My mother always told me that looks can be deceiving. And so they were when Harry and I first met Anna Ravec. Girlfriend of the defector Anton Koslow, she seemed to be ‘the girl next door’ that you always wish you had.

Boy, were we wrong. Turned out she was a very bad girl, and tried to murder Anton. Her reasoning, ‘the party came first’. One of the poor deluded folks from a nation badgered and brainwashed into thinking their government was the all and everything and people only came in second.

We’d also been mistaken about Mr. Parker. Or the man impersonating him, presumably to debrief Koslow. His job, like Anna’s was to insure the secrets known to Koslow remained with Koslow-in the grave.

When Washington informed us that Parker wasn’t who he said he was, he darted away and disappeared, murdering anyone in his way.  But finally we caught him, and also discovered Anna’s true motive and stopped her too.

So we insured the safe arrival of  Anton Koslow to the United States, his information a godsend, but at what a cost.

Returning to port to waiting families only to tell some of them (and write them the official and dreaded letters no commander ever wants to) that their husbands, fathers, and sons were dead, well, I think I remember staying up all night after I’d finally written those letters.  I’d be hand delivering some of them, others, I’d fly out to meet with the relatives along with one of NIMR’s counselors.

Harry sat up with me that night after I’d settled into the Observation Nose. A quiet place to think, and reflect, and yes, pray.  I’m ashamed to say I’d badgered God a bit that night with my incessant ‘why, why, why?’ Harry settling down beside me helped me out of my deep funk and told me it was just one of those things. Our mission had been of vital importance. Our dead had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, even if we were armed and searching for the elusive ‘Parker’ at the time.

Sometimes, being Captain of the Seaview can really hurt.