Page 18 (1/2)

Prologue

Langley, Virginia 1970

“Get strong Get tan Think you’re ss, kid?”

The man was as tall as Kit, a couple of inches over six feet, but he was very wide Kit wondered if three of hilued side by side, would be as wide as this officer With his short black hair, he looked like a cartoon bear

“Yes, sir” Kit’s back was so straight it was like steel

“And e pick you up in the fall, if you pull your pants down, I don’t want to see your shiny white ass Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir I’m to sunbathe in the nude” As soon as he said the words he knew they rong They sounded too elitist, too uys” His father didn’t lube cars Dad had stopped a couple of tribal wars in the Middle East, but that wasn’t so about

When the big man leaned closer, as much as Kit wanted to step away, he didn’t “Was that a re at me, kid?”

“No, sir!” Kit practically yelled the words Sas running down the back of his neck

It was 6:00 ao to this man’s office But he hadn’t est of the recruits—some of whom had spent a couple of years in Vietnam—and he’d been hassled the most “You been weaned yet, kid? Potty trained?”

“Miss your mommie, do you?”

“A few years back I had a one-nighter with a girl naomery Think I could be your daddy?”

Kit had sh it all, but each barb had made him more determined to do a job that he was uniquely qualified for

The big man took a step back from Kit “Youbathe—” his tone made fun of the word “—however you want to, but in Septe nose of yours lookin’ like you’ve always lived in the desert Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir, you do”

The man took another step back and looked Kit up and down in contempt Like all his father’s family, Kit was tall and lean, built uy, who could probably bench-press cars “I don’t knohat they were thinking when they got you,” he muttered “You’re just a boy, and you’re so skinny you could slide through a keyhole” He shook his head “Do I have to remind you that no one—not even your famous daddy—is to knohat some idiot picked you out to do?”

“No, sir, you don’t”