Book 1 of the H&K Series : Path of Knowledge

Chapter 3

Hank sat at the kitchen table waiting for the response he knew would be coming, staring out at the sound-reducing barrier along the highway on the other side of the housing development. His mind wandered back over twenty years in the past to March 1991 when Hank found himself at the US Army hospital known as Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany, where he found himself recovering from wounds received while on patrol during Desert Shield in November 1990. Hank remembered that day like it was yesterday.

Hank sat on the side of his hospital bed, duffel bag packed, awaiting his orders that would send him stateside. A beautiful woman with long black hair, piercing green eyes, and knock-dead gorgeous smile entered his room, well-dressed in a light-green pantsuit. She carried an attaché case in her left hand. She closed the door behind her. As the door closed, Hank saw a familiar face in the hallway. Captain D'Aras was in charge of the military police detachment at the hospital. He had become a very close acquaintance of Hank's after Captain D'Aras had thwarted an assassination attempt on Hank's life while he was in the hospital.

"How would you like to put your training to use?" the woman asked.

"And who might you be?" Hank asked, but the woman seemed familiar for some reason.

"My name is Adaline Sarasin. I am here to offer you what you have been begging your commanders to give you," Sarasin stated.

"And why should I listen to you or even trust you?" Hank asked.

"Captain D'Aras explained to me how you fought off two assailants while heavily sedated and wounded. He speaks highly of you and how you want to get back into the combat theater," the woman told him.

"Did he tell you what he did?" Hank asked. "Seems that isn't in the report."

"If you spoke to him, then he would have told you."

"Okay, since this is confidential and it never happened, maybe Captain D'Aras may or may not have shot the two assailants. These hypothetical assailants may or may not have been turned over to a CIA cleaner team to dispose of." She watched his reaction.

"Okay, now that we have that out of the way. What is your offer?" Hank replied.

"I am building a team for which I believe you would be a perfect match."

"What type of team?"

"One that would utilize all your specialty training that your records don't show."

"And what specialty training would that be?" Hank asked, dripping sarcasm.

Sarasin withdrew a file, stamped top secret, his name was on the front as well. Hank stared at her. She smiled as she passed the records file to Hank. Hank opened it and saw all his specialty training listed. Who was this woman that she could obtain his actual records, whereas his official records contained only basic and Airborne training?

"What unit would I be assigned to?" Hank asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"For the record, you would be reassigned back to the Berlin Brigade, same unit, just on temporary duty," Sarasin told him.

"What would this team be doing?"

"Need-to-know basis." Sarasin looked directly at him as she opened her attaché case. "Are you in?"

"Where do I sign up?"

"Welcome to the shadows. From this day forward, you will tell no one of your activities or location. As far as anyone will know, your duty station is Berlin. But be prepared to visit exotic locations, meet exotic people, and kill those who need killing," Sarasin told him.