Wounded Souls

As always, I do not own these characters. Just like to hang out with them. Hope you enjoy the story. As always, feedback is most welcome! Thanks to my beta for reading it through for me.

Chapter one

Admiral Harriman Nelson sat at his paper-strewn desk aboard his submarine Seaview wearily trying to catch up on reports and notes from the sub's last mission. Three weeks spent exploring new submarine volcanic activity in the Philippine Trench had left him with a bounty of new data to look over but had also left him with the sometimes tedious aspect of exploration…reports. Sighing, he was just about to begin turning his reams of notes and observations into a concise report when a call from Sparks in the Radio Shack interrupted his thoughts.

"Admiral? There's a call for you on scramble. It's Admiral Johnson."

Nelson closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Put him through Sparks," he said in an exasperated tone.

Reaching to the view phone in front of him, he flicked it on with a touch more force than necessary and watched it flicker to life. "Bill, if this is another mission for Lee you can just…"

"No hello, how are you?"

"How are you Bill? Enjoying the weather back in Washington?" Nelson countered in a saccharine sweet voice. "You can't have Lee. I…"

"Calm down, Harry and listen, will you? It isn't Lee we want. It's you we need."

"Me? Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"You remember Laos?"

"I have a scar on my stomach that aches whenever the weather changes to make certain I never forget what happened in Laos," he growled, involuntarily rubbing the scar.

"Do you remember Tuan Nguyen?" he asked.

Pain flitted briefly over Nelson's face. "Of course I do," he said in a hard tone. "He died in…in Laos on that blasted mission we were on."

"No, Harry. He didn't. You may have seen him fall, but he apparently wasn't killed."

"What? What are you saying, Bill?" he asked uneasily, leaning closer to the monitor and scrutinizing Johnson's face closely.

"It appears that Tuan and a few others from the mission you were on were taken captive after you and the others had escaped. They were held in a prison camp in central Laos by the Communists until fairly recently. He escaped a few months ago and made his way back to Vietnam. He says he has information vital to our country's security."

"A few months?"

"Took him awhile to get back across the border and a bit longer to find someone he trusted over there to get a message out to us. Thenthey relayed it to us."

Nelson was silent for a time as he remembered Tuan, the man he'd been proud to call friend, and the mission he thought had taken his life.

"What kind of information does he have? It's been more than a few years since…since he went missing."

"Don't know for sure what he has. He says he will hand it over to only one person. You."

"How reliable is this? How do you know it's Tuan?" he asked knowing he had no desire to go back to Vietnam now or any time in the future. But if it was true that Tuan was alive…if he had vital intelligence…

"The person he sent the message through had the correct security codes. Old and outdated but they were his designations."

"Codes that could have been stolen or made up."

"Possible. But we think this may be true. The agent he contacted …Trang Pham…deemed it important enough to pass it on to the CIA. And he felt pretty certain the man was Nguyen."

"I remember Pham. He was with us at the base camp in Pleiku. He should know Tuan, but why me? Why didn't he just hand the information over to Pham?"

"He said you're the only one he will trust with it. You two were friends, weren't you?"

Nelson closed his eyes and sat back in his chair as memories flooded back. "Yes, yes we were."

"We got the message a few days ago and have been looking it over, trying to decide what we need to do…whether there's a chance it's legit as well as questioning what he could have that would still be pertinent. I'm sending you coded copies of what was sent by Pham. It's not much but they should be coming over to you as we speak."

"Was there any word on what he found?"

Johnson was silent for a time, his eyes focused on his desk. "All that was said was he discovered something during the Phoenix Program," he answered quietly knowing what Harry's reaction was going to be.

"The Phoenix Program? You've got to be joking! Any information from that program has to be suspect, Bill. You know what that program…"

"Yes, I do know. I read everything you ever wrote about it. And I agree. Phoenix was a mistake. A horrible mistake. But you have to agree we did get some reliable Intel from it, regardless of the methods. Tuan swears he'd discovered something shocking right before the little trip to Laos you two took…something of vital national security to our country. Figuring he'd be back in a few weeks, he hid what he found, planning to take it to someone he trusted. I suspect that would have been you."

"What does he want?"

"He wants you, and only you, to come for the information."

Nelson rubbed a hand over his brow thinking hard. The thought of going back…he didn't want to think of it. The risk of being captured by the Vietnamese government alone was enough to make him say no. But, if there was a chance Tuan was alive and had information… "Suppose I say I'll go. What do I do? Where am I to meet him?"

A knock on his cabin door startled Nelson for a moment.

"I suspect the answers to those questions are on the other side of your door right now. And I wager Lee Crane is the one that brought it to you. Quite flustered and worried I would suspect," Johnson said with a smirk.

"Damn it, Bill," he growled as he rose and walked to his door, opening it to find, as Bill had said, Lee Crane holding a folder with a concerned look on his face.

"This just came for you, Admiral over the teletype. Coded," he added before glancing to the view phone.

"Thank you, Lee," Nelson replied distractedly as he pulled some of the sheets from the folder, already trying to decipher the code. "I, uh…I want you to await further orders from me. Soon I think."

"Aye sir," he answered quietly, with a frown on his face. "Is there anything I can do?"

"What? Oh…no. I'll be down shortly with your…our orders."

"Very well," he said softly as he closed the door.

Nelson walked to his desk, unmindful that Johnson was still on the phone as he began to decode the packet, knowing the code by heart.

"Well, Harry?" Johnson asked when he saw that Nelson had finished decoding the packet and had sat back with a thoughtful look on his face.

"According to this, I'm supposed to be dropped off and walk until I'm met by Tuan or one of his people."

"Yes. That's what he said."

"You want me to land on shore and just walk into Vietnam, find Tuan and bring back this information, all without getting caught by the Vietnamese government?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes," Johnson said simply. "You know the land, you know Tuan."

"Why can't Tuan just meet me on the shore or in…?"

"Pham said Tuan felt it was unsafe for him to be seen any more than he already had. He says there are people other than us that would be interested in what he found...people that would destroy what he had. He feels it's safer for you to come to him than for him to be spotted. The area he's asked you to meet him in is a rather remote area. The government for the most part leaves the villagers alone…stays out of the local business so to speak. We feel there would be minimal chance of you being seen…or captured."

"Minimal chance? Sounds like a big risk to me."

"This is important Harry or we wouldn't be asking you to do this," Johnson said as he watched Harry lean back in his chair and begin rubbing his hand over the side of his head as he thought.

After a few minutes he slapped the desk and leaned forward. "I don't see that I have much choice, do I Bill? If what is in here is true, Tuan may have something of value in regards to our national security as you said. If it's truly Tuan," he said punctuating each word with a tap on his desk.

"The code word he asked you to remember doesn't mean anything to you?' he asked with a furrowed brow.

"Oh…yes…yes it does. I…it means a lot to me," he finished in a soft tone, a slight smile on his lips.

"Harry, we wouldn't be asking you to do this if it wasn't important. You know there were rumors Phoenix had discovered things that had been covered up?"

"Yes, I did. Of course."

"This may be something big."

"Or it could be a hoax designed to get me alone and capture me," he said quietly as he thought over the consequences of being caught by the Communist government of Vietnam. "But…I don't see that I have a choice."

"Then you'll go?"

"How can I refuse when it's our nation's security we're talking about? Yes, I'll go," he all but growled out. Turning he pulled a map from a stack behind him, opened it and found the coordinates of the drop site. "He chose a pretty secluded spot. That's either good or bad."

"I'm hoping it's good, Harry. The less chance you, an American, are seen in country the better."

"I agree. Secluded and as far from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as possible is good." After a quick calculation he said, "I'll be at the coordinates in…say eleven hours. I'll be ashore in twelve. That will put me ashore before dawn so I'll have the cover of darkness at least."

"Tell no one what your mission is, Harry. No one."

"I understand. How many people know about this little operation?"

"Only a handful. All top level CIA, FBI and ONI. It needs to be kept quiet, for your safety as well as Tuan's."

"Understood, Bill."

"Have Seaview drop you off and then head to International waters. Make sure you're alone when you land. And that you come back in one piece this time." Nelson's nod was all the answer he got before he switched off the view phone and began to stalk about his cabin. After a few minutes pacing, he reached for the microphone. "Captain Crane, come to my cabin please."

"On my way, sir," Crane's voice answered.

A short time later, Nelson heard a knock on his door. "Come," he yelled smiling as he saw the anxious look on Crane's face as he entered.

"You wanted to see me, Admiral?" he asked, his eyebrows raised inquisitively.

"Yes, Lee," he said walking towards Crane and handing him a sheet with coordinates written on it. "I want you to set a course to these coordinates at best possible speed. It should take us about eleven hours to arrive." Nelson seated himself on the edge of his desk as he awaited Crane's response.

"Sir? These coordinates are off the coast of…"

"I know where they are off the coast of, Lee. We…I…need to be there as soon as possible."

"Admiral, what's going on? You get a lengthy call from Admiral Johnson, coded orders and now this," he said waving the paper in his hand at the admiral.

"I can't tell you what's going on, Lee. I wish I could," Nelson answered as he rose and began to walk about the cabin, his thumb pressed to his lower lip as he walked. "All you need to know…all I have been authorized to tell you… is that Seaview will go to these coordinates and I will go ashore alone. I'll need someone to row me in, then return. I can't take the chance of a raft being found on shore, hidden or not. After the raft returns, you will take Seaview to International waters and await further instructions."

"You're going ashore alone? Are you crazy? Who gave you these orders? You can't…"

"Captain! I can and will do just as I have said. No one will go with me. Not even you, Lee," he continued in a slightly softer tone. "You will stay with Seaview and keep her and the crew safe. You will avoid detection at all costs. Any hostile actions taken against the sub and you get Seaview away safely, even if that means taking her all the way back to Santa Barbara. She and her crew cannot be seen in Vietnamese territorial waters. Understood?"

"Admiral, you can't go alone. What if this is a trap? What if…?"

"Lee, don't you think I've thought of all the same things you have? Yes, there's a chance this is a trap. But the risks outweigh the rewards in this case."

"Risks! Rewards! Admiral, let me come with you. I…"

"No, Lee. No. I need you to follow orders. I understand your concerns. Trust me I do but this is the way it will be. Now, get us headed to the coordinates. I have some preparations I need to make. Let me know when we're an hour out," he said tightly as he walked to his cabin door and opened it, letting his captain know the discussion was over.

Crane stared at Nelson for a bit longer, his jaw clenched tight then nodded. "Very well, Admiral. I'll let you know when we're close," he said softly as he strode from the cabin and headed to the Control Room questions and worry filling his mind. What had been in those orders to take them off the coast of Vietnam? He shook his head at the thought of the admiral going ashore alone on some mission - an apparently ONI mission.

"Chip, set a new course. These coordinates," he ordered when he reached the Control Room and handed the paper Nelson had given him to the exec. "Best possible speed."

"Aye, sir," Chip replied as he looked at the coordinates. "Wait…these coordinates take us to…"

"I know, Mr. Morton. Just set the course," he said tightly before he left the room quickly.

~O~

Eleven hours and ten minutes later, Nelson appeared in the Control Room dressed in jungle fatigues, carrying a backpack and an M-16 rifle slung over his shoulder. A sidearm was strapped snugly around his waist.

"Lee, what's our position?"

"At the coordinates. On the surface just off shore. Should be a short raft ride. Sharkey's already top side with the raft ready to row you in."

"Any sign of activity?"

"No sir. Radar and sonar are clear. Sharkey reports no one on shore. Looks clear."

"Good. It's 0400 hours now. Once Sharkey returns, you take Seaview out of territorial waters and await my call. If all goes as planned, I should be in contact in two days. If you run into trouble before I'm back, take Seaview home. Your orders are to keep this boat and her crew safe. Kowalski! Get me a long range radio and a waterproof bag for it," Nelson called as he adjusted the buckle on his holster.

"Admiral, please reconsider," Lee murmured as he leaned in close to Nelson. "I can be ready in ten minutes. Don't do this alone."

"Lee, I don't have a choice!" he replied louder than he had intended. "I have my orders and I will follow them to the letter. As will you, yours, Captain. Understood?"

A brief nod and a worried look was all the answer Nelson got.

"Lee, I know this whole plan is sketchy but…if what I'm going ashore for is real…it could mean a lot to our country's security. And I can't ignore that."

"Here's the radio, sir," Kowalski said as he handed Nelson the radio already encased in the waterproof bag. "All checked out and functioning."

"Thanks, Ski," he said as he took the radio and placed it inside the backpack he carried. "I'll contact you when I'm ready for pick up."

"Not before?" Crane asked in concern.

"Probably not. I'll be out of range once I leave the shore. No sense carrying it with me so I'll leave the radio behind, hidden in some rocks," he said as he moved to the ladder and began to climb.

"Admiral?"

Stopping with his foot on the bottom rung, Nelson turned a question in his eyes.

"Be careful, sir."

"Roger that, Captain," he joked with a smile as he climbed the ladder quickly.

~O~

Nelson walked down the trail through the thick jungle cautiously, stopping every once in a while to listen. Someone was behind him, he was sure of that but the shadow was good at what he was doing. He could never get a good fix on where the sounds were coming from. The question of who might be following him filled him with a deep unease and he fervently hoped it was simply Tuan or one of his men, not someone with a sinister plan in mind for him.

Deciding to wait out his tail, he secreted himself in brush off the slim path he was traversing and waited. Not long after, the hesitant footfalls on the jungle leaves resumed. Nelson smiled. His tail was confused. That was good. All he had to do was wait just a bit longer.

A few minutes went by as he waited, flies and mosquitoes, badgered him relentlessly but he didn't dare slap at them no matter how much they bothered him. Shortly, he saw a shadow on the trail and knew his wait for the person trailing him was over and he prepared to find out who. Launching himself at the body that appeared in front of him, he knocked the man to the ground, sitting astride him and was just about to land a punch to the man's unprotected face when he saw the man under him was Lee Crane.

"Lee! Damn it! What are you doing here?" he asked angrily, taking the time to quickly climb off Crane and drag him back into the brush where he'd left his pack and rifle.

"What I'm doing should be obvious, Admiral. I told you, I didn't like the idea of you doing this mission alone. I'm not going to let you walk into some trap. Not if I can help it."

"I ordered you to stay with Seaview! She should be your first concern! I don't want you involved in this. I'm supposed to come alone, not have a tail following me."

"I'm not going to let you do this alone."

"Lee, go back. Now. You don't know what you're getting into," Nelson pleaded.

"And you do? That tells me right there you need help. I'm coming. And don't tell me to go back because I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I mean…I can't. I ordered Chip to take Seaview off the coast. She's safely in International waters by now."

"You what?"

"You heard me. Chip has orders to keep Seaview safe."

"Sounds like the very same orders I gave you before I left, Captain!" Nelson said angrily, thinking rapidly of a way to keep Lee from coming with him and came up with nothing. Slumping back against the jungle floor in defeat, he sighed. This was not how this was supposed to go but he should have known Lee wouldn't have let him go off on this mission by himself. He just wished there was a way to keep him from being exposed to the danger he was about to face: danger Nelson was sure was very near.

"There's nothing I can do about it I guess. But I swear, if you get yourself killed over this…," he barked avoiding all eye contact with Crane.

"You were pretty vague back on Seaview. What can you tell me?"

Nelson sighed and closed his eyes. "Since you're here, against orders, I guess there's no reason to not tell you everything although I'd much rather you never heard some of what I'm about to say. But we're too close to the trail. I don't want to be heard. Follow me," he said as he stood, grabbed his pack and rifle and hoisted Crane to his feet, then took off through the dense, black jungle, effortlessly walking through the almost impenetrable forest. Finally, after a few minutes of walking, Nelson stopped and gestured for Crane to sit in a small clearing.

"Have you ever heard of The Phoenix Program?" he asked abruptly, his voice tight with suppressed emotion.

Lee wrinkled his brow in thought. "Yes. Yes, I have. Why?"

"What…what do you know about it?"

"It was a program by the CIA and the South Vietnamese to gather intelligence from the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War."

"And how did they gather the intelligence?" Nelson asked, his voice tight.

"With…well, with interrogation and…"

"Yes, go on. And…?"

"With torture."

"Yes," Nelson said turning his eyes away from Crane's. "Suspected members of the NLF, or Viet Cong, were gathered up, taken to interrogation centers and…forced to tell what they knew in an attempt to rout out suspected double agents or target individuals with less than savory actions in mind for our troops. Originally it was called the Intelligence Coordination and Exploitation Program but was later renamed the Phoenix Program. After the Tet Offensive in 1968, and the resulting military setback for us, Phoenix became an even bigger part of our war effort and sadly, was more acceptable."

"Yes, I remember there being controversy over the program. It tended to target civilians, didn't it?

"It did. The chief feature of the program was the collection of information on suspected Viet Cong members and their neutralization, or in reality, their death. Provisions were put in place that supposedly protected suspects from random "he said she said" crap as well as phony accusations based on personal reasons. Three separate sources had to be verified before a suspect was incarcerated. That didn't always work out so well," Nelson admitted in disgust.

"What does all this have to do with you?"

Nelson was silent for a long time. "I got to see Phoenix up close and personal," he said in a soft voice. "I was assigned…briefly…to the CIA Saigon office and shown one of the interrogation centers, watched while interrogations were conducted, lived among the troops there for a time. What I saw turned my stomach. It was wholesale torture. Minimal information was given yet very few, if any, of those interrogated survived. I…I almost resigned my…my commission because of what I saw there," he stammered in such a quiet, pain-filled voice, Crane was shocked.

"Why didn't you?" Lee asked.

"Jiggs Starke," Nelson answered with a slight smile and a furtive glance to his companion. "He knew of Phoenix. He was never part of it but he knew I'd been there and saw it in action. He told me… if people who saw things that were wrong simply walked away without doing all they could to change them, things would never change. They'd just continue on. So I stayed and did my best to change things I saw as wrong."

"Which put a target on your back," Lee said succinctly remembering the congressional and military leaders who seemed to harbor ill will towards the admiral over the years he had known him. He'd never understood why until now.

"I didn't make friends and influence people by being outspoken, no," he answered with a shrug. "But by that time I was a captain on my way to my first admiral's star. I suppose some of my "eccentricities" were overlooked by some and pounced upon by others. It was more of an attitude of allowing me some latitude in exchange for what I could do for them."

"How did the program end?"

"By 1971, there was an outcry and Congressional hearings were held. It began to be perceived by the public negatively and was shut down. In theory."

"It wasn't?"

"On the record, yes it was. Off the record, I doubt it. There were reports of another covert operation called F-6 that continued it. I was never privy to that and for good reason."

"You would have never let it continue?"

"Let it? I didn't have that much influence but I would have done my best to make sure it met the same fate as Phoenix."

"Regardless of personal attacks?"

Nelson's short nod was all the answer Lee needed.

"So why are we here?"

"I am here because one of the friends I made here, a man that saved my life in a firefight in Laos, contacted an ONI operative still in Vietnam saying he had information we'd be interested in. Word got to Bill Johnson and…here we are. I thought he, Tuan Nguygen, had been killed years ago during an operation into Laos that didn't go the way it was supposed to. Things were fouled up from the very beginning," he recalled, his eyes glazed as if seeing the events in his mind.

"How do you know what happened?" Lee asked, suspecting he knew the answer already.

"Because I was on the mission. We were to cross the border between Vietnam and Laos, push in about fifteen kilometers and make contact with local villagers. Our mission was to work on setting up a spy network among the Hmong. Unfortunately, Communist troops were waiting for us shortly after we crossed. We took heavy losses including, I thought, TuanNguygen, the man who saved my life."

"Where has he been all this time?"

"From what Johnson told me, he was held in a Laotian prison camp until a few months ago when he escaped. Took him some time but he finally made it back to Vietnam. He managed to get word out that he'd come across information vital to our country during one of the Phoenix interrogations. He was about to show what he found to me or the local CIA operative assigned to the project when our mission to Laos came up. He hid the Intel and hoped it would be safe until he returned, thinking it would be just a matter of weeks. That didn't turn out to be the case. Once he got back to where he'd hidden the information, he found it secure and got word out that he had something we needed to see."

"Any idea what?"

"Knowing the intelligence that came from Phoenix, it could be anything. I'd rather not speculate on what the it might , he will hand the information over to only me."

"I'm sorry Admiral but this doesn't sound legit to me. Sending you in here alone and to some out of the way meeting spot? It's fishy."

"I owe Tuan. I trust him. If what he said is true, I need to do this. But you don't," he said raising his eyes to Crane who stared back defiantly. "Tuan is my friend and it's my responsibility…my duty…to go after him and this information."

"Tuan may be your friend, sir but you're mine and I'm not going to let you do this alone. I don't care what you have to say about it."

"Go back. Please. Wait for me on the shore. Hide yourself. Contact Seaview to pick…"

"No sir. Whether you like it or not, you need back up. I'm going."

Nelson looked down, plucked a blade of grass and played with it, rolling it back and forth between his fingers, his mind racing to find a way to keep Lee safe. Finding none, he sighed heavily and stood up. "I guess I have no choice. Tuan's just going to have to understand that some officers don't know how to follow orders. Come on," he said brusquely. Grabbing his pack and rifle, he waited until Lee had done the same before heading back to the main trail, Lee following closely behind.

"Where are we meeting this Tuan?"

"My orders are to walk on this trail until I'm met by either Tuan or someone he sends."

"Someone he sends? How do we know Tuan sent him?"

Nelson smirked slightly. "Code word only I will know."

"What is it?"

Nelson turned his gaze to the man walking by his side and hesitated. "An Tien," he said finally a small smile crossing his face as he said it.

"What does that mean?"

"You're full of questions for some one that isn't supposed to be here, Captain," Nelson snapped.

Crane shrugged. "I'm here. I should know what you know."

The two walked on for a few minutes before Nelson answered. "An Tien means roughly beloved angel in Vietnamese."

"That's a strange code word."

Nelson cleared his throat quietly. "It's not a code word per se. An Tien is…was a young woman I…Tuan and I knew."

Crane glanced at Nelson in surprise. "A woman?"

"Yes, a woman. And get that look off your face. An was like a little sister to me, always tagging along with Tuan," he said with a slight smile. "An and Tuan were engaged to be married. I was…I was to be Tuan's best man. We never got the chance though. Tuan and I…it was supposed to happen after the mission to Laos."

"The one he supposedly died in?"

"Yes. That one. I was seriously injured in the attack but managed to get out. I don't remember a lot but we were walking down a trail, Tuan was by my side. Suddenly, he stopped and knocked me to the ground just as the jungle exploded in rifle fire. I…we returned fire but we were outnumbered. I remember firing and reloading but before I could fire again, I felt a burning pain in my stomach. There was blood everywhere," he said rubbing his stomach lightly as if he could still feel the pain. "I looked up and saw Tuan hit and fall. I don't remember much more than that after taking the hit. Just seeing Tuan fall and knowing…thinking he was dead. I was picked up by one of the Marines on the mission with us and carried out. I…kept losing consciousness. Choppers met us in a clearing. The pain was incredible…I…I passed out finally and woke up in a field hospital near Da Nang…Place called My Khe Beach."

"You were at China Beach?" Lee asked, naming the more common name for the field hospital, astonished Nelson had been a patient there.

"Yes…yes I was. When I woke up…An was there. She…I had to tell her Tuan was dead. Or so I thought."

"Did you ever see her again?"

"A few times. She came to the field hospital. Sat with me. Cried for Tuan only once that I saw. She was…is…a strong woman. Once I was flown back to Germany for further treatment, communication was harder. I do know she stayed in Vietnam. I…I tracked her down when I knew Saigon was going to fall and tried to convince her to come to America where she could be safe but she said Vietnam was her home and she was staying. After that…I lost track of her. I don't know where she went or if she's alive," he replied in a tone of voice Crane had never heard before come from Nelson: sad, pain-filled and full of regret.

"I want you to let me do the talking when we meet my contact," Nelson said after a few moments of silence as the two walked cautiously down the track. "I don't know who exactly we're meeting but I suspect they won't be happy to see you."

"I could hide off the trail and watch."

Nelson laughed briefly. "Whoever is meeting us already knows you're here, Lee. I would bet my life on it."

A few more minutes and both Seaview officers were confronted by three men holding M-16s aimed at their heads.

"What is the code?" the apparent leader said in a hard, heavily accented voice.

"An Tien," Harry said simply never flinching as the muzzle of a rifle dug into his chest.

"You did not do as you were told!" the obvious leader said in a low, angry voice as he stepped closer to Nelson. "You did not come alone!"

"No, I didn't. The Tuan I knew would understand why," Harry answered quietly, his hands held loosely at his side.

The man circled Harry then turned his gaze to Crane. "Why did you come?" he asked as he pointed his rifle at Crane's head. "You are not welcome here."

"I came to protect the Ad…Harry."

"Why? Why do you care?"

"I care because he's my friend. I didn't think he should come alone."

"And did he ask you to come?"

"No. He ordered me to stay behind."

At that, the man laughed heartily and turned to Nelson. "Still the same Harry Nelson are you not? Loyalty. Duty. Respect. You haven't changed," he said as he came to stand in front of Nelson who stared at him in confusion then shock.

"Diem? Is that you?"

"It hasn't been that many years! Do I not look the same?"

"I don't look the same," he said with a smile as he grabbed Diem's hand. "Where is Tuan? Is he…"

"Tuan is right here," a voice behind him said.

Whirling, Harry watched a short, painfully thin dark-skinned man emerge from the jungle, a smile lighting his gaunt face as he came to stand in front of him. The face and man were thin and aged but he knew it. He knew him. "Don't I get a hello from my old friend?"

Harry stepped forward and was met half way by Tuan and engulfed in a hug that was returned. Slapping each other on the back, they stepped back and looked at each other. "I…I can't believe you're alive! You look the same, Tuan. Thin…but the same," Harry said happily.

"And you, Captain…I mean Admiral Nelson look like you sit too much behind a desk. No offense my friend."

"None taken. I do sit behind a desk too much," he said laughing. "Tuan, this is my friend, Lee Crane. Lee, this is Tuan Nguygen."

The two men nodded to each other briefly. "You do have a way of finding good men that stand by you, Harry. I'm glad. But not glad he has come."

"Tuan, what is it I'm here for?" Harry asked, trying to deflect Tuan'sattention from Lee. "Where is this package of Intel?"

"With the only person other than you I trust with it."

"An Tien?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.

"Who else?" She's safe. Hidden. I will take you to her," Tuan said. "She…she's missed you."

"And I've missed both of you. Tell me what…"

"Later. On the way to An Tien. We must go now," he said, gesturing to the others. Three of Tuan's men headed down the trail and Harry and Tuan followed with Lee lagging behind, listening intently to the surroundings and to the conversation the two men in front of him had.

"An Tien? She's well?" Harry asked quietly.

"As well as one can be I suppose considering the past few years."

"When Saigon fell…I tried to get her out. She refused. She said…she said America had nothing for her," Nelson said quietly in a tone that said he had been hurt by the words.

"She did not mean it like that, Harry. You must know that."

"I would have taken care of her. Provided…"

"Would you have been her husband?" Tuan asked in a hard tone.

"That was never my place, Tuan. You were all she ever wanted. The two of you together was all I ever wanted," he replied turning his eyes to Tuan's as if searching to see if his words were believed. "It wasn't like that between us. You know that. We were never more than friends."

"I know. I do know that. You did not betray me. And you could have," he said turning his eyes to Nelson who looked away.

"No. I couldn't," he whispered.

They walked on in silence until the jungle was suddenly shattered by the sound of gunfire and the two lead men dropped in their tracks. As if in slow motion, Harry turned back to motion Lee down and watched him raise his rifle to fire. Almost immediately, Lee was thrown backward by a round that hit him in the head. Nelson stood as if rooted to the spot for a second as he watched the blood pour from Lee's head. Then with a cry of rage he raised his rifle and fired but almost immediately felt a burning pain in his arm and the rifle dropped from his suddenly nerveless hand. A hard hit in the back of his head by a rifle butt knocked him to the ground as he heard gunfire continue.

"Stop!" a voice called from the jungle. "Put your weapons down."

Harry rose to his knees and looked about, seeing Tuan sprawled out beside Lee, blood pouring from a wound high on his shoulder but apparently conscious and very angry. Two of Tuan's men appeared dead, leaving him, Diem and Tuan. Searching quickly, he found no sign of the other member of Tuan's group. Seeing the futility in further fire, he, Tuan and Diem put down their weapons.

Immediately they were surrounded by men dressed in grungy jungle fatigues and carrying old, but apparently functional, AK-47s and frisked. Harry was knocked flat on his stomach, his hands wrenched painfully behind him and tied tight. His face pressed to the ground, Harry stared at Lee's blood-drenched face, trying hard to see any sign he was alive, but failed. "I told you not to come. Why didn't you listen?" he asked quietly as grief filled him. "Why?"

"Quiet!" one of their captors shouted, emphasizing his order with a kick to Nelson's ribs. Pain flared through his side but it was nothing compared to the agony that filled his heart.

"Get up!" the leader yelled. Harry was grabbed by his trussed hands, dragged to his feet and pushed down the trail, Tuan by his side.

As he stumbled by Lee, he stared down at his friend in sorrow, trying hard again to see any evidence he was alive…a breath, a sound, anything that would give him hope his best friend was alive but saw nothing and his heart hardened. They'd pay. If it took his dying breath he would make them pay for killing Lee Crane.