Chapter 1

Corporal Andres Mesa, June 22, 2006

Having just escaped two months being tortured in a basement in Medellin, I was less than eager for my next assignment. Nevertheless, duty called, and I found myself in my lieutenant's office.

"You'll probably be glad to know we found the guy who burned you," he said by way of introduction.

"Would have been happier if you found him two months ago. Was it one of our guys?"

"No, DEA. Looks like Rodriguez bought him off with 20 million and a house in Switzerland."

"Why Switzerland?"

"No extradition treaty."

"And all I got was a t-shirt."

"Plus a Bronze Star for that escape and the satisfaction of knowing that you helped take down the largest cocaine production facility in South America."

"So you guys raided it?"

"Ginsberg and SEAL Team 7"

"I thought there were only six?"

"Once the Navy found out we had a team of 15 year-old super-soldiers they wanted one of their own. Anyway, we got some documents from the raid and it looks like the coke is being routed through a safe house in a giant nudist camp in Central Florida en route to Europe. We want you to go undercover as a high school student and find the safe house. The CIA has a guy on the scene we'll set up as your contact."

"Why not DEA or FBI?"

"We can't trust the DEA and besides, they don't recruit under 18. The FBI's providing your parents. This is sort of a family operation. Dad and Grandpa run a boat in and out of Matanzas and junior wanted in on the family business, so they've got him doing security for Hunter Weems.

"Who?"

"His dad's running for Governor of Florida and the proprietor of the nudist camp, well, actually it's more of a city. Anyway, the kid's been getting some threats and they assigned this guy to shadow him. We figured that'll leave him enough free time to help you out. Anyway, your contact is Javier Cortez." He began reading off a piece of paper. "He is 16 years old with brown hair and gray eyes, wears two thick gold hoop earrings in the left ear and one in the right, and has a tattoo of a rose on his left hip. Your assignment is to infiltrate the high school, St. Mary's Prep, find the school drug dealer, and trace him back to the safe house. It should be fun; he's gay and single."

"The school drug dealer?"

"No, Cortez. We don't know who the drug dealer is yet; you'll have to do some detective work."

"That sure beats the hell out of Medellin," I responded.