secrets will be shared in this intimate mystical setting. On many previous occasions these two old friends sat alone in this very library of one of Virginia’s most stately mansions sharing scotch whiskey and relating closely held enigmatic adventures of world import. Not inside information relating to finance and wealth. These were events which have shaped the world as it spun on its axis for the last sixty years.

Dr. Ernest St. Louis, the owner of beautiful Amboise Manor House, holds an endowed professorship in European History at Georgetown University. While the prestige of the appointment and the salary it commands would be considered lucrative in any academic circle, was not the major source of Dr. St. Louis wealth. He was a direct descendant of the founders of the Union Pacific Railroad and grandfathers and fathers before him had multiplied this original wealth scores of times through investments in steel, citrus, coal and major ownership in large estancias in Argentina and Brazil. His home, some thirty miles removed from Washington DC was an imposing structure establishing him well within the top echelon of his wealthy Virginia neighbors. While technically not a castle, the architecture of this mansion was imposing and tastefully luxurious. His longtime friend George Calumet has been invited to spend the week-end. This was the first night of their long planned visit.

George Calumet, the former Deputy Director of the CIA, had been looking forward to this brief vacation for several weeks. He knew that the incisive mind of Ernest St. Louis was never satisfied with small talk and reminiscences about earlier experiences in their long friendship. Ernest St. Louis like to do two things above all else. He adored teaching but even more he worshiped learning. He never spent his time on the inconsequential. Such conversation held no interest for him whatsoever. George understood this about Ernest and fully understood his expectations of sharing thoughts and experiences that would fascinate his academic mind. These interchanges was the impetus for these occasional weekends,

George Calumet had been with the CIA most of his adult life. He had risen rapidly through its ranks and had held most of the ultra sensitive positions the “company” had offered. He could have well spent weeks sharing these secret confidences gathered through work in the field and those he had directed in his leadership positions within the CIA. Most of this body of sensitive knowledge he felt comfortable in sharing with his friend Ernest. He was confident these secrets would go no further than the library of his stately mansion. This trust had never been breached.

There was one secret he had never shared. This secret was so precious he had sworn to himself and to be reinforced was sworn by others not to reveal. There were only three people in the CIA that had shared the knowledge of this secret and one was now dead. It was apparent to George that not many more years would pass until this secret, one of the most startling confidences of the twentieth century, would pass into oblivion unrecorded in anyone’s history that related to the turbulent time following World War II.

Two major super powers with their fingers on collective buttons that could destroy our civilization as we know it, viewing each other with mistrust and loathing, looking for any advantage for leverage as wrestlers writhing on canvas mats. Staring each other down, harboring fear and hatred for their adversary, with disaster lurking should either overstep their threatening countenances. This atmosphere had the world on the brink of a nuclear holocaust. The citizens of these two countries and their collective friends inhabiting the rest of the known world were concerned but never fully understood the teetering dangerous tension this earth was experiencing. Should the billions of our planets inhabitants really have this understood the thin restraints holding these goliaths at bay, paranoia would have been rampant. The population inhabiting this third planet from the sun could not have safely handled the truth of the moment.

George had been looking forward to this week-end. Ernest was the perfect host. He knew the conversation would be scintillating. George looked both forward too and yet dreaded the one question that Ernest might ask when they had settled in to the leather wing chairs facing the fireplace. Should this question be asked there were only two people left in the CIA and the participant himself that knew the factual answer to the question should it be asked?

The question was so obvious. Yet the question is never asked? It is a question that could be shortened to two words. “What happened?” Two words however in no way explore the complexity of the result. George had thought to himself,

”Will Ernest ask the question? Will I have the courage to answer this simple question factually and honestly? Will I chose to finesse the question and let history draw conclusions from scholars with vast reputations substituting educated guesses for actual fact and be dutifully recorded in history books for future generations to study?”

The days of anticipation had passed and George and Ernest were now through with their satisfying dinner of excellently prepared fresh game secured from the lands surrounding Amboise. The two friends had retreated to the library, poked the burning logs, and settled into a sea of the softest of leather. The discussion of the merits of fine scotch whiskey had been exhausted and it was now time for the conversation to be directed to something of more import.

The conversation was preceded by a long pause with both men looking intently into the diminishing fire. Ernest looked up slowly and turned slowly toward George and said, “What happened! George tells me the truth”.

Both men locked eyes and George replied, “Do you want to be more specific?” 

Ernest spoke softly but firmly, “George we are both getting older. It is not just a matter of curiosity to me. I am a historian.” 

Ernest paused momentarily and continued, “One of the greatest moments in history took place on your watch and nobody knows what happened. Secrets of national security are one thing but to ignore a turning point in history is another? This cannot be ignored.”

Ernest paused again, “The Soviet Union was one of the two greatest powers to ever exist on earth and suddenly one day it caved in. It melted. It evaporated like Atlantis sinking in to the sea. While everyone knows these events did occur nobody knows the real cause. We have had to live with hackneyed phrases spoken with the consistency of Gerber’s baby food offered as explanations. These lame off the cuff opinions from talking heads on television do not satisfy the description of a true moment in history. A nation of true power does not come apart overnight without there being and underlying root cause.”

Ernest went on, “You owe it to me. You owe it to the world. This must be recorded. You might not want it released now but it has to be available for future generations.”

George leaned back deeply into his leather wing chair. The protruding head rest gave him comfort as if they were arms folding around him.

He smiled a big relaxed smile. He had now made his decision. Now was the right moment and the right place and said, “You are not going to believe it. If you really want to know the absolute gospel I am not going to give you a quick answer with scanty facts and figures. It is a story which is going to take all night to tell and it must be frequently punctuated with small glasses of Johnnie Walker Blue. When I finish this story we will both be dead drunk. This is the only way that I can do this tale with the verve and emotion it deserves. Are you sure you want to hear it? It is quite a tale”

Ernest responded, “With an introduction like that I must immediately fortify myself with the cream of the spirits from the highlands.” 

There was a pause, glasses refilled. Ernest sat back in his chair and George leaned forward.

George began, “It was a fluke!”

“Not a real fluke. There was a plan and I happened to be the one who proposed it.”

“My plan however did not include the ending of the “Cold War”. It didn’t include the tearing down of the “Berlin Wall”. It didn’t include reducing the Soviet Union of one third of its land mass nor did it include freeing an incredible number of nations from Soviet domination.”

George went on, “It was an unusual time. Tensions were always boiling on the surface. The Soviets were probably cheating on every agreement we had made with them. I suspect we were too. It really was business as usual.”

“Let me go back six years to 1981. This is as good place to start the story as any other. President Reagan was inaugurated and entered the White House on the platform to make America strong again. He was totally convinced that President Jimmy Carter had allowed the country to wallow in complacency and he announced to the world that his intention was to make America strong again. He had overwhelming National support based upon the margin of his election the preceding November. He narrowed his focus to a few things he wanted to accomplish. He refused to scatter his influence over many issues. He was a strident “Cold Warrior”. His first acts were to propose large increases in defense spending and in 1983 made a startling announcement. He wanted to establish an anti-missile system based in space. If you recall 1981 was the year the space shuttle Columbia made its maiden voyage? We had the space equipment to build such a system whenever it might be perfected”.

George paused for emphasis, “President Reagan’s political opponents immediately attacked this anti-missile system plan and called it Star Wars. It was intended to be a term of derision but most of the American people liked it. Even though opposing politicians set up an unrelenting attack on the program the concept was based on rather firm logic. We were in the process of introducing the cruise missile and the SS-20 intermediate range missiles in Western Europe. These two missiles alone made 80% of the industrial might of the Soviet Union vulnerable to the small land based missiles.”

“The Soviet intermediate range missiles were not very good but even if they were they had few military targets they could hit. The Soviets did have very good Inter Continental missiles equipped with multiple war heads that could easily hit the United States and do considerable damage. We had no anti-missile system based in the United States but if we had invested in this hardware, the thought we could hit an ICBM traveling three thousand miles per hour straight toward us, was very problematical any way. It was doubtful that we would have any success with such a system intercepting missiles.”

“On the other hand, missiles, lasers, heavy metals or any projectile based in space could theoretically be 100% successful. Any heat signature of an ICBM coming out of a silo would be picked up by sensors in space immediately triggering a response targeting these instruments of death as they were struggling to become airborne. These targets would be barely moving and would be surrounded by immense amounts of heat. What a great target. While some politicians did not want to see the new President receive credit by making such a bold move, logic was on his side”.

“Brezhnev died in November of 1982. Yuri Andropov was elected General Secretary the very next day, and was the first former head of the KGB to hold that post. Andropov responded adamantly and defiantly to Reagan's Strategic Initiative plan. Andropov openly declared that all attempts at achieving military superiority over the U.S.S.R. was a waste of time and would be resisted with utmost Soviet vigor." It was later reported that Andropov was frightened by this newly proposed Strategic Defense Initiative.”

George paused and looked at Ernest with his eyebrows raised. “All of this was brewing when another problem surfaced that frightened me immensely. Let me skip forward to the spring of 1987. It was the middle of April. The 18th I think.”

“At the time I was Head of the Eastern European Section and I was facing serious problems and needed bold action fast. I had slept no more than three hours the night before and that was fitfully. The drive from my house to Langley was at most thirty minutes. The countryside is beautiful and I usually enjoy the drive to work immensely. This particular morning I arrived at the gate and couldn’t remember a single thing about my trip. I only hoped I had not been a danger to anyone on the road. My mind had been totally absorbed in a meeting that was going to take place early that morning.

“The meeting was scheduled for 9:00 AM with the Deputy Director of the CIA to discuss problems that we were having in the Eastern European Section. The fact that these problems were not confined to he Eastern Section was scarcely any comfort. I was going to have to answer for my failures and in no way attempt to share the blame with others. Any section head that was not willing to shoulder the responsibility for actions or shortcomings occurring under his command would not last long in the CIA.”

“There was one unusual aspect of our meeting. My good friend and counterpart, Michael Shinn, was also going to be present. This fact alleviated some of the tension surrounding the meeting. The Deputy Director seldom criticized one of his Section heads in front of another”.  

“While I was given great latitude in the planning and execution of operations in Eastern Europe it was always necessary to explained in great detail to the Deputy Director my activities, my thoughts and my plans. Today was special. I was going to propose a plan that if accepted would involve large numbers of CIA operatives working in Europe. Combined operations were always major decisions but this particular one was to be the most important major thrust that the CIA had attempted in five years”.

“I want to assure you again that my operation, no matter how important it appeared in my eyes in no way I included bringing down the Soviet Union”.

“My mind was racing as I thought about my presentation. I truly was excited. I knew better than to let my unbridled enthusiasm show too much in the meeting that was about to take place. Excitement to the CIA was sometimes interpreted as panic. The CIA preferred the cool, calm, calculating mode of expression. An approach that suggested well-thought-out plans and procedures to be followed when applied in the field. I knew, as well as most of my colleagues, that many of the coolest, calmest of our operatives were not the best thinkers. However, as in any business, the game was played by the rules of the informal power structure”.

“One more time I ran through his presentation in my mind. I marveled at its simplicity. This approach had been used on numerous occasions on a small scale, but the stakes had never been as high as they were going to be if his plan were accepted”.

“The CIA for more than two years had been facing difficult times. The British Section MI-6 and Israel's Mossad were having the same troubles we were experiencing”.

Ernest said, “George you keep talking about serious troubles but you have never explained to me the nature of these problems.”

George replied, “I was just about to lay this strange situation out for you. All of the Intelligence Services, both east and West, were undergoing dramatic changes in personnel and therein was the basis of the problem”.

“It had been forty-two years since the close of World War II. Relationships between countries throughout the world had ebbed and flowed. Enemies had become friends and friends had become enemies. Thirty-two years is a long time to keep Intelligence Services honed to a razor sharp edge. Recent months had proven to be a particularly bad time. All Intelligence Services spent considerably more time identifying other foreign agents than they did securing classified and sensitive information. There simply was not much going on at that time to create activity among the Soviet agents”.

“Summit meetings have a salutary effect on Intelligence activities. No one will ever forget the U-2 incident when Gary Powers were shot down over Russia just prior to Kruchev's visit to the United States during the Eisenhower administration. Summit meetings had again become popular and neither Intelligence service wanted to commit the ultimate faux pas that would allow them to be blamed for derailing the peace process”.

“It was my responsibility, along with Michael Shinn who headed the Western European Section of the CIA, to keep tabs on the agents placed in the field by the various Communist nations of the Eastern bloc. Quite frankly, they were just as interested in identifying the agents from the friendly powers as they were the agents of the current enemy. You never knew when our friends would become enemies. Sometime during the last forty-two years most of agents who had been active had either retired, been killed, promoted or died of natural causes. There were not many left. In this particular window in time it was apparent that the KGB was replacing its agents at an alarming rate”.

“We found the new KGB agent to be a different breed. These men and women were much less ideological than their predecessors but they were more highly trained. These new adversaries were trained in the use of new weapons systems, computers, and the latest technological devices developed for espionage and counter espionage by governmental research laboratories. The worst aspect of the problem was that the CIA did not know who these new replacements were and that was serious”.

“To start all over again by ferreting out these subversives that had buried themselves so deeply into the warp and woof of European life was enough to give one a giant headache. New dossiers had to be built, files had to be created, information had to be entered in various databases in appropriate computers, movements had to be tracked and recorded. There was simply no end to the chore that all of the heads of sections faced. There was not enough sensitive activity going on among the free world powers to create much interest in the KGB offices in Moscow. Morale was anything but high”. 

“They almost wished for a breakout of hostilities. It would at least make their jobs easier. When world tensions increased all of the intelligence services became highly active and consequently much more detectable. Right now everything was quiet and the moles were burying deeper and deeper. The CIA was worried. Soviet penetration was great and at present there was nothing that could be done about it. The touch of irony was that lack of hostility presented an even greater risk to security than international alerts. There was no question in my mind that if some event brought the world to the brink of war at this time the CIA would be branded a failure”.

“There were too many agents undetected. I was counting on this current state of weakness within the agency to help sell my plan. While I was making mental calculations about the upcoming meeting it is safe to say that no one was any more aware of this situation than the Deputy Director”.

“Dr. Christopher Cope, our Deputy Director, was a brilliant man. He possessed a razor sharp incisive mind. He had that important ability to ignore the extraneous and see right to the heart of a problem. Cope had spent most of his professional career on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He had risen through the academic ranks rapidly and when he was forty-two years old he became the Executive Vice-President of the University.”

“Just six years later with the inauguration of a new President of our country he was asked to become the Deputy Director of the CIA. After substantial soul searching he decided this was a contribution he could make at the expense of an outstanding academic career”.

I get excited just sitting here talking to you about those three months in the history of our nation that will never be recorded. I can feel the adrenalin beginning to run. My palms are beginning to sweat just thinking about it. Let me start all over again at the very beginning and I will tell you the whole story just as it played out.

                                                                                 1987

7:30 a.m. Monday, April 18, 1987

Hunt Country of Virginia

George Calumet, Head of the Eastern European Section of the CIA, was driving to work through the hunt country of northern Virginia. There are those who describe this as some of the loveliest real estate anywhere. George did not claim to be that much of an aficionado of this geographic area, but he would agree it was beautiful countryside. He had made this drive hundreds of times, using the thirty minutes to enjoy the scenery and organize his day. However, this morning he had taken no notice of the surroundings. He was in deep concentration with his mind on CIA business. While his driving posed no threat to other motorists, he would have to admit he could remember nothing he had seen or done during this trip to work. He was totally absorbed.

A 9:00 meeting was scheduled this morning with the Deputy Director of the CIA to discuss problems of the Eastern European Section. The fact that these problems were not confined to the Eastern Section was scarcely any comfort. Any section head must shoulder the responsibility for actions and shortcomings occurring under his command or he would not last long at the CIA.

There was one unusual aspect of this meeting. His friend and counterpart, Michael Shinn, was going to be present. This fact alleviated some of the tension surrounding the meeting. The Deputy Director seldom criticized one of his section heads in front of another.

While George was given latitude in the planning and execution of operations in Eastern Europe, the activities were reported in detail to the Deputy Director. Today was special. He was going to propose a plan which, if accepted, would involve large numbers of CIA operatives from both the Eastern and Western sections. Combined operations were important, but this one would be the most significant major thrust of the CIA in five years.

His mind began to race and he became excited as he thought about his presentation. He knew, however, he must keep his enthusiasm contained in today's meeting. Excitement to the CIA was interpreted as panic. The CIA preferred the cool, calm, calculating mode of expression, a demeanor suggesting well-thought-out plans and procedures. As in any business, if you want to succeed you play the game by the rules.

Once more George mentally ran through his presentation. He marveled at its simplicity. This approach had been used on a small scale, but never had the stakes been as high as they were going to be if his plan were accepted.

For more than two years the CIA had been facing difficult times. The British MI6 and Israel's famed Mossad were having the same trouble. Most of the intelligence services, from the East and West, were undergoing dramatic changes in personnel, and therein lay the basis of the problem.

It had been almost forty-five years since the close of World War II. Relationships between countries had ebbed and flowed. Enemies had become friends, and friends had become enemies. Forty-five years is a long time to keep intelligence services honed to a razor sharp edge. Recent months had proven to be a particularly bad time. George Calumet's responsibility, along with Michael Shinn who headed the Western Section of the CIA, was to keep tabs on the agents placed in the field by the various Communist nations of the Eastern bloc. During the last forty-five years most of the active agents had retired, been killed, promoted, or had died of natural causes. Not many were left and the KGB was replacing its agents at an alarming rate. The new KGB agent was a different breed. These men and women were less ideological than their predecessors but more highly trained. These new adversaries were accomplished in the use of weapons, computers, and the latest technological devices developed by governmental research laboratories for espionage and counter-espionage. The most serious aspect of the problem was that the CIA had not been able to identify these new replacements.

To start over again, ferreting out those subversives who had buried themselves so deeply into the warp and woof of European life, was enough to give a section head a throbbing headache. New dossiers had to be built, files created, information entered into data bases in computers, and movements tracked and recorded. There was no end to the chore all the section heads faced. The problem was complicated by the fact that not much sensitive activity was taking place among free world powers to interest the KGB. Morale was anything but high. The CIA agents almost wished for a breakout of hostilities. It would at least make their jobs easier. When world tensions increased, all the intelligence services became highly active and consequently their agents more easily detected. But now everything was quiet, and the moles were burying deeper and deeper. The CIA was worried; Soviet penetration was deep, and nothing could be done about it. It was ironic that the lack of hostilities presented an even greater risk to security than did international alerts. There was no question in George's mind that, if some event brought the world to the brink of war, the CIA would be branded a failure. Too many KGB agents were undetected. George was counting on this current state of weakness within the agency to sell his plan. While he was making mental notes about the upcoming meeting, no one was more aware of the situation than the Deputy Director.

Dr. Christopher Cope possessed a razor sharp, incisive mind. He had the ability to ignore the extraneous and see right to the heart of a problem. Cope spent most of his professional career on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He had risen through the academic ranks rapidly, and when forty-two years old became a vice-president of this institution. Six years later with the inauguration of a new President of the United States, he was asked, to become deputy director of the CIA. After substantial soul searching, he decided to make this contribution to his country at the expense of an outstanding academic career. While Cope had graduate degrees from three of the United States most prestigious research universities, he liked to emphasize his liberal arts training at the undergraduate level in a small college in Ohio.

Deputy Director Cope had decided to keep the meeting small. Only Calumet and Shinn had been invited to join him in his deliberations. Both liked Cope very much. His academic training, however, did prove to be a problem to these two from time to time. He often attacked their ideas when he knew them to be perfectly sound. He enjoyed the intellectual interchange accompanying a good argument. While disconcerting, it taught Calumet and Shinn to do their homework. Cope believed in facts, documentation, and supported theories.

While tough, Cope was completely fair in his judgments. Cope also had considerable influence with the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. If Cope were convinced an idea was good, he would support it as strongly as if it were his own. He would then take this idea to the Director and in a most erudite and persuasive manner try to initiate it as agency policy. Cope would always give credit where credit was due.

Everyone at the agency knew if you could convince Chris Cope about the value of a project, the Director was likely to give his approval. The Director had confidence in Cope and past experience had proven this was good judgment. Chris had never failed the Director or embarrassed him in any way. The two made a good team. This confidence was the ultimate compliment, and no one else at the agency had the same standing with the Director.

As Calumet approached the checkpoint allowing entrance to the grounds of the CIA Headquarters Building, these thoughts receded from his mind. After George presented proper credentials, the guard made a cursory inspection of the inside of the automobile before allowing him to proceed. The 9:00 meeting took place in the small conference room adjacent to Cope's office. The room was almost square, with dimensions roughly eighteen feet by twenty feet, and as nondescript as most government offices. A brown carpet with a slight tweed effect covered the floor. Several landscape prints hung on each wall, obviously selected by a decorator with the purpose in mind of not being provocative. Eight identical armchairs surrounded the Formica topped conference table. There could be no way to determine superiority in this room by looking at the chairs. Everyone knew, however, that Chris Cope would sit at the east end of the table with his back to the windows.

On the north wall was a credenza completely covered in Formica. This piece of furniture had two sliding doors in the center with two stacked drawers on each end. The credenza had no practical use, and was completely lacking in character. A lamp placed on the right end of the credenza appeared to be a telescope standing on end. On the left end was an arrangement of exotic flowers, unfortunately a dried arrangement and not freshly cut. The flowers contributed certain lifelessness to the room. It is interesting to note that an agency such as the CIA, with hundreds of millions of dollars to spend each year on covert activities, carefully makes its public and business rooms appear to be furnished with a budget of a few hundred dollars.

The meeting had been in session for two hours. During this time, Cope had been direct in pointing out the shortcomings of the two European sections. Both section heads were thoroughly uncomfortable. George thought the time was now appropriate to present his plan.

"Chris, I have a suggestion."

Calumet in his coolest, CIA demeanor leaned forward on the table and realized he had a problem with the seating arrangement. The Deputy Director was to his right and Mike Shinn was to his left. This was not going to work. It would be impossible to give both men the proper eye contact without moving his head back and forth as if he were watching a tennis match. Calumet realized it was vital to have the Deputy Director endorse his plan. He certainly wanted Mike on his side, too. While Mike was not subject to petty jealousies, it was important for Mike to feel he was an integral part of this operation from the beginning. He did not want to lose Mike's support over something as simple as spending a great portion of his time engaging the Deputy Director's eye in his presentation.

Calumet made up his mind abruptly. He pushed his chair back from the table, walked to the west end of the room, and stood against the wall.

"Fellows, if you don't mind, I need to stand. I think more clearly on my feet and if there're any details which need analyzing, I think I can handle them better when I can talk to both of you without shifting my head back and forth."

He focused his eyes on the line where the ceiling meets the east wall over the windows, took a deep breath and began. "This is the problem as I see it. It's been almost forty-five years since the end of World War II. Our agency has spent more time tracking penetrators than it has uncovering classified information. We've had our successes and we've had our failures. Looking at the total picture I think we can be proud of the track record of the CIA. However, during the last two or three years, there's been a dramatic removal of known Communist bloc agents from the field. It now appears most of the agents we had previously identified and had under surveillance are no longer on station.

We know these people have been replaced by new and younger operatives, and frankly, they're much better trained than most of those we faced in the past. They're being slipped in under cover and kept out of sight. Those agents left in the field are being moved to new locations in other sectors of Europe, and we're no longer able to keep up with them. If some military action were to put our stations on alert, I think we would be embarrassed, and we would have a helluva time keeping them from penetrating virtually every operation we have going. Men, I have spent many sleepless nights thinking about this."

"Can you believe these intruders are now in place and may honestly know more about our potential military operations than our own intelligence gathering service? I'm sure both of you agreeing this is an unacceptable posture."

"That is the outline of the problem," Calumet said, "and here's my suggestion for the solution. We need to find a person who meets a certain set of criteria which we will determine. This person will have no connection with any intelligence or security service and would not be in possession of classified information or military secrets. Even though he is not intelligence oriented, we will put him in the field masquerading as a person possessing substantial information of military importance."

"Now I'm going to outline a method to make him appear to be of great importance to the KGB."

Calumet narrowed his eyes almost to slits, furrowed his brow and went on. "Once this person has been identified and recruited we will take him to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. We will ask General Chambers, the base commander, to close the base and alert his staff that a high level CIA operative will be visiting him for two days. We will ask him to raise the base to maximum security. The closing of the base and the high level of security will tip off the KGB that something big is going on."

"On the evening of the second day we will move our recruit over to Pope Air Force Base. This is only a fifteen or twenty minute drive. Our new man will spend all day with the base commander at Pope. We will ask for Pope to be closed during his stay and the same high level of security be enforced. This will get the attention of everyone connected with the air base."

"On the evening of the third day we will use an Apache helicopter to ferry him to Camp LeJeune. The same format will be followed. On the evening of the fourth day we will move our man to Cherry Point, the marine air base, where the Harrier Jump Jets are located. We'll ask the commander at Cherry Point to take him up in one of the Harriers and spend most of the day in the air. You recall the Harrier Jump Jet has vertical take-off and landing capabilities and can even fly backwards! This should cause some attention to be focused on our man."

"The fifth day we will ferry him to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base near Goldsboro and drop him off in a Harrier. This should cause real excitement and gather considerable attention! The base commander will be asked to close the base and tighten security. Our man can spend the following day with the base commander and then be taken to Raleigh in the evening. By this time the computers in the KGB offices in Moscow will be humming. They will use their search and match programs trying to obtain a fix on this new military VIP who has appeared from nowhere. If we start the circuit on Monday morning, we’ll finfish the military bases on Friday night.”

"The following Monday we'll take him for a visit to the Voice of America transmitters near Greenville. I would like for a military escort to accompany him for effect. This should help us make this person the most highly publicized security secret in the world. The Soviets by this time will be assembling a task force to monitor this person's every move. We'll take him back to Raleigh on Monday night and have him ready for visits in the Research Triangle Park starting on Tuesday morning."

"The amusing fact is that we could drive a visitor right though the gates of these bases without security precautions and never be detected. It's the tightened security that will bring the moles to the surface, and I expect our man will be photographed or identified in some way at each installation."

"On Tuesday we'll arrange a visit to the research labs of Hercules Laboratories. They have many government contracts and, frankly, the security at Hercules is better than at the military bases. Our man will be given the red carpet treatment in the Research Triangle Park. Many of those laboratories live on money provided by government contracts."

"Wednesday he goes to Burroughs-Wellcome in the morning and Glaxo in the afternoon. These are both large pharmaceutical firms owned by the British. Their research labs are in the Park, and both have large manufacturing facilities in North Carolina. This move will certainly puzzle the Soviets. It will perhaps raise the specter of germ warfare. Before this week is out we may have a parade of agents following our man."

"On Thursday he'll spend the day at Troxler Electronics. This company was founded by one of the cleverest men in the country. He has consistently invented new electronic devices, done the basic research, and then placed the product on the market quicker and cheaper than anybody else in the United States. This firm has now become one of the first companies the military approach when they need a device in a hurry. I'm sure the KGB knows all about Troxler Electronics."

"When the KGB analysts in Moscow begin to receive reports of this flurry of activity in North Carolina, and when they have properly identified our man, we'll be ready to spring the trap so carefully baited. They'll flag him and send his dossier to stations around the world. They're smart enough to know we wouldn't go to all this effort if it were not for an important national security operation. Every station of theirs will be waiting for him to pop up somewhere."

"The following Monday he goes back to Seymour Johnson and boards a C-141 Starlifter for a flight to England. We'll put him in one of our bases near the Cotswold and ask MI6 to meet and escort him to Number 10 Downing Street for an audience with the Prime Minister. We would have to get the State Department to do this for us. I suspect our Deputy Director would have to spend a lot of his green stamps for that one! After the audience we'll request he spend the balance of the day with the head of MI6. The second day in England he would continue to work in Whitehall with MI6. This would firmly tie our man to the top intelligence service in the British Empire."

"After two days in England we'll send him by C-141 to Tel Aviv. Here again we'll need an audience with the Prime Minister and the balance of two days with the Mossad. When the Mossad becomes involved, our man becomes white hot. I'm assuming this information will be taken to the Communist Central Committee. Even the KGB would not try to bury this as much as they'd like to. The Soviets should now become desperate to know what's going on."

"Two more stops --one in Paris and one in Bonn. If the Prime Minister and the Chancellor will visit with him and then turn him over to their intelligence people, the nail will be clinched. The Soviets should assume the United States is planning an invasion somewhere in the world using the marines from Camp LeJeune and the 82nd Airborne Division. It would also be logical for them to assume the Tactical Air Command from Seymour Johnson will both land and support them. The air cover would be provided by the Harrier Jump Jets from Cherry Point."

He paused and took a breath. "After the visits with these four heads of state, it would be assumed he was moving about putting our intelligence stations on alert. The fact he didn't visit them directly would indicate the information is so sensitive he must work from cover. This conclusion would be supported by the fact the United States sent someone personally to transmit the information. They did not want to use any kind of communication device for fear it would be intercepted. The fact that the Navy is not involved in any way would suggest the invasion would be in a land locked area which prohibits the use of aircraft carriers, Navy guns, and air cover."

He smiled and added, "We're going to have to be careful not to make this appear so real they attack us first."

Both Cope and Shinn acknowledged Calumet's smile with one of their own.

Calumet continued his presentation, "If they do come to this conclusion, then our man will become so important they cannot afford to let him move around Europe unobserved. I think we can safely assume that anywhere he goes he will be shadowed by the best agents the KGB has."

Calumet then moved to his conclusion. "We will have him move quickly through ten select cities in Europe. He'll stop people on the street and talk to them. He'll join people at tables in crowded restaurants. He'll visit bars and conversations. We want him in theaters and opera houses meeting people during intermission. Then comes the crowning blow, we'll have him visit universities. The Soviets hate universities. They don't even like their own. The Soviets believe no academic can be totally trusted. When he visits the universities, they'll go crazy."

Shinn couldn't hold back any longer and broke into the presentation. "What's he going to talk about with all of these people?"

He answered, "Nothing of consequence as far as we're concerned, but of course the Soviets don't know this."

"You mean he'll be talking to prime ministers without any assigned topic?"

"No Mike, I was speaking of the Grand Tour through the cities of Europe. When he speaks to the prime ministers, they'll know what we're up to. But this information should be delivered by the Director of the CIA to the head of their counterparts abroad. We should ask them not to bring anyone else in or the KGB penetration might pick it up. The KGB is in deep."

"We must make every effort to keep security tight anywhere our man goes. We want the KGB to think we're trying to slip this man all over the world undetected. They'll never know how disappointed we'll be if they miss him at any of his assigned stops.

Chris Cope, who had been listening patiently, decided to break in. "I'm impressed, very impressed." Calumet could have sung with the angels.

"George, I think we could now expect the KGB to get directions from the Central Committee to make our man its highest priority. If this does happen, we can rest assured none of their new agents in the field will be left in cover. They're going to put them on the street for the entire world to see. When this happens, the good ole CIA' will be waiting. Any time  they put on the street we'll be right behind them. We'll get pictures, fingerprints, addresses, employment, friends, meeting points, control agents. We should get everything. Then we can silently slip away, and they'll never know their agent's cover has been blown."

"Our new operative, however, will be in for a nightmare. He'll be followed, his room searched, and his phone tapped. Anyone he talks with on the street will be noted. I'm sure he'll get their undivided attention. He'll undoubtedly be confronted directly by the best of the KGB. It not only will be mental pressure, but I expect it to become physical."

"Do you think they'll kill him?" Shinn asked cautiously.

I don't think so. Killing him wouldn't stop the military operation. The Soviets are more interested in the information they think he is carrying."

"Do you think that he'll be spirited back to USSR?"

"It could happen. I hope we could move in and prevent it, but for us to do so, our man will have to walk a narrow line. If he decides to free-lance, then he is in big trouble"

"Where are you suggesting we send him after he has met with the heads of government?" Cope inquired of Calumet.

"This is the itinerary I have in mind--Helsinki, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Stuttgart, West Berlin, Munich, and ending up in Salzburg."

Shinn wanted to know, "Why did you select those cities?"

"Cities of intrigue," replied Calumet.

He paused to let the comment sink in and then continued, "Seriously, the KGB has station heads and major networks in those cities. They'll have the manpower to put on the street if we take it right to their strength. We will certainly be getting their best operatives in these cities. Another bonus is the fact that all of these cities have major universities. If our man starts poking around the ivy covered halls of academe, then the KGB station heads will come under increasing pressure. Moscow will be all over them to see what our man is up to. Universities are their most sensitive area. The KGB will be distraught if they think he can move easily and freely among the academicians."

Chris laughed out loud. "I'd give anything to be with the task force assigned to track this man. I'd love to see those braggadocio bastards upstaging one another trying to figure out what the hell's going on. The whole hierarchy will want to get in on the action; the Central Committee will need constant progress reports. We have never come up with anything which has the potential to cause such consternation as this little scam. It's absolutely incredible."

Calumet could scarcely contain himself. No one had ever heard Chris talk like this before. He was showing enthusiasm to which the CIA was unaccustomed.

Cope continued, "Can you believe the exponential number of people the KGB will have to trace and identify simply because our man has come in contact with them, and they in turn have come in contact with others? They'll be swamped! They'll be overwhelmed! The field agents may lose their cool. They'll probably start going up to people and showing their credentials as if they were some damn detectives." Cope was obviously having a totally uncharacteristic good time.

"Will he talk to our local people in these cities?" Shinn asked.

"No, we want our people free to work on the identification of their agents," replied Calumet. "If he gets involved with our agents, we would have to spend most of our time devising covers. This would defeat the purpose of the plan. Only in case of complete disaster would I want of our stations to  become involved. I would say it'll be hands off unless they try to kill him."

Calumet paused as he considered the matter and repeated once again, "We can only help if he strictly follows our directions. Any free-lancing and all bets are off."

The meeting continued for another hour with the men discussing details and speculating on possibilities. Cope asked his usual penetrating questions. The plan became tighter and tighter. Cope would have preferred not to use the military for the original method of transportation into England, Israel, France, and Germany. However, the ability to move the man about to visit these essential contacts without going through passport control was too appealing. It would add to his mystique.

Cope looked directly into each man's eyes and said, rather abruptly, "Can the two of you break away for dinner tonight?"

Calumet maintained his cool professional demeanor, but he wanted to shout. Chris had bought the operation. Not only had he bought the operation, it was obvious he was going to move with great dispatch. The dinner tonight indicated the plan was to go into effect with a degree of urgency. Cope would have to meet with the director this afternoon for approval. Calumet also knew if the director liked the idea, he might just have to call the White House for an immediate unscheduled visit.

8:30 p.m., Monday, April 18, 1987

Waterfront Hotel, Thames Street

Fells Point Section, Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is an old and historic city. Ten or twelve years ago it could have been described as "run down at the heels." Today, however, Baltimore can be used as one of the best examples of urban renewal. The revitalization of the inner harbor is Baltimore's frontispiece. The city of Baltimore radiates like a star from this newly developed downtown area. One mile due east of the inner harbor on the waterfront is a section of Baltimore known as Fells Point. A few years ago Fells Point was nothing more than a seaman's hangout, and considered to be a dangerous section of the city. However, Fells Point, too, has been reclaimed. Houses and buildings often dating back 200 years now serve as fashionable boutiques and upscale restaurants. For historic purposes the businesses are housed in these old buildings with very little renovation other than new wiring and plumbing. The atmosphere is impressive.

The Waterfront Hotel is located on Thames Street directly across from the harbor and faces the old Custom House. The Waterfront Hotel no longer offers lodging to weary travelers. The first floor is devoted to a tavern and the second floor to a unique dining room. Both levels contain fireplaces with roaring fires except in the hottest months. To reach the dining room you must ascend a very narrow set of stairs leading to the second floor. The left side of the stairwell has been left as bare bricks which immediately allow one to observe the antiquity of the building. At the top of the stairs is a small landing. After a quick right turn and three more steps, the guests arrive in a delightful small dining room. On the east wall is a fireplace with several logs cheerily ablaze. No more than ten tables are arranged about the room, but even these make for a slightly cramped space which adds to the coziness. While the paneling is not original to the room, it is easy to tell the wood dates back to the time of the construction of the building. The setting is ideal for a meal to be shared by friends.

Dr. Christopher Cope had invited two old and trusted academic friends to join him, Shinn, and Calumet for dinner. The first was Lt. Commander Cicero Pittard of the United States Naval Academy. Pittard was a Full Professor with specialties in mathematics, physics, navigation, and technological warfare. The United States Naval Academy, located in Annapolis, Maryland, was only twenty miles south of Baltimore. The quick drive up Route 2 made the Fells Point meeting very convenient for Pittard.

The second friend was Dr. Howard Womack, a full professor at the University of Maryland. This educational institutional is located in College Park, a suburb of Washington, D.C., and is a twenty-five minute drive from Baltimore following Interstate 95 North. The meeting place in Baltimore was convenient for Womack since the total trip to the restaurant in Fells Point didn't take more than thirty-five minutes. Dr. Womack's specialty was World Governments with a more narrow focus on the Eastern bloc countries. All three Central Intelligence Agency employees worked and lived west of the District of Columbia. The drive from CIA headquarters took about an hour.

The evening was very convivial. It was apparent Cope, Pittard, and Womack were old friends and had shared many good times together. It was also easy to tell from their conversation they respected each other greatly. They had a tendency to degrade each other in minor and amusing ways good friends like to do to show close association and real affection. George Calumet and Michael Shinn were not included in these preliminary remarks and, consequently, felt a bit awkward sitting at the table.

After two rounds of Johnny Walker Black Scotch Whiskey on the rocks, the evening began to change for Calumet and Shinn. The before-dinner cocktails had their effect, and after 30 minutes, Calumet and Shinn were definitely included in the group. Calumet was expecting the conversation relating to the proposed operation to begin immediately. To his surprise, this was not Chris Cope's way. Stories were swapped, jokes were told, and embarrassing moments were relived. After dinner was ordered, the conversation became more serious. Cope shared with his two friends some of the CIA's recent successes, but he soon moved to the major problem facing the CIA that had been a matter of concern for several months.

The dinner was superb. A comment was made by one of the men that this was the best dinner he had ever eaten. This pronouncement had been made many times before by each of the dining participants and would indeed be made many times again. Only after the table was cleared and coffee was served did Chris Cope begin to recount the conversation which had taken place in his conference room this morning. Dr. Womack and Lt. Commander Pittard entered into the conversation in a lively sort of way. They asked many of the same questions Cope and Shinn had asked of Calumet earlier in the day. Tonight was different, however. Cope had not come to Womack and Pittard to determine if the operation should be launched. He had come to ask them for help in some yet undetermined way.

As the plan began to unfold the essential ingredients seemed to include finding someone outside the intelligence field to operate as a Straw Man. This Straw Man would be sent scurrying around Europe with the KGB in hot pursuit. As in an old Keystone comedy film, the CIA would be stalking the KGB, cleverly identifying the KGB's new and unknown operatives who had been carefully and secretly placed in the field. Surprisingly, it was Pittard who took the initiative and not Cope. "Chris, we've had a delicious dinner and I'm happy to spend CIA money on good food, but it’s obvious delectable dining is not why you invited us here. While I don't mind spending most of the night discussing an idea you've already accepted, I know from experience you would never buy someone a dinner such as the one we've had here tonight without expecting something in return."

Chris Cope leaned back in his chair and smiled at this friendly accusation. "Fellows, we do need your help." He paused. "I don't want many of our people at the company to know anything about this operation in its earliest stages. You begin to get a lot of friendly advice and, frankly, I don't need that right now. The main thing I want us to do tonight is to brainstorm and outline in rough fashion the characteristics we think this person should have before we start looking for the person to fit the position. To deceive the KGB is not an easy task and if they are not fooled, I promise you they will turn the tables on us, and there'll be hell to pay. They'll have us chasing every derelict and prostitute in Europe thinking they're KGB agents, and we'll be filling our computers with worthless information. If this happens, I suspect ' Ole Chris Cope' will be teaching Freshman Chemistry in the hills of eastern Kentucky never to be heard from again."

They all laughed. Womack entered the conversation. "If you're going to send a man to talk to generals, heads of state, chiefs of intelligence and who can deal face-to-face with the best of the KGB, then he'll have to be sophisticated, exhibit a high level of confidence and be experienced in speaking in pressure situations. I hate to use a facetious remark, but he's going to need a James Bond personality."

Calumet agreed. "This man is going to be operating in many different countries with widely varying cultures and value systems. He needs to be knowledgeable of those differences and be able to adjust to the subtle interpersonal changes which take place when he deals with varying social classes in these countries. Body language is different and protocol follows entirely different rules. A mistake in interpreting nuance can cause an international incident."

"Our man must have great historical knowledge," Shinn interjected, "and, if at all possible, have complete mastery of more than one of the common languages in Europe. It won't be necessary for him to know the native language of every country he visits, but it is important for Europeans to know that the person with whom they're dealing is a good linguist. To the typical educated European, the mastery of another country's language is the mark of an intelligent person. I would hope he will be conversant enough to switch languages if he were in an international situation such as a hotel or a casino."

The nodding approval of those around the table indicated they agreed with Shinn. Pittard had been taking all of this in and decided it was now time for him to join into the conversation. "We mentioned sophistication, but we didn't include the ability to stay calm and collected under pressure. I'm sure it was implied, but I want to be sure we all understand we're not sending this man on holiday with no implicit danger. If your little scam works, we are not sure how the Soviets will react. My guess is they will consider spiriting him away if they think he possesses information that is endangering their ideological revolution. To put it more bluntly, if we scare the hell out of them, your new super spy might get an unscheduled visit behind the Iron Curtain. If he does, will he blow the cover?" Pittard paused. "Chris, if this man disappears, then you will not want to believe anything the Soviets do for many months. If they crack him, and they will, they'll do exactly as you said, and try to turn the tables on us."

"You're right, Cicero." Cope replied. "This man is going to have to stay out of trouble. We must have him under more control than I first thought this morning. Not only will he need to be calm and collected, he's going to have to sense when his cover is blown and get the hell out. We'll pick him up and have him to safety in a matter of minutes, if he will use good judgment."

Womack was slightly impatient and becoming more interested and excited. He could not wait any longer and broke in as academics tend to do. "Respect! This person by his very position must gain respect. We're still an infant country in the eyes of Europeans. We call our president by his last name, but I guarantee you this will not be true in the countries where this man will be travelling. The professional position he holds now must command a level of respect which will open doors for him in Europe. It is also important for the KGB to buy the fact that we're entrusting our nation's most vital secrets to this unique person. Whomever you select must have achieved a high level position in his field to have garnered the level of respect he will need."

"Sounds like we need an ambassador,." Shinn added. "It would appear to be logical to place a person with ambassadorial competence, experience, and level of achievement into this trusted position."

Cope, listening quietly and considering all that was being said, responded, "Well, maybe we should seek an ambassador. If he fits our characteristics, then we'll get busy recruiting him."

George Calumet decided it was time for him to enter the conversation forcefully; after all, it was his plan originally. "This person is going to have to be well versed in science. I agree he needs to be sophisticated and make an impact.

Yes, he needs to be an obvious leader; but the aspect I'm the most concerned about relates to the knowledgeable impact he will make. I'm more inclined to think this person needs scientific accomplishment."

Shinn wanted back into the conversation. He had waited patiently, but the discussion was heating up and it became evident he was going to have to be aggressive to get to voice his ideas.

He almost blurted out, "Computers! He needs to know computers. Scientific accomplishment is one thing, but an expert in the use of computers today takes on an aura of being at the frontiers of knowledge. It gives one instant credentials. Everyone we'll schedule our Straw Man to talk with will have access to very powerful computers. While they personally may not write computer programs, they would be totally familiar with the computer's capabilities. An expert in this field would be a great advantage in carrying out the assignment we're going to give him."

Chris Cope had bided his time. He had stayed out of the discussion other than to make an occasional comment to reassure everyone he was still in control of the conversation. He wanted each of them to feel he was being attentive as they brainstormed and discussed the profile of the new operative for the Central Intelligence Agency. He wanted to keep himself in a judgmental position; consequently he was not being overly committed to any particular suggestion. So far there had been little said he could fault. He had selected good people for this meeting and they were right on track. As the conversation continued, a personality type was coming into focus for Chris. He had already realized this was not going to be an easy person to find. Even though the suggestion had been made and he had given some positive agreement to the idea. He had already ruled out ambassadors. While such a position did carry prestige, almost none of the other characteristics fit.

Cope suddenly asked the question, "What do you think he should look like?"

"I think he should be big, strong, and in excellent physical condition." Womack stated emphatically.

Pittard broke in. "Well, that leaves me out and I was hoping everyone here was describing me."

They all chuckled at Pittard's humorous remark.

"He can't be a young kid." Womack continued. "He must be old enough to convey wisdom and experience but not old enough to show deterioration. In the eyes of the Soviets, this shows weakness."

"Howard, why do you think he needs to be big and strong?" Cope asked.

"We're going to ask our new operative to meet with almost every conceivable personality type as we move him about the world. We need a confident, physically imposing person. Aggressiveness to make an impact would be counterproductive in this case. A person who is calm and self assured will speak volumes to the people with whom he comes in contact. I am visualizing a person who will comfortably fill a doorway when he comes through it."

"Do you mean we need a football or a basketball type, someone 6'6" or 6'8" and weighing 260 pounds?"

"No, that would be overdoing it. A huge person who towers over you makes you feel uncomfortable. In my judgment, a maximum size would be 6'3" or 6'4" and not under 6 feet.

Pittard looked up contemplating the physical appearance of their hypothetical man and asked "How much do you think he should weigh?"  

Cope joined with the comment, "Proportional, just so he looks proportional. As a rule of thumb I am guessing that 200 pounds would be a good target. Give or take a few pounds of course. We want this person to look good."

"Chris, do you have a personality type in mind? A Type A personality, or do you want someone more laid back?" Womack asked.

Cope grinned. "I think we need both. We need a Type A personality with the demeanor of Gregory Peck or Charlton Heston."

Womack returned the grin. "I think you're telling the truth. We're looking for a movie star type. We should sign Gregory Peck or Charlton Heston. They appear to have all of the characteristics we're looking for; at least they play those parts on the screen."

Reflecting for a moment, Cope said, "This person not only will to have to sell in Peoria but also Helsinki, Paris, Zurich, and Berlin. Most of all, he's going to have to win an academy award in Moscow! We need someone with the flexibility and demeanor to talk with prime ministers and still be able to move among street people without creating a certain awkwardness which can accompany persons of high rank. This person will need to have a dramatic personality and yet still have the good sense to know when to fold his tents and fade into the woodwork. We're talking good theatre. Perhaps he'll conceive himself as playing a part. But if he does, it will have to be his natural demeanor. Like Spencer Tracy, who played the same part in every movie?"

Michael Shinn had been carefully listening to the latest remarks. But his mind was already racing to topics not yet covered. "The KGB will run background checks on this person as soon as he surfaces. They will investigate his personal life, his professional life, anything to help them piece together a profile. It's important for this person to be well known in his community. We're not looking for a face in the crowd. We need someone with experience and verifiable accomplishments, both personal and professional. He must have shown leadership, perhaps as president of the Rotary club, or president of some national organization. The KGB is smart enough to know The United States government is not going to pick a guy named Joe off the street and entrust him with highly classified information when he has had no track record."

Cope agreed. "Mike, we are going to have to find someone who is well known enough to run for office and win. It sounds as if we are describing the president of a large corporation. He certainly must have had public exposure. Name recognition impresses local operatives. It makes their reports to Moscow convincing."

Cope continued. "I think we've done a remarkable job in describing the person to head this operation. Of course this person may not be easy to find. When you mention corporation presidents in the same breath with personal experience in operating computers, you are going in opposite directions. The reason highest ranking executives of companies do not have a computer terminals in their office are they don't know how to type. We will have a problem locating someone of the age we discussed who has taken time to master the computer. Most executives came along prior to the advent of the microcomputer and the only computers around during their early years were the large mainframes. The mainframes were run primarily by technicians, not by promising executives. Very few have any experience at all. An expert is a rare bird indeed."

Cope went on. "I also agree with you Mike, we're going to have to have someone who can establish instant credibility with the Soviets. They are well aware we wouldn't clear anyone to handle top secret information that hasn't proven ability to handle responsibility."

The conversation continued as each of the men speculated on the origin of a person who would be convincing both in palaces and in intelligence services. Then the conversation took a turn. The subject of courage came up.

"Folks," Womack emphasized, "this man is going to be talking to people who possess some of the sharpest minds anywhere. He's going to be talking to some of the most suspicious minds in the world. Our man is going to have to be endowed with a considerable supply of intestinal fortitude. He's going to go eyeball to eyeball with professional killers. Some of the people he will confront would prefer killing him to conversing with him. If he can't convince the KGB assassins he's for real, he's a dead man! That takes more than savoir-faire. That takes courage."

Michael Shinn chimed in. "While we hope this person doesn't do anything to get him in over his head, we know from experience the CIA has many missing operatives who have left no trace. It's my opinion he'll need to show the KGB he's as tough as they are. They must be convinced he's dangerous when cornered will kill if necessary. We can't put a weak personality in the field. It would be signing his death warrant. Then our whole operation would sink by its own dead weight."

Pittard reflected on these comments for a moment. "I think we're looking for someone who is an athlete--or certainly was an athlete. Such a person has many of the skills necessary for the job. They're entertainers in the broadest sense because they played in front of large crowds. I'm impressed at how easily great big lumbering football players become movie and TV actors. They do it rather easily and with a surprising amount of grace. Another important characteristic of someone who's played sports is that he knows the value of intimidation. When athletes come face to face in competition and look one another in the eye, the one who blinks first generally loses. That's an important lesson an athlete learns. The very demeanor of a good athlete will always exude lack of fear. His body language indicates that he's ready to be physically brutal if necessary. He's also prepared to sacrifice his body for a win."

Cope warmed to these comments. "Are you suggesting a professional athlete?"

"I doubt many professional athletes would possess the skills necessary, unless you think we could secure the services of Senator Bill Bradley or Representative Jack Kemp. I somehow doubt we'd be able to attract either of those for our clandestine operation!" Pittard replied.

"One thing puzzles me." said Womack. "It's my understanding our new operative is not going to have any direct connection with the CIA while he's in Europe. Is an operative traveling to every major city on the continent and not establishing contact with the United States going to make sense of the Soviets? This alone might allow them to see through the whole scheme. This person is going to have to develop some communication technique which allows him to report back to the United States often. The biggest problem he'll face is one of interception. Should the Soviets come into possession of one of his messages and it's not of consequence, the cover for the operation is blown anyway. Some of your CIA technical boys are going to have to give this some thought. You certainly can't have him picking up a public telephone and calling long distance to Washington!"

Calumet agreed with Womack. "This operative will not have contact with CIA agents in the field. Consequently, the only alternative is to set up a dummy receptor in the United States, probably in North Carolina. He needs a contact person and maybe even a network established to make his field reporting look plausible. This task will test his creativeness. The KGB will be on his communication transmissions like a duck on a June bug.

Pittard agreed, "I think you're right. But if we find someone meeting most of the characteristics in the profile we're creating, then this person will have a staff which will act as this network. It may be necessary for the CIA to establish a secure line, but it would be better if he were ingenious enough to develop the system himself."

Chris Cope rejoined the conversation. "While we were talking about Bradley and Kemp, it struck me rather forcefully that we must find someone who can give us the time we need. We're not offering him a full-time job. This whole operation shouldn't take more than two months. Consequently, we're going to have to find someone who can get away from his job for a period of time and still be welcomed back without too many questions. This could pose a serious problem for us."

Pittard agreed with a quick nod of his head. He was interested in another facet of this man's background. He looked at Cope. "Should the man come from any particular section of the country?"

He followed with a second question without waiting for the first to be answered, "Where are we most likely to find someone meeting these exclusive qualifications?"

George Calumet took it upon himself to answer the questions posed by Pittard. "Let me make a suggestion. My plan was to move our man around the military bases and sensitive installations in North Carolina. I think it would be of substantive benefit if the person were from North Carolina or at least have some North Carolina connection. When I first thought of a North Carolinian heading this operation it had not occurred to me we were going to make the qualifications as restrictive as we've done tonight. It might not be possible to find someone down there who can handle the job as we're now defining it. George continued, "If we do find someone prominent within the state who already knows the base commanders of the various military installations and the heads of the research labs in the Research Triangle Park, his ability to trade on these ' Tobacco Road Connections' would make this first phase of the operation go much smoother."

"The ' good ole boy' network is the way you get things done down in Dixie. It would be a great plus if the person had already been a visitor on these bases, even if the event had been social. I'd like for us to center the operation in North Carolina. It would give the KGB something new to think about. Then if our operative were from this area his background knowledge would be truthful and factual. Anyone talking to this operative in Europe would be interrogating someone who does possess detailed information on the area. This would sell in Peoria, but best of all, inside the KGB."

Chris Cope looked around the table slowly catching each man's gaze. "Have we narrowed the qualifications too much?"

Without waiting for an answer he followed with, "Do you think there's anyone out there possessing all these qualifications?"

Womack answered quickly, "All you can do is try. What about those fancy data bases you have in those big mainframes of yours? Can't you enter a set of parameters and have this man assembled and spring forth full grown and ready to go to war?"

He paused. "I'm serious. Is it possible to have your computer picking the man for us?"

Cope, calmed his voice down and spoke in a very deliberate fashion, "The boys with the computers can accomplish some marvelous results with their research programs and data bases, but I've come to another conclusion as to how we locate this person."

He went on. "I don't think there's an ambassador who will fill the qualifications. Yes, I think a Bill Bradley or a Jack Kemp could handle this job nicely, but we're not going find two like them very often in public service. Bradley and Kemp have other characteristics which moved my mind to the academic world. I think we're most likely to find a person with this breadth of knowledge on a university campus. I know three of us at this table have spent most of their professional lives in the halls of academe. I could rightfully be accused of having a prejudiced point of view. I want an honest assessment from everyone at this table."

Womack let his eyes roll back slightly, raised his gaze above Chris Cope's head, and glanced at the south wall of the dining room. "Chris, you're probably right. A university campus is our best bet."

The other three tablemates echoed Cope's assessments, and it appeared the matter was now settled. It was now an assumption the CIA would search for an academic type to fit the agreed profile. He would then be sent to Europe to front a bogus operation as a Straw Man.

Pittard looked directly at Chris Cope. "Chris, are you going to use the computers to locate our man?"

The answer from Cope was quick and firm, "No, I have something else in mind I think is better."

"Is it classified information or can you share it with two school teachers?" Womack asked.

"Yes it is classified, but I'll share it with the two of you."

There was a brief pause and Cope went on, "There're no free lunches. In my judgment, the two best people in the world to find this person are sitting right here at this table."

He looked directly at Pittard and then Womack. "I want the two of you to go to North Carolina and see if Indiana Jones does exist."

There were a few minutes of concluding conversation. Cope paid the bill with an American Express Gold Card and the group adjourned down the narrow set of stairs. At the doorway they bade each other farewell and went in separate directions to search for their automobiles.

At this moment there was someone in North Carolina turning off his Compaq 386 portable computer after completing work on a new graphics package he was designing. He had no way of knowing his life would change dramatically in the near future, and he would never be the same again.

8:00 a.m. Friday, April 22, 1987

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Morehead Conference Room

University of North Carolina

Many still call Chapel Hill a village; even though, by any standard of measure today, it would qualify as a small bustling city. The University alone has more than 20,000 students, and when the professors, doctors, nurses, and staff at the medical school are included, the figure rises to 30,000. Since there are more than 25,000 permanent residents in the city community, the term village would not be apropos to a census taker. Nevertheless, its residents view it as a village, and Chapel Hill continues to be one of the most idyllic communities in the United States.

Chapel Hill provides the perfect university setting. The economy is built around the University of North Carolina. The University is steeped in tradition, and proudly proclaims itself as being the first state university founded in the United States. The age of the institution is approaching 200 years, making it a true eighteenth century university. The campus of the University of North Carolina is one of the most beautiful anywhere in the United States. Kenan Stadium, the gridiron where the Tar Heels play football, is nestled among towering pines encircling the stadium. All entrances for the spectators require a walk on paths through this beautiful stand of pine trees before entering the admission gates. The character of this institution is unmatched by any other public university. The affection for the University by the citizens of the state makes it more like some of the great private universities of the world. It is truly a special institution.

The Morehead Building, located on the campus of the University of North Carolina, is set back 200 yards from Franklin Street. This street is the main artery through Chapel Hill, with as many of the restaurants and retail stores locating near the university as possible. One half of the Morehead Building is a planetarium. The other half of the building has the atmosphere of a private club.

Inside are meeting rooms, ball rooms, and conference rooms, all decorated with a splendor not commonly associated with state universities? The Morehead Building, however, can justify its existence and its opulence due to the generosity of the donor for whom the building is named.

The conference room in the Morehead Building assigned to Pittard and Womack could in no way be compared to the conference room in the CIA headquarters. The conference room in the Morehead Building was beautifully decorated in the most tasteful way. The casual observer would quickly deduce that money had been no object in the design and decorating of this room. The furniture was the finest North Carolina craftsmen could produce. The pictures on the wall were original oil paintings, and the paneling encircling the room was two inches thick, evident from the beveling of the panels.

The general public is not admitted to the Morehead Building. These facilities are used only for special occasions, and anyone invited as a guest to the Morehead should consider him or her fortunate.

Pittard and Womack were able to use the conference room because of the relationship between Cicero Pittard and the director of the Morehead Foundation. Pittard and the director of the foundation had been graduate students together while attending the University of Michigan. It was this past friendship which had been continued and cultivated over the intervening twenty years that allowed entrance to these sacrosanct facilities.

In true academic fashion, both men were seated at opposite ends of the conference table with briefcases open and papers neatly scattered about in small piles.

Pittard remarked to Womack, "This task proved to be much easier than I thought it would. Everyone I asked for a list of names, no matter what the subject, included Nat Turner."

"I had the same experience," replied Womack. "If we talked about science, Nat Turner's name would come up. If we talked about art, Nat Turner's name would be mentioned. If we talked about community or statewide involvement, Nat's name was always on the list."

Pittard made an interesting observation. “North Carolina is a different state from any I have ever visited. The residents of North Carolina view themselves as citizens of the state, as opposed to being citizens of the community or of some small geographical section. I've never found a place where the movers and shakers in the state all know each other on a first-name basis. Here you can pick up the phone and call presidents of large industries or presidents of large universities and have the secretary put them right through if they're available. It was amazing to me I could walk into a university president's office and not only would he talk openly with me, but make calls to department heads and bank executives to check details. I'd like to live in North Carolina. It's the most free and open society that I have experienced."

Womack nodded his head in agreement.

Pittard continued. "Let's jot down for Chris Cope's benefit the places we've been."

They listed:

The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, and Davidson College in Davidson.

They further listed:

Wachovia Bank's home office in Winston-Salem, Wachovia Bank's regional office in Raleigh,

North Carolina National Bank's home office in Charlotte, North Carolina National Bank's regional office in Raleigh, First Union Bank's home office in Charlotte, First Union National Bank's regional office in Raleigh.

They continued to list:

North Carolina Association of Business and Industry in Raleigh,

The Independent College Fund Office in Winston-Salem,

The North Carolina Association of Independent Colleges and Universities' office in Raleigh,

The North Carolina Association of Colleges and Universities office in Raleigh,

Also listed were four research laboratories in the Research Triangle Park:

Hercules Research Laboratory,

TRW Research Laboratory,

Laser Optics Research Laboratory

The Environmental Protection Agency's research lab.

The investigation had taken a week. Pittard and Womack had made their headquarters in Chapel Hill where they had the use of the University's conference room in the Morehead Building. The director of the Morehead Foundation had been thoughtful enough and provided them adequate secretarial assistance. They both thought it would be helpful to use a computer generated data base in sorting the information they collected. However, the name Nat Turner came to the top so often; they stopped using the data base and concentrated on collecting information on this unique individual.

The dossier they compiled from their visits and telephone calls across the state was prepared included the following notations:

Name: Dr. Nathaniel E. Turner

Age: 48 years

Height: 6 feet, 3 inches

Weight: 195 pounds

Occupation: President, Cameron College, Raleigh, North Carolina

Personal characteristics:

Intelligent, analytical mind

Photographic memory

Thinks backward in solving problems

Trivia expert

Authority in computer programming

President of small computer Software Company

Computer graphics expert

Specialist in the field of Kirlian photography

Expert in the field of holography

Lectures on the origin of the universe Lectures on Leakey's discoveries

President of many civic and professional organizations

Award-winning photographer

Lover of music

Exceptional athlete

Low handicap golfer

Excellent skier

Mountain climber

Linguist, speaks both French and German fluently

Traveled extensively, particularly in Europe, South Pacific and Asia, Safaris into Kenya and Tanzania

Visited Russia within the last two years

For the rest of the day, Pittard and Womack worked on the dossier. They rearranged the material, added notations, and inserted comments garnered from professional associates throughout the state. Finally in the late afternoon, they had the report ready for Chris Cope. The report was brilliantly worded; it had been crafted by two outstanding academicians with training both in science and political science.

Both men pronounced approval of the report to be sent to Cope and moved across campus to the computer center operated by the School of Business. The director of the Morehead Foundation had made arrangements for Womack and Pittard to use the facsimile machine located in the School of Business to transmit their written report directly to the desk of Deputy Director Christopher Cope. After arriving at the School of Business, they dialed the security number given by Cope and talked to him briefly. Both placed their telephone into the cradle provided by the fax machines, and the report was copied digitally, changed to analog, and sent across the telephone lines to the CIA headquarters. Here the report was reproduced on the Fax machine located in Cope's office. Within a matter of seconds, Cope had the full report prepared by Pittard and Womack. At the end of the report was a concluding paragraph noting both men were staying in the Hotel Europa located in Chapel Hill. They were going to have dinner together at 8:00 p.m. and would be back in their suite by 10:00 p.m. If there were further instructions, they would be available then.

After properly thanking the dean of the School of Business for the use of his Fax machine, they returned to the Hotel Europa. This hotel, while located in Chapel Hill, prides itself on pampering its residents in a European manner. The food is renowned and the accommodations outstanding. Pittard and Womack had rented a suite to use during their week in Chapel Hill. They returned to their suite, leisurely took baths, dressed, and returned to the drawing room of the suite. Both men, being of simple taste, poured themselves a stiff Jack Daniels on the rocks. They sat back to discuss their week's work and relax before claiming their reservation in the dining room downstairs.

A few minutes before 8:00, they descended to the continental dining room and treated themselves to the rack of lamb. The rack was brought to them on a silver cart with each of the ribs adorned by a small paper cap. These marched proudly across the lamb as if they were a team of chefs properly presenting the feature of the house. The lamb was carved and served with a flourish. The center of each chop was pink, and the aroma set the taste buds on edge. Both men reflected this was a fitting way to finish a week's work. By 10:00 they were back in their suite wondering if they were going to receive a call from Deputy Director Cope.

In CIA headquarters Cope, Calumet and Shinn had thoroughly studied the dossier. They divided assignments and went to their various sections to set CIA machinery in motion. A common goal was to see how much they could discover about Nat Turner in the next four hours. Assignments were made to their subordinates. Computer data bases were searched, telephone calls made agents in North Carolina given assignments. By 9:00 p.m. the three men had the information they needed relating to Nat Turner. The information was synthesized and dictated into a final report to be shared with each other. At 9:45 p.m. they were summoned back to Chris Cope's office to report their findings.

Chris Cope took charge immediately. He first turned to Calumet, "George, how did he check out?"

"Everything I've been able to uncover has been very positive. We've been able to verify most of the items included in the report by Pittard and Womack. It was amazing how closely he fit the characteristics we discussed in the restaurant in Fells Point."

"Is there any down side?"

George Calumet screwed up his face slightly and said, "Well, not a total down side, but he is highly independent. He's been the president of a college a long time and prior to that he was vice-president of a state university. He has had great latitude in all he's done throughout his career. When he makes up his mind he's difficult to dissuade. He definitely goes in his own direction."

Cope turned to Shinn, "What did you find out Mike?"

Mike was crisp and to the point, "Everything checks out. Contacts were all positive. There is absolutely nothing negative. He is well known in the area and as he moves about Eastern North Carolina, he'll be easy to identify."

Cope came back at Shinn, "Mike, do you have any reservations?"

Shinn, cautiously but very firmly said, "Yes I do. He's a college president. I wasn't expecting a college president. I was expecting a dynamic associate professor in anthropology with a wide range of knowledge and a great interest in science. Somehow, this administrative type worries me."

Cope eased off. "Mike, he worries me too. He's almost too good to be true. He's a character out a book. Nobody should be an authority on computers, an artist, tramp over Leakey's diggings, talk about the origin of the universe, play low handicap golf, climb mountains, sleep four hours at night and always be up in the morning looking for new challenges to be conquered."

Calumet came back into the conversation and said, "I agree with both of you. This air of independence and almost-too-good-to-be-true set of credentials indicate to me he will be hard to control. It's my guess if we select him for the job, he would not only do everything we direct him to do, but he'll start viewing himself as another James Bond. Yes, I think he could fool the KGB. We have the man to do this. His academic credentials will impress the prime minister of England and the head of MI6. Mossad will go crazy over him. They'll probably try to hire him. This independent personality is the type the French think should populate the earth. I believe everybody will love him other than the CIA."

Cope reflected on these thoughts, considered his own slightly negative thinking, and knew decision time was here. Another thought ran through his mind, Pittard and Womack were sitting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina awaiting a phone call. They were both backing Nat Turner completely and unequivocally. They presented Turner in their report as the greatest thing since sliced bread and were waiting for permission to go talk with this academician. They had become enamored with him while working up the details of the dossier.

Another thought ran through Cope's mind, "I must remember I sent two academicians to find an academician. Yes, they're going to be impressed with the true Renaissance man. They'll like his independence and determination. A person with Nat Turner's personality fits beautifully on a college campus. It's apparent why he moved rapidly through the academic ranks and became a college president in his mid-thirties. But independence does not always work well in a covert operation."

Cope knew this, and he realized there was a nagging doubt in his mind concerning Nat Turner. He, like Pittard and Womack, was impressed with Turner's credentials, but would he stay in harness? It was imperative he perform the duties assigned without the CIA having to make contact with him once he was in the field.

Yes, decision making time was here and it was Chris Cope's decision. The conclusion was obvious. Pittard and Womack had no one else. They had a few other names but, in their judgment, Nat Turner stood out head and shoulders above all the rest. Consequently, he was their choice.

Chris Cope had one other problem. The problem was he. He, too, was an academic. He, too, had trouble staying within the harness of the CIA. But he had become a brilliant intelligence officer.

Chris thought to himself, "Turner is exactly the kind of person I would be if I worked in the field. Of course, I'm selecting Turner. The CIA needs more Turners than we have. I can understand why Mike Shinn and George Calumet worry about the Nat Turners of the world. They were brought up under strict discipline and have learned to obey orders. Both have done an outstanding job. Their accomplishments moved them right through the CIA until they became heads of their respective sections. However, they realized for this particular assignment, the independence, creativity and the ingenuity possessed by Nat Turner could not be found anywhere other than the academic world."

Chris Cope reached for the telephone making a mental note to begin looking for more Nat Turners.

9:00 a.m. Monday, May 2, 1987

Raleigh, North Carolina

Office of the President

Cameron College

Raleigh, the capital city of North Carolina, is located in the piedmont section on the edge of the coastal plain. The Atlantic Ocean is both due east, southeast and south of Raleigh. Were one to draw a line due south from the Capital City it would intersect Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Gulf Stream moves north up the exposed flank of North Carolina distanced approximately thirty miles off shore. It turns abruptly out to sea when it reaches Cape Hatteras. The winds from the Gulf Stream sweep across Eastern North Carolina providing Raleigh a pleasant moderate climate. The temperature, even in the dead of winter, seldom reaches zero, and a heat wave during summer will rarely exceed 100 degrees.

Raleigh is at home with education, with six colleges and universities within its city limits and other major educational facilities located within a twenty-five mile radius. The state capital and all of its branches of government are located in the downtown area. Raleigh would be considered a white collar city, with an ambience thoroughly enjoyed by its residents. Its citizens prefer to talk about the way the city used to be rather than dreaming about growth and expansion.

One mile due west of the state capitol, on Hillsborough Street, the business route of Highway 1, is located North Carolina State University. This university is a leading technical and agricultural school. Its science and engineering facilities have an international reputation, and its basketball team has won two national championships within the last fifteen years.

Raleigh has a strong financial flavor. North Carolina has several financial institutions recognized for their strength and aggressiveness located in the city. The State of North Carolina was one of the first in the country to allow statewide banking. Even the national banks were allowed to merge or start branches in virtually every community and hamlet throughout the state. Consequently the assets of these financial institutions run into the billions. This approach to banking was allowed well in advance of most other states. The banks are one of the cohesive units of North Carolina. The bank executives tend to be involved in the warp and woof of the communities where the banks are located. If information is needed about a citizen, a bank executive would be a good resource for information.

Also located in Raleigh is Cameron College, a strong, vigorous liberal arts college. The institution has a reputation for academic excellence. The college is located near the city limits on a 250 acre campus of renowned beauty. A double lane drive proceeds 2000 feet through landscaped grounds to the administration building. An amphitheater, with seating capacity of 2500, has as its background a beautiful lake with a stage as an island within the lake. A twenty-five foot moat separates the island from the seating area of the amphitheatre. On west campus stands a 30,000 seat football stadium, the home of the Fighting Highlanders.

On the second floor of the administration building, just off an impressive rotunda, is the president's office. This, office much like the Morehead Building in Chapel Hill, is not typical of most college presidents offices. It is large, spacious, and beautifully decorated. There is a professional touch in every aspect of decor. The paintings are authentic, the furniture is large but in good taste, and the carpet is of highest quality. The subtle touches in the office reflect its inhibitor. While not placed to draw attention, there are carvings or replicas of at least twenty animals in this one room, reflecting the president's love of nature.

A high fidelity stereo system plays music softly in the background. The wall hangings represent various periods, and the only reproductions are those of da Vinci, Wyeth, and Toulouse Lautrec. The furniture includes a sofa, two wing back chairs, a circular table surrounded by four leather, brass studded wooden chairs of sturdy variety. A massive executive desk with large executive chair is reinforced from behind with a beautiful North Carolina-made credenza. Two antique tables, topped with antique lamps, add to the relaxed atmosphere and feeling of well-being one senses upon entering.

The inhabitant of this masculine lair is the president of the institution, Dr. Nathaniel Turner, whom most people describe as "easy in his skin." As a 6'3" 200 pounder, Nat presents a relaxed and warm countenance that encourages one to talk readily and easily. Conversation with Nat generally is satisfying. Both parties find they have a lot to say to each other, and most visitors upon exit generally agree they have just participated in a worthwhile exchange. This easy going southern touch, however, can be deceiving. Nat has been the driving force that has moved the institution to the top of the liberal arts colleges in the country. One other characteristic of Nat is his clean desk. One will never visit Nat unexpectedly and find papers scattered around the office. He has incredible drive bordering on compulsion to get his work done and moving. He has proclaimed his intention never to be a bottleneck of any work. Beyond Nat's private office, however, the picture changes dramatically. While the total office complex is well decorated and shows excellent taste in decor and furniture, the scene is much more business-like. Each room is dominated by microcomputers. Every member of the staff has an IBM personal computer of some variety. One secretary has an IBM System 2 Model 30. Another of the secretaries has an IBM AT with a 40 Meg hard disk.

The female assistant to Nat Turner is Dr. Nancy Carroll. Dr. Carroll presides over the IBM System 2, Model 80 twin computers in her office. Her training is in mathematics and chemistry, through post graduate work she has an additional degree in computer science. All the computers in the office are connected by a local area network.

Pittard and Womack were ushered into President Nat Turner's office by his secretary, a friendly and charming young lady, whose mother obviously believed in the traditions of the old south. There was no mistaking the southern accent nor the southern hospitality. It appeared there was no way you could visit with President Nat Turner unless you took a cup of coffee in with you.

The first impression of Nat Turner was striking. He had an athletic build with no trace of paunch around the middle to belie his age. This man kept himself in top physical condition. The office was striking and the desk was absolutely clean not one paper was left unattended. The friendliness, the southern accent, the genuine hospitality being extended was just as evident in the president's office as it had been by the president's secretary. Openness and forthrightness appeared to be the golden thread pervading all of the staff surrounding Nat Turner. The bright eyes and the attentive expression immediately suggested this was a person who could be trusted. It was amazing to both Pittard and Womack how a simple introduction appeared to turn the three of them into close friends. President Turner instructed both men in a friendly manner to relax in the wing chairs flanking one of the antique tables. He pulled a blue leather chair from around a circular conference table on the north wall and positioned it between the two men at a distance of about six feet. The chairs were now placed in an equilateral triangle.

Nat went through an explanation as to why he liked to have his back to the telephone when he was in conference. In an earlier office he had a telephone system with five buttons denoting four outside lines and an intercom system behind his desk. On occasions when he was visiting with a guest in his office, the four outside lines would light and begin to blink, becoming distracting to him. He laughed and said, "It distracted me and made him wonder what on earth was going on." So consequently, he decided if his back were to the telephone, he would never worry about the buttons lighting up.

He also volunteered the information that the telephone system at Cameron College was new. It was a Northern Telecom SL-1 Digital Switch. This new digital telephone system allowed for inter-campus data transfer and enabled computers to communicate anywhere there were telephone wires. The trunk lines going to and from the campus were made of optical fiber and the long distance service the college subscribed to was of optical fiber. President Turner appeared to take great delight in talking about this rather mundane, but scientific, aspect of his telephone system.

Only in the South would two strangers be greeted by a college president and included in household conversation. It was delightful both to Pittard and Womack. This off-handed conversation tended to draw the men closer to Nat Turner in an intimate sort of way. Both visitors were witnessing a man with great skill in selling himself to strangers. The technique was simple. He treated them as if they had known each other a long time and would be interested in this small technical facet of the college's operation. The man was totally genuine.

After some opening remarks, Pittard thought it was time to get down to business. Nat Turner had an open and approachable personality, so Pittard opted to be direct. He decided there was no way to deceive Turner. To approach him, one must lay one's cards on the table and see what happens. Pittard decided if he attempted some psychological ploy, it wouldn't work, and it could rupture the rapport already established between the men.

Pittard started his conversation. "Womack and I represent the Central Intelligence Agency. Neither of us work for the Agency and after we complete this assignment, we will return to our respective campuses. We have assumed the responsibility of this assignment because of a personal friendship with the Deputy Director of the agency who is also a former academic."

Pittard described the problem the CIA faced in identifying new intelligence agents being placed in Europe. He outlined the plan conceived by Calumet, the head of the Eastern European section of the CIA, to uncover these new agents. At this point, Pittard began to appeal to Nat Turner's vanity. He explained the nature of their assignment, and why they wanted the new bogus operative to come from North Carolina. Pittard went into detail relating the method they had used for selection. He indicated the names of persons spoken to in the preparation of the lists they had made. He explained that seven lists were compiled. One list had been of the most highly respected educators in North Carolina. Another list included those educators most closely associated with the arts in the state. Another list contained the names of educators of genuine scientific accomplishment. On a fourth list were educators actively involved in local civic and state wide activities? A fifth list contained authorities in the use of computer hardware who have the ability to program computers. A sixth list was one of people considered to be genuinely successful. The seventh and last list was one including educators for whom people would like to work. At this time,

Pittard told Nat his name had appeared on every list. Sometimes, it was near the top, sometimes not, but it was always within the top ten. After spending almost thirty minutes describing their work during the previous week, it was time to draw Nat into the conversation. Pittard, sensing President Turner as a man of genuine good humor, opened his final ploy with the comment, "Like the IRS man, I have come to help you. We would like to discuss the possibility of you becoming our Straw Man."

Womack had waited patiently while Pittard outlined the activities that had brought them up to this point. At this time he launched into the conversation on a first name basis.

"Nat, after your name appeared on all of the lists Cicero mentioned, we immediately contacted the head of the CIA in the Raleigh office. We asked him for certain detailed information relating to the characteristics we discussed in Baltimore. The two of us spent Thursday and Friday checking with business men and educators across the state. We verified one characteristic after the other. If we had spent a week getting to know you and then drew a set of characteristics describing you as a person and then compared them with the profile we had in mind, the correlation would have been 1.0. We could spend two years looking for someone else to fit the characteristics and never come up with the match we have found in you."

Nat was not displeased with this turn in the conversation. He was interested, but he had not been landed yet. He had some questions to ask. Both Pittard and Womack had the distinct feeling the handling of the answers to his questions would determine his decision, neither wanted to fumble the ball. They were not interested in starting all over with their search.

"How long will I be involved in this operation?" Nat asked.

"No more than two months. I would suggest starting immediately after your graduation ceremonies and returning in July."

Nat mulled over the possibility of spending his summer traveling about Europe. This appealed to him. The adrenaline began to pump into his system. He felt the edge of excitement move into his body as he contemplated a new game he had never played.

Turner looked Pittard directly in the eyes. "I'm surprised at your going to the academic community to find an operative for the CIA. Academics are liberal. You're not going to find many who would work for the CIA.

Pittard grinned. "We checked your friends. We asked about your golf partners. We noted you belong to two country clubs. The people you associate with off campus are highly respected but conservative business men. We interpreted these friendships as meaning you were at least middle-of-the-road politically and did not view the business community negatively. We also found out you love your country. You value the traditional ideals of American democracy. How our CIA friends found this out for us, I'll never know. In our judgment at least, this puts you in the same category with the two of us, which is good enough for the CIA."

"What on earth would make you think I'd be the least bit interested in becoming a spy, bogus or not?"

"It's your lifestyle.” Womack answered rather bluntly. "You own a BMW 2002, a BMW 635, and a SAAB 9000. There isn't a family sedan among those three. They are race cars. Any of the three could run close to 150 miles per hour on a track such as Talladega. Those are not automobiles typically used to chauffeur little old ladies and prospective donors to concerts."

Pittard joined in. "Your sporting background and your continued involvement in athletic pursuits, we think are an insight into your personality. You golf, ski, climb mountains, hike, white-water raft, and have an avid interest in Redskin football. These activities do not suggest one curled up with a book in front of the fire on Sunday afternoon sipping a glass of sherry."

"Sitting here talking with you," Womack commented, "I notice a calm outward demeanor, but I also detect a tremendous reservoir of pent-up energy looking for new fields to conquer. The work you have done pushing this college to the forefront of education, indicates a strong individual drive. We heard you keep a clean desk. This has been verified this morning. It indicates to us a person who comes to work and sets himself to accomplishing the task at hand without diversion."

"If I accept this two month assignment, how will it be financed?" "A Swiss bank account will be established for you. You'll carry Swiss currency and Swiss traveler’s checks in addition to American dollars. I can assure you the CIA will be generous. You will live in a sufficient style, staying in the better hotels, eating in the best restaurants."

"Who will be my contact person? With whom will I communicate?"

Womack answered. "No one once you're in the field. Remember CIA operatives will be watching you all the time if you follow the proscribed itinerary. Their job, of course, will be primarily to detect Soviet agents. But, they will be shadowing you as closely as the KGB. You'll need to communicate with someone back in Raleigh. Transmissions will need to be made almost every day. The KGB would become suspicious if you're not in contact with your home base."

"I can devise a way to stay in touch with my office," Nat said as he warmed to the prospect.

"You know your conversations will be intercepted. The Soviets have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to monitor conversations. Scramblers are not entirely safe anymore."

Nat shrugged his shoulders slightly and said, "Mine won't."

Pittard, with his scientific background, was obviously interested. He decided to use this interest in presenting the challenge for Not to outwit the KGB.

"What on earth would you do Nat, to keep your conversations from being monitored?"

"Cicero, you're beginning to punch my button now. There isn't anything in the world more fascinating to me more than problem solving. This is a possible solution. I have a Compaq 386 portable computer, which operates at 20 MHZ.

There are no faster operating personal computers. I will work with my assistant, Nancy Carroll, in setting up a procedure to allow my Compaq 386 to communicate with her IBM System 2 Model 80. They have compatible architecture. The optical fiber trunk lines and the SL-1 digital switch will be important to the security of this transmission. All transmitted information will be digital and not delayed by converting it to analog and back to digital. When I call from Europe, I will specify US Sprint or Southern Net. Each of these long distance networks uses optical fiber. I will prepare messages to transmit back to my office on the Compaq computer in the form of computer programs."

"After the messages are written, I'll compile them into assembly language. Have you followed me up to this point?"

Pittard nodded.

"I'm going now to write a batch file to copy each individual program into a separate directory on the System 2 Model 80 back at my office. At the end of the batch file, I'll give an instruction to erase the batch file. This will leave no record of the messages I have sent. Nancy Carroll and I will agree on the names of the directories before I leave. They will be a secret between the two of us."

"She will immediately create these directories. I will then execute the batch file. The file would direct these programs to be copied into the appropriate directories back in Raleigh. All of this is in assembly language, and the copying of these Programs would take a second or two at the most. Even if they were intercepted, they would be nothing but blips on a screen. The Soviets with all their hundreds of millions of dollars spent on penetration and interception could not decipher these messages.

Pittard's eyes became wide. "Nat, that's brilliant. You're using the disk operating system "copy" command to separate the assembly language programs and then copying them to a prescribed directory known only to you and your assistant. We may teach the Soviets and the CIA a new method of communicating. The use of your batch file to erase your compiled programs is equally as clever."

Nat moved to another question. "Will they let me portray this character as if I worked for the CIA? Will I have flexibility, latitude, and freedom of movement?"

"Well, I don't know." Womack replied hesitatingly, narrowing his eyes. "They're going to want you to play it fairly straight. I know for a fact if you freelance you'll going to lose your protection. If they don't know where you're going to be, then you're not going to be protected."

"Howard, I like the idea of visiting the universities in these cities. KGB agents walking down ivy covered halls would stand out like sore thumbs. It is also an excellent opportunity for me to educate myself by conferring with their best scientists. This could be a nice businessman's holiday for me and it would drive the Soviets crazy. They hate uncontrolled academics."

"Yes, Nat, your credentials will get you in any president's, chancellors, or professor's office in Europe. It's a stroke of genius to have someone from the academic community head this operation. I'd love to be doing the same thing you are planning to do --ducking in and out of offices, having conferences with outstanding people and making the Soviets wonder what on earth you are talking about."

"Will I have contacts in Europe with the CIA?"

Pittard answered with a firm "No."

"Will I carry a gun?"

Pittard answered with a firm "No."

"What if things get rough, will I get backup?"

"How rough do you plan to get?" inquired Pittard.

"I hope I don't get rough at all, but I know from past experience, I can have knee jerk reactions when pushed to the wall."

"It's your job to detect Soviet agents, nothing else. Stay away from the rough stuff." Womack warned.

"I will if I can," responded Turner.

Both Pittard and Womack realized Turner was talking as if he had accepted the job.

"Once again, will this be a well financed operation?"

"Absolutely," Womack assured him. Nat shrugged his shoulders, smiled and said, "Okay, count me in. I'll have to talk with the chairman of my board of trustees and tell him I'll be gone for two months. Studying European institutions will be reason enough."

Nat then said "Let's set a date. We graduate on Sunday, the 15th."

Pittard said "Fine, we'll start on the sixteenth. Fort Bragg will be your first stop. Do you want us to drive you down? It's only sixty-five miles."

"No, have me picked up in a Fort Bragg helicopter. That will impress my faculty and students. General Chambers has used the Cameron campus from time to time when he's flown to Raleigh. This would not be the first time the helicopter has landed here."

"I'll see if it can be arranged." Pittard replied.

8:00 a.m. May 16, 1987

Raleigh, North Carolina

Campus of Cameron College

The campus of Cameron College is bordered on the west by the Benson and Bradshaw highway which completely encircles Raleigh. Near this highway is the memorial football stadium. Graduation had been held the day before in the amphitheater, and the graduating students had departed from the campus looking for the wonderful tomorrows promised by the graduation speaker. The faculties of Cameron College were taking a well-deserved break and were nowhere to be seen. The day after graduation is one of the quietest days on a college campus. The administrators of the college who continue to work during the break between the end of school and the beginning of the summer session were safely in their offices. Even the grounds crews, who are usually evident on campus, were not in sight on this morning. The director of buildings and grounds had focused on having the campus brought to perfection for graduation day. The grass was freshly cut, the gardens were worked, and the shrubbery was freshly trimmed. After working to a fever pitch the week before, the grounds' crew was relaxing, and they too were enjoying a well-earned rest.

Precisely at 9:00 a.m. on this beautiful late-spring morning, with only an occasional fluffy white cloud giving relief to the vast blue sky, a shadow appeared over the Cameron College campus. As the shadow grew larger, an accompanying crescendo of noise descended, and as slowly as a giant sea bird, the AH-64 Apache helicopter landed softly near the large stadium. Touchdown was at 9:00 a.m. plus thirty seconds. Major Bailey, the personal pilot of General Edgar Chambers, base commander of Fort Bragg, was assigned to appear on the Cameron College campus at 9:00. The military precision to which he was accustomed made him gauge his arrival according to orders. Accompanying Major Bailey on the helicopter was George Calumet, Head of the Eastern European Section of the CIA. Calumet had flown into Fayetteville, North Carolina the day before and had spent much of the afternoon in conference with General Chambers.

Also, precisely at 9:00 a.m., a black Saab 9000 Turbo drove across the parking lot and braked fifty paces from the descending helicopter. Brief instructions were given to the driver and with head bowed Nat preceded briskly toward the opening door of the helicopter.

Nat was amused with himself for bowing his head and moving at such a brisk pace. He had seen this some posture on television hundreds of times before. The rotating propellers blades were high above, and no risk of decapitation was present even if one were to walk bolt upright. He had assured himself he would not succumb to the psychological ploy of ducking under the rotating propeller blades. Yet here he was, ducking his head.

Nat was helped aboard by George Calumet and the door was quickly closed. As animated greetings were exchanged between Nat and the pilot, Major Bailey, the helicopter started a dramatic rise upward. At the same time the great turbo engines started moving the wingless insect forward. Bailey turned to Turner. "Would you like to fly over of the campus?"

This comment interrupted a final wave toward the Saab and Turner replied, "I'd enjoy that."

As the helicopter moved to an altitude of 300 feet, carefully circumnavigating the large smokestack located near the boilers on the rear of the campus, Nat noticed the small flag firmly attached to the outside of the helicopter. A smile spread across his face as he realized he was being ferried to Fort Bragg on General Chambers' personal helicopter, being flown by General Chambers' personal pilot. The helicopter moved to the east campus and flew over the amphitheater and lake. The open fields provided a rural setting for the campus even though it was well within the confines of the city limits of Raleigh. Turner's eyes were diverted to the white dome of the administration building, and he was impressed with the symmetrical layout of the thirty buildings which provided home and instructional facilities for the Cameron College students.

Major Bailey provided a bonus for Turner as he made two complete passes over the campus at a low level and then took the helicopter straight up to 2000 feet and hovered briefly, letting Turner drink in the beauty of the school he loved so much.

At this point, Turner looked down and noticed the Saab had safely arrived in its appointed parking place in front of the administration building; the helicopter began to pick up speed and moved south southwest toward Fayetteville, North Carolina and the general environs of Fort Bragg. As the helicopter gained altitude, and headed toward its appointed destination, Turner's was struck with the beauty of North Carolina. The sand hills of the coastal plain were clearly evident as the floor of this ancient sea was now proudly producing great white pines and oak trees of every description. Nat, for some reason, recalled an occurrence ten years ago. An alumna of Cameron, who graduated in 1923, wanted to plant 23 different kinds of oak trees on the campus in a small grove. Nat laughed recalling that he did not know there were twenty-three kinds of oak trees. But, nevertheless, the Forestry Division of North Carolina State University helped his grounds people assemble these twenty three different kinds of oaks, and they were properly planted in the grove to please the contributing alumna.

Major Bailey provided Nat with another treat. He diverted the course of the helicopter slightly from a direct path to Fort Bragg and flew over the great golfing resort of Pinehurst. Nat was a member of the Pinehurst Country Club, and had played its seven courses regularly for ten years. He was particularly interested in seeing from the air the famed number two course which is always ranked within the ten best golf courses in the world. He thought how lucky Pinehurst Country Club had been to have as its own golf professional, the famed Scotsman Donald Ross, who was called upon to design so many great golf courses in the first half of the twentieth century. Within fifteen miles of the famous Pinehurst Hotel, were at least thirty of the most beautifully manicured tests of golfing skill anywhere on earth.

The helicopter began to decrease its altitude and the massive military base of Fort Bragg came into view. In a minute or two, the helicopter was safely on the ground resting on the prescribed pad, near General Chambers' headquarters. At the precise moment of touchdown, two high ranking officers appeared from the doorway of the headquarters building and a number of noncommissioned officers scurried around to see what assistance they might give the arriving occupants of General Chambers' helicopter. The helicopter switches were turned off. The rotors revolved a few more times and came to a halt. An expressionless sergeant opened the door and helped Nat and George Calumet from the plane.

After a few moments of proceeding through a mental check list and moving several toggle switches, Major Bailey emerged to join Turner and Calumet. As the three headed toward the headquarters building, the two high ranking officers came forward, and General Chambers shook hands with Nat.

"Nat, I want you to meet Colonel James Sullivan. You'll be spending a lot of time with him during the next two days." spoke General Chambers.

Pleasantries were exchanged. The hospitality of the general, however, would make the casual observer assume he and Nat had been close personal friends for many years.

Near the door of the headquarters was an enlisted man working in the flower garden flanking both sides of the entrance. As the five members of the party arrived near the entrance, the gardener turned around, stood at attention, and saluted the general and his accompanying friends. When the private saluted, an infinitesimal click took place in his belt buckle. General Chambers, Colonel Sullivan, Major Bailey, George Calumet, but most of all Nat Turner, were now recorded on film for study and analysis by people who were in no way related to the Army, the CIA or Fort Bragg.

The KGB didn't know it yet, but the click in the private's belt buckle was the first blip on the screen introducing Nat Turner to the world of intelligence gathering. Within the hour, this enlisted man would have the film from his miniature camera passed to a co-worker who would be leaving the base for downtown Fayetteville. Sometime in the afternoon, this film would be relayed to a business in Raleigh. A copy of this picture would be sent by Fax machine to the Soviet Embassy in Washington. If deemed important this reproduction would be delivered by diplomatic pouch to the KGB in Moscow.

Today, however, the KGB would find they were lucky. Usually, the identification of unknown subjects took days and sometimes weeks to accomplish. It usually took the giant computers located in the KGB offices in Moscow along with field men checking leads to uncover the identity of an unknown person. In this case, it would not be necessary. The head of the KGB office in Raleigh would find identification easy. Dr. Turner's picture was in the local Newspaper “The News and Observer” often. Most local social and business occasions were attended by the president of Cameron College. Turner was easily one of the best known and most easily recognized figures in the city.

General Chambers, Colonel Sullivan, Major Bailey, George Calumet and Nat Turner all went into the general's large office. Comfortable chairs had been arranged in a circle for conversation. Coffee was served by the general's secretary, and informal conversation began. General Chambers explained the base would be running rampant with rumors over its closing. Bragg is known as an open base, and the only time it is ever closed is in military emergency. When the announcement was made to the 45,000 people residing at Fort Bragg that the base would be closed, it was assumed a small, unannounced war had broken out in some distant far-away place. They were thinking the personnel of Fort Bragg would soon be notified they were to mobilize. It would be their job to see some brush fire war was extinguished before the super powers took sides and escalated the matter into World War III.

The personnel at Fort Bragg live constantly with this pressure. When military action involving the United States is imminent, it can be assumed that either the 82nd Airborne division, located at Fort Bragg, or the marines located at Camp Lejeune will be used as the strike force. These two bases located in North Carolina are the first to hear the drums of war.

General Chambers, smiling, but also exhibiting a certain underlying grimness said, "It will take weeks for our people to calm down again. Closing the base happens so seldom, that when it does, it's traumatic. However, I can assure you of one thing. If the Soviets have penetration at Fort Bragg, and undoubtedly they do, your picture will be in Moscow in less than twenty four hours. There's no doubt in my mind we've already accomplished what you've set out to do."

The conversation continued for thirty minutes with George Calumet sharing with the general a rough sketch of the plan they would be following for the next two months. General Chambers expressed genuine concern for Nat's safety.

"Nat, do you realize with whom you're going to be dealing during the next two months? You can count on seeing cold blooded killers face to face. Most CIA and military intelligence agents are operating undercover and cloaked with secrecy. The minute their cover is blown, they're pulled in from the field and sent back to the United States. Our friends here in the CIA are purposefully blowing your cover before you even leave the country. My guess is you'll have a good chance of either getting killed or being spirited away into the Soviet Union. If this happens, we'll never hear from you again."

Nat Turner assured General Chambers this had been properly considered and he realized the risk involved. He expressed the hope that being a public figure might dissuade the Soviets from making such a bold, dramatic move.

"Nat, you may be right, but let me warn you. Don't do anything to make the KGB look bad. If you step off the straight and narrow outlined to you by the CIA, you'll become a marked man. I'm not trying to frighten you, but I've worked with these people too long. We've studied the Soviet mindset, and they do not think like we do."

Colonel Sullivan joined in the conversation. "Nat, the biggest mistake you can make is to assume the Soviets are like Americans who speak another language. As you know from your travels in the Soviet Union, if they didn't open their mouths, you'd have difficulty determining if they were Americans or Soviets. They look just like we do. However, when you start working with the Soviets, you'll find they have a peasant mentality. In the long history of Russia, there were only a few czars but a whole lot of peasants. In 1917 the peasants took over, and they still behave the way they have for four centuries. We've had close to forty treaties with the Soviets and they've broken every one of them.

The breaking of a treaty to the Soviet mind is similar to the football coach of the University of North Carolina running a trick play. They do not have a moral commitment to their word. They work to bring advantage to themselves. We Americans always try to overlay our sense of values on the rest of the world. It's the biggest mistake our country makes but we'll continue to do it. As you work with KGB agents, you'll learn not to trust anything they say. Every conversation will be designed to mislead. Having this insight will work to your advantage."

Nat was well aware of this devious side of trained Soviet operatives, but he replied, "Thank you, Colonel. I've always felt that to be forewarned is to be forearmed."

The conversation went on for an hour. It was now 11:00 a.m., and time to make plans for the next day and a half.

"Nat, how would you like to spend these two days? General Chambers asked. "We're going to put ourselves completely at your disposal, and I've kept my schedule open to spend this time with you."

"General, I have no intention of taking your time for two days. You should be running this base not providing cover for me. I'll be much happier, if you will find the most knowledgeable person you have on the base to spend today talking about the history of Fort Bragg. By midnight tonight, I would like to be something of a military historian."

"Tomorrow, I'd like you to provide me your best weapons expert. I want someone who will spend eight to ten hours discussing every weapon available to the United States Army. I must be on the frontiers of knowledge. Tell your men to press hard. They'll find I am a good student.

"Jim Sullivan here will give you the best oral history of anybody on the base."

He turned to Jim, "Jim, could you clear your schedule and spend it with Nat?"

"I would be most happy to do so." replied Colonel Sullivan.

General Chambers told Nat he would see that his best weapons' man would be made available to have breakfast with him at 7:00 in the morning and stay as late tomorrow night as possible.

George Calumet joined the conversation. "Gentlemen, our schedule calls for us to be at Pope Air Force Base by 6:00, so you won't be burning midnight oil here. Five or 5:30 is the latest you can stay; this schedule will not give you any time to relax."

"George, I think my time is going to be better spent learning than relaxing right now. My life may well depend on the knowledge I acquire in the next ten days."

General Chambers and Colonel Sullivan both nodded their heads, agreeing with Turner. Colonel Sullivan stood, invited Nat Turner to follow him, and they exited the General's office to find a conference room they could spend the rest of the day and the evening together.

Chambers turned to George Calumet. "George, the use of Nat for this operation was a total surprise to me. Frankly, I was skeptical. I did not see how a college president would fit into our kind of business at all. While I have known Nat socially, I don't know him well. We've been together on occasions, but I've never had a personal conversation with him until this morning. He's one of the brightest guys I've ever known. At parties and business gatherings, he was all public relations. When he came in here, he was all business. The KGB may have formidable adversary."

George Calumet agreed with the general's concluding remarks. He smiled inwardly, and thought to himself. "This operation is already going much better than I expected."

George excused himself, thanked the general for all he had arranged, and indicated he would be back the following evening to accompany Nat to Pope Air Force Base.

Colonel Sullivan and Nat were well into military history by this time. Colonel Sullivan ordered lunch to be sent in, and had the sneaking suspicion he would be doing the same thing for the evening meal.

Sullivan thought to himself. "Perhaps I should have known, but Turner is much more knowledgeable about military history and the activities of the armed forces in World War II than I thought he would be."

Sullivan was teaching the best student he had faced and, he was teaching the subject he loved most. He was impressed with Turner's penetrating questions and found his incisive inquiries made him look at military history differently than he had before.

Sullivan thought, if Nat is enjoying this as much as I am, he's having a ball.

Nat was reflecting much the same way as Sullivan. He loved this academic challenge and exchange. The conference extended to midnight. He was already looking forward to tomorrow's session on weapons system.

8:00 p.m. Monday, May 16

Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, North Carolina

Freeman Hill, the assistant manager of the Cameron Village Camera Shoppe, locked the door and turned out the overhead fluorescent lights which illuminated the store during business hours. Even with the lights extinguished there was ample visibility to move around the shop using only the window display lights and the marketing displays? Hill slipped the double bolted lock into place which was attached securely to the metal sill surrounding the door. He retreated behind the main service counter and moved a hidden toggle switch activating the sensitive alarm system. To an astute observer it would appear considerably more attention was being devoted to security measures than ordinarily would be expected at a camera store located in a large shopping center of a sizable city. Freeman took a last look around the shop and noted everything was in place to his satisfaction. He moved through the door leading to the working area in the back of the building. In the rear were two offices and several small photographic developing rooms. These rooms flanked a hallway extending shotgun style to the rear door leading to a loading dock. Freeman turned into the first door on his left and entered into Wells Compton's office, the manager of the Cameron Village Camera Shoppe. Wells was examining an 8x10 enlargement of a print made from film delivered to him less than an hour ago.

Freeman asked, "How is the quality of the print?

"The Belt Buckle Camera does an excellent job if the object being photographed is more than three feet from the lens," replied Wells. "It is not satisfactory for close-up work. These pictures are great."

Wells looked up catching Freeman squarely in the eye, "I'm puzzled. Fort Bragg was closed today, and it's never closed unless a military emergency is declared by Washington. There's nothing going on which would warrant such extreme action."

"Do you have any idea why it was closed?"

"Not, but I'll share with you what I know. Shortly before Fort Bragg closed, a helicopter landed near General Chambers' headquarters. Two civilian passengers on the helicopter were met by the base commander and a staff officer. One of the civilians spent the rest of the day in the Headquarters Building. About noon the other civilian left Fort Bragg in a privately owned automobile. The first man is apparently staying the night. Tomorrow we'll have a clearer picture of what's going on."

“Freeman, I want you to look at this picture and tell me if you can identify either one of the non-military."

Freeman leaned forward and picked up the photograph expecting to search the memory cells of his brain to gain some clue as to the identity of a furtive figure. Freeman looked up in surprise.

"The one in the center is Dr. Nat Turner." He immediately looked back down at the picture and studied it for a few moments and said, "If I've ever seen the other one, I don't remember him. There's something vaguely familiar about his face. I may have seen it in some of our files, but I can't identify him."

Wells commented, "I had the same feeling. I know I've seen the picture of the other man, but I've never had any personal experience with him. I'm going to send a copy of the photograph through the Fax machine to our embassy in Washington. They'll either identify him for us or ask Moscow to do the identification. We need to know who he is as quickly as possible."

"Now, back to Nat Turner, why in the hell do you think he's involved with some mysterious closing of Fort Bragg? To my knowledge he's never had any connection with the military. It's my opinion the closing of the base and the arrival of these two men is entirely coincidental."

"But let's send the photograph to Washington anyway."

Freeman went next door and took the cover off the facsimile machine and laid the photograph on the flatbed scanner. The quality setting was on best. He dialed a private number in Washington and when the connection was made the scan of picture started. A perfect reproduction of this photograph would be in the Soviet embassy in Washington within seconds. Wells came into the room with a handwritten note identifying Nat Turner as the president of Cameron College, and asking for an identification of the second civilian in the photograph. He told Freeman to transmit the report to Washington.

6:00 p.m. Tuesday May 17

Pope Air Force Base

Fayetteville, N. C.

The drive from General Chambers' headquarters at Fort Bragg to General Hugh Anderson's headquarters at Pope Air Force Base took less than twenty minutes.

Upon arrival at General Anderson's headquarters, a master sergeant greeted Nat and George before they were able to open the door of their automobile. He informed Nat he had been asked to direct them to the guest quarters reserved for him in the Officers' Club. He indicated General Hugh Anderson would meet him for dinner at the Officers' Club at 7:30. The master sergeant got in a traditional khaki car and Nat's party followed him through the streets of the Air Force base to the Officers' Club. At the door of the club, Turner's party was greeted by another master sergeant who took George and Nat inside.

Calumet said "I'll be back this time tomorrow to accompany you to Camp Lejeune." It was obvious from his attitude Calumet was pleased with the first two days of this operation.

Nat was ushered to his reserved room and found it to be surprisingly plush. It showed there was a soft side to the military if one's rank were high enough to merit VIP treatment. With more than an hour before the appointed time for dinner, Nat decided he would take a shower. His preference for personal hygiene was to shower in the morning, readying him for the day. He did have the habit, however, of showering again if time permitted when he had an evening engagement. While Turner did not have a heavy beard, he liked a refreshing shave in the evening if he were going to be around people. It not only improved his appearance but gave him a psychological lift.

After his shower and shave, Nat heard a knock on the door and opened it. He was faced with an enlisted man carrying a silver tray. Plainly in view on the tray was a bucket of ice, a liter bottle of Chivas Regal Scotch Whiskey, and a bud vase with one rose. The enlisted man explained the gift was compliments of the Officers' Club. The manager hoped he would enjoy his stay while visiting Pope Air Force Base. The enlisted man placed the tray carefully on the table, walked to the open door, turned around and said "Sir, is there anything else you would like?"

Nat Turner assured him everything was fine, and he appreciated the hospitality of the base. An imperceptible click took place in the belt buckle of the private. The enlisted man closed the door, and proceeded down the hall.

Within thirty minutes the film was off the base, and by 9:00 had arrived at KGB headquarters in Raleigh.

Nat decided to enjoy the hospitality offered by the officer's club, and poured a hefty portion of the Chivas Regal straight over ice. He relaxed with his drink and thought over the last two days. He was beginning to enjoy this assignment. Not only was the hospitality excellent, but he loved the education he was getting. He made a few notes on his yellow pad for use in the discussions to take place the next morning.

The hour was now approaching 7:30 p.m. He wandered down the hall past the low lights in the bar into a beautiful dining room. He noticed a round table in the corner adorned with freshly cut flowers. Assuming this was the appointed destination, he looked for the reserved sign ordinarily placed in the center of a special table. He smiled to himself and remembered where he was. The commanding officer of Pope Air Base would not have to put a reserved sign on his table. This was the one table in the Officers' Club never used by anyone but the general and his party. Even on crowded evenings, this table would often be unattended and unused. No one asked to be seated at this table. Rank still has a few privileges.

As Nat left the dining room and retraced his steps toward the bar, he noticed a flurry of activity at the door. A staff sergeant, obviously the club manager, was busily greeting the newly arrived guests. As Turner focused on these guests, he was aware they were high ranking officers and assumed they were his dinner partners. As Nat's eyes adjusted to the dimly lit foyer, he recognized the military bearing and the square cut face of General Hugh Anderson, commander of the base. While Nat could not claim General Anderson as a close personal friend, he was an acquaintance. They had been together at social events in Raleigh and both had similar personalities. Nat strode quickly toward the door and caught the eye of General Anderson.

Even though they were only a few paces apart, General Anderson hailed him and said, "Nat, it's great to have you here."

The two accompanying high ranking military officers would have interpreted this greeting as representing an old and personal friendship.

"General, it is great to be here."

"Now, Nat, I've told you before if you want me to call you by your first name, you must return the favor and call me Hugh."

"I want you to meet my two staff officers. This is Colonel James Stokes and Major Henry Jett."

"Nat, shall we stop by the bar for a highball or do you want to go on to the table?"

"Your choice, Hugh," Nat replied. "I'm one ahead of you. Your Officers' Club staff gave me a bottle of Chivas Regal, so I decided to take advantage of the courtesy."

General Anderson laughed. "That's great; I didn't realize my boys were public relations specialists. Maybe they recognized you as someone special. I don't ever recall them having done that before."

The party moved through the dining room which was now about half full and arrived at the General's round table in the corner. While the table itself was physically located in the corner, ample space was available allowing the best of service. The surroundings were beautiful with large windows, tastefully draped and covered in sheers, at right angles to each other.

Orders for drinks were given, and within a matter of moments, the waiter returned. From this time on no glass on the table was allowed to be emptied. The conversation was robust and healthy. Clever stories were told and the men appreciated each other. The three military men had a second cocktail. Nat decided to decline this refill. Both of his previous drinks had been generous, and he was certain wine would be served during the meal. He decided discretion was the better part of valor. The meal was excellent in every way, as would be expected when served to a general in the Air Force. Orders for an entree were not requested; instead each man was served a slice of perfectly marbled prime rib which filled the plate. Nat had heard of generous portions described as overhanging the plate, but this was his first time to witness the phenomenon.

The usual comment in such circumstances was spoken by Nat. "It is nice to see our boys on military bases fed so well." Each of the three military men chuckled and assured Nat this was typical food pulled right off the chow line.

At the conclusion of dinner, coffee was served and cigars were offered. Nat didn't smoke, and he was amazed with himself when he took one of the cigars and extracted it from its glass container. All four men were offered lights by a steward and puffed heartily. Each leaned back in his chair savoring the taste of the tobacco leaf binder. Since Nat didn't smoke, he decided to make no attempt to inhale the hearty cigar. Tobacco to Nat was not unpleasant; however, nothing about the taste tempted him to acquire the habit. He was analyzing himself as to why he agreed to smoke the cigar and decided this had been such a perfect evening, he would "go with the flow." This included smoking a cigar.

After coffee, and during after-dinner liqueurs, Hugh Anderson asked Nat how he would like to spend the next day. He assured Nat he would be available to confer as would Colonel Stokes and Major Jett.

"Hugh, I think our protocol requires me to be in your office building, but I have no intention of tying you up all day entertaining me. What I would like is for you to provide me the person who knows the most about military aircraft, both domestic and foreign. When I go, to Europe in a few weeks, my only weapon is going to be knowledge, and as you can imagine, I want to be well armed."

Anderson turned to Major Jett. "Henry, why don't you plan to spend the day with Nat.?"

General Anderson turned back to Nat. "Henry Jett is as good as you'll find on military aircraft. We use him in our friend or foe identification classes. Give Henry a silhouette of any aircraft in the world for one tenth of a second, and he'll not only tell you what country built the plane but it’s make and model number. He can tell you the thrust of the jet engines, range, maximum altitude, speed, age of design, and the designer himself. There's a whole lot more Henry could tell, but I never ask. If you're not careful, you can ask Henry what time it is, and he'll tell you how to make a watch.  You may have to cut him off at times."

General Anderson paused a brief moment and smiled. "Nat, he'll be right down your alley. Henry would make a great college professor. He can bore you absolutely to death with facts and details. The two of you will get along famously. You might even want to hire him to teach at Cameron after he retires."

Everyone gave the general's comments a hearty laugh, and the evening ended in a climate of spirited good humor.

Upon returning to his room around 11:00 p.m., Nat found the bed properly turned down and mints on the pillow. He and Major Jett had made plans to have breakfast together in the officers' mess.

Nat woke as usual at 5:00 a.m. After getting dressed, he decided to walk around the base for early morning exercise. Even though it was the middle of May and early in the morning, the sun was appropriately warming the air. Anyone who was ever stationed at a military base in North Carolina can vouch for the fact that this was a southern state indeed. The walk stimulated Nat. He recalled the events of yesterday and the pleasant meal he had shared with General Anderson, Colonel Stokes, and Major Jett. While those three probably envied his academic life, Nat was reflecting on how it must feel to be professional military.

He made himself face reality by mentally noting those three did not spend evenings in the Officers' Club very often as pleasantly as they did last night. He also knew the three must occasionally suffer from the routine and regulation. Nevertheless, at the moment, it all seemed glamorous. Nat returned to the steps of the Officers' Club. Three minutes before 7:00, comfortably ahead of schedule, Major Henry Jett arrived, and they drove directly to the officer's mess and had a breakfast far larger than Nat would typically eat. In fact, Nat was one of those people who violated all laws of nutrition and preferred not to eat breakfast at all. Grapefruit juice was all he ever wanted, and he generally drank several glasses during the day. When visitors were in his office, drinking coffee, Nat would join them with a glass of grapefruit juice. He also said to friends that if there were anything at all to the grapefruit diet, he would weigh no more than one hundred pounds.

Nat and Henry did not launch heatedly into the business of the day. They ate the military breakfast, each had three cups of coffee, which again violated every rule Nat had made for himself years before.

They drove over to General Anderson's headquarters and found a comfortable conference room where they would spend the day. Major Jett asked his secretary to order lunch to be delivered to the conference room, giving them an uninterrupted nine hours to discuss military aircraft.

Henry Jett's secretary had prepared the conference room with several of his favorite books on military aircraft. She had also prepared a 35mm projector and had loaded the cassette with 144 slides. Aircraft fascinate almost everyone, and Nat was no exception. He considered himself relatively knowledgeable about aircraft both commercial and military, but this was to be the opportunity to fill any gaps. He also was going to be supplied with statistical data giving him more knowledge of the field of aviation in general. Turner loved statistical data and absorbed it readily.

"Where would you like to start?", Jett asked.

"Henry, let's go back to the very beginning, all the way to the Wright brothers, if you like. I want to know as much as I possibly can about the history of military aircraft."

For almost an hour, Major Jett discussed manned flight in the early 1900's and the flying Jennies of World War I. After the discussion of World War I, he discussed the Air Force's problem of being taken seriously by Congress all the way into World War II. Major Jett said "Had it not been for the urging and efforts of three or four people, there would have been virtually no Air Force ready to take on the Japanese and the Germans in 1941 and 1942."

Nat was now ready to discuss World War II aircraft. It was at this point Henry Jett was to become surprised. This era obviously fascinated Nat. He was well educated in matters relating to the World War II. Nat mentioned aircraft, theaters of war, roles played by particular airplanes, modifications made on bombers, and generally showed himself to be an expert. Jett did fill in a few gaps in Nat's knowledge and provided statistics and performance ratings on the various planes.

Major Jett went over specifics relating to the military philosophy which determined the use of specific aircraft in war time. Nat thought to himself that this discussion alone was worth the time spent at Pope. He promised silently that he would acquire reference books and follow military aircraft more intently in the future. The conversation moved to guidance systems. They first discussed guidance systems used by aircraft, and then inertial guidance systems used by rockets. Air and ground launched rocket systems were discussed next. Major Jett quickly pointed out the various arrays of rockets available to the Air Force which could be fired from aircraft on the move. He went into painstaking detail to explain why certain rockets were fitted to certain aircraft. This matching of rocket to aircraft fascinated Nat. He quickly understood the conditions under which the aircraft would be operating and why a certain rocket better fit the combat conditions than some other rocket system.

The last topic discussed before lunch was propulsion systems. They discussed a new method to focus the exhaust of a jet in varying directions. Major Jett pointed out Nat would see this technology when he visited the Cherry Point Marine Air Base in a day or two.

After lunch Major Jett asked Nat if he were ready for his 'Show and Tell' presentation. Nat assured him if he would serve popcorn, he would stay for a week. Henry Jett darkened the room and flashed a picture of the World War II P-51 fighter on the screen. As he talked, he would change pictures and carefully synchronize the image on the screen with the instruction being given.

"During World War II, our fastest planes were the P-51 and the P-47. Neither of these planes would exceed .8 mach: roughly 560 mph. Both planes begin to experience shock waves at this speed. The X-1, flown by Colonel Chuck Yeager, exceeded the speed of sound in 1947. During these trials, he found fixed horizontal stabilizers lost their effectiveness as the plane approached the speed of sound. He was able to maintain control of the airplane by means of this particular plane's horizontal stabilizer which had the capability of changing the angle of incidence. He theorized supersonic planes must have a "flying tail." This is a maneuverable horizontal stabilizer. The first such plane built was the F-86 and its kill ratio in the Korean War against the MIG-15 was 10 to 1."

The picture on the screen changed. "When the F-100 was built and began to fly at supersonic speed, it was found the plane would get "Supersonic flow" over the total aircraft. Supersonic flow locked the airplane into a firm position and it was no longer maneuverable. As strange as it sounds, planes flying at supersonic speeds must have surfaces which make them unstable. The major problem with such an airplane is to obtain maneuverability at supersonic speeds the plane is difficult to fly at subsonic speeds. Dampeners were placed on these aircraft which made the plane stable while flying below the speed of sound, but were removed by computer control as speed increased beyond the speed of sound."

The F-104 came on the screen. "This technique was used in the construction of the F-100, the F-104 and the F-101. The F-104 was an extremely fast plane at supersonic speeds but was very unstable at subsonic speeds. To keep the F-104 under control, a new computer controlled system had to be developed to insure the pilot of the aircraft did not place stresses on the airplane beyond its capabilities."

"In the early 1970's the fly-by-wire control system was introduced. When a pilot is flying-by-wire signals are transmitted from the pilot's controls to a computer controlling servo-mechanisms operating the various flight functions on the surface of the airplane. If the pilot asks the plane to perform a maneuver making it unstable, the computer would allow the airplane only to operate within its designed tolerances."

Jett pressed the changer. "The F-16 was the first airplane produced totally using the fly-by-wire system. The F-16 had a new response system, the controls were not movable. Pressure by the hand produced electrical impulses which were interpreted by the computer making the plane perform in the manner indicated by the pressure. If the pilot pushed forward, the nose dipped and the plane dove. If the pilot pulled back, the plane rose, pressing left, the plane banked left, pressing right, it banked to the right. Yet at no time did the control mechanism actually move. These non-movable controls proved to be a substantial psychological problem for some pilots who had always flown planes with movable controls."

"The F-16 used two different kinds of computer systems, an analog computer for its flight control system, and a digital computer for its weapons system. Analog computers require a stable electrical source. The F-18 and F-20 use digital computers for both controls. If one computer is lost, the other has the capability of assuming its functions."

An older plane was projected to the screen. "The P-59, introduced in 1942, was the first American airplane to be propelled by a jet engine. The P-80 was introduced two years later in 1944. Afterburners were added to jet engines increasing the plane's speed dramatically. The F-100 was the first airplane able to fly straight and level at supersonic speeds. Other planes could break the sound barrier, but they were in a dive."

"As airplanes passed the speed of sound and began to edge toward mach 2, new metals had to be developed for the skin of the aircraft. For example, the skin temperature of an airplane flying at mach 3, in the 2000 mph range, will rise to 700 degrees. These new planes were built of stainless steel."

"Two planes were originally developed during the 1960's with new outer skins. One was the B-70 model which President Carter scrapped and the SR-71, which was originally designed as a fighter plane. It was later stripped and made into a reconnaissance plane to replace the U-2 for high flying spying missions. The 5R71 was originally named YF-12 and was designed to carry long range air-to-air missiles. The YF-12 was cancelled by President Carter along with the B-70. When Gary Powers was shot down in the U-2 over the Soviet Union by a surface-to-air missile, it became apparent we needed a faster, higher flying reconnaissance plane. The SR-71 is still the fastest airplane in the world."

The F-4 silently appeared. "Let me tell you some of the capabilities and specifications of our major fighter planes today. The F-4 Phantom was first flown by the Air Force in May 1963. Three major modifications have been made to this aircraft and the new aircraft known as the F-4B, the F-4C and The F-4 D. The phantom is a twin engine, all weather tactical fighter bombers which can fly more than 1600 mph with a ceiling of 60,000 feet. Its range is 1300 miles plus. It was designed and built by McDonnell Aircraft Company before the company merged with Douglas. The plane is powered by two twin turbo-jet engines with after burners, and usually carries four Sparrow and four Sidewinder missiles. It has one fuselage bomb rack and racks for the wings if it is to be used as a bomber."

The projector displayed a dazzling aircraft. "The F-15 Eagle is an all weather tactical electronic warfare machine. It is built by McDonnell-Douglas using two jet engines with a thrust of more than 25,000 pounds each and a ceiling of 65,000 feet. Its speed approaches 2,000 mph, and it boasts a range of more than 3,000 miles under normal flying conditions. It typically carries four Sparrow and four Sidewinder missiles plus a considerable amount of other weapons and ordinance."

Another of the latest aircraft was flashed on the screen. "The F-16 Falcon is an aircraft designed for air-to-air combat. It's highly maneuverable and employs the same advanced aerospace designs proven in the F-15 and the F-111. The F-16 is built by General Dynamics and powered by one 25,000 pound thrust jet engine. The speed of the F-16 is 1600 miles per hour and the ceiling is 55,000 feet. The F-16A carries one pilot; the F-16B carries two crew members. Generally the F-16 carries six Sidewinder missiles."

Another plane came into view. "The F-14A Tomcat is the current backbone of naval aircraft. It is built by Grumman, with twin tails like the F-15 Eagle. It is a two-seat multi-purpose aircraft and is our most powerful Navy fighter. Its capabilities are similar to those of the F-15."

The changer clicked. "One of the latest of the fighters designed by McDonnell-Douglas is the F-18 Hornet. It's considered to be a state-of-the-art fighter and usually carries two Harpoon and two Sidewinder missiles."

Click. "Let's talk about stealth technology. Lockheed is actively involved in aircraft development based on stealth technology. It is assumed the skin of the airplane is made of some substance other than metal. It will be a delta-wing or even a flying wing aircraft. They have the least possible radar signature." Northrop developed a flying wing in 1949 in its Northrop YB-49. This airplane created such a poor radar signature it was speculated this design would be used in stealth technology in the future. Northrop used the experience in designing the YB-49 and is one of the prime contractors for the B-2 bomber which is our first real stealth bomber."

The big familiar bomber appeared. "The B-52 Stratofortress bomber has been the backbone of the Strategic Air Command since its introduction in 1954. Even though the plane's age is approaching forty years, it has been modified many times and is still considered to be an outstanding aircraft. It is powered by eight Pratt and Whitney jet engines, each producing a thrust of 12,000 pounds. The top speed of the aircraft is 650 miles per hour with a ceiling of more than 50,000 feet. It generally carries nuclear devices when airborne even though it was used for conventional warfare during the Vietnam War."

The picture changed. "The FB-111 is a medium range fighter and bomber. Generally we consider it part of our bombing force as opposed to part of our fighter force with the introduction of the many new fighter aircraft in recent years. The 111 is built by General Dynamics and uses two Pratt and Whitney turbofan engines each producing a thrust of 20,000 pounds. Its ceiling is 70,000 feet with a range of more than 4,000 miles. It carries four SRAM air-to-surface missiles or six nuclear bombs and has a crew of two."

A sleek new bomber came to life on the screen. "The B-1B bomber was developed to replace the B-52 Stratofortress. Studies for the B-1 were initiated in 1965, but the Air Force is just now taking delivery on this plane. As you know, it had a rocky time with Congress and past administrations. The primary purpose of the B-1 is to serve as a strategic heavy bomber. It is built by Rockwell International and is powered by four General Electric GE 02 turbo-fan engines. Each engine has 30,000 pounds, and its ceiling is more than 80,000 feet. It carries a crew of four and has twice the payload of the B-52. The F-111 also carries SRAM missiles."

The old workhorse of the Tactical Air Command appeared. "The C-131H Hercules primary function is close air support and the carrying of cargo. A totally versatile plane, it is one of the best ever built. It is, in fact, used by all services for virtually every different kind of mission. Built by Lockheed aircraft, using four Lockheed turboprop engines of 4500 horsepower, the aircraft's maximum speed is 350 mph and its ceiling is 30,000 feet. Range is approximately 2500 miles and the plane carries a crew of fourteen --five offices and nine enlisted men."

Jett continued with his display of transport planes. "The C-141 Starlifter is a long range troop and cargo aircraft. It's built by the Lockheed Marietta Company and uses four Pratt and Whitney B-7 turbofan engines. Each engine has a thousand pounds of thrust and the aircraft has a cruising speed of 500 mph. The ceiling for the C-141 Starlifter is more than 40,000 feet."

"The C-5A is a long range heavy logistical transport. It is built by the Lockheed Georgia Company and powered by four GE-1 turbofan engines. Each engine develops 40,000 pounds of thrust and the aircraft has a cruising speed of 500 mph with a ceiling of 34,000 feet. The C-5A carries a crew of eight."

"Boeing and Douglas have built aerial tankers whose primary function is aerial refueling. The KCH-135 built by Boeing is powered by four Pratt and Whitney J57 turbojet engines. Each engine has a thrust of 13,750 pounds. Maximum speed is 600 mph with a ceiling of more than 50,000 feet. The K-35 carries a crew of four and is the same basic configuration of the Boeing 707 commercial aircraft plane."

"The PC-10 Extender is the other aerial tanker and transport built by McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft Company. It's powered by three General Electric 5032 turbofan engines. The thrust of each engine is 52,500 pounds, and the speed of the aircraft is 600 mph with a ceiling of 50,000 feet. It carries a crew of four and is basically the same configuration as the DC-10 used in commercial aviation."

Jett now displayed the spy planes. "The U-2 is a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft built primarily for spy purposes. The airplane was built by Lockheed Aircraft and was first introduced in 1955. The plane is powered by one Pratt and Whitney J-75 turbojet engine with a thrust of 17,000 pounds. The range is more than 3,000 miles with a ceiling of 80,000 feet. This is the aircraft piloted by Gary Powers that was shot down just prior to the Eisenhower-Khrushchev summit meeting which created such an international incident."

The beautiful and eerie Blackbird appeared on the screen. "The SR-71 Blackbird is considered a strategic reconnaissance plane, a spy aircraft. It's built by Lockheed aircraft and powered by two Pratt and Whitney J-58 turbojet engines with afterburners. The thrust of each engine is 32,000 pounds and the speed of the aircraft is close to 2,500 mph. Without question, this is the fastest plane in the world. They announced the ceiling at 90,000 feet, but it's speculated the plane can fly on the edge of space at 120,000 feet. It has a range of more than 2,000 mph and is one of the truly unique aircraft flying anywhere. This aircraft holds all of the world's speed records but the US Air Force would never allow it to operate at maximum because it does not want all of the specifications known to the Soviets."

"The United States has in recent years relied on a mix of land-based intercontinental missiles, submarine launched missiles and manned bombers, as a retaliatory force. This triangular concept offers flexibility with each leg possessing both strengths and weaknesses. The Soviets on the other hand, have almost all of their nuclear power threat in intercontinental ballistic missiles. They have never had a truly effective long range bomber, and only a minor strategic bomb force."

"The Tupolev Blackjack bomber does change this to some degree. There's no question the Blackjack will be able to reach the United States with a nuclear bomb load. But it does not have the range for a return flight. Consequently it would have to depend upon the ability to penetrate the United States defenses, deliver its bomb load on a strategic target, and make it somewhere into Central or South America and land at a friendly country's air base. It is virtually impossible for the bomber to complete such a mission, because we would inevitably follow it to its landing spot and destroy it on the ground. Consequently, a bomber such as the Blackjack could only make one mission to the United States, making it economically unfeasible."

"Our bombers, even the F-111's and the B-1B, have advantages and disadvantages. They are flexible and recallable, but are relatively slow when compared with missiles. They have the same problems Russian bombers have in reaching enemy defenses before they could deliver their bomb load on a strategic target. They would have to find their way to some landing area to be used again another day. These bombers, however, can be used effectively in more limited wars and provide United States a weapon not readily available to the Soviets."

"The B-2, the first of the stealth bombers and are now in service. This aircraft can better penetrate enemy defenses than our current aircraft and consequently is more effective on a strategic basis. Even though the B-52 is now an old bomber, it still has the capability of offering itself as a launching platform while being used as stand-off Cruise missile carrier. The B-52's could take Cruise missiles within range of their strategic targets and return home to be used again."

"The Soviets' dependence on their ICBM's is the main reason they're dead set against the United States developing a Strategic defense Initiative capable of destroying their weapons as they come out of the silos. You can rest assured the Soviets will do everything in their power to keep the United States from developing this defense system, as it negates a large portion of Soviet nuclear power."

"Cruise missiles are already being fitted to the B-52G and B-52H. The B-52G carries the missile externally. The B-52H carries the missile internally. The Rockwell B-1B bomber is now considered to be our primary offensive bomber and will be carrying our larger nuclear bombs. The Rockwell B-1B bomber is a swing wing plane, with wings extended for takeoff and landing, and swept back for maximum speed during operation."

"The Soviets now have three bombers capable of doing considerable damage. Their two older bombers, the Bear and the Backfire, present such obvious radar signatures it's assumed they could not penetrate the defenses of the United States. Only one, the Tupolev Blackjack is much of a threat. It has swing wings like our B-1B. It's also larger and faster than the B-1B. This will be the first true intercontinental bomber placed in service by the Soviet inability to return to its home base. This changes, of course, if they're based in Cuba or Nicaragua."

"The United States has a bomber on the drawing board which will fly faster and carry more payload than the Blackjack. It's the Northrop Advanced Design bomber. This is a true stealth bomber and should be in service in the near future."

"Guided weaponry has become so effective in recent years it makes radar detectable airplanes highly vulnerable. Future planes will be designed using stealth technology. Flat sides and metallic skins are out! Contours are going to give radar a glancing blow and signatures must be disguised. Technology in this area is progressing at a rapid rate. It appears that every time we develop a new weapon for our Air Force, a countermeasure is developed to defeat the weapon. Next we modify the weapon to make it less vulnerable to the countermeasures, and the chase goes on."

Nat was interested in how the U.S. aircraft compared with the new MIG-25. Major Jett pointed out that the MIG-25 was packed with raw power, but did not have the electronic sophistication of the American aircraft. With pride, he reminded Nat of how well the Israelis had flown the F-15's and F-16's in defeating Arab flown MIG-25's.

Nat responded with a grin. "How do you compare the pilots trained by us for the Israeli Air Force with the Arab pilots trained to fly the MIGS."

Henry Jett realized he had been picked off base and returned the grin, saying "Well, you have a point. I think everyone would agree the Israelis were much better pilots than any of those put in the air by the Arab nations."

The afternoon was wearing on. It would not be long before this conference would have to end. Lunch had not interrupted the conversation; they had discussed military aircraft between bites. Nat would eat while Henry Jett was talking, then Jett ate while Nat asked questions and made speculations. Nat was interested in finding out about the new Russian Fox Bat which reportedly could fly 2100 miles per hour, well above mach 3. Henry assured Nat reliable intelligence information had confirmed this aircraft did have the reported performance ratings. He assured Nat the United States had aircraft which could equal anything the Foxbat would do, and those aircraft had already been discussed. Nat made a mental note to find out more about the F-20.

At 4:30, the conference ended. Not assured Major Jett informative days of his life. He would forever be indebted for his expert instruction. Nat was amazed at Jett's knowledge of aircraft. Major Jett was even more amazed at the mind of Nat, and how quickly and easily he absorbed detailed information. Major Jett was convinced if he tested Nat Turner on the information covered during their conversation today; Turner would score 100% correct answers.

At 5:00 they returned to General Anderson's office and Nat paid his respects, telling him how much he appreciated the opportunity to spend the day with Major Jett. He confirmed General Anderson's assessment of Jett as being the most knowledgeable person he had ever met on military aircraft. He also thanked him for the enjoyable evening at the Officers' Club. He soon left General Anderson's office, walked to a waiting car and found George Calumet inside. Major Jett rode with them to the tarmac, and the driver drove directly to an awaiting Apache AH-64 helicopter. As the helicopter rose from its pad, Nat waved to Major Jett who was standing by the car.

The Apache helicopter disappeared from view over the horizon, and orders were given by General Anderson to open the air base once again. A wave of rumor immediately swept over the base like a tidal wave.

Tuesday night, May 17

Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, North Carolina

The Camera Shoppe had been locked, bolted, and all protection devices made operative two hours before. Wells was seated at his desk with Freeman seated comfortably in a chair against the wall on the other side of the room. Spread in front of Wells was three photographs. The photograph on the left was the one processed from the film delivered to him the night before. The photograph in the middle was processed from film delivered from Fort Bragg today and represented the image of Nat shaking hands with the base commander. The third photograph was an image produced from the film taken shortly thereafter by another operative at Pope Air Force Base.

All three pictures included Nat and another civilian. To the left of the three pictures was a decoded message from the Soviet embassy in Washington. To the right of the three aligned pictures were two written reports. One, was from penetration at Fort Bragg, and the other from penetration at Pope Air Force Base. The note from Fort Bragg indicated one civilian spent the night after having dinner with the base commander and two of his staff members. The following day was spent in base headquarters with departure taking place shortly after 5:00 p.m.

Just prior to departure the accompanying photograph was made. The other civilian had left the base the night before and did not return to base headquarters until shortly before 4:00 PM. The second civilian was not present during any discussions taking place during the day. Departure from the base was made in the Base Commander's automobile. At 5:45 p.m. Fort Bragg was declared an open base once again. The other report on the desk to the right of the photographs was received from this was one of the most penetration at Pope Air Force Base. It had accompanied the third picture. This report contained the following information. Two civilians arrived at base headquarters shortly before 6:00 p.m. Their arrival coincided with the closing of Pope to the public. The closing was to take effect at 5:45 p.m. Both men spent a brief period of time in base headquarters. The civilian standing on the right soon left the base in a privately owned automobile. The civilian on the left was taken by a staff officer to the VIP guest quarters located near the Officers' Club.

The third sheet of paper was a decoded message from the Russian embassy in Washington.

It stated: Identification requested:

George Calumet

Head of the Eastern European section of the CIA Office:

CIA Headquarters, McLean, Virginia

Reports directly to Deputy Director,

Christopher Cope Second man unidentified,

Suggest local investigation be made

Wells Compton and Freeman Hill had been discussing the three messages for more than an hour.

"It just does not make sense", Wells said. “We certainly don't need any help in identifying Nat Turner. His picture is in the paper more than anyone else in Raleigh other than the governor. The identification of the CIA man hit me like a ton of bricks. George Calumet is one of the highest ranking employees in the whole CIA. Why would he be in North Carolina traveling with Turner. Even more puzzling is the fact that Calumet accompanies Turner and then gets in an automobile and drives away as if he is some minor aide. It's Turner who stays and spends time with the military brass."

"I would ordinarily say the visits by Turner and the closing of the bases were sheer coincidence if Calumet were not part of the scenario. It's completely out of character for high level CIA employees to move about the country simply accompanying dignitaries."

"Freeman, what do you think?"

"It's more logical to me to believe Turner is visiting the bases for educational reasons, and the CIA will use him for public relations purposes to squeeze more money out of Congress."

Wells looked directly at Freeman. There was a distinct change in the pitch of his voice, "What do I report to the embassy?" He paused and went on, "I'm going to down play Turner and concentrate on George Calumet. At least that makes some semblance of sense."

Within fifteen minutes the facsimile machine was turned on. Copies of the three photographs and the written report from Wells were flashed to the security room of the Soviet Embassy in Washington.

6:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 1987

Camp Lejeune

Jacksonville, N. C.

The helicopter sat down one half mile from General Nikki Webb's headquarters. General Webb and his second in command, Colonel Franz Wolhiem, were on hand to greet Nat Turner and George Calumet. Within minutes they were inside General Webb's headquarters building and seated in his spacious office.

The only reason Calumet was accompanying Nat was to be sure any KGB penetration clearly identified Nat with the CIA. Not only was Nat certain to be identified as he made his rounds through these sensitive installations, but the presence of George Calumet, head of the Eastern European section of the CIA, was sure to sound sensitive Soviet alarms. After Nat was safely delivered, Calumet left.

After some pleasantries, the three men decided the next day needed to be planned. As had happened at the other two military installations, Major General Webb offered to make himself available to Nat the following day.

"Nikki, I wouldn't dream of tying you up all day. While I would enjoy our time together, you have many things to do other than looking after me. However, I would like to spend the day with someone highly knowledgeable in marine military tactics and planning. The marines have long been known for being the first to go into combat in time of trouble, and I know your success in these ultra-dangerous situations proves someone knows a lot about military planning and logistics. If you would pair me with someone who could share marine thinking, my time would be well spent."

General Webb looked at Colonel Wolhiem. "Franz, can you make yourself available?"

"Yes sir, I certainly will and would enjoy the day."

General Webb invited Nat and Franz to join him at his home for dinner that night. Nikki explained his wife was visiting relatives and would not return for more than two weeks. Consequently, only the three of them and the staff would be in the residence.

Colonel Wolhiem then took Nat to the camp's guest quarters and they agreed Wolhiem would return at 7:15 for the trip to the general's home.

Nat's baggage was clearly identified with his name and address emblazoned on a tag. A spy walking around in a trench coat with his collar turned up and a felt hat on would not have identified his baggage in such a fashion. But, of course, Nat was not a spy. He was simply a visitor moving from one military establishment to another, chauffeured by military vehicles, with the base being closed during his stay. Outside of this circumstantial evidence, there was no indication Nat worked for the CIA. After all, he was the president of a small liberal arts college located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was nothing more, nothing less.

Dinner was pleasant and Nat thoroughly enjoyed the food and the company. He liked both of these men, and they obviously liked him. The evening started in the drawing room, moved to the dining room and ended in the general's study.

His personal study was the one place in the house the general allowed his vanity to show. The souvenirs and memorabilia denoted the many exploits and historic events in which the general had participated. Sitting in this room was tantamount to experiencing a deep insight into the history of the Marine Corps.

At 11:30, Colonel Wolhiem returned Nat to the guest quarters, and they agreed to have breakfast the following morning.

At 7:30 Colonel Wolhiem arrived to take Nat to the officer's mess. They enjoyed breakfast but did not start into their briefing during the meal. By 8:30 they were back at General Webb's headquarters building in a conference room and ready to go to work.

Nat started the conversation. "Will there be an opportunity for me to see the training facilities?"

"Sure. Why don't we talk this morning and you can have the VIP tour of our facilities this afternoon before you move out."

"I'd also like the opportunity of meeting some of your instructors. Are they as tough as their reputation?"

Franz shrugged his shoulders, "They're still tough, but some have had to be curbed because they were extremely macho and would try to outdo each other by being rough on the young enlisted men. As you know, their enthusiasm has caused some difficulty for us on a few occasions in the past."

With it now agreed they would go over the training facilities in the afternoon, Nat was ready to get down to work. "Franz, run over with me the training regimen. I'm interested in the philosophy of marine preparedness and why you think it has to be so rigorous."

"We want the marines trained to be the best fighters in the world. The toughest and best training will serve them well in the jobs they're going to be asked to do. If there's a dirty, sticky, messy, filthy job and the American military is asked to go fight, immediately Camp LeJeune is notified and we mobilize. We think it's not fair to put men in the field who are not as good as they can possibly be if they're going to have to fight in these terrible situations. We're not being tough to develop some sort of image; we're being tough for the sake of these young men whose lives depend on the training they receive at this base. We want them to know how to use the latest and best weapons in the world. If they're made available to them in combat, we'll make certain they know how to use them.

"On the other hand, if they are stripped of their weapons and have nothing with which to face the enemy but a knife or even their bare hands, we want them able to defend themselves and come out the winner." Franz took a breath, paused, and continued. "Nat, the South Pacific was the perfect example, but its taken place dozens of other times. On Guadalcanal or any number of islands I could name, the enemy was on higher ground, firing from cover, and psychologically had their backs against the wall. They knew the invaders had to be repulsed. Guess who had the honor of leading the invasion? You guessed it, the Marine Corps. We're often put in situations where it appears the top brass in Washington think our young men are bullet proof. Yes, we want the best men, and we train them to be tough, but it's for their sake. It's also important for us to have troops who are smart. Most of our battles have been won because we've been able to size up a situation and do something the enemy is not expecting. We think the marine officer is the best field strategist in the world. There's no foreign military power, no matter how well trained or well equipped, who relishes the thought of facing marines from Camp Lejeune."

"How do you deal with the men psychologically when they know they have the dirtiest job in the world? It would appear you'd have problems even getting them up to go into combat."

"You'd think this would be the case, but, when someone joins the Marine Corps, they're well aware of the tasks that are going to be given to them. In our judgment being the elite fighting machine is heavy stuff indeed. Of course, while they're here, we keep telling them they're the best in the world. After they go through our training, they know they're the best in the world. An air of invincibility is acquired. It's this positive attitude which convinces them they'll win every battle they fight. They stay on a psychological high. In combat, we've had only a few marines throughout our history of whom we couldn't be proud after a battle was over."

Nat moved the conversation from marine training to helicopters, "Why the great penchant for helicopters? It's my understanding the marines have more helicopters per man than any of the other armed forces."

"That's correct. We view the marines as being very mobile. In combat we must be able to move our men strategically. If we were fighting the war in the South Pacific today, we would no longer confront troops defending a beach. Our plan would be to bomb the hell out of those guys, and deliver the marines behind them by helicopter. Strategy has changed dramatically with the introduction of the helicopter. The marines have used this piece of equipment with great effectiveness."

The conversation went on for thirty more minutes discussing the Apache Attack helicopter, the Bell and Huey gunships, and the helicopters fitted for special jobs in combat.

Franz concluded their conversation about helicopters by remarking, "The rescue helicopter has done more to lift the morale of men in the field in such places as Viet Nam than any other single instrument of war. While they may not get the notoriety and publicity they deserve, the feats of heroism performed by pilots of rescue helicopters are legend. These pilots develop a bravado often exceeding the fighting men in the field. If a marine is wounded or hurt, regardless of the circumstances, if they call for help on their radio, the rescue helicopter goes in. The pilot will pick up the man or men, and fly out regardless of the personal danger to himself. It's a wonder we didn't have more killed than we did. Their concern for helping those fighting on the front lines was so great they ignored personal safety."

The morning was now moving on and Nat did have one more specific topic which needed to be discussed prior to their visit of the camp. He thought for a few moments about how to phrase the question, and decided to use a problem facing President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

"If you had been in charge of rescuing the hostages from Beirut in 1980, what you would you have done, Franz?" Nat moved back in his chair knowing this answer would take some time.

Franz pursed his lips and thought for a moment. "I'm not sure I would have planned the operation very differently. It was a text book example of a rescue mission. All of us at LeJeune have posed the same question to each other. My answer is not off the wall. It is one I have thought about many times. In fact, we've thought about it so much, we'd be able to do a better job than they did in 1980.

"Let me start by assuming this mission was of high priority to the President. If this were the case, I would do many things involving movements of military personnel all over the world. This would be opposite to the approach taken in 1980 in Lebanon. The rescue mission in 1980 was kept secret. The United States tried to lull the kidnappers asleep by inactivity. Their plan was to slip a few helicopters and C-130s into the desert area near Beirut. They hoped to rescue the hostages, take them back into the desert and fly away. It was designed to take the kidnappers totally by surprise. I think this was the wrong approach. Sometimes you can lull the enemy to sleep and then creep up on them, but not often.

"You've asked the question, so now I am going to tell you what I'd have wanted to do had I planned the operation." At this point, Colonel Franz Wolhiem paused, looked at the ceiling ahead, looked at the wall behind Nat, gathered his thoughts and then launched into his plan. "The first thing I'd have done was to raise the threshold of the world, not lull everyone to sleep. I would have moved troops to Europe to start newspapers asking questions about these military movements. Next I would have brought our aircraft carriers and cruisers closer to the Lebanese shores as if we were going to put them under naval gun bombardment again. SR-71s spy planes would go in  flying sorties and the F-14 Tomcats would become active off the carrier decks. Our European military bases would be asked to put combat gear on the infantry men. Visitors would be allowed to see we were preparing to do battle. Now all of this is psychological.

"A spy satellite would be focused on the area of the target activity providing a complete and current map of the area as produced by the satellite. If the streets were blocked for whatever reason, we would need to know. I would also arrange to have reports from this particular satellite as often as I could get them just to be sure the conditions did not change. As was done in 1980, a secure landing area for our aircraft would be necessary. An entrance route into the city would be carefully planned. I would want our C-130s to put in place trucks which were new and dependable and painted with appropriate markings. This would make them appear familiar on the streets of Beirut.

The exit route from the target area would be different from the entrance route and would be defended. If our exit trucks were to pick up pursuit, the pursuers would be taken out of action by rifle fire. The rescue mission is to be kept bloodless, if at all possible but I would tell our Marines to defend themselves. I would not want to have a marine killed because of an order not to shoot someone aiming a gun at them. After planning the attempt by studying the building, the gates would be crashed by three to four trucks, stun grenades thrown in the glass windows to create havoc and general confusion. The front door would be blown off its hinges and our people would go in. All four sides of the building would be secured with no uncovered escape route. Stun grenades would be the order of the day. Generally an attack of this sort gets immediate attention of the occupants defending the building, creating much confusion causing the defenders to panic and move to save themselves. Whenever the organization of a defense can be disrupted, the battle is generally 90% won.

"After securing the hostages, I would put them in the trucks and follow the prescribed escape route, giving military protection to assure the escape. Nothing would be allowed to keep the trucks from making a safe getaway and racing back into the desert. This mission would take place at night instead of in the daylight, and night sighting infrared equipment would give us the advantage under these conditions. It's my philosophy to go with your strengths. As I mentioned, I would use stun weapons instead of fragmentation weapons. I would create diversions along the escape routes generally by planting minor explosions on side streets, and the last thing would be the escape curtain. Once the city had been cleared, our military should provide a safe escape curtain. This could be either helicopters or ground troops, but there must be a point past which the enemy pursuers cannot go. In no way, would I allow either terrorists or their military to approach our escape aircraft. Then, if all had gone well we would get our planes in the air. They would not crash into each other, as did happen in 1980. Again, the marines would have accomplished their mission."

Nat and Franz continued to discuss military matters until lunch. They returned to the officer's mess for the noon meal after which Nat was given a full and complete tour of the training facilities. At 5:00, the helicopter and George Calumet magically appeared for the trip to the Cherry Point Air Base. About the time the helicopter was lifting off for the short trip, a telephone was ringing in the Cameron Village Camera Shoppe in Raleigh.

10:00 PM Wednesday, May 18

Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, North Carolina

The manager of the Cameron Village Camera Shoppe was talking to his associate Freeman Hill about the latest reports he had received from Pope Air Force Base and Camp Lejeune. The report from Pope Air Force Base had confirmed the fact that Turner had spent the night on the base and had dinner with the base commander in the Officer's Club. It also had confirmed that he had spent the day at base headquarters. In late afternoon the second civilian returned and joined Nat and his military hosts. Shortly after 5:00 pm the two visitors had left the base in an AH-64 Apache helicopter. Wells Compton was mildly depressed.

The report from penetration at Camp Lejeune Marine Base was similar to the reports he had received from Fort Bragg and Pope. At the time of arrival of an AH-64 Apache helicopter, the base was closed to the public. The two civilians aboard the helicopter were greeted by the base commander and his staff. After a brief meeting in the headquarters building one of the civilians left the base by private automobile. The second civilian was driven to the VIP guest quarters by a high ranking staff member. Penetration indicates more information would follow tomorrow.

"Wells, I have been in this business for more than twenty years and I've never seen a pattern developing as clearly as the one we've witnessed in the last forty eight hours. No explanation has been given for the opening and closing of the bases. All we know, is they coincide with the arrival and departure of George Calumet and Nat Turner. I could better understand the situation if Calumet were closely involved in the high level meetings going on. But Calumet driving away in his car and leaving Turner to confer with the high ranking officers beats the hell out of me."

Compton, thinking on these remarks replied. "If Calumet were making these rounds by himself I would think we had uncovered the planning of another invasion such as Granada. He could be carrying direct orders from the President.

Something is obviously going on right in front of our eyes and we're too close to see it. Let's at least tell the embassy about the sequence of events. This news will probably be sent on to Moscow. There has to be a bigger picture than we're seeing."

6:00 p.m. Thursday, May 19

Cherry Point Marine Air Base

Cherry Point, N.C.

The helicopter trip from Camp LeJeune to Cherry Point took no more than twenty minutes since the two bases are separated by less than forty miles. Cherry Point is located on the Neuse River at a point where the river is two miles wide and its proximity to the ocean makes the water salty, not fresh. The military base is surrounded by the Croatan National Forest. A major highway, cutting through the forest, serves Cherry Point and proceeds on to one of North Carolina's busiest beach resorts. This thoroughfare, Highway 70, leaves the historical city of New Bern, proceeds southeast, bisects the city of Havelock, and dead ends at the waterfront community of Morehead City.

On the flight from Camp LeJeune over the Croatan National Forest, Nat reflected upon his plans for tomorrow. The day's activities were now going to change. Tomorrow would be fun. He was not going to make any attempt to cram his head with facts and figures as he had been doing the first four days of the week. It was now Thursday night, and his week would start winding down. While some of the day would be spent in discussing search and destroy operations, most of the time was going to be spent in the air.

The helicopter sat down, and before the doors could open, Major Francis Lacey moved forward to greet George Calumet and Nat Turner. Major Lacey indicated he was happy to have the two of them at the Cherry Point Base, and he would escort them immediately to the office of the base commander, Brigadier General Jesse Greer. Within fifteen minutes, they were in the general's office, and after greetings and brief opening conversation, George Calumet slipped away leaving Nat on his own with General Greer and Major Lacey. Nat had no surprises for his military hosts. He was going to follow the schedule put together by the CIA. After the get-acquainted session with Brigadier General Greer and Major Lacey, Nat was taken to the guest quarters to freshen up for the evening meal.

At 7:30, Major Lacey arrived at the guest quarters and escorted Nat to the Officer's Club. General Greer was already seated at his table. Within a few minutes the conversation was much livelier than Nat had anticipated. Both of these men were professional flyers, and their passion in life was to be in the air. Nat's knowledge of aircraft amazed them. After a few knowledgeable questions by Nat, both men launched into an evaluation of the problems, the merits and the faults of the various aircraft they had flown. When talking to flyers, it was interesting to note how fond they are of each different type of plane they have flown. Nat concluded that, when a pilot's life depends on a plane responding to his commands, a bond is forged between man and machine that never will be broken.

Typically cocktails were enjoyed for some thirty minutes prior to dinner, but by now, it had run well over an hour. The additional libation had loosened the tongues of the three men and they were enjoying each other's company. At ten minutes to nine dinner was ordered and shortly thereafter the appetizer and soup began to arrive. The brisk conversation continued throughout the meal, and at 10:15 p.m. the men returned to their quarters for a good night's sleep.

The next morning Major Lacey picked Nat up at his quarters and the two men enjoyed breakfast together. By 9:00, they had arrived on the tarmac for the beginning of what was to be an exciting day for Nat. Major Lacey introduced Nat to Captain Craig Martin. They were standing on the tarmac looking at the Harrier Jump Jet in which they were going to spend the major part of the day.

Captain Martin walked Nat and Major Lacey around the aircraft pointing out the extraordinary features of the plane which allowed it to perform in such a remarkable way. The Harrier Jump Jet was built by the British, but immediately had become the darling of the United States Marine Corps. The marines became the British's best customer. This plane fit the Marine personality perfectly.

The Harrier Jump Jet is actually a STOVL, "Short Take Off and Vertical Landing". It was pointed out, however, under emergency conditions; the Harrier Jump Jet could become a VTOVL which meant Vertical Take Off and Vertical Landing. The aircraft is designed to go straight up like a helicopter, and come straight down again. It can pause and hover perfectly still in the air, and, to the amazement of all, it can fly backwards. The Harrier is not a helicopter, and has nothing in common with the helicopter. No blades rotate above; in fact, there are no blades at all. It is a pure jet powered aircraft. These amazing feats are accomplished by varying the angle of the thrust from the exhaust of the aircraft. Once in the air, and needing maximum performance, the nozzles are placed in the appropriate and traditional position, and the aircraft has outstanding jet fighter capabilities.

After the walking tour around the aircraft, they went into the nearby service building and outfitted Nat with an appropriate jump suit and flight helmet. They bade Major Lacey goodbye, and Captain Martin and Nat climbed into the Harrier for their flight. Before takeoff, Captain Martin tested the radio to make sure he and Nat could communicate properly. He then cleared himself with the control tower for immediate departure.

The nozzles of the jets were turned downward and the plane started moving along the runway. It appeared to Nat they had barely started when the plane literally jumped into the air. It was an exciting experience. Captain Martin started their flight southwest retracing the route Nat had flown the evening before on the helicopter. The plane climbed quickly to 15,000 feet and flew over the Camp LeJeune Marine Base. Looking down, Nat could see the marine base was split into two parts by the Neuse River. He also observed the Atlantic Ocean served as the eastern edge of the base. He was impressed with how much prime North Carolina real estate is owned by the Marine Corps, with this base bordered by at least twenty miles of picturesque beach front property.

Their flight continued southwest until they were over Wilmington, North Carolina. As he looked down he could see Wrightsville Beach and many of the resort areas so familiar to him. Captain Martin banked the plane slightly and they were now moving due south over Carolina Beach and heading for Cape Fear, the sharp point forming the southern tip of North Carolina. An abrupt right angle turn made the cape stand out clearly. Now Bald Head Island, a prominent geographical feature of the cape, came into view. From this altitude, Nat could see the string of narrow islands covered with vacation homes marching southwest toward North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Captain Martin spoke into his intercommunication system. "We'll spend most of the morning flying over the Outer Banks. You'll enjoy the view from above even more than the one you have when you're sitting on the beach." The barrier islands of North Carolina were idyllic and beautiful from the air.

On the return trip, they passed over Topsail Island, and before many minutes arrived at the Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach area. Nat could now see clearly the strange geography of the outer banks from Beaufort Inlet to Cape Lookout. The cape was fashioned as if it were a fish hook. This seemed appropriate to Nat since many of the local residents for generations had made their living from fishing.

The Harrier Jump Jet was now flying northeast over the Atlantic Ocean with the barrier islands on their left. They reached Ocracoke Inlet, the beginning of Ocracoke Island. The island is famous for its wild horses which run free on the island and for its residents who speak Elizabethan English. Nat knew a visit to Ocracoke Island is a visit to the distant past.

They were now approaching Cape Hatteras, the graveyard of the Atlantic. At this point the Gulf Stream moves out to sea with its line of departure clearly evident in the water. The Harrier proceeded north toward Manteo and Kill Devils Hill where the monument commemorating the Wright Brothers' first manned flight shortly became visible on the left. The jet continued north by northwest toward Virginia Beach and Norfolk. Prior to reaching the Virginia state line, Captain Martin banked the Harrier left, swept back over Elizabeth City, and Nat could see the deserted naval training base famous for preparing Naval pilots during World War II.

They were now preceding south passing over the Albemarle Sound and into the waterfowl country of eastern North Carolina. On the left, Nat could see Lake Mattamuskeet where he had been duck hunting on numerous occasions. They passed over the Pamlico River, another of the North Carolina watery indentations, and soon were approaching the Cherry Point Air Base.

When they were over the Neuse River ready for landing, Nat asked Captain Martin, "Am I going to see you put the plane through its paces?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

At this point, with a smooth swing of the engine's nozzles, Captain Martin brought the Harrier to an easy halt. Nat could scarcely believe his eyes and his senses. The plane was sitting totally still, moving in no direction whatsoever. They were over the Neuse River overlooking all directions as if they were on some giant platform. With an imperceptible move of controls, the plane began to move straight up. They proceeded in this manner for about 1,000 feet, then came to a standstill again, and Captain

Martin brought the Jump Jet straight down. The precision was eerie. It was as if they were on a yo-yo string. No backward movement or forward movement at all. Then, as the crowning touch, the airplane began to fly backwards. The plane did not move far before Captain Martin changed the thrusters and was again moving forward bringing the plane back over the Cherry Point Base. They were now at a 500 foot level and the plane came to an easy halt and descended vertically until they were safely on the deck.

After exiting the aircraft, Nat and Captain Martin started walking back toward the ready room located in the service building adjacent to the maintenance shops for the Harrier Jets.

"Craig that was the most incredible flying experience I've ever had. You must look forward to every opportunity to fly the plane. I wish I had another reason to go back up with you." Captain Martin smiled.

They changed out of their flight suits and drove to the officer's mess to meet Major Lacey. The conversation was easy, but Nat was excited. He had thoroughly enjoyed his morning flight with Captain Martin. Then the men presented Nat with a surprise. The flying was not over. They had a flying route outlined in eastern North Carolina for training purposes and Captain Martin would take Nat over this training route in the Harrier.

After they completed lunch, they returned to the service building, slipped back into their flight suits and helmets and scrambled back into the Harrier Jump Jet. This time after a low, short take-off, Captain Martin did not take the jet much higher than the treetops. Not estimated they were roughly 200 feet in the air. The Harrier continued a relaxed, easy low level flight. Captain Martin explained that while flying at this level it would be difficult for enemy radar to detect the Harrier. While he was over the Neuse River, he dropped down to 50 feet off the water, and flew at this low level for several miles. They were now lower than the treetops and invisible to enemy radar and safe from rocket fire.

Within a few minutes, Captain Martin brought the plane back up over the treetops and began to slowly move around one of the few hills to be found in eastern North Carolina. He was demonstrating the ability of the Harrier Jet to use natural terrain for cover. He hypothesized where an enemy encampment might be, and carefully slipped the plane around the hill approaching the encampment from the rear. The unique ability of this airplane was incredible. It had the agility of a helicopter, the speed of a jet fighter, and the ability to land and take off without detection behind enemy lines. Not had the sensation of flying in the aircraft of the future. Within an hour they were back on the deck, and he had returned to Brigadier General Greer's headquarters building. Nat gave Captain Martin generous and sincere thanks for the interesting day, commenting that it was an experience he would never forget.

Two hours remained before Nat's departure for Seymour Johnson. This time was spent with Major Lacey discussing the Harrier Jump Jet. He asked Major Lacey specific questions about a rescue operation performed using the Harrier.

Major Lacey said "In any rescue operation, enough military activities should be taking place to scramble enemy fighters and totally engage their radar operators."

"While this activity is going on, with the radar tracking high-flying aircraft, the Harrier would move in low and slow, coming to a complete halt using natural cover, moving at right angles when necessary, and then move into the appropriate position for rescue. The Harrier in this case would be much better than a helicopter because it is faster when escape is needed."

After the conclusion of this conversation, the back of Nat's neck was tingling. He had an uneasy feeling his life and well-being might one day depend on this unique aircraft.

9:00 pm, Thursday, May 19

Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, NC

Wells Compton had not had a good day. His edginess was apparent to Freeman Hill. It wasn't often he observed Compton upset. Hill shared today's anxiety. There were times he hated to have to go through the motions of operating a camera shop. Today had been especially busy and it was quite apparent the customer base was expanding. The camera shop was beginning to make a substantial profit, which was not the intention of the Communist Party in setting up this capitalistic business. Compton and Hill were experiencing free enterprise and both had laughed about how corrupt they might become if they stayed in this country. Their profits were enabling them to live as only the top ranking party members did in the Soviet Union.

At 8:00 p.m. Hill had served the last customer and closed the front door, bolting it securely. The alarm system had been set and Hill returned to Compton's office. They both had mixed feelings of excitement and dread. They were excited about the importance of the work currently being conducted by the Raleigh office. Any time the local military of eastern North Carolina were increasing activity adrenaline would be pumping in the veins of the Raleigh area agents. Tonight the reports from penetration at LeJeune and Cherry Point had arrived. The report from Cherry Point parallels closely the one from Fort Bragg. Nat Turner had spent the evening before with the base commander and the following day in the base headquarters. Turner worked either with the base commander or some high ranking officer. During late afternoon the second civilian had returned to base and the men boarded an AH-64 Apache helicopter and flew away shortly before 5:00 p.m. immediately after the departure of the helicopter, Camp LeJeune was once again open to the public.

Penetration from Cherry Point sounded like a carbon copy of the reports received from the other three bases on the preceding nights. The helicopter landed carrying two civilians. These two were taken to base headquarters, staying but a brief period of time. One civilian left the base by automobile and the other was taken to the guest quarters.

Compton had to face the facts. Nat was not a visiting dignitary being shown some of the sensitive military bases located near his campus. Turner had attended no demonstrations nor had he taken public relations tours. Other than those hours spent dining and resting, his total time had been spent in base headquarters. Compton had now come to the conclusion that Turner was a CIA agent who had been under cover awaiting this one strategic task.

This personal judgment, along with the accompanying biographical data and recent photographs, was sent on the facsimile machine to the Soviet Embassy in Washington.

Compton had spent the day studying the information gathered on Turner. The voluminous files were crammed full of newspaper clippings and other personal information gathered by the members of the Raleigh KGB station. Compton had analyzed the files until his eyes had become tired. This college president had a myriad of interests and accomplishments. There was nothing in the file, however, indicating any activity which could be linked with espionage or the CIA. Compton knew he was either making the discovery of a lifetime, or he was the biggest fool put on station by the KGB in a long, long time.

5:45 p.m. Thursday, April 19

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base

Goldsboro, North Carolina

At 5:15 p.m., the Harrier Jump Jet had lifted off from Cherry Point Marine Air Base and headed northwest toward Goldsboro, destination, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Seymour Johnson was home of the famous C-130 Hercules, the C-141 Starlifter and the largest plane in the world, the C-5A Galaxy. These planes have provided flexibility for the U. S. armed services unequaled by any nation in the world. The most logistically competent support service ever devised was made possible by these three planes. Supplies, materiel and weapons can be moved at a moment's notice to the most forward positions in combat.

The Seymour Johnson Air Base was less than seventy-five miles from Cherry Point and when the Harrier arrived, it made a vertical landing. This remarkable aircraft always creates interest and excitement wherever it appears. On hand to meet Nat Turner was Colonel Alfred Jackson, the base commander, his aide Major Sam Cunningham and George Calumet.

The plan of having Nat come by Jump Jet to Seymour Johnson required George Calumet to drive by automobile since there was room for only two people in the airplane. With Seymour Johnson closed and the Harrier Jump Jet arriving, attention was focused on the occupant who exited the airplane and quickly entered the automobile of the base commander. Before the colonel's car had pulled away, the Harrier was off and flying. It was incredible how quickly the airplane could become airborne through the use of the jet exhaust directed downward toward the ground.

Seymour Johnson is a major military base and its pilots and crewmen fly all over the world. The C-130 Hercules has as glorious a battle history as any transport plane in the world. The C-141 Starlifter and the C-5A Galaxy, both flying out of Seymour Johnson, are given credit for saving Israel in the last Arab Israeli War. These planes have ferried hundreds of thousands of troops into war theaters and all are equipped to make air drops or to move combat troops to the front lines in sight of the enemy.

Nat followed the same pattern as he had at the preceding four military bases. His visit began with a short conference in the base commander's office with Colonel Alfred Jackson and Major Sam Cunningham. Nat and George Calumet were properly greeted and the plans for the next day were discussed. Nat made it clear he did not need to talk with Colonel Jackson all day on Saturday, but would be happy to talk with someone else who was knowledgeable in the work of the Tactical Air Command. Colonel Jackson made Major Cunningham available for Nat the next day.

After the plan was agreed upon, Major Cunningham took Nat to the base guest quarters and made arrangements to meet him again at 7:30 p.m. George indicated he would return to the base tomorrow evening for the helicopter trip back to the Cameron College campus. Nat spent a leisurely hour in his quarters preparing himself for the evening.

During this restful time for Nat, a master sergeant who was working on the flight line when the Harrier Jump Jet arrived at the base was making a call to the Cameron Village Camera Shoppe to determine if they had 400 ASA speed film. The assistant manager of the shop indicated they did. The caller said he would be at the shop in Raleigh first thing in the morning to pick up the film. The voice on the telephone said they would be glad to see him.

Major Cunningham picked Nat up at 7:35, and they proceeded to the Officer's Club for dinner with Colonel Jackson. When they arrived, the Colonel was in the bar talking to a major about a flight overseas. Major Cunningham and Nat joined them. All three men drank their whiskey straight and over ice. Colonel Jackson had a preference for Jack Daniels Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey, Major Cunningham ordered Bombay Sapphire Gin with a slice of lime and Nat Turner ordered his favorite Johnny Walker Black. Within a moment or two, the officer conducting the conversation with Colonel Jackson left.

For the next forty five minutes, much to Nat's surprise, the conversation was focused on him and not on the military at all. They wanted to know everything about Nat's background and his training. They were particularly interested in how he became involved in clandestine activities with the CIA.

After the discussion of Nat's background, the three men adjourned to the main dining room to the table reserved for Colonel Jackson. They enjoyed a delicious meal, and at 10:30, Nat returned to his guest quarters with a promise from Major Cunningham he would be picked up at 7:00 in the morning. Nat was up at 5:00 a.m. as usual and was going over some of the notes he had made. He showered, took a quick walk in the general vicinity of the Officer's Club and was ready for breakfast when Sam came by at 7:00. They proceeded to the officer's mess, had a large breakfast and went immediately to base headquarters for a full day's work.

The day was spent giving Nat a detailed account of the capability of the tactical air command aircraft. They discussed short take-off and short landing capabilities. Major Cunningham showed him configurations of wheels to allow the plane to operate on unimproved terrain which would be totally impossible for other jet aircraft to either take off or land.

"The C-5A has twenty two landing wheels to distribute the weight and keep the plane from sinking into soft ground. The wheels retract sideways into the belly of the fuselage to make them better fit the configuration of the aircraft. All of the wheels are rotated ninety degrees upon their retraction.

"The raised tail sections give the aircraft rapid loading and unloading capabilities from the ramp at the rear of the airplane. This raised tail section adds another peculiar advantage to tactical air command aircraft. With planes like the C-130 Hercules, it is possible to rock the plane back as it starts down the runway with the nose in the air and the tail parallel to the ground and fire JATO bottles from the wing tips boosting the plane from the ground in a remarkably short space. The JATO bottles are small rockets dubbed many years before as Jet Assisted Take Off bottles."

Nat recalled demonstrations he had witnessed at Sewart Air Force Base, Smyrna, Tennessee with these planes scurrying down the field, nose in the air and the tails parallel to the ground in an awkward sort of way. These tactical air command cargo planes were truly remarkable and versatile.

After the conversation about the configuration and capabilities of the aircraft based at Seymour Johnson, the conversation moved to missions of the tactical air command. The afternoon was spent recounting difficulties faced, but conquered, by the remarkable men and machines of Seymour Johnson. There were rescues and front lines supplied where planes landed close enough to the enemy to be shot with hand guns.

Sam laughingly said "They threw rocks and beer bottles at us."

"Anyone who has served overseas in combat knows logistics and supply is a forceful weapon the United States military forces possess that is not available to any other armed services in the world."

The helicopter came sooner than Nat would have liked. He had thoroughly enjoyed his conversation with Major Cunningham. Shortly before 5:00, they concluded their final questions and comments and returned to Colonel Jackson's office. George Calumet was waiting, and they all bade each other goodbye. Major Cunningham drove George and Nat back to the tarmac, and their helicopter was patiently awaiting their arrival. With a quick handshake and repeated thanks for the time and information, Calumet and Turner boarded the helicopter and it quickly separated from the bonds of earth.

The flight from Seymour Johnson to Cameron College was less than thirty minutes. At ten minutes before 6:00, the plane landed on the west side of the campus in the parking lot of the football stadium. The Saab arrived to provide transportation for Nat. Soon one of the Cameron College security vehicles took George Calumet to the Sheraton Hotel located near the Raleigh-Durham Airport. Nat and George had already agreed the following week would be spent primarily in the Research Triangle visiting sensitive installations.

Nat was now on home ground and would need no escort from the CIA. Prior to starting his rounds in the Research Triangle Park, however, he wanted to make a visit to Greenville, North Carolina and spend the day at the Voice of America facilities. It had been agreed the helicopter would be at Nat's disposal for this journey on Monday. Before departing the helicopter, Nat talked to the pilot who said he would be at this spot at 8:00 Monday, and they would be back in Raleigh from Greenville by 4:00 p.m. Even though the helicopter was on the ground less than five minutes, a small crowd had gathered to see Nat get into his Saab and depart. This had been a full six day week for Nat and he was eagerly looking forward to spending Sunday totally relaxed. As he ran next week's schedule through his mind he realized he was going to be as busy next week as he had been this week. The one difference in next week's itinerary, however, was Nat would sleep in his bed at home. A week from Monday, Nat would be heading for England to become engaged in activities that would change his life forever.

8:10 p.m. Friday, May 20

The Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, North Carolina

Freeman Hill, the assistant manager, cheerily bade a young couple goodbye who had dropped off eight rolls of film for processing. The couple had taken a late spring vacation on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. The young man enjoyed playing golf and had been describing several of the beautiful courses to Freeman. He was especially proud of having played Harbor Town, the home of the Heritage Golf Classic.

Hill sat down in his accustomed chair across from Wells Compton and asked about the latest report from penetration at Cherry Point. Compton said he had received a message from him indicating he would come to Raleigh in the morning. They could then process his film and discuss his observations first hand.

Compton leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. He was both speaking to Hill and verbalizing to himself the thoughts going through his mind. "There's no reason to wait on the picture from Cherry Point. The pattern is exactly the same. Two civilians arrive at the base. They meet briefly with the base commander, and one civilian which so far has been George Calumet leaves the base by automobile. There is no evidence Calumet is involved in any clandestine activity during the period he is away. It's apparent his only function is to accompany Turner to his next destination. Calumet and Turner are not spending more than an hour a day together and ninety percent of that time is traveling. When Turner is on base he is always in the company of the commanding officer. It's my guess Calumet and Turner are not conducting any business together. I'm beginning to think Calumet is along on this trip only as a courtesy. I'm now convinced Turner is the big gun in whatever the CIA has dreamed up. We're lucky as hell to have nailed him moving into the mainstream as early as we did. In my report to the embassy tonight I'm going to ask them to forward this conclusion to Moscow. It's my judgment that home office will view these movements of Turner as a matter of national security. Even though these bases are geographically close together they seldom work jointly except during a major military operation."

Compton paused and looked directly at Hill. "Freeman, give me your worse case analysis based on the little information we have."

"I agree with your conclusion. Turner is a mole the CIA has kept hidden. They are bringing him out now because they need him to conduct a mission of importance. The fact he is visiting military bases indicates to me his mission is one of aggression, not one of surveillance and espionage. The Eighty Second Airborne Division based at Bragg and the marines at LeJeune are the forces kept ready for quick and dirty work. His visits to Pope and Cherry Point suggest the mission is going to require air support."

Compton was pleased with the analysis he was getting from Hill. They were thinking along parallel lines. This was giving him more confidence than he had at the beginning of their conversation.

"I'm going to spend more time than usual on this report. It's likely this report will be read by the head of the KGB in Moscow."

Compton quit talking and began to think to himself, these are the opportunities which make careers. I want to be sure I take advantage of this situation being dropped in my lap. It was well after midnight before the report was finished and sent to Washington. After the report was filed, Compton prepared to go home and get what rest he could before returning to the camera store early in the morning. It had been a long and stressful day. One problem with operating a camera shop was the fact that Saturday was the busiest day. He had found entrepreneurs in the United States have the opportunity to make substantial sums of money. For him, however, it meant keeping his shop open sixty hours each week.

The telephone rang. Hill answered and handed the phone to Compton. Compton took the instrument, said hello, and immediately recognized the voice as penetration at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

"Mr. Compton, I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. I've been on duty and it's impossible to get away for a phone call. But something big is going on down here. Rumors are flying everywhere. Earlier tonight a Harrier Jump Jet landed and a civilian passenger was whisked to our base commander's headquarters. We seldom have a Harrier land at Seymour and most of the personnel think this is significant. Word out on the line is we are due to be alerted and the marines will be moved somewhere for combat.

"Did they close the base?"

"Yes, tight as a drum. Nobody has been allowed to enter or leave the base without strict military identification. All civilians without security clearance have been ordered off the base immediately. The atmosphere here is the same as it was just prior to the Granada invasion."

Compton thanked him for the information and hung up. He was now even more confident his conclusion was right about Turner's mission. He started to file a supplemental report with Washington but decided this new information would be a valuable frontal piece for his Saturday night report.

6:00 p.m. Saturday, May 21

The Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, North Carolina

The phone rang and was answered by Hill. Compton was in his office and he noticed the light indicating line 1 was blinking. He knew the call had been placed on hold and, as expected, his intercom line rang.

"Yes?"

"Our penetration from Seymour Johnson is on the phone."

Compton punched the line 1 button with his index finger and brusquely said, "Go ahead."

The voice on the other end of the line started immediately, "Our man left in an AH-64 Apache helicopter less than five minutes ago. He's been closeted in base headquarters all day. Something strange has happened, however. As the chopper cleared our airspace the base was declared open again. This caught everyone by surprise. Everyone down here thought we would be on our way to war within forty eight hours."

Compton thanked the man on the other end of the line for the information and replaced the instrument in its cradle. He buzzed Hill who was working at the front counter.

"Freeman, I think we'll be having a helicopter landing at Cameron College within the next few minutes. Let's close the store and drive out to Cameron and watch the arrival ourselves."

It took ten minutes to clear the store and secure the doors. They drove away from the giant shopping complex in Freeman's car. The automobile moved to Clark Avenue and followed this divided city street until it dead ended at Brooks.

They turned left and traveled a short distance to Hillsborough Street, the main artery leading to Cameron College. After waiting patiently for the traffic light to turn green, they moved into the flow of traffic and followed the street almost one mile until the beautiful meadowland surrounding Cameron College came into view. When they arrived at the main entrance, they turned right and followed the wide double lane drive until they reached the administration building. They made a left hand turn on one of the campus streets and followed it to the west campus and parked the automobile in the parking lot surrounding the football stadium. Hill noticed the putting green across the way in front of the gymnasium. He reminded Compton his golf clubs were kept in the trunk of the automobile and invited him to a putting contest on the golf green. What could look more innocent than two men engaged in a putting contest as the wicked-looking AH-64 Apache Helicopter made its landing on west campus not more than seventy five yards from where they were standing.

At the moment of touchdown, the black Saab magically appeared, moving silently from the macadamized roadway across the parking lot until it was almost under the rotating blade of the Apache.

Nat bade farewell to the pilot and as the Great War machine struggled to free itself from the bonds of earth, the black Saab slipped down the hill and through the underpass headed toward Nat's home and sanctuary.

10:00 a.m. Sunday, May 22

Soviet Embassy

Washington D.C.

Yuri Popov, the KGB Chief assigned to the United States, was seated in the office of Sergei Leonov, who was in control of the Raleigh, North Carolina station as well as all others in the southeastern part of the United States. Leonov was sitting behind his desk with a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. It was Sunday morning and the embassy was closed to the public. The staff was kept to a minimum with most of the employees at home enjoying the weekend. Popov had come back to the embassy this morning at the request of Raleigh control, Sergei Leonov. He was holding his coffee in both hands and staring at a map on the wall behind Leonov's desk.

The map was one of several on a pull-down rack, similar to those you would find in a college classroom. The top map on the rack was of the United States. The second map was of the southeastern section of the United States followed by an individual map for each of the states. The map pulled down at this moment clearly showed the outline of North Carolina from its barrier islands in the east to the small slippery tail extending under the belly of the state of Tennessee. Clearly marked on this map were the military installations and strategic installations aligned with the federal government. Piedmont, North Carolina and the coastal plain of the state had the preponderance of the military markings.

An area between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill was a mass of color indicating civilian strategic activities. This was the area known as the Research Triangle Park.

"The first reports indicated George Calumet, the head of the Eastern European Section of the CIA, was moving about the military bases of North Carolina accompanied by a college president with no known intelligence or espionage background" explained Popov. "Now, it becomes apparent George Calumet is nothing more than a delivery boy, and it is this Dr. Nat Turner who is conducting all the business taking place on the military bases."

"Yes and our Raleigh offices have done a good job in providing massive amounts of information on Dr. Turner" Leonov replied. "He is involved in every conceivable public activity within the state, but there has never been a hint of any military or intelligence connection. I have reviewed this material twice. Our Raleigh station theorizes he was recruited by the CIA while in college and has been ready for a major intelligence mission for twenty five or so years.

"The general pattern this week has been Nat Turner and George Calumet would arrive at a military base. They came in by air on each occasion but one. The one occasion they did not arrive by airplane was at Pope Air Force Base, which is a short drive from Fort Bragg. There was one other break in the pattern. Nat Turner flew into Seymour Johnson in a Harrier, and George Calumet evidently arrived some other way which we will assume was an automobile.

"After arriving at the installations, the base commander would meet with these two men in staff headquarters late in the afternoon. Invariably it was between five and six o'clock. At approximately the hour of six o'clock, George Calumet would get in a civilian automobile and leave the base. We don't know where he went during this period of time. He did not return until the following afternoon shortly before he and Nat Turner would leave the military base on their journey to a new location. There is no reason for the Raleigh station to believe Calumet was doing anything other than killing time during this twenty two hour absence. We assume he checked into a motel and passed his time working on various CIA matters.

"Nat Turner, on the other hand, was taken at approximately six p.m. to guest quarters on the military bases. At approximately 7:30 p.m. each night, he was picked up by a high ranking military officer and they both dined with the base commander until 10:30 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. The following day was spent in staff headquarters talking to the base commander and/or members of his staff until 4:00 p.m. At this time, George Calumet returned to base headquarters and was inside for one hour. Near 5:00 p.m., the conferences in staff headquarters would conclude and the two men moved by air to a new military base.

"The most puzzling feature is the closing of each military base. That's rare indeed! Ordinarily the military bases of North Carolina are closed to the public only during a time of national emergency. Only when preparations are being made for an airlift to some troubled spot in the world would civilians would be barred from entering the base. Other than these rare occasions, civilian guests are allowed to visit and civilian employees have few restrictions. A college president arriving on campus in military aircraft does not require the closing of a base; I don't care how sensitive his mission is."

"You're right, but we both know it did happen. We're going to have to report this matter to the KGB office in Moscow with some interpretation on our part."

"I know that's what I'm going to have to do, but I don't have any explanation. If any military activity followed the departure of Nat Turner, we would have something to go on. Up to now everything has returned to normal and our penetration has reported no unusual activity since the closing of the base."

"Let me speculate for a few moments." Leonov commented. "First of all Nat Turner and George Calumet arrived at Fort Bragg. Upon their arrival, the base was closed. On this occasion, they spent two days on this military base while they only spent one day on the other military bases. During each of his visits, the bases were closed. Let's assume something important was going on, and, for whatever reason, this matter of importance is related directly to br. Turner. Immediately after the departure of the two civilians, the base opened and returned to normal activity. Now I want to ask you the question Yuri, could the return to normal activity be the cover-up?

"Put yourself in the position of a base commander. You and your staff have been informed of an important military operation in which you're going to be involved within thirty days. You are told this military operation is going to be coordinated with the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Marine Air Force and the Tactical Air Command. It is now up to you as a base commander to ready yourself, plan the activities but not leak this information to Soviet penetration. Under these circumstances, you would do your best to make all of your base's operations appear to be as normal as possible. I would also assume that each of your immediate staff members had been briefed by Nat Turner, and would then work with the officers under their command readying them to be moved to some other part of the world on short notice. Each man would be under strict orders from the base commander to keep the matter quiet and unobtrusive. They would not in any way indicate to Soviet penetration anything unusual was happening on the base."

"Sergei, you make a good case. I am not sure it's correct, but you make a good case. I am going to prepare a report speculating on a scenario much the way you have outlined it. Perhaps Turner's movements can be related to movements in some other section of the world helping Moscow make sense of the matter. I'm going to give this release a blue code. I think the head of our organization in Moscow needs to at least know Nat Turner exists and what he's been about for a week."

9:00 am Monday, May 23

KGB Headquarters

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Leonov Garganin, the Washington Embassy Control of the KGB in Moscow, was in the office of Tatlin Komarov, the Head of the KGB. Garganin had given Komarov a copy of the communiqué from the Soviet Embassy in Washington. He also had a picture of Nat Turner and George Calumet on top of the open file lying on Komarov's desk. Garganin had explained this was the third contact he had received from the Washington-based embassy during the week. There were now certain conclusions being drawn by Yuri Popov, the KGB chief attached to the Soviet Embassy in Washington. These interpretations needed the attention of Komarov to see if any action needed to be taken.

The two men spent an hour discussing the report. Both had examined the pictures and discussed the background of Nat Turner and George Calumet. They also discussed the coincidence between Turner's arrival on each of these military bases and their closing.

Komarov looked directly at Leonov Garganin and said "It doesn't make sense. I don't care if they were planning to drop the 82nd Airborne Division into Moscow. There would be no point in closing these military bases simply for a briefing from Nat Turner. Any time the North Carolina military bases close, there is going to be repercussions right here in Moscow all the way to the Central Committee. When those bases close, war is about to take place somewhere in the world within the next few days. Or, if somehow the war is averted, the military were certainly prepared to do battle. We have seen this happen many times since World War II. This is the first time to my knowledge any of these bases has been closed without any ensuing action."

It irritated Komarov for matters not to make sense.

"I don't think it made sense to Yuri Popov either" agreed Garganin. "But, as he pointed out in his message, it did happen, and after observing these meetings five times, he made the assumption something important was in the works. I think we would be arrogant to assume they closed the military bases in the state of North Carolina just to make our office nervous in Moscow."

Komarov glared at Leonov Garganin. He agreed with Garganin totally, but he felt as if he was being lectured to, and it irritated him. He knew if he took this information to the Central Committee, he was going to be bombarded with scores of questions, none of which he could answer. Everything was speculation at this point. On the other hand, if he sat on the information waiting for something else to develop and suddenly without warning, the United States made an air drop or an invasion somewhere in the world, he would be called on the carpet because the KGB had not given advance warning of such a move. If he told them he did have advance warning but had not shared this with the members of the Central Committee, he would be immediately dismissed from his post as head of the KGB. It was a terrible dilemma, and, to make matters worse, he was being lectured to by a subordinate.

"Leonov, I, too, have sense enough to know something important is going on among the military bases in North Carolina. I also know I am the one who is going to have to report this to the Central Committee, not you. I am the one they are going to ask many difficult questions I cannot answer because your agents in the United States have not provided me information for answers. They are going to think the United States is preparing to make a bold military incursion, and my agents like silly schoolboys are running around enjoying

Country and Western music while attending movie theaters, instead of securing the information vital to the security of our nation. The Central Committee will want to know why I don't know more about Nat Turner, a CIA agent your people in the United States had never before detected. Going before the committee is going to be bad enough. But to be lectured by a subordinate as if I am too stupid to understand the import of this communiqué is just about more than I can bear this morning."

Garganin was properly chastised, and he apologized to Komarov saying that no offense had been intended and certainly Komarov's judgment was far better than his in matters such as this. He indicated he was excited about the report, and perhaps his mental state made him speak in a manner not as respectful as it should have been.

Komarov and Garganin continued to discuss the matter and before noon had a full report prepared for delivery to the Central Committee during the afternoon.

8:00 a.m. Monday, May 23

Campus of Cameron College

Raleigh, North Carolina

The AH-64 Apache helicopter set down in its appointed place west of the football stadium near the beltline of Raleigh. The Saab arrived concurrently and Nat left the automobile with his head ducked under the spinning blades, again reminding himself of the ludicrousness of the posture. There seems to be some natural inclination causing the head to bow when approaching a helicopter with spinning blades.

Greenville, North Carolina was 100 miles east of Raleigh and the helicopter took 45 minutes to reach its destination near the transmitter of the Voice of America. The director of the facility met Nat at the helicopter and walked with him to his office. No KGB Agent was present at the transmitter to take Nat's picture. Within fifteen minutes, however, it was reported that a United States Army helicopter had landed at the Voice of America transmitting station near Greenville. This report came in less than one hour after the report had been made of a helicopter landing and taking off from the Cameron College campus. With both of these bits of information in hand at the Cameron Village Camera Shoppe, and the knowledge it would take approximately 45 minutes to fly from Raleigh to Greenville, a natural assumption was made.

9:00 a.m. Monday, May 23

Voice of America Transmitting Station

Greenville, North Carolina

The director of the Voice of America introduced himself to Nat as Paul Watts, and mentioned his daughter had graduated from Cameron College. While he had seen Nat on many formal occasions, he had never had the pleasure of meeting him in person. He had already informed his wife and daughter of the impending meeting.

After the pleasantries and a cup of coffee, both men got down to business. Paul asked "Nat, how can I be of service to you?"

"Paul if you don't mind, I have several technical questions to ask, and, if possible, I'd like to tour your facility. I want to be sure I understand the configuration of the antennas that allows you to broadcast around the world."

Paul was obviously pleased with this request, and could talk for days on the subject Nat had identified.

Paul took Nat over to a chart tacked to the wall and showed him the array of Antennae and explained the purpose of each. Nat received a quick but sufficient lesson on the ability to stack antennae to greatly increase the power of the broadcast. Paul went into detail about the various transmitters on site and the power of each. He talked about the millions of watts necessary to drive these signals into the ionosphere and on to every section of the globe.

After this preliminary discussion the two men walked to Paul's car and visited the various antennae sites. Paul was able to help Nat visualize the configurations by standing at precise points and looking in precise angles. They visited the transmitters, and in each building Paul explained its function of the transmitters. Nat was careful to note the height of the antennae. Paul explained there was no necessary line of sight reception from the Voice of America towers.

They returned to Paul's office and he secured several charts from a rack located near the windows on the north side of the wall. He began his explanation about wave length of the various transmissions and how radio waves were transmitted to the ionosphere and systematically bounced from ionosphere to earth, back to ionosphere, back to earth, skipping about the world. He showed Nat how various wave lengths and angles would bring strong reception into certain areas of the world particularly behind the Iron Curtain. The array of the antennae, the wave length and the angle of incidence into the ionosphere all contributed to the clearness of reception in particular targeted locations.

After the technical lesson was over, Nat asked about programming. For the next hour, Paul explained the purpose of the station, where the programming was secured, how and when it was transmitted. He was clear in his defense of the purpose of the Voice of America. In his judgment, the station was a forthright transmitter of news. It was not considered by him or the United States Information Agency as propaganda machine. All programming was carefully screened for its factualness and truthfulness. He did state, however, that information was often prepared to counter the propaganda being dispensed by state owned radio and television stations behind the Iron Curtain. He explained that the Communist bloc nations used their airwaves for propaganda purposes. Often they would broadcast outright lies, but even if the information being shared with the public’s of the eastern bloc nations were accurate, it was cast in a predictable light to make the citizens of the United States of America appear to be warmongers and the governments of the eastern bloc nations to be peace loving.

"When I was in Soviet Union two years ago," Nat said, "I noticed the cartoons placed on the walls of the main thoroughfares in the Soviet Union cities. They all showed Uncle Sam buying bombs with dollar marks emblazoned on them. The broadcasts from Soviet radio stations suggested apartheid would not exist in South Africa if it were not being financed by the United States.

"The United States was the only country under constant attack by the Russians. The other free nations of the world were seldom mentioned." Nat continued. “They want their citizens to think the only country threatening the Soviets is the United States. It's evident they think if the United States could somehow be subverted, the rest of the free world would collapse rather quickly. I didn't realize until my visit that the United States was the only country the Soviets actually fear."

Paul agreed with Nat's observation and said part of their problem relates to their geographical location and makeup. "The Soviet Union consists of republics bound together by force. Many of the republics would rather not be part of the Soviet Union at all, but are being held in domination by the military. Great portions of the country have Moslem backgrounds. Knowing many countrymen don't want to be a part of your nation puts stress on the Soviet hierarchy. Substantial military personnel are present in the southern part of the Soviet Union and many of their technological operations have been located there. "The Soviet's main allies are the Eastern Bloc nations. These too are held together by Soviet domination. Even though the governments are Communist and friends of the Soviet Union, the people themselves would like to be totally free and separate from of the Soviet Union. The Soviets are aware of this malaise and keep a strong military presence in each of the eastern bloc countries. Uprisings to remove the nation from Soviet control are always a possibility. Nations such as Afghanistan have refused to be dominated by the Soviets and have practiced a war of attrition for many years. More than one million Afghans have been killed during this occupation with a possibility of the number running as high as two million. Hundreds of thousands of refugees have left the country and no longer live in Afghanistan. The Soviets have found a fierce determination by the Afghans they did not find in the eastern European nations. Even the Soviets have finally come to see that the Afghans are not going to give up their fight no matter the cost in life and limb.

"Beyond the Eastern Bloc nations on the west is central Europe. These countries will resist Soviet incursion. On the southeastern edge of the Soviet Union is more than one billion Chinese who historically have had great difficulties with the Soviets and do not trust them at all. This nation is four times larger than the Soviet Union in population, and possesses the hydrogen bomb. This country has been involved in the use of rocketry since the 1300s. Then, of course to the east of the Soviet Union, separated only by the brief expanse of water is the Bering Straits, lies the United States. Their chief enemy and arch rival in every way. If the Russians were to look to the north across the polar region, they would not move far until they found Canadian territory.

Nat nodded and contributed his observations from his visit. "The Soviets conceive themselves as surrounded. Many of their own people don't like their government, their allies don't like their government, and they have enemies surrounding them in all directions. When you combine this with a history of being overrun by outsiders, you can imagine a national paranoia. Don't ever expect the Soviets to decrease their determination to arm themselves and disarm their enemies. This mentality goes far beyond a political revolution in 1917.

"Communism needs world domination for the security of their country. Communism requires a different mentality than with any other in the world. When it comes to trustworthiness and the willingness to abide by a treaty, you can forget it. The violation of a treaty to a Soviet is nothing worse than the mystical deception of a stage performing magician."

They went on with their conversation until lunch time. They discussed the people who listened to the Voice of America around the world and how the U.S. Information Agency used programming to appeal to their listening audience just as the commercial stations do. They talked about early jamming of the Voice of America and Paul indicated that this had been a constant problem in the earlier years, but recently the Soviets have moderated and the Voice of America can be received behind the Iron Curtain. Occasionally, however, for some reason they revert to their old jamming techniques, but it appears to the Voice of America they are doing this more for harassment than for the screening of information being delivered throughout Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

Nat said he had become familiar with the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe while in Moscow. Paul Watts was pleased with this verification.

"Has there been any serious attempt to sabotage the Voice of America while it was located in eastern North Carolina?"

"No, we do keep nominal security on the facilities and the property is well protected by fences. We use infrared burglar alarms, but there have been no attempts to destroy transmitters or level the towers."

"Why do you think there have been no attempts?"

"There are so many redundant facilities within the Voice of America, an explosion wrecking a transmitter or knocking down a tower would not even put us off the air for a few minutes. Other facilities are ready to pick up the slack and go right on broadcasting. Beyond that, radio towers are easy to fabricate and radio transmitters are easy to secure so should sabotage take place, a tower could be reconstructed in a matter of a few weeks and the transmitter could be secured from RCA or General Electric as quickly as they could build one on their factory floor."

Nat asked why North Carolina was selected as the site for the Voice of America. They discussed the proximity of being on the east coast with a considerable amount of land available and little competing electrical interference from major cities. He showed Nat on the map the latitude and longitude of North Carolina and how well the transmission could be in bounced off the ionosphere into the eastern European nations.

After lunch the conversation was relaxed and philosophical. There were a few questions left and Nat wanted to be sure one idea he had could be accomplished.

"Paul, if I wanted to get a message behind the Iron Curtain using the Voice of America, would it be possible?"

"What kind of message are you talking about?"

Nat answered, "Nothing sensitive or derogatory toward our Communist friends. Would you be willing to send a message such as a happy birthday to a particular person or some casual comment to indicate that a certain action had or had not taken place?"

"I don't see why that couldn't be arranged."

"If you hear from my assistant, Dr. Nancy Carroll, and she asks you to put a certain message on the Voice of America at a particular time, I would appreciate it if you would do so. While I may never need this capability, I want to be sure it's in place. If it happens, any such request would take place between now and July 15. That is the latest date I am due to be back in Raleigh.

Their conversation continued on in a leisurely and friendly manner. At 4:00 p.m. the helicopter returned to the Voice of America transmitting station and retrieved Nat for the return trip to Raleigh. At fifteen minutes to 5:00, the helicopter landed on the west campus of Cameron College, near the football stadium. The black Saab rolled up to take Nat home.

10:00 a.m. Monday, May 23

The Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, North Carolina

Wells Compton, manager, arrived at 10:00 a.m. the usual opening hour of the shop. It was the custom of Freeman Hill and the two store clerks to arrive earlier and have the store ready for business prior to Compton's arrival.

He was barely inside the front door when Hill said, "Wells, we need to talk right away."

Compton proceeded around the counter and through the door leading to the rear of the building. Hill was on his heels.

He did not wait for Compton to ask about the nature of the conversation, but started in immediately, "Shortly after 8:00 a.m. one of our operatives reported that an AH-64 Apache Helicopter left Cameron College at precisely 8:00. From the markings it was apparently the same Apache we saw Saturday. We had no way of tracing the flight path of the chopper so I didn't bother to call you at home. It was a little after 9:00 O’clock. when I had a call from our operative in Greenville saying a helicopter had landed near the Voice of America transmitter. The markings confirm it was the same helicopter which left the Cameron campus shortly before. I would have called you but I knew you'd be here soon so I just waited."

"What on earth is the guy going to do next?" asked Compton. "He has visited every sensitive operation in the eastern part of the state. I'm going to contact the embassy immediately". Compton entered his office and prepared a message to be coded and sent to Washington. Within twenty minutes the report had been filed and an acknowledgment received. Shortly thereafter a coded message was received from the embassy directing Compton to assign operatives to the college campus full time. Surveillance was to be placed on Nat Turner twenty four hours a day for the foreseeable future.

Telephone calls were immediately made by Compton and through the veiled language used by KGB operatives three men were assigned to the premises of Cameron campus. Turner's activities were to be recorded and reported anytime he left campus. Compton telephoned the operative assigned to him serving as a technical expert in security matters. Compton asked him to come to the camera store as quickly as possible. Within thirty minutes the technician had arrived and had been given instructions to place a tap on Turner's telephone line in his office.

4:00 p.m. Monday, May 23, 1987

The Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, North Carolina

At 4:00 in the afternoon the technical expert returned with a grim look on his face. He asked Hill if Compton were in and was directed through the rear door to the private office.

"Did you have any luck?" Compton asked.

"We have some problems at Cameron."

"What's the problem?"

"First of all they use optical fiber instead of twisted pair in their telephone lines. That problem can be overcome. There's one problem that we can't overcome. They have more than one hundred trunk lines coming into the campus. There's no way to know which line will be transmitting President Turner's conversation. The third problem is they're using the Northern Telecom SL-1 digital switch. His conversation is being digitized and not being carried as analog signals. To tap his line would require us to put digital equipment inside President Turner's office near the handset. I see no way to get a man into his office to do this work. Now the icing on the cake, in the office they have four employees and ten separate telephone lines. A tap would have to be placed on each of the ten lines and monitored twenty four hours a day. It would tie up all the personnel of the Raleigh office waiting and hoping President Turner is going to say something significant. There is no cost effective way to intercept his telephone calls."

Compton continued his conversation with the technician and they both agreed as desirable as it might be to know the content of Turner's telephone calls it could not be accomplished by their small regional office. Before this conversation concluded, Hill buzzed Compton and informed him of a waiting telephone call. He picked up the receiver and was informed that the helicopter had returned to the Cameron College campus at 4:45 p.m. Turner was picked up by a black Saab 9000 and returned to his home in the forest on the north side of the campus.

Compton thanked the man for the information and replaced the receiver in the cradle. He called Hill back to his office and re-emphasized that Turner must be kept under twenty four hour surveillance until the orders changed.

10:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 24

Soviet Embassy

Washington, D. C.

Sergei Leonov, Raleigh control, had just reported to Yuri Popov, Washington KGB Chief, of Nat Turner's visit to the Voice of America just outside of Greenville, North Carolina the day before. Popov reflected on the events reported by the Raleigh station during the preceding week. He was now trying to fit in a visit to the Voice of America's transmitters with the visits to the military bases. There must be some connection, but he could not quite determine what the connection could be. He did not think the military would be using the Voice of America to provide some signal to military bases around the world. They had much better communication devices than the Voice of America.

Popov was letting this matter filter through his mind. He looked at Leonov. "Let me hypothesize with you. If I were planning a military operation somewhere in the world and wanted to involve the Voice of America, it would be for some significant reason. The military would use military communication equipment such as their satellites to send signals around the world. The only time the Voice of America would be used would be to send a message to civilians who do not possess military radios. For example, if I wanted to get word to some dissident group located in Romania giving them an indication of imminent military action they were expecting, I could send signals or code words over the Voice of America. They could be listening at the appropriate time and join in the military action. It's the only way I can see how the Voice of America could be used in a military way."

"Yes, it's the only thing that makes sense" said Leonov. "We do monitor the Voice of America and keep recordings on their broadcasts, but they're not of any military importance. It's all propaganda as far as we're concerned. If they were to make an ordinary statement fit into one of their broadcasts, it would be difficult for us to determine it was some coded signal. We would be better off if they used military satellites. We do have intercepts which can help us in those transmissions. The Voice of America would be difficult."

"Are you going to report this to the KGB?"

"Yes, I am. I think we're committed now. We've already sent them the material we collected on Nat Turner. They have a full dossier on George Calumet, so we didn't need to provide anything on him. We need to make sure the Raleigh station puts twenty-four hour coverage on Turner for the next few days.

Whatever he's doing is now consuming all of his time. He's certainly not administering his college while he's touring all of these sensitive facilities.

8:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 24

KGB Headquarters

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Leonov Garganin walked into Tatalin Komarov's office and handed him the latest decoded report from the Soviet Embassy in Washington. Most reports from the Washington Embassy were sent by diplomatic pouch and arrived twenty-four hours later. Only matters of urgency and great importance were coded in the embassy and sent through the airwaves to the KGB office. While they knew all of the radio equipment was being monitored and recorded by the CIA, they had devised methods of compacting their transmissions into  a short burst of energy and sending these coded messages by satellite directly to Moscow. While any transmission is in danger of being intercepted, the KGB knew this technique made it difficult to capture because the wave length is changed on a daily basis, and the message is not only coded but condensed for a second or two transmissions. Even with the use of computers, it was difficult to scan all of the wave lengths available, detect a message being sent, record the message and set about decoding it.

"Do you think the United States is using the Voice of America to send coded messages to military people somewhere in the world "Komarov asked Garganin?

"It's certainly possible, but if they were using the Voice of America, more likely the target audience would be dissidents in the eastern bloc nations. They have access to military communication anywhere else. In my judgment, if they do use the Voice of America, it is to report military action which will take place in one our Eastern Bloc nations in southeastern Europe or perhaps Afghanistan. I doubt it would be Afghanistan because the United States has been helping the rebels there for many years and has established many military radio links with the Afghans."

"You're right. If a military action is being planned, it's being planned against one of our Eastern Bloc neighbors in Eastern Europe. I think we can safely assume this since the person traveling with Nat Turner was George Calumet, head of the Eastern European section of the CIA. Something is obviously being planned we need to know about right away."

"We need to alert our stations in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Albania to see if any of those stations can determine if something big is brewing" Komarov said. "Yugoslavia and Albania are both on the Adriatic Sea. If the United States were planning some military incursion in either of those two countries, you'd think their Navy would be involved. At least at this moment, we have no indication the Navy even knows the operation is being planned. Bulgaria could be reached by naval aircraft from the Aegean Sea by over flying part of Greece or skirting Greece to the east and overflying Turkey. Both Bulgaria and Romania are on the Black Sea, but the United States cannot put aircraft carriers in the Black Sea so it would seem to rule out Bulgaria and Romania as the objective. While we can't completely rule out the countries near major waterways, it does make one inclined to think Poland,

Czechoslovakia or Hungary are the most likely targets. Poland, of course, has a large coastline on the Baltic Sea, but this is entirely too near our major military forces to even consider a northern entry."

"Why do you think they'd be contemplating an invasion of one of the Eastern Bloc nations? It could be the start of World War III? "

"I've given considerable thought to the matter. I think they're willing to risk World War III for some reason, but I don't think they intend to start World War III. If they were to move into Poland or Czechoslovakia, I am assuming it would either be a rescue mission or to accomplish some particular military objective. For example, if we had a sensitive military installation in Poland they might be willing to test a preemptive strike by putting troops into an area to destroy the installation and quickly pull their people out to safety behind western European lines.

"They would be reasonably assured we would not fire our ICBMs over this small matter, but would only protest loudly. They would counter with the fact that his military installation was a threat to the Western European allies and they could not allow the military installation to exist. If they were successful in using this technique without retaliation, they would pick another military objective and quietly go about destroying it. This could go on and on."

Leonov Gaganin’s eyes were big. "Tatlin, do you believe this is about to happen?"

"No, I think it would be foolhardy. I also think the Western European nations would create such a storm of protest about a possible invasion from us the United States could not possibly pull off such an operation."

"Well, what do you plan to do with these theories?"

"I am going to share them with the Central Committee."

Garganin expressed great surprise. "Share it with the Committee! Isn't that foolhardy?"

"If you had been with me yesterday afternoon, you wouldn't think so. The members of the Central Committee tried to make a fool of me. I don't think anyone in our government either appreciates or likes the KGB. They obviously fear us greatly. There're times when I have the feeling if I show any animosity at all, the KGB will be an institution of the past. I always sense anger and suspicion by our political leaders. This is one thing we share with our opponents, the Central Intelligence Agency. The Congress of the United States does everything possible to make the work of the CIA difficult. If you were to listen to the political speeches in the United States Congress, you would think the CIA was the enemy. And yet, every one of them know that for the security of the United States the CIA must exist, and our Central Committee knows that for the security of the Soviet Union, the KGB must exist. But they don't like us and if at any time they can abuse us, they'll take the opportunity to do so.

"Yesterday I spent two very bad hours answering their questions" Komarov continued. "I didn't know much to tell them. We don't have any information allowing us to support theories factually. We can only draw inferences. I was badgered over and over again because of my lack of information. I was told not only to secure more information but to bring it to them right away. Yes, I am going to share the latest speculation of the Soviet Embassy in Washington. As neurotic as the committee members are, they will expect an imminent invasion of Moscow. There's no way of guessing the decision they might make in panic. At least half of them do believe the United States spends most of its time plotting the day they're going to destroy the Soviet Union. If their comments and questions reflect their true feelings, I don't see how the members of the Central Committee can sleep at night.

"I can tell you one other thing, Leonov. After I report this matter to the Central Committee, we may as well get ready to assign half the members of the KGB to follow Nat Turner. I'll probably be ordered to bring men in from California to sleep in his guest bedroom."

8:30 a.m. Tuesday May 24

Hercules Research Laboratories

Research Triangle Park

In the United States the name Hercules has long been related to war. Hercules Powder has been providing munitions for the United States since 1881. The company has major research facilities in the Research Triangle Park headed by the chief research scientist, Dr. John McCotter.

Nat had a 9:00 appointment to see Dr. McCotter. Since Hercules was one of the prime contractors for component parts in many of the United States missile systems, Nat knew the KGB would have penetration into this facility if at all possible.

At 8:30 Nat left home and proceeded out Interstate 40 toward the massive complex of research facilities. The drive took no more than fifteen minutes, and Nat was in the lobby talking to the receptionist with at least ten minutes to spare before his appointment. He sat in one of the soft chairs flanking a matching couch in a glass walled atrium. Within five minutes, Dr. McCotter's secretary appeared, checked to make sure he had his visitor's pass clipped to his pocket and led him into the inner sanctum of Hercules Powder.

They ascended in a glass elevator on the outside of the building overlooking a courtyard, stopping at the fifth floor. Nat followed the secretary a few steps down the hall, and they climbed a flight of steps to the top floor of the building. Nat made a mental note that this floor was not served by the elevator. There was obviously a good reason for such a design, but it escaped him. Once in John McCotter's office, Nat did not want this nagging question hanging over him, so he went directly to the subject. John laughed, "The top floor was added in a minor expansion, and the architect wanted to design sumptuous executive quarters for me. I drew the line however, on the extension of the elevator and assured him there was a bit of perverse pleasure in knowing I have to walk the final flight to reach my quarters."

Dr. McCotter was open and friendly. His speech patterns indicated he was not originally from the South. He was all business, and ready to start his discussion with Nat right away.

"Nat, I'm glad you're here, but I also know you wouldn't have asked for this appointment if you didn't have an important reason, so let's get to it."

"You're my kind of man, John and I think we can discuss the matter I'm here for in short order."

"Fine."

Not assumed a serious look on his face. "Teach me about missiles."

Nat knew full well he was talking to one of the nation's leading authorities on rockets and armaments. He was being as direct as John. He sat back to see how John would react to this open menu request.

"Are you serious?"

"Well, 90% serious. I do need a crash course on rocketry this morning. If at all possible, I'd like to have it before lunch."

"Well, if you're serious, I do have roughly a three hour course, but it will be piling a lot of information on you in a short period of time. I generally make this presentation to the military that have had considerable experience in the field of rocketry and armaments."

He then pressed a button on the side of his desk. Blackout draperies slid across the window. What was once a brightly lit room with windows from ceiling to floor was now in total darkness with the exception of one overhead light? He pressed another button which turned ledge lighting on around the room, and drew the lights down through a rheostat until there was a dim twilight. The next button turned on a projector located in an adjacent room which projected a picture on an etched glass plate at the end of his office. Nat was obviously going to get a slide presentation along with his lecture. "Soon after World War II, the United States Air Force decided rocketry was the way of the future. They had determined if they could have a fully guided air-to air missile fired under radar control they would have the weapon they wanted. Various defense contractors started work in the field of rocketry. They worked primarily on two kinds of guidance systems for the missiles --passive infrared, homing on some heat-emitting target; and semi-active radar, homing in on the path established by the aircraft firing the missile.

"The first air-to-air missile, or AAM, to become operational was the Hughes Falcon in 1956. Today the United States, the Soviet Union and almost any country with modern technology including mainland China are building missiles. We'll be talking about many missiles this morning. But, two of the most prominent will be the AIM-7 Sparrow and the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The Sparrow was the pioneer of the big medium range radar guided missile, and the Sidewinder led the way for the small infrared homing missile.

"When air-to-air missiles were designed we not only had to have a weapon with an excellent tactical capability, but, we needed a missile which fit the aerodynamics of the aircraft carrying the missile. Another factor that must be considered now is stealth technology. Stealth, as you know, is the technology to make objects invisible or nearly invisible to radar. The Air Force was contracting for stealth bombers and stealth fighters when they suddenly realized they would also need stealth missiles to fly on these invisible aircraft. It occurred to us we were going to need invisible rockets available on our aircraft to help them reach their targets. Almost all countries involved in modern technology are devising methods to either elude rockets or, in some cases, actually shoot them down.

"Rockets, of course, are centuries old. We know the Chinese were using them as early as the thirteenth century, and the British were using them at least 200 years ago. Francis Scott Key recorded the use of rockets vividly in our national anthem as the British were bombarding Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.

"I may need to remind you that while we're talking about guided missiles most battles are still being fought with unguided projectiles. There is also an area of ordinance that falls between the guided missile and the totally unguided projectile. These ordinance devices approach a target in a predetermined pattern, increasing dramatically the probability of a hit. More and more research is being conducted on this type of ordinance. Free falling bombs are being developed which can be guided in a certain pattern to be sure a target is knocked out. We could send a cluster of missiles in a pattern to be sure a target is completely destroyed. It is even likely that more than one nuclear warhead will be assigned to a particular target to be sure of its destruction. It is now possible to drop a bomb that can separate into small bomblets and hit hundreds of separate targets. You could drop one bomb over a division of soldiers and it would wreak destruction in a certain prescribed way. We have free fall bombs from one pound up to twenty two thousand pounds. Our largest nuclear bombs, the B61 and the B83, are free falling bombs used by the Strategic Air Command. The neutron bomb can kill people without destroying property using radiation to penetrate thick walls and not disturb a brick or window pane. Even though we have improved technology in many ways, most of the bombs still being used in wars around the world today are of completely traditional architecture. They are free falling bombs with fins to stabilize them. Actually not much has changed since World War I.

"Rocketry has been available to the armed services for some time. The reason rockets were not used earlier is because they were not highly accurate. Do you recall the bazooka? It was a weapon developed for the infantry that fired a rocket with fins out of a hollow pipe. The infantryman aimed the weapon at the target, which established the line of flight. The bazooka proved to be an effective weapon at close range. Aircraft were entirely different, however, and presented a completely different set of problems. They provide a basically unstable platform from which to fire a projectile. It is virtually impossible to hold the rocket in line on an aircraft long enough to keep it heading toward its target.

"Careful manufacturing techniques, however, did improve the non-guided missile until at last it became a reasonably effective weapon even on aircraft. An air-to-surface missile became effective when the plane could go into a shallow dive, line itself up carefully with its target, and cut loose the rockets from under its wings.

"Rockets use both kinetic energy and exploding warheads to bring their target to an untimely end. Some rocket frames are designed to carry as many as eighteen different rockets.

"Let me make some brief comments about nuclear bombs and our current bombers. The B-57 bomb is a fission device with a yield of five to ten kilotons. It is used primarily as a depth charge and is carried by Navy and marine aircraft. The B-61 is the most numerous of our nuclear devices, and is carried by the Air Force, Navy, marines and several allied nations. It is a lightweight, multi-purpose weapon, and is the primary stock of our B-52s, F-111s and the B1 bomber. The B-83 is the new high yield bomb and is the first one we consider in the megaton class. The primary deliverers of this bomb would be our B-52, our FB-111As and the B-1B.

"Now we'll discuss what you came to talk about, our guided weapons. Before moving into this area, I think it'll help to keep in mind that even as sophisticated as these weapons are, we use many other destructive devices in greater numbers than our guided weapons. I've already mentioned the two most common guidance systems were the infrared heat seeking type and the semi-active radar homing type. If a missile is large enough it can contain its own radar and not be dependent upon the radar provided by the launching aircraft. Pilots like these missiles and you can see why. They can select the target, launch the missile and then get the hell out of there while the missile is locked dead on the target without any further assistance needed from the pilot.

"Active radar systems, however, do have a problem. These systems can alert the target that the missile is coming just like the radar detector many people use in their automobiles. This problem will become greater as our enemies become more sophisticated in designing devices which can destroy the incoming missile.

"One type of missile not getting much publicity, but important to all our armed forces is the anti-radar missile, known as the ARM. The purpose of this missile is to lock on to enemy radar, homing on it and destroying its capability to listen. The first counter-measure for the anti-radar missiles was to detect the fact that missiles were coming and simply turn the radar off. The missile was puzzled when it lost its target and generally flew right on by its intended destination. As a counter-measure to this procedure, newer anti-radar missiles lock on to the radar, calculate its position with a small computer, and head directly to the target even if the radar is shut down. This is proving to be highly effective.

"Strategic missiles such as ICBMs and our intermediate range missiles are fired against fixed targets using inertial guidance systems. They have super accurate gyros and accelerometers which allow the missile to know where it is at all times. The missile is actually programmed to reach a target and each of these large birds can keep up with where it is at all times. It is amazing how accurate they are. “

"Next we became interested in developing a missile which did not follow a calculable flight path by the enemy. The reasoning was simple. If we fired the rocket and it followed a traditional trajectory, our enemy could detect it using either satellite or over the horizon radar. It could then calculate where it was, what trajectory it was following and mathematically determine where it would be. At a given time, it would have some device waiting to destroy the missile. When this became possible, we went to the whole technology of dummy warheads, chaff, aerosol clouds and any number of things to try to confuse enemy radars to keep them from actually shooting down our missiles as they would come into enemy territory.

"The cruise missile followed a different concept. You can think of the cruise missile as more of an unmanned airplane on a kamikaze mission. The cruise missile is subsonic and flies low using 'tercom', terrain comparison or terrain contour, matching techniques. The cruise missile not only has an inertial guidance system, but it uses tercom to read the terrain below it and compares it with a map stored in the memory of an on board computer. Inertial guidance systems work well on a straight trajectory. A cruise missile is designed to deviate off course and zig zag in many different ways, gain altitude, lower it’s altitude and basically come in from an angle unsuspected by the enemy. Such maneuvers ask a lot of inertial guidance systems, so the terrain comparison allows the cruise missile to read a map, find out where it is, feed this into the inertial guidance system computer which properly corrects itself and takes the cruise missile right on to its target. It is an effective device indeed. We saw quickly when the cruise missile was installed in Europe along with a new longer range heavy hitting Pershing II, the Soviets were willing to come to the conference table to get rid of the intermediate range missiles, They realized just how deadly these two birds were. The Soviets did not want those two missiles deployed in Europe. It would make them entirely too vulnerable."

"How did we come out in the intermediate range missile treaty?" Nat asked.

"Well, as usual the Soviets got more out of it than we did. Their short range and intermediate range missiles are not nearly as effective as ours. The SS-20 can do a lot of damage. I certainly don't want to underestimate it, but it in no way compares in sophistication to either one of our two missiles. On the other hand, I would have to admit, we did get the Soviets to the bargaining table, and they seemed eager to sign a treaty with us. If, on the other hand, you think they are going to be as faithful to the treaty as the United States will be, you can forget that. To my knowledge, we do not have a single treaty with the Soviets which has not been violated, and that includes SALT II.

"Now, let me get my slide presentation underway. Nat, I'm going to show you 35mm slides of our more important missiles and then we'll discuss their counterparts being built in the USSR."

John McCotter pressed the switch of the remote control device in his hand and a missile appeared on the screen from the slide projector located in the anteroom. "This is the ACM, built by General Dynamics in San Diego, propelled by Williams F-112 high pass ratio turbo fan. Weight approximately 3,000 pounds. Speed 500 miles per hour and range 1700 miles. This is a United States Air Force cruise missile and will carry a nuclear warhead. A degree of stealth technology is built into this missile and it is very potent."

John McCotter pressed the button again. "ADSM is built by General Dynamics in Pomona, California. High thrust launch motor, weight 30 pounds. They are fired from aircraft. This is a variation of the Stinger missile."

He pressed the button again. "AGM-130A, built by Rockwell in Duluth, Georgia, Twin long burn solid propellant rockets. Weight 3,000 pounds. This bird flies in the mach 1 range of roughly 700 mph with a range of 15 miles. This is considered a standoff weapon which allows the aircraft to define a target, fire the missile and turn away without seeing the mission completed."

The button again pressed. "ALCM built by Boeing Aerospace, propelled by the Williams F107-10 turbo fan. Weight a little more than 3,000 pounds, cruising speed 500 mph. The warhead is nuclear. This is truly the most important air launched cruise missile the Air Force possesses."

Click. "Brave 3000, built by Boeing in Wichita, Kansas. The Brave uses Noel Penny turbines. Weight 500 pounds speed 430 mph. Warhead can be either nuclear or conventional. This is considered a mini cruise missile."

The button pressed, and magically another slide appeared. "This is the Bull Pup, built by Martin-Marietta. Weight 57 pounds, speed 1700 mph, primarily used by the Navy and fired from carrier based aircraft toward land based targets."

Click. "The GBU 15 built by Rockwell International. Weight 2600 pounds. Speed is subsonic. This missile often carries cluster bombs, but can be fitted for the MT84."

Click. "The Harm is built by Texas Instruments. This is one of the more important missiles in our arsenal. Thiokol single grain propulsion, weight 800 pounds, performance more than mach 2, roughly 1500 miles per hour. The warhead is fragmentation with proximity fuse. These missiles are often carried by the Navy's A-7E and the new F/A-18B Hornet. "

Click. "The Harpoon is built by McDonnell Douglas for the Navy and Marine Corps. Also occasionally used by the Air Force. Uses the Teladyne CAE turbo jet, weighs 1145 pounds, speed is roughly 450 mph and is primarily used against ships at sea."

Click. "HVM, built by Vought, propulsion is solid rocket engine, weight 60 pounds. Speed 3400 mph. It is considered an anti-armor weapon and it kills purely by kinetic energy. Its main purpose is armor piercing."

Click. "Maverick, built by Hughes Aircraft, propulsion Thiokol solid rocket engine, weight 635 pounds, speed mach 2 or roughly 1350 mph. Warhead either a Chamberlain shape charge or AVCO steel case boon trader."

When the next missile appeared on the screen, John interrupted himself and said "This one will amuse you, but it is an important missile. It's called the Paveway LGBS." John was no longer using his lecture type military voice. "This little baby is built by Texas Instruments. It uses no propulsion. Only the speed of the airplane that launches it gives it any forward motion. It weighs about 30 pounds and is technically a free fall bomb. But where this one is different is that it's a guided missile. The bombs are simple and require no aircraft modification or electrical connection. They are carried on almost all our fighters and they follow a laser guiding them to the target. The configuration of their tail fins can be changed to maintain a predetermined glide path."

The next picture was the Shrike. "This missile is built by the Naval Weapons Center, propulsion Rockwell MK motor, weight 400 pounds, speed 1400 mph. The warhead is usually fragmentation with a proximity fuse. Air Force, Navy, Marines all use this rocket."

Click. "Sidearm, built by Motorola, propulsion naval propeller, solid rocket engine, weight 200 pounds, speed 1700 mph. Warhead is either blast or fragmentation."

Click. "Skipper II, built by Emerson Defense Systems, propulsion ATSC smokeless solid propellant rocket, weight 1300 pounds. The range is 10 miles, speed transonic, The warhead equivalent of a 1,000 pound bomb."

Click. "Slam, built by McDonnell Douglas, propulsion Teladyne CAA-J402 turbojet, weight 1400 pounds. This is a standoff land attack missile and is a derivative of the Harpoon the Navy uses to attack ships at sea."

Click. "SRAM-A, built by Boeing Aerospace, propulsion by Lockheed, two-pulse solid motor, weight 2200 pounds, speed 2000 miles per hour. The SRAM carries a nuclear warhead. This is primarily an Air Force Missile."

Click. "SRAM II, built by Boeing, propulsion two pulse advanced solid propellant rocket engine, weight 1500 pounds, performance 2000 mph, warhead turbo-nuclear."

Click. "Standard ARM, built by General Dynamics, propelled by Aerojet MK27 solid fuel rocket, weight 1400 pounds, speed 1800 mph, warhead conventional blast or fragmentation using proximity fuses. This missile is used by the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines."

Click. "Tacit Rainbow, built by Norfolk, propelled by a Williams International J400 Turbojet, weight 440 pounds, speed 600 mph. Warhead usually conventional with an impact fuse. This missile is primarily used by the Navy."

The button pressed, the picture changed. "Walleye, built by Martin Marietta, has no propulsion, it's free fall using the speed of the airplane, weight 1100 pounds, and speed is subsonic depending, of course, on the speed of the launch aircraft. Range about 16 miles."

John elaborated on the Walleye. "The pilot will identify the target. Typically he would be using his radar in the plane. The Walleye has a camera in it, and the pilot aims the camera, focuses it, and locks it on the target using a monitor screen in the cockpit. He releases the Walleye, and it will stay locked on the target while the pilot turns and gets away. Its standoff range as I mentioned is about 16 miles.

"Now, all the missiles I have just shown you are AGMs or ASMs, meaning Air to Ground Missile, or Air to Surface Missile. We have fewer Air-to-Air Missiles available in our arsenal. When we look at the AAMs, the guidance, of course, is infrared homing or semi-active radar homing. Few AAMs have their own radar system. Such guidance requires a much larger missile than most aircraft are capable of carrying. The Sidewinder, which we will take a look at in a few minutes, is more than thirty years old, but it has been modified and improved over the years, so it is still one of the main missiles in the arsenal. Most air-to-air missiles carry some sort of friend or foe identification. This is important because most missiles require some midcourse correction. When you give a missile the capability of correcting in midcourse and following another flight path, it could lock on to a friendly aircraft instead of the enemy or conceivably circle around and come up the tailpipe of your own plane. This possibility, as you would imagine, can make a pilot nervous and hesitant to launch if he's not sure the missile is going to wind up targeted on an enemy aircraft.

"Let me remind you again, Nat, the missiles I'm going to show you are only those made in the United States. Virtually all of the industrial nations of the world make air-to-air missiles. We could spend a long time talking about those made by other countries."

Click. "This is an ASAT, an air-to-space anti-satellite missile. It's built by the Vought Corporation; propulsion is a Lockheed 5R75 solid rocket booster, and Altair III solid rocket sustainer. Weight 2600 pounds, speed 620mph. Uses kinetic energy as a warhead, which means it simply crashes into its target. This missile is generally launched by an F-15 fighter and it is highly accurate. This is just the first of a whole new family of anti-satellite missiles."

Click. "The Falcon is built by Hughes Aircraft, solid rocket engine. The Falcon can be configured at least a dozen different ways, but the average weight would be in the neighborhood of 150, 160 pounds. It uses a blast warhead with a proximity fuse."

Click. "Genie, built by Douglas Aircraft, propelled by Thiokol solid rocket engine, Weight 820 pounds, speed 2500 mph. The Genie carries a nuclear warhead generally in the 1.5 kiloton range."

Click. "This is the Phoenix or AIM-54. He paused to be sure he had Nat's attention. "This is the newest and best rocket we have right now, probably the most sophisticated in the world. It is built by Hughes Aircraft, propelled by Aerojet MK60 autorocketdyne NK47 long burn rocket engine. It weighs almost 1,000 pounds and its speed is more than 3500 mph. It uses a continuous rod warhead with either proximity or impact fuses. This rocket should take us through the 1990s."

Click. "You will recognize the good old Sidewinder. As I mentioned, this rocket was originally introduced almost forty years ago, but it has been modified and upgraded and it is still the prototype of the small rocket carried by fighter planes around the world. The United States sells Sidewinders by the tens of thousands to its allies. Its original builder was the Naval Weapons Center, but Ford Aerospace has now taken over the contract. It can be configured any number of ways but the average weight of the Sidewinder will be around 190 pounds. The speed of the Sidewinder is slightly subsonic, 600 or 700 mph but generally it is fired in such close range that, when you add its speed to the speed of the airplane, it can be up an exhaust pipe in a short period of time."

Click. "Now let's look at another old, but true friend, the Sparrow. It is built by Raytheon Company. This could be considered a medium size missile. It is propelled by an Aerojet or Rockwell MK52. Weight 450 pounds, speed in the mach 4 range, roughly 2600 mph; warhead is continuous rod, generally with a proximity fuse."

Click. "The Stinger, built by General Dynamics, propelled by Tandem Atlantic Research solid jet engines, weighs 30 pounds, speed 1600mph. The warhead is of a fragmentation variety."

From that point on, the slides moved to the Russian arsenal. They talked first of air-to-air missiles and went back and talked about air-to-ground missiles. John shared both the Russian designations and the American designations of each class. As usual, Nat's questions were incisive, and John was impressed. At the conclusion of the conversation, Nat thanked John for his time and stated genuinely how much he had enjoyed his presentation. John returned the compliment saying he was always happy to find someone who was as interested in his field as Nat had proven to be. John accompanied Nat back to the entrance of Hercules, and, as Nat receded in the distance, John thought to himself, "He's one of the sharpest guys I have ever talked to. It's incredible to me how much he could grasp about the various configurations of rocketry and airborne weapons without having any appreciable background in the field at all. It's a shame he wasn't a scientist instead of an educator.

1:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 24

TRW Research Laboratories

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Charles Anderson headed the research effort for the TRW Laboratory located in Research Triangle Park. He was a member of the Carolina Country Club located in Raleigh, and had played golf with Nat from time to time. While they did not play in a regular foursome, they had the opportunity to become well acquainted through social events held by the club and often formed a foursome during golf tournaments. On occasion when Nat's regular foursome needed a person to complete the match, because of the inability of one of the regulars to play, they asked Charles to join them. Nat always enjoyed riding in the golf cart with Charles. While much of the work carried on by TRW is classified, they did talk enough about science, technology and world events to lead Nat to covet some of Charles Anderson's knowledge before he was due to leave for Europe.

On impulse while driving away from the Governors Inn, Nat picked up the phone in his Saab and asked for directory assistance. Within a minute or two, he had TRW's number and was placing the call the see if it was convenient to stop by. TRW is one of the large conglomerates with government contracts working on some of the government's most exotic projects. Nat was convinced Charles Anderson would be a valuable source of information in the area of space warfare and satellites.

Nat was fortunate in finding Charles available to come to the phone and had time to see him right away. Excitement flirted around the nape of Nat's neck. He accelerated the car until the turbo boost needle was well up into the middle of the dial. The black Saab proceeded out Interstate 40 toward Durham. Reaching the Cornwallis Road exit, the automobile glided smoothly around the sweeping cloverleaf and proceeded west on Cornwallis Drive. Within a mile, he was following the double lane drive leading to the visitor's parking lot of the TRW Research Laboratories.

After parking his car, Nat went into the lobby, was greeted cordially by the receptionist and asked to sign the register for security purposes. He slipped on the authorized visitor's badge and was soon met by an associate of Charles Anderson. They proceeded to the elevator which whisked them to the third floor and Anderson's office. They greeted each other warmly, and immediately settled down to business. Nat was on a tight schedule and he promised he would not take much of Charles's time.

"Charles, it may surprise you, but I have a classified assignment for the federal government and need some technical information. I'm going to ask you some questions, and you can answer me if you can. I promise you the information will be kept confidential, but I don't expect to be informed of your classified work as I haven't been cleared for such information. Use your own judgment and help me as you can."

"Nat, we do have some work going on here that will astonish the world if we're successful. Of course, I can't discuss the work. If it's background information you need on space warfare or satellites, I probably can help you. Now what do you need to know?"

"How many satellites does the Soviet Union put into orbit each year?"

Charles answered, "About 100."

"How many of those are for military purposes?"

"I would estimate roughly 70% for purely military purposes, 15% for dual military and civilian purposes and about 15% for civilian purposes. But, as you know, in the Soviet Union it is difficult to separate military purposes from civilian purposes."

"How many satellites does the United States put up each year?"

He answered, "About 20."

Nat asked, "Why this great discrepancy?"

"The discrepancy isn't quite as great as it sounds. Technologically the satellites put up by the United States are much more advanced. They generally are multipurpose and we can keep them in orbit much longer than the Soviets. While you should never underestimate the Soviet Union, they are much more simplistic. They put one foot right in front of the other. They don't mind spending the money on launches and their satellites are not nearly as multifunctional. While everybody in the United States knows all about our orbital failures, the Soviets do not report theirs to the press. Our ability to place satellites in orbit and keep them there makes ours much more reliable."

He went on "There is one situation, however, that does give me pause. Were we to get into an armed conflict with the Soviets and start disabling each other's satellites, they are better prepared than we are to replace satellites that are blinded, disabled or destroyed? One of our primary objectives in this laboratory is to devise a way to protect satellites from enemy intrusion. The military has become so dependent upon satellites for all forms of action that even the foot soldier would grind to a halt in many cases if a particular satellite were disabled. Whether we admit it, or whether the Soviets admit it, space is the new theater of warfare."

"It is amusing" Nat said, that both the United States and the Soviets are declaring neither will use space for warfare."

Charles smiled "Nat, you know as well as I do, the decision to use space was made more than thirty years ago. Intercontinental ballistic missiles go through space. No one has any doubts about manned space platforms being used for military as well as civilian purposes."

"Of course, the United States is still looking strongly at using platforms in space for their Strategic Defense Initiative. Without question, the most reliable way to detect ICBMs on their way to destroy targets in the United States will be through sensors placed on orbiting satellites. The intercontinental missiles require only thirty minutes to reach their targets, and the SLBM, the submarine launched ballistic missiles, take as little as ten minutes, depending upon location at time of deployment. If we're going to have any hope of surviving a nuclear attack, we must be able to detect these missiles, assess their flight path, and warn both our military and civilian population."

"Can you tell me how the detection system works?" Nat asked.

"Oh yes, there's nothing classified about that. We use infrared sensors to detect the heat from the missile's exhaust. We know they're on their way within seconds after they leave the silo. Our spy satellites can get their pictures coming out of the hole. We're well advanced in that area."

"Charles, how many satellites does it take to monitor the Soviet Union?"

"It may surprise you, but it takes only three."

"How many satellites do we have in orbit?"

"We keep roughly 120 in orbit at all times."

"Well, how many do the Russians keep in orbit if they have 100 launches a

year?"

He laughed, "About the same number. As I said, we're much more reliable. We put up 20, they put 100. Yet, generally, there is a reasonable degree of parity sitting in space. The three early warning satellites are placed in geostationary orbit. This means their rotation is the same as the earth. As far as we're concerned, those three early warning moons are sitting there staring down on the Soviet Union night and day."

"Can you tell me how they function?"

"Sure. These three satellites are known as the defense support program. The military likes to use letters, so they call it the DSP. Each is equipped with a Schmidt telescope twelve feet long with a three foot aperture. At the focal point of this rather large telescope is a grid of 2000 lead sulfide infrared detectors. Each scans an area of 3.7 miles in both directions. The satellites scan at roughly 6 rpm producing a conical scanning pattern. By plotting an infrared source over several revolutions, we can detect whether an object is moving or stationary. We no longer have the problem of confusing a forest fire with an ICBM launch. You may laugh at this, but in 1975 one of our early warning satellites was temporarily blinded and ceased to function. We were afraid the Soviets had used a ground based laser to put it out of commission, but later found out an intense fire had broken out in the Soviet Union and our satellite was focusing on this intense heat source."

"Do the Soviets have lasers that can damage our satellites?"

"Yes, unfortunately they do. In fact we think they have two different configurations which could give us serious problems."

"What are we doing about it?" "We're working on it. The high altitude, low observable program is hopefully going to give us laser resistant satellites. We have found that ablative materials are also less vulnerable to lasers, and these will be integrated in our satellite early warning system. They should be in place in the early to mid-1990s."

"We have many other satellites in the surveillance and reconnaissance field."

Charles continued, "We have communication satellites and navigation satellites in orbit. We put some up for meteorological and others for geodesic purposes. The geodesic satellites are primarily for mapping, and your good old weatherman depends upon the meteorological satellites to give us our weather forecasts every day. The communication satellites are used for long distance telephone calls along with television and radio links.

"Television networks originally had to rely upon coaxial cable for direct connections. We then moved to microwave communications. You still see these big microwave reflectors mounted on top of most telephone company buildings. Now we are using satellite communication, and almost all of our television stations have the big concave dish antennae picking up transmitted signals from satellites. Needless to say, the heartbeat of the military is now being transmitted over communications satellites."

Nat slowed Charles down. "Let's go over those one at a time."

"OK, First, communications. The Comsats now carry over 70% of all our military communications going overseas. Each of the armed services has its own satellites. There is the DSCS, the defense satellite communication system used by all branches of the service. The AFSATCOM, is the Air Force satellite communication system. The Navy has the FLTSATCOM, the fleet satellite communication system, for their around the world use. The fourth is 5D5, the satellite data system. The 5D5 consists of four geostationary satellites plus two in orbit spares. They are designed to handle 1300 voice channels at 100 megabits per second. The FLSATCOM consists of four geostationary satellites and containing 900 to 1000 relayed links. FLTSATCOM uses many other satellites in its system, but has separate transponders for the Air Force to use.

The other little system is SD5. It is a three satellite network to fill polar gaps."

"Tell me about the reconnaissance and surveillance satellites."

"Well, these are the famous spy satellites. They are used to obtain military information and to keep a wary eye out for intruders. They use optical, infrared and sometimes even use radar to obtain highly detailed photographs of places of interest. Information captured by the spy satellites can be relayed back to receiving stations digitally through the use of video or they can take photographs using film and drop them in parachutes to be picked up by that workhorse the C-130 Hercules. The use of film is not an everyday occurrence, but when high definition information is needed, they will rely on this antiquated but effective information gathering device. Digitally produced pictures are computer enhanced, so most often they're satisfactory for the information we need. You would be amazed at the high resolution of photographs taken from our satellites.

"The most famous spy satellite is ' Big Bird'. It's the one that can give you both the wide area surveillance and the close look, high resolution reconnaissance. Its cameras can identify objects as small as twelve inches across. Using Big Bird, pictures are taken and processed on board. The photographs are then optically scanned and transmitted to earth. If you need to look at the actual photograph they're jettisoned and picked up."

"Are the Big Bird satellites placed in low orbits or high orbit?" Nat asked.

"Big Bird is put in a low sun-synchronous orbit enabling it to pass over the identical target at the same time every day. It also has rocket motors so we can nudge it back into orbit as it begins to decelerate. You must have some method to keep it from being drawn back to earth if it flies in orbits as low as 100 miles."

"Another new system is the Key-hole reconnaissance satellites. They are KH-8 and KH-9. These are both film return satellites and photograph only targets of high priority. KH-11, however, does not use film return. It relies totally on digital imaging. KH-12 is the latest and most sophisticated of our reconnaissance satellites. It is an extraordinary spy machine."

"What is the Soviet Union doing?" Nat inquired.

"They still rely primarily on photography rather than digital imaging. They also use their Salyut space stations for spying purposes. Salyut 3 and Salyut 5 were put in orbit for that purpose. When they put Salyut 7 up in 1983, it represented a rather significant advance for the Soviets. They not only could change its orbit, but they can refuel Salyut 7 periodically by hooking it with space shots carrying rocket fuel. The Soviet's Elint ocean reconnaissance satellite, which we call Eorsat, operates at altitudes of near 280 miles. Their radar equipped satellites operate at 155 miles. These two track the movement of our naval forces constantly."

"You mentioned the navigation satellites. These must be valuable."

"Yes, NAVSAT was originally put up to allow the Polaris submarine to locate itself. Calculations made using NAVSAT can place a submarine within an accuracy of approximately 165 yards. We think that's close enough."

"What are we doing in terms of anti-satellite warfare?"

"In devising an anti-satellite system, we must first be able to locate the satellite and then identify it. Much of our time is spent in improving methods to accomplish those two tasks. We use radar and ground based electro-optical surveillance. Much of this work is classified, but we already have an air launched rocket designed to destroy satellites. It consists of a two stage missile with the last stage being a miniature homing vehicle. It's launched by an F-15, and employs an infrared homing system to close in on the target. When it reaches the satellite it will be traveling about 8 miles per second. We're also experimenting with the use of free electron lasers which will be ground based because of their size and weight. These lasers will be useful in anti-satellite warfare and conceivably could be the heart of the Strategic Defense Initiative. It's a highly complex system, but should be very effective."

"If you will, talk to me about the Soviet space efforts. This information may be useful to me within the next few weeks."

"I can give you at least a thumbnail sketch. Remember you're dealing with the world's largest country, and it can harness its resources for any purpose it chooses. Rocketry and space exploration happens to be one of their highest priorities. Many people think they were not interested in rocketry until we captured German scientists after World War II. This isn't true. The Soviets were dreaming of putting men in a low orbit around the earth at the turn of the twentieth century, long before the revolution ever took place, and certainly before Goddard's experiments with rocketry in this country in 1926."

"There's a vast difference between Soviet rocketry and space programs and those of the United States. In this country, we will determine a target and make great advances in a remarkably short period of time. Then interest will die or Congress will change its mind about funding the program and there'll be slowdowns in development. In the Soviet Union this is not true. They make small incremental changes all the time. It's fairly easy to know how well we're doing in comparison with the Soviets through their public statements. When they think the Soviet Union is technically superior to the United States, you can rest assured they will be releasing this information to the public. As soon as we catch up or go ahead, they become strangely quiet. They are as predictable as children.

"Another aspect of the Soviet mentality you want to keep in mind is that they do not view public statements the same way we do in the United States. They consider misdirection and lying as perfectly legitimate. On the other hand, if the American people catch our government in any untruth, shock waves permeate the country. For example, the Soviets deny they have spy satellites, and yet they have been in orbit since 1962. While we have a treaty to ban weapons of mass destruction being placed in space, both sides are developing anti-satellite weapons and both are ready to deploy so called anti-missile weapons in space."

"The Soviets are well ahead of us in manned space stations. Their new MIR, which by the way means Peace, is a high priority item for them. The only reason it isn't up there now is they have been unsuccessful in developing a rocket equivalent to our Saturn 5 that could take this station into the required orbit.

"The Soviets have three cosmodromes in the Soviet Union that would be roughly equivalent to our Cape Canaveral. There is Tyuratam, Tlesetsk and Kapustin Yar. The Tlesetsk Base is the most frequently used of the cosmodromes. Kapustin Yar is used primarily for the testing of non-manned military rockets."

Charles looked Nat in the eye. "Do you want me to run over their launches with you?"

Nat answered, "If it won't take too much of your time."

"Let's start with the early programs. Sputnik 1 was launched from Wurataum on October 4, 1957. It was about basketball size with four antennae and its transmissions lasted about twenty one days.

"There were only 3 in that series and they concluded in May of 1958. If you remember, it was Sputnik 2 that carried Laika into orbit. So the first space traveler was a dog, and they did mercifully kill the animal with an injection after a few days. They didn't leave Laika in orbit to starve to death or run out of oxygen.

"In 1967, they began the Interkosmos series. They were 22 in number starting in October of 1969 with the last one going up in February 1981. We assume they have completed this series. They included experiments from many Iron Curtain countries in that series so it could be considered a scientific program. The Elektron series was the first multiple payload launches. One and two were sent in January of 1964 and three and four were sent up in July of 1964. The work of the four launches in this series appeared to be totally scientific.

"Another interesting series was the Korabl Sputnik series. There were five spacecraft in this series. The series started in May 1960 and concluded in March 1961. These tests were used to recover satellites from earth orbit. This series provided practice in bringing their cosmonauts back from space if they were in trouble. Now I will give you some idea of the scale of their military effort. The Kosmos series is numbering close to 1800 right now. Most of this series was for military purposes, but as I said a few minutes ago, it is difficult to separate the military from civilian and scientific projects in the Soviet Union. The Kosmos series is still going on.

"The Luna series are the moon flights. There were 24 of these. Luna 1 was the Soviet's first attempt to strike the moon. They had a little medallion aboard with a Soviet coat of arms. Unfortunately for them, they missed the moon by 3600 miles and Luna 1 went into solar orbit."

He smiled, "I believe they can take some pride in placing the first man-made vehicle into solar orbit. But Luna 2 actually did hit the moon. "The first three of the Luna flights used their A-1 booster, but by the time number 4 was ready to go in April of 1963, they had their bigger launch vehicle on the pad. It's the A-2E. This rocket was used through number 14; from that point on they used B-1E booster. Frankly, these were simply stacked booster units.

"Their 3E series of boosters related to placing space stations in orbit. There were forty Soyuz missions, fourteen Soyuz Space T missions and seven Salyut missions. These 60 missions are preparatory to building a permanent space station which will be constantly manned and will become the launching station for deep space.

"The Soviets have had surprising success with their Venus probes. The Vega vehicles were both launched in December of 1984, one on the 15th and the other the 21st. Vega 2 was able to collect and chemically analyze a sample of Venusian soil. Vega 1 actually landed on Venus too, but they didn't get much information from it.

"The Venera series is basically a deep space program. The Russians have landed on Venus several times; we'll have to give them credit for that. Somehow they've had little success landing on Mars. We have to chalk that as a failure. The switch to the B-1E booster in 1975 is chiefly responsible for their deep space successes.

"Another early series we shouldn't overlook is the Vostok series. They used the E-1 rocket to put Vostok 1 in space. This was the flight with Yuri Gagarin aboard. Gagarin only made one orbit which lasted less than two hours, but that moment in history has always been important to the Soviets. Their second man in orbit, German Tito stayed up twenty four hours completing seventeen orbits. The final of the Vostok flights, Vostok 6 was historically significant also. This flight took six people along, including Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to fly in space.

"There're some other things we could talk about, but unless you want to get into interstellar vehicles, you're now more knowledgeable on satellites and space launches than most people. If you're ever acknowledged for your expertness in this field, I hope you'll give proper credit where credit is due."

Nat assured Charles he would. A few more minutes of conversation followed. Charles took Nat back down the elevator, collected his visitor's pass, and bade him farewell from the TRW laboratories.

10:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 24

The Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, North Carolina

The Cameron Village Camera Shoppe had been closed for two hours. Freeman Hill was standing in the doorway leading to the back of the shop. Looking for the tell-tale flash of lights indicating an automobile was parking in front of the store. He was expecting one of the Raleigh KGB agents to arrive at 10:00 p.m. to report to Wells Compton relating to Nat Turner. Thirty KGB agents were assigned to Compton's station to work the Raleigh area. The station was large because of the close proximity of Research Triangle Park and its many research laboratories. This group also had the responsibility for most of eastern North Carolina and its military bases. The organization was well in place and had proven to be effective over the years. Troop movements and governmental research were certainly high priority items with the KGB. Each of the thirty agents was responsible for securing and running penetrations into all the sensitive facilities located in the Eastern half of North Carolina.

One of the best agents reporting to Compton was Wade Odom. He was due at any moment to make a report. Wade had been in Raleigh for five years and had proven to be highly effective in devising methods for the surveillance of individuals. He was the obvious choice to head the team watching Turner. Typically the agents did not work out of the Cameron Village Camera Shoppe. Most of the communication was handled through public telephones and meetings at remote locations. The importance of this assignment, however, called for regular meetings between Wells Compton and Wade Odom.

At 10:02 Hill observed an automobile pull up to the curb and park in front of the camera shop. The driver of the automobile turned the lights of the machine off and proceeded to the front door. By the time the driver reached the door, Hill had the alarm turned off and the restraining bolts released. He opened the door allowing Odom to enter, and immediately closed the door behind him, reestablishing electrical contact for the security system and replacing the bolts in their proper closed position. The two men exchanged greetings and walked through the door to the back of the building turning left into Compton's office.  Compton stood, shook hands with Wade and started to talk while pouring a cup of coffee for the new arrival.

"How did the day go?"

"Things went all right. It was an easy day, but, of course, stakeouts can become boring if the person under surveillance is not moving much. I was dreading the stakeout of Cameron College. Their security force is always looking for strangers! There is no way to pose as an employee of the institution, they all know each other. A bakery and waffle shop are situated across from the campus, but the trees block out any view of the parking lot. The waffle shop is at least a quarter mile away. Surveillance requires high powered field glasses from this point, and a person is quickly noticed if he stays for more than a few minutes in front of the shop without going in to eat. I was expecting to have to rely on resourcefulness to handle this assignment. Fortunately, Turner spent little time in the office.

"Surveillance at home will not be difficult because the house is surrounded by fifty acres of forest on the north side of the campus. However, there're two problems with the surveillance at the residence. The first will amuse you, but it is annoying. They have two small dogs. One is a fox terrier and the other is a cocker spaniel. They're small dogs and I'm confident would not hurt anyone, but in their mind they're protecting their home place from strangers. They'll chase joggers and bicycle riders who use the drive as a back entrance to the campus. They'll worry a surveillance team to death.

"The second problem is more serious. While it is easy to secure a vantage point from the woods, there's nowhere close by to park a car. The most acceptable place to leave an automobile is at least three blocks from the point of surveillance. This is unacceptable. I ended up having to have two agents join me. It was necessary to have one watch the exit to the city street and one watch the exit to the college. I decided to put a third man in the woods this morning and made the assumption that by 8:00 something would happen and the men could be released for other duties."

Wade continued. "Now I've complained about my problems enough. Let me give you a quick rundown on today's activities. At 7:30 Turner left home and went to his office which is a ride of no more than two minutes. He drives a black Saab 9000 Turbo. He was in his office less than an hour and left campus with me close behind. He drove out Interstate 40 into the Research Triangle Park. He had an appointment at the Hercules Research Labs.

Compton broke in. "That's interesting. Hercules! Were you able to find out who he talked with?"

"Yes, we have penetration at Hercules, but I was inquisitive so I checked it out myself. Security procedures at these labs make it easy to identify the person whom the visitor is to see. When someone comes for a visit they're required to register by signing their name and indicating the person they're visiting. I wait until the person I have under surveillance leaves the reception area and identify myself to the receptionist as an employee of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. I tell her my purpose is to obtain employment information indicating compliance with EEOC regulations. From that moment on I get royal treatment. All of the research labs have governmental contracts and they do not want to have a problem with the Equal Opportunity Commission. When the receptionist asks me to sign in for my visit with the personnel manager, I look at the register and note who the person I am following is there to see. This is exactly what I did today and found Nat Turner was there to visit John McCotter, the chief research scientist for Hercules."

"Wade, what's McCotter's specialty?" Hill asked.

"He specializes in rockets and aircraft armaments. I think the major thrust of Hercules RTP research is rocketry."

"How long did he stay?" Compton asked.

Wade answered, "All morning long."

"What do you think he was doing?"

"Well, from our information on McCotter, they were talking about rockets. I don't think there's any question about that."

Hill, with a puzzled look on his face, asked, "Why would Turner spend all morning at Hercules with their chief research scientist talking about rockets?"

"We know for a fact", Compton inserted, "That Turner is very interested in science, but this goes far beyond an academic interest. The man has just spent a week secretly discussing military plans at some of the most sensitive installations in our country. Now he goes to the Research Triangle and meets with one of the United States foremost experts on rockets. There's something sinister going on here."

"Compton, if you think that's sinister, wait until you hear about the rest of his day," said Odom.

Compton's eyebrows arched. "There's more?"

"Yes, considerably more."

"Go on."

"Shortly before noon he left Hercules Research labs and went to the Governors Inn for lunch. Our penetration will be reporting this to you. I took several photographs to send to the embassy."

"They are going to be covered up with pictures of Nat Turner." laughed Compton.

"I presume we'll be sending these photographs to document that he has visited the places being reported. But go on. I'm eager to hear what else he did."

"After he ate, he went back out into the Triangle to the TRW Research Labs."

Hill broke into the conversation at this point. "TRW --they're one of the major military contractors in the world, aren't they, Wells?"

"Yes, they are, and the RTP labs are one of their cornerstones."

“Wade, who did he see at TRW?"

"He spent the afternoon with their head of research, Charles Anderson."

"Their research lab here in the RTP is involved in all sorts of exotic weaponry research. What is Anderson's specialty?" asked Compton.

"It's not guns and rockets. He's their authority on satellites."

"Satellites, He spent the morning talking about rockets and the afternoon talking about satellites. What on earth is the man doing? This information needs to get to Washington and on to the KGB offices in Moscow. The United States is turning up the heat for some reason. Maybe our superiors in Moscow can use this information to make some assessment of what Turner is about. This matter is bigger than we are. I've never been involved in an operation that is going to interest Moscow as much Nat Turner."

The conversation between the three men continued until near 11:00 p.m. At that time Compton excused Hill and told him he could go home. He asked Odom to stay and help him ensure the accuracy of the report.

10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 25, 1987

U.S.S.R. Embassy

Washington, D. C.

Sergei Leonov had been meeting for thirty minutes with Yuri Popov in Popov's office. Leonov had brought the decoded message from the Raleigh station, and they were discussing the implications of the two visits made by Nat Turner on the preceding day.

"These two installations in the Research Triangle Park are some of the most sensitive in the whole country. Sergei, what do you know about them?"

"Hercules has been a military armorer of the United States for a long time. They made gunpowder during World War I and expanded their scope into military weapons during World War II. Since then they have been a prime military contractor and have done considerable research on rockets and aircraft armaments. Their laboratory is located in Research Triangle Park."

"What about TRW? I thought they were a prime contractor for the Strategic Defense Initiative."

"It is true they are one of the prime contractors for SDI, but the company is one of the largest conglomerates in the United States. They are involved in the research, development and manufacture of every conceivable kind of goods sold in this country. But, the laboratory located in Research Triangle Park is their space laboratory, and is devoted to the development of satellites.

"Turner spent his day with the director of research of two of the United States most powerful industrial companies." commented Popov.

“One dealing with weapons and one dealing with satellites. I assume there's a connection."

"And what connection are you assuming?"

"I'm assuming they are developing rockets to shoot down satellites, or they're developing satellites to shoot down rockets."

"What part do you think Turner is playing?"

"I'm beginning to think Turner has been readying himself for this mission for twenty or more years. The United States is now ready to make some strategic move which we must determine. Turner is the glue making all this stick together. It makes one think the CIA has convinced the President of the United States it is in the best interests of national security to make a preemptory strike against the Soviet Union. Up until yesterday, I thought it was going to be an invasion of one of the Eastern Bloc nations. This new information makes me doubt my own conclusion. I wish I had not reported this matter to Moscow. I'll have to go back and tell them the United States is looking toward space. I know we must already have our ground troops at full military readiness. Now, I must tell them I don't think this is the direction the United States is heading, but instead is working toward some space activity and the military located in North Carolina is being readied for a Soviet reaction."

10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 26, 1987

KGB Headquarters

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov was furious. He was venting his emotions on Leonov Garganin, the Washington Embassy Control. Komarov in a greatly irritated voice said "Leonov, I told the Central Committee yesterday our sources in the United States had uncovered information leading us to believe within a matter of a few days one of our Eastern Bloc nations would be invaded. After venting their emotions on me, they ordered the military to go on alert. We have troops sitting in full battle dress waiting for an American attack. And now, I find out your people in the United States are telling me this is mistake. We are no longer assuming one of our Eastern Bloc nations will be invaded, but think the United States is either planning to shoot down our satellites, or they are planning to put missiles in space to fire down on the Soviet people."

"Well, of course," Garganin answered, "it was just speculation, and that's the way you presented the matter to the Central Committee."

Komarov broke in with great anger. "You and I understand it was speculation, but those wise planners of our nation reacted as if the invasion were already underway. I am convinced they are after my head, and I will not last two more weeks in this job. When they receive today's report, hell cannot have such fury."

"This report is still speculation. We don't have enough facts to draw a conclusion. We just want the Central Committee to be kept up to date on the information we have in hand. We're trying to make the facts fit."

"They don't deal in speculation." Komarov said. "They take votes and, when the Central Committee votes, the world shudders and the Soviet military start to move. The word is now going to have to be flashed throughout our Eastern Bloc nations indicating the alert is off."

9:00 a.m. Wednesday May 25.1987

Troxler Electronics

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Nat's appointment was again in Research Triangle Park. Today he was going to visit Troxler Electronics, one of the early residents of RTP, who had been located in the Triangle for almost thirty years. Troxler Electronics was a national firm, but its home office and research facilities were located in the Raleigh-Durham area. The firm was named for its founder, a graduate of North Carolina State University, and one of the most ingenious men anywhere in the electronics field.

The Troxler firm had proven to be a jewel to the various armed services. This firm was able to cut through red tape, work directly on a problem, bring it in under deadline, and often at a fraction of the cost of dealing with the larger national organizations. If a problem or design proved to be exceptionally difficult, it usually landed in the lap of the men and women of Troxler.

Nat's scheduled meeting was 7:30 a.m. He was going to be meeting with the chief of the research labs, Wynn Huffman. Wynn and Nat were acquaintances and were on easy speaking terms. Wynn's wife, Frances, had taken courses through the Continuing Education Division at Cameron College. Wynn had been on campus many times and the two men needed no warm-up phase for their conversation.

Nat left his home at 7:00 a.m. and drove out Interstate 40 toward Durham into the Research Triangle Park. He passed building after building of research laboratories. He came to an impressive looking structure stating simply Troxler Electronics. He followed the circular drive to the visitor’ parking lot and walked briskly into the entrance of the lobby. The receptionist had him sign the register and clip on the visitor's badge. A call to Wynn Huffman's office brought an immediate response, and within two minutes Wynn himself arrived in the lobby to escort Nat to his office.

Wynn's office was on the first floor directly down the hall from the receptionist area. Immediately upon arrival in Wynn's office, a cup of coffee was poured, not offered. Huffman had a nearly full steaming cup already on his desk. Both men sat down and exchanged pleasantries. Huffman started the conversation.

"Nat, I'm delighted to have you come for a visit. It'll give me the opportunity to show you our latest research lab. I'll have to admit when I first got your call, I thought you must be fund raising and I was going to direct you to the boys upstairs. They're the ones who have control of the company's gift money. You have my curiosity aroused."

"I take it you're puzzled as to why a liberal arts college president would be interested in ballistic missile defense and manned space projects."

"You're certainly right there."

"Wynn, I have accepted a temporary but classified position with the United States government, and I need as much information as possible about our ballistic defense system and our space projects."

"Nat, why on earth are you involved with classified material? I didn't know Cameron College had any government contracts or was involved in basic research."

“You are right about that. Cameron College is not involved at all. I have been asked by the State Department to represent the United States on a project in Europe they don't want me to discuss. You know if it amounted to anything of importance, they would send a trained diplomat, not a school teacher."

"Nat," said Wynn with a laugh," I'd take you over any trained diplomat. I'm not sure how you're involved, but from my observation of you, I'm confident the United States will be served well in whatever they've asked you to do."

"How can I help you?" asked Wynn.

"Let's talk about anti-ballistic missile systems. Can you bring me up to date and give me the history of what the United States has been doing."

"The United States and Russia have been studying and building systems to defend themselves against ballistic missiles ever since the invention of such missiles. The first significant systems were deployed in the early 1970s. They were made up of nuclear armed missiles controlled by ground based radar. The radar was highly advanced and the system pretty good. It was named the Safeguard System and used both Sprint and Spartan missiles. There was a difference in approach between us and the Soviets, however. The United States deployed its Safeguard system around its ICBM fields. The Soviets deployed their system around their cities, particularly Moscow, and called the system Galosh."

"You did say they were nuclear armed didn't you?"

"Yes".

"I'm surprised we'd try to defend our ballistic fields with nuclear weapons."

"That's all we knew to do at the time. Our defense people did become wary of a system using radar to control nuclear weapons which could be exploded above or near our own country. After debating the issue for some time, we finally dismantled Safeguard in 1976. So the original defense system is no longer in existence. The people in the Soviet Union, however, are not nearly as fortunate. When the dominant force in the nation is the government, they don't have to answer to public opinion the way we do. So guess what? Their Galosh system is still in effect. Those missile systems with armed nuclear warheads still surround the major cities in the Soviet Union."

"All during the 1970s," Wynn continued, "Contracts were given to experiment on various defense systems, but since the dismantling of the Safeguard system, the United States does not have a defensive system to intercept incoming missiles. We've been living behind the shield of so called mutually assured destruction hoping the Soviets won't get nervous and pull the trigger on those huge ICBM's housed in silos all over Russia."

"Was President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative the next step in providing a ballistic missile defense?"

"Nat, you're exactly right." Wynn became serious. "In 1983, President Reagan asked American scientists to determine some way we could defend this country without the use of nuclear weapons. I think many people were under the impression this research was already underway, and he was announcing a program that had been secretly funded. The truth of the matter is that it was as new to the scientific community as it was to those hearing the speech when he announced it. He must still be surprised politics controlled the day. Even the President of the United States never quite learns political expediency far outweighs the security of our nation.

"In his speech, he hypothesized the possibility that we and our allies could live in a secure manner if the United States were able to develop a non-nuclear defense system which would intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our country or theirs. If you recall, he offered to provide the technology to the Soviets, if they wanted it. I'm sure Mr. Reagan stood back waiting for the applause. Unfortunately, he was in for a shock. The Democrats were not going to allow a Republican president to achieve such a bold and innovative accomplishment. The Strategic Defense Initiative was dubbed "Star Wars" and came under immediate attack. Unfortunately, many of the scientists on the campuses of our major research universities followed their political instincts instead of their scientific instincts. They started coming off the campuses in droves attacking the Strategic Defense Initiative.

"Another touch of irony was that most of our "Ban the Bomb" folks put bumper stickers on their cars and started writing their congressmen not to fund the program. Most of us were never sure why the anti-nuclear people were so dead set against an idea which hadn't been tried and was truly non-nuclear.

"Of course, the Soviets began to lash out immediately about the use of space to conduct war. The hypocrisy in those statements was almost without parallel. The Soviets dream of ways to use space for military purposes incessantly."

Nat broke in. "Why did Gorbachev almost derail the intermediate range ballistic missile treaty over the threat of an SDI that didn't even exist, particularly when you tell me the Soviets are proceeding with their own defense system?"

Wynn reflected a moment, furrowed his brow. "You ask an interesting question. I can only speculate, but I believe there's a considerable truth in what I'm about to say. The Soviets have poured billions and billions of dollars in their intercontinental ballistic missiles program. The missiles are cumbersome, but very powerful. It is their main defense. SDI proposes to neutralize it."

"The missiles they have today are much the same as their early booster rockets, only bigger. They only had four rockets in their A series," explained Wynn. "They had the A, the A-1, the A-2, the A-2E. The original A vehicle was simple in concept. It had a Central core and four strap-on engines. The core engine was fueled by kerosene and liquid oxygen. The A-1 was the same rocket with an upper stage added. Those were the ones used in the Luna series. The A-2 was the same as the A-1 except it put a more powerful rocket on the second stage. The A-2E designation was for a small booster rocket to help achieve high earth orbits.

"This was their basic approach to engineering. For their A series, they used their 55-6 military rocket. For the B series, they used their 55-4. For the C series, they used their 55-5. For the b series, they built a new rocket. It's the first series that's not strictly a derivative of a military rocket. It was designed from the ground up to put large payloads in orbit. The B class rockets were designed because the Soviets were unable to duplicate the American Saturn 5 booster, and they needed to put heavy payloads into space for the Salyut and Mir space stations. There's no question the b class boosters will be used for interplanetary flights once they get their space stations in operation. Their F series is primarily to put satellites in orbit and doesn't require large payload capabilities."

"Is the B series a much bigger rocket than the A series?"

"Yes, it takes more powerful boosters to put huge payloads into space than it does to bring nuclear bombs to visit your friendly neighbors in the west."

"Wynn, is it feasible for us to develop a defense system using very powerful free electron lasers, control them with radar, and simply shoot down incoming missiles as they approach our borders? I don't think you'd get much public reaction against a strategic defense system such as this."

"You're right about the public reaction. I think most of the public would be pleased if we developed a defense system using a powerful laser, controlled by reliable radar, and aimed by a parallel processing computer, so that incoming missiles would be nothing more than target practice.

"However, there are some serious problems with this concept. If we were attacked, we would soon have our own ICBMs on their way toward the Soviet Union. I think you'd agree it would not be a good thing if our powerful, yet-to be-developed lasers, were busily shooting our own rockets as they were leaving the United States. Let's assume, however, we can develop friend or foe identification that will be readily available to every computer-controlled defense laser in our country. The next thing we'd have to deal with is the possibility of the Soviets developing methods to confuse our friend or foe identification. They might devise a way to send bogus electronic signals, jamming our radar, and making our computers ignore the incoming missile.

"Let's assume for a moment we are able to make sure our friend or foe identification system is secure and is unjammable. The next thing you'd assume the Soviets could do is to duplicate our friendly signals. Is it possible for the Soviets to put on their missiles the some identifying frequencies we are using to identify our own outgoing missiles? If they were able to do this, and we did not realize they had been able to accomplish this neat scientific trick, we would be bidding the incoming missiles a friendly hello and our powerful lasers would be lying idle as their missiles hit our targets.

"Now to complicate the problem, let's assume Troxler Electronics or some other major manufacturer of electronic gear were able to provide a system of identification that neither could be jammed nor duplicated. Where would we be?" Wynn stopped, looked Nat directly in the eye and said, "How much do you know about the configuration of current Soviet ICBMs?"

"I know what's been published in the papers and technical magazines. Each of the ICBMs has multiple warheads. As I remember, they have either ten or twelve. Each of these multiple warheads has a number of dummy warheads configured in such a manner to provide the same radar signature as the actual warhead. So mathematically our radar is going to be looking at some 100 to 140 warheads coming in the United States per ICBM not just one."

"Nat you are knowledgeable. But, actually it's even worse than you think. Did you realize these multiple warheads become missiles of their own immediately after the booster phase? Within minutes after coming out of the silo, we are looking at ten warheads, and only when the ten missiles approach the United States, do they deploy the dummy warheads? In essence, there are ten missiles leaving the Soviet Union. Now, the complicating factor. Of these 100 warheads coming in, 10 are genuine and 90 are bogus, and all will contain chaff.  The chaff is reflecting strips made of metallic covered Teflon. They will be cut to a length which will provide a radar signature similar to that of a warhead. When all of these warheads come within range of our radar, the chaff will be deployed. Hundreds of thousands of strips of reflecting material will start blooming on radar screens. Even automatic weaponry controlled by the best radar we have and using our most powerful computers would have difficulty sorting out and shooting down more than a small percentage of the actual warheads coming across our borders.

"We might back up the lasers with infrared heat-seeking missiles, but we would have to have a lot of them ready to go. They would be trying to lock on to warm noses of missiles coming back into the atmosphere, not hot exhaust. Those gases were left behind well out to sea. The greatest problem with heat seekers is their relatively short range. The Soviets would have to be kind enough to shoot their ICBMs with the multiple warheads right over our defense installations. If they shot them in the gaps between installations, we wouldn't have any way at all of reaching them with heat seekers.

"We have the same problem with lasers unless we are literally going to ring our borders with them like a picket fence. It is neither economically nor technologically feasible. They could send this barrage of warheads over our few lasers, confuse them with chaff, and maybe we could knock down ten to 20 percent. No, it simply won't work."

Nat looked at Wynn seriously and asked, "Is there a solution?"

"Of course there may be solutions we haven't thought of yet, but right now we know of only one way to have an effective ballistic missile defense system. We're going to have to either put a laser in orbit, such as an X-ray laser, or put mirrors in orbit if we decide to use free electron lasers. We must destroy their missiles in the booster phase as they are coming out of the silos. This is before they have the opportunity to separate into multiple warheads and later into dummy warheads, ad infinitum. Regardless of what you’re so-called experts say, currently, there is no other solution."

"As I mentioned earlier," Wynn continued, "if we were able to devise a solution other than destroying the missiles coming out of the silos, the Soviets would set out finding a way to defeat it. That game of chess never ends. But, in this game of checkers, often you can't even tell who is ahead."

"What is an aerosol cloud?"

"Certain gasses reflect well on radar screens. As a missile is approaching its target and radar starts to lock on to the incoming bird, the aerosol cloud can be released by the rocket in much the same way as the chaff can be released. The tendency is for the radar to lock on to the cloud and let the missile slip away."

"How much progress have we made on the Strategic Defense Initiative program?"

"A whole lot more than we want the Soviets to know. Of course, there's still much work yet to be done. We have made a lot of progress in our laser and particle beam experiments. We have more people working on various approaches to laser delivery than we do the particle beam because there are more experts in the field. The greatest Investment in dollars and time is being spent on developing the chemical, eximer, free electron and X-ray lasers."

"Tell me about the chemical laser?"

"It's always powered by at least two gasses which provide the laser medium; hydrogen-chlorine work well and there are some experiments using oxygen-iodine and deuterium-fluorine. We could have the chemical lasers in orbit and ready to go to war a long time before any of the others can be moved from the laboratory and put into production.

"However, the other three types do appear to have even more promise than the chemical lasers, so we are reluctant to make a recommendation to deploy these. Chemical lasers generate longer wave lengths and are not nearly as readily absorbed by the target, consequently they lack the punch you get from the eximer, free electron or X-ray lasers. More emphasis is being placed on the eximer and the free electron laser right now, although I am somewhat partial to the X-ray laser.

"The term eximer is contraction for excited dimer. A dimer is nothing more than a molecule of two atoms made up of a noble gas and a halogen. As trigger electrons move through the dimer ionizing the noble gas, usually xenon, it creates an electron bombardment reacting with the halogen. The dimers become unstable, split and emit ultra-violet light. If you can believe it, this is much the same principle as the fluorescent light. The eximers are not very efficient, but they can be arrayed and coupled to reinforce each other into a powerful and destructive laser.

"The free electron laser sends a stream of electrons through a magnetic field. The magnetic field causes the electrons to oscillate and emit photons of electromagnetic radiation. It's possible to adjust the magnetic field tuning the emissions to almost any wave length. We hope the conversion may reach 25% efficiency.

"The biggest problem with both the eximer and the free electron laser is that they're very large devices. Consequently they're heavy, and it would be impractical to lift them into orbit in great numbers. If we chose to rely on either of these, we would be making the decision to orbit high quality mirrors with sensors and servo-mechanisms for aiming the mirrors. When a Soviet ICBM clears the silo, and our sensors pick up the heat of the exhaust gas, our super computers will calculate the proper angle between the firing laser and the slowly rising booster. The greatest problem is aiming the mirror, allowing for distortion created by the atmosphere. We have decided to fire a low power laser to the orbiting satellite and on to the booster, and then calculate the distortion, allowing us to make angular corrections before a destructive laser is fired. It sounds as if this is cumbersome, but remembers we are operating at the speed of light.

"After the correction for distortion is calculated, the mirror will be moved by servo-mechanisms and the big laser will be fired. The calculations and adjustments shouldn't take more than a fraction of a second, and the ICBM would be out of commission while it's still struggling to clear the silo. My simple explanation does not do justice to the technical problems yet to be conquered before such a weapon is operational."

Wynn took a breath and went on. "The fourth method I like is the X-ray laser. It doesn't have much in common with the other three. When I describe it, it will sound complicated, but, in reality, it's rather simple. A satellite containing an X-ray laser would be constructed with a low yield nuclear device surrounded by lasing rods, all perfectly parallel. When the sensor on the satellite detects a Soviet ICBM coming out of its silo, a small computer would direct the satellite to point the lasing rods directly at the missile. The nuclear device is then detonated. The rods emit intense pulses of X-rays. If you can believe it, they are focused by the lasing rods and will go directly toward their target. The shock waves created by the X-ray laser should destroy the missile, but even if it didn't, they would completely foul up all of the electronics gear. Either way the missile could not function.

"Let me share a little secret that shouldn't go beyond us. One configuration of lasing rods requires them to be of mixed metal and approximately eight feet long. Another theory is that we might get by with small carbon fiber hairs only a centimeter long and less than 1/10,000th of an inch in diameter. All you have to do is start the X-rays in a particular direction, and they will travel in a straight line without variance."

"Can you tell me something about particle beam weapons?" asked Nat, intrigued with this line of discussion.

"Yes, and I can do that rather simply. Particle beams are both difficult to generate and even more difficult to steer. Both neutral particle beams and charged particle beams have a terrific impact. The biggest problem in using charged particle beams is they are affected by the magnetic field of the earth and consequently in firing them; one would have to calculate compensation to keep them on target. A particle beam weapon would not be one we would attempt to use in space. It's more likely we would use this weapon in perimeter defense looking for missiles coming in over our shorelines. They do pack a wallop, however, and if we can learn to control them, they will be a valuable addition to our arsenal."

Wynn continued. "Now let me tell you about a class of weapons that are very exciting to me. You're going to be surprised when I describe them to you. It will appear we have come full circle. They are the kinetic energy weapons. Kinetic energy devices are much like a great big rifle except they use a different method of propulsion. I think they hold a great deal of promise for our Strategic Defense Initiative program. Are you familiar with these devices?"

"I've read about the rail gun, but, of course, I've never seen one operate."

Wynn laughed. "You'd love it. The principle is electromagnetic propulsion. The timing of the electromagnets is set up in much the same way the strobe lights are arrayed at the end of a runway to guide a plane safely down in bad weather. The rail gun is basically two parallel rails with a powerful electrical current passing through them. We're talking about a current in millions of amps. A heavy metal projectile is gas fired into the chamber to overcome inertia. The heavy metal projectile is surrounded by an aluminum skirt which, on contact, is vaporized into conducting plasma. The incredibly powerful electromagnets working in phase start pulling the heavy metal projectile down the rails, accelerating it the same way a cyclotron accelerates radioactive particles. With the knowledge we have already, it's theoretically possible to accelerate a projectile up to 62 miles per second.

"Now, listen to this. We can fire up to sixty of these projectiles in one second. We will be operating a machine gun from out of space, and it will tear an ICBM all to pieces. The beauty of this weapon is we're not far away from having it perfected. They can be in space within a relatively short period of time, should Congress approve."

"Wynn, how do you protect a satellite? It appears to me, if the Soviets were to attack those satellites, we would be out of business before they ever fired their rockets?"

"You're right. We're also working on orbiting guns to protect the satellites from killer satellites orbited by the Soviets and from rockets fired either from the ground or from aircraft."

Nat pushed back, "But, what about lasers. I understand in 1975 we were afraid a laser had blinded one of our satellites."

"Well, currently lasers could put us out of business. I personally believe the future satellites must be protected by high quality front silvered mirrors to be able to take a direct hit from a laser and disburse it. We're going to have to use an approach I call optical stealth technology. This technology will allow us to take a laser beam and disburse it by absorbing it through several optical folds and directing it away from the orbiting satellite.

"Another interesting method to defend satellites from rockets and killer satellites is known as High Frontier. Its simplicity will amaze you, Nat. This concept would require us to put 400 satellites in orbit, each equipped with devices for up to fifty interceptions. They would have a rocket power source and a folding device. If a rocket were fired at one of our Strategic Defense Initiative satellites, this High Frontier satellite would fire a missile with a folding device which would adjust its direction until it was on a collision course with the incoming missile. Shortly before the two were to collide, the interceptor would unfold umbrella like arms about eight feet long which begin to spin. This would give a circular diameter of some sixteen feet. The incoming missile would crash into this whirling set of fan blades and explode without ever reaching our Strategic Defensive Initiative satellite."

"What about the Soviets? What are they doing?"

"In some areas I think they are more advanced than we are. We know they've upgraded the Galosh system around Moscow, and we suspect something big is going on, but we don't know much about it. I have a feeling they have some surprises up their sleeves for us we haven't detected yet. We do know they have built several new phased array radar installations which cover the most likely trajectories we would use for missiles. I can only speculate they are preparing something for us that will come as a big surprise."

"They're not as technologically advanced as we are, are they?"

"They just have a different approach. They're more methodical than we are. They have a different set of priorities, and they never stop working. I have come to respect them and never underestimate their ability to get the job done even though it may not have the flash and polish our devices sometimes do."

"Where do we stand in terms of a space station? I'm assuming our ultimate defense will be assembled by live human beings in space and not simply orbited from launched rockets."

"You're exactly right, Nat. I don't think the American people realize how important the space shuttle is to our future in space. It's not only a recoverable booster, but it's a space station of sorts already available to us. We can send a shuttle up and test items the same way the Soviets must send rockets up to an orbiting station. We have the ability to retrieve satellites, repair satellites, and even place them in different orbits. The Soviets can do this only in the most tedious sort of way.

"The Soviets worry about us sending the shuttle up and flying around the sky picking up their satellites and putting them in the cargo bay of the shuttle. It's also possible for us to orbit the shuttle next to one of their satellites and examine it closely even if we don't pick it up. There'll be no secrets left up there if we decide to use the shuttle in that manner. If we put our space stations up in the 1990s, our materials for the construction of the stations will all be carried by the shuttle, not with big ICBM type booster rockets. The use of this device was a slick move on the part of the Americans."

"Nat, the biggest problem we face in staying ahead of the Soviets is convincing Congress and the American people of the importance of these space missions. The Soviet political system allows their leaders to make decisions in a closed room with only a handful of people present. Democracy and freedom do bring baggage with them. I only wish we could order our priorities better and make decisions which are in the best interests of our country, and not in the best interests of a political party."Nat and Wynn continued their conversation for another hour and then terminated the meeting. Wynn walked to the door of Troxler and bade Nat goodbye. There was much mutual admiration between these two men.

1:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, 1987

Laser Optics Research Laboratories

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

After leaving Troxler, Nat decided to stop at the Governors Inn for lunch. While enjoying a light, but satisfying meal, the thought occurred to him he would like to spend the afternoon talking with the people at Laser Optics. This laboratory was a small but highly reputable company in its field. It had the profile of a  company with which our military liked to deal. You could present a problem to the people at Laser Optics, and chances are they could not only solve it, but bring it in under budget.

The head of research at Laser Optics was a brilliant, beautiful redhead by the name of Courtney Flame. Courtney was unmarried and spent fourteen to sixteen hours a day working on her projects. She had spent a business lifetime being teased about her last name being Flame and her hair being red. Nat picked up the telephone in his Saab, and within a minute or two had Courtney on the phone. Once again, the North Carolina tradition of being easy to reach held true.

"Well, Nat, this is a surprise. What's on your mind?"

"Courtney, I need to come to see you this afternoon if you can squeeze me in."

"Sure, I'm involved with an appointment right now. Could you make it in about thirty minutes?"

"Certainly, I'm in the Governors Inn parking lot and can be there in less than ten minutes. I need to make one or two phone calls and then I'll drive over. You can see me when it's convenient for you."

Thirty minutes later, Nat was in the lobby talking to the receptionist at Laser Optics. After signing in and receiving the visitor's badge, Nat was greeted by Courtney's secretary who escorted him to her office. When they arrived, he was stunned. It appeared the office had been decorated by a New York designer with no expense spared. While Courtney may have spent sixteen hours each day on her business, the office did not indicate anything but ultimate femininity. Her touch was perfect. Things were just right. The furnishings were not frilly and dainty, but tasteful and exquisite. The office not only reflected credit on its occupant, it also gave a sense of well-being to the visitor.

After exchanging pleasantries, they both got down to business. "Nat, are you serious in wanting to learn about electro-optics and infra-red sensors? I'm surprised you'd ask me anything about a laser. You're well known as being an originator in holography. You were using lasers when most people were listening to rock and roll on the radio."

"Courtney, I'm serious when I tell you I have just a few days to become educated in a way I never thought would be necessary. I've accepted a project in Europe which should last two months. What you're going to teach me today, along with some briefings I've received from a few other friends, will be the determining factor as to the success of my project. I'm being employed by the federal government to handle a situation requiring someone on a short time basis. The work involves the KGB, and I've noticed my ability to absorb knowledge has been dramatically increased since I've known my life depends upon it. There's nothing like motivation to create a learning environment."

Courtney laughed and began an earnest conversation, "Electro-optically guided weapons were first introduced into war during the Vietnam conflict. Examples of electro-optical guided weapons would be our Maverick television guided missile and the Walleye smart bomb which are now widely deployed all over the world. Each piece carries a miniature sensor or receiver in the nose of the missile or bomb, and may be locked on a target. A corresponding cathode ray tube is in the cockpit of the airplane which allows the pilot to visually select the target for the weapon. Once the weapon is fired, the course to the target is plotted, and the pilot need not stay around to observe the results. This characteristic has proven highly popular with the pilots and has saved many lives. Once the weapon is deployed, the pilot heads for home. By the time the weapon impacts, the pilot is well on his way in the opposite direction.

"One of the chief advantages of the electro-optically guided weapon is that they are passive. They only receive signals and, in this case, it's reflected light, the same way any television camera operates. Nothing is being emitted from this weapon which can be detected by a radio antenna and issue a warning the weapon is about to strike."

"Does this mean weapons such as the Maverick and the Walleye are limited to clear weather conditions?" inquired Nat.

"In the past, bad weather has been something of a disadvantage, but our latest weapons are now using infra-red imaging, and this allows the weapon to be deployed in bad weather and sometimes even at night.

"Infrared and passive radar technology have led the way in allowing for the development of new weapons. Infrared is used in missiles and night vision systems. Most infrared systems use sensors operating in the spectrum of two to three microns or eight to thirteen microns. If the sensor detects an object heated to roughly 300 Kelvin, it will emit beeps in the 8 to 13 micron band. If the temperature gets as high as 700 to 800 Kelvin, you can detect beeps in the two to three micron range. Infrared sensors are relatively simple, they have nothing to image. All they have to do is to detect a heat source and lock on.

"The designers of heat seeking nose cones for missiles use a telescopic method which rejects sources not within a limited field of vision. You don't want a heat seeking missile to have a menu of choices after it's fired. You want it to go only to the target originally selected, even if the target starts evasive activities. A missile out of control is bad news. Missiles have been known to turn onto the launch vehicle itself. More research and development time has been spent in making the missile go to its target than has been spent in developing its explosive capability.

"The best infrared sensors are made of lead sulfide, lead antimonide, and cadmium mercury telluride and indium antimonide. Each of these compounds exhibits a specific sensitivity in a different area of the spectrum. The two to three micron seeker will generally use a lead sulfide compound. The eight to thirteen micron seeker will use the mercury telluride compound. Lead sulfide works well at room temperature, but many of the detectors need to be cooled. Cadmium mercury telluride works best at temperatures of 70 Kelvin or below. This means a coolant such as liquid nitrogen may be added to the missile prior to takeoff of the airplane.

"The infrared missiles became popular in the early 1950's and the technology is now close to forty years old. The Sidewinder, which is still in use all over the world, was one of the earlier infrared guided weapons. While the Sidewinder has been modified and improved, it is basically the same rocket it was when introduced in 1952. In these early heat seeking missiles, the pilot had to line himself up with the target. The angle could not be more than a few degrees off the heat source, or the early sensors couldn't guide the missile to the target.

Even today, non-imaging seekers work best when there is a single hot source as a target against a reasonably uniform background. This makes them effective against aircraft and ships at sea. Heat seeking missiles can be fired from the ground as well as from other aircraft. This is possible because their targets stand out well against the sky and, of course, ships stand out well against the background of the ocean.

"Imaging infrared seekers are sophisticated devices. They allow the pilot to fire at a target and leave before impact. The imaging infrared is basically a television picture constructed from heat sources. The ability to image allows the pilot of a plane to pick a target at night if there is enough differential in heat to provide an outline of the target. That was a real breakthrough. The amount of darkness has nothing to do with the quality of the picture on the cathode ray tube. Even smoke and haze have relatively little effect on imaging infrared seekers. Imaging infrared is the backbone of all our night vision equipment and not just for the guidance systems for missiles. Many of the Lockheed C-130's use this for high accuracy navigation and for terrain-following which allows them to penetrate enemy airspace in total darkness.

"The terrain-following technique is virtually the same as that used in the cruise missile. Infrared systems draw a map of the ground below and compare it to terrain coordinates stored in the computer. Using this technique, the navigator and pilot know where they are at all times."

Nat interrupted. "Courtney, do we use infrared in satellites?"

Nat was already well aware of their use, but it was his way of showing interest in all Courtney was explaining to him. It also was a vehicle to get her to go into more detail about the use of infrared sensors.

Courtney lowered her voice as if she were telling a secret. "Our most advanced infrared system for satellite use is the Teal Ruby. These satellites are used to detect low flying bombers and cruise missiles which are ordinarily successful in evading ground based radar. The whole concept of flying low for bombing missions is to use existing terrain to shield your airplane or missile from detection by the enemy's radar. But, today with our sensors being mounted from above, these evasive techniques will have to be re-thought. The Teal Ruby will be giving a picture of flight paths throughout the complete mission and our anti-aircraft men can have a warm reception waiting as they near the target?"

Nat broke in. "Are we totally vulnerable now to low flying evasive action?"

"No, we have rather effective over-the-horizon radar. The principle of over-the horizon radar is to use the ionosphere to reflect radar signals both from the transmitter and back to the antenna. This works reasonably well, and gives us an adequate warning system now. But even the over the horizon radar is not at all like watching the incoming enemy on television. When you have that capability, you are at the frontier of high technology."

"You earlier mentioned laser guidance. Are you talking about the smart bombs used in Vietnam?"

"Yes, but that early technology has been improved and expanded considerably. In Vietnam, the Paveway system was developed and put on our F-4 Phantoms.

The Phantom was sent out to a target working in tandem with another aircraft generally the Rockwell OVC-Bronco. These were forward control aircraft, and it was the Bronco's task to locate the target and pinpoint it with the laser beam. The F-4 Phantom would deliver the bomb which would follow the laser right to the target. This was one of the major technological advances developed during the Vietnam War. Can you imagine trying to hit a bridge with a bomb when you are traveling 700 miles per hour? A bridge makes a narrow target, and a miss does you no good whatsoever. Only when we developed laser technology, did we achieve the' high accuracy we needed. The British also used Paveway successfully in 1982 during the Falklands war.

"Laser guided weapons are also effective for ground combat. When the laser beam is locked on the target, we have several rockets with guidance systems that can take out tanks and heavy artillery. Texas Instruments, the developer of Paveway, has now released Paveway 3. The AH-64 Apache helicopter uses he Rockwell M-114A Hellfire and the Martin Marietta Copperhead as its two missiles. Both of these are laser guided. The laser is easy to aim, and it's virtually jam proof. There's not much an enemy target can do to make a laser become inaccurate.

"Now up to this point, we've just talked about using laser guidance systems. As you know, a powerful laser can be highly destructive itself. A great concern is the potential ability of the Soviets to use lasers against our satellites. We have as a high priority the development of technology to defend satellites from these powerful lasers. The concept of the defense is simpler than the development, but if we can get high quality front silvered mirrors between a satellite and the weapon, we can deflect the laser beam and trap it so that it will have no appreciable effect on the satellite itself. Technology in this area is moving rapidly, and there's no question it's part of the Strategic Defense Initiative total package. Our communication satellites and navigation satellites need protection right away. Even our foot soldiers determine their precise location by using satellite technology.

"Direct energy weapons such as lasers have great promise, but there is still much work to be done before they're as effective as they need to be. We have the technology to develop lasers strong enough to shoot down airplanes and incoming missiles, but the machinery required to generate the laser beam is so large and cumbersome that these lasers are not currently practical. Anti-satellite weaponry is another matter. The weapons can be positioned on land to destroy a deployed satellite, because satellites are in fixed positions. We could use lasers to guard our intercontinental ballistic fields. ICBM silos are grouped together and direct energy defensive weapons could be effectively installed there."

Nat was impressed with the intelligence and precision of this woman. Their conversation continued for 45 minutes, He thanked her for the valuable information she had provided, excused himself, and returned to his car in the parking lot.

The guard in the parking lot was interested in the details and specifications of the Saab 9000. Nat always liked talking about his car, and he explained its operating principles, the intercooler, and the turbine boost. The guard was appreciative of the explanation and in return took Nat's picture with his belt buckle.

10:00 p.m. Wednesday May 25. 1987

The Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, North Carolina

An automobile slipped easily into one of the many vacant parking spaces in front of the camera shop, and the driver exited the vehicle, locked the door, and moved across the sidewalk toward the entrance of the store. Before the driver was across the walk, the door opened allowing him easy access to the establishment. Once he was inside, the door was closed, bolted and all security devices activated. The two men spoke casually and warmly as they headed to the door leading to the back of the building and Wells Compton's office Compton had the file on Nat Turner open, and it was growing each day. It was easy to see the prints from the photographs taken over the last ten days had been carefully cataloged and placed in the file. All the written reports filed from agents in the field were there. The decoded messages from the Soviet embassy and Compton's own carefully worded reports were all available for study within this thick sheaf of papers. A separate folder bearing Nat Turner's name was lying next to the correspondence file. This second folder contained newspaper clippings and background information relating to Turner's interests. A thick twenty page resume had also been provided by Turner's secretary. Compton had sent an agent to the office of the president posing as a reporter for “The News and Observer”, requesting this background information. The secretary was most cordial and happy to comply, providing him also with several glossy prints suitable for reproduction.

Once inside Compton's office the three men seated themselves in their accustomed chairs and enjoyed a steaming cup of fresh coffee, allowing the business activity to become sociable. Courtney Flame. Let me tell you one thing. If I went to Laser Optics, I'd go see Courtney Flame, even if she didn't have any important information to share."

The other two men smiled appreciatively.

"Hill is exactly right," said Odom. "He spent the afternoon with Courtney, and you know her specialty. She's an authority on lasers and guidance systems."

He went on, "In two days he has talked with authorities on rockets, aircraft armament, satellites, the Strategic Defense Initiative, exotic weapons, lasers and guidance systems for missiles. Our friend Nat Turner appears to be the point man for World War III."

The conversation turned to the preparation of the report to be filed with the Washington embassy. Freeman stayed with them tonight. By 1:00 a.m. the report had been prepared, coded, and sent to the embassy. The details of Turner's activities of the last two days had been carefully summarized with appropriate comments and judgments provided by Wells Compton.

9:00 a.m. Thursday, May 26, 1987

Burroughs Wellcome

Research Triangle Park

Today Nat's schedule included two of the largest pharmaceutical firms in the world. Both were British owned and operated, but had large research facilities in RTP. This morning he was to visit with Dr. Hurst Owenby, head of research for Burroughs Wellcome. In the afternoon, he would be visiting with Carter Ballentine, who headed research for Glaxo. Both of these appointments had been arranged, and Nat was looking forward to the conversations.

The Burroughs Wellcome Research Lab is one of the most unique buildings in the entire world. There are no perpendicular walls in its design. Movie companies have borrowed the building from time to time to project architecture of three to four centuries hence. If the employees of Burroughs Wellcome wore jump suits, one would have the feeling of being transported into the future.

Nat checked in with the receptionist, received his visitor's badge, and was whisked up six floors in an elevator resembling a rocket to the office of Hurst Owenby. Hurst greeted Nat and they exchanged pleasantries. A fresh pot of coffee had been prepared and was served by Dr. Owenby's secretary. Nat wanted to walk on the terrace outside Hurst's office to view the beautiful North Carolina countryside. From this vantage point, you could appreciate the concept the early developers of the park had envisioned when they sold the property to the great research laboratories. The agreement in the deed for the property specified that no more than 15% of the property could be built upon, and at least 85% of the property must be kept as a park or in a natural state. This was one of the finest working environments in the United States. In no other single location had so many firms congregated in such a peaceful and thought provoking setting. Even the National Humanities Center chose the Research Triangle Park to locate its ivory tower for intellectuals, providing a setting of ultimate creativity.

Nat explained to Hurst he was there this morning to become as educated as possible on viruses and bacteria. He wanted information on the state of the art treatment of the world's deadliest diseases, and he was also interested in learning about germ warfare. He needed to know the most likely sources of pestilence which could be released upon enemy forces, and he needed to know if there was any particular method of combating these dreadful life consuming microbes and organisms after they had been released.

Hurst was businesslike and quickly ran over a list of dangerous diseases, and the treatment of each malady. Hurst at no time indicated his company was in any way related to the field of germ warfare. It did appear to Nat; however, Hurst was quite an expert in the field and was speaking with great authority. While Nat would not speculate either way, he was convinced Hurst was deeply involved either in developing germ warfare or combating germ warfare. From the horror expressed in Hurst's description, Nat was more inclined to believe the lead researcher on developing antidotes and cures from pestilence caused by such warfare.

This conversation continued for more than two hours. At 11:30 Nat thought the subject had been covered adequately. He thanked Hurst for the time taken to educate him and exited back down the rocket-like elevator to the ground floor and returned to the parking lot.

The receptionist on duty had called her favorite camera shop in Cameron Village to see if the pictures she had taken over the weekend had been developed. During the conversation, she had mentioned in a casual manner that Nat Turner, the president of Cameron College, had been visiting with them this morning, and how nice it was to have local dignitaries take an interest in the pharmaceutical world.

1:00 p.m. Thursday, May 26, 1987

Glaxo Research Laboratories

Research Triangle Park

Nat Turner returned to the Governors Inn for lunch. The food was excellent, and he enjoyed the atmosphere of relaxation surrounded by elegance. At 1:00 he was in the reception area of another giant pharmaceutical company, Glaxo also operated by a British parent company. Glaxo had research facilities in RTP and manufacturing facilities a few miles east of Raleigh. Nat's appointment was with Carter Ballentine, the head research chemist for Glaxo. The Glaxo building was of modern architecture and the outer walls were completely glass.

The building was shaped like a Y with three distinct wings surrounding the reception area architecturally formatted to create an atrium. The receptionist for Glaxo proved to be as friendly as the guard on the gate. The guard, however, had indulged in one additional activity. As Nat was receding from view up the drive toward the Glaxo building, the security man on the gate wrote down the license number of the black Saab and slipped it into his pocket. Within five minutes, Nat was in the office of Carter Ballentine. He was greeted warmly and, after the usual preliminary moments of conversation, both men were ready to get down to business.

"Carter, I didn't come to talk to you about the pharmaceutical business. I want to talk to you about how research scientists keep abreast with the other research scientists."

Carter asked, "Are you speaking about the pharmaceutical world or the scientific world in general?"

"I'm talking about the pharmaceutical world. I am assuming there's a network of scientists within each field who know each other personally or stay aware each other through their publications."

"You're right in making this assumption. In most scientific fields, there're no more than 100 people you'd consider to be authorities. While many scientific magazines are published detailing research findings, there are never more than 100 names to which you give any credence. Frankly, beyond that number, research findings can be more misleading than helpful. It's amazing the conclusions educated people will draw just to focus attention on themselves. I doubt you will read many scientific articles that do not support the hypothesis the researcher stated before he conducted his test. This is not only true in science; it's true in sociology, psychology, and virtually every academic field.

"On the other hand, Nat, I would speculate in each of the scientific specialties there would be roughly a golden 100 who make the rules for the rest. When you read their articles, or talk with them personally you listen to what they have to say."

"Does this include scientists working behind the Iron Curtain?"

"Definitely, An international reputation to a scientist is his most sacred possession. In the pharmaceutical world, I could identify each of these 100 individuals and tell you his or her specialty. I have their names listed, their location, whether it be a university, a government complex, or a private company such as Glaxo. I even have their telephone numbers. I doubt there's a scientist in a respected field who could not be reached by a counterpart within twelve to twenty four hours. Most of the scientists would accept a telephone call from another of the golden 100 as quickly as the overseas operator could put the call through." The conversation moved to other scientific fields and Nat carefully noted in his mind Carter's observations.

9:00 p.m. Thursday May 26, 1967

The Cameron Village Camera Shoppe

Raleigh, North Carolina

Compton had decided to set the meeting with Odom an hour earlier tonight.  The three men had been working into the early hours of the morning for almost two weeks. It was apparent from the communications coming in from the embassy that Compton's name was becoming known both in Washington and Moscow. He knew, if he was lucky and Turner became as important as it appeared he might, Wells Compton would become a rising star in the KGB. The KGB always rewarded success. Though never stated on public occasions, the best known joke to circulate among KGB operatives is the organization is the most capitalistic in the world. If an agent produced, an agent was rewarded. It was that simple. It was becoming clear to both the KGB in Moscow and the embassy in Washington that Wells Compton was producing.

After Odom had parked his car, Hill allowed him entrance into the shop and both men headed straight for Compton's office. Hill had been careful to secure the store properly as he always did. When Odom and Hill joined Compton, it was apparent he was in a good mood; ebullient in fact. He had greeted Odom with a great deal more warmth than he ever had before. The whole atmosphere in the office was more relaxed than usual. The messages they had been receiving from their superiors were complimentary indeed. Hill and Odom were empathetic with Compton and their spirits began to rise too. Matters were obviously going well for the KGB station in Raleigh.

Compton provided both men coffee and freshened his own cup. He asked as casually as a man on vacation, "Wade, tell me about your day."

"Much the same pattern, An early stop by his office, an appointment in the Research Triangle, lunch at the Governors Inn, another visit in the Triangle, back to the office, and then home."

"I can hardly wait for you to tell me where he went today." Compton said, smiling.

"He went to Burroughs Wellcome in the morning and Glaxo in the afternoon."

"That's interesting!" These words were expressed in a southern drawl not typical of a KGB agent.

"Who did he see at Burroughs Wellcome?"

"He went right to the top as usual. He met with Hurst Owenby. He heads their pharmaceutical research."

Compton's voice was now edged with excitement. "We've struck gold! This confirms the suspicion we had all along. The United States is actively pursuing germ warfare.

Turner's visits during the last two weeks are all beginning to fit together into a nice little pattern. Was he with Owenby all morning?"

Odom nodded his head positively.

"Have you been able to confirm the fact that Burroughs Wellcome is working in germ warfare?"

"No, we have nothing. Our penetration at Burroughs has never heard the terms mentioned. She does say they keep their work highly confidential, and all projects are referred to by code names. Most researchers are jealous of their work and border on paranoia that someone will upstage years of painstaking research."

Hill joined in. "Turner would not be visiting Burroughs Wellcome to get capsules for herpes. He so far has been on a mission of war, and I know of nothing a pharmaceutical firm could provide except something related to bacteria or germs."

"The biggest surprise about Burroughs Wellcome is that it is a British concern," said Wade. "Why would the United States be working with the British?"

"It's owned by a British foundation but it's private and independent." Compton explained. "It's not owned by the British government. If a profit is to be made, they will take it. Appearances suggest they are working on something big for the United States government. That's confirmed by Turner's visit today. When we take our report to Washington, I'll suggest Burroughs Wellcome become a high priority item for intrusion. We need to know more about their activities than we do."

"What did he do this afternoon?" Compton asked.

"He spent the afternoon with Dr. Carter Ballentine, the research head of Glaxo."

"That confirms it," Compton said. "Glaxo must have a germ warfare contract with the government too."

"Isn't Glaxo British just like Burroughs Wellcome?" asked Odom.

"Yes. These two companies must be making major strides in the destructive side of pharmaceuticals."

The three men spent a few minutes concluding their remarks and started work on the report to be coded and sent to Washington. They slanted the report to indicate there was probable cause to believe the two giant pharmaceutical firms were under governmental contract to do research on massive destructive techniques through germ warfare. They supported these allegations by recapping the activities of Nat Turner during the week.

10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 26, 1987

U.S.S.R. Embassy

Washington, D. C.

Sergei Leonov had returned to Yuri Popov's office. Both men were now enjoying steaming cups of coffee.

Popov immediately asked Leonov, "Sergei, have you had any additional reports from the Raleigh station?"

"Yes, we've heard from them, and their excitement is building."

"What did he do today?"

"He spent the morning at Troxler."

"You mean he was there all morning?" Popov said with a grimace on his face."Yes, and it appears he spent his time with their number one man."

Popov had a serious expression on his face, and he was all business now.

"Troxler is an integral part of Strategic Defense Initiative research. That clever little company probably knows more about exotic weapons than any other laboratory in the world. If Troxler is seriously involved in this operation, we have trouble. We have big trouble."

Popov paused momentarily and looked quizzically at Leonov. "Sergei, dare I ask where Turner spent the afternoon?"

"You can dare, but you're not going to like it." Leonov said with a smile. "He spent the afternoon at Laser Optics talking with Courtney Flame."

"He spent the afternoon with Courtney Flame!" he said with surprise. "She's their leading authority on laser weapons and laser guidance systems. Definitely from the two conversations he had today, he was talking to people who're authorities on modern aircraft and space weapons. This scenario is beginning to take shape.

Yesterday he visited Hercules and talked about rockets, and he went to TRW and talked about satellites. At Troxler, there's no telling what he talked about. They are generally thinking into the 21st or 22nd centuries, and at Laser Optics, he was talking about either laser weapons or laser guidance systems. Yes, definitely he is involved in a space effort."

"Yuri, what kind of report are you going to make to Moscow?"

"Today, I am not going to speculate, but I am going to allow them to draw their own conclusions. I will be careful in the report to include the information we know about Troxler and their work with the Strategic Defense Initiative. I will also tell them we know Troxler is one of the nation's leading researchers in exotic weapons. I will give some description of Laser Optics and their research on laser guidance systems and the military use of lasers. This will give the Moscow office a chance to respond to us and we can buy a couple of hours that way. Perhaps the Raleigh station will have picked up something else that can be useful before we are called upon to start putting the pieces of the puzzle together."

10:00 a.m. Friday, May 27, 1987

KGB Office

Moscow, USSR

Leonov Garganin walked into the office of the Moscow head of the KGB.

Tatlin Komarov looked up from his desk and asked quickly, "Have you heard from Washington?"

"Yes, and I might add, the plot thickens."

Garganin placed a copy of the decoded report in front of Komarov and sat down with his copy and awaited their morning discussion. Komarov read the decoded message carefully. He was interested in the work of both Troxler and Laser Optics. He compared today's report with the one he received yesterday relating the scientific specialties of Hercules and TRW. A full fifteen minutes passed and not one word was spoken. Then slowly, deliberately, Komarov looked up and engaged the eyes of Garganin.

"Sergei, this is incredible! The Central Committee may vent their wrath on me if they like. Without question, we've been able to uncover the most important military maneuver the United States has made since I have been with the KGB. But I'm not going to report this to the Central Committee just yet. If I took it to them today, they would jump to conclusions and tip our hand. We do not have the story quite complete."

Garganin looked at his chief. "What do you think they're doing?"

"I don't think there's any question what they're doing. They're deploying weapons in space. I'm also going to make an educated guess. I don't think they are deploying weapons in space for defensive purposes. I'm convinced these weapons will be used in a preemptive strike against Soviet targets as quickly as they become operational."

Komarov paused and went on. "As you can see, Sergei, if I took this assertion to the Central Committee, they would immediately want proof. They're not going to accept my assessment. They're going to want photographs of the weapons. They're going to need undeniable proof they've been deployed, and we can't provide any yet. It's going to be necessary for me to share with them what we know soon, but I'm going to wait at least twenty-four hours to see what else we get from Washington. Contact the embassy and tell them as soon as they have any other information on Turner's movements let me know. Also, Sergei, tell them I am ready to commit any number of agents necessary to track this operation on an hourly basis, and emphasize to them this intelligence is critical to security of their homeland."

9:00 a.m. Friday May, 27, 1987

North Carolina Microelectronics Institute

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Nat had only two more visits he wanted to make in the Research Triangle Park before being ready to take on his assignment overseas. Today he had made arrangements to visit the North Carolina Microelectronics Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency Research Center, both located within the confines of RTP.

The North Carolina Microelectronics Institute was built under the impetus of Governor James Hunt, a former Democratic governor of the state. His successor was a Republican and a former chemistry professor at Davidson College. Even though the administrations had changed, the scientific interest exhibited by the new governor ensured the Microelectronics Institute was well funded and on its way to becoming the nation's leader in its field.

The Institute had many large grants amounting to millions of dollars supplied by various computer companies throughout the country. The center is used for research and development of larger and faster microchips for computers of future generations.

The head of research at the Institute is Dr. Susan Temple. While she did not have the physical beauty and fire of Courtney Flame at Laser Optics, she was certainly an attractive woman and considered to be a world leader in her field. Nat was at home at Microelectronics. While he could not claim the credentials of Susan Temple, he was considered to be an expert in the computer field himself. He had been involved with computers throughout his professional life. He had earlier attended schools offered by computer manufacturers, and was a competent programmer. He could write in all of the popular languages -COBOL, FORTRAN, Basic A, C, and Pascal. He was also accomplished in programming in machine and assembly language.

After being conducted to Susan Temple's office, Nat and Susan began discussing the technology of computers with relish. Susan immediately realized she seldom had a visitor from outside of the computer industry as knowledgeable as Nat in all aspects of computer construction, design and use. They talked about processing speeds from the practical to the theoretical. They discussed bubble memory and various theoretical ways to reduce the size of a chip with bytes of memory reduced to the molecular level. Susan shared with Nat bizarre ideas being considered to reduce size and increase processing speed. They talked about Cray and his work with the super computer, and Susan shared a conversation she had with him in recent days relating to his plans for the future.

Nat told Susan that when he traveled he took his Compaq 386 portable computer with him. She showed admiration in the selection of this particular machine, and they discussed the 386 chip and the Compaq portable's 20 MHz calculating capability. Nat was interested in knowing from Susan's viewpoint which computer companies located in the United States were actually the leaders. It was easy to compare sales figures, but these were often related more to company visibility and marketing techniques than to scientific leadership in the computer field. The merits of each of the major companies were discussed frankly with a warning from Susan not to quote her in any way. After all, these computer companies helped pay her salary and kept the Microelectronics Institute in business.

The conversation moved to the Japanese. Susan made a frank evaluation and comparison of Japanese products with American products. Nat pushed the conversation away from the microcomputer to the mini computer, the main frames, and ultimately to comparison of super computers. Could the Japanese produce a chip capable of handling 64 calculations at one time? Could they produce one which could handle 128 calculations at one time? They discussed 256 and 512 as theoretical possibilities. Which of our companies is the most likely to stay head-to-head with the Japanese in the production of faster processing microchips? Nat was interested in the role of the Microelectronics Institute in the development of new chips. Now his focus drew Susan to a finer point.

"Susan, can the Soviets build computers?"

"Yes, of course, they can build computers and they do. Unfortunately for them, however, they cannot keep up with current technology. A computer built in the USSR today would be similar to a computer built by the United States ten years ago. The Soviets also have a problem with building reliability into their equipment. They like to keep machines big and strong. They're totally frustrated with minor breakdowns in wiring."

Suddenly Susan smiled and laughed out loud. "This is something you may not know, Nat, even with your great interest in science and technology. The Americans are able to design electrical systems and wire them into their machines better than anyone else in the world. The Japanese have also become good at electrical design and wiring, but they have learned these techniques by copying the American technicians. You wouldn't think something as simple as wiring would be a major problem, but it is. If you were to go out and buy an expensive European automobile today, you could pay $50,000 for it. The first problem you have with the automobile will have nothing to do with the drive train. The Europeans are excellent in their engineering design, but they have never been able to come up to American standards in wiring. The first problem with a European car will inevitably be its electrical system. If the European manufacturers could design electrical systems as well as we can, their automobiles would absolutely run forever. We've always been the leader in the electrical field."

"What countries are capable of building super computers?"

"Certainly we in the United States can and have. Cray isn't the only super computer being built. IBM can build them, Burroughs can build them, and several of the other manufacturers have the capabilities. Most have assumed there isn't a large enough market to try to keep up with Cray, who has always led the field in the area of the super computer. The Japanese can build super computers. Toshiba has super computers which will compete with anyone's. The French have the technology, but their market is limited. While they usually prefer French products over American, it is not true when it comes to computers. They will buy an American high end computer over anybody else in the world."

"Are the Soviets capable of building a super computer?" "In the long run, they are. They could spend the next ten to fifteen years and duplicate the work Cray has on the floor right now. Their problem is they do not make major leaps in design. They work incrementally. They design, they test, and they improve. Frankly, the Germans who have such an excellent reputation in scientific development work much the same way. They are methodical in their approach and seldom make the major leap. The Germans are thinking further ahead than the Soviets so they would arrive at a solution quicker."

"Have the Soviets been able to buy super computers from anyone?"

"Well, certainly not from the United States. We have done our best to keep our high level technology away from them."

"What about the Japanese?"

"I doubt they could buy them from the Japanese, but you never know. The Japanese do like to maintain a degree of independence from us, even though we're their largest trading partner. If the United States found that a Japanese company was selling computer technology of this level to the Soviets, we would certainly ban from our shores the products of that company. Japanese companies are so integrated that all of their high tech companies have consumer product divisions. If you recall, Toshiba was selling stealth technology to the Soviets for their submarines until we found about it. The minute we put an embargo on their television sets and video cassette recorders, we stopped them from doing business with the Soviets."

Susan paused. "In the field of defense technology, the grapevine has it that the Soviets do not possess the super computer."

"What does that mean? Does it limit their defense initiatives or does it limit their research?"

"A little of both, the Soviets are so incremental in their product development they can probably make do with less than the latest in computer technology. On the other hand, there's no way they could devise any Strategic Defense Initiative comparable to the United States' SDI. These systems are controlled by computers which must perform billions of calculations per second. Without an array of super computers, there can be no Strategic Defense Initiative."

"Do you know where the super computers are?"

"Oh yes. There're only a handful of them in the world. The United States government keeps up with super computers the same way they do the flow of uranium. A computer of this magnitude in the wrong hands would be the same as arming a terrorist nation with hydrogen bombs."

"Could a country such as the U.S.S.R. manufacture a super computer if somehow they were able to buy the chips to do the calculations? The chips would be more difficult to control than the hardware itself."

"They couldn't manufacture the computer even with the chip. The computer is such an integrated system you would have to have some concept of the total design before you could make the chips function to their fullest capacity.

"However, Nat, I'm talking about a short term environment. If they were able to secure the chips, and had five to ten years to build the computer, they would be able to duplicate the technology we have today. By that time, we would be ten years ahead again.

"One great advantage of a Communist nation," Susan continued, "is that they can devote as much manpower as needed to accomplish any job. Having the government in your corner in the Soviet Union is a great advantage. When you're working under government contract in the United States, the danger of the budget cutting knife is always present. We're fortunate that there was an incentive for private industry to build the computers in the United States. There's no doubt in my mind we would not be as far ahead as we are if our government had set out to build the computer. The stop and start pattern as illustrated by the space industry is wasteful both in money and manpower.

Trained people will not stay with a company if they're facing lay off. It's a shame private industry did not get into the space business instead of the federal government. I'm sure we would be so far ahead of the Soviets they would never catch up. I think even the bureaucrats in Washington are happy the computer was developed through the use of private resources.

"The only edge we have in technology now is in fields designed by or controlled by computer. It is absolutely essential for national security that we never lose ‘the leading edge in this race. These past few years, with a Republican in the White House and the Democrats in control of Congress, have been bad days for science and technology. It hasn't been that the funds weren't available; it's been the uncertainty of it all.

"Ten years ago, a congressman noticed a line item in Fort Campbell's budget for a large recreational expenditure. To make a name for himself, he called for a congressional investigation of this expenditure. On nationwide TV through the questioning of the base commander, he exposed the fact that Fort Campbell was the chief stockpile for our hydrogen bombs. Can you imagine the good news for the KGB if they happened to be watching Walter Cronkite? This congressman was proud of the fact he exposed the stock piling of the hydrogen bombs. He was not smart enough to understand the embarrassment of the situation."

"Let me ask you a straightforward question," Nat said. "If the Soviets were able to secure a super computer, would they be able to put a Strategic Defense Initiative in place?"

"Nat, I don't think so. While a series of super computers would be an absolute must to make the system work, you don't just plug those computers in the wall. Our Strategic Defense Initiative is going to take a minimum of 50,000 top flight programmers working in concert to develop the software necessary to make the SDI functional. The Soviets simply do not have that many top grade programmers available. There are some things the Soviets could do with a super computer that would make life much more uncomfortable for us, but at the moment, the Strategic Defense Initiative as envisioned by our country is simply out of the question for them. It would take twenty years of constant development on their part. No, I'm afraid they're going to have to go some other way. Even in the United States, we'll have our weapons ready far before the mechanics of delivering them to the target will be available."

Nat and Susan continued to talk until noon. While there were many other things Nat would have liked to discuss, he was comfortable with the knowledge gained in the three hour conference. Both Nat and Susan expressed their enjoyment at engaging each other in such a stimulating mental exercise.

As Nat was driving away from the North Carolina Microelectronics Institute, he noticed how refreshed he was. This had been a great morning. An intellectual exchange of this sort was stimulating. His own background in computers had helped the conversation considerably.

When Nat turned his car onto Highway 54, he had to slow down perceptibly to go around four orange pylons placed in the road by the Carolina Power and Light Company. Three men were busily at work repairing some problem reported by one of the RTP customers. As Nat accelerated away, he did not notice one of the workmen remove a small spiral notebook from his pocket, write down Nat's license number and the words "Black Saab 9000 Turbo". The workman closed the book and replaced it in his jeans.

1:00 p.m. Friday, May 27

Environmental Protection Agency Laboratories

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

After lunch at the Governors Inn, the waiter mentioned to Nat he was happy to have such a regular customer. While the dining room of this hotel was one of Nat's favorite restaurants, he had never dined there four days in a row. After the third lunch, his waiter had made a note of his name and credit card number and reported this to the camera store located in Cameron Village. This same report was relayed to the shop on following days.

During lunch, Nat reflected on the activities of his week. He had visited seven of the most sensitive facilities located in RTP. This afternoon he had an appointment to visit the Environmental Protection Agency's laboratories and talk with their director, Hale Platelet. Nat was rather proud of himself for using his time wisely. He mistakenly thought the CIA would be pleased at his adding four visits to his itinerary. Unfortunately, these additions were not well received by the CIA, and this had already been a matter of discussion with Chris Cope, Michael Shinn and George Calumet. Such a deviation from plan would have been dealt with severely had Nat Turner been a permanent employee of the CIA. It was important for the agency to know ahead of time the plans of one of their operatives. All of this conversation was, of course, unknown to Nat.

At 1:30 Nat was in the waiting room of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Agency's laboratories were located on the edge of the Research Triangle Park facing Highway 54. The facility is removed roughly one quarter mile from Interstate 40 and no more than ten to twelve minutes from Raleigh. Hale Platelet had recalled another occasion when Nat Turner had visited the facilities for a tour. The Environmental Protection Agency was proud of this facility as it was one of the best equipped detection laboratories in the world. Before going to Platelet's office, Nat asked for a quick walking tour to familiarize him again with the activities being undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency's research lab. The laboratory building was constructed in the shape of a hexagon. They laughed that the EPA wanted to upstage the armed services with their pentagon shaped building in Arlington, Virginia.

After completing the tour, they arrived at Hale's office and sat down for their scheduled discussion. Nat opened the conversation by looking directly at Hale. "I'd like to talk to you about monitoring."

"Well, you've certainly come to the right place. We're equipped to do the best job of chemical monitoring in the world."

"Why do you restrict your monitoring to chemicals?"

"Well, actually we do monitor more than chemicals, but I differentiate that from monitoring electrical signals, radio waves and signals appearing in the ultrasonic spectrum of the electromagnetic field."

"Let's start with water sampling. Tell me what you can do with a cup of water." asked Nat.

"We could spend the rest of the afternoon answering this first question." He decided to simplify the matter, and spent only fifteen minutes noting the various tests that could be run on water and the expected results of the tests. He talked about water soluble substances and how easy it was for toxic wastes to enter a city's drinking water supply.

Nat moved the conversation into the area of air samples. Hale was equally as eloquent in his description of the monitoring device, and the tests the test the agency could run on air samples. He was explicit as to which substances could typically become airborne and how far they could travel from their source.

He noted, "Heavy substances can become airborne for a short period of time if the impetus were something such as an explosion. But substances of high specific gravity cannot maintain airborne properties unless by chance they are shaped in some configuration which will give them a slight air foil. This shape will extend the airborne properties, but they still cannot travel far from their point of origin."

"How about earth samples?" asked Nat.? This question was as open ended as the question about the water sample. This time Hale spent thirty minutes outlining the various tests that would be run on soil samples giving both a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the substances contained in the sample. Nat was interested in exploring devices used for monitoring and analysis. He was particularly interested in those items which might be portable and could be carried in one's luggage.

Nat thoroughly questioned Hale about simple tests that could be run in college laboratories as he moved about Europe.

Hale assured Nat "Most pure qualitative and quantitative analysis experiments can be run from research laboratories located on university campuses. The EPA has specialized devices for taking samples in specific quantities allowing for more detailed identification than a lab technician would be able to accomplish in a laboratory not comparatively equipped."

Nat asked several questions about items that could be trapped by clothing. With this question, Hale grinned and asked Nat if he were training to be a detective. "Nat, you must want to go to work for the sheriff's department after you complete your tour of duty with Cameron College."

Nat laughed and assured him this was not currently in his plans. "But, Hale, if you do your job of describing detection techniques as well as I know you can, the possibility of a career change just may be there!"

"How far can your monitoring devices be from the source of the problem and still be able to detect a substance and identify it." Nat asked.

"There's no exact distance. Generally we like to think if a toxic substance is to be found we have the equipment to find it. I'm talking about just a few parts per million. Our techniques are very refined. As you would guess, if there's a nuclear explosion anywhere in the world, we'll be able to detect it. I've been amazed myself how far we can detect radiation away from its source. And certainly, if a toxic substance exists we will be able to find and identify it precisely.

"You mentioned radiation. I assume you're talking about a nuclear explosion or a meltdown of a nuclear reactor. What about the mere presence of a nuclear reactor? How far away would you be able to detect it?"

"We wouldn't be able to detect it at all if it is properly shielded. We can only detect radiation that exists. Nuclear reactors are surrounded with lead liners of sufficient thickness to absorb all of the radiation. It's not only possible but reasonable to expect someone could spend a lifetime working at a nuclear reactor generating electricity and not get nearly the radiation they would from being close to a television set. There's no comparison between this occupation and walking in the bright sunlight."

"You told me how you test for water, air, earth, and clothing in the lab. Can these tests be given in the field?"

"Well, many of them are. They're simple chemical reaction tests. Generally, however, if we want to be qualitative, we like to take the sample back to the laboratory where we can use our best equipment in the analysis."

Looking directly at Hale, Nat asked "How dangerous are nuclear reactions?"

"Nat, you've asked a generic question. Are you talking about a nuclear reaction in a reactor built by a power company to generate electricity, or are you talking about a radioactive substance naturally decaying? Nuclear reactions take place on an extremely broad scale which includes the detonation of a hydrogen bomb down to a minor radioactive substance splitting and decaying which is barely detectable by a Geiger counter."

Nat, realizing the scope of his question, grinned. "I've heard hydrogen bombs can be dangerous, so let me focus my question directly on the nuclear reactor for the generation of electricity managed by a power company."

"They're very safe, and you can count on them being engineered with more safety devices than almost any other working environment."

"Are you telling me there's no danger whatsoever?"

"No. Of course there's danger. It's just not as great as anti-nuclear activists make it to be. We've had accidents in nuclear plants, and the containment buildings did what they were designed to do. They contained. Even in a worst case situation such as a meltdown, the results are not as disastrous as you might think. In a meltdown, anything within a mile or two of the plant would be at risk. Most of the heavy metal substances are not readily airborne; consequently, they're going to settle within a reasonable distance of the reactor. These heavy metals do have rather long half lives, and the best way to contain the radioactivity would be to cover them with several feet of earth. A lead shield would take care of the radiation altogether, but the cost would be prohibitive.

The core of the reactor should be covered in concrete thirty feet thick which is then covered with several feet of earth. The airborne elements such as radioactive iodine have half lives of about eight days. While these elements can be spread widely by winds, you can see through quick mathematics that by adding a half life of eight, to a half life of four, to a half life of two, to a half life of one, plus all of the fractions, within sixteen days most of the danger would be passed."

"Hale, what are we going to do with nuclear waste?"

"Are you talking about all toxic waste, or are you still thinking about radioactive waste? If we're going to speak in terms of radioactive waste, we need to distinguish between low level and high level radiation waste."

"OK. Start with toxic waste in general."

Hale settled into a small lecture. "All toxic waste is dangerous. It can be handled, however, if certain rules are followed. Any toxic waste should not be disposed of near a water source. I'm speaking of both ground level and underground water sources. Either one can be destructive to our health. Sound management of a toxic waste dump is crucial. The container in which the toxic waste is stored is of utmost importance. A steel drum must not be used since it will ultimately rust and leak. An effective way to handle toxic waste and radioactive waste is the glassification process where high silicone content sand is melted and mixed with the hazardous waste in slurry before it cools. This glassified substance is not water soluble and will properly retain these dangerous substances. The biggest problem in using this method is that the containers for melting the waste sooner or later become radioactive themselves."

"Is the so-called China Syndrome possible? Can a meltdown of a nuclear reactor be so hot no substance on earth can contain it and keep it from melting right through the earth and coming out the other side?" Nat asked facetiously.

"Well, it certainly wouldn't come out the other side even if such a meltdown were possible. The core of the earth is molten. In fact, you wouldn't have to get down more than a few miles before the material would be diluted in the liquid center of the earth. Our mantle is little more than twenty miles thick. So at least the Chinese have nothing to worry about in terms of a meltdown in the United States. But, to answer your question more specifically, I don't think there's anyone who thinks a meltdown would not rapidly become diluted and reduce the core below critical mass, stopping the chain reaction. A nuclear fire or runaway reactor is bad news. There's no doubt about that."

"What causes a meltdown?"

"A meltdown is a runaway chain reaction. In the electric generating nuclear facilities, carbon rods are used to absorb electrons to keep the reaction from becoming faster and faster. Remember the original problem in using nuclear energy is that a chain reaction could not be sustained for long. In the design of an atomic bomb or a hydrogen bomb the major problem was the inability to sustain a reaction long enough to create much power. Even in the automobile the revolutions per minute are red lined if you have a tachometer. A level is reached when the revolutions become so high the engine cannot stand the stress and a breakdown will occur. If a nuclear reaction continues to accelerate, sooner or later the heat energy will melt the core. The reaction, however, is rather easily controlled through the use of carbon rods."

"How is nuclear power used in submarines and aircraft carriers?"

"It's used strictly as a heat source. The nuclear reactor generates heat and turns water into steam. Prior to the installation of steam driven nuclear plants, coal or diesel oil was used. Most of our naval ships still use diesel oil and only the submarines which need to stay under water for a long time or the giant aircraft carriers which need to go to sea without returning to base for an abnormal length of time, use the nuclear reactor to generate steam."

"Your job is to protect the American public. What do you think is the future of generating electricity with nuclear?"

"A moment ago you asked me about the danger of generating electricity with a nuclear reactor. Let me tell you where the real danger to our environment is today. Scientists have been talking about the greenhouse effect for thirty years. To date, there has been little serious attention given to this phenomenon which could destroy civilization as we know it today. The greenhouse effect is caused primarily by the increase of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere as a result of our reliance on fossil fuels for our primary energy source. The major fossil fuels, of course, are coal, oil, natural gas, and gasoline. The greenhouse effect is unquestionably underway. Four of the hottest years in recorded history have been during the 1980s. It's already been projected that by 2050 the average temperature on earth will have risen between three and nine degrees. This rise in temperature will have a dramatic effect on climatic conditions.

"This change initiates several cause and effect relationships. We will see less rain fall and more droughts, and, consequently, more crop failures. Third world nations in arid areas will face massive starvation. Food production worldwide will decline dramatically. Nat, the real danger we're facing is not nuclear generation of power, but our continued use of fossil fuels as an energy source. "Nature's defense against the greenhouse effect is primarily our forest area. Trees and all green plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. Unfortunately our planet is being rapidly depleted of its forest areas. In countries where the population is expanding, forests are being destroyed to make room for houses, businesses, shopping centers, roads and the entire infrastructure that goes with population expansion. In third world nations, forests are being leveled to plant crops. The other complicating factor caused by the use of fossil fuel is the creation of acid rain which destroys forests at an alarming rate. It's my opinion; we're going to have to rethink the whole issue of the generation of electrical energy. "Nat, another serious concern is the depletion of the ozone shield. NASA has confirmed this shield is declining worldwide, allowing more ultraviolet light to reach the earth's surface. This is creating grave health problems such as an increase in skin cancer and cataracts. The main culprits here are the chlorofluorocarbons. The sunspot activity also has a definite effect on the ozone layer. It is imperative that we phase out the use of these chlorofluorocarbons as rapidly as possible.

"Do you think the public will change its mind on nuclear generation?"

"If you'd asked me ten or fifteen years ago, I would have told you there's no question that nuclear reactors would be the way we are going to generate electricity in the future. I am still certain that if we can develop a fusion reactor, the economies will be so great we can't afford not to use this technology. So far through fusion we have generated twenty million degrees for one ten thousandth of a second. Twenty million degrees are difficult to handle safely, and to have a commercial generating plant, we are going to need a chain reaction lasting more than one ten thousandth of a second. To make fusion feasible we must be able to hold the reaction in place through some powerful magnetic field. Scientists still have their hands full with that problem even though the results would be incredible if they were able to conquer it."

"Do you see us using fusion any time in the near future?"

"Frankly, no, my guess is fifty years. You and I are not likely to see it."

"Hale, you don't seem to be as hard on nuclear generation as I thought you would be."

"Well, don't get me wrong, I respect it, and it's my job to see it's handled safely and does not endanger the public. But I'm not a fanatic on the subject.

However, when nuclear plants are built, the EPA will be right on top of them to see they are being built as safely as possible."

The conversation went on between Nat and Hale for another thirty minutes. When Nat left the hexagon shaped building and returned to his car for the drive back to Raleigh, two men were sitting in a van with a logo of the Cameron Village Camera Shoppe emblazoned on the side. When Nat headed back to I-40, the van followed.

9:00 p.m. Friday May 27, 1987

The Capital City Club

Carolina Power and Light Building

Raleigh, North Carolina

Wells Compton had decided to entertain Freeman Hill and Wade Odom in the splendor of the Capital City Club. He was in a mood for celebration. They had business to conduct, but there was no reason for him not to show his appreciation for the most successful week ever experienced by the Raleigh station. Compton was a member at the Capital City Club, the most elegant and exclusive eating establishment in Raleigh. The view was superb as the club was located on the top floor of the city's tallest building.

Compton was celebrating a good week indeed. Odom's reports along with the accolades he had received both from Washington and Moscow had him in a superb mood. He was confident this piece of espionage work would lead to substantial notoriety within the KGB as well as advancement in his career. He wanted to savor this evening and he purposely delayed getting down to business so the evening would last longer.

Cocktails were served in the sumptuous living room setting of the lounge and it was almost ten o'clock when the maitre d' informed them their table was ready. The three men were led to Compton's favorite table located in the northwest corner of the dining room. The table commanded the best view of the city lights as there was exposure from two directions. The food was delicious and the service impeccable. The club followed the tradition of serving the entrees to the guests simultaneously with great flourish. The entree was covered with a silver dome and placed before each diner. Suddenly enough waiters would appear to correspond with the number of diners. Each would put his hand on a cover and at precisely the same moment the covers would be removed revealing the dish the chef had prepared. The Capital City Club was as impressive as a New York four star restaurant.

Compton insisted they view the dessert tray and each selected an exotic concoction. After dessert came coffee and a liqueur. Only then was Odom allowed to begin his daily report. He began by stating Turner's pattern had been much the same as it had been the three preceding days. He started the day with a short visit to his office before going to the Research Triangle for his first appointment. He had lunch at the Governors Inn followed by an appointment in the Triangle and returned to his office for about an hour before going home.

"Wade, where did he go this morning?" Compton asked.

"The North Carolina Microelectronics Institute."

"Whom did he see?" inquired Hill.

"Their Director of research, Susan Temple."

"The guy does stay on the frontiers of high technology," Compton mused.

"What's her specialty?"

"Super computers, She is one of the world's leading authorities in the field and one of the key people in the development of the parallel processing techniques that produced the 1024 array."

"What is the 1024 array?" asked Hill.

"It just has been announced that a super computer algorithm has been developed allowing 1024 microprocessors to work together on the same problem. It's the same as having 1024 computers working simultaneously. It's an incredible achievement!"

"Speculate for me. Why would Turner want to see her?" Compton asked pointedly.

"Let me share my reasoning with you. All of our missiles, aircraft, navigational systems, and anything military is being controlled by computers now. The Microelectronics Institute has done the basic research on many of these and Susan Temple has been the lead researcher. As I said before, however, her real specialty is super computers. A super computer is one that can handle computations in the billions per second range. Knowing that he has talked with TRW about satellites and Laser Optics about lasers, I'm about to put two and two together. Our little Raleigh operation is almost ready to blow the lid off a matter which will stun the KGB and the Central Committee."

Compton became serious. He could feel the excitement mounting in his body, but he masked it firmly. He was going to make sure this conversation was conducted in a business-like manner.

"Wade, are you about to say you think the United States has already deployed weapons in space and could be ready to make a peremptory strike on the Soviet Union?"

"My imagination may be running away with me, but I've been thinking about the Strategic Defense Initiative all day. I even went to the library earlier tonight and asked for the latest articles on the Strategic Defense Initiative. When you have as much time on a stake out as I do, it gives you time to explore alternatives and possibilities. I will go this far. If they're not already in space, they must be close. The super computer is the key to the Strategic Defense Initiative. It's the device that allows the construction of the ultimate weapon. Can you imagine a series of free electron lasers imbedded deep within the confines of the Rocky Mountains, completely safe from a nuclear blast, with a hole the size of a pencil connected to the earth's surface? It would have been easy for the military to tunnel into the Rocky Mountains for a half mile and drill a small hole angling up to the surface and inside the mountain construct a free electron laser that could release its powerful beam through the small hole. With this location, the Soviet Union could not destroy the weapon even if we could find it. This weapon could be entirely stationary. They would not have to move it around to protect it."

"Their military," continued Wade "would orbit a series of mirrors in space controlled by super computers. At the time of attack the computer would orient the mirror to the precise angle that would reflect the laser beam to a predetermined set of coordinates of one of our strategic weapons and the free electron laser would be fired. This weapon would have done its dirty work at the speed of light. An American spy satellite could be hovering over the target to report the disastrous results."

As Compton's eyes widened perceptibly, Odom went on. "The coordinates of every important military target in the Soviet Union could be programmed into the computer. Absolutely no limit, there could be fifty thousand targets or one hundred thousand targets. There's just no limit. The laser would fire. The computer would change the reflecting angle and the laser would fire again. The laser would destroy our defensive radar installations, our guidance systems, any above ground weaponry, our communication systems, and satellites. Within seconds the Soviet Union would be completely defenseless. All of this could be done without one nuclear weapon having been fired. There's no question the Soviet Union would have to surrender to the United States if they made this peremptory strike. We couldn't even fight a conventional war. Using their spy satellite system and the computer to target weapons, they could destroy anything bigger than a handgun. If we launched our ICBM's in retaliation to the strike, they would be destroyed as they cleared the silos with the possibility of nuclear detonation in our home country."

"Remember when President Reagan described SDI as a defensive weapon?" Compton said with a frown. He could barely sit in his chair. The scenario described by Odom was the greatest intelligence coup ever garnered by the KGB and it was all to be focused on Wells Compton and the Raleigh station. He now wanted to conclude the evening and get back to the Cameron Village Camera Shoppe but he did need to know of Turner's last stop in the Research Triangle.

"Wade, what did Turner do in the afternoon?"

"He visited the Environmental Protection Agency's research labs. He spent the afternoon with Hale Platelet, their authority on monitoring devices. The EPA has done more work in the development of monitoring devices than any other laboratory in the world. They can detect substances only a billionth of a part of the whole and clearly identify their origins. Monitoring devices are fast becoming valuable in espionage and surveillance activities. They are able to sample air, water, and earth and tell an interesting story."

"While I was sitting outside the EPA waiting for Turner, I began to speculate on the use of their monitoring devices. It occurred to me they could place monitoring equipment well outside the restricted area surrounding our most sensitive research laboratories and monitor the air, the sewage, the earth surrounding the facility, check for radiation and piece together accurately the nature of the research being conducted inside the building without having any internal penetration at all. Barbed wire, guard dogs, and marching soldiers would have no effect on this espionage. We could keep few secrets if the CIA were to start using these monitoring devices by placing them in the hand of agents inside of the Soviet Union."

Compton sat back in his chair. He had thought the EPA report would be anticlimactic after the tale spun by Odom about the offensive capabilities of the free electron laser. He was now beginning to appreciate Turner's visit to the EPA. He realized this was going to be another long evening. All of Odom's conjectures needed to be included in the report. This was brilliant intelligence. When the sun rose in the morning a complete, detailed report would be in the hands of the Soviet embassy in Washington ready for dispatch by diplomatic pouch to Moscow.

While Odom had skillfully assimilated the information and placed it in a plausible and logical form, the report would be filed under Compton's name. It was conceivable within a short period of time he would be recalled to Moscow and placed in a high ranking position within the KGB's main office and possibly even marked by the Central Committee as the KGB's next head.

8:30 a.m. Friday, May 27, 1987

U.S.S.R. Embassy

Washington, D.C.

Yuri Popov and Sergei Leonov were in the code room waiting for the Raleigh station's report to be decoded. The report had been filed in the early morning hours, but had lain on the decoder's desk until he had arrived for work at 8:00 a.m.

After the message was decoded, Popov and Leonov walked into the hall, made a quick Xerox copy, and with brisk steps headed back to Popov's office. Both men fell silent and read the decoded report. They were surprised to read that Turner had visited two British owned pharmaceutical research laboratories. Both of these British pharmaceutical firms were among the largest and most famous in the world. After reading a thorough description of Turner's activities, they viewed the accompanying photographs sent through on the facsimile machine. The background of the photographs suggested Nat was in a setting of surgical cleanliness.

"Why would Nat Turner visit research labs dealing with pharmaceuticals?"

Leonov asked his boss, Popov. "I know there's been some speculation these two British companies have government contracts to do research on germ warfare, but our penetration in these companies has never been able to uncover any such research in progress. In fact, what governmental contracts they do have are linked primarily to the herpes and AIDS viruses. Neither of these viruses would be effective as germ warfare. While both can be devastating over a long period of time, we're talking about diseases which affect the human body over a period of years, not a period of hours.”

"Of course, in something as secret as germ warfare, the United States would want to deny any research was going on at all." replied Popov. "They're perfectly aware we will have penetrated the laboratories of both Burroughs Wellcome and Glaxo, so you can rest assured any work being done with devastating viruses and bacteria would not be readily detectable. While we cannot prove they're involved, we certainly cannot prove they're not. There's one thing we can safely assume, however. If Turner spent a day in these two research facilities, something serious and potentially harmful to the Soviet Union is taking place in these two firm's laboratories. The most logical conclusion would be germ warfare, but it is conceivable something else is going on we haven't discovered. Nevertheless, these two companies are involved in whatever scheme the CIA has hatched."

"What are you going to tell Moscow?"

"I'm not sure I'm going to tell them much. Yesterday I described Troxler and Laser Optics in a detailed fashion and let them draw their own conclusions. Today I think I'll describe Burroughs Wellcome and Glaxo in much the same manner, but I'll point out we have previously suspected research in germ warfare was being conducted there, but as yet, we've not been able to verify this." Popov continued, "If they want to draw the conclusion the United States is busily preparing deadly ways to spread mass destruction through disease, they can. I'll leave that up to them."

10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 28, 1987

KGB Office

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov and Leonov Garganin were enjoying their usual morning cup of Coffee and were reading the report from the Washington Embassy.

Komarov started the conversation. "Leonov, why Burroughs Wellcome and Glaxo? We've had no confirmation they're involved in germ warfare. Do we make the assumption Nat Turner is a lead man to trigger such a nasty war between the United States and the Soviet Union?"

"These latest two visits do come as a surprise."

"I never thought the Americans would become involved in germ warfare. On the other hand, we can't ignore the fact that Turner spent the day in these two research labs. I've been trying to piece together how germ warfare could possibly be related to space weapons. What I'm about to say is a wild fantasy and pure conjecture, but it is a possibility, and we'll have to deal with it as such."

Komarov paused a moment longer, collected his thoughts, and began to explain a scenario.

"Leonov, let's assume the United States is in the process of developing space weapons with the guidance and navigational systems to deliver the weapons to any target in the Soviet Union they chose. It's just possible they may not want to make a frontal attack on the U.S.S.R. What if they're devising missiles they could fire into unoccupied areas near cities which would self-destruct on landing? Just suppose the self-destructing missiles contained some kind of germs or viruses that could cause death if they got into our water supply or became airborne. If they decide to follow such a plan, they could have our nation sick and dying without taking any public responsibility for our country being attacked. This could be a totally clandestine operation and our whole nation would be at risk while the United States was vehemently denying they had anything to do with the sweeping plague. This is the most insidious thing I can think of for one nation to do to another. I'm almost afraid to report this possibility to the Central Committee. "

"Are you in a position not to report this information? Are they not clamoring to know more on a daily basis?"

"Yes, but I'm determined to put them off at least another twenty four hours. Every time Nat Turner's activities seemed to point in a particular direction, we've run into a major twist such as this. The logical rationale we developed yesterday doesn't fit today's conclusions."

Komarov looked seriously at Garganin. "Notify our Washington office that we need additional information right away. Any assistance the Raleigh station requests in covering Turner should be given without question. Tell them to consider this assignment as coming with the endorsement of my office. We must know what Nat Turner is about!"

9:00 a.m. Saturday, May 28, 1987

CIA Headquarters

McLean, Virginia

Deputy Director Chris Cope had asked George Calumet and Mike Shinn to meet him for a conference on Saturday morning. CIA personnel are always on call, and it is not unusual for agents to work through weekends and even all night on some occasions. Those meetings can reflect either an emergency or an important operation underway. This meeting was called because Turner had been in the field two weeks. He had completed the round of military bases in North Carolina and had visited eight research facilities in the Research Triangle Park. It was now time for the three men to meet and assess the operation before Turner was dispatched to Europe.

Chris, George, and Mike all assumed their usual seats at the conference table. Each had a cup of coffee sitting in front of him. The preliminary conversation had been easy. It was obvious all three men were comfortable with Turner's actions during the first two weeks of the operation. Chris announced it was time to get down to business and opened with a question to George.

"George, did you have any problem in arranging the meetings with the base commanders in North Carolina?"

"The problem was not in getting the base commanders to agree to see Nat Turner; the problem was finding a week they would all be on their base. Every one of those men travel a great deal. Finally I just asked them to be present and assigned them a date. Fortunately, each was able to rearrange his schedule and comply with our request. It was important that Turner start the operation on the day after graduation activities on his campus. He's limited in working with us from May 16 through August 15. Nevertheless, those were minor problems and were all arranged."

"George, how was Nat able to kill all of this time?"

"He didn't kill any time! He worked everyone to death, and they loved every minute of it. We began at Fort Bragg on Monday morning. After that, the general plan was for us to arrive on each of the bases in the evening between five and six o'clock. Turner and I would spend 30 to 45 minutes with the base commander. After this introductory meeting, where we established the fact the he was the key player in the visit and not me, I would leave the base and disappear. Then Turner would be taken to the guest quarters to get settled, after which he would spend the evening with the base commander and members of his staff having dinner. On all but one occasion, dinner was held in the Officer's Club. Any penetration would have easily observed Turner and noticed I was not present.

At Fort Bragg, he spent two complete days with two different staff members, so he scarcely tied up the base commander. Of course, anyone observing from outside staff headquarters had no idea how much time Turner was spending with the base commander and how much time he was spending with members of his staff. That would have been left to speculation. When I returned each evening, I found Turner had been to school. He asked for experts to brief him during these work days. At Fort Bragg, he wanted an expert on military history. They met all day on Monday. The second day, Tuesday, he wanted the most knowledgeable weapons man they had. From the remarks made prior to our leaving for Pope Air Force Base, both men who worked with Turner were incredibly impressed with the man's mind. They both stated he could hold his own in either field, even though they'd worked with him for only eight hours."

"When we arrived at Pope Air Force Base, not only did he want to know the history of military aircraft, but he also wanted to be brought up to date on the specifications of the latest military aircraft in both the United States and the Soviet Union. He evidently was interested in speeds, armament, and general comparisons between the two countries. I think he was given considerable classified information including an introduction to stealth technology.”

George paused. "The man is absolutely brilliant. He asks questions in such a forthright way you find you're giving him classified information because it appears he already knows most of it. He has the uncanny ability to take a little information and use it in such a way you continue to add to his memory bank. The man would make an incredible espionage agent."

"At Camp Lejeune," he continued, "Turner wanted to know the history of the camp and the history of the Marine Corps. He was particularly interested in marine weapon systems. He concluded by touring the base and studying the training methods they use at Camp LeJeune."

"The day at Cherry Point was different. He spent most of the day in the air flying all over eastern North Carolina. Ultimately he was delivered to Seymour Johnson in the Harrier Jump Jet. Nat has already garnered several hours of flying time in the Harrier when most of us have never even seen one."

"The day spent at the Tactical Air Command at Seymour Johnson was interesting. From our conversation in the evening before we left, I learned Turner already had acquired a considerable knowledge of tactical supply aircraft. The staff at Seymour Johnson was impressed with his interest and his considerable knowledge in the use of aircraft for supply and support."

"What did he do when he visited the Voice of America and the research facilities at RTP?" Chris asked.

"I don't know, but from his experiences at the military bases, I can make a safe bet. He went to Hercules and talked to their number one rocket research man. At TRW he talked with their satellite expert. At Troxler, they're into exotic weapons; at Laser Optics, they're into laser guidance systems and the use of lasers as military weapons. At Burroughs Wellcome and Glaxo, I'm not sure what he would have talked about, but he evidently was able to keep them interested. He went to the North Carolina Microelectronics Institute and talked with the director who's an expert in super computers. The last stop he made was at the Environmental Protection Agency, and I can't figure why he wanted to talk with them. Evidently, it was to fill in gaps in his knowledge."

"I didn't realize you had scheduled him such a full week." commented Mike.

"I didn't schedule him at all. He did his own scheduling. He explained to me he had lived within a few miles of the Research Triangle for many years and knew personally most of the people he needed to see. He just made a telephone call, asked for an appointment on a friendly basis and got it. He originally suggested five of the laboratories he visited, but he added Laser Optics, the Microelectronics Institute and the Environmental Agency on his own."

"That worries me." said Mike.

George seemed surprised. "Why does that worry you?"

"He's been in the field for only two weeks, and he's beginning to free-lance. Not only can that be dangerous for him personally, but it can be dangerous for the total operation."

"Mike, you're right." agreed Chris. "If he begins to operate in areas unknown to us, our plan could get him killed. I'll have to say this in his defense, however. We're not dealing with an ordinary man. I think the Soviets are going to have their hands full. I sat here and listened to George describe a two week educational process, and Turner spent every moment absorbing knowledge in highly technical fields. I would have difficulty identifying any other single person who has the breadth of knowledge in modern technological warfare he has already. If our Soviet friends were smart, they would pick him up right now and squeeze this knowledge out of him and have made quite a catch."

"Yes, Chris, the Soviets will have their hands full. But I have a sneaking suspicion we're going to have our hands full too." Mike concluded.

10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 28

U.S.S.R. Embassy

Washington, D C.

The decoded messages were in the hands of Popov and Leonov. Both men sat their coffee down and read the decoded message silently. The expression on Yuri Popov's face was one of intense contemplation. He had been following reports on Nat Turner for almost two weeks. By combining the decoded reports with careful scrutiny of the photographs, Popov sensed he knew the man personally. The latest visits reported through the coded message from Raleigh were interesting, but the new information added little to the pattern already developed in Popov's mind.

Then he read Wells Compton's scenario attached to the end of the report. When Popov read the speculation on the part of Compton, the head of the Raleigh KGB, he became excited. Popov's admiration for Compton was immediate and dramatic. He had no way of knowing the original idea had not been Compton's at all. But, of course, that's the way the espionage game is played.

Popov made a mental note to amply reward Compton for his efforts in piecing the scenario together. Of course, Compton did not know whether Popov would reward him or take full credit for the idea at the KGB office in Moscow.

The report indicated Nat Turner had visited the North Carolina Microelectronics Institute and spent half a day with Susan Temple, the head of this research organization, and an authority on the subject of the super computer.

The report and scenario continued: "It is possible the United States has selected a secure location, such as the inside of a mountain located in Colorado and tunneled through solid rock for at least a mile, making its location entirely impervious to any type of atomic blast. After tunneling to the interior of this solid rock mountain, a small hole the size of a pencil would be drilled at an angle until it reached the surface and pointed into the sky. Within the solid rock chamber, a free electron laser has been constructed that can deliver short bursts of energy through the pencil size hole. This laser would be capable of creating heat approximating the temperature of the sun, and focusing on an object for a brief moment. The laser would be entirely fixed, secure and invulnerable to attack.

Satellites could be placed in orbit containing high quality front silvered mirrors and controlled by servo-mechanisms which could move them to any angle the computer would direct. Once this series of satellite mirrors was in place, the United States would prepare a computer file containing a list of military targets and their precise coordinates using the spy satellites in stationary orbit over the Soviet Union. When the coordinates were precisely calculated and entered into the computer, the system would be ready. Upon command of the super computer, the mirror in the sky would be focused on a military target. Within a split second, the laser would be fired, reflected from the mirror, and the target would be destroyed in the Soviet Union. With the weapon using light waves, the total time of travel would be calculated at the speed of light, roughly 186,000 miles per second. Assuming the maximum distance the light could travel is 12,000 miles, total destruction could be accomplished within one fifteenth of a second. As soon as the laser beam had ricocheted from the satellite mirror, the super computer would calculate the precise coordinates of the second target, move the servo mechanisms of the mirror until the target was properly sighted, and then fire. During this time, the spy satellites from the United States would be keeping score on the military targets."

"It would be possible for just one free electron laser to systematically destroy selected targets within the Soviet Union in incredible numbers. It is also reasonable to assume that, if the United States is building scores of such weapons. The Soviet Union would be left entirely defenseless within a matter of minutes. If the Soviet Union's ICBMs were fired, they would be demolished as they rose from their silos. There would be absolutely no chance of any missiles getting through to do damage to the United States. If the Soviet Union were to launch conventional warfare, all major weapons would be destroyed immediately. Spy satellites would detect weapons, feed the information to the super computers, the super computers would calculate their longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates, aim the satellite mirrors, fire the laser, and the Soviet weapon would no longer exist. The super computer is the key to this system of mass destruction."

Popov had become short of breath just thinking about the wording of the report he would be sending to Moscow in only minutes. His heart was beating rapidly, and his pulse was elevated. He could not remember a time when he had been this excited. The Moscow office was going to be pleased with of the work of Popov and his agents stationed in the U.S.S.R. embassy in the United States.

Popov began to think about the possibility of a promotion to the head of the KGB in Moscow. If the intelligence provided by his office actually saved the Soviet Union in the way he expected it would, it was not inconceivable he might be promoted to the Moscow office, and with some future change in leadership, Popov himself might head the KGB.

He was also impressed with the intelligence gathered by Compton. He respected Compton's ability to piece together information and assume certain results based on the facts at hand. Popov could immediately see the dangerous implications of the techniques and devices developed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Whether used near a secret military installation, or placed in a spy satellite, these detection devices could provide information to the Americans about the most secret scientific investigations going on in Soviet laboratories.

Popov and Leonov discussed the report briefly and then Popov set about its preparation. This report was the most important communication of his life, and he prepared it with the same precision an author would use, hoping for a Pulitzer Prize. Popov was a good writer. He had a polished narrative style, and the report, detailing the possibility of the United States perfecting the free electron laser and placing satellites in orbit capable of being controlled by super computers, had a ring of total authenticity. His description of the sensors and techniques used by the Environmental Protection Agency which could detect a particle as small as one-billionth of a given volume, was written as if Popov were a research scientist. All references to the Raleigh station were deleted, other than those accomplishments performed as a result of direct orders from Popov himself. He knew such opportunities appear for an espionage agent only once in a lifetime. He was not going to miss his chance.

10:00 a.m. Sunday, May 29, 1987

KGB Office

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov and Leonov Garganin were seated in Komarov's office digesting the latest decoded report from the Washington Embassy. Both were fascinated by the report. Komarov was now ready to appear before the Central Committee. He had scheduled his appearance soon after reading the report.

The KGB offices were not in the Kremlin. They were located in a famous, but unmarked, yellow brick building on a square across the street from Moscow's most famous children's toy store. The irony of these two buildings being face to face was not lost on Moscow citizens.

Komarov excused Garganin so he would have time by himself to prepare his report for the Central Committee. The final conclusion to be drawn from the report was critical. He wanted the Central Committee to know that the KGB had gathered sensitive intelligence, had pieced it together, and saved the Soviet military machine from destruction. Once again, he would show the work of this secret organization had proven to be invaluable to the Soviet Union.

In Komarov's notes, he carefully documented the work of the Raleigh station and the work of his personal deputy operating out of the Soviet Embassy in Washington. He purposely avoided using any names of the operatives who had gathered the intelligence. Komarov also carefully avoided giving any credit whatsoever to his subordinate in providing the scenario he was going to submit. As far as the KGB was concerned, the Raleigh station and the Washington Embassy had gathered the important military information. But Komarov alone had been smart enough to put the information together and perceive Turner's threat as the catalytic agent for a space warfare effort soon to be directed toward the Soviet Union.

Komarov worked through lunch, eating only a sandwich and drinking a small glass of vodka to settle his nerves and sharpen his wits. In his mind, this meeting with the Central Committee was one of the most important meetings ever held on Soviet soil.

5:00 p.m. Monday, May 30, 1987

Cameron College

Raleigh, North Carolina

Right on schedule the big AH-64 Apache Helicopter made its descent on the west campus of Cameron College. The black Saab had already arrived and was waiting patiently with its engine running, windows up, and the air conditioning cooling the occupants inside. Within moments after the touchdown of the helicopter, Nat stepped out of the car carrying his valise and Compaq 386 computer. He made a few parting remarks to the other occupant, raised his hand in a gesture falling halfway between a wave and a salute, ducked his head, and walked toward the open door of the waiting helicopter. The door of the Apache was barely closed before the great warship started an easy ascent. At an altitude of no more than ten feet, the helicopter moved forward and, in a gentle sweep, whisked its new passenger over the center of his campus. The pilot headed east. The airship moved quickly over the suburbs of Raleigh, and Nat could look below and see the communities of Garner and Clayton. The president of Cameron College thought to himself, now the adventure begins.

Nat had intended to use these few minutes to reflect on the strenuous schedule the CIA had planned for him during the coming week. However, once airborne, he was moved by the beauty of eastern North Carolina on this early summer afternoon and drifted into easy conversation with the pilot. Within a few minutes the Apache was passing over Smithfield and making radio arrangements to land at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. When the Apache touched down on the tarmac, Nat took a quick look at his watch; less than 25 minutes had passed since leaving campus.

Colonel Alfred Jackson, the base commander, and Major Sam Cunningham were there to meet Nat. They exchanged greetings and immediately entered the Colonel's waiting car. Nat and Colonel Jackson sat in the rear seat; Major Cunningham and a staff sergeant, who was driving the car, entered the front seat. In less than three minutes, the automobile had moved quickly across the air base and arrived at a waiting C-I41 Starlifter whose jet engines were already ignited and waiting to start the six-hour flight to England.

Colonel Jackson and Major Cunningham went aboard the C-I41 with Nat and took him forward into the cockpit to meet the Captain and flight crew. After a brief conversation and a wish for Godspeed, Colonel Jackson and Major Cunningham departed the aircraft and returned to their waiting automobile. Nat was introduced to the load master of the C-141 who took him to an area behind the cockpit where a bunk had been prepared for sleeping on his trip across the Atlantic. The load master assured Nat the C-141 was well-stocked with food, juice, and coffee. There was no reason for him to be hungry any time during his flight. Nat took an immediate liking to this man. They both exchanged comments in good humor.

The C-I41 taxied out to the end of the major runway at Seymour Johnson. When clearance was received from the control tower, the pilot gently turned the nose of the giant flying machine toward the center of the ten thousand foot runway and pulled the throttles back, creating a roar and a surge of power as the plane sped down the runway. Within minutes after the plane was in the air, activity began on the inside of the C-I41.

Nat was handed a large ham and cheese sandwich with a steaming cup of coffee. For some reason the conditions were just right. He thought to himself tenderloin served by the finest restaurant in Raleigh could not taste any better than the sandwich did at this moment. The appropriate simple meal in a tactical air command cargo plane just fit Nat's sensibilities.

He looked out the porthole to see if he could determine his location as the C-I41 was clearing the Outer Banks of North Carolina and heading northeast toward England. The flight had been scheduled at night for two reasons. One, it added to the overall intrigue for him to be arriving in England under the cover of darkness; and two, it would give him a full day to meet with the Prime Minister and her staff. His mental calculations told him the plane would touch down at midnight Raleigh time, but 6:00 a.m. London time. He would be expected to be at his best and ready for a full day's work. With these sobering thoughts, he accepted the offer of the load master to use the prepared bunk for as much sleep as possible during the next six hours. Nat had worn casual clothes for the flight. He had been assured there would be time to shower, shave, and change at the air base in England before proceeding to London for his appointment with the Prime Minister. He slipped out of his slacks and shirt, hung them on a nearby hanger, climbed into bed, and pulled a light blanket over his underwear clad body.

Nat thought the excitement of the trip and the cup of coffee would prevent him from sleeping. He found the exact opposite to be true. The steady roar of the jet engines, along with a relaxed feeling, produced a quick and easy sleep. When he awoke, he found five hours had passed, even though it seemed he had just fallen asleep.

A rough hand shook him gently, "Sir, we're flying over Ireland and soon we'll landing in England."

Nat's eyes opened and he saw the load master standing over him with a steaming cup of coffee. He pushed the covers back, put his feet on the cargo deck of the plane, and was immediately awake. He joked gently with the load master and took the cup of coffee, enjoying the first hot sip, letting it burn down his throat reinforcing all his senses. Nat loved the informality of a man's world. He felt perfectly at ease in his underwear enjoying his first cup of coffee. It made him very aware of his maleness. This was a macho life.

As Nat sat on the side of the bunk sipping his coffee, he lapsed into one of his philosophical moods. His moods were different from most people's philosophical moods. His moods were seldom laced with melancholy; rather, they were upbeat and exciting. Nat loved to analyze himself. He always wanted to know the mental triggers which made him function. He began to analyze the deep sense of relaxation he had felt from the moment the helicopter left the ground on Cameron campus yesterday. After some reflection, he came to the conclusion that he was approaching this project for the CIA with a high degree of fatalism. Nat knew that with this fatalistic approach, he would be neither fearful nor defensive. He loved this feeling and knew it was not one he would experience frequently. For most of his professional life, he had been responsible not only for his work but also for the work of many others. Such administrative roles were not edged with the same excitement as the journey he was now undertaking where he would be responsible solely for himself.

When the plane touched down in England, the sun was beginning to streak the morning sky. The clam shells at the rear of the jet engines helped bring the plane to a controlled halt, and the pilot quickly steered from the runway toward the administrative buildings of the base. Nat put on his slacks and shirt. He picked up his valise in one hand and his Compaq 386 computer in the other. He accompanied the flight crew into the officers' quarters and was shown an area that looked much like the locker room of a country club. He and the flight crew quickly took showers, shaved, and readied themselves for the day. Nat chose a white shirt with a small red pin stripe, took a dark suit from his valise, slipped it on, his tie around his neck, neatly and expertly formed a perfect Windsor knot with one dimple in the middle, and put his suit on. He accompanied the flight crew to the officers' mess and joined with them in a hearty breakfast. He checked with the captain of the C-141 to adjust his watch to the correct time. At 8:00 a.m. an English captain appeared at the door of the mess and asked for Nathaniel Turner. In Nat's mind, this was obviously a courtesy and a matter of protocol as he was the only one sitting at the table in civilian dress, while everyone else in the room was clad in a military uniform. The captain introduced himself as Jonathan Cadwalder. He informed Nat he had been assigned to be his escort while in England and they should leave now, since they were due in the Prime Minister's Office at 10:00 a.m. for a cup of tea.

Nat got up, walked around the table, put his hand on the pilot's shoulder and said, "If I am able to stay on schedule, I should be back to the air base by 2:00 or 2:30 tomorrow afternoon. We can leave whenever you're ready."

Captain Cadwalder and Nat left the officers' mess and walked outside to a waiting limousine chauffeured by a British corporal. The corporal accelerated the British Leyland smartly to 25 miles per hour and held it there until they had cleared the gate of the air base. Nat recalled how strict the military police were on armed services bases. The road leading from the base was a nondescript two lane which surprised Nat. In less than three miles, they intersected with the M-4 highway and headed directly to London. By 9:00 they were into the London traffic. Nat was impressed, however, with how quickly the corporal could negotiate the car through the morning rush hour. Slightly before 9:45 the limousine pulled to a halt in front of the famous No. 10 Downing Street address.

Nat had enjoyed the drive from the air base to London. Captain Cadwalder had pointed out interesting sights which Nat mentally filed away. Captain Cadwalder was courteous and proper, but friendly and helpful. During the trip, Nat had asked several questions about the Prime Minister with the hope Captain Cadwalder's replies would give him some insight which would make his audience with the Prime Minister both favorable and valuable. Captain Cadwalder commented he had never had a personal conversation with the Prime Minister; however, he had been around Whitehall and No. 10 Downing Street enough to have heard many rumors and interesting stories. Summing up the comments of Cadwalder, Nat made the assumption the Prime Minister was intelligent, proper, politically conservative, a friend of the United States, and was no nonsense when it came to work. The overriding feature of the conversation indicated she was strong and had provided sound leadership for her country.

The door to the limousine was opened by a policeman. Nat and Captain Cadwalder exited the automobile and proceeded to the door leading to the Prime Minister's private quarters. Cadwalder explained these quarters were connected with offices on Whitehall and this was the back portion of a large governmental complex. To Nat, Downing Street looked like a group of pleasant row houses prominent in the older cities on the eastern coast of the United States.

Nat was whisked through the quarters leading from Downing Street, and after a considerable walk, ended up in a governmental office complex. After several turns and two security checks, he was ushered into an office which was beautifully furnished with the central desk occupied by a sophisticated and proper looking secretary. At this point Captain Cadwalder excused himself and said he would have the car available for return to the air base any time after noon on the following day. Both men agreed they would meet at the No. 10 Downing Street door. The secretary assured Dr. Turner the Prime Minister would be able to see him promptly at 10:00. The secretary explained she would offer Nat tea, but she knew the Prime Minister was expecting to have tea with him in just a few minutes, so if he could wait there would be refreshments soon.

Nat sat down and began to collect his thoughts for the audience with the Prime Minister. Precisely at 10:00 the secretary looked at Nat and in a curt, friendly British way announced he could now see the Prime Minister. He had heard no buzz or seen a blinking light, but apparently there had been communication between the two offices and they were totally on schedule. Nat was ushered into the Prime Minister's office through a large and impressive door, original to the building. This area of Whitehall projected the quality of a stately English home in the countryside.

Nat stood quietly before the desk and the secretary retreated to her sanctuary in the outer office. A few brief moments passed as the Prime Minister finished some work on her desk and then she looked directly into Nat's eyes and greeted him warmly. Nat had an overwhelming sense of history as he stood in the famous office before one of the most visible personages in the entire world. The Prime Minister moved around the desk and shook Nat's hand firmly and invited him to have a seat in a large, leather overstuffed chair. She offered tea to Nat which he accepted. The thought went through his mind that there are not many people in the history of the country who have been served tea personally by the Prime Minister. After pouring her a cup of tea, she sat in another large, overstuffed chair opposite Nat and they chatted briefly.

The Prime Minister quickly moved to the point of Nat's visit. As she changed her voice to a more business tone, it became apparent the CIA had talked with the director of MI6 and explained Nat's role for the next two months. The Prime Minister informed Nat-at the moment there were only two people in England who knew his assignment, the head of MI6, Sir Charles Hepplewhite, and her. She briefly outlined Nat's function as she understood the project. Nat confirmed she had been accurately informed, and he was looking forward to completing the assignment.

"Dr. Turner how would you like for the two of us to spend our time together?" she asked forthrightly.

"Madame Prime Minister, I am honored to be granted an audience with you and would enjoy discussing many things relating to our two governments for as many hours as you could allow me. However, I am aware of the time constraints you have and want to express my appreciation for your seeing me. It would serve both of us well if you could let me spend the rest of the day with someone on your staff who is well-informed about leftist political activity in the United Kingdom and its relationship to the Labor Party."

It was apparent the Prime Minister was surprised at this request. Nevertheless, she did not question his judgment and she replied immediately, "That would be Sir Henry Boynton, my chief political advisor, and a brilliant political strategist. Let me ask my secretary if Sir Henry can clear his day and spend it with you in any way you would like."

She rose from the overstuffed chair, walked to her desk, and without touching any buttons; the secretary's voice was heard over the intercom. The Prime Minister gave her directions to contact Sir Henry Boynton to determine if he could clear his calendar and spend the rest of the day with an important visitor from the United States. The Prime Minister returned to her chair and their conversation continued for ten minutes. With no detectable signal Nat could see or hear, the Prime Minister rose again, walked to the telephone and picked up the handset to talk with her secretary. When she placed the instrument back on the cradle, she announced Sir Henry Boynton was outside in the waiting room ready to receive him. She came back around the desk, warmly shook Nat's hand and walked with him to the door. She opened the door for Nat and indicated by her hand, that he was to precede her through the door to the waiting room. When both were in view of Sir Henry Boynton, the Prime Minister stopped, nodded to Sir Henry and said, "Thank you, Henry," and closed the door.

Sir Henry Boynton strode forward and quickly shook Nat's hand. He indicated how happy he was to have a visitor from the United States, while directing him down the hall to his personal office.

Sir Henry proved to be knowledgeable and affable. He immediately ordered lunch served in his office and asked his secretary to make a reservation at Stone's Chop House for 8:00 in the evening. Only after these directions had been given to the secretary did Sir Henry ask Nat, "You will be joining me for dinner tonight, will you not?"

"I've not made plans for dinner and would be pleased and honored to join you, Sir Henry."

Sir Henry asked about his plans for accommodations. When Nat identified the hotel, Sir Henry nodded his head in a positive manner and said, "It's a first class hotel, but I'm sure you will be more comfortable residing in my athletic club."

He picked up the phone and asked his secretary to reserve the King Edward Suite at the athletic club for his good friend, Dr. Nat Turner. He also directed that Dr. Turner's luggage be delivered to the suite during the morning and the rooms made ready by 5:00 in the afternoon.

The thought went through Nat's mind about how the British have the ability to raise routine matters to affairs of state. Everything a Britisher of rank does takes on an air of gentility and importance. Nat's concluding thought for the moment was this is how civilized people should live.

After the necessities were concluded, Sir Henry and Nat immediately began to discuss the leftist political climate in England and its relationship with the Labor Party. Sir Henry warmed to this assignment immediately.

He stated, "There has been considerable Communist activity within the Labor Party even though there is also a sizable Communist Party operating in Great Britain apart from the Labor Party. While most of the labor leaders are not Communist, they have been so strongly influenced by the left, they do many of the things the Communists would have them do if the left-wing radicals were able to take control of the Party. There are labor leaders who would disarm our country entirely. They would order all American troops and aircraft to leave British controlled territory. They would ban nuclear bombs and missiles from British soil. We already have quit manufacturing bombers and the next step would be to end the manufacture of all military aircraft. Our multi-purpose Tornado war plane would be the first to go. Military research would be curtailed or done away with entirely. Frankly, our country would be left defenseless. These radical labor leaders would make these changes under the guise of replacing military priorities with personal priorities. Unfortunately, many of our industrial workers do not understand economics and think radical labor leaders serve their best interests. Our economy would suffer severely if our prime defense contractors were forced out of business. Such moves would precipitate a dramatic recession, and large numbers of our industrial workers would no longer have jobs. Radical labor leaders would be hurting the people whom they propose to help."

"Is this the general posture of the Labor Party?"

Sir Henry answered, "No, not so much a posture. The more traditional labor leaders fear the radicals as much as we do in the Conservative Party. They understand the economics of the situation and are convinced that the radical leaders are being financed by an outside power solely for the purpose of weakening our nation. There's no question, however, that all of labor's positions have been affected by radical influences. The radicals make it appear the traditional labor leaders are not looking out for the best interests of the rank and file worker. They're caught in a rather tight squeeze actually."

"Sir Henry, what have the traditional leaders done to counter the influence?"

"Frankly, they haven't worked as hard to win as they would if the radical element did not exist. They're frightened of the possibility of having to develop a coalition government with labor radicals and Communists to rule the country. They're convinced, as we are, if radicals were to ever win, the Communist Party would dissolve and move into labor. At that point, our traditional leaders would have lost control of labor."

Sir Henry went on to explain, "I see great parallels in your country. There are many political leaders in the United States who have no will or commitment to oppose Communist incursions. While they are not Communist themselves and view themselves as liberals, their posture on every position is to weaken the United States militarily and influence foreign policy to only oppose right-wing governments. We here in England are amazed at how clever these people have become. You in the United States still have the occasional demonstration on the college campus demanding governmental intervention against right-wing governments. There can be genocide in Cambodia, or hundreds of thousands Afghans killed by the Soviet backed forces, but yet never a word of protest from these political leaders, or never a word of protest from a college campus."

Nat felt uncomfortable with this indictment but, frankly, in his own mind, he knew it to be true. "Sir Henry, I will have to agree with you. Most liberal political leaders in our congress love to publicly attack policies promoting business and proclaim their interest in the so called, little man. They show only political interest in these people, no personal interest. Many such people are elitists and show no inclination to associate with the lower or middle class in their private lives. When listening to their political protestations, it would appear they are interested in total economic equality for everyone. These are dangerous people, because they have convinced themselves they are real liberals, when in reality they are only political liberals. These people have substantial influence in their political parties and are damaging to the United States."

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a serious discussion of British politics. It became apparent that, in Sir Henry's mind, the demise of British influence had come from internal political influence and not through indolence of the British mind. Sir Henry pointed out invention after invention, and development after development, which indicated the British, could produce as well as any country in the world. He emphasized that political organizations had systematically sapped the strength from the British economy and the nation was struggling to maintain a degree of prestige and influence in the world. He stated it was unfortunate that it took a national emergency to organize the British people into action. He was not optimistic about the future.

At 4:00 tea was served. It was far more elaborate than Nat had expected. There were enough finger sandwiches and sweets to have satisfied the hunger usually associated with the evening meal. Nat wondered if it were going to be possible for him to be hungry by 8:00. After tea, Sir Henry and Nat completed their conversation and Sir Henry had Nat delivered to his athletic club. Their agreement was for Sir Henry to arrive at the athletic club for a drink shortly after 7:00. Around eight they would move over to Stone's Chop House. During the drive from Whitehall to the athletic club, Nat was exhilarated by being in London once again. He also noticed that he was still possessed by the cool, calm exhilaration of fatalism. He was feeling physically stronger than he had ever felt.

At 7:00 Nat drifted to the second floor of the athletic club which was totally devoted to bar and lounging area. The chairs were large and the tables were low. The attendant ushered Nat to a private corner of the room and asked for his pleasure. Nat ordered a whiskey, knowing it would be interpreted by the attendant as Scotch whiskey. In less than two minutes a glass of the smoky looking liquid had been placed before him. Nat offered to pay for the drink or sign the tab allowing the drink to be charged to his room. The attendant assured Nat that Sir Henry was taking care of everything, and he need not concern himself. Nat continued to be amazed with the British. He had no idea how the attendant knew he was the guest of Sir Henry. This was a well-trained staff and each employee had information about the guests staying at the athletic club.

Within a few minutes, Sir Henry joined Nat and they continued to develop the friendship which had begun forming during the afternoon. Tonight there was no mention of politics. The evening was convivial and one of the most delightful Nat had spent in some time. They took a cab to Stone's Chop House and were promptly seated. It was apparent upon entering this famous eatery there were others reservations who had to wait until a table could be claimed. However, when Sir Henry arrived, he was greeted warmly and taken immediately to a table in a quiet corner on the second floor. By 10:00 Nat had been returned to the athletic club for a good night's sleep.

On Wednesday, Nat took a taxi to Whitehall giving the address which housed MI6, the British highest level of intelligence gathering. There was no sign on the door of the building to indicate what offices were contained inside. Nat presented his credentials to the guard on the door, and after a quick phone call the guard indicated security would be down to escort him to Sir Charles Hepplewhite's office. The words had scarcely left the guard's mouth before a door opened and a security officer appeared. He asked for Nat's credentials and examined them carefully. Nat followed the security officer to a bank of elevators and noticed there were no buttons to select upward or downward motions. There were only keys. The security officer inserted a key in the third elevator on the right, the door opened quickly and quietly. The security officer asked Nat to enter, and the sliding door returned to its proper position. The elevator began to move.

Nat was not an insensitive person, but he could not detect whether the movement of the elevator was upward or downward. There was something built into the mechanism of the elevator to disguise its direction of movement. When the elevator arrived at its destination, the door opened and Nat entered an oblong room with elaborate woodwork denoting a public servant of highest rank. There were no windows in the room, and there were the typical overstuffed leather chairs flanking an exquisite desk. Nat suddenly realized this was not the office of the head of MI6. It was the office of his secretary. Surprisingly the secretary was male. He indicated Sir Charles Hepplewhite would see Nat momentarily. The wait was no longer than five minutes and, again without any indication Nat could detect, the male secretary said, "Sir Charles will see you."

The secretary opened the door and indicated Nat was to proceed. Nat almost gasped. These offices were not for taxpayers' viewing. He had never seen a more exquisitely decorated office in his life. The lighting was subdued with additional chandeliers provided over the desk area. The only amenity missing in this office usually present in other elegant business offices were the windows. There were no windows in this room. Nat realized he was now in a bubble. The security of the free world often rested with the ability to keep this particular room completely secret from incursion by KGB surveillance.

The appearance of Sir Charles was that of a grumpy grandfather in an English novel. His suit was rumpled, even though it was early in the morning. Nat doubted Sir Charles ever wore a recently pressed suit. Sir Charles' voice was firm and strong. He let Nat know immediately he knew all about the little scheme perpetuated by the CIA, and he was in support of the project. He also indicated the Prime Minister was endorsing his little escapade and hoped the British would also reap benefits from his work. Sir Charles indicated she had been favorably impressed by Nat, even though she had been skeptical of his ability to do the job prior to their audience.

"Dr. Turner, how are we to spend our morning?"

"Please give me an insight into Soviet espionage. I am particularly eager to determine their strengths and weaknesses."

Sir Charles leaned back in his chair. "We can categorize their strengths and weaknesses rather easily. Then we will spend our time discussing specifics to illustrate their general approach to espionage. First of all, their major strength is the fact that espionage is a high priority of their government. I only wish this were true in Great Britain and the United States. I think in our two countries we are tolerated at best and if we stumble from time to time the newspapers and politicians glory in our mistakes. They are convinced such services as ours must exist, but they also hate the fact we play an important part in the nation's security. It's a love-hate relationship with the emphasis on hate. Many politicians assume the posture that they wish we would go away, and yet they're the ones who'll chastise us if there's enemy intrusion in our government affairs. Our nations are supposed to provide the best security in the world, and yet we should not exist because we're an embarrassment. But I digress. Let me get back to the question you asked."

"When espionage is of the highest priority, those conducting the espionage are provided ample funds and personnel to get the job done. While the toilets may not flush, or the water may not run in a typical Moscow apartment house, I can assure you their espionage equipment is first class. It ranks with the best in the world. Their equipment is so good because interest never lags in their activities. While the Russians may not have the quickest minds in the world, they are relentless in the pursuit of a goal. If they devise a piece of intelligence equipment, they will continually work to improve its sensitivity and quality. Much of their success comes from their willingness to flood the world with personnel. There are times when I think half the Russian population works for the KGB or one of its ancillary organizations. These people are running operations all over the world. Most of the cities in the British Isles, and I am sure most of the cities in the United States, think the KGB has no interest in any activity taking place in their locale. I can assure you from experience, this is not the case. There is virtually no city in our country or yours that does not have a KGB front operating and relentlessly gathering sensitive intelligence information and funneling it back to the KGB offices in Moscow."

"Now let me delve into their weaknesses. The chief problem with KGB espionage is their lack of creativity. They are basically plodders, and they follow a military approach in all KGB activities. They do what they are told, and follow the plan from the top. Agents are not given flexibility even when conditions are such that flexibility is needed to solve a problem. Soviet agents are rewarded more for following directions than they are for accomplishing the task itself. If the KGB were not so well financed, it would not be a good security force. Their method of operation is exactly the opposite of Israel's Mossad. The men and women of the Mossad are cowboys. They ride off in all directions and make up the most creative intelligence service in the entire world. Their methods include changing direction, and free lancing, and following promising leads. I would say the Mossad gets more for its dollar than anyone, anywhere. Both of our nations could take lessons from that group. When you talk to them in a day or two, you'll be impressed."

The rest of the morning was spent in discussing direct confrontation between MI6 and the KGB. Nat immediately began to sense the truth in Sir Charles' evaluation of the chief Soviet intelligence gathering organization. By noon they had completed their conversation and Nat was escorted through a maze of hallways and tunnels back to the door of Whitehall.

Captain Cadwalder was waiting with the British Leyland limousine and by 2:00 p.m. the return journey had been made, and the C-141 Starlifter was energized for takeoff. Captain Cadwalder helped Nat with his luggage and computer and he was met at the door of the aircraft by the load master. A few short minutes after boarding the plane Nat was once again speeding down the runway for the flight to Israel and a visit with the nation's leaders.

10:00 a.m. Thursday, June 2

KGB Headquarters

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov had his old friend and former major professor visiting with him this morning, Dr. Kizim Chelemoi, the retired head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Moscow. Dr. Chelemoi had not been invited to Komarov's office this morning for a social visit and a cup of coffee. Komarov had invited him because he was the most logical man Komarov had ever known. In his opinion, he had risen to head the KGB because he had studied with Dr. Chelemoi. This man's incisive logic had become the trademark of his disciple, Komarov. Even though Dr. Chelemoi was now retired, in Komarov's opinion, he had lost none of his incisiveness and logic. If anything, his mind was keener. Perhaps he was no longer dulled by the preparation of lectures and the never-ending advising process necessary to guide college students through their course of study. Chelemoi had more time to spend pursuing questions to their conclusion. It was in this capacity Komarov used Dr. Chelemoi periodically.

Komarov like to refer to Dr. Chelemoi as his bird dog. Komarov would tell his colleagues that, when the computers fail the only hope is to call in Dr. Chelemoi, feed the data into him, and sit back and wait for the results to come out of his mouth. It was obvious both men had much mutual respect for each other. Komarov had not read the latest report from the London section head of the KGB. He had done it purposefully because he wanted to first bring Dr. Chelemoi up to date on all the activities of Nat Turner. When Dr. Chelemoi had been properly briefed, it was time to look at the latest report and involve him in this giant jigsaw puzzle. They reviewed the facts, the speculations, the scenarios, and discussed Komarov's meetings with the Central Committee.

Komarov was not only abreast of Turner's contacts in the last two weeks in the United States, he was also aware of his mental capabilities as described and documented in the thick dossier which was growing each day. It occurred to Komarov that, not only would Dr. Chelemoi give insight into this growing body of facts, but he would be pitting one of the shrewdest academic minds in the Soviet Union against one of the shrewdest academic minds from the United States. If a wager were to be made, Komarov would bet on br. Chelemoi in this battle of wits.

After the briefing had taken place, both men read the latest report received Wednesday night. Penetration in London indicated Turner had landed at an air base outside of London early Tuesday morning. By 10:00 Turner had arrived at 10 Downing Street and had spent the day in Whitehall. It had been verified Turner had an audience with the Prime Minister, but there was no way of knowing the length of time the two had conferred. Penetration had not been able to verify other persons with whom Turner had talked. Turner cancelled a reservation at a hotel near Whitehall and instead was accommodated at the Athletic Club operated by British Security Services.

On the evening of May 31, Turner had dinner with Sir Henry Boynton, the political advisor to the Prime Minister, at Stone's Chop House which is located on the corner of Piccadilly and Leicester Square. On Wednesday, June 1, Turner spent the morning at MI6 Headquarters with its chief, Charles Applewhite. At noon he left MI6 and returned to the air base near London and departed on an American C-I41 Starlifter.

It was now noon and Komarov ordered sandwiches and tea sent in for lunch. While they were waiting for lunch to be delivered, Komarov asked expectantly, "What do you think of all this, Kizim?"

"Tatlin, you know I always speak to you openly and honestly. I'm not going to change my approach now. You must remember I'm an academic, and not a KGB agent. You will find, as you always have, that I think differently from most of the people with whom you've surrounded yourself. On the other hand, I am totally convinced you are head of the KGB because you think the way I taught you to think and not the way bureaucrats think. Therefore, please accept some of my skepticism as being from my academic nature."

Komarov smiled broadly. "All right professor, let me hear what your evaluation."

Dr. Chelemoi responded, "No matter now good something looks, when it smells, it's rotten! Tatlin, this whole scenario is entirely too pat. I'm going to ask you some rhetorical questions. I'm not expecting answers, but at least you'll know what is going through my mind.”

"First question, why did the CIA pick a college president who apparently has no intelligence or espionage experience and put him in charge of the biggest military operation in the history of the world?

"Second question, why is it, no matter where Turner goes, and no matter whom he sees, there is complete secrecy surrounding his visit? Yet, on the other hand, the very act of closing military bases creates alarms sounding all the way to Moscow.

"Third question, have you noticed that even though the Americans have ostensibly created great secrecy about Turner, the KGB has a complete dossier on his every movement, including each person he saw and how long he spent with him or her? Have the Americans suddenly become so poor in disguising the movements of their most secret operative that none of his steps has escaped the scrutiny of the KGB? Either the Americans are very poor in security matters, or you are running an organization so efficient nothing escapes your attention, and you and I both know your organization leaves much to be desired.

Dr. Chelemoi went on, "The last question, why suddenly is the United States considering a preemptive strike on the Soviet Union? This is completely out of character for the Americans. A president who initiated an unprovoked attack on another country would not last long as the political leader of the United States. From intelligence we're told the United States has conceivably deployed free electron lasers and satellites in space controlled by super computers. None of your other intelligence information corroborates this conjecture and, in fact, they tell you the Americans are years away from accomplishing this technological marvel, and the American Congress is going to cut SDI funding and let the air out of this troublesome balloon."

His logic continued. "Last week your stations reported the Americans were contemplating a secret war on the Soviet Union which included the use of space weapons, germs, bacteria, and viruses designed to destroy the Soviet people. This scenario requires us to assume the Americans believe their disaster-producing weapons would somehow stop miraculously at our national boundaries, and the rest of the world would live happily ever after."

The look on Komarov's face told the story. The head of the KGB was completely crushed. Everything Dr. Chelemoi said rang true. Where did this leave him now? Last week he had reported to the Central Committee that evidence pointed to an imminent attack on the Soviet Union by the United States using exotic space weapons. Now Kizim Chelemoi in five minutes had destroyed his whole line of reasoning. To make matters worse, Komarov had taken full credit for the analysis and conclusions himself. He had given no credit whatsoever to his subordinates who had proposed the ideas.

If his analysis had been correct, he would have been a national hero. But if the scenario he presented to the Central Committee proved to be inaccurate, he would lose his job as head of the KGB, and from past experience he knew he would not be alive 30 days from now. What could he do? It appeared to him that his only chance to save his career and his life was to use the brilliant mind and logic of Dr. Chelemoi to counteract and neutralize Nat Turner's actions. But in no way would he share Chelemoi's recent analysis with the Central Committee. He would be signing his own death warrant! Chelemoi was now to become his secret weapon. With him they could solve the riddle of Nat Turner.

10:00 a.m. Thursday, June 2, 1987

Office of the Prime Minister

Tel Aviv, Israel

Yesterday afternoon Nat had boarded the waiting C-141 Starlifter and was flown from the airfield near London to an airfield near Tel Aviv, Israel. Nat was met by Shock Winagin, the deputy to the Prime Minister, who took him to the Mediterranean Hotel and booked him into a room overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Shock had been instructed by the Prime Minister to entertain Nat for the evening. They ate at a delightful Israeli restaurant within a mile of the hotel.

This was Nat's second visit to Tel Aviv. He had made a tour with a college group ten years earlier. From this trip he recalled the civilian patrols walking in pairs, carrying weapons, insuring the security of Tel Aviv. These civilians were still present on the downtown streets, and Nat thought to himself time had not changed much for this young country struggling for survival.

The restaurant selected by Shock Winagin was small and intimate with outstanding food and excellent service. Nat recalled a dish he had tried ten years earlier while in Israel --crispy duck, and he wanted to order it again at this restaurant. The entree was delectable, and Nat wondered why he had twice come to Tel Aviv and had eaten the best crispy duck he had ever enjoyed in his whole life. While he commented to Shock Winagin how good the meal was, he did not go through the motions of saying it was the best meal he had ever eaten. But in truth, it did rank near the top.

Nat and Shock were quickly on the same wave length. They spent most of the evening discussing Israel's short history, the two major wars with the Arab states, the dramatic supply line established by the United States to save Israel, and the relationships between the two countries. From their conversation, Nat realized Israel was a less cohesive nation 10 years ago than it is today. The Prime Minister was facing many difficulties. The military incursion into Lebanon and the long occupation had taken a psychological toll on the small country. The Palestinians, numbering in the millions inside the current boundaries of Israel, were resorting to constant harassment as a method of focusing world attention on their homeland problem and demanding a quick solution. Seldom had a day passed that the world press was not reporting on internal problems between the Israeli military and the Palestinian civilians.

Shock was not sure the future of Israel was secure. "Nat, today there is a war of attrition on the nerves of most Israelis. I'm not confident Israel has the resolve to maintain itself as the historical Jewish state." After dinner, Shock dropped Nat off at the Mediterranean Hotel and Nat went into the bar for a drink. He ordered Johnny Walker Scotch on the rocks and sat in a dimly lit corner reflecting on the activities of the last two and a half weeks.

At 11:30 he went upstairs and went to bed, awaiting his audience with the Prime Minister the next morning. At 9:30 a.m. Shock Winagin picked Nat up in front of his hotel and drove him to the office of the Prime Minister. Shortly after 10:00 Nat was ushered into the office of the Prime Minister. On a sideboard at the north end of the room was a silver service containing a choice of coffee or tea. When Nat entered the door the Prime Minister came around the desk and shook hands firmly. Immediately they adjourned to the sideboard and selected their morning beverage. Flanking the silver service was a tray of delicious, freshly cooked bagels. While the bagels looked good enough to eat plain, a choice of condiments was offered. Nat chose coffee, the Prime Minister chose tea. Each took a bagel, and Nat was motioned to a comfortable chair in front of the desk. The Prime Minister chose to sit in an adjoining chair as opposed to returning to the high back swivel chair behind his massive desk.

The conversation was friendly and wide-ranging. The Prime Minister was a man of great intensity, who began to explain Israel's political and military positions on several current issues. Nat listened carefully and, when appropriate, asked questions. He was feeling somewhat fraudulent knowing he personally had no influence on American foreign policy and was tempted to say so. On the other hand, the Prime Minister was treating him as an emissary of the President of the United States and was conversing with him in the same way he would have with the Secretary of State. Nat began to get the impression the Prime Minister would like to spend all day with him. Knowing this, Nat began to attempt to find some way to extricate him from the situation. He would have enjoyed talking to a head of state during a period of historic times, but he knew this conversation would do Israel no good, and he did not want the Prime Minister wasting his valuable time thinking a day spent with Nat was serving his country well. Nat did spend two hours with the Prime Minister before saying he knew how valuable time was to a head of state and he would be quite happy to spend the rest of the day with Shock Winagin. The Prime Minister and Nat adjourned to a separate dining room to a table set for three. Within moments Winagin joined them, and they shared the midday meal together.

After lunch Shock and Nat excused themselves and walked to Shock's office. After being comfortably seated, Nat decided he needed to probe Shock's mind and learn more about the Soviets from the Israeli point of view. He started the conversation by describing his trip to the Soviet Union two years before. He indicated to Shock that the Soviet Union was more open for tourists than he had been led to believe. Nat told him of his experience catching the subway on New Year's Eve and riding with a group of compatriots down to Red Square and walking through this almost deserted section of town while snow softly fell. He recalled the scene vividly because downtown Moscow on New Year's Eve was so different from this time of year in the major cities of the United States. New Year's Eve in the Soviet Union was treated more like Christmas when the family gathers at home to celebrate a meal together and share gifts. He also noted that wherever he went in the Soviet Union placards and cartoons were displayed in glass cases whose sole purpose seemed to be to focus the Soviet mind on the United States as an enemy. These cartoons showed a mean looking Uncle Sam carrying bombs with dollar marks on them and committing atrocities against the peace loving Soviet people. Nat said to Shock it was apparent the Soviets viewed the United States as their principal enemy. During his stay, he never saw a propaganda effort aimed at any other nation.

After Nat described his trip to the Soviet Union, he posed this question "It's obvious to me the Soviets deliberately create fear of the United States in their people. What is it the Soviet's want the most right now?"

Shock had enjoyed Nat's description of his trip to the Soviet Union. He had made appropriate remarks assuring Nat that while the Soviets were somewhat more flexible, there was little going on in that country the police or the government did not know about.

Now Shock answered Nat's question directly. "Yes, you're right, it's the American people or, perhaps better said, the American government the Soviets fear. They're confident the United States is the only nation in the world that can stand up to them ideologically, militarily, or financially. The Soviet government tells its people the Communist Party wants peace in the world, while the United States wants domination through imperialism. It's the classic big brother concept that Orwell described in his book ' 1984.' Recently, however, the United States has been able to attract Soviet attention in a way it never has before. We have found out the Soviet government had both a fear of President Reagan and a great affection for the man. The fear emanated from his efforts to make the United States strong. The affection was for his extremely likeable personality and his ability to make his thoughts and actions clear to everyone.

This actually made President Reagan easier to deal with than his predecessors. Again, however, in recent years the American government made two bold moves directly attributable to President Reagan. The Pershing I missile was a short range missile with questionable accuracy. It was replaced with the powerful Pershing II missile which had a greater range, bringing most of the Eastern Bloc nations and considerable portions of the Soviet motherland within its range. Coupled with the deployment of the Pershing II was the deployment of the new highly maneuverable and almost impossible to intercept Cruise missile. This put the Soviet targets within a few minutes of some of the best weapons in the world. Without question, the Soviet Union was willing to come to the table and give up their SS-20's in exchange for having the Pershing II and the cruise missiles removed from Europe. The short range and intermediate range missiles made by the Soviets are not very good and there are not many military targets for them to hit in central and Western Europe. Certainly the SS 20’s s posed no threat to the United States, although the Pershing II and cruise missile posed a great threat to the Soviet Union. As usual, the intermediate range treaty was to the Soviet's advantage. The Soviet Union has always used as their deterrent their big ICBM missiles with their tremendous boosters and throw weight. Their multiple warheads are rather good. They can also deploy dummies with radar signatures the same as the real warhead. Each of these missiles is also capable of producing chaff to confuse many radar systems."

While this conversation was going on, Nat was silently grateful for his visits to the Research Triangle Park before leaving Raleigh.

Shock continued "The Pershing II and the cruise missiles was an irritant to the Soviets. The crowning blow came when President Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative. Remember the Soviet deterrent is dependent on its long range missile and here was President Reagan announcing a defense system which was capable of destroying their major defensive weapon as it would rise from the silo. While the Soviets knew the United States was years away from perfecting such a defense system. They also have great respect for the technology developed in the United States. The Soviets knew that given time, there was no doubt the Americans would perfect the system."

Shock paused for a moment, and said emphatically "You asked me what the Soviets fear most. It's the development and deployment of the Strategic Defense Initiative. They know the ability to destroy a country's military targets in their home land cannot be classified totally as defense. A deployed Strategic Defense Initiative coupled with the spy satellites already in place could remove Soviet weaponry as rapidly as it was put in place. The country that develops space weapons is going to have the same advantage the United States had during World War II when it developed the atomic bomb. No nation in the world can withstand SDI even if your country insists on calling it a defensive weapon."

The conversation went on between the two men until it was time for Nat to return to his hotel. Shock dropped him by, and offered to take him to dinner again that night. Nat at first thought he would decline, knowing this was asking a great deal of the Prime Minister's deputy, but he suddenly realized he was playing an important role too, so he accepted the invitation.

At 8:00 Shock picked Nat up in front of his hotel and they went to a much older and more traditional restaurant. It was down near Joppa, and Nat felt he was stepping back in time. After the evening concluded and Nat was returned to his hotel, he immediately went to bed. He was looking forward to meeting Sydney Granier, the head of Mossad, the next morning. The Mossad was one of the most highly respected intelligence and security agencies in the world. This group had flair about them and an enviable record of accomplishment not equaled by the KGB, CIA, MI6 or any other comparable agency. The Mossad was a one of a kind group, and its personality and effectiveness were due to its director, Sydney Granier.

The next morning, Nat awoke at 5:30 refreshed and ready for the events of the day. He booted his Compaq 386 computer and called up a program he had written in assembly language. For the next hour, he entered new information into the assembly language program, all coded notes to Nancy Carroll. Upon completion of these messages encoded within the program, he ran each through the assembly language compiler and now each was properly coded digitally. Nat wrote a batch file entitled "transmit.bat". The four lines of the batch file read "copy one c:\tippy", copy two c:\bridge, copy three c:\wood, and erase transmit.bat". He pressed F6 and "Z appeared on the screen, indicating the program was complete. He placed a phone call to his office in Raleigh.

It was 10:00 p.m. in Raleigh and Nancy was expecting the call. She picked up the receiver within a few rings, and they chatted briefly about a number of topics. Nat said a full report of his activities would be transmitted to her, along with a few requests for information she could be working on for him. He asked her to turn on her modem and he did likewise in Israel. He looked at the C> prompt on his screen, typed transmit.bat and pressed enter. Within a few seconds the program was run, and Nat checked his own menu by typing the letters "dir" on the screen and found the directory to be clear. The batch program had copied three separate assembly language programs to the computer in the United States and then erased itself from memory and from the 40 megabyte hard disk.

Nat removed the phone from the cradle, talked a few more minutes to Nancy, hung up the phone and was ready to eat a good breakfast and visit with Sydney Granier.

At 10 minutes before 8:00, a car arrived in front of the hotel for Nat. A small wiry man was behind the wheel, and Nat joined him sitting in the front seat. Nat introduced himself and found that the driver's first name was Kobek. They chatted amiably as they traversed the streets of Tel Aviv and shortly arrived at an unmarked building housing the offices of Sydney Granier, the head of Mossad. He opened the front door and passed through a security checkpoint. He took a key to open a private elevator; they entered and descended several floors. From that point on, Kobek led Nat through a series of hallways well below ground level each with branches. Nat realized he could not find his way back to the point of origin without a guide. It took them ten minutes through these halls before they arrived at another elevator. This machine also required a key. They ascended several floors and came out into the hall of a brightly lit office building. Within a few steps, they were talking to the secretary of the Mossad chief. Within thirty seconds Nat was in the chief's office, and across the desk, sat the heart and soul of this great intelligence organization.

The eyes of Sydney Granier were interesting. They were topaz, and Nat had never seen anything like them. He wondered if the man was wearing colored contact lens, but for some reason, he came to the conclusion these were the man's natural eyes. Sydney Granier was low keyed, intense and serious, yet blessed with a vein of good humor. Nat realized Granier possessed the qualities of leadership, and he himself sensed he would be happy to follow Granier into the face of danger and not give a thought for his own personal safety. The next four hours were spent with Granier talking about various aspects of the Soviet defenses. It came out quickly that the listening stations the Soviet Union had constructed to contact satellites and to maintain communications with space explorations were primarily in the southern part of the USSR. Granier also briefly went over the quality of Soviet missiles, concentrating primarily on their ICBMs. He too, explained the fact that the short range missiles and intermediate range missiles were not of high quality. Granier indicated there were at least a dozen countries building better missiles than the USSR. He was highly complementary of the Chinese Silkworm missile and indicated the French were as good missile builders as they come.

Granier and Nat's conversation drifted into a discussion of France. It was apparent Granier had acquired considerable knowledge about this nation and indicated they were one of the developing military powers in the world. The French technology was good; their airplanes were reliable and provided high performance. Their missiles were sought by most countries wanting late twentieth century technology. Nat was glad he was having this conversation about France since that afternoon he would be flying to Frankfurt and traveling by car to Versailles to visit the French Prime Minister. Having some insight in French capabilities would be of considerable help to him the next day.

Nat, knowing that Granier possessed one of the most unusual minds in the world, wanted to take advantage of this and learn more about Soviet mentality.

"Sydney, help me think like the Soviets. I'm going to be dealing with them, and your insights could be of tremendous help to me."

Sydney Grainier’s eyes flashed and he started to speak. "First, Nat, do not ever underestimate the Soviet mind. They think differently from the way you and I do, but that does not mean they're not highly intelligent. Often they come across as having a peasant mentality and, in some sense of the word, perhaps they do. My experience in dealing with the KGB is that they are basically neurotic. They think the United States is plotting to destroy their country and they are honor bound to do something about it. Being neurotic, however, means that they are rather easy to mislead. Often a situation can be set up and the Soviet mind will get two steps ahead of you. Should you start in a particular direction, it's rather easy for them to assume where you're going and make some effort to go to the end of the line intellectually. On the other hand, they have some things in common with the Orientals. While the Soviets may have difficulty following certain twisting trails, they never mind spending the money to see that each possible lead is covered. Since the government possesses a neurotic mentality, don't ever think you are going to be able to outspend them in espionage work. The best you can possibly do is out smart them."

Nat was warming rapidly to Granier's description of the Soviets. It made him more convinced that the Straw Man concept had a good chance of being successful. He also knew this would probably be his only foray into the field of espionage, and it was important for him to make it a successful one. For the rest of the morning Granier shared experiences and examples of successful operations between Mossad and the KGB. Each little ploy and its nuance made Nat more impressed with Granier and the Mossad. He was developing a grudging admiration for this intelligence group and had a secret desire that, under different circumstances, he would like to be one of them.

Noon came all too fast, and Nat and Granier completed their conversation, both wondering if their paths would ever cross again. When Nat exited Sydney's office, Shock was waiting to deliver him back to the airport where the C-141 Starlifter was waiting to begin its flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

10:00 a.m. Saturday, June 4, 1987

KGB office

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov was sitting alone is his office reading the most recent report on Nat Turner. A coded message had come from Tel Aviv, Israel by way of a satellite link in Syria. Komarov was surprised at this latest report. KGB penetration in Israel had identified Turner as having landed in an airport near Tel Aviv during the evening of Wednesday, June 1. Thursday morning was spent in the offices of the Prime Minister. There was no way of knowing whether the total day was spent with the Prime Minister or part of the day with the Prime Minister's staff. Turner was identified as having left the hotel with the Prime Minister's deputy Shock Winagin. The two men returned to Turner's hotel and later went to dinner. Turner returned to the hotel late in the evening. Thursday morning, June 2, Turner was picked up by automobile and taken to a building in Tel Aviv suspected to be connected with the Israeli Mossad. Turner left the building by the entrance he entered and was taken to the airport outside of Tel Aviv for departure on a C-141 Starlifter.

Komarov was having trouble focusing on his work this morning. He should be glorying in the efficiency of the KGB in its quick identification of Turner thousands of miles from the location where he was last seen outside of London, England. Any intelligence service would be glad to have provided its agents with information enough for quick identity and proper surveillance. Komarov should be awaiting commendation for this latest turn of events. His mind, however, was focused more on condemnation because of his quick jump to conclusions on the status of the United States military readiness in the area of space weapons.

First of all, the fact was that Komarov had committed a cardinal sin in intelligence work. He had taken complete credit for the analysis and conclusion he had outlined before the Central Committee the afternoon before. The truth of the matter was that he had someone to blame, but his greed was probably going to lead to his death. Komarov had been the instrument of executions in literally hundreds of Soviet citizens who had been given missions and failed. Yes, the system rewarded well those who succeeded. The system was just as diligent in weeding out failure. Lack of success could not become a habit when you worked for the KGB.

Komarov was depressed. He had already decided he was not going to report Dr. Chelemoi's analysis of Turner's activities to the Central Committee. He had one possibility left to him that could conceivably save his life. Today he was going to prepare and send a letter to all KGB stations declaring Dr. Nathaniel Turner, a member of the CIA of the United States, as the KGB's and the Soviet Union's most important enemy. From this point on, Dr. Nat Turner's presence in any city indicated an all out effort was called for by every member of the station. Henceforth, everything Dr. Turner did would be recorded and reported. Each person Turner conversed with would be followed and references entered in the KGB mainframe computers. Each station head was being alerted to the priority of this man, and failure to keep this person under 100% surveillance would mean immediate recall and extraordinary punishment. Turner was about to become code #1 for the KGB. This circular would be flashed to each station throughout the world before the sun had set in Moscow on that Saturday afternoon.

8:00 a.m. Saturday, June 4, 1987

Rue de Ia Frontenue

Paris, France

Nat was having breakfast in a sidewalk cafe and reviewing the activities of the last few days. The original plan had been for him to fly from Tel Aviv to the American airbase at Frankfurt, pick up a car, and drive to Paris. The flight from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt, however, was unusually long. Nat felt a considerable degree of fatigue when he arrived. He declined the loan of an automobile, and asked if there were a private airport near Frankfurt that would charter him a plane this late at night. He was given directions by an American lieutenant and provided transportation to the airfield. Within forty-five minutes Nat had arrived at the small airfield near Frankfurt. Arrangements were made for a two-engine charter flight to Paris. The agreed upon price was one thousand American dollars, and Nat closed the deal.

Before midnight Nat touched down in Paris at Orly Airport and caught a cab to his hotel in the Rue de Ia Fronteneu. This was not part of the CIA plan and Nat wondered if the change in itinerary would worry his employers. He had been afraid to attempt the drive from Frankfurt into Paris. He would have arrived well after midnight and, after his busy schedule for the last three weeks, might have fallen asleep at the wheel and had an accident. The charter flight seemed to be the best alternative under the circumstances, even though it did require Nat to go through passport control.

After finishing his breakfast, he hailed a cab and asked to be taken to the palace at Versailles. This was where he was to meet the Prime Minister at 10:00 a.m. Nat arrived at the palace shortly before 10:00 and was escorted quickly to the quarters of the Prime Minister. Nat had never been to the palace of Versailles, and he was not sure whether this was a special meeting place arranged for him or if the head of government offices were located in this famous structure. Shortly after 10:00, Nat was ushered into a beautifully furnished room to meet with the Prime Minister. The head of state of France spoke amiably and received a reply from the American in fluent French. From that moment, the Prime Minister warmed to Nat and the rest of the conversation was conducted in the native tongue of France. Nat was a student of world politics and was prepared to carry on an interesting and provocative conversation with the Prime Minister. Nat was treated as if he were a delegate sent directly from the President of the United States. He was shown great courtesy and, knowing something of the French ego, was careful to make sure he was deferential in every way to the Prime Minister, the French government and the country in general.

At 11:00 a.m. Henri Franche, the Prime Minister's economic advisor, was announced by the secretary, and the Prime Minister asked Henri to join them. The conversation continued between the three for about thirty minutes. At that time Nat made it clear he did not want to monopolize the day of the Prime Minister, but, if possible, he would enjoy having lunch and spending the afternoon with Henri Franche. He felt he could learn much about French American relationships from the Prime Minister's economic advisor. This new plan was agreed upon, and Henri Franche and Nat retired to a small dining room readied for this private meeting. Within minutes after leaving the formality of the Prime Minister's office, these two were rapidly exchanging points of view. Nat asked serious economic and political questions.

There was something refreshing about Henri Franche. He was forthright, and this encouraged Nat to ask the question that had puzzled him and millions of other Americans for more than forty years since World War II.

"Henri, what is the problem between the French and Americans? Is there animosity for the Americans in your country, and if so, what is the basis?"

"Nat, there are basically two problems. One, the French talk very rapidly and appears to be vivacious and open. In reality, we are private people. I think Americans are misled by our animated conversation and attempt to become involved in Frenchmen's lives in a way our people are not accustomed. This is difficult for the American tourist to understand, and even those Americans living in France for some time can make this mistake. The American visitor is open and wants to be friendly. This openness of personality and the inquisitive nature of the American make the Frenchman feel an American is prying into his personal and private business. One thing a Frenchman can do better than anybody else in the world is bluff. When the Frenchman finds his personal territory being violated, he is quick to take offense and let the violator know in a hurry he is not welcome in that area of his life.

"The second major problem is that France and the United States are competitive. They are great trade partners, but are also competitive in many ways. The French economy and the American economy have great similarity. Both are competing for markets within France and markets within the United States, but most of all competing for world markets. It is this economic competition which creates problems between the American and French businessman vying for the same sale. Quite frankly, the American businessman seems to be a better sport after losing the sale than the Frenchman."

"We Frenchmen wear our feelings on our shirtsleeves. Any disappointment can create a flare up. This emotional side of the Frenchman is the one the American most often sees."

Nat decided to ask the same question's he had posed to Sydney Granier in Israel. "Henri, help me think like a Soviet. How do you view the Soviet mentality?"

"The Soviet people are very difficult for a Frenchman to like. All Frenchmen, even those in the rural areas, have a certain degree of sophistication and savoir faire. Frankly the Soviets we deal with in Paris are knowledgeable about music, art, ballet, and other cultural aspects of life. To deal with them personally, however, you have the feeling you are being pushed and crowded into a corner. You're dealing with a peasant mentality. If your travels bring you face to face with members of the KGB, I suggest you underplay your hand. You will be able to out think the typical KGB agent, but it's important for them to read you as if you are totally predictable. The Soviets like predictability. This makes them jump to conclusions, and this trait of theirs will be your best weapon in dealing with anyone connected with the KGB."

After lunch Henri and Nat continued their conversations exploring political relationships between various countries in Europe. Nat was a student of world government and loved to read about the relationships. However, Henri had fleshed out the skeleton in ways he had never before considered. Nat thought there was still no better way for education to be conducted than to have a master on one end of the log and a student on the other. Late in the afternoon, Henri and Nat left Versailles and drove back into the center of Paris. Henri knew all the excellent restaurants and invited Nat to be his guest for his one night in Paris. They dropped by Nat's hotel allowing him to freshen and dress. Afterwards they drove to Henri's home where he provided Nat with an exquisite glass of wine and excused himself to dress.

In a little more than thirty minutes, Henri and Nat left to see the city. It was now 8:30 p.m. and within the next three hours Henri and Nat visited five different sophisticated and expensive bars. It was obvious from the clientele these bistros operated virtually as private clubs. Upon their entrance Henri was greeted by either the owner or the bartender. Often he could scarcely make his way through the crowd as many of the patrons wanted to speak to Henri or tell him a clever story relating to a happening within the last few days. Nat had never been involved with the super-sophisticated social set in Paris. He was rubbing elbows with some of the world's wealthiest people. Henri had made dinner reservations for them at 11:00 p.m. However, while visiting the last drinking establishment prior to dinner, Henri ran into an old friend who was an Italian Count. From the moment the conversation began, it was obvious the evening was going to end dining with the Italian Count and his party. Henri was able to slip away long enough to make a phone call. The entourage of no less than twenty-five people finally ended up at three a.m. in an exclusive French restaurant that had closed hours before. Henri had persuaded the owner to hold his staff to serve the Count's party whenever the boisterous group arrived. While Nat enjoyed a drink, he usually kept his alcohol consumption to a limited amount. This caveat was not possible on this evening in Paris. He thought it best to stay with wine, but later realized this had been a mistake. It was impossible for Nat to calculate the volume of wine he consumed during the evening and he knew he would pay for this indulgence the next morning.

Finally at 5:30 a.m. Nat was returned to his hotel in the Rue de Ia Frontenue. He thanked God this was a Saturday night, and he was not scheduled to see Paul Cymianne, the Minister of Securite' in the morning. He had at least one day to rest and relaxes before his scheduled visit with Cymianne on Monday at 10:00 a.m. Nat did not awaken early as he usually did. It was 1:00 in the afternoon when he was able to pry his eyes open and look at the clock on the table beside his bed. As he raised his head from the pillow, a sharp pain streaked from temple to temple pausing momentarily to take separate stabs at each eyeball. He could not remember being in such pain. He was not sure how to cure a hangover. He had heard black coffee was good in bringing one to one's senses after having spent a foolish night chasing worldly pleasures. His mind was slowly thinking of how he could get the restaurant downstairs to send him a pot of black coffee. Nat was careful not to let the thoughts rush through too rapidly because even that small amount of energy appeared to create great pain in his cranium. He finally opened his eyes, adjusted to the light, and reached for the telephone. However, before his hand reached the receiver, he felt a soft feminine hand touch his and put the telephone back into the cradle. In sophisticated fluent French, Nat was asked by a feminine voice if he would like a cup of coffee.

Nat, being grateful for this angel from heaven, replied in French this assistance would be a pleasure. With help from the silken pair of hands and the sophisticated voice, Nat sat upright in his bed and had pillows adjusted to his back. Nat's mind was now coming in focus, and he looked at the angel ministering to him and recognized one of the beautiful young women in the party of the Count last night. He did recall they had sat near each other at the table, danced several times and, for some reason that escaped him now; they had toasted a number of important worldly matters.

To Nat's surprise, this beautiful and voluptuous French girl was clad in nothing but bra and panties. This was somewhat of a shock to Nat, and he was still sorting out how she happened to be in his hotel room at precisely the proper time to help him in his moments of distress. As his mind became clearer, he was even more puzzled about why the young lady was so scantily garbed. Then he realized he had on no clothes at all. The fact he was in his hotel room indicated he had been safely delivered from the festivities the night before. That he had no clothes on also indicated someone had been there to help him undress and, by looking around the room he saw, had hung the clothes in the closet.

Nat was now wondering whether he possessed the savoir faire Frenchmen so highly prize. With headache and all Nat made his way to a bureau drawer and pulled out a pair of jockey shorts and slipped them on. Both Nat and his newfound friend, whose name he discovered to be Yvonne Franque, agreed they both should dress and leave the hotel in search of food. The conversation was easy, intimate and light. It was amazing to Nat how quickly the severe headache passed. Both Yvonne and Nat related to each other in the hotel room while dressing as if their friendship had dated back over many years. Nat found Yvonne to be not only beautiful but highly intelligent.

Nat discovered Yvonne had a degree from the Sorbonne and was well acquainted with many of the faculty members at this great university. He made a mental note of this relationship assuming it might be useful at some future date. The rest of the afternoon and evening were spent with Yvonne, and after a beautiful candlelight dinner accented with exquisite French wine, they both returned to Nat's hotel room in the Rue de la Fronteneu. On this occasion Nat was aware of Yvonne's presence. This he could not deny.

On Monday, June 6, Nat took a cab to the Minister of Securite's office and asked to be directed to the office of Mr. Paul Cymianne. The guard at the door of the building asked for identification, checked the ID carefully, and compared Nat with the photograph on his driver's license before calling a young man in civilian clothes and asking him to accompany Nat to the office of Minister Cymianne. The young man and Nat entered an elevator which moved quickly to the sixth floor. Nat was ushered into a nicely furnished outer office with an attractive and efficient looking secretary. He introduced himself to the secretary, and she assured him he was expected and most welcome to the offices of Minister Cymianne. Shortly after 10:00 a.m., the secretary asked Nat to follow her, and instead of going into a room close by her desk, they proceeded down a wide brightly lit hall to the end of the building. She stopped outside a door, knocked, and a muffled voice inside asked them to enter. She opened the door and walked inside with Nat and introduced him to Minister of Securite' Paul Cymianne.

Paul Cymianne was on his feet immediately. He could not have been more than five feet tall and weighed 165 pounds. He had a powerful compact body which appeared to be in good physical shape. There was an animated look on Paul Cymianne's face, and language began to flow from his mouth. He was a typical extroverted Frenchman. Nat could well remember the conversation he had yesterday with Henri Franche when he described how easy it was for Americans to mistake an extroverted personality to signify a person opened to sharing his private life. Nat's immediate reaction to Paul Cymianne was that here was a person who didn't have a secret in the world. I will enjoy being around him, and we'll have a great time.

Nat reminded himself he was not talking to someone who could not keep a secret. He was talking to the Minister of Securite' who was the Prime Minister's personal liaison to all the security agencies subject to the French government. Paul took Nat by the arm and ushered him to a comfortable seating area near a window in the corner of the room. The view was spectacular. While a building close by blocked one leg of the Eiffel Tower, the remainder of the famous structure could be clearly seen from Paul's office. Paul was busily gathering several French pastries and placing them on a plate. He deposited them on a small table to the left of Nat's chair and returned to get a plate for himself. He then poured two steaming cups of coffee and asked Nat if he preferred cream and sugar. Nat declined this latest offer and indicated he preferred his coffee black. Paul was performing these tasks in an animated way, and he never stopped talking during these preconference moments of hospitality. Quickly Paul seated himself and somehow appeared to be larger seated in the chair than he did moving about the room. It made Nat wonder if the chair had been downsized to be more proportionate to Paul. The conversation started easily but quickly shifted to matters that would benefit Nat. He had only one hour and thirty minutes left in his visit to France, and he had serious matters to discuss. They both were enjoying their coffee and pastry when Nat decided it was time to shift the conversation to matters that needed addressing.

"You obviously have had much experience in dealing with the KGB. Can you describe to me how the KGB is so good in gathering intelligence?"

The words were barely out of Nat's mouth when Paul launched into his conversation in an excited manner.

"To an outsider, intelligence gathering seems hit and miss. To some degree it was back in the 1930's and 1940's. After World War II intelligence became much more organized and scientific with the advent of the large mainframe computers. Frankly most of the KGB's ability in intelligence gathering comes from the fact the country is willing to put the manpower in the field and spend incredible amounts of money. Its money, not ideological causes, that makes our fellow countrymen become traitors. But don't get me started. I'm still of the old school where one should love one's country."

He then looked seriously at Nat, and lowered his voice. "Nat, the United States has more problems than we do in maintaining the loyalty of its citizens. The Soviet Union thinks the American people are becoming disenchanted with a capitalistic democratic government and are rapidly moving to the left. That this movement gained momentum during the Vietnam War came as a surprise to the Soviets. They could hardly believe their good fortune. As we in France observe the political activitist groups in the United States, there is one characteristic which can be counted on. Demonstrations against foreign governments will always be against right wing governments. To my knowledge this is without exception.

"We assume as we observe the United States that the Communists have become influential and dominate these political activitist groups, moving them to the left. But our contacts in the KGB tell us this is not so. While there is some support given to groups in the United States, most of the movement is spontaneous. The criticism of the United States' participation in the Vietnam War has been by the political left. We know the North Vietnamese assassinated more than 60,000 South Vietnamese during the war. If someone were elected to political office, they were marked for assassination. It became impossible to get good people to serve in the government because of this frightening activity. Even today, years after this war, you never hear criticism from a political activitist group or from a college campus relating to Hanoi and North Vietnam.

Our Communist friends could never have hoped to accomplish this feat no matter how, hard they worked."

Paul paused briefly and again launched into his conversation animatedly. "The approach to intelligence gathering today is much more scientific. Let me give you an example. Let's use the United States." Paul stopped briefly, looked at Nat and asked "Where are you from in the United States, Nat?"

"I'm from North Carolina."

"Good; that will give me a perfect example. North Carolina considers itself a southern state. In reality from the geographical point of view, it would be a mid-Atlantic state. It's roughly halfway down the coastline. To cover the United States, the KGB has decided to run all operations from the embassy offices in Washington, D. C. The embassy in your country is well staffed with the best KGB agents in their whole agency. Somehow Americans are still thinking all KGB members are prowling about the back alleys of Europe somewhere. There's no truth to this at all. The main threat to the Soviet Union is the United States, and they're concentrating a great proportion of their manpower and money in your country."

Nat made a mental note of this. He was being sent to Europe by the CIA to move about in a dramatic fashion to uncover KGB agents all over Europe. He wondered what steps the CIA was taking to uncover the KGB agents in the United States. Paul Cymianne had just told him that the very best of the KGB agents were located in his home country. This fact troubled Nat. He was to help uncover European problems; perhaps there would be a time he could do the same on his home turf.

Paul continued with his example. "There are many KGB agents operating out of New York City and attached to the Soviet delegation to the United Nations. Both of these operations are large, but the Washington, D. C. embassy is in control. Now let me move on to the other states to see how they would organize. How many major cities are there in North Carolina?"

Nat answered, "Oh, perhaps a half a dozen."

"Good, that makes it more manageable. The KGB would organize offices in each of these cities. They do so by buying into a legitimate business as a front, one that allows people to come and go without causing undue suspicion from the neighbors. The superior station in North Carolina would probably be in the capital city."

Paul stopped and looked at Nat. "What is the capital city of North Carolina?"

Nat answered again, "Raleigh, which is my home, by the way."

"Good. The chief control for the KGB in North Carolina will be operating from Raleigh. The first job of central control is to put agents in the field making sure they quickly identify all military installations and all industry with major governmental contracts. If you can believe it, Nat that the work can generally can be done within a week. I would think there would be no more than one hundred fifty to two hundred military installations or companies possessing sensitive military contracts within your state."

Nat broke in and pointed out that North Carolina might be somewhat different and quickly described the military bases and the Research Triangle Park.

Paul shrugged his shoulders, "Well, perhaps in your state 250 at the most. Now you can begin to understand the span of control. In North Carolina there would be six KGB fronts and 250 installations needing monitoring, which would average a little more than 40 per station. It now becomes the task of the KGB to penetrate each of the facilities. This is done in many ways. First and most effective is to place a KGB agent inside each sensitive target. They would secure employment for specifically assigned tasks. In most cases, it's easy to penetrate a facility. The Soviets provide a KGB agent with a good education and many skills. Then this well-qualified person will apply for a job in which he or she is over trained. It is virtually impossible for a personnel manager to turn down a highly trained and skillful person applying for a job that doesn't require the credentials being offered. In most cases, the KGB agent avoids applying for jobs requiring clearance in sensitive laboratories and other highly restricted areas since these positions require an FBI check, and they want to steer clear of the FBI if at all possible. Once a highly qualified person has been placed inside a sensitive business, they perform the tasks assigned with great ability. This generates confidence with the executives of the business, and the penetration is given more authority within the organization."

He paused for breath and went on. "The next sad, but true, fact is internal security is seldom very effective. While certain offices and laboratories are off limits to most personnel, they are seldom off limits to maintenance and janitorial staff. They are seldom off limits to highly qualified secretaries. Indeed these staff people move freely through almost any organization. Oddly enough these staff people are the ones in whom many superiors confide. There is a considerable reserve between scientists or anyone in a managerial position. A person's secretary has complete run of his files while a vice president showing up asking for information may be confronted by a fiercely protective individual. Staff people are never viewed as a threat; therefore it is the obvious place to put highly intelligent well-trained agents. There are cases where a well-trained agent ended up knowing more about the business than any other single employee including the president and the vice-president."

Paul sat back a moment and started in again. "Once an agent gains employment and is trusted by his or her colleagues, he or she begins to notice patterns of operation. Most offices and businesses operate on a schedule and office routine. Any time something special or secret emerges, the routine will change. It is at these moments that the agent must be particularly vigilant, for it is then information can best be gathered. As you can see, Nat, these agents are not out in bars listening for a slip of the lip' as we would say back in World War II. They know what they're about. They are highly trained, and gather a tremendous amount of information. Anything that does not appear to be routine is reported back to one of the control offices and compared with information gathered by other agents. It is amazing how quickly patterns develop. Anything of importance is sent back to Washington for transmission to Moscow. The KGB computers then go to work in terms of identification of individuals or anything requiring massive amounts of intelligence matching. It is passed back to the control points and judgments as to its sensitivity are made there."

Paul again stopped briefly, opened both palms and turned them up. "You see, Nat, it isn't very complicated at all. It doesn't even take the manpower most outsiders would expect, but I would say again manpower is never a problem to the Soviets."

Nat asked several other questions and received animated answers. Time passed quickly; it was noon and Nat was scheduled to leave. He regretted leaving this very insightful man. There was so much more he could learn from Paul, but perhaps there would be another day, and he hoped their paths would continue to cross from time to time. Nat caught a cab back to his hotel in the Rue de la Fronteneu and checked out. He made an interesting sight moving about with a valise in one hand and his Compaq 386 in the other. He took a cab to Orly Airport and boarded the flight to Bonn, Germany.

10:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 7, 1987

KGB Office

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov, once again was sitting in his office staring at the latest report relating to Nat Turner. This morning he was not depressed. He was stunned. This moment should be the happiest of his life. On the day before, Monday afternoon, June 6, He had been called to appear before the Central Committee without any prior knowledge or preparation. Komarov had been a nervous wreck. His immediate thought was that his theory of a space initiated war had been analyzed exactly as Dr. Kizim Chelemoi had perceived it. He was sure he was being called before the committee to be ridiculed, chastised, and stripped of his position and sent under KGB escort for immediate execution. It was the first time in his life that Komarov had relied on tranquilizers. He had been using beta blockers to combat a slight case of high blood pressure. Prior to going to the meeting of the Central Committee, he swallowed a handful of these pills. He wasn't sure how many. It actually didn't make any difference. Perhaps they would get him through the meeting without his looking like a complete fool. Had his body reacted to this overdose and he had died, Komarov would have considered it a blessing. He arrived at the Central Committee Chambers within the Kremlin at 2:00 with his nerves under control.

He was not called into the meeting until almost 3:00. The beta blockers had done their work, even though Komarov became worried that the effect would wear off before his audience with this august group of men. The General Secretary asked him to stand instead of being seated. This was highly unusual, and Komarov knew his fate was sealed. The General Secretary, in solemn tones, explained "Tatlin your analysis of the Nat Turner situation has been carefully examined by a battery of experts assembled to work for the Central Committee. These men have been closeted in uninterrupted session since Friday evening. Earlier today, the report was forwarded from this investigating group to the Central Committee. Their conclusion was that your report was as brilliant a collection and analysis of data as has ever been offered by the KGB. The group of experts unanimously endorses your conclusions."

The General Secretary then finished his comments by saying, "Because of the service you have performed for the Soviet Union in this amazing intelligence work, you will be recommended for the Lenin Medal, the highest civilian award available to a citizen of the Soviet Union."

Members of the Central Committee broke into applause and rose in salute to Tatlin Komarov. As a further tribute to Komarov, the General Secretary announced that a presentation would be made privately within the month, but he would be the guest of honor during the next May Day festivities marking the anniversary of the revolution against the Czars. At that time, Tatlin Komarov would become a national hero to be commemorated and idolized throughout history. The award was not being made public at this time because there was much work the Soviets needed to do to ensure that this sneak attack never took place.

Indeed much work was being done. The Soviets had a secret plan of their own, well under way and not detected by any outside intelligence source. This project would give their country protection from space weapons and incoming missiles. It was a strategic defense initiative which had been conceived by Soviet scientists and was guarded with the same secrecy as the Manhattan project in the United States during World War II. While the project was not yet complete and in place, it was only a matter of months before the skies of the Soviet Union would be the safest in the world. If the Soviets were able to complete the defense initiative prior to the United States' deploying space weapons, the American aggressive force would be completely neutralized. Best of all, the reliance of the United States on space weapons would mean the continental United States would be vulnerable to attack if their space weapons were destroyed. The Soviet Central Committee was totally confident the plan would ensure the Strategic Defense Initiative effort being made by the United States would be a complete failure. The location of the weapon was secret except to a handful of closely trusted people high in Soviet government. Soviet scientists had determined this new weapon would be difficult if not impossible to defend against. Yes, Tatlin Komarov was a true hero because he had uncovered these dastardly plans of the United States of America. The Soviets only needed a little more time.

Komarov was again stunned, but for different reasons. He was about to be named a national hero for uncovering an American plot which in reality did not exist. How could he save himself? He decided to send another bulletin to all KGB stations throughout the world again reminding them of the serious consequences of any slip in detailing every movement of Nat Turner. He would take one step at a time and hope all worked out.

The next report he received confirmed the effectiveness of the KGB once again. Turner had arrived at an airport outside Frankfurt, Germany. Within an hour, he boarded a privately chartered airplane and was flown to Orly Airport. Turner had spent the night at a small hotel in the Rue de la Fronteneu. The following morning, Saturday, June 4, he proceeded to the palace at Versailles and met with the Prime Minister of France and his staff. Turner had spent the evening with Henri Franche, the Prime Minister's economic advisor in a round of parties at various exclusive bars and restaurants throughout Paris. Turner returned to his hotel in the company of a French woman at 6:00 a.m. This woman stayed with Turner throughout the day, Sunday, June 5, and returned with him to the hotel staying through Sunday night. Monday morning, June 6, was used to confer with Paul Cymianne, the Minister of Security. In the early afternoon of June 6, Turner departed, bound for Bonn, Germany. Accompanying this brief report was a list of people seen talking to Turner. Close to 100 photographs were scattered about Komarov's desk. Everyone Turner had talked with during the evening was properly preserved on film and forwarded to the KGB office in Moscow. Komarov was being covered up with information. It was obvious his directive had been well received. But Komarov wasn't sure what he was going to do with the massive amount of information being collected based upon his threatening directive. His life had suddenly become highly complex. 

10:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 7, 1987

Office of the Chancellor

Bonn, Germany

Shortly before 10:00 a.m. Nat arrived at the office of the Chancellor. In the few moments before the time for his appointment to begin, he reviewed the events of the past evening. The flight from Paris to Bonn had been without incident. He had taken a cab to the hotel recommended by the CIA, and his reservation was in order upon his arrival. In the early evening hours, he had gone to the first floor and found the bar. He had ordered a whiskey and sat with his back to the wall looking across the dimly lit room toward the entrance off the lobby. The bar was comfortably filled by business men and a few young couples. At 8:30 he had left the bar and crossed the lobby to the main dining room. The maitre d' was gracious and seated him with the efficiency associated with German restaurateurs’. The food proved to be excellent, although a bit heavy for Nat's taste. German food was something to be enjoyed occasionally by the American palate but not to become steady fare for most. After dinner Nat had returned to his room and sensed someone had been there since he had left three hours before. There was nothing specific Nat could detect, just a sense his belongings had been disturbed.

After reflecting on the events of yesterday, Nat began to think about his audience with the Chancellor this morning. The three prime ministers he had seen this week were of very different personalities, yet each seemed to have been born for a leadership role. After comparing the three, his mind moved to the staff professionals with whom he had talked during the week. His mind then drifted back to the tour of the military bases in North Carolina and the week spent in Research Triangle Park. Nat was not arrogant enough to evaluate his three week educational experience in superlative terms. But any objective observer accompanying him during those three weeks would have come to the conclusion that Nat was now one of the best informed men in the world.

This quick education suited Nat's mental processes very well. He was often described as having a photographic mind. He did have a good memory, but his main asset was the ability to synthesize information and relate it to the information he already knew.

This synthesis approach to learning had served Nat well during his three week period of travel. He was at last sitting in the office of the Chancellor of West Germany and in a little more than twenty-four hours, he would be flying to Helsinki to begin the mission for which he had been so diligently preparing. Nat knew he had learned many things which he would not use during the next month. On the other hand, he was even more conscious of the fact that his background of knowledge would spell the difference between success and failure of the mission he set out to accomplish.

The secretary to the Chancellor interrupted his reflections by announcing the Chancellor was now ready for Dr. Turner. Nat followed the secretary into the head of state's office and was immediately impressed by the strength reflected in the furnishings and decor of the office. The thought flashed through Nat's mind that, if he were making a movie which included the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, this would be the perfect movie set. The Chancellor shook Nat's hand and in English welcomed him warmly. Nat returned the welcome in German and continued the conversation in the mother tongue of the Chancellor. As was expected, this mastery of the language endeared Nat to the Chancellor, even though he was quite proficient in English himself. Early in the conversation, Nat conveyed to the Chancellor he did not want to interrupt his busy schedule any more than absolutely necessary. He did indicate it was important that this audience be held. However, he would be most happy to join a person of the Chancellor's choice for lunch. They could then spend the afternoon together discussing some questions which would be most helpful to Nat. Immediately the Chancellor was interested in the kind of questions Nat wanted to discuss. Nat said he was interested in German industrial capacity, and would like to talk to someone who could answer specific questions relating to economic output. After talking with Nat for a few minutes, the Chancellor asked his secretary to ring Hans Huber and make arrangements for lunch and spending the afternoon with Nat answering economic and industrial questions.

The Chancellor informed Nat he had made arrangements for him to spend tomorrow morning with Herbert Wenger, his Minister of Internal Security. This pleased Nat. Herbert Wenger had an international reputation in security matters and was considered one of the most effective people in the world in dealing with the KGB. A conference with Herbert Wenger would be icing on the cake in gaining the attention of the KGB. The conversation between the German Chancellor and Nat covered the waterfront on German American relations. They talked about American and German economic problems. They discussed the stability of the dollar which was so vital to the European countries. The Chancellor was particularly interested in American dollars as the currency in which oil is priced, emphasizing when the dollar is strong oil prices are high in Europe and low in the United States. When the world bankers set out to devalue the dollar they drove it down so far in value it made European exports non-competitive in the United States. The value and stability of the dollar was highly important to the German Chancellor. He emphasized it was a necessity that the dollar find a level appropriate to the international pricing of goods. Once this level is found, the dollar should be stabilized and not allowed to fluctuate widely, throwing economies all over the world into chaos.

Nat then delivered an oration of his own. Using the Japanese as an example, he talked about countries wanting to sell their goods in the United States but constructing trade barriers to keep American goods from being sold in their country. He compared the number of Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Volkswagen automobiles, all produced in Germany and sold in the United States with the almost non-existent market for American automobiles in this country. The Chancellor noted that Ford was a big name in central Europe, but agreed these automobiles were manufactured in Germany, not the United States and contributed nothing to the balance of payments.

Nat pressed on by emphasizing the drain on the United States in terms of trade dollars by keeping hundreds of thousands of military troops deployed in Europe. He speculated how the return of American troops to the United States would affect the balance of trade with Europe. The German Chancellor countered with the fact that, while keeping troops stationed in Europe was very expensive to the United States, it was in the best interest of the United States.

"Nat, most Europeans think the United States keeps its troops here because this is where they want World War III fought if it ever breaks out. The cost of maintaining an army in Europe would be minimal compared to the devastation of an attack on the United States itself. It has long been assumed stationing troops in Europe ensures that that the United States would suffer few scars from future wars."

The Chancellor was speaking matter of factly and not emotionally. It was apparent he was happy to have the troops stationed in his country. It not only was a boost to his economy, but their presence assured there would be no invasion by Soviet or Eastern Bloc troops. As long as the forward bases of the United States military were in central Europe, safety and security were virtually assured. Two hours with the Chancellor passed quickly. Nat had learned much from this European point of view. At noon, Hans Huber arrived at the Chancellor's office to take Nat away for the mid-day meal. Nat and the Chancellor exchanged goodbyes and expressed the hope they would meet again. Nat had been impressed with the Chancellor's intellect and the Chancellor had been impressed with the versatility of the American with whom he had been talking. The Chancellor made a mental note that someday Nat Turner might be useful to the Federal Republic of Germany.

Hans Huber led Nat from the government office building into the streets of Bonn and found a restaurant that was a favorite of his. The restaurant was small and required walking down a few steps from the sidewalk level. And, as with many such German restaurants, it was located in the basement of a large municipal building. Hans was greeted amiably by the owner who showed them quickly to a table reserved for their luncheon. Immediately a waiter was at the table with the menu, quickly returning with two large steins of draught beer.

The cold brew tasted delicious to Nat. His lifestyle in the United States seldom included an alcoholic beverage in the middle of the day. It occurred to Nat how civilized the citizens of this old country were in not compartmentalizing their days. Both men ordered larger than normal meals. Nat was not sure his repast would be lighter that evening, but he decided to enjoy his meal in this most authentic German setting. Nat spent the luncheon hour asking questions of Hans Huber relating to the history of the country. After lunch, they returned to Hans' office, and got down to the business Nat had in mind.

"Hans, how does the German industrial capacity compare with pre-World War II?"

"In many respects the two periods are hard to compare. Since Germany has now been divided, the industrial capacity of the west actually has exceeded that of pre-World War II."

He pointed out, "There has been a great lag in industrial development in East Germany until recent years. However, within the last ten years, East Germany is regaining the vestiges of an industrial nation and will likely have to be reckoned with in the world economy in future years. Many of the natural resources making Germany a major industrial nation lie in West Germany near the Rhine River Valley. The Ruhr area of Germany had been its frontis piece of industrial production prior to World War II. It is once again operating at full capacity. There are few places in the world that can match German production in the Ruhr."

Nat shifted the questions to Germany's reputation for quality.

"What is it about German engineering and craftsmanship that make its optical goods and its automobiles considered to be the finest in the world?" He mentioned such names as Lietz, Ziess, Lieca, Mercedes, BMW and Audi.

Hans' answer to the question surprised Nat. "Our reputation for quality is not only a great asset, but in many cases our greatest liability. The German approach to quality requires small precise improvements which over many years of development lead to a superior product. This same approach to engineering and product development often precludes the ability to swiftly develop a new product that is the brainchild of a brilliant scientist. We found out during World War II the Americans had nothing in their military arsenal which could compete successfully with its counterpart in Germany. The aircraft of Germany were the best. The tanks produced in Germany were the best in the world. The artillery produced by Germany had never been equaled. It was this utter superiority that gave Hitler the idea he could conquer the world militarily because no other country was even close in producing weapons of this quality.

"We Germans love to talk about our superior educational system. Even the Americans give credit to the European educational system. Yet, in a nose-to-nose confrontation, the Americans during World War II started from a virtual zero base when they entered the war in December of 1941. The United States did not have industrial capacity, military design, or industrial workers capable of producing high quality weapons and equipment. They also had an educational system incapable of producing the technicians Germany's could. History will never record the mistake in judgment Hitler and his Nazi subordinates made in judging the ability of the Americans and the United States' industrial capacity.

"Within weeks the United States was gearing up for military output. Companies which had never designed military weapons were coming up with new ideas and approaches which were ahead of the German designs. The United States did not start with a basic idea and improve it in minor ways over many years of testing. Instead an idea was conceived and they produced a weapon superior to the Germans in every way. This approach to technology had never been tried before, and most people would assume it would have been unsuccessful. This did not prove to be true.

"By the end of World War II, the United States was flying a different airplane for every conceivable war time condition. Germany was flying primarily two designs that had been modified from time to time, but we simply could no longer compete with American technology.

"Of course, there is another genius for which Americans have become famous -their genius for logistics. The ability to supply troops proved to be decisive during World War II. Field Marshall Rommel, perhaps the greatest field general since Napoleon, was ultimately defeated in North Africa by the inability of the German nation to supply his troops with ammunition and gasoline. Even in the jungles of Vietnam, the United States prided itself on not only providing ammunition and weapons for its forward troops, but the troops were able to drink Coca-Cola every day. Every member of the United States military was able to eat turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Supply to the United States is as important as the development of arms themselves. The ability to provide logistical support has always been the genius of Americans and somehow cannot be duplicated by any other country in the world."

The conversation about the virtues of the United States economy and the virtues of the German economy went on into the afternoon. Both men found much to admire in the approach the other man's country was taking to problems being faced. The closest thing to bitterness Huber showed toward the United States went back to World War II. Hans' face reddened and his voice rose to a higher pitch as he discussed President Roosevelt's agreement to partition Germany to assure that it would never again be a world power.

"It is my opinion that the forceful personality of Stalin made Roosevelt use poor judgment in this matter and this decision is something the world will regret for generations to come. A strong powerful dictator dominated a sick president who did not have long to live. After World War II was finished, it was discovered that almost all American generals disagreed with the concessions made by the president. The last days of the war were something of a fiasco as American military personnel brought their advances to a halt to allow Russian troops to reach Berlin first and ultimately dominate the eastern half of the country."

Nat had to agree with Huber. Their conversation ended about 6:00, and Hans offered to take Nat to dinner, but he declined. He had only Herbert Wenger, the Minister of Internal Security, to see tomorrow and he would then be on his own. He was now eagerly waiting that moment, looking forward to noon on June 8 as a type of liberation day for him.

Nat knew an evening alone planning the next three to four weeks would prove most valuable. Tomorrow afternoon he would be winging his way toward Helsinki, and he needed to be fully functioning in his role as an important CIA operative from the moment he left the airport in Bonn.

When Nat arrived back to his hotel, he again had the uneasy feeling his belongings had been disturbed. There was nothing specific that he could identify. It was at this point he decided he might provide some future greetings to unseen searchers and makes them a bit more wary of getting too close to Nat as he moved about Europe. He decided he would stay at the hotel for dinner that evening. He followed his usual pattern of going to the hotel bar around 7:00. After an hour of relaxing and reflecting on his day he planned to move to the German dining room for a good dinner, and then retire early. His arrangements were to see Herbert Wenger at 8:00 in the morning. He wanted to be away by noon, but he did not want to shortchange the time he could spend with one of the outstanding individuals of the intelligence community.

Nat returned to his room and turned in early, awakening promptly at 5:30 a.m. He showered, shaved, packed his bag carefully and checked his Compaq 386 computer to see that it all was in working form. He went down the elevator into the lobby and returned to the dining room for breakfast. A big breakfast was still unusual for Nat. In the United States he had skipped breakfast altogether and had nothing other than several glasses of grapefruit juice prior to the noon meal. His habits were certainly changing as he moved across Europe. Nat was offered the typical continental breakfast of juice, coffee and rolls, but he declined and went with a cooked full breakfast.

By 8:00 a.m. Nat was in Herbert Wenger's office waiting to see Germany's intelligence chief. Nat had brought his valise and his computer with him and deposited them safely under the watchful care of Wenger's secretary. Nat was escorted by Wenger's secretary into his office and introduced to this famous intelligence operative. While the men were exchanging greetings, the secretary returned with two strong cups of coffee. No cream or sugar was offered here, and Wenger's secretary slipped quietly out of the room closing the door firmly behind her.

Nat chose to launch right into the conversation. He knew he had only four hours and the knowledge this man contained was too valuable to spend in small talk. Fortunately Wenger had much the same personality. He was German to the core and, while unduly courteous, he was all business. Nat had to adjust to Wenger's patterns of speech as he talked much more rapidly than a typical American. When Wenger found the conversation was going to be held in German and not in English, he relaxed considerably and much of the formality disappeared.

Wenger's expression and speech patterns became highly animated. It appeared to Nat they were speaking at twice the rate of conversational English. Herbert Wenger did choose to sit behind his desk while Nat sat in a rather stiff, but comfortable chair across from him. Nat took a good strong sip of the black brew furnished by Wenger's secretary and began the conversation. "Herr Wenger, I need your insight very badly. I am convinced within the next two to three months, I am going to be called upon to face high ranking KGB agents and my own salvation will be information I've gathered from people such as you who know the KGB and the Soviets so very well. I hope you can help me."

"Please Dr. Turner, call me Herbert, and I will return the favor by calling you Nat if you will so allow."

Nat eagerly nodded his assent. "I would be much more comfortable if we proceeded on a first name basis."

"What precisely would you like to know?"

"I want to know as much as possible about the Soviet mentality. I am particularly eager to understand the relationship of Germany to the Soviet Union. I am also interested in knowing Soviet designs on central Europe.

"Those questions will be easy to answer. The Soviet Union still fears Germany. The United States is the only country in the world the Soviets fear more than Germany.

To many Americans, it appears the United States has lost prestige in recent years. Not so in the eyes of the Soviet Union. As long as the Federal Republic of Germany and the USA remain close friends and allies, the Soviet Union is going to feel threatened and uncomfortable.

"Another bold move made by the United States particularly unsettling to the Soviets has been the developing relationship with mainland China. When the two great land masses of the Soviet Union and mainland China were contiguous and both firmly in the hands of Communist governments, it looked as if the future belonged to those of a Communist ideology. It looked as if world domination were not only a possibility but a practicality that could be accomplished within a reasonable time. The cooling of relations between the Soviet Union and China, coupled with the fact that the United States has made cultural, educational and now economic inroads into this Communist country, has been most unsettling. The United States appears to be winning again."

Nat said, “That is fascinating. I am enjoying your global perspective. Please tell me more. I'm very interested in your view of the Soviet Union.

"I've said already that Russia still fears Germany. You asked me about their designs on central Europe. Yes, they would like to see a reunification of Germany, but only if it could be totally dominated by the Soviet Union. I don't think there is any way the Soviet Union will ever trust a free Germany. They are afraid a rearmed Western Germany could march against their giant country and possibly defeat them. Their view of our nation approaches paranoia. There are times the Soviet Union fears a rearmed Germany more than it fears the United States. Nevertheless, a rearmed and reunified Germany being encouraged by the United States would upset a balance of power in this region in a way most unacceptable to the Soviets."

Nat was fascinated at Herbert Wenger's analysis. "Do they fear anybody else?" "Absolutely not, if somehow the Soviets could dominate Western Germany through a form of reunification, and if United States through public opinion at home could be made to pull in its horns and submit to disarmament, I am sure there would be no stopping their military incursions."

"How would they accomplish the domination of Germany?"

"There are two methods. First of all, they need a complete recall of American troops from central Europe, particularly Germany. As long as the Americans are here, there is no hope of dominating our people. And certainly as long as the Americans are here, there will be no talk of reunification into an independent state once again. Reunification would only be acceptable as a Communist state. Germany would have to become part of the Eastern Bloc nations. If the Soviets could create a desire in the United States strong enough to bring their troops home, then the Soviets could see the possibility of dominating central Europe.They have large conventional forces based in the Eastern Bloc nations which literally could overrun our country within a few hours."

"I take it that you and your government does not  want the American troops removed," Nat replied with a laugh.

"Well, I won't speak for my government. That changes like the wind, but it is my opinion that American troops in Germany are the major stabilizing force in central Europe. An agreement to remove the American troops, disarming Western Germany, would have a most destabilizing effect. Anyone knowing much about Soviet politics and the Soviet mindset would agree that destabilization must be avoided at all costs."

"Herbert, tell me about the atmosphere here in Germany when the Pershing II's and the cruise missiles were deployed?"

For the first time, Herbert Wenger laughed out loud. "This shook the Soviets in their boots. They had deployed their SS-20s throughout the Eastern Bloc nations and, when President Reagan without warning announced the upgraded Pershing II was now going to be placed throughout central and Western Europe along with a brand new cruise missile, our Soviet friends didn't know what to do. Soviet security was being threatened by these two new missiles, and they became desperate to see that they were removed."

"Did it bother the Soviets that the cruise missile was being placed in countries other than Germany?"

"I'm not sure that I can answer that question totally, but in my opinion, they didn't care whether anybody else had the Pershing II or the cruise or not. Only when you put such weapons on German soil do the Soviets become angry and upset. In fact, the French are turning out very good missiles themselves right now. They have no need of American manufactured equipment. Yet I have seen no evidence the Soviet Union fears French military prowess."

"Why do they focus so strongly on Germany? Is it because they believe they were mistreated during the eastern front invasion during World War II?"

"The casualties suffered at the hands of German troops during World War II have had a lasting effect on the Soviets, but I feel it is more than that. The Germans were able to march through the Soviet Union so easily. The only thing saving their total capitulation was the incredible stream of supplies and materials the United States was pouring in to help provide a defense. The United States will never get credit for saving their hide during World War II. But without it, there is no question the country would have fallen and would have been a closed chapter until the end of the war.

"There is something about the Germans that is anathema to Soviet people. The Soviets are superstitious about our country. I will admit it is the nature of the German people to grow strong. Hitler's quest for a super race was based on his observations of the German people. It was his theory that there were certain genetic traits which created super people in mind, body and spirit. He was convinced the Germans were the epitome of such people. Hitler also reasoned that the destruction of his people would come from inter-marriage with men and women of genetic backgrounds not as stable in personality as those who traditionally resided in Germany. I think the only people Hitler feared were the Jewish people. He was convinced they had as much or more willpower than the Aryans of central Europe. Hitler not only wanted to purify his own strains, but wanted to rid the German people of the only real competition they faced. It became an obsession to him to remove the Jewish people. His underlying fear was that their determination and shrewdness could ultimately defeat his master plan. Hitler was also wary of inter-marriage with any Latin group. He thought these people were unstable emotionally and would be the downfall of his master plan."

"Was there anything that the Americans did after World War II that was particularly devastating to the Russians?"

"Oh yes. History may never record the importance of the Berlin airlift. President Harry Truman made a bold step that stopped the Russians in their tracks. His resolve did more to stabilize central Europe than any other historical event. He will never get the credit he deserves for such a courageous act. As you recall, after World War II, Communism was sweeping the world. Within a very few years more than two thirds of the world's people were under Communist domination. President Truman's swift movement in constructing the United Nations and pushing through both the NATO and SEATO treaties brought the spread of Communism to an abrupt halt. Since the NATO and SEATO treaties, there have only been about five nations that have moved under Communist control. It is very unfortunate most of the signers choose to honor the NATO treaty, but the lack of will to honor the provisions of the SEATO treaty has left the Southeast Asians out in the cold. It once again proves that blood is thicker than water. Americans still feel strong ties to England and to their roots in central and Western Europe. They have never had this commitment with the Southeast Asians. Consequently there was no enthusiasm to defend these countries against incursions from aggressor forces. President Truman proved his commitment when he supported the United Nations' police action in Korea. I think Americans often forget this involvement was a United Nations' action and not an American war at all."

For the rest of the morning, Nat continued to ply Wenger with questions. Each question was answered forthrightly and forcefully. Nat had seldom experienced a mind with the keen insight of this German. By the end of the morning, when Nat's appointment was at an end, he was pleased the German people were allies of the United States. Nat also had developed a certain resolve to do everything possible to see the two Germanys reunified as an independent country without Russian domination. He had no idea how he could contribute to such a bold political move, but he would certainly be on the side of those who would make this attempt. Shortly after noon Nat stood up to leave Wenger's office. Both men shook hands firmly, and Herbert assured Nat, if he could ever be of assistance, he was as near as the telephone.

Yes, Nat Turner was impressed with Herbert Wenger, but as Nat departed through the door, Wenger decided, "There is something magical about that man. Someday in the future, I am convinced he will be useful to the Federal Republic of Germany." Wenger was astounded at the intelligence and breadth of knowledge possessed by Nat Turner. Within the last three weeks Turner was becoming an international celebrity. Nat caught a taxi and directed the driver to the airport. He reflected on the fact that his education was now over. Everything he had been preparing himself for was now about to take place.

9:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, 1987

KGB Office

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov had just read the latest report from his station in Bonn. His agent had picked up the trail of Turner the moment he arrived in the airport, and it detailed every move he made during the day and a half that followed. The notes told of his audience with the Chancellor, the afternoon spent with the Chancellor's deputy Hans Huber, followed by the evening spent alone in his hotel.

A slight chill had run down Komarov's spine when he read the notation relating to Herbert Wenger, minister of internal security. Wenger had proven to be one of the greatest problems faced by the KGB in recent years. The man had been nothing but a thorn in Komarov's side. The fact that Nat Turner was now making a direct and personal connection with Wenger raised Komarov's anger considerably.

The report also listed the names of everyone Turner had talked with at any length during his stay in Germany. They included waiters, maitre’ d's, cab drivers, desk clerks, and every conceivable tradesman one chances to meet during a brief stay in the downtown section of a large city. Accompanying the written reports were a host of photographs to be placed in Soviet files. Komarov knew most of this information relating to the casual contacts made by Turner would be worthless. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to turn all of the names and photographs over to his technical department for scanning and matching within the large mainframe computers. Millions of bytes of memory were going to be used, storing useless information with the hope that somewhere there would ultimately be a few matches able to unlock the key to Turner's strange odyssey.

Since Komarov's meeting with the Central Committee on Monday, he had finally recovered and realized if he could stymie this CIA operation work, he truly would become a national hero. The Central Committee had already made that decision. There was nothing else for Komarov to do but use the full resources available to him through his position in the KGB and focus entirely on this American college president, who had come out of nowhere three weeks ago. During the last few days, Komarov had spent considerable time reflecting on Dr. Kizim Chelemoi's rhetorical questions. They had been so logical and had come as such a shock that Komarov had accepted them as the truth. As the space lengthened between the times the conversation had taken place with his old major professor and now, calm rationality was beginning to return.

Regardless of Dr. Chelemoi's cold logic, there were other facts to be considered. Turner had spent two days at Fort Bragg, with the base closed. He had subsequently followed this same pattern at Pope Air Force Base, Camp LeJeune, Cherry Point Marine Air Base, Seymour Johnson Tactical Air Command and the Voice of America. He then visited eight highly sensitive research laboratories in the Research Triangle, all involved one way or the other in activities that could relate to the American military efforts. After this strenuous two-week exercise, Turner had spent more than a week talking to the prime ministers of four enemy powers of the Soviet Union and spent time with high ranking staff members and chiefs of security. Regardless of Chelemoi's logic, there was no one in history who would have made this journey for no apparent reason. Something big was going on, and Turner was the key to the whole operation. Chelemoi was wrong. He had to be wrong. Nevertheless, Komarov had already made up his mind to keep Chelemoi involved just to test his theories in operational techniques. If he did not bring Dr. Chelemoi back into his deliberations, it would be a weakness on his own part and an admission of Chelemoi's correctness. This he would never do.

At the moment Chelemoi was no longer Komarov's friend and trusted advisor. He had become an adversary of sorts through no fault of his own. Komarov thought again of sending out a bulletin to all stations re-emphasizing the importance of posting surveillance on Turner wherever he appeared. On second thought, he brought his mind to a shuttering halt. He said, "By God, I'm going crazy." An additional bulletin would suggest paranoia on my part. I have to settle down to become methodical and brilliant head of the KGB I was before I ever heard of Nat Turner.” Then it suddenly occurred to him, he didn't believe in God.

9:00 a.m. Thursday, June 9, 1987

CIA Headquarters

McLean, Virginia

The meeting this morning had been called to update Chris Cope on Nat Turner's activities during the last week and a half. Chris was exited this morning because he had been successful in setting up the necessary appointments for Nat in England, Israel, France and Germany. He had used many of his green stamps in making those arrangements and he was hopeful things had gone well in those respective halls of state. After a few moments of getting themselves up to speed, Chris moved right in by asking George Calumet, "Have you had any reports on Turner's activities?"

"Yes, I have had several reports."

"I hope they were positive."

"They were very positive. Much more positive than any of us could have hoped."

"Were you able to find out the nature of his conversations?"

"Yes, in some cases. But it was difficult to ask ' What did our operative talk to you about?' Nevertheless, I have had exit interviews with everyone Nat talked with other than the prime ministers themselves."

"How did he come off with the prime ministers?"

"Great. It was incredible. They treated him as if he were the Secretary of State. Evidently, the man has a quality about him to move at any level. In England he had an audience with the Prime Minister and she asked him to spend the rest of the day with Sir Henry Boyton. He is her closest friend and also her political advisor. Boyton indicated that she was very impressed with Turner. They got along famously. Boyton said he had never spent a more pleasant afternoon with anyone and that Nat was exceptionally intelligent. He also talked to Charles Hepplewhite the head of MI6."

"What did Turner talk to Boyton about?"

"They talked politics. Nat was interested in Communist infiltration into the Labor Party of Great Britain. They also talked about Communist influence among activist groups in the United States and influence within our own political parties. Boyton thought that Turner was a political scientist."

"You mentioned he talked to Charles Hepplewhite. Were you able to find out the gist of that conversation?" Cope asked.

"Yes, Charles was very open about their conversation. He said Turner was interested in KGB espionage. He wanted to know their strengths and their weaknesses. Hepplewhite was surprised at Turner's previous knowledge on the subject."

"That was Monday and Tuesday."

"No, that was Tuesday and Wednesday. His appointments concluded with Hepplewhite at noon and we flew him to Tel Aviv on Wednesday."

"I'm interested in how he got along with the Prime Minister of Israel."

"I was worried about that one too, but evidently, the results were the same as England. Shock Winagin, the Deputy Prime Minister, said that within a very few minutes Turner was being treated as if he were on the Prime Minister's staff. After Turner left, the Prime Minister commented several times about the American visitor."

Calumet continued, "He has spent most of his time now with Shock Winagin and Sydney Granier, the head of Mossad. Their conversations ranged from ' What do the Russians fear most', to the precise locations of the Russian's listening and tracking stations. It's amazing the way Turner's mind works. Obviously he is up to something, but I can't quite figure out what it is. Each of the people he talked to indicated that their conversation was focused on a particular topic. There was no general conversation at all."

Cope looked puzzled, but let it pass. "How was he able to operate with the French? That was touch and go even for us to arrange."

Calumet grinned. "There must be some French blood in the man! First of all, he speaks fluent French. This may have been the key to a successful weekend. The Prime Minister liked him and Henri Franche, the Prime Minister's economic advisor, was enthralled with him. Turner and Franche not only talked about French and American relations, they spent all night carousing in the best bars in Paris. And from what I was able to find out about the way our college president spent Saturday and Sunday nights, it is a wonder he ever left Paris."

All of the three men grinned broadly.

Calumet went on. "Any time in the future Turner hears someone make the statement that Paris is the world's greatest city, I'm sure he'll stand up and applaud."

"How did he fare with Paul Cymianne, the erstwhile Minister of Securite'? He typically is a tough nut to crack," inquired Cope.

"Well, Turner was able to crack that tough nut. He asked Paul, ' Help me think like a Russian.' From that moment Paul was off and running. They began to play head games with each other and Cymianne thought the experience was fantastic."

Cope asked, "And Germany?"

Calumet answered, "Same success rate. He hit a home run with the Chancellor. Hans Huber, the Deputy Chancellor, thinks Turner is the smartest American with whom he has ever dealt. But the crowning blow was Herbert Wenger, their intelligence chief. From our conversation I came away with the impression that Wenger was willing to go to work for Turner."

Calumet shook his head from side to side and said, "This man is entirely to good to be true. I remember commenting he was more like a character out of a book than a real human being. I'm thinking that was a very good assessment of the man."

There was a brief pause. Cope concluded the conference by saying, "Nat Turner, good luck. You've been playing in our ball park up to this moment. Now you're playing in theirs.

7:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, 1987

Kalastajatorppa Hotel

Helsinki, Finland

Nat's plane from Bonn arrived in Helsinki at 5:12. He moved through passport control and customs quickly. Outside the airport, he caught a taxi to the Kalastajatorppa Hotel. The KGB was on full alert. Agents in Bonn had kept him under surveillance until he boarded his aircraft to leave for Finland, and when the plane touched down; KGB agents were in the airport to make sure Nat did not slip away unnoticed. At an even safer distance were CIA agents whose assignment was to identify and photograph KGB agents keeping Turner under surveillance. Both groups were doing their jobs effectively.

After arriving at the Kalastajatorppa Hotel, Nat showered and shaved. He opened his Compaq 386 computer, removed the keyboard from the side of the machine, and laid it flat on the table in his hotel room. He released the catches on top of the small powerful computer, allowing the plasma screen to swing forward and upward. He took his finger and pressed it to the top edge of the plasma screen and tilted the viewing surface until it was perfectly perpendicular to the keyboard. For the next hour Nat coded messages embodied in brief assembly language programs. His quick mental arithmetic with the time difference assured him Nancy would be at work and ready to receive his phone call. Nat placed his call through the hotel operator to Nancy at Cameron College. He hung up the phone to await the call back when the connection was made.

Within 15 minutes the phone rang and the hotel operator indicated his party was on the line. Nat exchanged pleasantries with Nancy and they discussed some pressing college business. After several college matters were settled, Nat bade Nancy farewell and asked her to connect with the modem of her computer.

Nat turned on the modem connected to his Compaq 386 computer and brought up the C > on the screen. He typed "Transmit" on the keyboard, pressed enter and within three seconds the cursor indicated the transmit.bat program had done its job.

According to their previous agreement Nancy had made a set of directories on her computer known only to her and Nat. Nat's batch file copied programs from the Compaq to the IBM at an incredible speed. The batch file gave the Compaq a command to erase the programs just transmitted. No trace of any message was left in the memory of the computer for the prying eyes of the KGB.

Nancy ran the three programs through the decompiler to see what her instructions were. This system of communication was incredibly simple. As long as only Nat and Nancy knew the directories to which Nat's programs were to be copied, no one could intercept the messages. If the KGB had attempted to use a computer for the interception of these brief programs, it would have been to no avail unless they had some previous knowledge of the directories to which the programs were going to be copied. Nancy now printed the decompiled programs on her Hewlett Packard LaserJet II printer.

Nat had sent her a list of names. Following George Calumet, Nat listed the military personnel contacted at each of the bases in North Carolina. He listed the director of the Voice of America and each person he had interviewed at the eight research laboratories in the Research Triangle Park. This followed with the contacts made on his visit to England, Israel, France and Germany. He asked that this list be put in the safe deposit box owned by his software company, Carolina Business and Scientific Graphics.

The second program contained a list of the nine other cities he would be visiting while in Europe. He asked Nancy to contact the research librarian of Cameron College to determine the major university located in each city, and to contact the president of each university identified and request an appointment for Nat during the time he was scheduled to be in the European city.

Then she was to make phone calls to the chemistry department and the physical science department at both the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the North Carolina State University in Raleigh. From the head of these four departments she was to find out the scientific specialty and chief researcher of each of the nine universities. She was to make Nat an appointment with the identified chief researcher immediately following his appointment with the president.

The third program contained a personal message explaining it was Nat's intention to visit these major universities as he traveled across Europe. Nat confided to Nancy he thought these visits to the universities would frustrate the KGB agents who had him under surveillance. The KGB was suspicious of academics.

Before Nat turned off his computer he looked to the screen for the brief message confirming the programs had been copied to the appropriate directories, had been decompiled, and his requests noted In a separate journal.

Nancy indicated she looked forward to the next contact.

Nancy signed off and Nat threw the toggle switch on his Compaq 386. With this business behind him, he left his room, descended in the elevator and crossed the lobby to the bar. The lounge was comfortably filled with businessmen and young couples. When the Finnish waitress appeared, Nat ordered a Johnny Walker Black Scotch Whiskey on ice with no water. Within a very few minutes the waitress returned with Nat's drink on a cocktail napkin with a swizzle stick inside the glass.

Not realized his world was about to change. During the preceding three weeks it had been perfectly legitimate for him to seek relaxation and solitude. From this point on his instructions were to visit with as many people as possible. He was warned by the CIA that at no time would he be free from the prying eyes of KGB surveillance while he was in public. He realized that somewhere in the room was at least one KGB agent who had been assigned not to let Nat out of his sight.

Nat took a slow sip of his drink and treasured the slow burn in his throat. As the fiery liquid descended into his digestive tract, he put his glass down. A young Finnish couple in their late twenties entered from the lobby, looked around the lounge, and preceded to a table near Nat.

He thought to himself "Now the adventure begins."

He had no way of knowing if this couple had anything to do with the KGB, but he had already decided any unsolicited contact would be treated as if it were sent directly from Moscow. As the couple was seated, Nat nodded, raised his glass in half salute, and the couple nodded back. He returned to the pleasure of his drink but had indicated to this pair he was approachable. During the next thirty minutes the lounge became full to overflowing and it was necessary for several people to stand at the bar. Nat half laughed, wondering to himself if the whole KGB station in Helsinki had turned out to have a drink with him in the bar. It occurred to him the whole room might be filled with KGB agents and CIA agents all watching each other. Nat decided it was now time to cast the bait and see who might be interested in talking with him during the evening. He needed to become actively involved with the patrons at the bar in order to make the KGB agents identify themselves. If he were to stay seated, they would remain passive, and the CIA would have no way of identifying those guests who were KGB agents. He decided that these next few weeks traveling across Europe would be a curious game. It was now time to start playing.

The only three languages Nat knew well were English, French and German. He could passably read others languages but there was no point in attempting a conversation if he could not do so with some competence and fluency. He turned to the young couple who had seated themselves nearest to him and asked in English, "Do you speak English?" He immediately changed into French and then into German, asking the same question.

The young couple smiled and replied that they spoke both French and German.

"In which language would you like to converse?" the man asked.

Nat returned their smile and replied in German. "Pardon the intrusion into your evening. I'm only going to be in Helsinki for a day or two and I was wondering how local people spend their evenings to get the most enjoyment from the city.

"Are you English?" asked the young man.

“No, I am an American. I hope that does not disqualify me from having a good time in Helsinki,”

Both the man and the woman laughed. “No, it is quite the opposite. I am sure your being an American will allow you to have a better time in Helsinki than if you were English. The Americans we've known have a more devil-may-care attitude than do the English."

Nat took the liberty of picking up his drink and moving to their table without asking. He decided the best defense was a good offense. The three people introduced themselves and began a conversation outlining evenings' activities in Helsinki. No questions were asked relating to Nat's business or to any pointed remark leading Nat to become deeply involved in serious conversation. This couple was evidently taking his request at face value and helping him plan a good time.

After receiving instructions from the couple, Nat took his drink and moved to the bar. He decided it would be necessary for him to talk with several other people before he moved from this location. He was quick to find that Helsinki was a friendly city. Conversation came easy and within the next hour he had spoken with ten or more people. The lounge had now become crowded to the point people would order a drink and move away from the bar, standing in small groups enjoying their drinks. Nat decided to move into any group having a good time. Generally, those are the circumstances in which a stranger is most welcome. He avoided groups if the conversation tended to be serious. Assuming the KGB was present and watching him he knew they were going to have quite a task in determining which, if any, of the people he had spoken to were some sort of clandestine contact.

As the evening wore on, it occurred to Nat the KGB would not be looking for a casual comment or signal from Nat. A person who had visited military bases and prime ministers would need a more extended conversation with a person to pass on important information. Nat was going to have to use his imagination and branch out from this point on. But, he thought to himself, everyone learns, and I was given no instructions or training. Surely I'm smart enough to find someone tonight who will join me for a least a portion of the evening. He decided, when in doubt, spend money.

Nat went into the restroom located near the end of the bar. He took out his wallet and put all the small denomination bills in his coat pocket leaving only large denomination bills in his wallet. From this time on, when he bought a drink or paid for a dinner, he would break a large denomination bill. It was important to be viewed as being well financed by those observing his actions.

He had been in the hotel long enough. He left the bar, crossed the lobby, and asked the doorman to hail him a cab. When the cab arrived, he gave the doorman a large tip and told the taxi driver to take him to the Punainen Hattu, an upscale bar whose name was provided by the couple he had talked with in the bar. Nat sat back in the rear seat of the cab to enjoy the ride across town. Downtown Helsinki is beautiful. He had visited the city during a previous occasion, but it was January when snow had made the city into a white wonderland. He was now debating whether he liked the ethereal feeling a blanket of snow gave the city. Nat thought there was something special about Scandinavian countries. Exhilaration comes from the appreciation of the long days during the short summers. These countries live close to nature. Nat assumed this feeling came from the fact that most Scandinavian cities were near large bodies of water.

Within minutes Nat was discharged from the taxi, paid the fare, and gave the driver a generous tip. He decided to go into this new environment with a fresh approach. He entered the bar which was not full. Obviously it catered to late night callers. Nat walked up to the bar and asked for Johnny Walker Black on ice. The efficient Finnish barkeep quickly provided the drink Nat ordered.

In return for barkeep's service, Nat laid a fifty dollar bill in American currency on the countertop and said, "If you have any ladies here tonight by themselves, please buy them a drink on me."

He turned and walked to a table deep in the recesses of the room. Nat halfway expected the bartender to put the fifty dollar bill in his pocket. He certainly would have in the United States. But, true to Nat's directions, the bartender looked around the room and found three single women sitting by themselves at a table. The bartender carefully looked at each, searched his mind for the drink they had been served, and prepared a fresh one. He put the drinks on a tray and solicitously served them one at a time, mentioning the gentleman across the room had been kind enough to see that each was properly provided for during the evening. This bold plan of action seemed to work. The three women caught Nat's eye, lifted their glasses in salute, and Nat returned the greeting. Nearby tables asked the women the significance of the exchange, and when it was explained, there was hearty laughter. Nat had bought his way into the hearts of the patrons quickly. From this moment on, Nat was accepted as if he were a regular in the lounge.

At 10:00 good fortune smiled on Nat. More of the tables were filling up, and a small combo arrived and began to play. Nat knew music and a dance floor provide possibilities not available in a lounge without such social amenities. As soon as the music started, Nat selected a table with two couples sitting, talking and having a good time. He signaled the barkeep, pointed to the table of four, and used a finger to make a circle in the air over his head, indicating another round for this group. As the barkeep arrived with the four drinks, Nat reached the table at the same time. He said, while the drinks were being served, he wondered if one of the ladies would care to dance, being careful to ask her male companion for permission and not the lady. Male ego prevailed, and certainly anyone who bought a round of drinks deserved a dance with a female companion.

Nat, now a part of the group, decided to stretch his luck. He selected the next table of four nearest him, caught the barkeep's eye, made a big sweeping circle over his head, and pointed to the adjacent table. He declared loudly enough for all eight guests to hear, when a person comes to Helsinki alone, he can have a good time, but it certainly is expensive. He moved to the next table, asked permission for a dance, and for the next thirty minutes ending up dancing with all four women at the two tables.

He now had become the host. Nat made sure everyone was supplied liberally with drinks and he began to direct which male would dance with which female. Soon both tables had amalgamated into one party. Everyone was delighted with their new American friend. He was clever, witty, and charming and everyone was pleased he had joined the party.

The hour was now getting late, and Nat knew the restaurants would be closing soon. He announced to his group that the Finnish people were so gracious and wonderful to allow him to join them for the evening he wanted to take them to dinner at a very fine restaurant recommended to him by a friend earlier in the evening. All of his new found friends clamored about the impossibility of this idea, but Nat insisted. He would have it no other way. They left the drinking establishment and decided the small European cars would not accommodate more than four people. Consequently, they needed to hire three taxis and go as troikas. Nat agreed this was the proper way to travel, and quickly took the arms of the two most attractive women in the group and put them in a taxi with him sitting in the middle.

Everyone laughed at this move and shouted jokes at Nat to defend himself from the advances from the two women or he would find himself physically spent before he arrived at the restaurant. Nat had enough to drink to be totally enjoying himself. He smiled to himself as he thought this evening of merriment would be considered dangerous by the CIA and the KGB. He also began to regret this was the only night he was spending in Helsinki. He wanted his new acquaintances to think of him as a friend whom they would be seeing often in the future.

Within fifteen minutes the three taxis had arrived at the Kaivohuone restaurant and the group reassembled inside for dinner. It had occurred at Nat to look around from time to time to see if he could detect CIA or KGB agents, but he decided it was not his job to detect KGB agents. That was the task of the CIA. He was going to make the tour of ten cities as if he were on some grand vacation unless the KGB made a move and confronted him along the way. He had never lived in a world with an invisible enemy. They were out there somewhere, but he had no way of detecting their presence.

The dinner for nine was as successful and pleasant as the party Nat had hastily arranged at the bar earlier in the evening. Violinists moved from table to table asking the ladies for their favorite song. Nat saw that the roving musicians were amply rewarded for their deference to his party. The leader of the group thanked Nat over and over for his generosity and made an effort to frequent his table often.

After the meal was ended everyone enjoyed an after dinner liqueur or coffee. It was time to return to their respective homes and Nat sincerely hated to see the evening end. He had new friends and yet he realized this was a onetime occurrence and he would never see them again. Nat paid the bill; left a generous tip, once again thanked the musicians for their attention, and saw the leader was rewarded for his good judgment.

They moved to the curb and hailed a cab. As if by some prearranged signal, the two attractive women who had accompanied Nat to the restaurant announced to their escorts that Finnish hospitality demanded they see Nat safely back to his hotel. They dismissed their dates to another taxi and assured them they would be talking within a day or two. This movement came as a complete surprise to Nat, and he expected the evening to end on a sour note with serious objection from the two Finnish dates. He found the opposite to be true. The men cheerily waved goodbye to Nat and their dates and saw that the door to the taxi was firmly closed. They both joked again with Nat about taking his physical well-being into his own hands and the taxi drove off towards the Kalastajatorppa Hotel. The cab had not moved away from the curb before it became apparent the evening was nowhere near its end. Each woman moved closer to Nat in the back seat of the cab and leaned her head on his shoulder. This American college President was now the most relaxed he had been in his life. Within a few minutes the taxi moved safely in front of the Kalastajatorppa Hotel. Nat paid the driver and with a Finnish beauty on each arm proceeded to the elevator leading to his room.

Nat became amused and laughed out loud as he recalled the warnings of the young ladies' dates when they were leaving the restaurant. However, when Nat awoke in his hotel bed the next morning, he realized he should have taken those warnings seriously. Within minutes after he was awake, he had called room service and ordered breakfast for himself and his two roommates. He ran the events of the previous night through his mind.

In his own judgment he had started slowly but had accelerated nicely. During the evening he had talked with at least twenty-five different people. He had not only moved smartly around the lounge, but had taken a party of nine to dinner. He had made sure he had ample private conversation with members of the musical combo, particularly the leader of the group. Today he was going to be busy. He was not sure he could accomplish all he had in mind. His original plan, and the one expected by the CIA, was for him to leave Helsinki this afternoon for Copenhagen. He had now determined this schedule was impossible and he would have to spend at least one more night in Helsinki. It had been agreed that Nat would have no contact with the CIA. It was going to be necessary for the CIA to adjust their schedule. Nat knew it was necessary for him to develop a rhythm that would be predictable to the KGB. He learned that certain predictability now would allow him to make abrupt moves later and throw the KGB off track if necessary.

While waiting breakfast, Nat took the liberty of using the bathroom first, showering, shaving and returning to the bedroom to dress. During this early period of the morning Nat and his two guests had an easy conversation. Nat was dressed by the time breakfast arrived. The two Finnish women slipped on robes furnished by the hotel for the convenience of the guests. Nat could seldom recall breakfast being more delicious. Something about the espionage business was exhilarating, making all of the senses come alive in ways he had not experienced in years. After breakfast the women began to dress and Nat went to the telephone.

He asked the hotel operator to contact the President of the University of Helsinki. Within moments the secretary to the President answered and Nat explained he was a college president visiting from the United States and would like to come by the President's Office for a courtesy call. Nat assured the secretary his visit would take no more than thirty minutes and he would not monopolize the time of the University's chief executive. Nat looked at his watch and made the appointment for 10:00. He had a full hour to reach the University and become familiar with the grounds and the layout of the institution.

At 9:30 Nat and the two Finnish women descended the elevator and walked across the lobby. Nat put them in a taxi, sending them home. Both made sure Nat had their telephone numbers should he want to contact them in the future. Nat liked the Finnish people and he made a mental note to come back to Helsinki for a more extended visit.

Nat directed the taxi to take him to the administration building of the University of Helsinki. After a quick cross-town maneuver through early morning traffic, the taxi arrived on the campus of the university and pulled up to an impressive building which housed the offices of the president of the university. Nat paid the cab driver, ascended the front stairs, and stepped into the second floor hall. A prominent sign indicated the President's office was to the right. He followed the direction of the sign and entered the outer office of the University president.

He presented his card to the secretary and made motions to find a comfortable chair to await his audience. But before Nat could make a retreat, the secretary said, "No, No, President Gertue will see you now." She explained it was an honor to have a college president from the United States visit the university, and the President was eagerly awaiting him. Nat began to see immediately his position as a college president would open doors in Europe more readily than in the United States. He would take advantage of this asset. As Nat entered the President's office, his eyes took in the room with a great sweep, noting the furnishings were exquisite. Obviously, this position was one of considerable prestige.

During the next thirty minutes, Nat and President Gertue engaged in animated conversation. Nat explained he was the recipient of a grant to study European universities famous for their scientific accomplishments. Then with a clever manipulation of questions and statements, Nat learned that the most acclaimed scientist on the faculty of the University of Helsinki was in the field of ceramics. Toward the end of his audience with President Gertue, Nat tactfully asked if it were possible to have an interview with this professor. President Gertue assured Nat this was possible and immediately had his secretary place a call to the Physical Science Department and inform the professor an imminent college president from the United States was on campus and would like to talk with him about his scientific research. The answer, as expected, was a positive response.

President Gertue insisted on accompanying Nat to the Physical Science Department to introduce him to the professor. They left the President's Office and leisurely walked through the stately campus, with President Gertue pointing out the historical features of the University. The walk took ten minutes and they arrived at the Physical Science Building and proceeded to the second floor.

President Gertue approached a door identified by a plaque containing the name Dr. Hubert Breaks. He knocked and called out "Hubert, we're here."

The door opened, and a small man with a Van Dyke beard appeared, and with an animated look on his face, greeted President Gertue and Nat Turner.

"Dr. Turner, it's my pleasure to introduce to you the University of Helsinki's distinguished scientist, Dr. Hubert Breaks."

After a few moments of conversation, Dr. Gertue left Nat and Dr. Breaks to discuss other business. Within thirty seconds Dr. Breaks and Nat were off into the wonderful world of science.

"Nat, tell me about your special interests in science."

"Well, Hubert, my interests change every year or two. Fifteen years ago I was into Kirlian photography and Holography."

Nat described rather briefly building the generator which allowed him to delve into the mysterious field of Kirlian photography, the photographing of auras surrounding objects. Dr. Breaks was amazed Nat had personally built all of the equipment in his Holographic and Kirlian experiments.

"But in recent years, Hubert, I've concentrated on computers."

Dr. Breaks was interested to learn Nat's experience in the computer field went back twenty years, and today he was an accomplished programmer, and the president of a small software company specializing in computer graphics. The versatility of Nat Turner was impressive to Dr. Breaks. Nat enjoyed talking to Hubert about his various interests, but he was actually using the conversation to establish his credentials before he moved the conversation into Dr. Breaks' field of ceramics.

Nat began to pose questions about ceramics, and he realized once again he was going to get an education in a field he had only scant knowledge. The two discussed modern advances in the field of ceramics, with emphasis being given to the increasing industrial importance of the field. Hubert, tell me about superconductivity in ceramic compounds."

"Many ceramic configurations will lose all electrical resistance at very low temperatures. The trust of my research is to find the proper combination of compounds to allow no resistance at room temperature."

"Nat, efforts are being made to manufacture automobile engines from this ancient material. New compounds and methods of manufacture are making ceramics harder, stronger, and less brittle than they've been in the past."

In a fascinating experiment, Dr. Breaks demonstrated the toughness of a piece of ceramics by picking up a hammer on his desk. He guided Nat's eyes to a slab of ceramics sitting on a table and brought the hammer down with terrific force on the shiny material. A dull clang followed and the hammer bounced harmlessly to the side.

"Hubert, you've surely convinced me ceramics can be made tough.”

"Nat, methods are available today to make ceramics so strong it takes diamond-tip drills and shaping instruments to form them into machined products. They can also be made impervious to acids, alkalines, air-borne pollution, and other common substances. Another valuable property of ceramics is their ability to be molded easily. In the embryonic stage, ceramic substances can molded, pressed, and shaped by hand or machine. It's the heat, and the catalytic reactions in the presence of heat, that give ceramic materials the properties we want."

"I'm particularly interested in the heat resistant properties of ceramics."

Dr. Breaks laughed. "They are amazing. An automobile engine made of a ceramic material would not even require oil or a radiator. The efficiency of the internal combustion engine would go up by fifty percent if ceramic materials were used in the combustion chambers. Ceramics would convert the heat energy into power; instead, today we have to dissipate the heat through the use of a radiator or cooling fins."

"Hubert, tell me about the ceramic material used on the space capsules."

Dr. Breaks gave a quick explanation of the ablative ceramic material used. He elaborated on how the blunt end of the capsule had been covered with this material, enabling the capsule to be brought back into the atmosphere blunt end first. The unique properties of ablative ceramics had effectively protected the capsule's occupants and the capsule itself had arrived no worse for wear having been heated to temperatures well within its tolerance.

"Nat, it's very difficult to burn ceramics, even in a situation such as entering the atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour. There's very little else that won't burn under these conditions. For example, even small meteors burn on entering our atmosphere, giving us the legendary shooting stars."

"Are there military uses for ceramics?"

"Yes, there are." Dr. Breaks listed fifteen or so possible uses for the material. The one creating the most interest for Nat was its use as a kinetic weapon. He realized immediately the half day he spent at Troxler Laboratories was about to pay off. "Ceramic bullets have great military potential. They can be made tough, but their real advantage is their ability to travel at much higher speeds than metal projectiles. At very high speeds, bullets made of lead begin to become soft and lose their aerodynamic shape, and then all accuracy is lost. While steel tipped bullets are more stable, there's still a limit to the speed they can travel before the same thing happens." "Accuracy is determined by the aerodynamic quality of the projectile as it moves through the atmosphere. Experiments with hollow-tipped bullets have shown their stability and accuracy is improved considerably. A concave nosed bullet captures a small bubble of air and dissipates the heat effectively. The bubble becomes rock hard because it is being compressed inside the small concave portion of the projectile head. With compressed air acting as the nose of your bullet, there is nothing to melt and become misshapen."

"Hubert, I understand the advantages you've described in ceramic projectiles. You've demonstrated how tough they can be. Its apparent projectiles made of such materials can be fired at incredible speeds without distorting the aerodynamic shape and losing their accuracy. But even if the shape is not distorted, the temperatures would rise high enough to explode any volatile material being carried with the projectile."

"Nat, you're almost right. The ceramic projectile is primarily a kinetic energy weapon. These tough projectiles destroy by impact. We can shoot them through steel plate several inches thick. The ablative qualities of ceramics allow them to burn slowly and dissipate heat which would permit projectiles to carry volatile materials if necessary."

"Is a ceramic projectile heavy enough to be an efficient kinetic energy weapon? Do you know any way to make them more destructive? Nat wondered if he were walking about the edges of military secrets. If he were, however, it was obvious Dr. Breaks was going to violate the secrecy. He was fascinated with Nat's questions.

Dr. Breaks answered, "Frankly, yes. I know one way of improving its destructive ability considerably."

Nat trying to hold back his eagerness, asked, "What is it?"

"If I were designing a kinetic energy weapon to be fired at supersonic speed, I would want the core to be a heavy metal and the outside shell to be ceramic. It would have a concave nose cone allowing the air bubble to ride safely in front. The ceramic shell would be as thin as possible. The weight of the heavy metal core would do most of the damage when it arrives. With this configuration we could increase its destructive capacity tenfold."

"What heavy metal are you talking about?" Nat asked curiously.

Dr. Breaks shrugged his shoulders. "I would probably use depleted uranium."

Nat quickly grasped this unique and clever idea. He let it run through his mind--a kinetic energy projectile covered in ceramics, concave nose cone, and a heavy metal core doing considerable damage when it arrived at its target. No manufactured article on earth could stand the impact of such a projectile.

"When you use depleted uranium, you've increased the weight of the projectile considerably. It would take a powerful weapon to fire such a projectile at supersonic speeds."

"Yes, it would take a very powerful weapon, but, if you had such a weapon, the destructive value of the missile would be incredible."

Nat decided to probe a little further. "Do you have any idea where the Soviets are in the development of ceramic projectiles?"

Dr. Breaks smiled with obvious pride. "I know exactly where they are. They're far advanced in the field of special property ceramics. Dr. Svetlana Khrunov is one of the world's leading authorities in ceramics. She has been here at the University on a number of occasions and I have visited her in Leningrad. We exchange letters, notes and scientific results. She's the only Soviet I would consider a friend."

"Do you have any problems getting into Leningrad to visit her or with her coming to visit you?"

"Since 1980 I've experienced no difficulty whatsoever. After the 1980 Olympic Games, access into the Soviet Union has been easier. In Moscow now, even some of the street names are both in English and Russian. That's coming a long way."

"Have you seen her recently?"

"No, she isn't at the University of Leningrad anymore."

"Oh, was she promoted?"

"I guess it depends on your definition of being promoted. She's so good I'm certain they've given her an important job, but the location is a total surprise to me."

"Where is she now?"

"She's down in Uzbek near Samarkand; at least I think she is in Uzbek. She may be over in Tadzhik. Those two republics are side by side, and Samarkand is almost on the border."

Nat's surprise was obvious. "Samarkand is an agricultural region. It isn't more than 100 miles from Afghanistan, and maybe 300 miles from China. The weather is nice, but it's a farming area and the roots of the people are Moslem.”

"Yes, and it's a long distance from here. My relationship with Svetlana will be by mail in the future. I could fly to the United States as quickly as I could fly to Samarkand."

Nat and Dr. Breaks continued their conversation until 1:30 in the afternoon. Neither had given any thought to adjourning for the noon meal. Finally, with regret, Nat insisted he had taken far too much of Dr. Breaks' time and declared he should let the good Doctor get back to work. They clasped hands warmly and Dr. Breaks bade Nat goodbye. Nat retraced his steps across the campus, and walked to the thoroughfare adjacent the campus. He caught the eye of a passing taxi driver, jumped in the taxi, and returned to his hotel.

Nat ascended in the elevator to his room assuming by now it would be bugged and his computer examined for messages. His transmit.bat file, however, made sure nothing of value to the KGB was in the computer. It occurred to Nat he could use the fact the room was bugged to his advantage. He went to his luggage and retrieved his small hand-held Lanier dictating machine. He slipped the micro cassette in place and began to dictate.

He began "Friday, June 3, Kalastajatorppa Hotel, Helsinki, Finland. Nancy please inform control the mission has been successful to this point. My contact in Paris assures me complete secrecy has been maintained. All will be in readiness when I arrive in Paris next week. Also, inform control in RTP the preparations for Helsinki were successful. Everything is working satisfactorily. The contacts made last night were as scheduled, and I am assured the Soviets are completely in the dark. There is no indication of leaks relating to the matter. I spent the morning at the University of Helsinki and we can rest assured the academic community is completely with us in this matter. The information I obtained today is invaluable and already useful. Please tell control these details will be sent in my computer transmission scheduled for this afternoon. Ask them to review these reports carefully. I am awaiting your reply to yesterday's transmission. If the reply is as I expect, our total schedule of events will be in place. Please accept my thanks for the work you are doing, signing off for now. CBSG1".

Nat removed the micro cassette from the recorder, placed it in an envelope provided by the hotel, added the courtesy stamps provided, walked into the hall and dropped it into the chute leading to the mailroom below. Nat returned to his room with a small smile on his face. He thought, "If the KGB listens to this tape, or have recorded my message from the listening devices in the room, they'll be convinced I'm highly involved in their weird world of espionage".

It would be another hour before Nat could make his computer transmission to Nancy at Cameron College. To make good use of his time until then he decided to take the KGB for a walk. He descended on the elevator, crossed the lobby and walked out on the busy thoroughfare in the heart of downtown Helsinki. He was across the street from the railroad station with the adjacent rail yards containing hundreds of unused passenger cars. The main shopping streets, Pohjoises and Eteaes, were separated by a flower garden in the middle with high fashion shops on either side. Nat had never visited a city with this pleasant arrangement. The shopping area was five blocks from his hotel and he noticed a man sitting on a bench reading a newspaper in the park. He walked and engaged him in conversation. He crossed the street and went into a men's store and had a conversation with the clerk. Nat proceeded down the street and found a small restaurant with few customers. He ordered a cup of coffee and asked to see the manager. The waiter led him into a back room, and Nat was gone for ten minutes. He made three other stops and then returned to his hotel to make his computer contact with Raleigh.

During his walk, he had visited some of Helsinki's finest stores and made contact with a dozen or more people with whom he could have exchanged clandestine messages. Nat wasn't sure what the KGB would do with all of these contacts, but they would certainly be on a merry chase if they chose to investigate each one. He turned on his Compaq 386 and watched the notations on the screen as the computer booted itself into operation. It took him thirty minutes to enter the messages and two minutes to compile them. The information Nat wanted was simple and straight forward, but nevertheless he divided the questions into three separate programs. He was now ready to make his phone call to Raleigh. He asked the hotel operator to place a call to the mainland USA using US Sprint wholesale service. He wanted to be sure optical fiber was used all the way to his office.

Ten minutes later, his telephone rang. "Your call is ready, Sir," said the operator. Nat gave a cheerful "Hello", and was pleased to hear Nancy's animated voice. They exchanged pleasantries, talked college business, and concluded this part of their conversation by exchanging transmissions. Nancy turned on the modem, and Nat did likewise in his hotel room in Helsinki.

Nat typed transmit.bat' after the C > and pressed enter. Immediately the programs were copied into three prearranged and unique directories prepared by Nancy. At the conclusion of the transmission, according to the transmit.bat instructions, the programs were erased from the memory of the computer. Nat picked up the phone, confirmed the transmission had been made, and replaced the phone. Nancy performed the same ritual and copied the three separate programs into the three different directories. After this was completed, they picked up the phone, conversed for a few more minutes and Nat indicated she would hear from him again tomorrow.

As soon as the connection was broken, Nancy decompiled the three programs and immediately read them from the computer monitor. The first instruction was for her to place copies of all transmissions in the safe deposit box of their computer software company, Carolina Business and Scientific Graphics. The next instruction asked Nancy to contact the National Science Foundation in Washington, D. C. and secure a list of the chief Soviet scientists, their specialties and the location where they lived and worked, whether it is at a university or at a governmental facility. The next instruction was to call the President of the University of Copenhagen and arrange an appointment with him on the morning of Monday, June 13. He also asked Nancy to do her best to find out from the secretary of the President if the University had a scientific specialty of which they were particularly proud. If so, ask the secretary to make Nat an appointment with the chief scientist in that area to spend some time studying his scientific laboratories. Nat pointed out he had followed this pattern at the University of Helsinki and had been very successful. Nancy, in her efficient manner, immediately set out to follow those instructions and have the information ready for the next transmission.

The next instruction asked Nancy to contact Deputy Director Cope of the CIA and ask him to determine if any new Soviet Universities had been founded within the last three or four years.

The last request was to call the Office of Education and gather any information they might have on a university founded either in the Republic of Uzbek or Tadzhik, both of which were located on the Afghanistan border in the southernmost portion of the Soviet Union. At approximately the same time, Nat received the three programs transmitted by Nancy to him. He obtained them from the three agreed upon directories, decompiled them, and began reading their contents. First, Nancy confirmed she had received the list of all the people who had been contacted, and they were secure. She then provided him a list of the major universities in the cities he had designated in the previous transmission. She had prepared to send a letter to each president indicating Dr. Nat Turner, president of Cameron College, would be in his city visiting his university on the prescribed date and would like to pay him a courtesy call. She had checked with the chemistry and physical science departments at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in Raleigh. They had been helpful in determining the scientific specialties of the Universities included on the list. They were also helpful in determining the chief researcher in that specialty, and a letter had been written to this chief researcher specifying the day Dr. Not Turner would be on campus and requesting the researcher see him if at all possible. Each letter had stated Dr. Turner would confirm the appointment by telephone after he had arrived in the city.

Realizing time was short in Copenhagen; Nancy had made an appointment with the President and one with the University's chief researcher in the field of heavy metals. When Nat read this notation, he laughed out loud. Nancy had anticipated him again, and had already made the appointments he had requested in his communications to her a few minutes ago.

Nat took a small notebook out of his pocket and wrote down the name of the university, the name of its president its scientific specialty, and its chief researcher in this scientific field. He could see already these next few weeks were going to be interesting. The night before had taken a toll on Nat and he knew the coming night would require him to be at his best, and so he thought an afternoon nap might help.

Nat had an aversion to sleeping in his underwear, and yet he did not want to bother to put on his pajamas. So he just slipped out of his clothes, pulled the spread back and slipped between the sheets. He napped until close to 7:00 in the evening. He got up, showered, shaved, dressed and proceeded down to the lobby. He crossed the lobby to the front door and asked the doorman to call a taxi. The doorman blew his whistle and immediately one appeared. After a generous tip to the doorman, Nat directed the taxi driver to take him to the University of Helsinki. When the large academic buildings appeared on his right, he directed the driver to proceed down the main thoroughfare until they had reached the edge of the campus. He stopped the driver and paid him.

Nat knew from his own experience that bordering every large university was a business district catering to the clientele of the university. Here you can always find drinking establishments and small inexpensive restaurants. Typically you will also find one or two eating and drinking establishments more upscale in their prices designed to attract faculty members and more affluent students. These were the restaurants where students and faculty would gather together in groups, or pairs of faculty members would go to have a beer and talk over academic matters. Nat's presence in one of these establishments would worry the KGB considerably.

During the next hour, Nat went in establishment after establishment looking for exactly the right atmosphere. He was careful not to over tip or stand out as he made his rounds because tonight he did not want to call attention to himself. Finally, his search was rewarded. He entered a restaurant comfortably filled but with enough room for additional customers. The lighting was subdued and the atmosphere was unhurried. A customer could sense this eating establishment did not cater to drunken revelry. An intellectual atmosphere pervaded the surroundings. Here a person could buy one beer and nurse it all night or eat a generous but inexpensive meal.

Nat knew by its ambience this was the favorite restaurant of many faculty members, perhaps one to which you would bring a promising student to discuss a thesis or a dissertation. Nat decided he must move boldly; he did not have the time to casually strike up an acquaintance. He sized up the room quickly and considered four different tables he might join. He finally selected a table with four adult men, each with the distinctive look of a faculty member. They appeared to be having a good time and not to be engaged in serious private matters. The table contained five chairs, with one empty, ideally suited for Nat to join the group.

Nat went to the bar, ordered a large stein of dark beer, and walked over to the table. He stood close by until he was acknowledged by one of the men and asked if he could be helped. "Gentlemen, you may think I'm a boorish American for suddenly appearing at your table, but I'm connected with a college in the United States and have come to the University of Helsinki to conduct some research for a few days, and frankly I hate to drink alone. I know few people in Helsinki, and I sized up the room and you four looked as you would be the most approachable."

One of the men with a large red face and a beard to match spoke to Nat in a voice that boomed and resonated throughout the room. "My American friend, over the past few years, we've had many people walk out on us, but you're absolutely the first ever to walk in." Everyone around the table laughed, and those at the adjoining tables smiled appreciably. Nat had made the right choice. From the very beginning Nat appeared to be a catalytic agent for the group. He suspected they met here often and had a good time. But somehow with an American to join them, they decided he needed to be shown a good time. New ingredients often affect old groups this way. It was apparent this was not the first beer these men had consumed tonight. Nat was surely behind, but they insisted he would catch up soon and hurried him through his first one and had another beer delivered by the barkeep.

Nat had guessed correctly. All four men were Professors at the University and each held an upper rank. Two of the men were department chairmen and one of the others was a full professor, with the fourth being an associate professor. None of the four had been at the University of Helsinki for less than ten years. They immediately wanted to know Nat's background, and he said, at the risk of being excluded from the group, he was the president of a college in the United States. They all feigned dislike for any administrative type and suggested had the barkeep known Nat was an administrator, he would have been barred from even entering the establishment, and certainly would never have been served a drink. Everyone made appropriate comments and laughed heartily.

They became interested in Nat's research and why he would come to the University of Helsinki. He explained he had received a grant from a foundation in the United States to travel about Europe visiting outstanding universities with reputations in special scientific fields. He mentioned one of his interests was the comparison of the European university with the Soviet University. This last element of the research, which Nat had made up during the conversation, appeared to interest these four the most. The conversation became even livelier and animated, but very serious. Each, in their own way, clearly informed Nat there was no comparison with the Soviet Universities and the great universities of Europe. The Soviet Universities were known as businesses. The attitude and the patterns of thinking were dramatically different in the Soviet Union from those in central and Western Europe. They all agreed there were many on the faculty of Soviet universities who were brilliant and who could serve well if somehow they could shake the bonds of that tightly controlled academic environment and move into an atmosphere of free thinking.

Nat was particularly interested in the opinion of the faculty members from the University of Helsinki, because the proximity of this country to the Soviet Union made him think the Finns had a better sense of authenticity toward the Soviet Union than he could find almost anywhere else. He began to ply the men with highly crafted questions. He wanted any Soviet agent lurking nearby to overhear and think he was seriously collecting data or passing on information to selected compatriots. Nat was interested in the degree to which Soviet research at their universities was directed by the military. He asked questions about lasers. He wanted to know where the research relating to heavy metals was being conducted in the Soviet Union. He asked about the location of space research and rocketry. While they did not have all the answers to these questions, they enjoyed supplying Nat with both fact and opinion about the Soviet educational program. Near 10:30 all five ordered a hearty meal and continued their conversation until midnight. Shortly thereafter the party broke up and Nat asked the barkeep to get a taxi for him. After the bill was paid, the four new academic friends from the University of Helsinki left cheerily. They wished Nat good luck and expressed an interest in getting together with him again soon. Within ten minutes the taxi arrived, Nat bade the barkeep goodbye and proceeded back to his hotel.

After safely arriving in his room, he called the desk and asked for a 6:00 wake-up call. Nat was certain he would be awake at his usual 5:30 a.m., but, with the change of many time zones, you could never be sure your body clock was properly accommodating these longitudinal changes. Nat went to bed and slept easily. He was awake when the phone rang from the front desk with his wake-up call. Nat showered, shaved, and placed his Compaq 386 computer next to the valise and went downstairs for an early breakfast.

 By 8:00, he had paid his bill, picked up his luggage, and was in a taxi heading for the Helsinki airport. As he was riding across town, he remembered his visit to Helsinki two years before on his return from a tour of the Soviet Union. It was in the Helsinki airport he had first seen the black Saab 9000 Turbo, the first totally new car the outstanding Swedish car maker had introduced to the market in several years. Nat remembered how the car was tilted at a 45 degree angle with a mirror underneath to show the extent of the Swedish craftsmanship. He was taken with the Saab 9000 turbo and was determined he would have one. He did not expect, however, that within six months, he actually would be driving a Saab through the streets of Raleigh and the countryside of North Carolina.

Within a few moments after Nat's arrival at the Helsinki airport, the plane was called and he boarded for Copenhagen. Once aboard the plane, he began to collect himself and evaluate his approach to his job in Helsinki. He was satisfied with the number of people he had talked with personally, and hoped the CIA plan was working as outlined. Nat knew he was not an authority in espionage and surveillance work. But, as he thought through the last two nights, he wondered how the KGB could thoroughly investigate all the different people with whom he had talked. He decided once again not to get into the detailed techniques of surveillance. It was the KGB's assignment to keep an eye on him and the CIA was to be nearby watching closely for those showing an interest in Nat Turner. He once again made a resolve not to attempt to identify members of either group. He was going to play the game as if he were espionage agent, going around and making contacts, with the assumption his activities had not been detected by an enemy power. He now began to plan his day for Copenhagen. After a short nap and refreshments from the hostess, Nat felt the pilot lower the nose of the plane slightly and make the descent into the Copenhagen airport.

9:00 a.m. Friday, June 10, 1987

KGB Office

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov had invited his friend Dr. Kizim Chelemoi to join him for another conference relating to Nat Turner. Dr. Chelemoi, sitting with Komarov enjoying a cup of coffee, had no idea his analysis of Nat Turner had offended his protégé, and Komarov had made no mention of their earlier conversation indicating any displeasure whatsoever. Komarov was eager to have his friend's analysis of Turner's activities. He was hoping Chelemoi would see from these reports that Turner was involved with espionage and was moving around sharing information about impending American military action. This morning Komarov had several written reports, accompanied by photographs, relating to the two days Turner had spent in Helsinki. Both men had started reading the reports. Komarov had read the reports earlier, but Dr. Chelemoi was reading them for the first time. The essential information in the reports indicated Turner had arrived in Helsinki during late afternoon on Wednesday, June 1.

He proceeded by taxicab to the Kalastajatorppa Hotel and claimed an earlier reservation. Before leaving the hotel room, Nat had made a telephone call to Nancy Carroll, his assistant at Cameron College. After a brief conversation he made a computer transmission that was received by Carroll's computer. Early in the evening, he went to the bar in the hotel and talked with a young man and woman seated at a table. Turner moved about the bar after it had become crowded and joined several different groups in conversation. The report indicated pictures were attached of those in the groups.

Nat Turner left his hotel, caught a taxi and gave an address of an upscale bar in a sophisticated area of suburban Helsinki. At the bar, he changed personalities completely. He bought drinks for three unescorted women, but did not join any of them. He did talk with several people in the bar, and at 10:00 p.m. corresponding with the arrival of a musical combo, he ordered drinks for two couples at a table in a manner indicating he did not know them. He was, however, invited to join these two couples and became one of their party immediately. Some 45 minutes later, Turner had ordered a round of drinks for an adjacent table and within a few minutes, they were a party of nine. Later in the evening, at Turner's insistence, and with him paying all of the bills, they left this bar and proceeded to a restaurant located in another section of suburban Helsinki.

The trip to the restaurant was made in three taxicabs, and Turner selected two women from the group to accompany him in one cab. After arrival at the restaurant, it was apparent Turner was the host of the group and again paid the bill. Upon completion of their meal, the two women accompanied Turner back to his hotel and spent the night with him. The hotel room was being properly monitored by electronic surveillance devices, but no conversation was detected of military importance unless it was spoken in some sort of code. The rest of the night was spent in a social manner. On June 2, Turner caught a taxi to the University of Helsinki and was obviously expected by the university president, Dr. Gertue. They spent time together in conference with no electronic surveillance possible. Later in the morning, President Gertue accompanied Turner to the office of Dr. Hubert Breaks, an eminent ceramicist researcher. Turner visited with Dr. Breaks until the early afternoon. He returned by taxicab to his hotel and later visited shops in the exclusive downtown area of Helsinki. Twelve people had personal conversations with Turner, but the content of these conversations could not be monitored. One conversation was with a restaurant manager in a rear room. Others were in shops and stores when Turner would take salespeople aside and speak with them earnestly for several minutes. Each was photographed and their pictures accompanied the report.

Turner returned to his room and dictated a report to Dr. Nancy Carroll. This dictation session was recorded through electronic surveillance measures and clearly indicates his involvement in espionage. A transcription of the recording accompanies the report. Turner placed the small micro cassette in the mail and dropped it in the slot in the hall to the mail room. The micro cassette was recovered, copied totally and replaced in the envelope to continue its journey to the United States. A copy of the micro cassette is enclosed for examination by KGB researchers.

Later in the afternoon Turner called Raleigh, making sure he was using fiber optic phone lines and, after a brief conversation with Carroll, sent a computer transmission by telephone. He then received a computer transmission from Carroll. An intercept was attempted with both transmissions, but the KGB possesses no technology that will intercept digital computer transmissions addressed to specific directories within a computer. As best as can be determined, these digital messages were coded in either a machine language or assembly language code, and compiled prior to transmission. The report noted this technique had not been used before to the knowledge of the KGB office in Helsinki.

Soon after, electronic surveillance indicated no particular noise in the room, and assumed Turner was taking a nap. During the evening, Turner took a taxi back to the neighborhood adjacent to the University of Helsinki. He spent one hour moving from drinking establishment to drinking establishment and finally ended in a restaurant frequented primarily by University of Helsinki faculty. At this restaurant, he joined a table for four, and they talked and later had dinner. The conversation varied but discussion was held about Soviet research in highly technical fields. Each of these men has been identified and their pictures accompany the report. The report ended with the information that Turner was booked for a 9:00 flight to Copenhagen on Friday morning, June 10.

After Dr. Chelemoi had finished reading the reports, Komarov was eager to discuss the matter with him. He needed the security that Chelemoi's logical mind had finally come to the conclusion he had reached days before. He was hoping Chelemoi would say, "Tatlin, I was wrong. I can tell from this report that Turner is up to his neck in some subversive activity. This man is going to need your full attention, and you can count on my cooperation in any way."

Komarov started the conversation. "What do you think now?"

"Let me ask you a question,"

Chelemoi answered. "Tell me about these computer transmissions. You obviously have been able to intercept them and decode them. What's he up to?"

Komarov's face flushed. It was apparent Dr. Chelemoi had touched a sensitive area. He almost stammered in his subverted anger.

"We've spent hundreds of millions of dollars on surveillance devices. We can penetrate the American Embassy in Moscow. We can intercept satellite communications. We can break sophisticated American codes. But now I find this American academic can walk into any hotel room in the world, pick up the public telephone and call someone in the United States and with the use of that damn portable computer, code a message and send it back to the United States in some unintelligible digital compiled language, addressed to a series of directories unknown to us, and we have no way in the world to intercept the message! I couldn't believe it when they reported this to me. I've had our technical people in here and stripped the hide off their backs. They've assured me interception is impossible. We can use a computer and tap his phone line, but a computer, by its very architecture, will not respond unless it possesses the directory into which Turner wants the message to go."

"I don't understand that. A digital computer is a digital computer. Why can't they make the interception?"

"Turner is not making a typical transmission. He is copying computer programs to certain directories in other computer programs. It is the copy command that our computers will not respond to unless the correct directory is identified. They tell me it's the simplest coding device they've ever seen and yet it never occurred to anyone. Our people assured me they would work on the problem, but they gave me little hope this could be solved any time in the near future."

"What do you make of his activities while he was in Helsinki?"

"We've documented he talked to almost fifty people and visited the university."

The way Komarov said "visited the university" was similar to the hissing of a snake. It was apparent he had great distaste for the fact that Turner had visited an academic institution. Chelemoi made no particular reaction to Komarov's emotional phrasing of the question. Chelemoi's life had been spent at a university in the Soviet Union, and he knew the typical reaction to academics. He no longer let it bother him whatsoever.

"Tatlin, have your people been able to identify any of the fifty as known espionage agents?"

Nothing bothered Komarov more than having to admit failure. He hedged and indicated they had not yet identified known espionage agents, but they were working on the matter diligently. Unfortunately the volume was so great it was going to take considerable time and substantial resources.

Komarov asked Dr. Chelemoi to evaluate the transcription of the tape he had made and mailed to Carroll.

Chelemoi, in his judgmental academic tones, asked "Tatlin, do you think that Nat Turner, who has suddenly become the United States top espionage agent, has ever heard of electronic surveillance techniques?"

"I'm sure he has."

"If he has heard of electronic surveillance techniques, do you think it might have occurred to him in all of his espionage wisdom, that his room might have been bugged using such devices?"

Komarov was already beginning to see the direction Chelemoi was going. He didn't even answer.

"Now, my friend Tatlin, if you were Nat Turner, and you were in a room where you suspected your arch enemy was monitoring every breath, would you pick up a piece of dictating equipment and, in clear pear-lshaped tones, betray every secret in which you had been involved over a several day period? Does it make sense my friend?"

Komarov was both embarrassed and feeling anger rising up the nape of his neck.

Chelemoi went on. "I am impressed with this man. There is something special about him. My admiration rises dramatically with the fact that through a simple technique he can transmit messages to the United States and the KGB has no way to intercept them. I am sure, Tatlin, it is a matter of embarrassment to you, but I smile, as it is an achievement of academia. Perhaps the KGB should rely more on academia now the CIA is turning to academia."

Chelemoi, with a smug look on his face, said "You may need us in the future."

Chelemoi was making logical points, but Komarov was not happy at all.

Chelemoi continued. "I would think a spy travelling around, imparting national secrets, would want to keep as low a profile as possible. In reading the report about Turner, it appears just the opposite. I see Turner parading around Helsinki with a neon sign on his back saying ' Here I am follow me. Please do not lose the trail. Spies do not go to bars and start buying everybody drinks and taking them out to dinner. It's certainly not the spying approach I would take, and I don't believe it's the way you train your agents. The last evening was spent in an open restaurant asking sensitive questions about Soviet technology. Somehow, if I were trying to uncover the secrets of the Soviet Union, I would select a more private place than a center table where enemy agents could pull up their chairs and listen in if they so desired. I may be wrong, but Turner makes no sense at all to me. I don't know what he's up to. I admit they've done a good job in making him appear to be involved in highly secretive matters. He is obviously well financed. But if he is a spy worth pursuing, they are using some advanced psychological techniques beyond my training. I admit you need to keep him under surveillance because he may be playing some minor role, but I do not see him at all being the threat to the Soviet Union that you and the KGB do."

Komarov went on with the conversation in a more subdued tone with Dr. Chelemoi. It was apparent he would not change his mind. The sheer logic of Dr. Chelemoi's arguments shook Komarov to his foundations. The man sounded so correct, but if his friend Kizim Chelemoi were correct, then Tatlin Komarov was a dead man. He had no choice but to pursue Turner. Two other alternatives were beginning to creep into Komarov's mind. He could either spirit him into the Soviet Union and force the truth from him or simply take the easy way out and have him killed by a KGB assassin. Both of these alternatives were beginning to appeal to Komarov more and more.

9:00 a.m. Friday, June 10, 1987

Osterport Hotel

Copenhagen, Denmark

The Finn-Air Boeing 727 jet touched down softly at the Copenhagen Airport. The large jet was signaled to a halt near bay D-10 as the telescope walkway smartly rolled against the side of the airplane encompassing the exit behind the cockpit. Within a few minutes, Nat, with his valise in one hand and Compaq 386 in the other hand, passed through passport control and on to customs. The customs inspector asked him about the computer and asked if he had anything to declare. After a brief conversation, he was waved on and into the milling crowds of people awaiting incoming friends and relatives at the international gates.

The CIA had reserved a room for Nat in the Osterport Hotel on the corner of Vester Brogade and Hammrichsgade, on Radhus Pladsen square, one of the main squares of Copenhagen. The hotel was diagonally across the street from the Tivoli Gardens amusement park and directly across from the railroad station. The taxi dropped Nat in front of the Osterport and by 11:00 he was safely in the hotel. He registered with the desk clerk and had his valise and Compaq computer carried to the room by a staff member of the hotel. After being settled comfortably in the room, Nat walked to the window and looked down below from his eighth floor perch. He could see clearly into the Tivoli Gardens. He knew he would enjoy this view at night when all the restaurants would be brightly lit giving downtown Copenhagen the appearance of a fairy land.

He asked the telephone operator to place a call to the secretary of the president of the University of Copenhagen and held the dead receiver in his hand until the operator indicated she had made contact with the party Dr. Turner had requested. Nat spoke briefly with the president's secretary confirming the appointment Nancy had made, and assured her he would be there promptly on time at 10:00 a.m. Monday morning June 13.

Nat decided it was time to leave the hotel and get on with his business. He crossed the street at the corner, walked past the main entrance of the Tivoli Gardens and was soon stopped by a traffic light at the Radhus Pladsen square. Nat had been to Copenhagen on two occasions and remembered if he proceeded directly across the square, he would enter Freriksberg Nygvimmsk Amagertory. This street was closed to automobile traffic during the day and for a mile the street and side streets were lined with shops of every description. The many alleys and courtyards that housed restaurants and shops make downtown Copenhagen one of the most compact, but pleasurable shopping areas in all Europe.

Nat began his odyssey. He entered stores, talked to people, asked directions, asked advice about restaurants, and generally kept himself busy interacting with the people who were part of this busy shopping street. On three occasions, Nat left the central street and followed a courtyard, looking in windows and visiting stores, turning right at a pathway that led to a side street and then turning right again back onto the main shopping street. He soon worked his way down to the Bang Olufson Electronics Headquarters. This Danish firm builds some of the highest quality musical equipment in the world, and without question, the styling of each electronic component was a work of art within itself. Nat spent 45 minutes talking with the manager of the store. Nat's love for music and his extensive stereo collection at home allowed him to converse intelligently about the specifications of Bang Olufson equipment. He was also able to maneuver the manager back into his office to study catalogues of equipment not available in the retail store. Nat felt that it was important that he be out of sight occasionally with the people with whom he was talking. He was convinced this touch added a great deal of authenticity to his mission of ostensibly making contact with agents or paid observers from the CIA.

After leaving Bang Olufson, he stopped and watched the organ grinder and the monkey who entertained here each day. The organ grinder played bright cheerful music, and the monkey would gleefully dance around with a tin cup collecting donations from the crowd. Nat complied with the monkey's request and gave him some of the change in his pocket. Nat watched the amount of money being placed in the cup and made a quick calculation of the value of the coins collected by the monkey during the day. If his calculations were correct, the organ grinder was making a good living. He proceeded briefly down the street and noticed a menu encased in glass attached to the wall of a building located next to a small paved pathway leading to a courtyard. The choices on the menu looked excellent and Nat thought that it was now time to have a late lunch. He proceeded down the pathway and into the restaurant. It was obvious the busiest portion of the lunch hour was over, and Nat was seated near the window for a good view into the courtyard.

His curiosity did get the better of him during the next few minutes. A varying assortment of men and women came down the pathway, studied the menu next to the entrance of the restaurant and made a decision as to whether to join Nat for lunch. There was a reasonable late surge of lunch takers, perhaps even more than normal. A few others moved off to the right and down another paved pathway onto the side street with its beckoning shops. The lunch was delicious, but expensive by Nat's standards. He had taken many economics courses as an undergraduate student, and fully understood the mathematics of exchange rates, but he never could accept the fact that most places he visited were now more expensive than the United States. He turned over in his mind the fact that a Casio watch made in Japan and packaged in a rubber case with a five year battery would sell for $15 in the United States. He saw this same watch, exhibited in several shops priced in the neighborhood of $30. Even though lunch was expensive, the CIA was picking up the tab and the cost was not a concern of Nat's.

After lunch, he moved back into the courtyard and instead of turning right and joining the crowd, he decided to turn left and return to his hotel on Strade streets. By the time he was back to his room, it was mid-afternoon, and Nat had two matters to take care of. He wanted to make computer contact with Nancy, and he wanted to take a nap, assuming he would visit the Tivoli Gardens tonight which might require going to bed beyond his normal hour of retirement. He picked up the telephone and called the hotel operator. He requested a phone call be placed to Dr. Nancy Carroll in Raleigh, North Carolina and gave the number. Nat only had two tasks to give Nancy so the coding was very simple and quick. He was running his message through assembly language compiler when the phone rang.

He picked up the telephone, said hello and heard Nancy's warm southern voice on the other end of the line. After a few brief words of greeting, they went right to the task at hand. There was no mention of work relating to the college in this phone call. Nat typed in "transmit.bat" and pressed "enter" on the computer. In less than a second, the computer indicated the two programs had been copied to the waiting computer on the other side of the Atlantic. Nat and Nancy picked up their phones, talked for a moment more, replaced their handsets in the cradle of the modems and Nancy transmitted a message to Nat. They picked up the phones, conversed for a few more minutes and then ended their conversation. As soon as the phone had been replaced in the cradle beside her computer, Nancy ran the two programs that had been copied into her computer and had her instructions for the day.

The first instruction said "Contact Wynn Huffman at Troxler Electronics. I want his opinion on to a weapon that could fire a heavy metal projectile covered with ceramics. This projectile would contain no explosive charge but be based entirely on kinetic energy for its destructive power." The message on the second program said "Call Wynn Huffman at Troxler Electronics and ask his opinion of the use of a concave nose on the projectile mentioned in the first message. The purpose of the concave nose is to capture a bubble of air to protect the nose from overheating. I need him to evaluate such a weapon for me."

Immediately after the conversation, Nat ran his decompiler and decoded five short messages. The first message stated "All transmissions will be kept in the lock box of Carolina Business and Scientific Graphics."

The second message read "I was able to contact the National Science Foundation and obtain a list of eminent Soviet scientists, their scientific specialties, and their last known professional address. My contact at the National Science Foundation indicated there had been some recent movement of Soviet scientists and he could not verify the accuracy of their current locations."

The next message said "The appointment has been made with the President of the University. His name is Dr. Christian Telle. The scientific specialty for which Copenhagen is most renowned is its study of heavy metals. Dr. Minshu Celtic is the chief researcher. You have an appointment with Dr. Celtic immediately after your visit with Dr. Christian Telle." There was one more program for Nat to run through his decompiler. It said "Had a nice phone call from Chris Cope. He said to tell Nat the Helsinki operation was an overwhelming success. Keep up the good work!"

There was one more note decoded from the last program. "I am busily making your appointments at the Universities on your list. When you arrive in the respective cities, you should know the appointment has been made without confirmation. If there is any problem, I will let you know in future computer exchanges. I am afraid to risk the mails because you are moving so rapidly. Consequently I am in the process of running up your telephone bill and making all appointments personally." Nat smiled and thought of Nancy's incredible efficiency. If you ever wanted something accomplished, all you had to do was give it to Nancy and you could forget it.

The second matter to take care of was a nap. Nat slipped out of his clothes, pulled down the covers and slipped inside. He slept well and shortly after 7:00 arose, dressed and left his hotel. He crossed the Vester Brogade to the sidewalk in front of the railroad station, crossed Bernstorffs Gade and proceeded the few steps to the main entrance of the Tivoli Gardens, the most famous amusement park in Europe. The care taken in the construction and maintenance of these grounds was much more like Disney World than a typical carnival. Flowers, streams and walking bridges were everywhere giving the park great beauty. Inside, once it was dark, the buildings and the rides were outlined in lights. The bridges, the lagoons and the streams led toward a central area famous for its dancing water fountains. Near the dancing water fountains, was a free and virtually continuous outdoor show with every conceivable kind of act? Many small side shows using live entertainment were available to visit. On one whole side of the Tivoli were multi-tiered restaurants with patio bars. These restaurants could be entered from the Bernstorffs-Gade as well as from inside the garden. It was a wonderful place to be on an early summer evening. There were many amusement rides and this gave the Tivoli an exciting atmosphere similar to a state fair.

After making one quick circle around the Tivoli to orient himself to the activities, Nat chose a restaurant with a patio on the second tier. He ascended the steps and was shown a table near the railing allowing him to look down into the excited throng enjoying the evening. He was enjoying his drink and consumed by the beauty of the moment. Lights were everywhere --in bushes, on bushes, on whirling rides, and on buildings. He thought to himself that such moments in life were rare and should be savored slowly. Nat was concentrating on this important moment in his life and had not noticed that a man and two women had been seated at the next table. When Nat did notice the table was now occupied, he turned, nodded his head and raised his glass. The man and the two women returned his salute. The man appeared to be approximately 40 years of age and the two women were in their early 30s. Before Nat could collect himself and determine how he would initiate a conversation with the three, the man spoke. He asked Nat if he were alone and if so, would he like to join them. The three had come for an evening of fun and entertainment and a fourth would complete their party. Nat readily agreed, picked up his drink and moved to the table. The four introduced themselves, the man as Sang Tutlin, his wife Hannah Tutlin. Sang was an executive with a local shipping company. If Hannah was employed, her place of business was not mentioned. The pleasant surprise, however, came with the other woman, Dr. Silke Sommer, a professor of eastern European history at the University of Copenhagen.

As Nat sat looking at this beautiful Danish professor, he tried to recall if he had ever been so lucky as to have had such a beautiful teacher during his college career. He certainly could recall none. Nat introduced himself as the President of Cameron College in Raleigh, North Carolina. The three immediately wanted to know what business brought Nat to Copenhagen. Was he there for a holiday or on some educational mission? Nat admitted to both. His primary purpose on this trip was to visit universities in Europe having research centers with an international reputation in a given field. He mentioned he was here to talk on Monday with the president of the University of Copenhagen, Dr. Christian Telle, and Dr. Minshu Celtic, a specialist in heavy metals. Silke Somer immediately indicated she knew Dr. Celtic well and laughingly said "He is a strange little man, but you'll like him I'm sure."

The party of four continued to enjoy the beauty of the evening and the excitement of the Tivoli. After the second cocktail, Sang announced "We came to have fun, let's get started!" The Tivoli became a playground for the four. They laughed, joked and enjoyed each other thoroughly as if they were the closest of friends. Nat felt as if he were on a college date. He was aware that his bravado and clever comments were totally out of character with his usual demeanor in the halls of academe. They tried the shooting gallery, rode the Ferris wheel, held on for their life in the dips and rises of the Octopus. They enjoyed the slow boat rides through the rivers and lagoons. They tried their hands at the tossing games to win prizes, attended a marionette show and ended up watching a magician in front of a large stage. The two women had been amply rewarded for their evening's entertainment with several stuffed animals. Nat and Sang agreed the women could keep the animals if they promised not to tell who had won the animals. From the laughter that followed, it was obvious that Sang and Nat had not won all of the animals being carried by the ladies.

By mutual agreement, they selected one of the adjoining restaurants for dinner. Sang obviously had some influence here for they were taken to the penthouse of one of the restaurants for a spectacular view of the Tivoli. They were seated at least seventy five feet above the ground, higher than any ride in the park, where the beautifully silhouetted machines were outlined in this magnificent sea of lights. After dinner, Sang insisted they adjourn to his private club. They left the Tivoli, caught a taxi and arrived in front of a beautiful old residence being guarded by uniformed doormen. The doorman acknowledged Sang the moment he was recognized exiting from the cab and the party of four was treated with obvious deference.

As they entered Song's private club, it became apparent that the primary purpose of this organization was gambling. It was an exquisitely laid out casino. On the main floor were bars and gambling tables. The waiter approached the guests and immediately took drink orders. As the night wore on, Nat surmised the waiters had been given one main task by the management --never let a guest have anything less than a full drink in his hand. Orders for drinks were not taken for the rest of the evening. Suddenly a waiter would appear with a fresh drink and would remove the one the guest was holding, even if only a few sips had been taken. Nat's calculating mind immediately recognized that this club related their success as a profit making enterprise directly to the amount of liquor consumed by the players of the games of chance.

The Tutlins were handed a stack of gambling chips and the floor manager began to introduce Silke Somer and Nat to some of the other guests. Sang and Hannah had their favorite games, so Silke and Nat, who had been paired throughout the evening, began to discuss how they were going to waste their money during the evening. Nat, always being a school teacher, and Silke, being an eager pupil, discussed the odds of winning each game. Nat explained that odds never improved on a single roll of dice or the pull of a lever of a slot machine.

"When you toss a coin, if heads comes up ten times in a row, on the eleventh toss the chances of tails coming up are no more than 50%. There is no carryover in games of chance."

They laughed about the fact that even those people who gambled often never understood the mathematics involved. He further commented, "The best chances of winning always came with games having only two choices -even numbers or odd numbers, reds or blacks, the making of a point or not making the point. Bets such as these favored the house only one or two percentage points. On the other hand, bets that offer great rewards to the bettors favor the house 30 to 40% and are hardly worth the risk."

At 1:30 in the morning, Sang and Hannah found Nat and Silke and announced they were going home, but wanted the two of them to stay and have a good time. Sang asked Nat to do him a favor. Would he see Silke safely home? Nat smiled and assured Sang he would see to Silke's well-being. Within fifteen minutes after the departure of the Tutlins, Nat and Silke decided to call it a night. They hailed a waiting taxi at the club, Silke gave the address, he conveyed this information to the driver, and they departed for her apartment. They went into her apartment building, climbed a flight of stairs and arrived at her door. She invited him in for a nightcap. He declined. She looked genuinely surprised.

"What I'd rather do is spend the day with you tomorrow. My appointments are not until Monday, and I have the whole weekend to myself." This seemed to delight Silke. They agreed she would meet him at his hotel at 9:00 in the morning, and they would drive out of Copenhagen and explore the Hans Christian Anderson country. She promised to show him Odense, Viborg, and Frederikshavn. Frederikshavn had been made famous during World War II as a great German stronghold.

As arranged, shortly after 9:00, Silke picked Nat up in an open coupe. He was delighted, not expecting to find an open car in a country situated in a colder climate. This coupe was not ordinary, however, it was a Porsche 911 Targa, and he assumed a top for the automobile was stored in the luggage area. Silke expertly moved through traffic and downshifted as she approached traffic lights. Nat was duly impressed with her professional way of handling a very powerful sports car. Within minutes they had cleared the major traffic of Copenhagen and started their trip to the west and north.

Nat was interested to see what turn the conversation would take during their drive for the next two days. He had not met many people who were as easy to like as the Tutlins and Silke. His first evening in Copenhagen had been a total delight. He wondered "How does a person become so lucky? I was sitting in a restaurant enjoying myself when suddenly a couple sits down beside me bringing along the most beautiful college professor I've ever seen. The friendship developed immediately, and the evening was spent in a totally exemplary fashion. Everything about the evening was perfect. We ended up at an exclusive gambling casino where the original host for the evening conveniently left early, imploring me to be chivalrous and see the beautiful damsel on my arm safely home."

He doubted such an opportunity was presented often to a complete stranger. When Nat took Silke home, it was obvious he could have spent the night. The fact that he chose not to was a ploy of Nat's. He now had Silke for two days to himself. If she was what he thought she was, then these two days would be interesting indeed. He thought it was a shame some great writer of spy novels was not along to capture these moments.

The morning started much as the evening before had ended. Spirits were high, and there was electricity between the two. Gradually, with a sense of wide-eyed wonder, not totally consistent with the brilliance of her academic mind, she began to ask Nat about his interest in science. It was obvious she was highly intelligent, and she asked very technical questions. Most surprising was her knowledge of science and technology. Nat thought this to be unusual for a professor in eastern European history, but he loved science, and Silke was asking all the right questions. Nat could always reflect enthusiasm in such discussions.

Silke was going to get a bonus with her answers. Nat had spent a week on military bases in North Carolina becoming an authority on all aspects of military technology. He knew he did not possess the knowledge of his tutors, but he did possess a thick veneer that would make him appear to be an expert except with very few who could go to a depth Nat could not handle. Nevertheless, even those would be impressed as to his knowledge in alien fields. The week he had spent in the Research Triangle Park bringing himself to the frontiers of scientific knowledge would stand him in good stead for the next two days.

If Silke was somehow connected with the KGB, she would be able to relay to them that Nat was the genuine article. There was no area of science or technology relating to weapons and instruments on which he was not knowledgeable. From her conversation with Nat, Silke would assume his job with the CIA was not one of surveillance and intelligence gathering. This man's superior knowledge made him a high ranking leader. The CIA could not have selected anyone who could have played this part better than Nat. As they moved along from community to community through the countryside of Denmark,

Nat slowly began to shift the questions away from him. He had now become convinced that Silke was KGB to the bone, and he was her target. The morning had been spent reinforcing the KGB assessment of him, and he was sure her report would confirm exactly what the CIA wanted the KGB to confirm. Silke was very impressed. In answering her questions, Nat began to drift towards the Strategic Defense Initiative. He was interested to see if she could hide her political views as they talked about this powerful and highly technical complex of weapons. Nat purposefully emphasized the defensive nature of the system proposed by President Reagan. Silke disagreed entirely. He could see her convictions bubbling to the top. She stated they were offensive weapons, not defensive.

She turned and looked Nat directly in the eye while driving at high speed on a Danish two lane highway. "If the United States had a weapon poised over the Soviet Union that not only could destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles coming out of their silos, but could also destroy any other weapon previously identified by spy satellites, how could one conceivably call that defensive? If I were to take a handgun, place it to the side of your head and pull the hammer back with my thumb, would you call that defensive?"

Nat laughed at her description. She had certainly made her point well, and he answered in good humor. "Yes, I would call that defensive. I don't think you would ever have to pull the trigger. I think I would capitulate to your demands."

He went on. "What is your opinion of a peremptory strike by the United States against Russia? Assuming Communism is a totalitarian system that must be opposed, would the United States be justified in deploying space weapons such as the Strategic Defense Initiative, and before any war was declared, destroys all the military surface targets in the Soviet Union. The United States would then stay ready to destroy the ICBMs as they leave the silos, should the General Secretary pull the trigger?"

Silke looked very serious and appalled at the brashness of such a peremptory strike. She said, “Such a move is outright aggression, no matter what the ideological concerns of the people making such a decision.”

Nat was now somewhat in the driver's seat and began to ask her questions as they continued to drive on Saturday afternoon. He was interested in any information she had heard about a Soviet defense initiative. She countered by saying, “My field is Eastern European History, and I know little of that matter.”

 Nat did not let her off the hook, however. He pointed out the extreme technical nature of her questions and her interest in the topic. Silke retreated from her bluff and insisted she did not know of any Soviet strategic defense initiative even if she was playing the expected female role when he originally asked the question. "Certainly I'm interested in science and technology and read the journals in this area as well as eastern European history."

He talked to her about ceramics. His knowledge and interest in this field surprised her, and she could add little to the conversation. He shared with her the knowledge he had gained from his trip to Helsinki, but did not share the source of such information. He moved the conversation into the area of heavy metals. He had told her the night before he had an appointment with Dr. Celtic on her campus Monday to discuss the matter. He felt more knowledgeable in the field of chemistry, and the discussion centered primarily on radioactive materials. He asked her why the University of Copenhagen had developed such a reputation in the area of heavy metals. She replied that it was because of Dr. Minshu Celtic. He was a brilliant scientist whose specialty was heavy metals. He had developed an international reputation with his research and publication of articles; consequently, the University of Copenhagen was considered a leader in this field. Beyond Dr. Celtic's research, she knew of no other particular interest by members in the science department. She said the field was so small there was probably not even room for another researcher at the university.

At Frederikshavn they found a hotel facing the Kattegat. From their room, they could see the landing area for the ferry which arrived periodically from Goteborg, Sweden. Frederikshavn was located very near the northern part of Denmark where the Kattegat joins the North Sea. The evening was celebrated with a candlelight dinner and an expensive wine. They returned to their room with the glow of the evening surrounding them both. The next morning they left for Copenhagen driving through the idyllic Hans Christian Andersen countryside. They were back at the Oster Hotel by 6:00 that evening, and with a wifely kiss she kissed him goodbye, and they promised to meet again soon.

Nat went to his room, showered, shaved, changed clothes and adjourned to the bar. As was his usual pattern, he moved about talking to several people and engaged them in earnest conversation when it was possible. He crossed the lobby to the dining room and dined alone. He was in bed by 10:30 and was looking forward to his meeting with Dr. Telle and Dr. Celtic in the morning.

Nat awoke at 5:30, prepared himself for the day, and spent an hour sorting out information received from the imminent scientists with whom he had talked. He also reflected on the effectiveness of the operation to this point. He had certainly received good reports from Chris Cope indicating he was better at the job than he was three weeks ago when he started.

At 10:00, he was in Dr. Telle's office, the President of the University of Copenhagen. He was greeted warmly by the receptionist and ushered immediately into Dr. Telle's office. Nat had already discovered his position as a college president in the United States opened doors on campuses in Europe as perhaps no other credential could have. They both had a cup of coffee while enjoying a pleasant and animated conversation. Nat was reluctant to end the discussion, but his interests could better be served with Dr. Celtic than by spending additional time conversing with Dr. Telle.

When Nat announced his intentions to leave, stating he did not want to impose on the good president's time any longer, he asked for directions to the physical science building. Dr. Telle insisted on walking with Nat to Dr. Celtic's office, and introducing him. Within ten minutes, they had moved across the beautiful campus and were standing in front of the faculty secretary. The secretary, seeing the President, responded quickly and expressed the great honor of having Dr. Nat Turner visit them in Copenhagen. Nat bade Dr. Telle goodbye and was ushered into the office of Dr. Minshu Celtic.

Just as Silke had said, he was a small, wizened, but very interesting man. His movements were exaggerated, and he had the appearance more of an overgrown leprechaun than a college professor. The thought crossed Nat's mind that perhaps the heavy metals had retarded his growth somehow, but he did not share this little joke with anyone. Nat did not have much time for small talk, and after a few pleasantries, launched directly into the discussion. He wanted to find out as much about heavy metals as possible. Dr. Celtic had the periodic table that is always so prominent in chemistry laboratories attached to his wall in lieu of frivolous decorations. He went over to the chart and, as if he were teaching an advanced class in molecular chemistry, explained the whole region of heavy metals on the chart. Nat asked several questions relating to the various heavy metals; because he wanted to be sure he understood the relationship between heavy metals and radioactivity.

After a detailed discussion of the chemical composition, Nat moved the conversation into the field of military uses of heavy metals, particularly as weapons. Dr. Celtic began to talk about radioactivity and the use of nuclear devices and the enormous energy contained in such elements. Nat pleasantly interrupted, He informed Dr. Celtic that he understood the nuclear side of the topic and currently this was not his greatest interest. Nat asked Dr. Celtic if he were familiar with the General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger, cannon placed on American aircraft which could shoot projectiles made of heavy metals, primarily depleted uranium to pierce tanks and set them on fire. Dr. Celtic indicated he did know of the weapon, and thought there was an increasing interest in the use of heavy metals as kinetic energy weapons.

Nat asked Dr. Celtic if he had been involved in the development of such weapons. For the first time, Dr. Celtic seemed uncomfortable, and it was apparent he had been heavily involved in such research. Nat immediately asked his forgiveness and said he no intention of prying for national or military secrets. Somehow, Dr. Celtic seemed relieved and immediately began to discuss his research as if Nat had suddenly been cleared by national security for such information. Yes, he had been called upon to fashion heavy metals into kinetic energy projectiles.

Nat shared with Dr. Celtic the discussion he had with Dr. Hubert Breaks at the University of Helsinki. He said he and Dr. Breaks had a wonderful discussion of developing a high speed weapon made of ceramics. The missile would contain fins as an integral part of the body which would proceed over the total length of the missile. They were employing stealth technology with this little deviation in shape. Nat described the concave nose that would be placed on the heavy metal projectile to capture the bubble of air. Dr. Celtic was particularly interested in the concave nose and expressed doubts it would be of any benefit. Nat replied that Dr. Breaks' concept was that it would be of little benefit at slow speeds, but a concave nose at high speeds would capture a bubble of air, compress it concrete hard with air and, having the properties of a liquid, would be shaped by the atmosphere into a perfect nose of a missile. He said Dr. Breaks thought it wouldn't burn or deform because there was nothing there to burn or deform. Dr. Celtic was amazed at the simplicity of this idea and continued to discuss the matter exuberantly.

Both Nat and Dr. Celtic reflected on a missile containing a heavy metal core and stealth technology with a ceramic outer covering. They both agreed, however, that all this technology would be useless unless a gun was developed that could fire it fast enough to have the desired impact. Dr. Celtic went to the blackboard and made some quick calculations as to the kinetic impact at given speeds and both were amazed at the enormous damage such a weapon could do.

Not continued his interesting discussion with Dr. Celtic until it was nearing time for him to go. The topic he had saved for the very last was Russian involvement with heavy metal. "How good is Soviet research in heavy metals?" Nat asked.

"It's certainly not as good as the French or the English. The United States has done much work in this area and I, of course, am egotistical enough to think that we here at the University of Copenhagen rank with the very best too. I don't think the Soviets have any work underway that's as exotic perhaps as those countries. On the other hand, that doesn't mean they're starting from ground zero. They have one very good man I've heard a lot about. He is Dr. Vladimir Zelenchuck. He's been conducting his research at the University of Kiev for years. He has been to visit me on a few occasions, and I was invited to deliver lectures on his campus once."

"Dr. Celtic, is his laboratory at the University of Kiev as elaborate and well-equipped as you've indicated yours is?"

"No. But it's not because of lack of money. I think it is more lack of imagination. Anyway, I don't think he's at Kiev anymore."

Nat feigned surprise "Oh, where is he?"

Dr. Celtic looked guilty as if he were debating whether to relay this information to Nat or not, and said in subdued voice "He's in the Republic of Uzbek over near Samarkand. I had a note from him about a year ago right before he moved. From the tone of his letter, I wasn't sure whether this was a secret move or not. He evidently wanted a few friends to know just in case he disappeared from the academic world."

"What do you think he's doing in Uzbek?"

"I speculated they were starting a new university there, but he didn't actually say that in his letter. He did indicate he would be working with some very outstanding scientists and, even though Uzbek is highly agricultural and far removed from everything, there should be some professional challenge. The Soviets must have a project going there, and are in the process of assembling a team. Anyway, he said he wouldn't be there more than a year, and I haven't heard from him since he left Kiev. That, in itself, is some surprise."

Nat concluded his conference with Dr. Celtic, walked back across the campus to a point near the administration building, hailed a taxi and directed the driver to return him to the Oster Hotel. He checked out of the hotel, caught a cab to the Copenhagen Airport and caught a plane to his next destination, Amsterdam.

7:30 p.m. Monday, June 13, 1987

Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Nat arrived at Schipohl Airport at 6:00 p.m. He passed easily through passport control and customs and caught a taxi to ban Street in downtown Amsterdam. The drive into Amsterdam from the airport was interesting. The country was flat and much of it below sea level. Between the airport and the city the famous tulip fields could be seen from time to time with the tulips bursting into bloom. Occasionally a barge could be seen moving through a canal giving the appearance of floating on top of the tulip field. It was now almost twilight in Amsterdam and easy to see why this Dutch metropolis is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The canals and the bridges gave this city a totally unique look. Many people say that Amsterdam is now the city Paris used to be. Nat would not go so far as to make such a judgment, as he loved both places.

His hotel was located in the center of the downtown business district. This beautiful Dutch city was home to the works of many of the Flemish school of painters. There were so many things Nat would have liked to do if he were on vacation. One museum he would have liked to have visited was close by and contained more than 200 paintings and drawings. There was also the world famous Rijksmuseum which contains so many works of Vermeer, Rembrandt, Hals, Ruysdael. Nat decided, however, not to spend the next day in museums, but to move out from Amsterdam and circle the old Zuider Zee.

Nat left his hotel and began to make a tour of nightspots. He even walked through the famous red light district of Amsterdam where the prostitutes sit in great bay windows framed like portraits from which a discriminating connoisseur might select. The bars and nightclubs of Amsterdam were easy places to strike up conversations. Toward the end of the evening, Nat smiled to himself and thought he would be glad when his trip was over. He wasn't sure his health would stand up to all he had been put through in recent nights. Partying sounds like fun until it becomes your work, then it loses its glamour. Fortunately, Nat had a natural knack for this gregarious life, allowing him to accomplish this assigned task easily.

The next morning, Nat awakened early and went to the main dining room of the hotel for breakfast. By 8:00 he was ready to take the tour he had planned for the day, and by 8:30 he had rented a car and was moving west out of the city. He headed toward Amersffort. At Amersffort, he stopped, went into a grocery store, and then crossed the street into the post office. He stayed in the post office for ten minutes and no one came in. He left and headed north until he reached Zoolle. This small village offered few amenities, but he went into a restaurant, ordered a cup of coffee and drank the steamy liquid leisurely. He searched for the post office and spent ten minutes inside. Leaving Zoolle, he proceeded north to Groningen. At Groningen, he began a circuitous drive through the small back streets and again stopped at the post office spending only five minutes inside.

Nat was now on his way to Lleeuwarden. He went into the post office, picked up the telephone and made a call back to his hotel in Amsterdam. He engaged the Concierge for several minutes asking questions about leisure activities. An observer could not determine if the call were local or long distance. He was now arriving in the northernmost section of the Netherlands. Harlingen would be his last stop before he crossed the 22 mile dike and headed south back to Amsterdam. In the post office at Harlingen, he used the telephone and made a local phone call asking information about various bed and breakfast possibilities in the region. These theatrics were all done for the benefit of any KGB observer.

The drive across the dike was spectacular. Toward the middle of the great span, Nat parked the car and got out and inspected the construction of the engineering marvel holding the North Sea from flooding great portions of the Netherlands. As Nat headed south, he visited Hoorn and several of the other cities famous for their cheeses. When he arrived in Edam, he could not resist going into cheese stores and buying several heads of hard cheese. Why he made this foolish purchase, he could not understand. He certainly had no intention of carrying them with him for the next three weeks as a souvenir from his visit to the Netherlands.

Late in the afternoon, he arrived back in Amsterdam, turned in his car and went to his hotel. Soon after he was in his room, he sat down at his Compaq 386 and wrote a program containing messages and instructions for Nancy. He asked the hotel telephone operator to put the call through and specified that US Sprint be used as the carrier once into the United States. He wanted optical fiber used in the transmission of the telephone call. Within ten minutes, the telephone rang and Nancy was on the other end of the line. They talked college business for a few minutes, and then Nat sent a compiled message in assembly language to Nancy and she sent a compiled message in assembly language back to him. Neither message took but a few seconds to relay. They talked again for a few minutes, keeping the conversation carefully away from Nat's mission in Europe. At the conclusion of their conversation they both returned the receivers to the cradle of the telephones.

Nancy ran her programs through the decompiler. The message said "Nancy, I have found a second Soviet scientist who has moved to Uzbek near Samarkand. His name is Dr. Vladimir Zelenchuck. Call Wynn Huffman at Troxler again and ask him if he knows Dr. Zelenchuck. I am amazed at the coincidence. I am looking forward to his comments on a weapon that could fire heavy metal projectiles coated in ceramics. I now find two leading Soviet scientists have moved to a remote section in the southern part of the Soviet Union. See if Wynn can speculate why this would happen."

At approximately the same time Nat was decompiling the message he had received from Nancy. Her message read "I contacted Wynn Huffman at Troxler and asked him about the weapon you described. He said the use of heavy metals in a kinetic energy projectile was commonplace in the exotic weapon category. He was intrigued about your comment on covering such a projectile with ceramics. He was also interested in the theory of using a concave nose on the projectile to capture a bubble of air. He saw no reason to use a ceramic covering for any kind of projectile used in space. The lack of atmosphere in space precludes the buildup of heat and the altering of the configuration of the missile; consequently no ceramic protection would be needed. The only time ceramics would be useful on a heavy metal projectile was if it were fired in the atmosphere at an incredible rate of speed. Under these conditions, a ceramic covering would keep the configuration from being altered, and conceivably the concave nose cone could lock on a rock hard compressed bubble of air. This was clever."

Nancy's message confirmed the appointments she had made for the remainder of Nat's trip. She concluded with a message from Chris stating that Helsinki was a roaring success. "You certainly deserve a prize. You must be worn out." This was followed with the comment from Nancy, "What does this mean?"

After a brief nap Nat showered, shaved and decided to make a tour of downtown Amsterdam. The Dutch enjoy eating early and in a rather formal but leisurely fashion. He decided he could stand nightclubbing better on a full stomach. He called downstairs and asked the assistant manager of the hotel to make a reservation at the popular b'Viff Velieghen Restaurant on Spuistraat. Nat knew this restaurant would always draw a good crowd. Others in town had equally as good or better food, but the decor of this restaurant was widely known. At fifteen minutes to 8:00, Nat caught a taxi and arrived at the b'Viff Velieghen. He was met at the door by the maitre d' and, even though alone, was treated with great courtesy. It was evident the maitre d' knew to treat guests from the Grand Hotel Krasnavolsky  with respect. References from great hotels were an endorsement important to the best and most expensive restaurants. When Nat looked at the prices on the menu, he knew immediately that the CIA would know he was traveling with the jet set.

After dinner, Nat started his walking tour, being careful to visit a different set of lounges from the night before. These crowded drinking establishments allowed for easy conversation with strangers. Not knew for the KGB to record all of his activities and contacts would be frustrating for them and virtually impossible. At 1:30 a.m. Nat returned to his hotel. He assumed his room had been searched and listening devices had been planted in strategic locations. He thought of making another micro tape to mail back to his office, but decided such a ploy could become overused and give his position away. Intelligence experts would consider the recording of one's accomplishments on tape amateurish. Nat was sure by now he was either being accepted by the KGB as a legitimate member of the CIA or they had ruled him out as a rank amateur that had made a hundred mistakes which caused many chuckles in the conference rooms of Moscow. He recalled Chris had reported to Nancy his Helsinki and Copenhagen operations had been successful. Nat felt the warm glow of confidence accompanying the knowledge you are doing a job well.

Nat slept late with his first meal being lunch in the hotel dining room. He spent the afternoon, strolling the streets of Amsterdam, visiting many interesting shops. In each of his stops he engaged the proprietor in serious conversation for ten to fifteen minutes. He wanted the KGB to have their hands full checking out each of the contacts he was making. It was late in the afternoon, and Nat wondered what mischief the KGB had been up to his room today. While they were very clever in their searches, he could sense someone had been through his belongings. It was not necessary to set a trap. There was always a slight disarrangement of clothes, and he made the assumption electronic surveillance was taking place. Nat turned his key in the door and pushed it open. He reached for the switch beside the door and moved the toggle that illuminated several lamps around his hotel room. Nat was taken aback by what he saw.

All of his clothes were in the floor. Sofa pillows had been slashed with a knife and the down turned out into the floor. The bed linen was pulled off the bed and the mattresses were in the floor. There had been a thorough search of his room, and no one made any attempt to use kid gloves today. Nat was interested to observe himself under pressure. He determined he would not allow the loss of worldly goods to unduly disturb him. Those were the items that could be most easily replaced. Nat's assessment of the situation was instantaneous. The thought planted itself firmly in his mind the moment he assessed the wreckage of his room. He knew the KGB was not expecting to find central intelligence secrets hidden in sofas and bed clothing. This damage was solely to intimidate. The KGB wanted to frighten Nat. They wanted him either to go home or become cautious in his future journeys. The KGB enjoyed using fear, intimidation, and harassment. These were effective methods in wearing on one's nerves.

But Nat was an unknown to the KGB. They had no idea how he would react to this intimidating move. Nat was now angry. Not the kind of anger that made one shouts or cries or wrings one's hands. Nat's anger was a slow volatile burn. The adrenaline was pumping through his body. He was now longing for both physical and mental contact. The KGB had stirred an element in Nat they did not know existed. It was one that the CIA did not know existed either or they might have had second thoughts about selecting Nat for this operation. Malevolent thoughts were coursing through his brain. The exhilaration of competition had him excited in a positive sort of way. He was no longer constrained by the handcuffs associated with the proper demeanor of a college president. He no longer had to make stressful people happy with his remarks. Animal blood was now flowing through his veins, and Nat was enjoying the moment immensely.

The first thing Nat did was pick up the phone, call the Concierge telling him there had been a burglary and asking him to send security to his room immediately. Nat was certain the Concierge would accompany hotel security and walso solicit the police. Within three minutes, the Concierge was on hand examining the damage. Nat gave no evidence this was anything other than a routine break in and the Concierge apologized in every possible way. He assured Nat everything was covered by insurance. Nat's greatest concern was the Compaq 386 that had been thrown to the floor several times, and the case was shattered. He was sure the computer was no longer operable. He asked the Concierge to see if he could find an identical machine somewhere in Amsterdam and have it delivered tonight. If the Concierge could take care of that one item for him, he need not worry about clothes or personal belongings. Nat would be willing to replace those at his own expense.

The Concierge assured Nat he would have his computer replaced this very night even if he had to ask the owner to come back to his store. After the Concierge left, Nat opened the telephone directory and looked for automobile dealerships. When he found the Saab dealership, he put a call through and asked to speak to the owner of the company. In a few moments the owner came on the phone and announced his name. Nat identified himself as an American with a vital request. He needed an automobile at the earliest possible moment and indicated he was willing to pay a premium of $2000 American dollars. Nat specified a black Saab 9000 Turbo. The owner stated he had such an automobile sitting in his showroom. Not asked how rapidly it could be serviced and ready for the road. The owner indicated if he put two men on the job he could have it ready first thing in the morning.. Nat thanked the owner and ask that if the Saab could be serviced overnight and if he could have the performance package added to the engine, he would pay each man $1,000 American dollars for their trouble. He was willing to pay the owner of the dealership a $500 bonus for securing the help of two such diligent employees. The owner said Nat could pick the automobile up at 8:00 in the morning.

Nat then asked the owner to immediately contact his bank in Zurich where he had an account to verify to the owner that funds were available to pay for the automobile by bank draft. Nat did not want any problems to develop over paying for the car. The owner and Nat settled on the price including the additional $2,500 for service, and Nat said the money would be in the owner's hands when he picked the automobile up in the morning. As soon as this transaction was complete, Nat called the desk and sent a telex to his bank in Switzerland with instructions to have the agreed upon amount telexed back to the automobile dealership, and it was imperative this be done by 8:00 a.m. the following day.

Nat was feeling like an animal who has escaped from his cage. Nat tonight had chosen a different course of action. He would ordinarily go to a fine restaurant for a leisurely dinner. He would not follow the nightclub scene talking to guests tonight. He asked the Concierge to have a rental car delivered to the front door as rapidly as possible and promised him he would be rewarded for the excellent service provided to Nat during his stay at the hotel.

Fifteen minutes later, the doorman called Nat on the house phone and within ten minutes he was behind the wheel moving into the considerable traffic of Amsterdam. The streets of Amsterdam fan out from the waterfront with many bridges crossing the canals. Amsterdam provides public transportation through the use of modern electric trolley cars. These machines act like elephants on a historic walk. The area between the tracks belongs to them. Any automobile choosing to share the space will at least be given a fright. There were several stops Nat needed to make before the stores closed. Fortunately in Amsterdam most downtown stores stay open in the evening. Nat first drove through the downtown shopping streets until he found an electronics store. He parked the rental car and went in and began to browse. Nat had not made a list so he had to think of his needs as he secured them from the self service shelves. He first looked for two inexpensive, Japanese made, voice activated tape recorders. He secured a twelve volt plug-in power supply. He bought three inexpensive microphones. He asked the clerk for a variable frequency sound generator. He asked for a small helium neon laser with oscillators necessary for voice transmission. The clerk told him the device was not in the store, but he would call the supplier and have the device delivered within an hour. Nat assured him that would be fine, and said he would come back to secure the laser after it had been delivered. Nat then found a spool of shellacked copper wire. He asked the clerk if he had a short wave radio receiver with a loop antenna. The clerk pointed to one in the showcase clearly in sight. Nat said that would do. He then described two gauges available on most quality stereo receivers and amplifiers --the power gauge and tuning gauge. He asked the clerk for each and both were secured from the showcase. Nat asked for the most powerful commercial microwave oven with the least features available in the store. He did not need fancy timers or special devices. He wanted the type used for rapidly heating food in fast food restaurants.

After all the purchases were assembled, the clerk helped Nat carry the items to his automobile and put them on the back seat. Nat asked the clerk where he could find an auto parts store. The clerk indicated a location less than three blocks away. Nat proceeded to the store and bought five toggle switches, a spark coil for a 1950 Renault automobile, and a spark plug. Nat asked the clerk at the auto parts store for directions to the nearest sports shop. He was told the shop could be found less than a mile away. After driving to the shop he asked the clerk if he had infrared night goggles. The clerk assured him they were available. Nat added them to the collection.

Nat went searching for a grocery store. He went in and bought half dozen small cans of Vienna sausage. Nat had no intention of eating these canned meats. He had other uses in mind for them. Tomorrow he would be visiting his friends at the University of Amsterdam and would prevail upon them for some simple items from the college laboratory. Nat was certain he was being followed by the KGB through all of these travels, and they were assuming somewhere along this interesting and unusual trail Nat was making contacts for the CIA. Only Nat knew the purchases he was making were to be used in future combat with the KGB and not as some cover for his travels around Amsterdam. The adrenaline was still pumping. Nat went looking for a good Dutch restaurant that served simple food. He did not want the delicacies of Amsterdam's best eateries. He was in search of working man's food and strong dark Heineken Beer. The KGB now had a completely different adversary from the one they had been dealing with before. Prior to the moment Nat opened the door of the hotel and discovered his wrecked room, the KGB had been matching wits with a cerebral college president. They were now dealing with an adversary the likes of which most of them had never seen. Every step the KGB took in relation to Nat Turner from this point on, would be fraught with danger. If the KGB wanted to intimidate, they picked the wrong man to frighten. He was more intelligent and better educated than any of the agents the KGB had in the field. While neither Nat nor the KGB knew it at the moment, within a few days Moscow would be sending help to the local station.

Nat was excited. He still needed to find a hardware store and buy some essential tools. He knew by this time in the evening, most hardware stores could be closed, but a convenience store of some type would carry the small screwdrivers, hammers, nails and tacks he needed. He also wanted to be sure he could find an industrial grade stapling machine. In the past Nat had found a stapling machine more useful in attaching an item than a hammer and nails. After he left the restaurant, he drove through the winding streets looking for an open convenience store. He spotted a policeman on the next corner and pulled his rental car over to him. He explained his problem, and the policeman gave him directions to a large multi-purpose store that stayed open 24 hours a day. Within a few minutes, following the policeman's precise instructions, Nat was in the large parking space outside the store.

The business establishment was much larger than Nat had expected. It was similar to the K-Mart located in cities across the United States. He spent the next thirty minutes in the store buying assorted items, tools, and the stapling machine. These items were all collected at the cashier's counter and put in a bag. Nat returned to the parking lot and placed these items along with those he had been bought earlier in the evening in the trunk of the car.

Nat now returned to his hotel and parked the rental car in the underground parking garage. He left most of the items safely locked in the trunk of the automobile, but took with him a spool of the shellacked copper wire, the short wave radio with the loop antenna, and the two meters. He also took a soldering iron and the solder that was purchased at his last stop. When he arrived at his room, he called the electronic store and begged forgiveness for not having picked up the laser and assured him he would be by at 9:00 in the morning to secure the electronic device.

Nat placed the materials he brought from the car on the table, took off his jacket, poured himself a drink and started to work using the instruments from the tool kit he purchased from the large discount store. With a Phillips head screwdriver he removed the back of the shortwave radio. He pulled out a small pair of wire cutters and began to cut the shellac covered copper wire in lengths from 8 to 12 inches. After cutting the copper wire, he took a pocket knife and shaved the shellac insulation about 3" from either end of a dozen or so pieces cut from the spool. The dark red shellac was now replaced at either end by the copper color of bare wire. Nat took a fountain pen from his pocket and wound several pieces of the copper wire around the fountain pen leaving them looking like small looped springs. He wanted to be sure he could get to the separate pieces quickly whenever they might be needed.

His attentions now were turned to the shortwave radio. Nat cleverly attached the two meters to the electronics of the short wave radio at the appropriate junctions. He then removed from his tool box a small tube of instant glue and mounted each meter securely to the top of the radio where they would stay firmly in place and yet allow the antenna to rotate above both meters standing upright. Nat then took the batteries he had purchased at the electronics store and placed them in the compartment designed for this portable power supply short wave radio. Nat could now use the radio plugged into the wall or he could carry it about and listen to it without the permanent attachment.

Nat had one other purchase he needed to make, and it could best be made in the red light district of Amsterdam. He descended in the elevator to the underground parking space, backed his rental car out of the parking garage, and proceeded up the ramp and into downtown Amsterdam. It took ten minutes to negotiate the traffic and find a parking place in the red light district. Nat began to move through the streets talking to the gentlemen whose primary job was to secure business for the girls sitting in large bay windows located in the brightly lighted brothels. Nat was looking for two Smith and Wesson revolvers. He wanted them matched as closely as possible. Nat chose the red light district because it has a worldwide reputation of being the place anything can be bought.

It took Nat almost an hour of talking before he found what he wanted. Finally he was escorted into one of the brothels and taken to a room on the back of the old building on the second floor. Nat was face to face with a large fleshy Dutchman with the traditional flat cap attached firmly to his head above two large protruding ears. The Dutchman informed Nat the pistols would cost him $500 each and laughingly said he did not take credit cards. Nat opened his wallet and laid a $1,000 American bill in the man's fat hand. Nat was told to return to the street and within fifteen minutes someone would find him and deliver a cardboard box containing the material he wished. Nat then made it clear to the Dutchman that he wanted at least one hundred rounds of ammunition with as soft a lead slug as possible. The Dutchman grinned from ear to ear. "I take it you want to operate on the nose." "You're exactly right." Nat also eyed the big Dutchman with toughness in his voice he had not used in years. "I am going out and try these guns tonight. If they are not worth what I paid for them, I am coming back to you, and you will regret selling me inferior goods."

The Dutchman's expression changed abruptly and with anger in his voice, he stated "I am a reputable businessman. I can promise you the equipment has been totally serviced and is absolutely as good as new. If the guns misfire in any way, it is your fault, not mine."

"I just told you what I expect from you and now we understand each other."

Nat descended from the second floor with his companion and disappeared into the streets of the red light district. His companion told him to walk to the end of the block and stand near the corner for fifteen minutes. He was then to proceed 200 meters passing an alleyway. As Nat would walk by, a teenager would give him a square cardboard box, and his guns would be inside. Not waited the fifteen minutes and followed the instructions. Precisely as promised, the teenager appeared and handed Nat the box, turned and disappeared at a fast trot. Nat returned to his rental car and drove back to the hotel. He was wondering what the KGB would make of his activities tonight. They should make nice reading in the reports filed in Moscow.

2:00 a.m. Thursday, June 16, 1987

KGB Headquarters

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov was having long intense days. He stayed in his office waiting for the report from Amsterdam. After he read the last communiqué placed on his desk, he was perplexed. The report began with a detailed description of Turner's usual activities upon arriving in a new city. This was followed by a description of the restaurant, the people to whom Turner had talked, and accompanying photographs. The next section of the report mentioned the rental car and Turner's day long journey to the northern cities in Holland, his unusual activities in the post office and the fact he had made several telephone calls along the way. The report verified Turner was making many contacts in Holland, but it was impossible at the moment to determine which were bogus and which were authentic. All addresses and times relating to Turner's recent activities were included in the report.

Komarov had to resist the temptation to read on towards the end of the report o find out Turner's reaction to the destruction of his hotel room. Komarov made himself maintain his usual professional demeanor. He did not want to act emotionally and impetuously. He relaxed, took a drink out of his hot cup of coffee, and continued reading. In the early evening Turner had returned from his journey through the northern sections of Holland. The report painstakingly detailed his movements and contacts through Tuesday evening and Wednesday. Finally the report reached the activities Komarov was eagerly awaiting. Turner had visited several retail shops during the afternoon before returning to his hotel room and finding his room had been invaded. The report accurately relayed the contact with the Concierge, the conversation about the Compaq 386 computer, and the intercepted telephone call to the Saab dealer ordering the black Saab 9000 Turbo with the performance package to be installed during the night. The comments were provided by the agents in the field stating Turner would now be traveling by automobile instead of airplane, and he would likely be leaving Amsterdam soon. Now Komarov's pulse quickened. He was interested in Turner's reaction to this obvious move by the KGB to intimidate. It was important that the Soviet agents read Turner's reactions accurately as this would be the clue as to how Komarov must deal with Turner in the future.

Komarov's eyes widened slightly as he continued to read the report. The paper relayed the fact that Turner had called the Concierge and asked that a rental car be delivered to the front door of the hotel. Then he made most peculiar rounds through the city. He went to an electronics store, an auto parts store, a grocery store, and a sporting goods store buying several items in each. He later had eaten in a middle class Dutch restaurant. He talked to the help inside the restaurant, but no one else was observed making contact with him. After his meal he returned to his hotel room and spent 45 minutes. He then drove to the red light district of Amsterdam where he talked with many prostitutes and procurers finally choosing a brothel to his liking. He was in the brothel approximately thirty minutes and returned to the street in the company of the procurer who took him inside for service. For almost fifteen minutes, he waited in the red light district. He then proceeded down the street and was met by a young Dutch boy with a brown box. The Dutch boy handed Turner the brown box and disappeared back down the alley. At this point, Turner returned to his hotel.

Komarov sat back in his chair and mused over these latest developments. What was Turner up to? Why did Turner react to the destruction of his room by visiting these various trade shops? Why did he resort to the use of a brothel in the most notorious red light district in the world when he obviously had no problem in making liaisons with women? With all of these thoughts running through his mind, Komarov then focused upon himself in a very human but unprofessional sort of way. Komarov reminded himself silently that Turner was either going to provide him with the Lenin medal, the greatest honor that could be bestowed upon a member of the Communist Party or Turner was going to cause him to be executed. After a few moments of thought, Komarov made the decision.

Turner is too great a risk to me personally. I am going to have him killed. He then began to think of the best way to accomplish this termination. He decided he would call upon a section of the KGB known only by its reputation even to other members of the KGB. Komarov had at his disposal the best professional assassins in the world. He pulled open his middle drawer and reached to the back of the desk for a small slip of paper with a jumble of numbers written on it. Komarov had devised a code for these numbers, and he arranged the numbers in the proper sequence according to his memory. After the numbers were in the proper sequence, he bent down to open a drawer at the bottom of his desk on the left hand side. He dialed eight numbers of the combination and pulled on the drawer. The drawer slid open and he removed a metal box. Inside the metal box were a dozen dossiers describing his terminating squad?

Komarov spent the next hour reading the dossiers and finally selected the three best men for this job. He was giving Turner the greatest possible compliment. He knew that Turner was clever and he would need his best assassin to make sure he was terminated properly and cleanly. From the three dossiers he selected the man for the job and removed his dossier from the drawer. He sat there for a few moments thinking the matter over, and reiterating to himself that his life and the reputation of the KGB lay in terminating Nat Turner. He reached over and pulled the other two dossiers and placed them on top of the first. He decided he was going to send all three assassins after Turner. He could not take any chances. He wrote the names of the three men on a memo pad, replaced all the dossiers in the metal box, put the metal box in its appropriate place in the lower left hand drawer and closed it, giving the combination a spin. He took a match and burned the proper sequence of numbers in the ash tray and replaced the jumbled secret numbers in his drawer. He picked up the telephone and called a deputy, stating he needed to see the three selected people early in the morning. He listed the men and asked the deputy on the other end to contact them right away and have them in his office by 8:00 a.m.

Komarov had no time to go home. It was almost 4:00 a.m. and his first appointment was now set at 8:00. He retired to an anteroom he often used as a bedroom, taking off his clothes and slipping

 under the covers. He tried to go to sleep, but had some difficulty since his mind was racing so fast. He regretted this because he needed to be fresh in the morning. Typically excitement did not bother Komarov this much, but he had seldom been in a situation where his own life was personally on the line.

7:00 a.m. Thursday, June 16

Oster Hotel

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Nat had been up since 5:30. He ordered breakfast sent to his room. With a knock on the door, room service arrived with breakfast under the traditional silver domes. Accompanying room service was a hotel employee with a large box marked Compaq 386. The staff member wanted Nat to know the Concierge had hounded the computer dealers in Amsterdam until this particular model could be found. Unfortunately the Compaq dealer in Amsterdam did not have one in stock but was able to prevail upon a friend of his in Antwerp who had such a model. He sent a messenger to retrieve the Compaq 386 and it was being presented to Nat with the compliments of the hotel. Nat was relieved. He gave the bellman a generous tip and the keys to his car. He asked him to put the Compaq computer in the trunk of his automobile and to have the Concierge see that his bill was prepared as he would be checking out within the hour. He asked the bellman to perform one other task for him. There was a microwave oven in the trunk of his car. He would appreciate it if he would bring the oven to him in his room.

Within ten minutes, the hotel employee had returned with the microwave. Nat asked him if he would take it out of the box and dispose of the container in the hotel trash bin. The employee followed these directions, quickly unpacking the powerful commercial microwave oven. Nat ate his breakfast while it still was hot. The exhilaration of the night before was still with him. It was suddenly as if life were beginning all over. The competitive spirit in Nat was aflame as it had never been in his life. He had played sports of all kinds, but this was the first opportunity to function where his life depended upon his wits and his reactions. Nat responded very positively to this new role. It was far from the mollifying role he had to play on a college campus in dealing with faculty and students. Nat was already wondering what life would be like on August 15 when he was addressing the faculty and preparing the students for the fall semester. He drove the thought from his mind.

After breakfast Nat looked around his room to make sure everything was ready for departure. His valise was packed. He had bundled his new belongings which he had brought from the trunk of the car back into a tote bag with the exception of the short wave radio. There were two things Nat wanted to do before he left the hotel just to be sure the KGB knew he was willing to play the game their way. He picked up the short wave radio and turned it on. He walked immediately to the telephone and turned the loop antenna to right angles. He looked at both meters and nothing happened. He picked up the telephone receiver and the meter finders quickly swung strongly to the right. Yes, the telephone was bugged. Nat then went to each lamp in succession and placed the loop antenna at right angles to the lamp and watched the meters. Three lamps appropriately spaced about the room were bugged. He then checked the overhead light and found the same reaction -another bug. Nat quickly checked around the room and found two electrical outlets also bugged. It was obvious there was no area in the room more than five feet from a bug. Even the slightest whisper could have been picked up by the KGB at a listening station as far away as one half mile.

As Nat was sweeping the inside wall, moving from light plug to light plug, the meter suddenly had a strong reaction. There was no device to contain the bug. The short wave radio was obviously responding to some electronic device placed against the wall. Nat pushed the bedside table over into this general area and removed the lamp. He placed the shortwave radio on top of the table and began to move through the various wave bands of the short wave radio. Finally he found a wave band that responded very positively to the electronic signal coming through the wall. He pushed the bedside table back, replaced the lamp and then marched back and forth along the wall until the tuning meter and the power meter showed its greatest strength at one precise spot. It was obvious the bastards had somehow secured the room next to his, and were monitoring his every move from a position not more than eight inches from the place Nat now stood. Nat took his valise and tote bag with him down to the car and placed them in the trunk. He scrambled among the purchases of the night before until he found the variable frequency sound generator. He returned to his room with the device and the industrial staple gun he had bought the night before.

Nat's assumption was that his surveillance was in three phases. The electronic surveillance was being conducted by a truck somewhere in the neighborhood connected to the bugs inside his room. The KGB had also placed an agent or agents in the room directly next to his and they had placed sound listening devices on the wall to monitor his every movement inside of the room. The third phase was the people trailing him. Much manpower was being devoted to Nat. This pleased him, because he knew operation Straw Man was working well. It was approaching the time Nat needed to leave to pick up his Saab. He turned on the short wave radio, found a foreign station and turned up the volume. He walked into the bathroom and turned on the water in the bathtub and let it run. Nat now felt safe in opening the door leading to the hall. He took a roll of copper wire out of his pocket and quietly wrapped it around the door knob to the room next door. He then made a loop and stapled it to the door facing, returning the copper wire to the doorknob and the door facing several times. Nat smiled to himself. No one in that room would be leaving any time soon. They would either have to call for help from the hotel staff or make radio contact with the KGB to release them from their prison. Nat was pleased with himself. Those bastards who had ruined his room yesterday were going to have a lot of explaining to do to their control agents and to the KGB in Moscow.

He returned to his room and turned off the water in the bathtub. He left the radio on while he positioned the bedside table opposite the precise spot where the listening equipment was placed in the adjacent room. He removed the lamp, placed it on the floor and went to the table on the opposite side of the room retrieving the microwave oven. He took a screwdriver and quickly removed the door. He took from his pocket the copper wire he had prepared the night before in the form of a small spring. He took both bare ends and stuck them into the safety switch designed to turn the microwave oven off when the door was open. The oven would now function without a door. He oriented the microwave toward the wall, turned it up to its highest power and checked to see if the copper wire were making the circuit complete as he had anticipated. He then took a screwdriver and pushed the rest of the wire into the slot wedging it in and making sure it would not inadvertently fall out. The microwave oven came on and operated perfectly. With the door off and the oven operable, Nat unplugged it from the wall. He now placed the microwave oven on the bedside table opposite the electronic gear and the operator in the room next door some twelve to eighteen inches away. He now plugged the microwave in the receptacle and pushed it just as close to the wall as possible. The face of the oven was now flush against the wall. Anything on the other side was going to be getting a massive dose of microwaves.

Nat turned off his radio and waited quietly for sixty seconds. He wanted everything as perfectly still as possible. It was important for the electronic surveillance operators to increase the equipment to its most sensitive level. At the end of sixty seconds, he turned on his variable frequency sound generator and turned the frequency beyond the ability of the human ear to detect. Nat could feel the pressure on his ears as this generator started producing sound waves at a high frequency. They were not bothersome to Nat because his ears were not tuned to such a high frequency. The electronics gear in the surveillance truck was not so fortunate. Suddenly with no warning, and with all controls turned to high, an ear shattering screech was heard as the sensitive detectors picked up the frequency generated by the sound generator and amplified it thousands of times into the equipment in the truck. Two operators in the surveillance truck were immediately deafened, and their sensitive surveillance equipment shorted out. Nat had put the surveillance truck out of commission temporarily, and had placed two KGB agents on the early retirement list.

Nat took one last look at the microwave oven that was silently pumping microwaves through the wall into the electronic gear and the KGB agent's head only a few inches away. Nat knew that, unless the sensitive listening devices were removed within 30 to 45 seconds, their solid state internal parts would burn out and be lost forever. They were not designed to take intense microwaves from a source less than two feet away. More serious, however, was the KGB operator sitting in the next room with his earphones that was beginning to feel very strange. His duty as a KGB agent was to carefully monitor and record all activities going on in Nat's room. He had two relief men with him, but if he left his post for even a short period of time, it must be reported to his superiors. Within sixty seconds, the man's head began to ache unmercifully, and he tried his best to concentrate on his duties. Within sixty more seconds, the fluid in the operator's brain had been excited by the microwaves coming through the wall and had risen the few degrees necessary to cause a severe stroke. He suddenly slumped, falling out of the chair with a resounding thud and his two compatriots ran quickly to help. One grabbed the ear phones, put them on and sat down in the chair to take the man's place, while the other picked him up and laid him on the bed. The man who had not assumed the listening duty quickly radioed the surveillance truck for help, but received no response. When he did not get an answer, he ran to the door to open it, with the intention of hurrying to the surveillance truck to tell them of the problem taking place in the hotel room. He tried the door, but it was firmly secured by the copper wire stapled to the door sill outside. The man was trapped and needed some help. Before he could turn around to explain the problem to his friend, the agent near the wall slumped to the floor.

The lone KGB agent was in a state of panic. He was trapped in a hotel room with two dead friends, and his only connection the outside world was somehow interrupted. He did not know what he should do. He knew the KGB would be furious if he called for help from the hotel staff. He decided he would wait until he received some contact from the KGB later in the day. He placed the second dead KGB agent beside the first on the bed and decided he would continue his assigned duties. He walked over to the listening device and sat down to monitor Nat's room.

Nat went downstairs and paid his hotel bill. He talked with the Concierge and thanked him for all the courtesies that had been extended to him. He informed the Concierge he had forgotten something in his room. He said he would retrieve the item and leave the key on the bureau. The Concierge assured him it would be perfectly all right, and the key would be retrieved by the maid when she cleaned the room. Nat returned to the room, rearranged the furniture to its proper place, and with his door less microwave oven under his arm, preceded to the elevator and descended to the parking garage below.

Nat drove up the ramp and out into the traffic and proceeded to the Saab dealership. He was greeted by the owner and told a message was waiting with the agreed upon draft from Nat's Swiss Bank. All of the ownership papers were prepared for his signature. Nat asked if he could see the two mechanics who had worked on his car all night. The owner assured him he could. They went out to the garage area and there sat the beautiful black shiny Saab 9000 ready for the highways. The owner told Nat goodbye and returned to his office. Nat produced the copper wire, the spark coil and the toggle switch. He said he would give the mechanics $100 if they would take a few minutes and mount the sparkplug by punching a hole in the exhaust pipe out of sight under the bumper and ream it out enough to screw in the sparkplug. Once the spark plug was firmly embedded in the exhaust pipe with the spark gap inside the cavity, Nat asked that a copper wire be run from the capless spark plug to the front of the car and mounted to the 1950 Renault spark coil, securing it to the fire wall. The mechanics followed his directions. Nat then asked that a wire from the spark plug be run to a toggle switch mounted next to the steering column on the dashboard, connected at some live electrical junction. These instructions were followed, and Nat now had the ability of throwing a toggle switch and making a spark plug arc thousands of times per minute inside the exhaust pipe leading to the rear of the car. When the mechanics finished, he gave each a $50 bill.

While the spark plug was being mounted, Nat asked if the dealership had one of the instruments used for unlocking doors of automobiles when the keys were left mistakenly in the car. One of the mechanic assured at they had many such devices. Nat offered the mechanic $100 if he would simply leave it on the back seat. The mechanic took the $100 bill and grinned. The device Nat had asked for was a flat metal strip approximately one inch wide, 1/16th of an inch thick and about three feet long. Toward one end of this metal strip were several notches. Nat knew auto thieves and the police used such a device to open automobile doors by placing the flat metal strip into the slot where the glass descends into the door. Nat was impressed with the device and thought he might have an opportunity to use one soon. A busy day lay ahead for Nat. He moved all of his belongings from the rental car into the hinged trunk of the black Saab. Nat kept the groceries on the inside of the car on the front seat along with the flat metal strip for unlocking car doors from the outside.

It was after 9:00 when Nat left the Saab garage. The mechanics had agreed to return Nat's rental car to the agency for him. He tried to pay them for this courtesy, but both had already earned $1,100 each, and laughingly said that was ample payment for this one last courtesy. Nat needed to be at the University of Amsterdam to talk with the President at 10:00. He had fifteen minutes to kill before the appointment and two things he needed to accomplish prior to his audience. He assumed the KGB had his telephone tapped and would know he was now in the possession of a Saab 9000 Turbo with a performance package. He was now driving around Amsterdam in an automobile whose speed could reach 165 mph if needed. Nothing short of a race car could keep up with Nat.

Nat left the garage and proceeded into the stream of traffic. He headed toward the airport although he had no interest in matters relating to aircraft. He wanted to clear the city of Amsterdam and move out in the flat lands surrounding the city so he would have a better view of any automobiles following him. He drove east for ten miles, and turned down a small two lane road. Before long he could see a BMW in his rear view mirror. He could identify the distinctive grill, but the car was at such a distance he could not determine the model. He continued down the lane moving northeast. He ultimately planned to make a right hand turn and go back to the highway leading to Amsterdam, but he wanted to be sure there was only one car following him. Within a few minutes, he looked in the rear view mirror and noticed the grill of a Mercedes. He knew immediately the KGB had decided on using at least two automobiles to follow him. He wanted to be sure he could recognize the two cars and know their model numbers. He saw a lane leading to a farm house ahead. He braked slowly, turned into the drive, put the car in reverse, backed out and was now heading towards the Mercedes.

Within moments he was face to face with the Mercedes. It was occupied by two men. A quarter of a mile beyond the Mercedes, he met the BMW also occupied by two men. His practiced eye told him that the Mercedes was the big 550 and the BMW was the 635. They had brought in two cars with massive brute strength on the assumption they needed machines that could stay with a Saab 9000 Turbo on the open highway. Nat noticed both cars were equipped with the small telltale antenna indicating there were telephones inside. Each car had an additional mounted antenna Nat assumed to be either a citizen's band or some private single side band radio, more likely the later because of its greater range. Nat proceeded back toward Amsterdam, stopped, filled up his tank with gasoline and headed to the University of Amsterdam.

Nat no longer bothered to look back. He knew somewhere in the distance would be the Mercedes and the BMW periodically changing places and trailing Nat wherever he might be, keeping in constant touch with each other by radio. After arriving in the parking lot at the University of Amsterdam, he reached into a brown paper sack and removed the two cans of sausages. He also removed the flat metal door opener that he had procured at the Saab garage from one of the mechanics. With two bulging pockets and the flexible rod wrapped around his waist, Nat walked up the steps to the second floor of the administration building.

Nat's pattern on earlier visits was to go directly to the president's office. Nat knew routine was important when dealing with the KGB. He had learned this lesson on his visits to the security offices of Israel, France and Germany. Instead of turning into the president's office as he would normally do, he proceeded past the office to the end of the hall and retreated down the steps to the first floor. He went the length of the hall on the first floor and exited from the opposite end. This placed him near the parking lot. He assumed the four men following him would now be taking secure positions inside, with two on the second floor of the administration building and two in forward positions in the physical science building. Assuming these men would not be leaving their posts, Nat began to walk through the administration building's parking lot. He found the Mercedes, slipped the metal door opener into the slot by the window and unlocked the automobile.

Once inside, he released the hood latch, walked around to the front and raised the hood. He looked at the mass of wires and tubes leading to the engine. He took one can of sausage and placed it on top of the powerful engine wedging it firmly in place under the electrical wires and tubes leading to the fuel injectors. He pulled the hood back down and made sure the door to the car was locked. He proceeded on down the parking lot until he found the BMW, put the flat metal device inside the window slot, unlocked the BMW, released the hood catch and raised the hood. Looking again at the powerful engine with its tubes and wires, he searched for and found a place where the wires would hold the second can of sausage next to the tubes leading to the cylinders carrying the fuel for combustion. Both of the automobiles relied on very precise computer controlled fuel injection for operation. As long as everything was in perfect working order, the Mercedes and the BMW were two of the best and most reliable cars ever made. Nat wondered what one would think if they looked under the hood of these two amazing machines and found cans of sausages. Nat now retreated back to the end of the building, retraced his steps on the ground floor, back up the steps arriving near the president's office. Fortunately he found a restroom. He went in, washed his hands, came back out of the restroom humming softly and hoping that he would draw attention to himself. He wanted his actions to appear as if he had been inside for a last minute combing of his hair and a washing of his hands. He was now ready to talk with the president.

At precisely 10:00, Nat walked into the office of the secretary to Dr. Eric Kroner, the president of the University of Amsterdam. The magic of an academic degree, coupled with the office of the presidency, worked its usual magic. Dr. Kroner's secretary was effusive. She immediately rose from her desk, greeted Nat with a proper handshake, asked him to be seated for a moment and then disappeared through a door Nat assumed to be the president's office. In a few moments, she was back to conduct Nat into Dr. Kroner's office. When Nat went through the door, Dr. Kroner was standing behind his desk, extending his hand with a great smile. Obviously Dr. Eric Kroner was an extrovert. His voice boomed in his office. He expressed sincere gratitude that Nat would visit their university and include it as part of his study. Dr. Kroner was interested in having a fellow college president stop by for a social call and immediately launched into a conversation with Nat asking many questions about the United States and its major universities with a worldwide reputation.

Nat was also very kind to Dr. Kroner. He told him that, outside of the U. S. Naval Academy, there was no other institution that combined theoretical mathematics with navigation as well as his university. Nat then moved the conversation from strictly educational matters to talk about his trip through the countryside yesterday. Dr. Kroner supplied Nat with many facts and figures relating to the construction of the dike and indicated that prior to becoming president; he had been involved in the work of designing and building the engineering miracle he had crossed two days ago. Nat assured Dr. Kroner that the building of that dike had to be one of man's greatest accomplishments. Dr. Kroner smiled. "We Dutch like to say that God made most of the world, but the Dutch made most of Holland."

Nat led the conversation into a discussion of the canal system for which Amsterdam is famous. They discussed the original purposes of the canals and how the various residences and businesses related to these avenues of commerce in earlier days. As the hour neared an end, Nat asked several questions about the Nazi occupation of Holland during World War II. Dr. Kroner said that even an affable Dutchman such as he finds it hard to discuss that matter without becoming serious. Those years were surely the darkest days in Dutch history. He stated the Germans he knew today did not seem to be descended from the Nazis he observed occupying this country. He recalled at the end of the World War II, the word reached Amsterdam that Germany had surrendered unconditionally. The word spread from house to house and the Dutch people rushed into the streets and congregated in the square in front of the Queen's palace to celebrate the end of the war. Then his eyes glistened recalling that the Nazi soldiers were ordered by their officers to shoot those Dutch citizens who rushed to the square even though the war was over. He finished by saying" My father was killed after the war was officially over by a machine gun bullet from some young soldier who was ordered to shoot by a fanatical officer."

After they completed their conversation, br. Kroner directed Nat to the physical science building and told him how much Nat would enjoy talking to Dr. Cedric van Haut. He said he would find Dr. van Haut a sailor out of the Old Dutch tradition. If there were anything he wanted to know relating to mathematics or to navigation, he would be talking with one of the world's leading authorities. Nat followed the directions given by Dr. Kroner and within ten minutes was seated with Dr. Cedric van Haut in a large spacious office. Nat asked for the liberty of examining some of the memorabilia displayed on the walls. He moved from ancient chart to ancient chart observing how early navigators viewed the world. He looked at early pieces of navigation equipment and was amazed at how clever early sailors had been in circumnavigating the earth. Finally Nat sat down in a comfortable chair across from Dr. van Haut. Within the first two sentences they both said they felt comfortable being called by their first names. From that moment on, it were Cedric and Nat discussing mathematics and navigation.

Nat told Cedric of his relative who had been at the U. S. Naval Academy and was considered to be the father of celestial navigation. The relative was Captain Phil Van Horn Weems. Cedric was impressed and said he knew his work well. He walked over to a bookshelf mounted on a wall adjacent to his desk and pulled out several thin elongated books and brought them to Nat for examination.

He proudly proclaimed "These issues were in the first edition of your relative's work. Using the book of charts with a hand held device to allowed one to precisely find one's location by using the stars at night or the sun during the day time."

He then walked to his desk and extracted a velvet covered box. He opened it to show its contents. It was a beautiful, well cared for, wrist watch. He said, “Longines had drawn on its heritage to create the Weems Second-Setting Watch, a mechanical timepiece with a mobile inner dial, and to pay tribute to Philip van Horn Weems, one of the pioneers of aviation. In 1927, the American captain developed an invention to synchronize a watch with the closest second using a radio time signal without moving the hands. Longines is now commemorating the invention of a simple but inspired system with a timepiece that combines elegance with performance.”

Cedric then explained these charts of Weems saved many a navigator hours and hours of calculation. Their accuracy was amazing given the fact they had been published prior to World War II before the advent of computers. The conversation moved to the latest uses of mathematics in celestial and space navigation. When the conversation turned in this direction, Cedric became animated. They discussed navigational methods used by intercontinental ballistic missiles. He explained the strengths and weaknesses of inertial guidance systems. Nat was grateful for the hours he had spent in Research Triangle Park talking with Hercules, TRW, and Laser Optics. It was noticeable to Cedric that Nat was knowledgeable in the fields of guidance systems and computer navigation. Nat led Cedric into a deeper discussion of missiles and their incredible guidance systems, both men exchanging compliments often as each expressed surprise at the other's depth of understanding in unexpected topics. The conversation then moved to the outstanding navigational mathematicians in the world. Cedric rattled off at least ten names. Nat quickly noted he had not mentioned any Soviet names. "Do the Soviets have any outstanding people in the field of the mathematics of navigation and guidance?"

"Yes, they have many, but they don't generally come to mind because we have so little contact. The Soviets will exchange information in many fields, but they do not like to talk about mathematics, navigation and guidance systems. They're so closed mouthed; they're afraid somehow they'll share a military secret. Even their scientists know they have much to learn from the rest of us, but they fear their own government and particularly the KGB so much, that it's not worth the risk."

"Who would you consider their greatest navigational mathematician?"

"Oh, without a doubt it's Dr. Cletri Gargana. His work at the University of Minsk is the basis of most of the guidance systems used in their missiles today."

"Would Dr. Gargana be the man who would calculate navigational routes in space?"

"He is their leading mathematician. There's nothing in the Soviet Union relating to the military use of navigational aids that would be approved without Gargana's blessing."

Nat had a strange feeling come over him before asking the next question. "I take it that Dr. Gargana is still doing his research at the University of Minsk?"

"That is a strange question for you to ask."

"Why is that?"

"Frankly many of us in the mathematics and navigational field have puzzled over what Gargana is doing now. It appears he has left the University of Minsk and joined some remote institution in the republic of Uzbek near Samarkand. None of us even know of a university in that area specializing in science and mathematics. They do have technical institutes and a rather large university in Samarkand, but nothing we know of that would attract a man of Dr. Gargana's reputation and accomplishment."

The two men talked on for another fifteen or twenty minutes. Nat then begged to be excused saying that he had already checked out of his hotel and had a long way to travel that afternoon. Cedric asked Nat where he planned to be that night. Nat told him he had a reservation in Cologne. He had an interview with the president of the university early in the morning. Cedric wished him Godspeed and hoped they would meet again. Nat left the office feeling guilty. He had no intention of going near Cologne. On the other hand, if the KGB was to somehow contact Dr. van Haut this afternoon, and he shared the information about Nat's plans, it would appear to fit in very well with a top CIA agent.

After leaving the physical science building, Nat got into his Saab and headed back to the electronics store where he had bought his supplies last night. He went in and found the clerk who had served him the night before and apologized for being late in picking up his purchase. The clerk assured him there was no problem, and he was most happy to have his business. Nat opened the hinge of the Saab’s rear door, raising it above his head and added the laser and oscillating equipment to the supplies that had been placed there earlier in the morning. He turned his Saab toward the main thoroughfare leading to the highway past the Schiphol Airport and on toward the German border. After clearing city traffic and moving out onto the highway, Nat checked his mirror periodically until he finally saw a BMW grill that was reminiscent of the one he had seen this morning. At this point the highway was reasonably clear in front and it was four lanes. Nat decided to heat matters up in a hurry. He pressed the accelerator of the Saab 9000 and the needle showing turbine boost jumped into the yellow. The car responded in a remarkable fashion and the speedometer indicated Nat was moving at 160 kilometers per hour. Nat looked up to see if the BMW had responded to the challenge. If so, he was making the assumption the two KGB agents in the BMW 635 would be on his heels. Sure enough, he found the BMW was keeping pace. Nat wondered how long it would take for the heat of the BMW engine to do its work with the canned sausages placed among the electrical system wires and tubes leading to the fuel injectors.

It did not take as long as Nat had expected. He saw the BMW in his mirror, but a few moments later when he looked back the BMW was nowhere to be seen. Nat had assumed the explosion of the can would take out the electrical system and the fuel injector system, causing the engine to seize and come to an abrupt halt. Nat's calculations had been correct. The can exploded and ripped the wiring and the injector tubes loose from their moorings. Many related events also took place rapidly in the automobile. The BMW immediately lost its power steering and its power brakes. The loose tubes leading to the fuel injectors sprayed gasoline over the hot engine, and a bright flame burst out in the car as it skidded off the road into a flat agricultural field. The automobile continued across the soft field for a quarter of a mile before the mechanical emergency brake brought it to a halt. Both men were able to pull themselves out of the automobile and crawl away before an explosion took place. They were burned slightly, but it was a miracle both KGB agents were not killed.

The sausage bomb had done its work. The Mercedes, following a quarter of mile behind, saw all of this happens. The driver's first impulse was to ignore the flaming BMW and immediately move to follow Nat. This would be the typical plan of action for a KGB agent. Ordinarily they would not have let the injury of a fellow KGB agent interfere with the task they were ordered to do. In this case, however, the agent in the passenger's compartment yelled that the damned American had planted a bomb in the BMW and the Mercedes should be brought to an immediate halt before a similar bomb went off in their car. The driver pressed hard on the brakes bringing the car quickly to a halt on the shoulder of the road. Both men got out and ran down the highway at full speed. Sure enough, within less than thirty seconds the heat from the engine of the Mercedes exploded the can of sausage, ripping the wiring and tubing leading to the injectors, and the gasoline covered engine burst into flames. The two occupants of the Mercedes began to make their way across the field to see if they could be of any assistance to the occupants of the BMW. When Nat noticed he no longer had pursuers, he turned at the next major highway heading south toward the Belgium border. His destination for the evening was Paris.

4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 16, 1987

CIA Headquarters

McLean, Virginia

Chris Cope had called George Calumet and Mike Shinn to his office for an emergency meeting. Shinn had reported to Cope that he had received an emergency communiqué that needed to be discussed immediately. Within ten minutes, they were seated and an animated and serious discussion was underway.

Cope started the conversation. "Mike, share with George the nature of the emergency code you received just a few minutes ago from your Amsterdam chief."

Shinn attempted to keep his professional calm and collected demeanor, but it was difficult to do so at the moment. "I have just received a priority one code from Amsterdam. Our station there is one of the best in Europe. We have penetration into the KGB as well as the police department."

Calumet couldn't wait. "Good God, Mike. I know how good you are. Tell me what's happened. I know Turner's in Amsterdam. Is he dead? Have they killed him?"

"Hell no, they haven't killed him. He's killed three of them and two more may die."

Calumet sank back in his seat."What are you talking about?"

"Well, let me put the story together as best we know it. Our people have corroborated it between information received by the police department and reports back into the KGB office. Turner arrived Monday night and went through the usual procedures we outlined for him. He ate dinner and moved around Amsterdam talking to a lot of people. Tuesday morning he rented a car and headed into the northern part of Holland following the circular route across the great dike and back down through the cheese country. That night he made a tour of the night spots of Amsterdam and returned to his hotel room around 1:30 in the morning. He slept late and left the hotel after lunch. The afternoon was spent visiting local shops and driving the KGB crazy."

"Evidently the KGB decided to show a little muscle to frighten him. They had broken into his hotel room and messed things up. They even destroyed his damn computer. I think they were convinced if they could destroy his computer, he could no longer send secret communiqués back to North Carolina."

"How did Turner react?" Calumet wanted to know.

"It obviously made him a bit angry. He called the Concierge and had he come to the room to examine the damage and send housekeeping up to clean up things. He called an automobile dealership and bought a Saab 9000 turbo."

"Why did he do that? He's flying to his destinations."

"Not anymore! But let me go on. Our agents were following the KGB stakeout and witnessed Turner going into an electronics store, a sporting goods store and a convenience store. He also went to a grocery store, and maybe a hardware store. I don't know. He then went back to his room and spent an hour. After that he went to a damn whorehouse in the red light district."

"I can't believe that. That doesn't sound like Turner at all."

"I don't care what you believe; he went to a whore house. By the time he was back in the hotel, at least two hours had past."

Cope was sitting back observing the exchange between George and Mike. He decided not to inject himself into the conversation at this time.

"Well, he hasn't killed anybody yet," Calumet said.

"Wait just a minute. He went on to bed, woke up the next morning and ordered breakfast. After breakfast, he prepared his luggage to leave and sat up some sort of device that created a problem for the electronics gear in the surveillance truck located four blocks from the hotel. The surveillance boys were trying to determine if Turner had left the room and had turned their equipment to its most sensitive when suddenly there was a blast of sound that came through their surveillance equipment which disabled the equipment and deafened both KGB agents. Now, while Turner was blowing the ears off of the surveillance boys, he slipped out of his room, placed a copper wire around the doorknob next door where they had a stake-out monitoring movement in his room. He stapled the copper wire into the door facing to hold the door in place so there was no escaping into the hall. Then he killed the three KGB agents inside."

"How did he kill them? I thought you said he had tied the door closed."

"We don't know how he killed them. The police don't know how he killed them. Of course, the police don't even know if he did kill them. The KGB certainly seems to think he did, however."

Calumet looked puzzled. "I don't understand. What do you mean they don't know how he killed them?"

"They don't. When the maid noticed the door tied, she called the manager and he came up, unlocked the door and found three dead men."

"What happened after that?"

"Turner then drove to the University of Amsterdam. He visited with the President, Dr. Eric Kroner, and he visited with Dr. Cedric van Haut, a world famous authority in mathematics and navigation. After completing the visit, he went back to the electronics store where he had bought some items the night before and picked up a package he had ordered. After that, he left Amsterdam and headed for the German border. He was on the highway that goes through Arnhem, then down toward Essen to Cologne."

"Why would he be going to Germany? His next stop is in Paris?"

"I didn't say he went to Germany, he went toward Germany. On the road, not too far outside of Amsterdam, the first car that was giving him chase exploded. Turner somehow had set a bomb in the car."

"Did he kill anyone?"

"No, I don't think so, but it is a miracle he didn't. The car burst into flames and crashed into a field and evidently the two KGB agents crawled away. We're not sure how serious their injuries are."

"What kind of bomb did he use?" Calumet asked.

"Wait a minute, that's not the whole story. Not more than a quarter of a mile down the road, another bomb went off destroying another KGB car. Fortunately for the KGB, the occupants of the second car became alarmed when the bomb went off in the first car and realized their car might also be bombed. They stopped it as quickly as possible, got out of the car and took off running down the road. Sure enough, within thirty seconds the damn thing exploded."

"Was there a lot of debris? Surely you could tell what kind of bomb it was."

"No. Something happened to the engine. It just quit, but whatever it was blew the fuel injector leads loose, and it was the raw gasoline pumping onto that hot engine that did most of the damage. Nevertheless after using two bombs to disable two KGB cars and four agents, Turner has disappeared."

"Mike, how successful was your boys in identifying unknown KGB agents?"

Calumet asked subtlety pointing out the original purpose of operation Straw Man and hoping to salvage something from Turner's visit to Amsterdam.

Mike answered sourly. "We were successful in pinpointing agents, but Nat's put half of them out of commission after we located them. They were using their best people to trail him."

At this time Cope thought he'd better get into the conversation. "Let's do a damage assessment. Mike, what do you think the KGB's reaction will be to all of this damage?"

"The biggest problem with the KGB will be pride. Their Amsterdam station will have failed. This means their Moscow station will also have failed. In the Soviet Union, failure means big trouble. Often jobs are lost and occasionally failure even leads to execution. They play by strict rules over there. Remember they have a lot of oriental blood in them, and the loss of face can be the most serious problem an individual can have."

"What do you think they'll do?" Cope asked.

"Retaliate. Just how, I'm not sure. There's no question in my mind that their knee jerk reaction will be to kill Turner."

Cope tried to keep his emotions under control and speak in a level even professional manner. This was difficult under the circumstances. "Mike, George, how do you think the CIA is going to look if we have used a popular college president with no prior connection to any intelligence service and set him up in Europe facing the best of the KGB and he gets killed? As good an idea as this appeared to be, I know three people who will not be working for the CIA if this happens, and their names are Cope, Calumet and Shinn."

"Liberal congressman will have a field day. It will be a wonder if the CIA isn't closed down entirely. Without question, this would be the most serious blunder our agency has ever committed. People will forget our attempt to use gangsters to assassinate Fidel Castro. From this point on in history, it would be the murder of Nat Turner, the innocent college president from North Carolina."

Calumet looked seriously at Cope. "Let's consider our options."

Shinn looked at Chris. "What options do we have?"

"I see three. First, we must find him as quickly as possible and bring him home. Let's see if we can get him out of harm's way. I think, however, the KGB would put a price on his head even here in the United States. We may have to change his identity and put him in protective custody somewhere for the rest of his life. The CIA may have a ward on their hands which they must keep moving from location to location to keep the KGB from finding him. The second is that we can let nature take its course and allow the KGB to kill him. The problem there is that they can say this CIA agent was killed because of his involvement in dastardly and illegal plots that led to the death of several KGB agents. We would be right back in the soup ourselves."

Shinn looked even more seriously at Cope, "The third?"

"We can kill him ourselves and dispose of the body and assume he just disappeared somewhere in Europe. Unfortunately, if the body doesn't show up and be identified, the KGB will assume we were able to pull him off the continent and have him hidden somewhere. I think the CIA is going to get repercussions from the KGB over this matter."

Calumet had collected himself by now. "Men, I wonder if there's a way out of this. Turner has shown that he can handle himself rather well."

"George, they’re not going to ring a bell and have this punched this out in a ring somewhere with a referee."

"Mike, I know that. But Turner has one thing on his side right now. He's been successful against the KGB. While they're irritated with him, and I'm certain they're out to kill him, they're going to have to respect his ingenuity and his resourcefulness. The KGB obviously cannot intimidate Nat Turner. If you can believe it, this guy has turned the tables on the local KGB and put some people Moscow in trouble over this matter. Also, the people assigned to Turner now know this guy will kill if he is crowded. We haven't had anyone in the field like him in thirty years. They'll be walking gingerly behind Turner, and this might prove to be an advantage to him."

"George, do you actually think Turner can defeat KGB assassins?" Cope asked.

"Frankly Chris, I doubt it, but from my dealings with the guy for two weeks and looking at the reports we've received from London, Tel Aviv, Paris, Bonn, Helsinki, Copenhagen and now Amsterdam, the guy has a feel for this business. It's a shame we could not have recruited him for the agency and trained him properly. He's absolutely a natural."

"What do you think the KGB will do?" Calumet asked.

"I don't know, but they're going to be very reluctant to crowd Turner too much after the fiasco in Amsterdam. They certainly cannot allow the KGB to be embarrassed again in Paris. If that happens, the Central Committee will do some shuffling of the deck over there. Their philosophy has always been, we may lose, but we will never lose with the same players. Those are going to be changed."

"Let's see what happens in Paris." Cope said, "I'm still not sure we may not have to pull him out. We cannot stand to have our agency jeopardized by the congressional investigations that will take place if this operation goes up in smoke."

7:00 a.m. Friday, June 17, 1987

Hotel Bristol

Paris, France

Nat had awakened at 5:30 in his hotel room. While he was getting ready for the day he reflected on yesterday's events. On the afternoon before, he had turned south toward the Belgium border and headed toward Rotterdam. His next point of destination took him further south into Belgium arriving at Antwerp and on to Brussels. When he reached Brussels, he took the bypass around the city to escape much of the traffic, and before long, he had crossed the small country of Belgium and was into the northern region of France. His route took him directly through Villers and into Paris. While the distance was substantial, Nat was at ease behind the wheel of the Saab. He much preferred driving to flying. These periods of solitude on the highway gave him the hours he needed to think and to plan. His mind on several occasions drifted to the more social aspects of his last trip to Paris.

His first inclination was to call Yvonne, but he decided that would be unfair to her. Nat knew the consequences of his rash activities in Amsterdam. He had made the decision to take on the KGB. He was well aware it was impossible under the circumstances for him to receive any help from the CIA. He did make the resolve to be sure the information he discovered was safely in the hands of Nancy and, if his early suspicions were proven to be true, the CIA needed to know of the trail he was now following. Nat also decided to gather more information before sharing any of it with the CIA. It was his academic nature to do the research and come to some conclusion before sharing his findings with the world.

Nat had other decisions that needed to be made. He wanted to be sure he had a plan of action before leaving his automobile and moving into his hotel room in Paris. His assignment was to make himself plainly visible to the KGB in every possible way and occasion. He now knew he was a marked man. The KGB would not suffer the indignity of losing agents to someone like himself. He also assumed, however, he would have gained a considerable degree of respect from the KGB, and they would be careful in their dealings with him henceforth.

Nat, with his orderly organized mind, made his decisions. First, he would keep his appointments tomorrow morning with President Jacques Maleux of the Sorbonne University and their eminent authority on computers, Dr. Claude Jeane DuPols. He would continue to make himself visible to the KGB by making social stops throughout Paris. He changed his mind and decided to call Yvonne to see if she were available to accompany him on these social rounds. He thought about calling Cymmianne the minister of Securite’ and asking for help. He then decided he would spend Wednesday morning in the library of the Sorbonne to investigate some matters in the university library. Nancy needed to be brought completely up to date on all of his discoveries so far. He would caution her not to contact the CIA unless something unfortunate happened to him. After that he would spend what was left of the afternoon and evening with Yvonne. After leaving the Sorbonne tomorrow, he would head west to Strasbourg and turn south through Dijon. From Dijon, he would drive straight into Geneva. The decisions were made.

The next matter Nat needed to determine was how aggressive he was willing to be with the KGB from this point on. That decision did not take long. The die had been cast. The KGB would do everything possible to see he was terminated and Nat was going to do everything possible to stay alive. He thought the best way to stay alive was to let the KGB play ball in his backyard. Whatever secret project the Soviets were undertaking had to be more important to the CIA than identifying their undercover agents throughout cities of central and Western Europe. From this moment on, his main concern was to get into the Soviet Union and travel to Samarkand for a personal inspection of the project.

While all his resolve was a noble effort, it was unlikely he would get through the next seven cities alive. Consequently, he must transmit his suspicions and his analysis of the situation in such a manner that Nancy could make sure the CIA was in a position to do his work should he be terminated along the way. Nat went downstairs to the hotel dining room for croissants and coffee. After breakfast, he called the President of the Sorbonne and Dr. DuPois. Nat knew this was unnecessary as Nancy had these appointments already firm. Nat decided, however, a call would give the KGB the chance to verify his future activities assuming they had a tap on his phone line. Hundreds of hotels were available for Nat to stay in if he was trying to elude the KGB, but he had chosen to return to the hotel in which he had stayed last week. Nat thought the KGB would be puzzled about his lack of concern for them, and his casual resumption of a preplanned pattern of activities when the Soviet agency was in hot pursuit.

After both telephone calls to the university had been made, he placed his call to Paul Cymianne, the minister of Securite’. He and Paul talked frankly for a few minutes, and Nat started not to tell him about his brush with the KGB. Then it occurred to Nat if he were expecting favors from Paul Cymmianne, he had better not play games with him. Paul was bound to hear through his own sources about the Nat's retaliation against the KGB. Nat did not know the results of his beaming microwaves through the wall of the hotel. Although he was certainly aware such an activity could cause death, he would not have dreamed three KGB agents had been killed through this retaliation. He did not know the effectiveness of his high frequency sound generator on the surveillance truck and could only speculate about the problems his sausage bombs had caused the BMW 635 and the Mercedes 550. Nat's intention was to disable the two cars not necessarily hurt the occupants. Nat decided to level with Paul Cymmianne knowing he might need his help in the future. "Paul, the KGB began to push hard in Amsterdam. I retaliated, but I'm not sure the effects of my little ploy. I do suspect they're hard on my trail at this moment because, as you know, they don't like to be embarrassed." Nat said little else about this.

He did ask Paul to do four things for him. "Paul, if you will, sees what you can find out about KGB activity in Amsterdam. I need to know just how mad I've made them. Second, do what you can to find out about Sveltlana Khrunov. She was an authority in ceramics, primarily for military uses. She did work at the University of Moscow, but now I find she is in the republic of Uzbek. Next, I wish you would check and see what you can find out about br. Vladimir Zelenchuk. He's the Soviet's leading authority in heavy metals. He lived in Kiev and done his work at the university. I now find out he's been moved to Uzbek. One more person, see if you can find out about Dr. Kletri Gargana. Dr. Gargana was at the University of Minsk, and he's the Soviet's leading expert in mathematics and navigation. I found out he's been moved to Uzbek."

"What's in Uzbek?" asked Paul. "We don't know of any particular research project going on there."

"I don't know. I was wondering if they are starting a new university devoted primarily to research. They are bringing in their leading experts."

"That isn't typical of the Soviets. They're much more highly concentrated in Moscow and their bigger industrial cities. If they were starting a new technical institute using the cream of the crop researchers, chances are it would be in Moscow. If they're sending these people to Uzbek I think your suspicions are right Nat, something unusual is going on there." I can't quite put together ceramics, heavy metals, mathematics and navigation."

"I can't either, but those are the first three pieces of the puzzle. I'm having some work done in the United States, and I'm going to push this matter as I travel across Europe. I'll be calling you later to see what you've been able to turn up on these three people and the KGB activity in Amsterdam."

After Nat hung up the phone, he got in his Saab and drove to the Sorbonne, parking as near as possible to the library. He sought out their research librarian and asked for assistance. Nat knew from previous experience that research librarians were most helpful. They loved a challenge, and books were their research field. Nat asked the reference librarian on duty at the library if she would collect for him articles authored by Dr. Sveltana Khrunov of the Soviet Union who was a specialist on ceramics. He also asked her to collect the most recent publications of br. Vladimar Zelenchuk, who was a specialist in heavy metals at the University of Kiev. He asked for the articles written by Kletri Gargana, who was a specialist in mathematics and navigation and did his research at the University of Minsk. The reference librarian assured him she would get on the job right away, and asked Nat to return in an hour.

Nat spent the next hour preparing his computer communication for Nancy. He spent more time than usual on developing these programs because he had the foreboding feeling the information contained in these transmissions might be the information Nancy would have pass on to the CIA. He told of his discovery about Khrunov, Zelenchuk and Gargana. He also included in the program the information he expected to find from the research librarian. He knew, should his speculation prove to be incorrect, it would take but a few minutes to change the program to make it correct. He told Nancy about the conversation with Paul Cymmianne, the minister of Securite and the requests he had made of Paul. He asked Nancy to contact br. Cicero Pittard at the United States Naval Academy, who was their specialist in mathematics and navigation, and see what he knew about br. Kletri Gargana.

When Nat finished writing the program, he went back to the reference librarian's desk and was pleased to find she had collected the material he had requested. She had a push cart full of materials including at least fifty different publications. These three Soviet scientists published heavily. Nat asked the reference librarian to help him go through the scientific publications and make a note of the title and the date. With both Nat and the librarian working on these fifty sources, it did not take as long as Nat thought it would. Within 25 minutes, they had completed the list and written it on a sheet of paper for Nat's use. He thanked the librarian and indicated her help was more valuable than she would ever know. The librarian was puzzled by the fact Nat had read none of the articles. He only took down the title, the name of the book and the date of publication. As Nat cheerily waved goodbye, the reference librarian started pushing the cart back to the stacks with less than benevolent thoughts running through her mind. The list had been divided by author and topic, but the main information Nat was interested in was the dates. No scientific article had been published by any of these three eminent scientists within the last twelve months. This was out of character to their previous publication schedule. All three had seldom let more than six months pass without a major article. None of the latest articles published by the trio related to any university or institution in the republic of Uzbek. They all had come from Moscow, Kiev and Minsk.

Nat knew the three scientists were sent to Uzbek under a veil of secrecy and doubted the Soviet government had any idea the three scientists had relayed the location of their new home to anyone outside of Soviet channels. It was obvious the members of the Soviet government did not understand how the academic mind works. Research, publication and interaction with colleagues internationally is the life blood of an academic scientist. Egos are heavily involved. All academic scientists crave the approval of other academic scientists throughout the world. They would never be happy keeping their candles securely placed under bushels. It was the nature of things for one scientist to contact another and let him or her know of the changing plans and why their mutual work may not continue in the near future. Nat assumed it had never occurred to the Soviets that the lack of any international publication from these three scientists would ever raise anyone's eyebrows. This omission was prima facie evidence of a dramatic change taking place in the Soviet Union.

After Nat completed his research, he found nice quiet French restaurant hours for his luncheon. He ordered a hearty meal and began to feel exhilarated as his mind speculated on the investigation that would take place over the next two weeks. At 3:00 in the afternoon, he returned to his hotel room and made a few modifications to the programs he was going to copy to Nancy's computer in the United States.

After the programs were polished to his satisfaction, he called Nancy and they discussed various college matters for fifteen minutes. Nancy assured Nat the college was running well, and he could continue to enjoy the relaxation of his sabbatical. He told Nancy briefly of his skirmishes with the KGB. He did not mention over the telephone his methods of creating havoc among the Amsterdam station. He kept the conversation telegraphic, but indicated strongly to her the KGB was now placing him in the crossbars of their sights. This revelation disturbed Nancy greatly, but Nat assured her what he was doing was a fait accompli and there was no going back at this point. He indicated it was his plan to continue his rounds and, while he intended to make it back home, should he not, the information he was transmitting to her could be critical to the United States security. Nat felt safe in sharing this information over the telephone. Even if the line had been tapped, it was information the KGB already knew. Nat had not related his methodology of operation. This in itself was unusual, but Nancy was smart enough not to ask questions over the open line.

She only hoped there was some detail in the programs to help her better understand his comments once they were decompiled. After they both had completed the conversation, Nat copied his programs to the directories Nancy had just created. A second or two after the transmission began it was over and Nancy copied her messages back to Nat. They picked up the receiver, had a brief conversation and bade each other goodbye. Nancy immediately decompiled the programs sent to her by Nat and picked up the phone to call Dr. Cicero Pittard at the United States Naval Academy.

After Nat had decompiled Nancy's messages, he read of the interesting matters and activities she had pursued. The weight of the decompiled program, however, dealt with her conversation with Wynn Huffman at Troxler. He said an effective weapon could be constructed firing a heavy metal projectile covered with ceramics. He added an observation interesting to Nat that had only been touched on briefly in the conversation in Helsinki. He said an ablative ceramic surface would evaporate slowly and not transmit heat to the inside of the projectile. He concluded that, with this being true, such a projectile could either contain an explosive charge or not. Frankly, if heavy metals were going to be used, an explosive charge would add little. The density of heavy metals is such that their impact is highly destructive from a kinetic sense. He also said stealth technology could be used in the formation of the ceramics, which would make the projectiles invisible to radar. On the other hand, most heavy metal projectiles are small enough that radar would have great difficulty tracking them anyway. A small object without a good signature proves to be difficult for even the best radar to track.

Wynn had also commented on the fact that a ceramic covered projectile would be of little use unless the projectile were going to be moving at an incredible rate of speed. For a ceramic covering to be necessary, it would have to be supersonic. Wynn was intrigued with the question relating to the concave nose cone. He said it was a unique thought worth considering. He had called the Arnold Engineering Development Center near Tullahoma, Tennessee to see what kind of work they had done with concave noses on projectiles and rockets. Wynn had close relations with several of the rocket testing engineers at AEDC. Huffman confirmed the fact that a concave nose cone had been tried at various times and the results were positive. The faster the projectile traveled, the harder the bubble of air trapped in the concave nose would become and it would assume a perfect aerodynamic shape. There was no question that such technology would give additional protection to a projectile designed to travel at supersonic speeds. This possibility would increase its accuracy and allow a projectile to be fired at incredible speeds.

Nat picked up the phone and called Nancy again. His main comments to Nancy, was to run the names he had given her by Courtney Flame at Laser Optics. See if she had information or any reaction to the fact they had been moved from their highly visible locations to Uzbek. After this contact, Nat called Yvonne to see if she were available to accompany him about Paris during the evening. She was delighted to hear from Nat again. She said she had made other plans, but with Nat only being in Paris for the one evening, she would do her best to make arrangements to be with him. He agreed to call her back at 6:00 p.m. Nat reached for his short wave radio with the loop antenna and the two gauges firmly glued to the top and swept the room. The KGB had done their work. Not uncovered six bugs, placed at strategic locations in his room. He left them in place instead of disabling them. He also checked both walls to see if there were any radiation impulses coming through the walls indicating KGB agents in adjacent rooms. After a thorough sweep, Nat determined there was no such radiation. He smiled being amused that even the KGB had decided not to try that trick again.

Nat picked up his helium neon laser with the oscillator rig and took it to the window. Several cars were parked within view of his window and two of them had people sitting in the car talking. Nat pointed the dark red beam up against the windshield of the two cars containing passengers. Their voices were transmitted clearly back through the pair of earphones Nat had donned. This device was something the KGB had not counted on. It was possible for Nat to detect voice conversations by vibrations set up in windshields or windows of rooms. Nat decided this little device might be useful in keeping him alive. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Neither of the conversations taking place in the automobiles appeared to have any relevance to KGB business, CIA business or Nat Turner. He turned his laser off, took off the earphones and decided to take a nap.

At 6:00 p.m. he called Yvonne again, and she had been able to make arrangements to spend the evening with him. This pleased Nat. He showered and shaved, went downstairs to the parking garage, entered his Saab and drove across Paris to Yvonne's apartment. Within a few minutes, he was back down into the Saab with Yvonne, and they were off for an evening's celebration as two old lovers who had been reunited after an extended absence. No one observing them moving from bar to bar and finally ending up in one of Paris five star restaurants would have had any idea that ten days before, they were perfect strangers.

Not followed the same routine he had in Helsinki, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. He made sure that he and Yvonne met several couples and joined even larger parties. Nat bought rounds of drinks and they all exchanged dance partners. Later in the evening when it was time for dinner, Nat did decide to save Yvonne for himself. They slipped away from the last of the drinking parties and had dinner alone. Nat was certain that lurking somewhere nearby would be the agents of the KGB. He also hoped at even a greater perimeter would be the CIA carefully noting and tracking the agents of their adversarial power.

Nat had made the assumption that some of the couples they had met during the evening were probably KGB plants. If they were, however, they were very clever. They had made no unusual or extraordinary moves that would have tipped their hands. While they may have been KGB, Nat had no indication that they might be.

It was 2:00 a.m. when they completed the dinner and the romantic couple decided to spend the rest of the evening in Yvonne's studio apartment. Nat was reluctant to stay the night with Yvonne because he had a busy schedule tomorrow and would have to get up early even if they went to bed late. Yvonne assured him it was all right and that she wanted him to stay the night so they could have breakfast together. Nat was easily persuaded. They did get up at 7:00, went to a restaurant near Yvonne's studio apartment and had a quick breakfast. Not excused him and returned to the Hotel Bristol and took a quick shower and shaved. He put on fresh clothing and went back downstairs and left in his Saab for the Sorbonne.

At 10:00 promptly he was in the office of Dr. Jacques Maleux, the eminent and distinguished president of the world renowned institution. The hour spent with Dr. Maleux was one of his greatest encounters with another academician. Dr. Maleux was one of the deepest thinkers Nat had ever met. Maleux's intellectual and philosophical thoughts on great matters of universal importance sent Nat's mind soaring. The only references were from a philosophical point of view, not from a practical point of view. This stimulating person was a catalyst to his own thinking. He seldom was in contact with someone who could move across the spectrum of ideas in various fields and disciplines with synthesis and continuity. As the hour drew to a close, Nat felt great admiration for Dr. Jacques Maleux. It occurred to him along the way that if persons of such vision and intellect could be placed to head the various governments throughout the world, Nat would not have to resort to such activities as he was engaged in today. Complex problems seemed to be solved simply by Jacques Maleux. He should be the president of France and some counterpart should be the president of the United States. It would be even more helpful if someone like him were guiding the Soviet Union.

Nat was enthralled. Only after the audience was completed, and he had left the office to find his way across campus to the office of Dr. Claude Jeane DuPois, did Nat come back down to earth. "Yes" he thought, "Maleux would be a great head of state." Unfortunately most idealists love to reside on university campuses and reflect on lofty thoughts in ivy covered ivory towers. No, they were not willing to move into the political arena and face the slings and arrows that come the way of all politicians. Maleux had a sensitive soul and the crucible of national politics would have damaged this beautiful man beyond recognition. In the eight to ten minutes it took to walk from the administration building to the physical science building, Nat had come to the conclusion that political leadership took a tougher man than Maleux. Nat knew from his own experience it was easy to develop a bunker mentality on a college campus. Those associated with academia and protected by the rites of tenure are comfortable in proclaiming the ills of the world, but uncomfortable when someone tries to tell them how to conduct their business. Such criticism from the outside is considered to be an infringement of academic freedom.

Shortly after 11:00 Nat arrived at the office of Dr. Claude Jeane DuPois. The building housing DuPois' office was dramatically different from those he had visited at other universities. DuPois office was connected to the physical science department, but in reality was an appendage that had been added at a much later date. Its architecture was modern and the walls were glass. As Nat entered the front door of the building and proceeded down the corridor in search of Dr. DuPois' office, he passed the most amazing array of computer equipment he had ever seen. Nat had been in the labs at the Research Triangle Park housing work being done by IBM and Northern Telecom. As he visited those laboratories, he encountered what appeared to be acre upon acre of computer equipment. The Sorbonne labs were equally as impressive as those in the Research Triangle Park. If Dr. DuPois had all of this equipment under his command, it was symbolic of the great esteem he possessed in the eyes of the administration of the university.

After Nat had been properly conducted by Dr. DuPois's secretary into his office, they both began to share experiences relating to computers going back to the years when Nat was enrolled in college. Nat told Dr. DuPois about his Compaq computer with a 20 MHz clock. Dr. DuPois was familiar with the Compaq 386 and agreed with Nat it was an elegant microcomputer.

Nat began to question Dr. DuPois closely about the remarkable breakthroughs made in recent years in computer markets. Dr. DuPois indicated that about twenty years ago it was assumed there would be few hardware improvements, that most of the breakthroughs would be in the area of software, but this had not proven to be the case. Manufacturers have produced cheaper, faster and much more powerful hardware with relatively low maintenance costs. Software writers were hard pressed to keep up with the potential of computers advancing so rapidly.

Nat moved the conversation with Dr. DuPois to the super computer. They immediately began to discuss the specifications of the Cray built in the United States. It was assumed that the Cray was still the world leader in super computers. The French company Bull was also capable of building such computers, though the technology may not be quite as advanced as Cray.

Dr. DuPois pointed out, "Several other American companies have large powerful computers which are similar to the number crunching French Bull. The Bull is no longer strictly a French concern, but has close connections with IBM."

"What other companies can produce such sophisticated equipment?"

"The Toshiba Company in Japan is in the forefront in the development of super computers. They have equipment that could compete with any in the world, and that includes Cray."

"Do the Russians have super computers?"

"I'm not sure about the Russians because they keep so many things secret, but I have no evidence the Russians can build a super computer. The Russians are not advanced enough in computer science to keep up with Americans. They like to build a strong framework of scientific accomplishment and improve it incrementally. They have good computers but certainly not a super."

“Who is the most eminent of the Russian computer experts?"

"Dr. Igor Renstack."

"Where is he doing his work?"

Dr. DuPois answered, "At the Technical University in Tbilisi."

Nat pressed DuPois. "Is he capable of building a super computer?"

"No".

"Could Dr. Renstack operate a super computer?"

"Yes, he not only could operate one, he could operate one very well."

"Do you know Dr. Renstack personally?"

"Oh yes. He has been to visit me on more than one occasion here at the Sorbonne, and I have been to visit him in Tbilisi. He is quite a wonderful man and a typical scientist."

"How often do you hear from him?"

"Not very often."

"Have you heard from him recently?"

DuPols indicated he had not. Nat asked if there was any particular reason he thought he had not heard from him.

"Yes, I don't think he is at the university any more. He indicated to me confidentially that there was some high Soviet leader who wanted him tom move."

"Do you recall to what geographic region this was?"

"No, I don't remember the name. I'm not good with names."

"Did he say the area where he was going was somewhere in the southern part of the Soviet Union perhaps near Afghanistan or China?"

"Yes, indeed he did. In fact he was complaining about being sent from such a beautiful city such as Tbilisi to an area he considered to be backward and agricultural. He stated most of the residents were Moslem, and he would have little in common with these people."

"Could it have been Uzbek?"

"Yes, that sounds like the area he mentioned."

"How long has it been since you've last heard from him?"

"I'm sure it has been more than a year."

Nat pressed on. "Has he published much since he's been at his new location?"

"Not to my knowledge. I've seen nothing in any of the journals I take. He must be busy settling in."

"Do you know the name of this new university?"

"No, I don't. In fact I don't know anything at all. I'm surprised he accepted the position. It must have been a great promotion, or he was under much governmental pressure to move. Nothing in our last conversation indicated to me he was pleased with his new assignment."

"Did he suggest what his new assignment might be?"

"No, when the questions became specific, he became very evasive. He didn't give me any indication whatsoever as to the specificity of his task."

"What would you think he might be doing, knowing his background and experience?"

DuPois paused a moment. "Without question, Igor is the most eminent computer scientist in the Soviet Union. Whatever is going on at the new university he has joined will relate to the very latest in computer use and computer technology."

"Do you think they're trying to build a super computer?"

"No I don't think so. There would be no reason to build a super computer in Uzbek. He could have built it in Tbilisi. Everyone knows the Soviets have been trying to build these devices. That's certainly no secret. We also think they are years behind in technology. No, it doesn't make any sense for him to go to Uzbek to try and build a super computer."

Using logic with Dr. DuPois, Nat asked, "Would I be safe in assuming he is in Uzbek to work with some great computer project?"

DuPois nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, that would be my assumption. They have brought him there to use the computer for some highly technological reason. He would be the most qualified person in the Soviet Union to use computers in military applications."

Nat continued to talk to Dr. DuPois for another thirty minutes, and then explained he needed to make a computer transmission back to the United States. Was it possible for him to use one of the departmental telephones?

DuPois assured him it was. Nat left DuPois' office, went to his car and secured his Compaq 386 computer. He brought it into DuPois' office and began to code the program. DuPois became immersed in a project he was doing on a work station located beside his desk which was tied to the largest of the French main frames. It only took Nat ten minutes to do his coding. He placed a call to his office at Cameron College in Raleigh. Nat knew Nancy would not have arrived at work yet. It was still too early. They had agreed to leave the local area network on twenty four hours a day in the President's office. Nat left a message on the network that there were programs to be decompiled. He regretted missing her, but the tasks she was being assigned were emergencies.

In the coded message Nat sent to Nancy were instructions to contact Susan Temple at the Microelectronics Institute and ask her where Dr. Igor Renstak was now located. Also ask Susan if she has any information about what he might be doing if he were in Uzbek. Nat then wanted Nancy to contact the Department of Commerce in Washington. Find out if there have been international sales of super computers outside of Japan, the United States, France or Great Britain. Last of all, he wanted the Department of Commerce to determine if the Soviets had been able to buy a super computer from any source.

He directed Nancy to add to their general file the fact Dr. Igor Renstak, the leading computer authority in the Soviet Union, had left his post at the University of Tbilisi and it was suspected he had moved to the republic of Uzbek at governmental direction. There was no question in Nat's mind some highly classified project was underway in Uzbek that had not been detected yet by intelligence sources.

Nat indicated he would be returning to his hotel and had decided to stay another night in Paris. He asked Nancy would she be kind enough to move his six appointments back one day. He would be leaving early in the morning driving to Geneva. He was going as far as Dijon, and then he was going to move into the mountains and come down from the north into Geneva. He had recalled driving those roads before and wanted to visit Vevey and Montreaux. He indicated that after he left Dijon, he would go to Pontilier and then to Bern. From Bern he would take highway NN6 toward Interlaken. At Wimmis, he would turn and come past the great glacier until reaching the Rhone River valley where he would head south again toward Montreaux and Lausanne. This drive would take all day, but would be beautiful. He would pass the castle of Chillon, the setting for Byron's famous poem. Nat liked Montreaux and had spent time there on previous travels. He would be arriving in Geneva by nightfall.

Not went back to his hotel room and called Yvonne and asked if she could spend the evening with him. She feigned exasperation, but said yes she would make arrangements to have dinner with him. Nat said he would be at her studio apartment around 8:00. He decided a nap would serve him well if he were going to be up late hours and still get an early start for the drive through the mountains into Switzerland and end in Geneva.

Nat decided, if he were going to sleep, precautions should be taken. He went down to his car and brought the Sony twin speaker combination radio and tape deck to his room. He plugged the microphone in and placed it in front of one of the two speakers. He took the remote control device that turned the instrument on and off to the other side of the room and tested it. The advertised range was thirty feet, and Nat was less than twenty feet away. He tried the remote control device, and it worked perfectly.

He retrieved one of the 38 caliber Smith and Wesson pistols from the box that had become their hiding place. To assure secrecy of the weapons, Nat had taken the two thin sheets of lead he had secured in Amsterdam and cut them to fit the bottom and the top of the box. He placed the pistols between the two sheets of lead making them invisible to any x-ray device a border patrol or inquisitive KGB agent might use to peek through the covering. Not took a bullet from the chamber of the Smith and Wesson and went to the tool box he had bought in Amsterdam He filed the bullet down until only about a third of the lead was left in the nose of the projectile. If Nat needed to use this weapon at close quarters, he did not intend to kill the person if he could help it. Nat did leave the other bullets in the chambers at their usual weight and size. If his small charge did not stop the person in his tracks and give Nat the upper hand, the backup bullets were to be used in a deadly manner.

As usual, Nat slipped out of his clothes. He put his remote control device under his pillow and placed the gun underneath the cover next to his hand. Within minutes, he was asleep. He slept soundly and an hour passed. It was still light outside the hotel window when Nat was awakened by the cold metallic feeling of the muzzle of the silencer on a handgun firmly pressed between his eyes. Why the intruder had touched Nat's skin and awakened him only the intruder would know. This person had decided point blank range would deaden the gunfire more than the muffled noise made by a silenced pistol. It was a mistake the KGB agent should never have made. The intruder could have safely dispensed Nat to his hereafter from several feet. The cold silencer awakened Nat, and in the same instant, Nat pressed the remote control on the Sony radio. The device switched the radio on, where the sound waves from the speaker were directed by the microphone back into the amplifying section of the radio creating a shrieking crescendo through feedback. Nat had thoughtfully turned the volume up to its maximum after he had tested the effectiveness of the remote control device.

When the terrible feedback shattered the silence of the room, the KGB man looked toward the source of the noise. In that abrupt moment, Nat fired his pistol into the man's chest from point blank range through the covers. The impact of the diminished slug knocked the man backwards, and he dropped his gun. Nat sprang out of the bed immediately, standing over the would be murderer. As the man tried to reach for his gun which was sprawled several feet away on the floor, Nat stomped the knuckles of his right hand. There was a resounding crack as the bones in his right hand fractured. The pain was apparent as the man screamed. Instantly the knuckles began to swell and the telltale signs of bruises began showing that blood vessels had been ruptured underneath the skin. Any future shooting by this KGB agent would be with his left hand.

Nat was giving some thought to shooting the intruder and declaring to the world that he had defended himself against a burglar. Reason took over and calmed Nat down, and he decided this man's fate was already sealed. He had been sent to kill Nat Turner and he had failed. Nat held the gun firmly against the man's head, required him to get up and take off his clothes. The KGB man stripped down to his underwear. Nat insisted he wanted all of his clothes off. The man stripped until he was naked. Nat, with the gun firmly trained on the man's head, ushered him to the door of the hotel room and pushed him into the hall with the threat of instant death if he ever saw him again. Not only had this KGB agent failed in his assignment to kill Nat, he was being humiliated by having to find some way home after being stripped of his clothes. This latest act of Nat Turner's would be considered another act of humiliation against the KGB. It appeared Nat was following a course of self destruction.

Nat was pleased with the effective ploy he had devised using the shriek of the radio to give him the momentary advantage he needed to disarm the KGB agent. He realized he would never be able to fool the KGB again with such a simple device. They do learn quickly. He was also pleased how well his filed down bullet had worked in knocking his assailant to the ground without killing him. Nat was convinced he could better be served by a live agent than providing the KGB another dead body of which they would have to dispose.

Nat packed his belongings and checked out of the hotel. He decided he would stay with Yvonne tonight, and this change of plans would be safer for him. While the KGB would know where he was spending the night, they would not likely attempt another termination tonight.

7:00 a.m. Monday, June 20, 1987

Cafe Monde

Paris, France

Three men were having breakfast at a table by the window of the coffee shop. The morning before, these three men had been called to the office of Tatlin Komarov, the head of the KGB. He had given the three a serious but inspirational talk. He explained to them the CIA had sent an American to Europe primarily to embarrass the KGB in every way possible. He had killed three agents in Amsterdam and seriously injured several others. He explained all KGB stations were on alert to look for this Nat Turner, and as soon as he was found, he was going to send the three of them after Turner with explicit instructions to terminate him. He would leave the three to their own devices, but the instructions were clear, they were not to come back to Moscow until their job was done.

While the four were still talking, a report had been received in the office of Komarov indicating Turner was in Paris and under the surveillance of KGB agents. The three men Nittama Kruckoi, Konstan Tsiolsky, and Lebedev Sputnev were the three assassins selected personally by Komarov. They were to fly from Moscow as quickly as possible and perform their assignment with the sophistication expected of termination experts trained for such duty in the Soviet Union. The three men discussed the termination procedures while they were waiting for their plane in the airport in Moscow. They all knew this apparently untrained CIA agent had been able to create much havoc among the regulars of the KGB. They were pleased the elite were now being called in to complete a task the regulars in the field somehow could not accomplish.

All had agreed it would not be wise to plan their operations together. They played a little numbers game to see who would have the first opportunity to kill Nat and the two who lost were greatly disappointed. They were convinced their opportunity to accomplish this personal task for the head of the KGB would never come their way again. Nittama Kruckoi won the numbers game, and he was to determine a way to quickly dispose of Nat so the three could return safely to Moscow satisfied with an assignment completed at the special request of their agency chief.

The three men were now seated in the Cafe Monde eating and watching the black Saab parked at the curb. Each of the men had separate automobiles provided by the Paris station of the KGB. They were equipped with single side band radios which allowed them instant communication and the ability to reconnoiter at a moment's notice.

At 7:00 a.m. Nat came down the steps of the studio apartment, put his valise into the luggage area of the Saab and moved to the driver's door. When he turned the ignition switch, the machine purred to life. Nat drove east from Paris, and when he was north of Bijou, he headed south toward the city and east again to Basil. From Basil, he took the highway toward Luzern. From that point on, he was in the Alps, some of the most beautiful country in the world.

The assassins had followed Nat patiently. Nittama Kruckoi was to have the first opportunity of terminating Nat. Nittama could not believe his good fortune in finding Nat taking a route through the high Alps with its many curves, dangerous passes and dramatic drops from the highway into distant unoccupied valleys below. Once they were safely heading south from Luzern, and it appeared the opportunity would be offered to Nittama soon, he radioed his two companions to drop away and let him assume the lead. They both recognized Nittama Kruckoi's plan without having to ask what he intended to do. He was going to catch Nat's Saab 9000 in an unwalled curve of the Alps, move to the inside next to the mountains and accelerate his car into the right rear bumper and fender of Nat's Saab. The plan was simple and virtually foolproof. When the car was attacked from the inside by Kruckoi, the back of Nat's car would break loose into a side spin sending him over the edge, and there would be nothing Nat could do that would counteract the physical forces working on the rear of his automobile. The plan was simple and posed virtually no threat to the life of Nittama Kruckoi. While Kruckoi was an expert driver, this maneuver would not have required any particular expertise. All it required was good timing.

Nat Turner was no fool. He had been watching the three automobiles exchange places on the road. He decided not to eat lunch. His only stop was for gasoline. Nat could have safely outrun any of the three cars trailing him. His Saab 9000 turbo with the performance package could not have been bested by any of the three. Nat decided, however, to let the KGB know that when he is pressed, serious consequences are to be paid. Nat had driven briskly because that was his usual pattern, but he never assumed a speed that would be impossible for the other three to keep up with the Saab. Now they were in the mountains, and Nat assumed it would not be long before he was tested. The automobile driven by Nittama Kruckoi had moved closer and closer. Nat, instead of looking at the car through his rear view mirror kept checking Kruckoi's proximity with the two side mirrors. This way, there was no noticeable indication from Nat that he was watching Kruckoi's actions to unseat him from this high mountain road. Nat was approaching a slow sweeping curve with a high solid rock embankment on his right. This was going to provide an unusual opportunity to be pushed over the opposite side of the road into a deep crevice formed by the ancient glacier on the left.

Just as Nat started into the curve, followed by Nittama Kruckoi, they met a large Mercedes truck coming the other way. Nat kept his eyes on the truck to assure he safely passed the large machine without an accident, and it was at this moment Nittama Kruckoi chose to attack. He knew Nat's eyes would be on the large truck, and this brief diversion gave him the perfect opportunity. Nat glanced up just as Kruckoi was moving to his right to position himself between the sheer face of the mountain and Nat's car. A quick left hand turn by Kruckoi's steering wheel would twist Nat's Saab backwards over the cliff on the left hand side of the road. Nat barely had time to react before the maneuver was to take place. Just as Kruckoi's car pulled to within ten feet of Nat's rear bumper and started to the right, Nat reached next to his steering column under the dashboard and pulled the switch activating the spark plug installed in his exhaust pipe. Nat knew he was in a dangerous position because he was now going to have to turn off the ignition of his automobile, and lose the hydraulics that assisted both his power steering and power brakes. Fortunately, the Swiss had built the curve of this road as an arc or circle. Nat set the wheel into the arc, turned off the ignition forcing raw gasoline back through the muffler into the exhaust pipe. When the raw gasoline mixed with air reached the spark plug mounted just before the exit orifice, a flame shot out of Nat's car forty feet long, entirely engulfing the automobile of Nittama Kruckoi. Nat was in a dangerous position himself because his engine was dead. He had no brakes and he had no steering, but he could not afford to turn his ignition on until Nittama Kruckoi did something in his automobile.

The few moments involved seemed like an eternity to Nat. Finally with his car completely bathed in flame and no vision possible, Kruckoi made the natural instinctive move to turn away from the flame into the vertical granite of the mountain. When his automobile struck the sheer wall of the mountain, he careened back across the highway, slightly touching Nat's bumper, and going across the left hand lane over the shoulder of the opposite side of the road and down into the crevice below. The fall of the automobile was at least 1500 feet. Nat's car when touched almost broke loose, but the Saab held on, righted itself, and Nat turned the ignition switch to start the engine.

The moment the ignition switch was turned, life was breathed into the two liter turbo-charged Saab engine and the power steering and the power brakes were reactivated. The computer controlled ignition and fuel injection system of the Saab caught immediately and Nat was safely on his way. Adrenaline was being pumped into Nat's body. He had escaped one of his pursuers. The KGB had lost one of their top three assassins. Nat continued to follow the highway until he reached Aigle. He turned to his right and motored into Montreaux, his favorite city in Switzerland. Slightly up the mountain from the main street was an Italian restaurant, one of his favorites. He started up the mountain, went a few blocks and pulled in as close as possible to the restaurant. Nat was hungry and excited. He was willing to risk being attacked by the other two agents as he returned from his evening meal, but hoped the other two would bide their time and think over the tragedy that had befallen their friend. Nat was trading on the fact that Soviets like to plan their activities carefully before executing them. Nat thought back to the afternoon. The spark plug in his exhaust pipe mounted by the mechanic in Amsterdam had served him well.

After Nat had enjoyed the dinner at the restaurant, he returned to his car and proceeded around Lausanne and on into Geneva. He found the Hotel Des Bergues, with the rapidly moving river just across from the street and claimed his reservation. It was now 9:00 p.m., and Nat took all of his recently acquired belongings to his room to turn in for the night.

11:00 p.m. Sunday, June 19, 1987

KGB office

Moscow

Tatlin Komarov had asked Dr. Kizim Chelemoi to join him for dinner. It was in their plans to return to Komarov's KGB office to await the latest report on Nat Turner. Komarov had told Dr. Chelemoi over dinner how Nat Turner had disarmed the KGB agent in his hotel room. Komarov was animated. "That man Turner lives a charmed life. Our agent had slipped into his room undetected and had placed a revolver between his eyes with the hammer cocked and Nat Turner was asleep. If you can believe it, the touch of the gun awoke Turner. He somehow turned on a radio rigged to give a terrible-sounding feedback and our man, instead of pulling the trigger, turned around to see the source of the sound. In that split second, Turner shot him through the blanket, but used some sort of bullet designed only to stun. It did knock our man down, but didn't hurt him badly. Turner got calmly out of bed and assured our agent the next bullet in the chamber was not designed to stun. It was designed to kill. He made our agent take off every stitch of his clothes and Turner sent the agent out the door and locked it behind him. There our man was, the pride of the Paris KGB station trying to find a way to get back to the station with no clothes, no money, and no identification. This act of Turner's was an act of ridicule. It was resigned to embarrass the KGB. He sent our agent stark naked into the streets of Paris with the implied message -you are a bunch of fools. I want the world to know how inept you are."

"I understand your fury, but what's so special about tonight? Why did you want me over here when the reports came in?"

"I took the matter out of the hands of the regulars. I have brought in the specialists. I personally selected our three best terminators and sent them to Paris to find Turner and to remove that thorn from our flesh as rapidly as possible. When the report comes in tonight, I fully expect that assignment will have been carried out."

Back in Komarov's office, the report was brought in at 11:00 p.m. Komarov directed the decoding clerk to prepare a copy and provide it to Dr. Chelemoi. Within a few seconds, this order was obeyed, and both men began to read the report.

The heading indicated the report was coming in from the Geneva station. It was being filed by two of the terminators, Konstan Tsiolsky and Lebedev Sputnev. The report started with the description of the stake-out in Paris near Turner's lady friend's studio apartment. Turner left Paris headed toward Salzburg. He turned south moving into the mountains. Turner did not stop for lunch. He only stopped for gasoline and snacks at the service station. In an area of steep mountain terrain, as Kruckoi moved to spin Turner's Saab off the road in a twisting spin, it appeared Kruckoi's automobile burst into flame. His vision was completely obscured. He smashed into the sheer rock facing of the mountain and veered quickly to the left across the road and over the cliff.

It is presumed Turner somehow caused this eruption in flames, but the road being traveled had many sharp curves and neither of the other two was able to witness precisely the cause of the accident. The report continued tracing Turner to the Hotel Des Bergues on the quai des Bergues. The concluding remarks from Tsiolsky and Sputnev indicated that, while this was an unfortunate setback, they would guarantee the termination of Turner shortly.

Komarov sank slowly back in his chair. He looked sullenly at Dr. Chelemoi. He suddenly wished he had not invited his old friend to join him.

"Can you believe it?" Kamarov finally said. "This man has destroyed our Amsterdam station; he has made fools of the Paris station, and has sent one of our best terminators over a cliff in Switzerland. Kizim, there is no one in the world I admire more than you, but you have been telling me this is a rank amateur, that he is parading around Europe for no particular reason other than to annoy the KGB."

"Tatlin, my friend, I never said he didn't have a purpose. All I said is I doubt very much it is the purpose you suspect. It still makes no sense to me that secret agent carrying extremely sensitive information would go into bar rooms and hotels doing everything possible to attract attention to himself. Tatlin, it just doesn't add up. I will admit I underestimated the man's ability."

"Our agents are becoming frightened of him. Their fear is bordering on superstition. It is beginning to be assumed if you are assigned to controvert Nat Turner, you will shortly be dead. They are beginning to see Turner as an indestructible phantom that carries with him an aura of death. I think it is the methods he uses. He is killing people as if he can will their deaths, as opposed to simply shooting them. I've never faced anything like this in my career."

"What about the Central Committee? Are you going to report all of this?"

"I've thought about that for hours. Can you imagine my predicament, the Central Committee has decided to award me the Lenin medal, and now I'm being forced to tell them of the disasters in Amsterdam, Paris and on the way to Geneva? Instead of the Lenin medal, I'll be lucky to walk out of this thing alive. I've considered not reporting this, but that would assure my death warrant when they find out, and obviously they will find out."

"How blunt do you plan to be?"

"I'm going to be factual and straight to the point. I'm going to accept responsibility. At least I can go out of this situation as a man, and not as one crawling on his knees."

For the next hour, Tatlin Komarov, with the help of Kizim Chelemoi prepared the report he was going to send to the Central Committee on Monday morning. This was the lowest moment in Komarov's life.

3:00 Monday, June 20, 1987

Central Committee Chambers Kremlin

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov, the head of the KGB, filed his report relating to the disasters surrounding Nat Turner to the Central Committee at 8:00 a.m. on Monday morning. At 11:00 a.m., Komarov had word from the Central Committee to appear before them at 3:00. Today there had been no wait. At 3:00 p.m. Komarov was ushered before the Central Committee and was immediately asked for a verbal report and told to be ready for questions. Komarov had prepared himself with a handful of beta blockers he normally used for his high blood pressure to get him through this meeting. He was at the podium ready to deliver orally the report he had made previously in writing. Komarov decided this would be his last appearance before the ruling group. He was brave and forthright and took full blame for the failings of the KGB. It took 45 minutes to make the report, and he left out no detail even though it was embarrassing. When he completed his report, he paused, waiting for his fate. He doubted he would even be allowed to return to his office. He assumed some of his own KGB agents were outside the Central Committee chambers waiting to remove him to prison after such an abysmal failure.

The chairman himself started the comments. "Tatlin, you have had a bad time since Nat Turner showed on the scene. This man appears to have the ability to defeat our KGB agents no matter how strict the orders you have given relating to his surveillance and ultimately his execution. Our committee has discussed this matter since receiving your written report this morning. We thought it was only fair to allow you to make the report in person, which you did assuming full responsibility and blame for all of the unfortunate problems your agency has faced. It is now my duty as chairman of this committee to tell you the committee is in full agreement with your extraordinary work and diligence in the pursuit of the single most dangerous man in the world is to be praised highly."

Komarov's knees weakened. He grabbed both sides of the podium for support. The chairman went on. "The award we will be making to you soon is richly deserved. Nat Turner is no ordinary mortal. The exploits of this man in your report tell of an individual of unusual cunning and cruelty who is a great danger to the Soviet Union. I speak for the members of the committee in commending you once again, and stating we do not know of anyone we trust more than you. We are assuming Nat Turner's elimination will not be an easy matter. We think Tatlin Komarov is the greatest adversary Nat Turner will ever face. Good work and best wishes. We will excuse you now to go about your arduous duties."

Komarov drove back from the Kremlin to his office in the KGB building. His first act was to ask his secretary to get Dr. Kizim Chelemoi on the telephone. When Chelemoi answered, Komarov could not contain his excitement. "Kizim, you will not believe what happened. Instead of being jailed, or executed, I have been praised in words I have never heard used by the Central Committee. These men are impressed with this man Turner. Not only do they want to give me the Lenin medal, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave him the Lenin medal. They think he is the most wonderful secret agent in the world. If I were able to terminate him, it would be a trophy like the great bear. I can't believe it. I know you can't believe it, but, nevertheless, that is the situation as it stands right now."

Chelemoi laughed and said "Tatlin, you lead a charmed life. I am glad I'm on your side."

After Komarov hung up the phone, he had other business to perform. He sent out a message recalling the head of station in Amsterdam. This loyal intelligence agent was now ticketed for execution. Komarov sent out a recall order for the head of the Paris station for discipline. This loyal agent would be demoted and given mundane tasks. Komarov sent messages to the two terminators remaining in the field. In his most businesslike terms, he informed Konstan Tsiolsky and Lebedev Sputnev they were to proceed with Nat Turner's termination as quickly as possible. He was confident in their ability and was awaiting their report of success.

3:00 p.m. Monday, June 20, 1987

CIA Headquarters

Langley, Virginia

The three men were in Chris Cope's conference room discussing the latest report. There was a mixture of wonder, admiration and panic. They had been receiving daily reports from their stations in Europe. They now knew about the Paris escapade and the attempted assassination in the Alps of southern Switzerland.

"Does Nancy Carroll know anything about his confrontations with the KGB?" Calumet asked Cope.

"Apparently not. I talk with her almost every day, and she mentions the reports she is getting, but doesn't go into much detail about them. I'm sure if she had known about the retaliation Nat made in Amsterdam and his dispatching the agent in Paris, she would have mentioned the matter out of concern for his life."

"What kind of reports is he making to Carroll?" asked Shinn.

"She doesn't say. I asked her about them on several occasions, and she had indicated he reports the hotel he's staying in, where he went to dinner, the people he met in bars and generally a fleshed out itinerary. As far as Carroll knows, Turner is marching about Europe on schedule as we had planned."

Shinn looked at Cope. "Chief, what's your evaluation of Turner's success so far?"

"It's been fantastic. We've uncovered agents in Raleigh, London, Tel Aviv, Paris, Bonn, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and a completely different set of agents again in Paris. The plan we put together in this room could not be working better. I presume we should be grateful for that. It will take years for the KGB to know we are on to them in so many cities, and start making replacements. The plan is great. I have never had anything work better."

"Chris, they're going to kill him, aren't they?" Calumet said in a low voice.

"Yes, if we don't get him out of there."

"How are we going to do it? Do you want one of my stations to pick him up and fly him back home?"

"I would like to think it was that easy George, but I'm now certain it isn't. Turner is moving like a professional surrounding himself with an air of invincibility. I will admit the man can take care of himself. But I don't think he realizes the danger he's in."

"Sir, I hate to dispute you. I may lose my job," Shinn said with a grin, "but there is no way for him not to know he is up against professionals. He has been dispensing those thugs left and right, and yet, he goes right back out in public following the same precise plan we laid out for him before he left the United States. I cannot conceive of a person with that much courage. I could conceive of someone being so dumb they committed ridiculous mistakes, but the one thing you can say about Nat Turner is he's not dumb."

"I agree with you Mike." Cope said. "However, something else bothers me. I believe Turner is on to something he hasn't shared with us yet. His contacts back to Nancy Carroll are frequent, and she is replying to him in a manner that suggests urgency. I think Turner has stumbled on to some operation that has been concocted by the Soviets and he is now in the process of fleshing it out. If this is so I would like for him to have the opportunity to finish his work before we bring him back."

The three men continued the conversation and decided they would allow the operation to continue as planned. Cope had already made up his mind the Soviets might terminate Turner, but he would have the CIA move in and bring him home if he made such a request.

8:00 p.m. Sunday, June 19, 1987

Hotel des Bergues

Geneva, Switzerland

The Hotel des Bergues faces the Rhone River within two blocks after the river leaves the south end of Lac Leman on its journey to the sea. The body of water coursing through downtown Geneva within the confined banks of the Rhone River gives the appearance of being very swift. The river is not wide and many bridges are available to carry the traffic across the important waterway. After checking into the hotel, Nat decided he would get some exercise after the long drive. He stepped out the front of entrance the hotel, turned left and walked along the bank of the Rhone River the few short blocks to Lac Leman.

Nat looked into the lake and gazed at the giant fountain spinning water hundreds of feet into the air from the middle of the lake. He began to walk north along the shores of the lake looking at the lights on the other side. Geneva was such a beautiful city, and a favorite of almost anyone who had visited here. Nat walked for nearly an hour before returning to his hotel.

He entered the bar, ordered a drink, and sat down near a table with two men and a woman engaged in conversation. Nat nodded to them and in a few minutes they invited Nat to join their party. He moved to their table and stayed for more than an hour. He caught the bartender's eye, and asked him to make a dinner reservation in the hotel dining room. He gave the bartender a generous tip, and in a few minutes, the barman was back stating a table was waiting at his convenience. Nat arose, bade his companion’s goodbye and walked across the lobby into the dining room.

The meal was excellent and Nat graced it with a good Swiss wine grown from the sunny shores of Lake Leman near Vevey. As usual, the Swiss were generous with their food. His meal was served from a silver cart with appropriate covers for each dish. His plate, while full, was attractively presented. He could observe at least as much more food waiting for him to eat when he had finished with his first course. The food was tasty, and it was not long before the waiter returned and filled his plate from the waiting dishes. After dinner, Nat was feeling completely satisfied. He ordered a cup of coffee to enjoy before turning in for the night. The waiter brought a pot of freshly brewed coffee to the table and Nat savored this ending to his evening. No one ever left a table in Switzerland feeling he had been cheated by the amount of food served. Generous servings were a matter of national pride. He signed the check and departed for his room.

Nat had been favored by the hotel with a room which overlooked the Rhone River and downtown Geneva. He used his laser device to sweep the streets to determine if he could detect waiting KGB agents. His attempts proved to be negative. He attached the device he had constructed from a voice-activated tape recorder and attached it to his laser. The small red beam of the laser was pointed toward the door, and Nat was secure in the knowledge that no one could come through without activating the tape recorder and setting off an alarm. Nat drifted to sleep. In the morning, he awoke at 5:30, showered, shaved and dressed. He was in the Saab before 7:00 a.m. and decided to eat his breakfast later in the morning at one of the villages along the lake, north of Geneva.

He drove north on N-1 and stopped at Nyon for breakfast. He chose an enchanting restaurant which served its meals outdoors in a grape vineyard overlooking the lake. While the leaves of the grapevines would not have given much protection in the time of rain, they were arranged to shield the occupants from the sun during the middle of the day. It was a most relaxing setting for a meal. After breakfast, Nat returned to his Saab and drove north again. When he arrived at the small town of Morges, he turned off the main highway and drove down into the large and bustling city of Lausanne. He drove through the downtown area and again parked near the lake. The businesses were all open, so Nat decided to make rounds through Lausanne to entertain the trailing KGB agents, assuming they were on his heels somewhere.

He went into a bank, stood for a few minutes until he was able to secure the attention of one of the bank executives and sat down to question him about opening an account. It took thirty minutes of conversation to open the account and make the arrangements ensuring the account would be maintained by number and not by name. Nat brought out a draft from his bank in Zurich provided by the CIA. He deposited 10,000 Swiss francs in this new account.

Next he entered a lawyer's building, and took the elevator to the fourth floor. He found a large firm with more than twenty partners. He selected a name at random, went in and asked if there were any possibility of seeing the lawyer he had selected, even though he did not have an appointment. The efficient Swiss secretary checked with the lawyer and an audience was arranged. Nat explained to the lawyer he was a businessman from the United States, and he would be conducting various business activities in Switzerland. He showed him the receipt and the account number obtained from the bank a few minutes before. He needed a local agent to conduct various business activities from time to time and wanted to know if the lawyer were willing to handle the matters for him on a confidential basis. The lawyer agreed, they shook hands and Nat wrote him a draft for 1,000 Swiss francs on the account he had just opened.

Nat left the lawyer's building and walked through the downtown area for several blocks and found an arcade leading from one street to the next. He entered the arcade and visited several shops on some occasions he made small purchases, and on others he engaged the clerks in earnest conversation. After his shopping excursion in the arcade, Nat continued to walk through downtown Lausanne and stopped to conduct impromptu conversations with Swiss citizens on street corners.

After making these rounds, Nat crossed the street and continued walking east until he reached the lake. He made a right hand turn and soon found his Saab. He got in and worked his way through the downtown traffic of Lausanne returning to the main highway west of the city. He could have bypassed Vevey on the highway, but he dropped down into this lovely Swiss community and drove along its main street.

When he reached the Nestle building, he parked the Saab across the street and went into the building. These were the World Headquarters of the Nestle Chocolate Company who provided Swiss chocolate to consumers all over the world. He went to the directory mounted on the wall in the lobby and selected a name in the marketing division. He crossed the lobby to the receptionist, explaining he was a merchant from the United States and wanted to talk to this particular individual in marketing. Within a few minutes, Nat was on the top floor of the building discussing the use of Nestle's products in a motel chain headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. The Nestle's executive asked to know the name of the motel chain, but Nat said he was not at liberty to divulge the name, but assured him the account would be very lucrative if it were obtained. The Swiss executive pursued the matter no more. He was well aware the headquarters of the Holiday Inn chain in the United States were in Memphis, Tennessee. He knew of no other large chain headquartered there, so he assumed he was talking to the representative of this important hostelry and treated Nat with the greatest of consideration. Nat spent 45 minutes with the man and thanked him for his time and said he would be talking with him again before he left Switzerland.

Nat went back down the elevator, left the Nestle building, found his car and drove north to Montreaux. From downtown Montreaux, you can see the castle of Chillon protruding out into Lac Leman. Nat turned up the mountain on his left and went three blocks to one of the side streets, turned left again and found a parking spot. From this spot it was easy to see across Lac Leman to the other side of the lake. He noticed the lake was already losing its brilliant blue, which is characteristic of the body of water during the winter. The lake had a hazy look which shrouded the beauty of the water during the summer months. Nat looked back over his shoulder turning his body to view the snowcapped mountains rising in the distance north of Montreaux. He was amused at the thought that one could easily ski in the mornings on snow, catch the cogwheel railway down to Aigle and come to Montreaux for water skiing on the lake in the afternoon. He was standing in the middle of the Swiss Riviera, and it was a beautiful sight indeed.

Nat visited several small hotels situated on the mountain side in Montreaux. He inquired in each about reservations for next month and at the last hotel had lunch in a dining room offering an uninterrupted view of Lac Leman. He could see up the Rhone River Valley at the northern end of the lake recalling this was the route Hannibal took with his elephants in his invasion of the Roman Empire.

After lunch, Nat drove north to Aigle, turned left and spent the next hour driving the small twisting highways leading to the small skiing villages which were busy only during the winter months. After the enjoyable ride, he retraced his route back to the castle of Chillon, parked his automobile and took a private walking tour through this castle made famous by Lord Byron. After enjoying the visit, he returned to his Saab and made the hour's drive back into Geneva.

The drive had allowed Nat to do two things. One, he was sure the KGB was recording all his activities and reporting them to their headquarters in Moscow. The local station would be kept busy for weeks and weeks attempting to determine if any of the people he talked with were agents of a foreign power which was alien to the philosophy of the Soviet Union.

The second was to formulate his plan for the visits to the cities left on his schedule. He thought of the requests he had made of Nancy and catalogued them in his mind. He had asked her for a list of the presidents of the universities in the ten cities to be visited. This she had done. He had asked her to determine the scientific specialty of each university in terms of international reputation. The third thing he asked Nancy to do was to provide the name of the chief researcher in this scientific specialty for which the university was best known. This had been accomplished. He had wanted an appointment with the president and with the chief researcher. Nancy was still on schedule. She was then to contact the National Science Foundation in Washington, D. C. for a list of the best known scientists in the Soviet Union along with their scientific interest. He needed for NSF to provide the location of these scientists and where they conducted their research. All of this had been done, forwarded to Nat through coded messages, been decompiled and deposited safely in Nat's belongings. He assumed these lists had been observed by KGB agents searching his room, but they had left them intact. The lists added to the authenticity of his moves through Europe.

He had asked Nancy to discuss with Wynn Huff man at Troxler Electronics the use of ceramic covered heavy metal projectiles. He had also asked her to discuss with him the use of a concave nose in a projectile containing an air bubble for protection. This request had been fulfilled, and he had Wynn's answer. He had told Nancy to make sure all of his transmissions were kept safely in the lock box of Carolina Business and Scientific Graphics. They were to be turned over to Chris Cope at the CIA if something happened to him, such as disappearance or death.

He had later asked Nancy to check with Wynn Huffman at Troxler and Courtney Flame at Laser Optics to see if they were familiar with the Soviet scientists Krhunov, Zelenchuk, and Gargana. He wanted Susan Temple at the North Carolina Microelectronics Institute to let him know if she knew Dr. Igor Benstock. He was interested in the location of these four people if Huffman, Flame or Temple could provide the information. Not was trying to determine if the information he had picked up in Europe was highly confidential or well known. He had also asked Nancy to contact the Department of Commerce in Washington to see if anyone had sold supercomputers to the Soviets. The last thing he had left in the form of instruction for Nancy was to contact the Department of Education to see if there was a new university being opened in the republic of Uzbek near Samarkand.

Nancy had supplied him with all of the information other than the request relating to Susan Temple, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Education. He expected to have both answers this afternoon when he made contact with her by phone. In the meantime, he had two other requests to make. When Nat returned to the Hotel des Bergues, he went to his room and turned on his Compaq 386 computer. He asked the telephone operator to place a call to Nancy Carroll in Raleigh, North Carolina and hung up the telephone. Within ten minutes, the connection was made. Nancy and Nat talked earnestly for a few minutes, and it was apparent Nancy was concerned for his safety. These serious questions relating to Soviet scientists had Nancy concerned, but she was following the instructions in her usual efficient manner and relaying information back to Nat, all in a way undetectable to the KGB.

She informed Nat that Chris called her almost every day. Chris was anxious to know the nature of the communications Nat was sending, but Nancy had fended him off nicely by saying they were mostly related to scheduling matters and the communications were primarily sent for cosmetic reasons to impress the KGB. Chris had commented, it was bound to infuriate the KGB that the communications could not be intercepted. She made the comment that it probably infuriated Chris that the CIA was also unable to intercept the messages and check out their contents. Nancy passed on the word that the CIA plan was working to perfection. Every city in which Nat had appeared, even those relating to the prime ministers and the intelligence services, had yielded great results for the CIA. Nat was to be congratulated for the way he played his part. Nancy relayed, however, there was considerable concern for Nat's safety. Chris kept asking her if Nat had shared anything about the problems he was having. Nancy assured him Nat had not shared a word about problems, and she didn't know what he was talking about. Nat had decided not to discuss the Amsterdam retaliation or the Paris episode at this time with Nancy. He also decided he would not mention his brush with the KGB automobile in the mountains of Switzerland yesterday. He knew, however, this secret could not be kept much longer because it would not be fair to Nancy not to know just how deeply she was involved in international espionage.

After their conversation was complete both turned on their modems and each ran their transmit.bat batch file copying programs into each other's directories. When Nat decompiled Nancy's programs, he found he had the answer to the three questions he had asked in his previous transmission. The first question asked Susan Temple about Dr. Igor Renstack. She told Nancy she knew of Igor Renstack, and that he was an outstanding computer scientist. From the articles she had read and the meetings both had attended, her impression was that he was a professor and researcher at the University of Tbilisi in the republic of Georgia. To her knowledge, he was still there doing his work. Nat was interested in this reply because he knew Dr. Renstack was in Uzbek. This meant the information he had received was truly confidential. Otherwise, Susan Temple would have known about it.

The next program discussed Nancy's inquiry with the Department of Commerce in Washington to see if anyone had sold supercomputers to the Soviet Union. Nat was fairly confident this had not happened. He knew how jealous the United States was of computer technology, and this was the one area of technological advancement in which the United States was well ahead. He didn’t like the answer, however. The Department of Commerce had informed Nancy that indeed the Toshiba Company of Japan had sold four supercomputers to the Soviet Union. This took place at the same time the Hitachi Company was helping the Soviet Navy design propellers for its submarines which would give a low sonar signature. The low signature was a type of stealth technology for underwater craft. Nat was shocked when he read the transmission.

Nancy had followed up with Chris to see if he could tell her where the computers had been shipped. Chris's answer was in the affirmative. He could help. They had been shipped to Samarkand, the capital of the republic of Uzbek in the southern part of the Soviet Union near Afghanistan and China. The CIA did not know the use to which they could be put in Samarkand, so they had assumed this was an intermediate shipping point, and they would be reshipped to important military installations in various parts of the Soviet Union. Cope thought the reshipment had been made because the four computers were no longer in the warehouse where they had last been identified in Samarkand. Their ultimate destinations were unknown at the moment but were considered of high priority for the CIA.

The last piece of information related to Nancy's inquiry to the Department of Education to see if there was a new university opening in the republic of Uzbek near Samarkand. The reply was negative. Although there is as a sizeable university in Samarkand, there was no other institution opened recently.

On the other side of the Atlantic in Raleigh, Nancy, too, had run her messages through the decompiler and read her two instructions. The first was to contact Chris and see if it were possible to use the Big Bird or Key Hole-8 spy satellite to search the area near Samarkand for some major construction project. He asked Nancy to get back to him as soon as possible on the matter.

He also asked her to check with Chris to have his analysts carefully compare new photographs of the area around Samarkand against old photographs to see if they could determine any significant geographic outcroppings. Nat had an idea that whatever they were doing in Uzbek might be disguised and possibly even spread out over several square miles.

The last part of the program related to the conversation Nancy had with Chris in the afternoon. Chris was extremely pleased with the results they had been obtaining from Nat's work. He offered words of encouragement to him. Nat was pleased the work was considered successful, and suddenly all of his effort seemed worthwhile.

After finishing with the programs, Nat took his laser and pointed the beam against the door. He wired in the oscillator, and connected the laser to the voice activated switch in his tape recorder. If the door were now jostled or opened, the tape recorder would turn on and play music loudly. To assure he would wake up, Nat patched the tape recorder through the twin speaker radio recorder combination, and now he was satisfied no one could come out of the hall into his room without waking him. Nat picked up the phone and called the Concierge to make reservations at the Au Fin Bec, Geneva's finest restaurant. He also asked the Concierge to make some reservations at the Griffin's Club, a private and very exclusive night club. It was difficult to obtain admission, but the Concierge assured Nat the hotel had the connections, and Nat had the reputation that would assure admission that evening after dinner.

He went to bed and took his nap. He awakened about 7:00, showered, shaved, dressed and asked that his car be brought around to the front of the hotel. He drove to the carnival grounds on the west side of the lake located on the Quai Gustave Ador. Nat milled around with the crowd and enjoyed himself thoroughly. He drank a beer and talked to several people who were out for a good time. The carnival grounds were not as elaborate as the Tivoli Garden in Copenhagen but it was certainly a nice way to spend a summer evening.

By 10:00 Nat was in the Au Fin Bec. He was eager to determine how closely this Swiss restaurant paralleled the five star restaurants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The thing he had liked best about the Pennsylvania restaurant was not only its elegance and gourmet food, but the impeccable service. Every waiter was your waiter. Should any of the serving people be passing your table and see anything in short supply, they immediately took care of it without waiting for some specified person to sense the shortage. In typical Swiss fashion, the food was not only excellent but generous. There were two full servings of everything. Nat asked for his check, paid for the meal, tipped the waiter generously and passed a ten franc note to the maitre d' hotel. He claimed his car and drove to the Ba-Ta-Clan Night Club.

At the Ba-Ta-Clan, he moved from table to table and to the bar mixing with the patrons and getting to know many of them. The ambience of the club was delightful, and Nat was treated as if he were a regular. To finish off the evening, Nat left the Ba-Ta-Clan and drove to Griffins, the most exclusive club in all of Geneva. After the maitre d' at the door checked his credentials, he was admitted and treated as an honored guest. Nat went into the casino and gambled extravagantly. His luck was strong that night, and he had not been at the baccarat table more than twenty minutes before he was joined by a beautiful blonde Hungarian girl in her twenties. Nat assumed she was KGB. They enjoyed each other in the gambling casino moving from table to table trying the various games of chance. They stayed until 3:00 a.m. and decided that it was now time to return to the hotel.

Nat took the young Hungarian by the arm and led her to the black Saab. Within a few minutes, they were back at the Hotel des Bergues. Nat decided that, if the KGB were going to send him presents like this beautiful Hungarian woman, they must be trying to make up. Nat awoke at 8:00 a.m. The Hungarian girl was sound asleep with her face framed beautifully on the pillow, her blonde hair flowing in every direction. He slipped into the bathroom, showered, shaved and dressed. He went downstairs and had a big Swiss breakfast. He gave the head waiter an order to have breakfast sent to his room at 11:00 a.m. He thought that was time enough to let her get a good night's sleep. He slipped back into his room, gathered his belongings, wrote a note and left it on the bedside table. He went downstairs, paid his bill at the cashier's desk and ordered his car sent around to the front door.

At 10:00 Nat had arrived at the University of Geneva, parked his car and was in the office talking to the secretary of the President of the University, Dr. Edgar Wyndal. Nat was ushered into Dr. Wyndal's office, and they spent an hour talking about educational matters. The Swiss did know how to make a visiting fellow educator feel at home. After they had completed their conversation, Nat crossed the campus to the nuclear science building and found the office of Dr. Pems Laczee. Within a few minutes Dr. Laczee's secretary had shown him into the scientist's office, and they were discussing the use of nuclear energy in the generation of electricity. Early in their conversation, Dr. Laczee said, "Nat, Switzerland will be all nuclear within the next two decades other than a few old hydroelectric plants still producing efficiently in mountainous areas."

Nat was interested in the reasoning behind the nuclear plants. "Switzerland has few natural resources," Dr. Laczee explained. "While hydroelectric power is helpful, not enough is available to provide the massive amounts of electricity used in modern Switzerland. Our only alternative is to use oil from the Arabic states. This source is unreliable. Consequently, Switzerland made the decision to become totally independent in its production of electricity. “

He went on, "The French government has also made this same decision, and France will be all nuclear by the year 2000. Both countries will be free from industrial shutdowns because of problems happening elsewhere in the world. Both countries have been highly successful in developing a basic nuclear generating plant and incrementally improving it from time to time. It is the common design that has made nuclear generation work so well in our countries. The United States, in its typical entrepreneurial fashion, went many different directions. In France and Switzerland, there is only one method for the technicians to learn. Everyone can concentrate on this particular approach and improvements can be made. “

He concluded, "The United States has finally standardized on a method of nuclear generation, but this method of electrical generation has now become unpopular. This is a shame because the United States is such a large importer of Arabic oil. This certainly makes your country vulnerable to pressures from the near east. This is a mistake for which the United States will pay in future years. There is no question in his mind that nuclear generation is the direction of the future, and it would take experience in fission generation to conquer the problems associated with fusion, the so-called limitless supply of energy."

"Pems, it's the environmentalists who oppose nuclear generation in the United States."

"They're well-intentioned, but not fully informed. Theirs is the short-term view, not the long term. I'm convinced nuclear generation is the direction of the future. It takes experience in fission generation to conquer the problems associated with fusion, the so-called limitless supply of energy."

Nat was interested in this state of the art nuclear generation using fusion.

"Nat, through fusion, you can now generate twenty million degrees of temperature for one 20,000th of a second."

Nat was interested in the publications and pursued this line of questioning. "Has Dr. Pentalois published within the last twelve months?"

Dr. Laczee assured him he had and reached for a current issue of a scientific magazine and showed Nat the latest article. Nat was puzzled. He was sure Dr. Pentalois would have disappeared from the scientific scene and be somewhere in the republic of Uzbek.

He went on and asked about the publications of Dr. Korolev, and Dr. Laczee admitted he had not seen a scientific article published by him in recent months. It had been at least a year or a year and a half, and that was strange because Korolev was an excellent writer.

Nat tried the next line of questioning. "Where is Dr. Pentalois now? Where has he been doing his research?"

"Both men were at the University of Kiev. That is their leading technological university relating to nuclear science."

"Is Dr. Pentalois still there?"

Dr. Laczee assured him he was as far as he knew. He certainly did not have any reason to believe he had moved anywhere else.

Nat asked about Dr. Korolev.

Dr. Laczee's reply was not a great surprise. "No. I believe he has been moved from the University at Kiev. I have the impression he is in the southern or eastern part of the Soviet Union somewhere."

Nat suggested the republic of Uzbek. The name did ring a bell. They continued the conversation for a few minutes and Nat an excused himself thanking his host for his time and stimulating conversation.

As Nat was walking across the campus back to his Saab, he was turning over in his mind the information he had just secured. The scientist related to the generation of electricity and nuclear power was in Uzbek. The scientist relating to the development of nuclear explosives was not. This somehow was a turn Nat had not expected. Nevertheless these were two pieces of the puzzle, one to fit and one to discard. There was a message to be learned from this new revelation. Nat had to set his mind to sort this entire matter out.

Nat was already convinced the biggest project the Soviet scientists had attempted in recent years was being conducted in Uzbek. It was the first time in many years the top scientists in so many different fields were being brought together to work on some super-secret project, a project none of the intelligence services Nat had talked with had uncovered. Nat could feel the excitement building up in his body as he gave this matter room to circulate through the hidden recesses of his brain. He was still undecided when he should share this information with Chris and the CIA. He was afraid they would become excited and barge in before all the pieces were in place. If this were to happen, the Soviets would clamp down a veil of secrecy that would be impenetrable. Nat wanted them to think their secret was safe, and no one had even the vaguest idea anyone in the world outside of a handful of scientists knew the project was underway.

Before leaving Geneva, Nat decided to go to the La Perle du Lac for lunch. This was another exquisite Swiss restaurant located in Geneva. Nat had a meal far exceeding those he usually required in the middle of the day. The restaurant was elegant, and the service was impeccable. It would not do justice to the restaurant to have eaten a sandwich. Nat indulged himself.

After eating his lunch, he headed north on the same highway he had traveled yesterday until he was on the bypass "20,000 degrees of temperature is hard to harness and a chain reaction lasting only one 20,000th of a second could hardly prove to be reliable to local households."

Dr. Laczee laughed and agreed. "The very fact that we can generate such energy indicates we have the skill to find a way to harness this power."

Nat wanted to know what experiments Dr. Laczee was conducting in Geneva.

Dr. Laczee told him he was fusing two atoms of deuterium into one atom of helium. It was the fusion of these two building blocks that holds the most promise for nuclear generation in the future.

After completing this discussion, they moved into bombs and missiles. They discussed high yield atomic bombs, low yield atomic bombs, dirty bombs, clean bombs and all of the associated possibilities related to nuclear weapons. As their allotted time began to diminish, Nat chose to ask about the Soviets. This was one area in which he did not have to ask if the Soviets were highly involved. That was obvious to entire world. He did want to know if the names Dr. Laczee would give him would be the same names given to Nancy by the National Science Foundation. The two names were the same. Dr. Ivan Korolev was their chief scientist in the use of nuclear energy for the generation of electrical power, and Dr. Petri Pentalois was their chief research scientist in the area of nuclear explosives.

Nat asked Dr. Laczee to describe his relationship with the two men.

"I know both of them well. We have met at international meetings and have exchanged letters relating to our research. Both of these men have published and are considered authorities by any nuclear scientist in the world."

He had to make the decision whether to drive by Lac de Neuchatel or drive through Bern. He decided on the beautiful drive by Lac de Neuchatel. The black Saab pulled into the city limits of Zurich at dusk. He moved easily through the traffic crossing the city until he reached his hotel, the Baur au Lac.

8:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, 1987

Baur au Lac Hotel

Zurich, Switzerland

The Baur au Lac Hotel situated on Lac Zurich was one of Europe's finest. Nat went down to the bar and ordered his customary Johnny Walker Black Scotch on the rocks and spent more than an hour talking with customers and couples visiting the bar. Shortly after 9:00 he asked the bartender to make a reservation for him in the hotel dining room, and after finishing his cocktail, moved out of the bar, crossed the lobby to the dining room and claimed his reservation. Nat ordered a good Swiss wine to accompany this large healthy meal and stayed at his table until after 11:00. When he finished his meal, he looked back into the bar and saw that it was pleasantly crowded. Nevertheless, he decided to turn in for the evening.

He caught the elevator back to his floor and used his key to unlock his door. He slipped in without turning on the lights. He found his helium neon laser with the oscillator attached and plugged the earphones in the receptacle. Then he plugged the laser into the wall and walked to the window staying in the shadows. Nat systematically aimed the laser on the windows of the cars parked at the curb on the street. In the row of automobiles, two contained people. He listened carefully to their conversation and came to the conclusion that both cars were populated with KGB agents. From the gist of the conversation, he also concluded they were on a surveillance mission only, and not likely to try to surprise him in his room. Nat then turned the laser toward the door to his room and attached the device to his voice-activated tape recorder. The noise of anyone tampering with the door would activate the tape recorder and music would pour forth. This neat combination of devices would give Nat ample warning if anyone jostled the door or used a key and opened it slowly. This served as a simple and effective burglar alarm. After assuring himself he was safe, Nat slipped into a relaxed slumber. Awaking at 5:30 he prepared himself for the day and then descended into the main dining room for breakfast. At 8:00 a.m. Nat was back in his room, and ordered his Saab brought to the front door of the Baur au Lac Hotel.

He was not scheduled to visit the university and the science department until the following day but he did have some projects he wanted to accomplish at the university. As he was crossing town, he looked for a department store to buy a cheap cotton filled pillow. When he found a department store, he parked the automobile and within five minutes was back with a pillow in a large package. Nat then proceeded to the University of Zurich and found the physical science department. Any time Nat was on a college campus, he felt at home. He began to search for faculty members within the department and explained the nature of his visits to the European universities. He also expressed an interest in doing work in one of the laboratories and secured permission from the chemistry department head to use his personal lab for the rest of the morning. Periodically members of the faculty would drop by the lab to see if things were going well, and Nat would ask them for needed supplies. He offered to pay for them, but was told any supplies he needed would be without charge. This would be a gift from the Swiss government.

The first thing Nat did was soak the pillow in cellulose nitrate. He then placed the pillow in front of a blower to accelerate its drying. Nat now had a rather large wad of gun cotton he would be transporting around in his Saab. He knew he had basically prepared an incendiary bomb, and it was important not to get flame anywhere near this device. He then asked the lab technician for a stick of sodium in a jar of oil. It was supplied and Nat made sure that the lid was on tight. Nat continued to work in the lab through the morning. At noon, he was invited by three faculty members to join them for lunch at a restaurant near the campus.

Nat plied the three faculty members with questions regarding international politics and the role the United States should play in Europe. All three faculty members agreed the military presence of the United States was the primary source of stability, and they would hate very much to see the military leave Europe. They assured Nat the general view of the United States was a positive one, but they took the opportunity to say the United States was still viewed as a young country which made foolish mistakes. The Americans never seem to have a consistent foreign policy anyone could understand. On the other hand, they did agree that without the United States and its military power much of Western Europe might already be a series of puppet governments under the rule of the Soviet Union. After lunch they returned to the university, and Nat went to the physics laboratory to borrow a ruby laser. He already owned a helium neon laser, but its power was only a fraction of a watt. This ruby laser was something else. This was a dangerous instrument which needed to be treated with care. He then asked to borrow an electrical current inverter. He needed one that he could attach to the 12 volt electrical system in his car and generates 240 volts of output. This was provided by the physics lab, and Nat needed a cigar lighter plug which would fit a lighter outlet in an automobile used to run small electrical appliances. One of the faculty members had such an item in his desk. He secured it for Nat.

In the middle of the afternoon, he left the physics department and drove the Saab over to the university carpentry shop. He introduced himself to one of the carpenters and asked if he would help him construct a simple frame to fit into the back seat of his automobile. The carpenter provided him with the small pieces of lumber he needed to construct a frame to fit tightly in the back seat. It was important to Nat that the frame be secure and not moves even if the car hit potholes and vibrated considerably. After Nat had constructed the frame, he mounted the ruby laser in the right hand side in the back seat. He aimed the laser so the beam would move in front of his right shoulder into the side view mirror mounted to the left hand door on the driver's side. He made sure the small pencil of light from the ruby laser was focused to the exact center of the side view mirror. Nat found the university carpenter again and asked if he had a glass cutter and a small ruler. Both items were provided. Nat, using the glass cutter carefully, made a scratch horizontally and vertically across the exact center of the mirror. He returned the glass cutter to the carpenter and then mounted the laser, on the frame he had built, in the back seat of the Saab. He pointed the beam from the right rear corner to the center of the side view mirror as determined by the scratches on the glass. The laser beam would pass in front of his body through the window to the mirror. Nat could now direct this deadly beam of light anywhere within the range the electrically operated mirror could move. The scratches provided Nat crosshairs. He got in the car, lined the mirror up against a wooden wall inside the carpenter's shop and touched the toggle switch. The moment he turned on the toggle switch he immediately turned it back off again. Sure enough, lined up with the cross hairs on the wall behind him the wood was charred where it had been burned by the laser beam.

The Saab was now equipped with a modern weapon. Nat knew if he were being attacked from behind, it would be necessary for him to coordinate the electrically driven mirror with the moving target. The electrically controlled mirror allows a two way change of angle of reflection up or down, left or right. The control lever determined the viewing angle to the rear. He had placed the toggle switch on the center console between the two front seats. He could easily find the switch with his hand without looking for it. Nat reminded himself that in a panic he must not lean forward. Such a mistake would not result in shooting himself in the foot; it would result in shooting himself in the neck! Nat went back to the university carpenter and borrowed a painting drip cloth to drape over the frame and the laser. He carefully left the lens of the laser unobstructed. He gave the carpenter a 100 Swiss franc note and promised to return all of the materials he borrowed.

Nat then returned to the Baur au Lac Hotel. He asked the Concierge to secure him reservations at 11:00 p.m. at the Chez Max restaurant. After the Concierge returned his call to assure him the reservations had been made, Nat secured his room with his laser device and took a nap. A little after 7:00, Nat awoke and prepared himself for the evening, leaving his room by 8:00 p.m. He went by the bar and stopped in to have his customary Johnny Walker Black on the rocks. He talked with several customers enjoying their cocktails. Before 9:00 Nat was in his Saab and drove around the north end of the lake and headed south on General Guissan Quai. This street led to the lake shore drive that proceeded south on the western edge of Lac Zurich toward the wealthy village of Ruschlikon.

Nat had driven five miles south of downtown Zurich when he detected a black BMW 733 in his rear view mirror. This was the largest, most powerful of the Bavarian Motor Works line. Inside the BMW 733 was Konstan Tsiolsky, the second assassin sent by Tatlin Komarov to terminate Nat Turner. The driver of the large BMW was from the KGB station in Zurich. In Tsiolsky's hand was a rapid fire Israeli made Uzi automatic pistol, the best automatic weapon of its kind in the world. The safety was off, and the gun was aimed at the rear of Nat Turner's head. Tsiolsky gave the driver the precise instructions he wanted him to follow. He told him at his signal, the driver was to accelerate rapidly as if he were going to pass the black Saab 9000. As they would come along side of the Saab, just outside of Nat's peripheral vision, Tsiolsky would do his termination work. He would fire a minimum of two dozen rounds through the window into the back of Nat's head. As the darkened road straightened out from around a curve, Tsiolsky gave his driver the signal to accelerate rapidly.

Nat was watching carefully in his side view mirror. When the black BMW 733 started to pass, Nat placed the Saab on cruise control to allow his full attention to the immediate task. Without turning his head to the left, Nat cut his eyes towards the side view mirror. He placed the index finger on his left hand on the electric mirror control. He carefully readjusted the height so that it intercepted the windshield of the UBMW just scant inches above the hood line. As the BMW 733 sped up to pass by, Nat started to move his mirror sideways adjusting the movement with the speed of the passing car. He kept the crosshairs in the middle of the Tsiolsky's chest. Tsiolsky took a deep breath to steady himself and raised his Uzi to firing position. At that moment, Nat removed his right hand from the steering wheel and touched the toggle switch on the center console of the Saab. The ruby excited laser beam reacted at the speed of light. A hole the size of a pencil lead went right through Tsiolsky's chest. His heart muscle seized, and he quit breathing. The BMW continued to pass at a high speed with the driver wondering why his passenger had not fired the Uzi. After the BMW had sped out of sight, Nat found a turnaround point. He brought the Saab to a halt, turned, and headed back North toward Zurich.

It was his plan to stop by the Club Terrasse for a drink before dinner. Nat went in the club and ordered his usual Johnny Walker Black. The club was comfortably full and very friendly. Nat found no difficulty in talking with many of the other customers. Shortly before 11:00, he left the Club Terrasse and proceeded to the internationally famous Chez Max. The food was excellent, and again, there were two servings of everything including the entree. After finishing his meal, he asked for directions to the Red House Club. On arrival, he went directly to the gambling casino. As in most casinos, the clientele treated each other as well known friends. Nat's luck was good, and he won 500 Swiss francs. At 2:30 a.m. he left the Red House and drove to the Tabaris Club. He stayed in their casino for two more hours.

At 4:30 a.m., he returned to the Baur au Lac Hotel. His luck had changed at the Tabaris Club. He was still 200 francs ahead in his evening's gambling, but the last casino had relieved him of 300 francs. Nat had met a number of attractive young women at both the Red House and the Tabaris. He assumed some of them were KGB. He chose not to become involved. He realized he would be leaving Zurich in the afternoon and driving all the way to Stuttgart, Germany. This was going to be a long day. The naps Nat had become accustomed to taking were lifesavers for him under the circumstances.

At 8:00 a.m. Nat awoke and immediately ordered breakfast. He then showered, shaved and dressed. By that time the breakfast had arrived and he devoured it quickly. He was now running late and needed to be in the president's office by 10:00. At 9:30 Nat was on the campus of the university, and he went by the campus carpenter's shop and returned the painting drip cloth and the frame. He then proceeded to the physics department and returned the laser. He parked the Saab in the university parking lot, and barely made it to the president's office for his appointment. Nat knew the punctual Swiss did not appreciate latecomers.

The President of the university, Dr. Franz Willigeen, was an affable man, who enjoyed talking about his many trips to the United States. Nat decided this was the man's favorite topic so his comments and questions supported the travels of Dr. Willigeen. Nat was impressed with the number of outstanding educators Dr. Willigeen knew in the United States. He had visited all of the major universities and had attended more national educational meetings held in the United States than Nat had. When this amount of travel focused in Nat's mind, he realized he had met Dr. Willigeen before at national professional meetings. The man was an internationally known educator and often invited to address such conferences. Fortunately Nat was able to recall a number of addresses Dr. Willigeen had given, and, after commenting on them, the friendship begin to warm rapidly.

As the time neared 11:00 Nat excused himself with the hope of seeing Dr. Willigeen again in the United States. He was already thinking ahead to his conversation with the eminent scientist Dr. Walter Lauper, the Swiss expert in lasers. Shortly after 11:00 a.m. Nat arrived at Dr. Lauper's office. Within a moment or two Dr. Lauper's secretary ushered Nat inside and he was shaking hands with his new acquaintance. Nat had been working with lasers for many years and did not need to be introduced to the fundamentals of the machine. Not only was Nat an authority in the production of holograms, he had borrowed a ruby laser yesterday from the university and had put it to good use last night.

"Nat, I hear you've been taking advantage of the excellent facilities of the university since you've been here."

"Yes, Walter, I spent much of yesterday on campus and want to thank you for the help and hospitality of your staff."

Nat took the initiative in the conversation by asking several questions about low powered lasers, such as the helium neon laser he kept in his room at night. Dr. Lauper answered his questions while emphasizing small lasers were experimental in nature.

"They also have potential as excellent communications devices." he added.

"Yes, I've heard many intelligence organizations are now using them in their surveillance activities."

Dr. Lauper confirmed the fact that, through the use of an oscillator, you could actually point a laser at a window in a room and the voices would be reproduced accurately in a pair of ear phones.

"Hmm," Nat said with an inward smile. "I'd like to try that sometime."

They talked about using lasers in voice transmission, particularly when coupled with fiber optics. "As a matter of fact, Nat, most telephone companies are now moving in that direction."

"Yes, we're using optical fiber in our telephone system at Cameron College."

Their conversation moved to the high powered lasers used for various industrial processes and their potential for the future.

"Walter, tell me about the chemical laser."

Dr. Lauper began by discussing the many chemical combinations which would allow light amplification through a chemical process.

"Chemical lasers can be very powerful." Dr. Lauper stressed. "They can be used not only in industrial processes, but also as military weapons."

The discussion moved to the free electron laser -a powerful and very large device.

"Walter, I guess you know the United States is considering using such a laser in its Strategic Defense Initiative."

"Yes, in fact, I've actually been in consultation with American scientists in the development of the machine. The greatest problem we've run into is its size. The very nature of the machine makes it large and heavy and therefore it has to remain on earth. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to get such a laser in space for military use. Consequently, for these to be effective you must use a series of high quality mirrors, which have certain vulnerabilities in space themselves."

The discussion then moved to the X-ray laser. Nat recalled the conversations he had about this weapon while visiting in the Research Triangle and Dr. Lauper reinforced his findings.

"The X-ray laser has incredible capabilities, Nat. Unlike the chemical laser, it can be housed in space. It can be quickly aimed at targets on the ground or in the air and cause total destruction. The biggest problem, of course, is that it takes the explosion of a nuclear device to create the X-rays to be directed at the target. Of all the types of lasers, this is my favorite, and I've made my greatest contribution to its development."

"Another project I am working on with a colleague in West Berlin will triangulate a target with three or more lasers under computer control, and track projectiles shot at the target. Should they miss, the lasers would measure the path of the projectile that missed the target and correct the aim of the weapon through the use of a computer by planning a trajectory that would intercept and destroy the target on subsequent firings."

Nat was interested in pursuing this farther, but it was getting near time for Nat to leave. He needed to know Dr. Lauper's insight into counterparts in the Soviet Union. Nancy had already provided him the names of the scientists that were considered authorities in laser technology that she had received from the National Science Foundation.

"Walter, how good are the Soviets in the use of lasers?"

"They're actually very good, but not as advanced as the United States."

"Could you share with me the names of the leading Soviet scientists?"

"Yes, there are three who lead the list. Dr. Peter Savitskaya is a leading authority in the Soviet Union in laser guidance systems. He did his research at the university in Odessa. Dr. George Mikki Lenyev is the leading authority in the Soviet Union on the development of X-ray lasers, and Dr. Ivanita Pentuka is the leading authority on the development of the free electron laser."

All three of these names were familiar to Nat, and they correlated precisely with the information that had been provided to him from Raleigh.

"Are all three doing their work at Odessa?"

"Well, all three were doing their work at Odessa. Actually Peter Savitskaya has moved to the republic of Uzbek somewhere near Samarkand."

Nat showed some surprise at this. "Has he continued to share his work through professional literature?"

"Well no, Dr. Savitskaya hasn't published any articles recently." replied Dr. Lauper, expressing some bewilderment. "It's been more than a year since I've seen anything in a professional magazine and certainly at least that length of time or more since he has been to an international meeting."

Nat wanted to also verify that George Mikki Lenyev and Ivanita Pentuka had also dropped from sight and joined their colleague in Uzbek. To Nat's surprise, when he asked this question, the answer was in the negative.

"No, Lenyev and Pentuka are still doing their research at Odessa and have published with some frequency."

This information indicated the scientists were still there and the laser weapons development obviously was still taking place at the university in Odessa. Nat stored this information in his memory bank. It had come as a surprise, and he did not know exactly what to make of the information. Nevertheless, any information of this import fit his puzzle somewhere, and he would figure out its relevance when all of the facts were known. They talked for a few more minutes, and then it was time for Nat to bid his host goodbye. He thanked him for his time and the enlightening discussion relating to lasers. Nat went back to his hotel and ate lunch. He wanted to be sure this latest information was properly recorded in Nancy's files. He asked the hotel operator to put the phone call through to Nancy, and within ten minutes, she was on the line. They discussed a number of matters relating to the college and decisions made that would help the school run smoothly during the summer. Nat asked Nancy to turn on her modem and he did likewise.

The message that had been programmed to be copied contained the following information: Dr. Ivan Korelev, the leading nuclear scientist in the generation of electricity from nuclear sources, has been moved to the republic of Uzbek somewhere near Samarkand. Dr. Petri Pentalois, the leading Soviet authority in nuclear explosives, is still doing his research and work at the University of Kiev. Dr. Peter Savitskaya, their leading Soviet scientist in laser guidance systems, has been moved to Uzbek near Samarkand. Dr. George Mikki Lenyev, the leading authority in X-ray lasers is still doing his work at the university at Odessa. Dr. Ivanita Pentuka, the leading authority in the development of the free electron laser, is continuing to do his work at Odessa.

There were other comments from Nat indicating his surprise that the research and development was being split up in these two fields. He made a last comment that the field of guidance systems and the generation of nuclear power may no longer be in the research stage. Both of these authorities may be near Samarkand for very practical reasons.

Nat set about compiling the messages that Nancy had sent to him. They were answers to questions that Nat had asked earlier. The first answer related to Nat's request to see if it were possible to use Big Bird or Keyhole-8, one of the United States spy satellites, to search the area around Samarkand in the republic of Uzbek for some major construction project. The answer was in the affirmative and Chris assured Nancy that this would be done right away with a report back to Nat. There was also a question as to why Nat wanted to know this information. If it related to military secrets, then the CIA should have the matter reported right away. The second request of Chris was to check new photographs against old photographs taken of this area to see if there were any significant changes. If there were even slight changes, Nat would like to know whether such changes were grouped closely together or spread over a several mile area. Chris had agreed to do the checking for Nat, and said that there had been considerable construction in an area north of Samarkand. Even though the work had been going on for several years, there was very little to show for the great activity. There was a nuclear power plant in the area, but it seemed to be independent of the electrical system of Samarkand. It appeared to be sitting out within a rather nondescript complex with very little activity going on. Chris had admitted this was strange, and he would see if he could find out anything else about the activities that had been reported from time to time over a four to five year period.

There was also an additional message from Nancy expressing Chris's congratulations for a job well done in Zurich. He also warned him of difficulty that might lie ahead, and asked if he were ready to come home. Nat picked up the phone again to talk with Nancy. He said to assure Chris that he was not ready to come home, that things were becoming more interesting every day. He also asked Nancy to check with Wynn Huffman at Troxler and Courtney Flame at Laser Optics and add the information that he had just provided in his message to their deliberations. He was going to need their help in some analysis very soon. Nat bade her goodbye and said he would be talking to her again very soon.

He called the cashier and asked that his bill be prepared and, within ten minutes, he was downstairs and the doorman had called for the Saab to be brought to the front. Nat drove back by the University of Zurich and went to the cryogenics lab. He asked the lab technician in charge if he could buy from him a thermos of liquid nitrogen. The lab technician was impressed that Nat had asked to pay for the extremely cold liquid, but assured him that paying for it would not be necessary. The lab technician poured a nice supply into a highly efficient thermos container and capped it off to make sure the low temperature was maintained. Nat was aware that you did not have to keep liquid nitrogen refrigerated. The boil off itself would keep the temperature low enough to maintain its liquid nature. He thanked the technician for all the courtesies and headed north for Stuttgart.

Nat drove north until he reached the West German border. His Smith and Wesson 38s were safely housed between the two sheets of lead and placed with the tools. After Nat had crossed the FRG border, he reached Autobahn 81. It was then that he let the Saab have its head, and he was in Stuttgart before dark.

10:30 p.m. Thursday, June 23, 1987

KGB Headquarters

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov had again invited his friend Dr. Kizim Chelemoi for dinner. He had hoped to share the news with Chelemoi of Turner's termination last Tuesday. Things were now going Komarov's way. He was still basking in the glory of his commendations from the Central Committee yesterday afternoon. He had great confidence in the two terminators now pursuing Turner in Switzerland. If the news were to come in tonight that Turner had been properly executed for his crimes against the Soviet Union, then he would have his old mentor to celebrate with him. Dinner had been upbeat. Both men drank several chilled vodkas and had a bottle of wine from the republic of Georgia with their meal. After the late dinner, they returned to Komarov's office around 10:30 to await the arrival and decoding of the reports. At 10:55 the telephone rang and Komarov was informed the report had been decoded and was now ready for his review. Komarov reminded the decoder he needed two copies and the decoder said both were already prepared. When the decoder handed the message to Komarov, he received a warm and friendly greeting. This had never happened before, and particularly surprised the decoder because the news was so bad.

After the door was closed Komarov and Chelemoi both read the report without comment. The report was short and it was signed by Lebedev Sputnev, one of the terminators. The message stated their mutual friend Konstan Tsiolsky devised a beautifully conceived plan to terminate Turner. Using one of the drivers from the Zurich station, they had trailed Turner south of Zurich to the upscale village of Rushlikon. The KGB agents were to move past Turner's automobile from behind where they would easily destroy him with several rounds from an Israeli made Uzi automatic pistol. The driver from Zurich reported, as he drew even with the targeted automobile, he waited for the execution to take place. Konstan Tsiolsky sat perfectly still with the Uzi now in his lap with his head turned as if he were looking out of the window on the passenger side. Unfortunately Tsiolsky was now dead. Upon later examination, they discovered a hole was burned completely through Tsiolsky about the size of a pencil. The hole went squarely through Tsiolsky's heart, and death was immediate.

The driver from the Zurich station reported Turner never looked back or made any movement toward defending himself. The report went on to say it seemed as if Turner had willed the death of the Soviet agent, and death ensued. The driver claimed he was down the road more than two miles before noticing anything was wrong other than the fact the execution had not taken place. The report concluded with a strong statement from Lebedev Sputnev assuring Komarov that he would see that Turner was terminated.

Komarov gave an incredulous look and wryly said to Chelemoi. "If the Central Committee were happy before, they will be ecstatic now."

Both men laughed grimly.

Komarov said "There has to be a limit to the number of accolades I can get for the failures of my organization. I have never seen a colder blooded person than Nat Turner."

Kizim Chelemoi assumed the dulcet tones of a college professor. "Tatlin, you are not being fair. Turner was moving from city to city throughout Europe causing you very little trouble other than inconvenience. You were trying to discover the message he was delivering to the many people he was in contact with on a daily basis. You let your ego get the best of you and ordered a disruption of the man's activities in Amsterdam. As the head of the mighty KGB, you decided you were going to flex your muscles and intimidate a person who appeared to be a rank amateur.

Unfortunately Nat Turner did not intimidate. You simply made him angry and he retaliated. He destroyed the heart of your Amsterdam station in short order, and went back about his business. It was you who ordered his hotel broken into in Paris for the sole purpose of killing him. Only after this second provocation did he overpower your agent, disrobe him and send him out in the world as a matter of ridicule among other nation's intelligence services. I am sure many toasts have been drunk to Turner's action in Paris. It was you who dispatched three of the Soviet Union's best terminators to complete the job bungled in Paris. Turner did not seek any of these individuals. He simply defended himself, I will admit, in thoughtful fashion. He dispatched your man in the Alps somewhere outside of Aigle on the way to Geneva. He foiled the second man in an assassination attempt south of Zurich, and I suspect no matter how much planning your third man does, he is nervous and will most likely be killed. Turner looks more professional to me than he does coldblooded. We are the ones who with cold dispatch can order him removed from the face of the earth. That is your job, and I expect you to do it. The Central Committee expects you to do it."

There was a long moment of silence in the room.

"Let me change the subject." said Chelemoi. "Let's analyze Turner again. I still do not see any espionage activity. Something is becoming apparent. Turner is changing his mode of operation and it has little to do with the KGB assassination attempts. He appears to be treating you and the KGB with total disdain. We are beginning to think he is invincible. His actions certainly indicate such. I am totally amazed he can dispatch one of our agents and immediately expose himself in bars, restaurants and take strange women to his bedroom. He seems to have no nerves at all. Turner possesses something far beyond courage. He is an individual who is consumed by total confidence in his own knowledge and abilities."

Another breath and Chelemoi went on. "Now to the change in him I see. I had been thinking up to this point the CIA had set a nice little trap for you, and frankly my young student, if that is true, you fell into it nicely. They put a man in the field that created a lot of noise among your operatives in North Carolina. They reinforced him by moving him among the top security agencies in the world, and then turned him loose to dance across Europe. Your orders were to pull out all stops to trace the contacts he made on the assumption he was preparing them for complete annihilation of Soviet strategic defenses within the next few weeks or months. I think he was being used to identify the many agents you had so carefully hidden over the last few years. If the CIA were smart enough to follow Turner at a distance, they may have a better list of KGB operatives in those cities than you do. But something is changing. Turner is discovering something about the Soviet Union he didn't know when he started his odyssey. The trips to the library, the deep conversations with the outstanding scientists of several nations have tipped our hand in some way. I am not sure what Turner knows, but I anticipate it is of extreme importance. I believe Turner is coming right towards us. Tatlin, my friend, be ready for him when he arrives. The way these reports are sounding, I wouldn't be totally surprised if there were a knock on the door, and when it opened, Nat Turner stood there, gun in hand, looking you squarely in the eye."

At that precise moment, there was a knock on the door. Both men stopped breathing.

A voice called through the door "Coffee, sir?"

They both started to breathe again.

8:00 p.m. Thursday, June 23. 1987

Steigneberger Hotel graf Zeppelin

Stuttgart, Germany

When Nat arrived in his hotel room he poured the liquid nitrogen into an ice bucket and found a metal lid to replace the plastic one. Then he took one of his Smith and Wesson 38 caliber pistols and placed it on top of the metal lid of the ice bucket. He turned his laser control device toward the door into the hall and took a nap. At 7:30 he awakened, showered, shaved, dressed and shortly after 8:00 was ready to go downstairs. He went directly to the bar off of the lobby. He walked up to the barkeep and gave him a 300 deutschemark and asked him to keep all of the ladies who were in the bar alone in drinks until the money ran out. He also told the bar man to keep some of the deutschemarks for himself. Nat asked for a Johnny Walker Black Scotch, took his drink to an empty table and let the first sip burn down his throat. The bar man carried the drinks to each of the women sitting alone and gave them the explanation of the directions he had received. He nodded toward the table where

Nat was sitting alone, and the women nodded one by one. Nat raised his glass in salute. He made no move to join any of the women for whom he had just bought cocktails. He settled back in his chair to enjoy his drink. Again the news of the generosity spread quickly through the bar room and Nat was engaged in casual conversation from all directions. After completing his first drink in relaxing solitude, he raised his glass toward the barkeep indicating a refill. Nat had become first priority in the barkeep's eyes, so the drink was brought immediately. Soon Nat was asked to become a member of a small party that had drifted together from tables adjoining Nat's. His unusual act of buying drinks for the single ladies had been the catalyst to a lively party. Nat allowed another hour to pass while the group sat together and talked. Then he signaled the barkeep to come over and asked him to make reservations for the group in the hotel dining room. After the table had been prepared, the maitre d' came across the lobby and found Nat's party to inform them all was ready. Nat slipped him a twenty deutschemark and invited the group to join him in the dining room as his guests.

The dinner in this magnificent hotel was marvelous, and, of course, very expensive. Nat knew, however, the CIA would consider this a bargain if they were able to uncover at least one KGB agent patiently observing all that was going on. It then occurred to Nat that the CIA was probably buying dinner for three or four KGB agents sitting at his elbow. The idea amused him.

After dinner Nat ordered coffee and liqueurs. He wanted the guests to enjoy this last touch to a wonderful evening. As the after dinner drinks were finished, Nat asked the waiter to see that each of the men had a fine cigar. Nat was obviously leaving no stone unturned. At the end of the dinner the party was still in full bloom and dancing followed. For two more hours the group traded partners and danced to an outstanding German orchestra with everyone continuing to drink at Nat's expense.

At 2:00 a.m. the party began to break up, and to the disappointment of two or three of the attractive women at Nat's table, he returned to his room alone. Nat was feeling tired after his arduous day and did not need company that night. After returning to his room Nat took off his clothes and slipped on his robe. He debated whether or not to call Nancy but decided he did not have any new directions to give and he would be talking to her within the next day or two anyway. He did not want the KGB to determine any particular pattern in which he was to contact Nancy, even though Nat was confident his method of sending messages back to Raleigh was uninterceptable.

Just as Nat was ready to put his laser detection device on the door and turn in for the evening, there was a soft hesitant knock. Nat slipped on his slippers and moved to the door that leading to the hall. Before he answered the door, he looked to make sure the 38 caliber Smith and Wesson was in place on the ice bucket. Nat darkened the room and used the peephole in the door to look into the hall. The face he saw on the other side belonged to a red headed female member of his party at dinner. Nat thought about what he should do and decided that courtesy demanded he open the door and find out why she had come to his room. Nat opened the door, looking both ways down the hall before inviting the pretty young woman into his room. Nat assumed she was KGB. He again glanced at the 38 caliber Smith and Wesson and asked her to fix him a drink from a bottle which was on his bureau. Nat then excused himself and disappeared into his bathroom. He washed his face and freshened himself with cologne before returning to the bedroom.

When he came back through the door his beautiful guest was standing beside Lebedev Sputnev, one of the KGB's most dreaded and effective assassins. In the hand of Sputnev was an ugly looking little handgun of German make with a very large silencer. The weapon seemed to be out of proportion to Nat's eye. Sputnev wished he could enjoy the last few moments this notorious American spy had to live by shooting him in non-vital organs to create considerable agony before terminating him. Sputnev knew the silencer could not be heard outside the room, but decided agonizing cries from Nat could draw attention from occupants of adjacent rooms. Sputnev concluded he should refrain from the pleasure of administering a slow death for Nat. Sputnev then raised the pistol and pointed the muzzle of the silencer directly between Nat's eyes. At that moment Nat made a brief motion toward the ice bucket where the pistol was lying. Sputnev paused. It was a mistake. He should have killed Nat immediately. Sputnev's cold smile broke into a more pleasurable expression and he changed hands with his weapon and took two slow steps to his right, putting his hand on the 38 caliber Smith and Wesson. It was an instinctive move to confiscate the weapon of the adversary. Typically the move would have been correct, but in this case, it was not. Sputnev placed his hand on the gun. He felt the cold metal whose temperature was more than 100 degrees below zero. His flesh was immediately bonded to the metal.

The man was now in agony, this sudden rush of pain caused Sputnev to make a second mistake. He dropped his gun to the floor, and in the some instant moved his left hand over to the gun to see if he could free his right hand from the object causing such intensive pain. When he accomplished this move both hands became bonded to the gun and lid. He started screaming and moving to the door carrying the gun and lid with him. His red headed companion preceded him and disappeared down the hall with Sputnev right behind her. Nat observed the retreat of the red headed German and Lebedev before closing his door and locking it. He then moved to the window to watch his red headed visitor and the assassin exit from the hotel and run towards a car across the street about a half a block from the hotel. Nat assumed this painful occurrence experienced by the assassin would not cause his death. He did know the assassin would have a severe case of frostbite and would certainly lose all his fingers. Nat even thought there was a possibility he would lose both hands. Such an infirmity would not be a great credential for a KGB assassin. Nat thought he would not see this man again.

After he had calmed down, Nat darkened his room, took his laser device to the window and swept the street. At 2:30 a.m. there were two cars containing men talking excitedly. Nat knew that the KGB was on duty. Next he followed his usual procedure of connecting the laser to the tape recorder and pointed it to the door his visitors had exited. Nat climbed into bed hoping his excitement would calm down enough to allow him a short night's sleep. Nat slept later than usual due to the night's activities. In the hotel dining room he decided against hard rolls and coffee, ordering instead a full breakfast to last him through the day. The large breakfast was new to Nat. He usually did not eat breakfast at all, but his irregular schedule made him decide good nourishment would be important during his trip through Europe. He could take the pounds from around his waist once he had returned to Raleigh. After breakfast, Nat returned to his room, brushed his teeth, checked himself in the mirror and caught the elevator down to the hotel's parking garage. He went to his Saab and searched it carefully. He looked under the dashboard, opened the hood, looked in the trunk, even stooped and looked underneath the car. There was no evidence of any tampering.

Nat crossed town and drove to the industrial section to find the huge Mercedes Benz manufacturing plant. He went to the visitor's office to arrange a tour. Nat spent two hours walking with a visiting group through this impressive manufacturing plant. He was fascinated with the great robotic machines that securely welded every component in place. He was even more impressed with the hundreds of inspections which took place at every part of the manufacturing process. After the tour was over Nat proceeded to the sales showroom to look at the models of automobiles available. After sitting in many and looking at their appointments, he chose a small 450 SEL coupe. The price was plainly marked on a sticker on the window. It was a sizeable saving over the price one would have to pay in purchasing a similar automobile from a showroom in Raleigh. Nat signed a draft on his Swiss bank in Zurich where the CIA had opened an account for him. The clerk informed Nat it would take at least ninety days before the car would be delivered in the United States. Nat designated Wilmington, North Carolina as the port of entry. The clerk checked to make sure this was a legitimate port of entry before the completion of the necessary forms. Nat had justified the purchase of this automobile through sheer rationalization. He had not asked for any compensation from the CIA for his summer sabbatical. After all he had been through during this trip across Europe, he decided this was a fair exchange and smiled as he thought, "I hope that Deputy Director Chris Cope does too."

After completing his purchase of the 450 SEL sports car, Nat returned to the Hotel Graf Zeppelin for lunch. After lunch Nat returned to his room and washed his face, caught the elevator back to the lobby and returned to his automobile and drove across the city to the University of Stuttgart. He drove through the campus until he found the library and sought a parking spot for the Saab. He went into the library and found a corner table, and began to look for the research librarian. After finding her, Nat asked for scientific articles published no less than twelve months ago and no more than twenty months ago with Soviet scientists as the authors. She looked at him quizzically, but enjoyed contemplating the considerable challenge. He then asked her for a large sheet of paper on which he could make a chart. She disappeared and in a few minutes came back with a piece of poster board. Nat returned to his table and waited. Within ten minutes the research librarian began to bring scientific periodicals to Nat. As he read she would periodically reappear with additional reading material.

He looked at scientific articles on heavy metals, ceramics, celestial navigation, super computers, generation of power through nuclear energy, laser guidance systems. He also kept his eyes open for other topics that might impact on his subconscious. He purposefully did not read any portion of the articles relating to nuclear explosives, free electron lasers and x-ray lasers. Nat, making no attempt to read anything but the opening paragraph of the articles, started making a chart relating to the names of authors and dates. Nat spent the entire afternoon in the library making his chart. He knew there would be subjectivity in his conclusion, but he wanted to collect himself and make his own assessment. He carefully studied the chart for a few minutes, and wrote:

#1 The Soviets are developing a projectile using some heavy metal, probably depleted uranium.

#2 the projectile will be covered with an ablative ceramic material allowing it to move through the earth's atmosphere at supersonic speeds but will retain its shape, consequently maintaining accuracy.

#3 the projectile will probably be of stealth technology and will be undetectable by radar.

#4 the projectile will have a concave nosecone to capture a bubble of air for increased protection against friction and heat generation.

#5 the projectile will be guided to its target by a laser. (Nat placed four question marks after this assumption.)

#6 the projectile will be fired by a weapon in some way related to the generation of electricity from nuclear sources.

#7 the projectile will not contain a nuclear explosive. (He went back and underlined not.)

#8 this weapon and its projectiles are being fabricated somewhere near Samarkand in the republic of Uzbek.

After studying these conclusions and reflecting on them for a few more minutes, he decided to code the information in three different assembly language programs to be transmitted to Nancy and stored in the Carolina Business and Scientific Graphics safe deposit box. He finished his coding in less than thirty minutes and looked at the large matrix again. He thought to himself there were still some missing pieces to this puzzle, and wondered if he would ever complete it. He had only three more cities to visit after Stuttgart and then he would be going home. This seemed a short time to uncover a project so secret the CIA was even unaware of it.

In a more somber mood he thought, if the next three cities are anything like the last three cities, I don't think I'll ever make it home. The KGB is relentless. Nat collected his materials, walked over to the research librarian, thanked her for the assistance during the afternoon and returned to his automobile. He drove back across the city to the Hotel Graf Zeppelin, where he left his Saab in the hotel garage. He proceeded directly to the Concierge and asked him to make reservations for 10:00 at the Alte Post Restaurant on Frederichstrasse. The Concierge assured him the reservations would be made as requested, commenting that he had certainly chosen one of Stuttgart's best eating establishments.

Nat took the elevator up to his floor and went inside his room. He secured his laser device and swept the street. As he expected, his Soviet friends were in their cars. He put the laser and recorder in place facing the door to the hall, slipped out of his clothes and took a nap. He awakened at 7:00 p.m., and immediately went into the bathroom to shower and shave. He came back, laid his clothes on the bed and checked the window one more time. He slipped into his clothes and left the hotel around 8:00 p.m.

Prior to going to the Alte Post Restaurant Nat dropped by one of Stuttgart's better known clubs. He drove across the city and parked near the Ratsweinkeller. This popular, lively place was crammed full of beer and wine drinkers reveling in loud boisterous conversation. In this setting Nat met many happy citizens of Stuttgart and twice he set up his table to liter size steins of beer. When he finally, left his new friends assured him he was always welcome back to the Ratsweinkeller.

Nat returned to his car and made his 10:00 p.m. appointment at the Alte Post. He chose a German meal tonight and it was outstanding. As a parallel to the Swiss, the portions were so ample it was difficult to consume all that was placed before you. Nat ordered a liter sized stein of beer instead of his usual wine. He thought that with German food he needed the German beverage to properly enjoy his repast. It was near midnight when Nat left the Alte Post feeling uncomfortably full. Nevertheless, he decided he wanted to give the CIA its money's worth in Stuttgart, so he returned to his car and drove to the Market Platz and found the Ratskeller. This club was very similar to the one he had visited earlier in the evening; the main difference was the late night crowd. All of the patrons at this time of night had been drinking beer most of the evening. The talk was even more vibrant than he remembered at the Ratsweinkeller. Nat fell right into the boisterousness and immediately was having fun. He wondered if the same people frequented these establishments every night. As strong as Nat was, he wasn't sure his constitution could survive a daily attack by German food and German beer. At 2:00 a.m. he left the Ratskeller and returned to his hotel. He entered his room but left the lights off. He used the laser device to sweep the street below and detected two different KGB groups on duty in their parked cars. He then rigged his alarm device and pointed it toward the door and confidently entered the bed and was soon sound asleep. After the full events of the previous week, Nat took Sunday off as a well-deserved day of rest.

On Monday morning, he awoke at 7:00, and by 8:00 descended to the large dining room off the lobby. He ate a good breakfast and returned to his room to brush his teeth and freshen himself, and called the cashier asking that his bill be prepared. He also asked the cashier to have the doorman bring his Saab to the front. By 9:30 Nat was back in his automobile having completed his activities with the Hotel Graf Zeppelin. He was heading toward the University of Stuttgart and was safely in the president's office by 10:00 a.m. For more than an hour Nat talked with the President, Dr. Hans Pert about German politics. He also found Dr. Pert to be knowledgeable in Russian politics and Nat inquired about the strength of the bond that held the many republics of the Soviet Union together.

"In my opinion," Dr. Pert said, "the Soviet Union is held together by the might of the military. Being such a large country it encompasses many different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. The Armenians and the Ukrainians would pull out of the Soviet Union at the blink of an eye if they thought they could get away with it. If a rebellion were ever to start, look first to those two areas. The republic of Georgia always reminded any visitor they were a member of the Soviet Union by choice. They had asked to be included as an independent country and made the assumption they were not maintained in the union by force. However the Georgians would admit there was no way to get out without civil war.

"The other southern republics are primarily Moslem and have strong religious beliefs. Even the Soviets have not tried to stamp out these century old traditions and these people are left to function as they see fit. Much of the southern area of the Soviet Union is agricultural, and Soviet leadership knows this area could be much more highly productive than it is. Unfortunately, the people inhabiting these republics do not respond to the same incentives that work in the industrialized sections of the eastern and northern regions of the Soviet Union.

"The Soviets are not only neurotic but almost paranoid about keeping their country together. It helps to understand their militant reactions when you know they do not consider their country to have any friends whatsoever. Force keeps their nation together. Their Eastern Bloc countries are kept together by force. If it is relaxed, they can no longer count on their neighbors, and not even all of their own republics, to support their ideological beliefs."

Near 11:30 in the morning Nat left the president's office and went to the physics building and found Dr. Fritz Hienkle, the German authority on rockets and exotic weapons. The talk with Dr. Hienkle was fascinating. This area of technology excited Nat, and he asked many questions. Nat was certainly pleased he had had conversations with John McCotter at Hercules and Wynn Huffman at Troxler back in the Research Triangle Park. He had learned a lot from these two men, and now Dr. Hienkle was completing his education in the field. Nat commented the general public had no idea how far advanced scientists were in the development of exotic weapons.

After spending two hours in conversation, Nat did his usual concluding gambit. He moved the conversation to the Soviets and asked Dr. Hienkle who among the Soviets were the leading scientists in the field of rockets and the field of exotic weapons. Dr. Hienkle immediately replied Dr. Michail Berezvoi was the authority in exotic weapons, and Dr. Zuki Goodev was the chief rocket scientist for the Soviet Union. Nat asked where they did their work and Dr. Hienkle answered they both were at the university in Rostov. Nat asked about their publications. Again Dr. Hienkle gave him a surprise. He said that Dr. Michail Berezvoi had not published anything in more than a year. On the other hand Dr. Zuki Goodev, their rocket authority, was still publishing regularly and was visible at international conferences and meetings. This was a surprise and Nat made a mental note. He had fully expected both men to be in Uzbek. Nevertheless, even this information had to fit into his puzzle somewhere. Nat also gave credit to the lists that Nancy had provided him from the National Science Foundation as being absolutely on target. They had identified both these men as the leading scientists.

He returned to the Hotel Graf Zeppelin and placed a call to Nancy in Raleigh. They talked for a few minutes before Nat copied his program to her computer. He wanted her to know about Berzovoi and Goodev. The file in the Carolina Business Scientific and Graphics vault was becoming more complete on an almost daily basis. Nancy then copied her programs to Nat's computers. He kept her on the phone while he decompiled her messages in case he had questions to ask or another program to run. After decoding the message and studying it, he found that Chris had complied with his request and used Big Bird to photograph the area around Samarkand at virtually every magnification that Big Bird possessed. Nat reported the results were remarkable -license plates on automobiles could almost be read.

The Soviets had started construction of a nuclear reactor for the generation of electricity some five years ago. It apparently was not connected to the general electrical grid around Samarkand. It appeared to be sitting out in the open with no visible connections to any metropolitan area. There were many trucks and many people photographed from time to time by the spy satellite. Actually, there was little to show for the effort the Soviets had made in construction. There were a few buildings scattered around over a five square mile area. The results, however, did not justify the effort. The earlier conclusion that Chris had come to was that, either a nuclear generation project was started and later abandoned, or whatever work was being done by the construction crews was safely underground and not available for inspection by Big Bird. Without question, the nuclear reactors were operable and were working well. It was a large device considering the fact it had no visible connections to the outside world.

Nancy indicated Chris was interested why Nat wanted this surveillance made and was getting hard to put off. He was convinced Nat was onto something the CIA needs to know and it is important that Nat share his suspicions with them. Nat picked up the phone, and continued to talk to Nancy for fifteen minutes. Upon completion of the conversation, Nat took only a few minutes to check out of the hotel. It was now his intention to drive back to Bonn to try to talk to his new friend Henry Wenger, the Minister of Internal Securite for the Federal Republic of Germany.

Nat drove north toward Karlsruhe. After the city had been cleared, the Saab was heading to Mannheim, then from Wiesbaden up the west bank of the Rhine until he reached Koblenz where he saw the onion-shaped towers on the castle dominating the horizon. He continued on until he reached Bonn, then drove across the capital city to the Gravenbruch Hotel.

3:00 p.m. Friday, June 24, 1987

CIA Headquarters

Langley, Virginia

The meeting had been going on for an hour and the conversation at times had been heated and emotional. Mike Shinn, who had been the most skeptical of Nat Turner, was now becoming his defender. "The man is absolutely incredible. He took care of the second assassin outside of Zurich with a laser. No one can figure how he did it or why he knew he would be attacked under those circumstances. It's obvious he set them up and baited the assassin into the open. From the information we've been able to secure, the KGB agent was dispatched without Turner even turning his head and looking back. Now I've seen western movies where the sheriff was going to shoot someone behind him, but how Turner was able to accomplish this is beyond me."

"What about that trick in Stuttgart?" Calumet commented. "What on earth did he do to get the man to freeze both his hands and have to have them amputated. Can you imagine one of the KGB's chief assassins going back to Moscow with nothing beyond his wrists? Turner is already becoming a folk hero among the intelligence services of the world. The British, the French, the Israelis, the Germans and even the United States all appear to be sitting back and watching Turner systematically destroy the KGB. You know they must be going crazy in Moscow."

Cope looked at Calumet. "Where does Turner have left to go?"

"Well, originally he was to fly to Hanover and then into West Berlin. After West Berlin, he was to go back to Hanover, down to Munich for a couple of days and then into Salzburg. He's heading toward the end of the line right now. Since Turner has bought an automobile, however, he is much more difficult to pinpoint. Our agents in automobiles have difficulty keeping up with him in that Saab. He drives so fast, and we can't stay with him because the KGB is following him too. We have to keep a safe distance behind them. Fortunately, the Saab itself is so identifiable whenever he arrives in the next city; both the KGB and our people pick him up rather easily."

"Don't you know the KGB wonders about the next step?" Shinn commented. "Turner is the most public secret agent who has ever existed. He dispatches one of their agents to kingdom come and then celebrates with a fine evening on the town. He stays at the best hotels, eats at the best restaurants and consorts with the finest women."

They all laughed and voiced the belief that Turner somehow is performing in fairyland. There is no way for the man to logically get away with the activities to which he has subjected the KGB. Realism dictates that Turner's days are numbered, and he could be squelched at any moment. The thought dampened the levity among the three CIA men as they went about their duties.

10:00 p.m. Friday, June 24, 1987

KGB Headquarters

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov had a bottle of iced Vodka sent to his office for Dr. Chelemoi and him to enjoy. Unfortunately there was great tension tonight. Dr. Chelemoi had spoken directly to Komarov last night. He was the only person in the world other than a Central Committee member who could have made such comments and still be alive. Komarov, however, was smart enough to know that Dr. Chelemoi was being honest and straightforward. Komarov desperately wanted his terminator to have been successful. He did not see how Turner could stand up against men of such competence who were in a position to take him totally by surprise. Turner's actions up to this point had bordered upon the impossible.

Shortly after 10:30, the decoding deputy announced the report was in and would be delivered to them as soon as the information had been prepared. Within fifteen minutes, he arrived giving a copy to Komarov and Dr. Chelemoi. This report, signed by the station head in Stuttgart, was a bit more formal in detail than the last two messages the men had received. It described Turner's drive from Zurich to Stuttgart and the festive evening Turner had enjoyed in his hotel. It then described the plan that Lebedev Sputnev had used in gaining access to Turner's room. The ploy worked perfectly. The female KGB agent had gained entrance to the hotel room. Turner had walked into the bathroom allowing her the opportunity to open the door for Sputnev. When Turner returned, Sputnev had the pistol trained on his forehead. Turner made a slight movement toward the gun placed on top of the ice container, and Sputnev stepped over to take possession of Turner's weapon. When Sputnev touched the handle his hand froze instantly to the gun. He dropped his weapon and moved to set the frozen hand free. This action bonded his second hand. He and his female companion made a quick exit from the hotel room. Unfortunately Lebedev Sputnev had subsequently required amputation of both hands, but beyond that his condition was good.

Both men seemed to shrink within their frames as they completed this last report. Turner had won again, and the matter was going to have be reported to the Central Committee.

8:00 p.m. Monday, June 27, 1987

Gravenbruch Hotel

Bonn, Germany

Nat decided to go down to the bar for a drink before dinner. He wanted to keep the visit in Bonn simple. As he walked by the Concierge he asked him to make a reservation for 9:00 in the hotel dining room. He turned left and walked across the ornately furnished lobby into the hotel lounge. He saluted the barkeep with a greeting as if he had frequented the hotel many times. The barman smiled broadly assuming he was a regular customer whose face he had momentarily forgotten. Within moments a barmaid was at his table to take his order for his favorite drink, Johnny Walker Black on the rocks. A moderate but ample crowd had gathered to share cocktails before going out to dinner. Nat, as usual, had at least a brief conversation with several people. Nat had to remind himself that stake outs used to keep him under surveillance were new in each city. If the same people had been following him across Europe, the pattern would not interest them very much. But in each new city Nat was a fresh prize to be savored and watched. Nat then smiled to himself and thought, "You're underestimating your value right now. Many people would like to have the information you've put together relating to the project near Samarkand."

A little after 9:00, Nat left the bar, went across the lobby and was greeted by the maitre d'. Nat pressed a twenty mark note in his hand; the maitre d' walked over to the table, picked up the reserved sign with Nat's name on it and carried him to the best table in the house near the window. Nat decided to make a change from German food and his order was entirely French including French wine. He had an after dinner liqueur and coffee to finish off the evening. An orchestra was playing in an adjoining room and Nat relaxed with his coffee and listened to the melodious strains float across the dining room. A little after 11:00; he left his table and returned to his room. The first thing he did was to go to the window overlooking the street and check the cars with his laser device to see if the KGB were on duty. As had been their pattern for the last few days, the two automobiles contained men talking. The conversation did not necessarily present prima facie evidence of their occupations, but Nat made the assumption that two ordinary sets of men would not be talking in darkened cars at this time of the night in downtown Bonn. After he had swept the streets, he attached the voice activated tape recorder to the laser, pointed it toward the door, pulled back the covers, slipped into bed and went to sleep.

Nat awoke at 5:30, got out of bed, showered, shaved and dressed. He went downstairs at 7:00 for an early breakfast in the dining room and again chose a full meal over the hard rolls and coffee. Promptly at 8:00 he telephoned his friend Herbert Wenger. Wenger's secretary announced to Nat that the minister was not in, but was expected shortly. Nat left his name, hotel room number and telephone and then packed his bag for departure. The call came at 8:20. Wenger was happy to find he was back in town. He jokingly said he had been following his exploits all across Europe, and said he wasn't sure he should be seen in Nat's company. To walk in Nat's proximity was dangerous. Nat asked for a short conference with him and Wenger asked him to come over right away.

Nat was in Wenger's office by 9:00 and began with his story in Helsinki. He took him through Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris, Geneva, Zurich and Stuttgart. He described in detail his encounters with the KGB, but most of all, he was interested in sharing with Wenger the information secured from the various scientists he had interviewed in each of these cities. When Nat was finished, he realized he had not left out a single detail in his story to Herbert Wenger, and yet had not shared any of this information with the CIA.

"Herbert, I am sitting here" Nat said in a moment of candor, "puzzling as to why I would share all this information with you, and yet have not shared it with Chris Cope at the CIA."

"Nat, the answer is obvious. First, you know it will be kept confidential here. Second, you are also sure that I'm not in a position to go barging into any international arena and make some big deal over your speculations. You are afraid the CIA will immediately start running with the ball before the information is all in place. You and I both know the Russians could pull in their horns completely, put a blanket over the operation, and we would never know anything until it was completed. If you can keep the CIA out of it, you might finish piecing the puzzle together and have a fairly complete picture about what is going on in Uzbek. Now, by telling me, you've salved your conscience somewhat. Should you walk out of my office building and get killed by the KGB, you know the information is safe and can be passed on to the CIA or into the hands of whoever might be in the best position to do something about the Soviet project."

Nat again was amazed at Wenger's ability to analyze the situation and phrase it in a very succinct manner. Nat then asked Wenger to put his people on the puzzle and see what they could piece together. He wanted someone other than himself to analyze the movement of these scientists to Uzbek. He somehow needed the reinforcement of another mind to tell him his conclusions were correct. Wenger assured him he would give the information to the people he trusted most and see if they could come to any other conclusion. Nat also told Wenger he had left this information in the hands of Dr. Nancy Carroll in Raleigh.

"Nat, don't you think that's dangerous? If the KGB has some idea Dr. Carroll knows about your business, her life could be in danger."

"I warned her of that earlier today. I think I was under the impression as long as you have the Atlantic Ocean between you and the rest of the world, you're fairly safe."

"Not so. Some of the best of the KGB agents are in the United States. They know that's where the real threat is. The twisted streets in the old towns of Western Europe make great movie settings for spy stories, but that's not necessarily where the action is."

Nat then shared with Wenger the Chris Cope's findings from the pictures taken by Big Bird. He told him that there was an active operating nuclear reactor with no apparent power lines leading anywhere. Also there had been two years of furious work by contractors with virtually nothing to show for it.

"Herbert, I do want you to put all of this in your mind and churn it around with the rest of the information that I have shared."

They continued to talk for another thirty minutes until it was time for Nat to leave Wenger's office and head north toward Hanover. He had already made a reservation to get him into West Berlin, and if he did not leave soon, he would have difficulty making his flight. Nat got in his Saab, headed back out to the highway that bypasses Bonn and turned north toward Cologne. After going around the beautiful old city of Cologne, he headed for Wuppertal, skirting the highly congested area of northeast Germany. Within fifty miles of Essen was the highly industrial and commercial area of West Germany. It would save time if Nat did not become involved with local traffic. Nat checked the rear view mirror of his Saab frequently. But he decided that, if the KGB were following today, they were staying at a safe distance. He could detect no pattern to the cars following him.

He then thought to himself, no wonder I can detect no pattern. Nat looked down, and the Saab was cruising along the autobahn at 175 kilometers per hour. He decided anything traveling at that speed is hard to keep under surveillance unobtrusively. For the rest of the trip, his speed did not drop below 150 kilometers per hour, and he arrived in Hanover well in advance of the departure of his airplane for West Berlin.

3:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, 1987

Ambassador Hotel

West Berlin, Germany

Nat drove his Saab to the airport parking lot in Hanover. He did not plan to carry with him any of the tools that had served him so well since he acquired them in Amsterdam. He even left his Compaq 386 in the trunk of the car. He was traveling light for this part of his journey. After he parked his car in the parking lot, he went inside the terminal and secured his tickets for the flight into West Berlin. He watched carefully to see if he could detect KGB agents following him. Again, if they were there, they were clever in losing themselves in the milling crowd. After arriving at Templehof airport, he cleared passport control, went through customs, and caught a taxi to the Ambassador Hotel on the Bayreutherstrasse in the center of downtown Berlin. He checked in and went immediately to his room.

He unpacked his few belongings, refreshed himself in the shower, shaved, pulled the bedcovers down, and stretched out for a brief nap. When he awoke, he lay in the bed thinking disturbing thoughts. Nat was becoming a man in a hurry. He began to wonder if there was some way he could speed up the visits he was making in the last three cities and still accomplish the task assigned to him by the CIA. It was typical of Nat to focus on major problems and work diligently on them until they were solved. At that point, he would move on to the next project and do the same thing. Nat had started this trip to deceive the KGB. He wanted them to think he was an agent of the CIA sent to Europe to share highly confidential information concerning an imminent military action by the United States. From all reports this was being accomplished exactly as planned. Nat wondered how his confrontations with the KGB were being received by the CIA in Washington. He knew they liked tidy operations without political repercussions which would cause difficulty with funding by Congress.

Nat was having difficulty staying excited about the original purpose of his assignment. He had not totally lost interest in playing Straw Man for the CIA -he realized its value. Rather, his mind was more engaged with the scientific project being conducted by the leading scientists in the Soviet Union. It was difficult for him to sort out his priorities. His visits to bar rooms, nightclubs and fine restaurants had become a chore instead of a pleasure. He would rather drop this assignment and spend his time whatever was happening in the republic of Uzbek was the primary military project of the Soviet Union. He was pleased Chris had trusted him enough to use the Big Bird satellite to gather the information he had requested, even though he had not shared all he knew with Chris. Nat felt guilty about this. He rationalized that he would share what he knew with Chris when they could sit down face to face and analyze together all of the information relating to Samarkand. He realized his information was incomplete, but he felt confident his remaining three visits would supply the missing pieces to the puzzle. He did not want the CIA to move prematurely, tipping their hands to the Soviets, giving them the opportunity of clamping the secrecy blanket even tighter.

While Nat was still stretched out in bed on top of the sheets, he began to conceive various plans that might get him inside the Soviet Union for a personal inspection of the project. He was certain he could not ask for CIA help in this matter. They would think he was absolutely crazy. It was interesting that MI6, Mossad, French and German security had more confidence in him than the CIA. He concluded the CIA knew he lacked experience, while the other four intelligence agencies had taken him at face value. Nat went back over these last few days. Yes, he had engaged in the social whirl to perfection, but he was now going to slow down. He never thought that staying in the best hotels, eating in the best restaurants and reveling in the best nightclubs could take its toll on the mind and spirit the way it had. Nat had been moving at a dizzying pace and was getting very little sleep at night. He decided this was having an effect on his mental attitude. It had become essential for him to take naps in the afternoon knowing he would be out late. This was a practice he never followed in the United States, but it had proven a life saver while he was in Europe. Nevertheless, Nat's real difficulty was his changing order of priorities. He wanted to spend more time on the project near Samarkand, and less time being the tantalizing bait for the CIA.

He began to think of ways he could recapture his original excitement for the project. He had become concerned that he might have mind lapses at this stage of the operation, and, if so, it would cost him his life. His ability to anticipate problems had already saved him several times, and he could not afford to lose his edge. Nat continued to let these thoughts pour through his mind. At times, he would become excited with new approaches; other times, he would border on depression. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate on tonight's activities in the restaurants and clubs, his mind would immediately go back and begin to sift through the information he had collected at the various universities he had visited.

It was now 8:00 and Nat called the Concierge's desk and asked him to make reservations at the Rockendorf's on Busterhauptstrasse. He also asked the Concierge to call the maitre d' at Separe Centrum to let him know he would be in later to visit the club. Nat had found an advance warning to the maitre d' and a nice tip at the door would get you treated as if you were a regular at the establishment. The thought occurred to Nat that he was more vulnerable in Berlin than he had been at any time since he had started his travels. He had not brought with him any of his equipment, or his Compaq 386 computer.

Nat went downstairs at 8:30 and drifted into the bar. He had a quick drink, talked to the barkeep and visited with some of the patrons in the establishment. At 9:00, he went to the front door, and the doorman secured him a taxi to Rockendorf's. Rockendorf's was one of the best restaurants this great city had to offer. Berlin has been famous throughout its history for its night life. The food at Rockendorf's was as good as he had tasted anywhere, and the service was with typical German precision. Nat had no complaint about the evening's dinner. He ordered a fine Moselle to accompany his meal, and instead of German food, ordered continental dishes.

A few minutes after 11:00 Nat was finished in Rockendorf's. He thanked his waiter, again thanked the maitre d' for his hospitality and asked the doorman to summon a taxi. When the taxi came, Nat ordered the man to take him to Separe Centrum. This club had a reputation for outstanding entertainment and offered a casino. After arriving at the club, Nat enjoyed the show and later decided he would try his luck at the gaming tables. He wandered into the casino, observing the players at the roulette tables, but drifted, as he always did, to the baccarat table. He began to play. While he was at the table, several attractive women came by and talked with Nat giving him the opportunity to strike up an acquaintance. Nat was friendly but noncommittal. He needed no encumbrances tonight.

After finishing slightly ahead at baccarat, he moved to roulette. He promptly lost his winnings at the table and decided to end his evening playing craps. Here his luck was better and, before he left, he had 500 additional German marks in his pocket. Nat looked at his watch and saw that it was near 2:00. He had given the CIA enough for their money tonight and decided to return to the Ambassador Hotel. As he left, he bade those at the table’s goodbye. He slipped each of the croupiers a fifty mark note and moved toward the front door.

When Nat arrived the doorman whistled for a taxi. A hassle broke out among the cab drivers. One of the taxis sitting patiently in line with his ' out-of-service' light on, suddenly turned his ' in-service' light on and slipped ahead of the waiting taxi to become first in line. There was shouting and honking over this lack of protocol. Nat took no notice of the bickering between cabs. He had seen this same distasteful scene often and it was certainly not up to him to settle the dispute. Once Nat was safely inside the taxi, he gave instructions to the driver to take him to the Ambassador Hotel.

Within a few blocks after leaving Separe Centrum, the taxi turned off on a side street and began heading east. Nat started to ask the driver about the deviation when he noticed a thick glass panel separating the front seat from the back seat. This was not unusual in taxicabs as it protected the driver from abuse or holdups from bogus passengers. But his next observation was one for which he had not been prepared. The door handles in the back compartment of the cab had been removed. Nat was now trapped, so easily and by only one man. He had no tool or weapon to help him with whatever difficulties he would soon be facing.

Nat was now in a situation different from any he had ever faced in his life. He was convinced within the next few minutes he would be executed by the KGB. Nat was surprised that, even though facing death, he was totally calm, not even sweaty palms. He decided philosophically that fatalism had an interesting effect on one's psyche. It was a shame he did not have time to write up this experience and publish it in a scientific journal. Within ten minutes, the taxi arrived at a darkened warehouse within sight of the Berlin Wall. The street was black and the darkness was broken only by an occasional street lamp. The taxi pulled up to the warehouse door and blinked its lights several times. Slowly the door opened, being activated by an electrical motor wrapping the door around some unseen spool inside the warehouse. The taxi pulled in and the door descended behind them.

The warehouse was large, cavernous and full of huge boxes of every conceivable size. The taxi stopped under a dim light. The rest of the warehouse was dark except for an occasional bulb illuminating a packing aisle between crates. Nat looked around.

Eight men were waiting for him to emerge from the automobile. Three had automatic weapons, and Nat assumed the other five were carrying concealed weapons. The men did not look like gangsters, but Nat could see they were here on business. There was no laughing or joking. In fact, with the exception of one man, there was complete silence. After Nat was released from the cab, he was taken deep inside the warehouse until they reached a side wall. They took him into an area cordoned off with 42 inch crates stacked on top of each other three high. The only exit was a small opening between the crates no more than thirty inches wide. One bare light bulb was hanging down from a wire. Nat had the deadening feeling that these packing cases would be the last thing he would ever see. Nat was without hope, but amazingly calm.

They didn't bother to tie Nat up. The one opening from the cubicle was guarded by two men with automatic weapons. For the next fifteen minutes, Nat was interrogated by the leader of the group. Nat answered the questions openly and honestly. He told them the truth which infuriated them because they were convinced he was lying. After fifteen minutes of fruitless questions, the leader angrily announced he was going to execute Nat. Nat was forced to kneel and bow his head. He felt the cold muzzle of a pistol placed against the tight skin on the back of his cranium. He heard the shot. This surprised him. Then he heard the other shots. Eight distinct bursts from an automatic weapon. Nat looked around. He had never seen such carnage. Every one of his captors was now sprawled about in the small cubicle of packing crates with various parts of their bodies blown away. Blood and internal organs were everywhere. There was not a breath or a movement. All eight were completely and irrevocably dead, and Nat was still alive.

Suddenly a single figure dropped to the floor from the top of the packing crates. The man was small, strongly built with firm arms and legs. He had a smoking automatic weapon firmly braced under each arm. There was a big grin on his face. He looked Nat squarely in the eye. "You didn't think you had any friends in Berlin did you?"

"No," Nat said with a sigh. "But thanks for your help. I thought it was over for me."

"Come on, let's get out of here."

The two men walked through the warehouse and slipped out an exit door onto the loading dock. They ran quickly to the end of the platform. Around the side of the building a car was parked with its engine running. They got into the car and sped away. After they were well away from the Berlin Wall and the warehouse district, the man introduced himself as Saul Cinci, a member of the Mossad. Nat could not have been more surprised.

"Saul, why are you here?"

"Nat, you impressed my chief very much, and Sydney Granier is hard to impress! As reports about you began to come back into Sydney's office in Tel Aviv he told us you were becoming a celebrity. Sydney, however, became concerned about your safety. He knew sooner or later without help you were going to be a dead man. He was considering having the Mossad step in and the catalyst came this morning. Herbert Wenger, the Minister of Internal Security in Germany, called Sydney and told him you needed some help. That's all it took. Sydney contacted me here in Berlin. My assignment was simple. I was to see that you didn't get killed.

"But I had a surprise. I wasn't expecting nine," said Saul with a laugh.

"I thought there were eight."

"No, nine, Remember the taxi driver? I took care of him first with my bare hands."

"Saul, why the Mossad? If Herbert was interested in my safety, why didn't he just use his own men?"

"I'm not sure. He may have assumed there would be less involvement if someone from the outside helped you. He did promise Sydney that if things became rough he could protect me from the judicial process in Germany. However, there was no way he could protect me from the KGB. That was a matter for the Mossad."

Saul drove his car across West Berlin into a side street and finally parked in front of a large row of identical houses four stories tall. They proceeded down a small flight of steps and into a comfortable apartment.

"I think it's safer for you to stay here tonight" He made another call to a friend and asked him to gather Nat's belongings from the Ambassador Hotel and cautioned him again to be sure he was not detected. The man on the other end of the line chastised Saul by saying "I didn't live this long to be detected by the KGB now."

Before Nat went to bed, he made the decision to move his appointment at the university to the following day if at all possible. He was in a hurry and wanted to get out of Berlin at the earliest moment. He rationalized that the CIA didn't need names of the KGB in West Berlin. He had already found nine of them, and they were all dead. Both men went to bed and slept soundly.

The next morning Nat called the university and was able to move both appointments forward twenty four hours. After Nat and Saul ate breakfast, Saul drove him to the university and waited in the car. He had decided not to leave Nat until he was safely on the plane. He certainly did not want to leave Nat now after risking his life against nine KGB agents. Sydney Granier would be very displeased if Saul failed.

Nat was sitting in the outer office of the President of the University of Berlin, Dr. Roberti Graf. After a brief wait, Dr. Graf stepped out and invited Nat in. On meeting Dr. Graf, Nat immediately thought of the Graf Zeppelin. Dr. Graf was huge and fleshly. He graciously offered Nat coffee and Nat accepted, having come to enjoy this morning ritual. Their conversation started with questions about the United States and reciprocal questions relating to the Federal Republic of Germany. Soon, however, both men were busily engaged with scientific questions. Dr. Graf had been an eminent scientist in his own right and was one of the most respected men in all of Germany. The most interesting aspect of the conversation was Dr. Graf's view of scientists in other sections of Germany. He proudly stated that he was Bavarian and did not come from Northern Germany.

He explained to Nat that, even though their country was small, there were dramatic differences in personalities of people coming from the various regions. For example, Bavarian people are musical, fun loving people who have a very positive outlook on life. He compared the Bavarians with the residents of northern Germany who were much more austere and matter of fact. He said that often visitors found it hard to believe Bavaria’s are in any way related to residents of the northern sections of the country. This general good humor and demeanor of the Bavarians was readily apparent in Dr. Graf himself. He laughed effortlessly at stories and was deeply interested in Nat and his accomplishments.

Nat was interested in how the university had become world famous for its research in radar. Dr. Graf informed Nat his university had been conducting research on such tracking devices even before World War II. His university had a longer continuous history in working with guidance and detection devices than any other institution in the world. This made sense to Nat. The Germans had radar before the United States did. Even during World War II, the German night fighters were guided by ground radar, which made them more effective than the Allied air forces in the early part of the war. When the Americans equipped their airplanes with airborne radar, they became superior to the Luftwaffe. Their conversation continued on for more than an hour. Nat honestly regretted to leave Dr. Graf. Even his scientific explanations were in the form of a story, and Nat had laughed more here than any other time during his trip.

Shortly before 12:00 Nat moved to the physical science building and found the office of Dr. Trans Soble, the University of Munich's eminent scientist specializing in radar detection and guidance systems. They immediately started the conversation about Dr. Sable’s science. Nat wanted to know about defensive radar used for detection, versus offensive radar used for guidance. Dr. Soble gave him a quick, but expert definition of each, and contrasted them to Nat's satisfaction and understanding. He explained to Nat how the latest advances in radar provide input for computers to calculate trajectories and flight paths. Radar was also used to detect incoming projectiles and calculate the flight paths, allowing for the interception of these offensive weapons. Another important aspect of radar was its ability to keep missiles on target. Dr. Soble explained the use of triangulation to determine the degree of miss when the target is not impacted. When this method is used a second firing will usually destroy the target. Nat realized this method would be extremely important in impacting targets a great distance from the firing source.

Nat and Dr. Soble discussed the range of radar. "How far away can an objective be detected by radar?" Nat inquired. "Are you talking about on earth or in space?"

"First, tell me about its range on earth."

"At one time radar was limited to line-of-sight. The higher the altitude of the target, the less likely the radar signal would be blocked out by the curvature of the earth. Soon after World War II, new strategy required airplanes to fly low to escape detection by radar. This was the strategy of the air force for twenty years. The introduction of the computer and the installation of new types of detection equipment have changed the tactics again. Today we have a premium on high flying bombers. Planes such as B-52s can launch cruise missiles from great distances and not be in danger of being shot down. Such an aircraft trying to bomb a Soviet target directly would be a sitting duck today."

"We've made great advances in radar using the ionosphere," Dr. Soble continued. "We now reflect radar waves off the ionosphere in much the same way AM radio is reflected. Low flying objects can be picked up now that would have been impossible to detect with conventional radar. This gives you the same capability as having a satellite hovering in space beaming radar waves down on the earth. This over-the-horizon radar is amazing even to me, and I have lived with radar most of my life."

"That takes care of earth. What about space?"

"There's no theoretical limit to how far radar can be beamed in space. Remember, during World War II, the Americans bounced radar off the moon, and that's at least a quarter of a million miles. Radio telescopes are able to detect radio signals from outer space ten to fifteen billion light years away."

Nat was moving toward his usual conclusion. "What about the Soviets? Where are they? Are they any good?"

"They're very good. They started with a basic design and have incrementally improved it over the years. They have effective guidance and detection systems."

Nat wanted to check the information furnished to Nancy by the National Science Foundation. "Trans, who is their leading radar specialist? Do you know him?"

"Their leading scientist is Dr. Alexander Lebedev from the University of Baku, located down on the Caspian Sea in the very southern most region of the Soviet Union. Yes, I know him. We've been at meetings together and have corresponded frequently. The man is very bright, one of the best in the world."

"Have you heard from him recently?"

"No, it's been more than a year."

"Has he been to any professional meetings?"

"No. We would have had dinner if he'd been in attendance."

"Do you think he's still at the University of Baku?"

After a moment's thought, Dr. Soble said "No, he's gone."

"Where?"

"I don't know, but you're asking some interesting questions. I've been surprised he would disappear without letting me know where he is and what he's doing. I'm sure there's someone who would know, but we were never close enough to share personal secrets"

Nat started to tell Dr. Soble that his guess would be that Dr. Lebedev was residing comfortably near Samarkand. But, he thought propriety was best in this case and left the matter hanging. They continued to talk for a few minutes, and then Nat bade Dr. Soble good bye.

He went out into the parking lot and found Saul Cinci who took him back to the Templehof Airport. Not caught the flight to Hanover and started his trip south to Frankfurt.

5:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, 1987

KGB Headquarters

Moscow, U.S.S.R.

Tatlin Komarov had sent his car for Dr. Chelemoi. He wanted to bring him up to date on Turner, find a nice quiet restaurant and continue their discussion into the early evening. When Dr. Chelemoi arrived, Komarov went to a small refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of Stolichnaya Vodka from the freezer. He poured two small glasses full of the clear liquid and handed one to Dr. Chelemoi and took the other back to his desk.

Komarov wanted to start the conversation immediately. He took a long sip of the cold vodka and let it flow easily down his throat. "Kizim, you're going to have difficulty believing what I have to tell you."

"If it relates to Nat Turner I am ready to believe anything."

Komarov had already informed Dr. Chelemoi of the death of Konstan Tsiolsky during his attempt to terminate Nat Turner in Zurich. He had also told Dr. Chelemoi of the way that Lebedev Sputnev had lost his hands in Stuttgart, but he had not as yet told him of the fiasco in West Berlin.

"Kizim, yesterday we decided to pull out all the stops against Turner. We picked up his trail in Bonn, followed him to Hanover and secured his flight number to West Berlin. Our agents were waiting for him at the airport and followed him to his hotel. Shortly after 9:00, Turner left and went to the best restaurant in West Berlin. After that, he went to the most expensive nightclub and casino in the city. Our people were with him all the way. We used female agents to see if they could interest Nat in joining them, but they were unsuccessful. At 2:00 a.m. he left the nightclub with the intention of returning to his hotel. We used a KGB taxicab to intercept him. The taxi driver had him trapped in the rear seat. That fact we know for certain. He was taken to one of our warehouses near the Berlin Wall. The instructions to the Berlin station were to interrogate him and then see that he was terminated.

They were not to take any chances whatsoever. I wanted the man gone and out of our hair. To ensure this assignment was carried out properly, the Berlin station used nine men -a fully trained agent to drive the taxi cab, and eight of our most experienced agents. They were to see he did not survive the night. The female agents in the night club confirmed the fact that he was not carrying a weapon. They checked him carefully, and there was no metallic device of any kind on his body. The agent driving the taxi delivered him to the warehouse. Here he was escorted to an/ area cordoned off with stacked crates forming a wall about twelve feet high. There was one small opening between the crates which was guarded by agents with automatic weapons. "Let me set the picture. We have nine agents in a darkened warehouse in a remote section of Berlin. Nat Turner is unarmed and being guarded closely. Their sole responsibility was to interrogate him and then execute him. No tricks, nothing fancy."

Komarov paused.

"What happened?" Chelemoi asked impatiently.

"He killed them."

"What do you mean killed them?"

"I mean exactly what I said; he killed all nine of them."

"How did he kill them?" Chelemoi asked incredulously."He shot them."

"Where did he get the weapon?"

"I guess he took it away from one of them. He certainly didn't bring a weapon with him."

"You mean this man was surrounded by our agents in an open area secured by crates, and he killed each and every one of them?"

"That's exactly what I mean. He killed them all."

"Incredible."

"He wiped out the heart of our West Berlin station. I'm beginning to believe this man is a phantom. He has the ability to will people dead and they die."

"What about the weapons our men carried?”

"There wasn't a single round fired, and yet each of our men had taken at least six slugs."

"I thought you said he had taken a weapon away from our men."

"I said that, but I don't know what happened. All I know is they were dead and none of their guns had been fired."

"What are you going to tell the Central Committee?"

"I've already told them. I not only had to tell them about this disaster, but also about our terminator getting killed in Zurich and our terminator losing his hands in Stuttgart."

"What was their reaction?"

Komarov turned his hands up, shrugged his shoulders and said "They're making him a damn folk hero. They're absolutely fascinated with the way this man is moving through Europe killing KGB agents. I have never seen anything like it. From my past experience with the Central Committee, I would have expected to be removed from my job and executed days ago. But they're still telling me what a great job I'm doing, how well conceived the plan was in West Berlin, and that the United States has created a superhero. They're telling me that Tatlin Komarov is the only man in the Soviet Union capable of defeating this agent. Somehow they have a macabre fascination for a person who appears to be invincible. I simply cannot understand it."

"What do you think of Nat Turner now?"

"I'm beginning to think he is invincible too." replied Komarov in a low voice. "There's no way a human being could have accomplished all he has done within the last two weeks. He is making fools of us. After the massacre, he went to the University of West Berlin the next morning, had a conference with the President and another conference with Dr. Trans Soble, their radar expert. Then he calmly went to the airport and flew to Hanover. He isn't hiding or trying to avoid detection. The man simply does not make sense."

"Tatlin, he may make more sense than you think. I'll be the first to say that I, too, underestimated the capabilities of Turner. First of all, he is highly intelligent. Second, he has incredible courage. Third, his visits to the universities, followed by his subsequent communications to the United States, have more significance than I first believed. I'm not sure Turner is passing information on to his contacts. I'm becoming convinced Turner is getting information from his contacts."

"What do you mean? What kind of information could he be getting?"

"It's the visits to the universities that intrigue me the most."

"Those universities he visited have no connection with the CIA or intelligence services of any sort. We've checked them out." Komarov replied defensively. "They don't have to be connected with intelligence services to give Turner the information he needs. Remember, we're dealing with someone who is exceedingly clever. Let's review for a moment. He has talked to scientists in the areas of ceramics, heavy metals, navigation, computers, nuclear, lasers, exotic weapons, rockets and now radar."

"I know that. What are you trying to say?" Kamarov responded curtly. "Get out a sheet of paper and write down the specialties that I have just mentioned." Chelemoi said patiently.

Komarov pulled a sheet of paper from the middle drawer of his desk and wrote own the scientific areas Dr. Chelemoi had named.

"Now I want you to match those specialties with our leading scientists in this country. Write the name down next to the specialty."

It took Komarov a few minutes of thinking and trying names, but he finally matched them to Chelemoi's approval.