Men of Mystery

In the Army Now

The La Fuerte arrived in San Monte harbor days later without incident. Norton didn't see Cerulean and Craig and Dolores barely spoke to each other.

Once the gangplank was in place, Dolores disembarked, heading to her hotel to settle in and rest. Craig, on the hand, found taxi and went to talk to Army officials about the war. He passed simple hovels and watched the people of this country walk about barefoot, dirty, and in tattered clothes. The effects of the civil war he guessed which was essentially a political struggle. Sad that the country's leaders couldn't put their differences aside for the sake of their people. But it was no different elsewhere in the world. News out of Germany was frightening. Craig sighed and hoped he would learn more about the situation in San Monte from the members of the Army.

Norton came off the ship and also found a taxi. He paid no attention to the slums and poverty-stricken area through which he passed, heading directly to a recruitment center for the Army. He offered to enlist and was stunned to see the stern face of Cerulean waiting for him wearing the brown uniform of a San Monte private.

"What the ---" sputtered Norton.

"I joined up too," said Cerulean, "to make sure you learned your learn."

Norton didn't understand what this strange man was talking about, but he signed the enlistment papers. The recruitment officer reviewed the form and stamped it "Accepted" despite Norton's poor health and age, as Cerulean had predicted, giving him a brown uniform.

Minutes later, Cerulean reported to his unit's commanding officer, Major Sanchez. "We've received orders from headquarters to move to the front line and engage the enemy," Cerulean reported.

"Very good," said Sanchez. The Major assembled the troops at once. They fell in line.

"Company, march!" commanded Sanchez.

The assembled men moved out, Norton and Cerulean with them. They marched through the streets of the city and were soon in the countryside near the front line of the enemy.

"This will get us all killed," grumbled Norton.

"Then why do you manufacture munitions?"

"Men are expendable, but explosives are valuable."

"So you'd rather get rich off your products while thousands of people die and countries like San Monte are thrown into poverty."

Norton didn't answer, but his grimace spoke volumes. He wasn't going to be lectured about morals and ethics by this man.

Suddenly an armored shell exploded overhead. Norton and much of his company dropped to the ground to avoid the flying shrapnel.

"This is no place for anyone," Norton murmured.

"So when your own life is in danger you see my point. Perhaps now you'll rethink what your company is doing."

Norton agreed and without another word Cerulean grabbed the munitions maker and jumped back into town.

"You are free to go," the costumed man explained. "Hope you remember this lesson."

"I will," Norton promised, as he hurried away to get out of this uniform and back to the United States.

Leaping again, Cerulean jumped into the enemy camp. Quickly he snapped photographs of the encampment's position and layout then he jumped back to town to have them developed.

Later that night, in Sanchez's tent, he found the pictures Cerulean had taken and knew how to break through the enemy lines and end the war. He smiled and barked orders for the coming dawn.

Satisfied that the war would end soon, Cerulean returned to town.

Craig meanwhile had gotten some good information from the Army officials and had typed up a story. He snapped a few pictures of the poverty in town and sent them off to his newspaper.

He hoped Dolores was all right. He hadn't seen her all day. On a hunch, he went by her room but she wasn't there. Checking with the front desk he learned she had been arrested on suspicion of being a spy. Even now she awaited trial.

He had to do something to save her. He knew how these trials went; they weren't interested in justice down here. Just being accused meant you were guilty. And espionage meant going before a firing squad.

Craig narrowed his eyes and began to form a rescue plan in his mind.