Faces in the Mirror

About the Book

Author’s first novel is about Major Barry R.  Flamm, an Air Force officer and a Special Agent with the Office of Special Investigations.  He was in his last semester at Georgetown University under the USAF Operations Boot Strap program.  During an interview by a recruiter for the Central Intelligence Agency, he was shown classified General Orders, issued by the Air Force, assigning him to a five-year tour of duty with the CIA in addition to his OSI duties.

He was assigned as DETCO (Detachment Commander) to the air base at Evreux, France.  His OSI orders would come from the OSI Commander in Paris and CIA assignments would come from the Chief of Station at the embassy in Paris.  What initially looked like an impossible situation was solved shortly after Barry arrived at Evreux.  The France District Commander returned to the States.  His replacement was also a ‘deep cover’ CIA Intelligence Officer.  Both dual assignments were known only to the CIA.

Flamm’s assignment to the District Inspection Team by the new OSI Commander made Barry’s frequent absences from Evreux more believable.  Several CIA trips out of France and attendance at a seminar at the American University, Beirut, Lebanon, caused things to become hectic.

Returning from one trip, Barry learned a former girl friend had become a CIA Intelligence Officer, assigned to the Paris Station.  They resumed their relationship and became deeply involved.  On a dangerous assignment together in Moscow they quickly learned the truth of the old adage that the strongest aphrodisiac is danger.

Barry’s promotion to Lt. Colonel meant too much rank for the Evreux Detachment.  He was transferred to Paris as a Special Assistant to the OSI Commander.  His CIA assignments became more frequent.  They included Mokrie Delas (a Russian term meaning blood is spilled), recruiting foreign assets in their own countries, running agents-in-place, debriefing foreign assets, identifying dangerous foreigners for elimination and courier runs.

After the successful completion of numerous assignments, one of which had Presidential interest, Barry was called to Washington for a special White House presentation.  Driven to the home of the DCI (Director of Central Intelligence), Barry again met with a man he greatly admired, Allen Welsh Dulles.  Later that day, Barry was promoted to Colonel and introduced to several other high ranking executives of ‘the company’.  Mr. Dulles offered Barry a full time position with the CIA after his retirement from the Air Force and he accepted.

A year later, Barry is retired from the Air Force.  He continues in the profession he loves as an intelligence officer on ‘company business’, espionage in Europe, North Africa, the Mideast and other areas as needed.

About the Author

Wm. L. Cramer, an Air Force radar/navigator/bombardier with non-flying assignments in the intelligence and investigative fields, served as a Special Agent with the Office of Special Investigations concurrently on loan to another federal intelligence agency for five years. He spent 25 years with the Civil Air Patrol serving as Wing Commander and Regional Inspector General. He enlisted as a Private, received a battlefield commission, and retired as a Colonel. In retirement, he specialized in confidential data and management consulting, served as an adjunct professor at universities in Tennessee and Texas, and past president (LocSec) of American MENSA, Fort Worth, TX.