A Prologue from, “The Sleepers”
September, 1943 - Mostaganem, Algeria
Beads of sweat dripped slowly down Robert’s face, stinging as they landed in his eye.
Importance…safety...priority.
He reminded himself of these promises, the one’s his commanding officer had made the day he decided to enlist. He repeated these words, and allowed his mind to drift away from the dirt exploding at his feet. He sank deeper into the ground, envisioning the life he’d always dreamed of.
Unattached...patriotic...brave.
Robert Eddison was born to serve his country. Not many welcome this earth with an undeniable passion for freedom, but Robert was an exception. His goal didn’t lie in the hot desolate sands of North Africa, it lied beyond, but he recognized this was a stepping stone - and a necessary one.
Secret intelligence...foreign politics...national security.
This was what Robert longed for. So he passed the time, the bullets, and the blood, remembering what’s to come - an opportunity that would only present itself after a demonstrated history of selflessness and honor.
January, 1950 - Washington D.C.
“Robert Eddison.”
The ceremony was small - for good reason. The program was relatively new, and the obscurity of it all meant only a select few were invited. The public knew of the existence of a spy organization, designed to protect American Interests abroad, but the details of its operations would never be released.
Robert stood with confidence, the only sound in the room coming from the squeaky hinges of his chair. He knew the brief history of the Central Intelligence Group, previously known as the Office of Strategic Services. He knew about their authority to conduct independent research analysis, and project American power abroad. An opportunity to join an organization such as this had always been his goal. Afterall, when a commanding officer provides hope to a young soldier in the forsaken battlefields of North Africa, he does whatever it takes to secure that opportunity. This new and secretive Organization was like no other. It was grander than anything he had ever imagined. A strategic organization, projecting power around the globe. Power that seemed endless in its scope, completely unrestrained, and without accountability under its cloak of secrecy.
The recruitment process took nearly two years, and by the time The United States Government offered Robert a position, The Central Intelligence Group had become a re-developed force of national security. He extended his hand and held his breath, taking it all in.
The tiresome nights...the weeks of starvation...holding friends as they bled and died in his arms.
Each obstacle now viewed as stepping stones to this great opportunity.
Every sacrifice Robert had ever made flooded the forefront of his mind. His courage guided him well, and he stood proudly, handpicked by President Truman, to help lead the United States into an era of global spycraft.
Agent Hillenkoetter took his hand with a firm grip.
“Congratulations, Agent Eddison. Welcome to the Central Intelligence Agency.”
November, 1961 - Langley, Virginia
“Mr. Eddison, have you had a chance to debrief on that new assessment? They need your input on the current state of Western Europe, and I don’t want to get blamed for any delays.”
Robert pushed his glasses onto his head, and scanned the woman before him. She leaned against the smooth wooden doorway, a stack of papers under her arm. He ignored her presence, silently marveling at the beauty of the newly developed building in Langley, Virginia. Georgia cleared her throat, a sense of urgency escaping her lips.
“Good morning to you too, Georgia,” he replied calmly.
“Sir, I don’t mean to rush you, but this new assessment? And Agent Dulles called, he’d like to meet with you this morning, and asked you examine this case file before he arrives.”
“Georgia, I’ve yet to supply my body with caffeine. Would you be a doll and bring me a cup? Black, two sugars, you know the drill. And you can go ahead and leave that with me,” he spoke, motioning to the manilla folder she gripped in her hand.
Georgia nodded, gently placing the folder on his desk as she turned to leave the room. Robert was a master at decoding body language, and he knew how to command a room, a deathly combination he often abused.
------------
A knock on the door snapped Robert away from his work.
“Come in,” he replied with confidence, as he did everything else in life.
Agent Dulles entered the room, and Robert quickly stood. Agent Dulles was the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and while Robert was a force to be reckoned with, Allen Dulles taught him everything he knew.
“Agent Dulles, always a pleasure.”
“The feeling is mutual, Agent Eddison. I see you’ve been entertaining that file I had sent over with the plans for a deep-dive into Russian intentions.”
“Yes, Georgia brought it in this morning. Let’s put some additional resources into this project by tomorrow morning. I also want to send a couple agents from our operations directorate.”
“You read my mind, Robert, this is why you’re my guy. ”
“I learned from the best.”
Agent Dulles paused, a veil of seriousness taking over his face. “Robert, there’s actually something else I wanted to discuss. Something bigger than our current operations.”
“I’m all ears. What do you got?”
Agent Dulles turned slowly, shutting the door behind him.
“For the past couple years I’ve been working on this program. Establishing it, developing it, pursuing it.”
“Which program is this? Has it been previously disclosed?”
“No, Robert, this program has been extremely classified. We bypassed Congressional oversight and approval, and the operation has been tucked under a highly-classified division; one that deals with national security at the most urgent of levels. Robert, outside of a handful of individuals at the very top of The Organization, the only outside person that has been briefed is the President.”
Robert took a momentary pause. What operation could be so secretive that it had been underway for years and only a few individuals knew of its existence? But he maintained a neutral face.
“I’m following. Continue.”
“Operation Alpha Return.” Agent Dulles moved in closer until he was sitting on the edge of Robert’s desk. “We monitor and observe people in areas designated to be of very high strategic priority. We look for people with contentions, the ones most likely to resist their own government. Once we have identified these individuals, we send our agents in to make contact. We get them to bond with the subjects, we get them to trust us. When this relationship has been established we explain that through a very unique program, the United States Government would like to offer them sanctuary, a safe haven if you will. We tell them that if they agree to the terms and conditions of the operation, they can be removed from their current situation.”
“I understand the thought process Allen, and it all sounds quite admirable, but what’s in it for us? What is the point of this?”
“Indebted...requital...advantage. They enter this new freedom program under one condition: they in turn will owe the United States a favor. They don’t know what, and they don’t know when. But someday, that favor will be called due, and when it is, they will have the opportunity to close the books on their debt to us.
“And if they refuse to pay their debt?”
“Come on, Robert,” he responded with a smile. “You can answer that yourself. What person on earth could resist the gentle persuasion of The United States Government? After all, we’d be giving them a lifetime of freedom. A lifetime to enjoy the benefits of what hundreds of thousands have fought to defend. Let’s just say, we’re not too worried about future compliance?”
“So, Agent Dulles, we take these people, remove them from their misery, offer them asylum within The United States, and they commit to serve the interest of our country at a time and place of our choosing?
“That’s exactly right.”
“Will they have any information regarding the nature of their debt to be paid? What about their relocation? Or their new identity?”
“Let me put something into perspective for you Robert. These people, the ones we place into Operation Alpha Return, are indebted to us for everything. Their past, their present, and their future have been created by us, one could say they’re not truly awake. They’re living within the artificial hallways of the lives that we have created for them. I need you in on this one Robert. Your mind, your experience. I’ve been guiding you into this position for years, for over a decade we’ve been grooming you, supplying you with all the training and tools you would one day need to run a program like Operation Alpha Return. There’s no one else who can do this, there’s no one else who I trust to ensure the future success of The United States.”
Robert deliberated, remembering the person he needed to be. Unattached...patriotic...brave.
“Where’s my first assignment?”
“East Berlin, you leave in the morning.”
So with a forceful grip and a self-assured gaze he shook Agent Dulle’s hand. Robert Eddison would awaken the Sleepers.
