Unleashed

by Patrick McLaughlin

  *****

  Craig had gone “hot” soon after leaving language school, unofficially disappearing as he entered deep cover. As instructed and without fail, he poked his head up only once every eight or nine months on a predetermined schedule set as to not interrupt the rhythm of his missions. In his capacity as an Agency “ghost,” he became a ninja of world travel and foreign government insertion. Most importantly, Craig left no trace of where he had been, was at any time, or his intended destination.

  Craig’s covert existence depended highly on the Agency’s traditional spy-craft techniques, but while undercover, he augmented these tools by self-educating himself on the realm of virtual existence through the teachings of Eastern religions. He had suspected and confirmed that all sentient beings have value since they might be reincarnated souls, but their "otherness" is nevertheless illusory.

  Craig interpreted this to his advantage to mean two things: never take anyone at face value and there is always much more than meets the eye. He perfected and used his “otherness” to blend silently into whatever environment he chose.

  As his handlers never knew for certain how long Craig’s missions would last, he always made sure he completed them ahead of schedule, then spent months at a time in remote corners of the world, questioning spiritual men on ancient beliefs. Tibetan monks, witch doctors of Papua New Guinea, and the holy men of isolated Amazonian tribes became the advisors to his inner being and from these wise souls he became aware of a universal level of reality and awareness. They taught him most unbelievers see what they choose to see, live in a world of their own restrictive design, and limit the love and life experiences open to them. If they would only open their eyes, they would see the wonderments of life, rather than the drudgery of their existence. These teachings allowed him to lie in the bed of death and destruction he had wrought. They allowed him to become whole. Through their teachings, he became one of the most elusive humans on the planet. When Craig chose not to exist, he simply did not exist.