Chapter 2

Monday, June 2, 2008 YUWTF Headquarters, Fort Bragg

PFC Jack Andrews

Ginsberg and I had just gotten out of the hospital when Lieutenant-Colonel Seidel called us into his office.

"Congratulations, you two have earned some bling." He presented us each with a blue presentation box. Inside mine was a Silver Star and a Purple Heart.

"Thank you, sir."

"Pretty impressive for your first deployment. Unfortunately, it will be your last for a while. The medical report says it will be several months before your lungs recover fully from the gas, so we're putting you on domestic intel."

"Where, specifically?"

"You're from Illinois, right?"

"Yeah, New Trier."

"Then we'll send you to Rochambeau, Indiana. Your accent shouldn't stick out."

Ginsberg spoke up. "What the fuck is in Indiana?"

"The University of Indiana and somebody who's been using the high school's computers to try to hack into JSOC. Also, they've decided to implement The Program there, and our friends at the FBI want someone to have their guy's back."

"So why the fuck did you pick me?"

"Don't worry, you won't have to be naked, that's Andrews' job." I started to protest but he kept talking. "I picked you because you're eight months from retirement, and I've seen enough action movies to know that's not a good time to stick somebody in a dangerous situation. Besides, the FBI guy is an old friend of yours, Grant Hardcastle."

"How'd he end up in the middle of nowhere?"

"Price on his head. I believe the Sanchez cartel."

"Sucks for him."

"Anyway, school doesn't start until August but we want you to go ahead and get on site. According to the FBI's profile you're looking for a disaffected anti-war activist."

"How do we know it's an anti-war activist?" Ginsberg asked.

"Who else would want to hack into JSOC?"

"A Russian spy posing as an exchange student, self-radicalized Islamist, disaffected one of our guys, Anonymous, a Chinese spy posing as an exchange student, pro-war nut-jobs staging a false flag, supervillain-wannabe looking for blackmail, geek looking to impress girls, a French spy..."

"I get it, there are other options, but you can explore those options while you're infiltrating Cow Tippers for Peace."

"Wait, that's a real thing?" I blurted out.

"I mean, they don't call it that, but there is a group of at least five students that do some sort of protesting. Nothing the First Amendment doesn't cover, that we know of. You two are booked on the 11:30 flight to Indianapolis. In the meantime, ordnance will fit you out with everything you need."

We saluted and walked out of the office and to the ordnance building.