Chapter 2
Part 2
Part 2
Richmond Virginia
January 4th 1936
When James accepted the spooks proposal to help in an “overseas mission” he had no real idea what he was getting into. He probably only accepted the very vague offer of a secret job because Colonel Patton was the one who had arranged the meeting. This obviously meant that Patton liked him, and he wasn’t about to disappoint his superior.
The next thing he knew he had been given a train ticket to Richmond and told that once he was in town to report to the War Department and ask for Mr. William Buell. This was like some sort of spy novel to James. Even so, he did as he was told and on a cold January morning he found himself bounding up the steps of the War Department.
It was an impressive building, with large marble steps leading to great oaken doors behind large pillars. In front of the building itself was a memorial to those who had died during the War of Secession and guaranteed to freedom of the nation, as well as a monument to the British and French allies who had fallen alongside Confederate soldiers. It was impressive and James stopped for a moment to pay homage to those who had served before him. After a moment of silence he turned and headed to the front desk of the War Department.
As he approached the desk the blonde secretary behind the desk asked, “What can I help you with Lieutenant?”
“I’m looking for Mr. William Buell, on orders from Colonel Patton,” James said.
The secretary’s eyes widened and she said to James, “Give me one moment.”
She picked up a phone and turned her back to James. She whispered into the receiver and this only made James feel extremely anxious. Colonel Patton must be dragging him into some secret things if this was the reaction of a secretary.
“Go to basement level E and knock on the door, Mr. Buell is expecting you,” said the secretary as she turned back to face James.
With a simple thank you James went off to find the stairs to the basement level. Quickly he found stairs and descended down flight after flight. He had no idea how deep into the earth he was going, but he was certain that this was a bombproof area. He followed the stairs for a good 10 or 15 minutes before coming to a nondescript grey door that simply said, “Level E”. He knocked and waited.
With a loud thunk the door unlocked and opened. Behind it stood a man in a civilian suit, but he looked like a soldier. He motioned James in and shut and locked the door behind him.
“Follow me,” was the only thing this man said to James.
James did as instructed and they walked through a hall filled with identical grey doors with no identification on any of them. Then, the man opened a door on the right, motioned James into a waiting area and shut the door, leaving James alone.
James whistled and thought to himself, ‘This is only getting stranger and stranger.’
Eventually a very civilian looking man came into the room. James stood up to greet this man.
“Are you Lieutenant James Hughes?” questioned the man.
“That’s me,” James replied.
The man smiled and said, “I’m William Buell, come into my office.”
James nodded and followed the man into his very Spartan office. Looking around he saw that it was too bare. Then in the corner he spotted a large safe and realized that this man must be one of the head spooks, he had put away anything that could give James a hint about any possible operations that the CSA was involved in.
“Colonel Patton said that you are one of the most promising officers under his command, and I understand you have a flair for tactics correct?” asked Buell.
“Yes sir that would be correct,” replied James.
“Good, and I imagine you have heard about the situation in Ethiopia currently?” inquired Buell.
“Yes sir I have, but what does this have to do with me?” James asked.
“Well, we are going to send you to watch the fight and try and gather what the Italians are doing. There have been reports that the Germans have send a few “observers” to watch the Italians, we here at the War Department think that the Germans are teaching the Italians a new way of warfare that is being developed in Germany. We want to you go see what they are doing and report back to us.”
James stared at Buell. The last thing he wanted to do was go to some backwoods African country. This was the “secret mission” he was being sent on. What the hell was he going to get out of it?
“Sir, what exactly will I be getting out of this?” James asked pointedly.
Buell laughed and said, “If you do a good job in Ethiopia we may be able to find some other things for you to do, we need to see if you are all that Colonel Patton has said you are.”
“Well, that is fair I suppose, this just doesn’t seem particularly dangerous,” James mumbled.
Buell looked him in the eye and said, “Oh it will be, you aren’t technically allowed to be there, so you will officially be an advisor for the Ethiopian military.”
“I’m going to be helping the Ethiopians fight the Italians?” questioned James.
“Yes, so don’t get yourself killed,” Buell said.
January 4th 1936
When James accepted the spooks proposal to help in an “overseas mission” he had no real idea what he was getting into. He probably only accepted the very vague offer of a secret job because Colonel Patton was the one who had arranged the meeting. This obviously meant that Patton liked him, and he wasn’t about to disappoint his superior.
The next thing he knew he had been given a train ticket to Richmond and told that once he was in town to report to the War Department and ask for Mr. William Buell. This was like some sort of spy novel to James. Even so, he did as he was told and on a cold January morning he found himself bounding up the steps of the War Department.
It was an impressive building, with large marble steps leading to great oaken doors behind large pillars. In front of the building itself was a memorial to those who had died during the War of Secession and guaranteed to freedom of the nation, as well as a monument to the British and French allies who had fallen alongside Confederate soldiers. It was impressive and James stopped for a moment to pay homage to those who had served before him. After a moment of silence he turned and headed to the front desk of the War Department.
As he approached the desk the blonde secretary behind the desk asked, “What can I help you with Lieutenant?”
“I’m looking for Mr. William Buell, on orders from Colonel Patton,” James said.
The secretary’s eyes widened and she said to James, “Give me one moment.”
She picked up a phone and turned her back to James. She whispered into the receiver and this only made James feel extremely anxious. Colonel Patton must be dragging him into some secret things if this was the reaction of a secretary.
“Go to basement level E and knock on the door, Mr. Buell is expecting you,” said the secretary as she turned back to face James.
With a simple thank you James went off to find the stairs to the basement level. Quickly he found stairs and descended down flight after flight. He had no idea how deep into the earth he was going, but he was certain that this was a bombproof area. He followed the stairs for a good 10 or 15 minutes before coming to a nondescript grey door that simply said, “Level E”. He knocked and waited.
With a loud thunk the door unlocked and opened. Behind it stood a man in a civilian suit, but he looked like a soldier. He motioned James in and shut and locked the door behind him.
“Follow me,” was the only thing this man said to James.
James did as instructed and they walked through a hall filled with identical grey doors with no identification on any of them. Then, the man opened a door on the right, motioned James into a waiting area and shut the door, leaving James alone.
James whistled and thought to himself, ‘This is only getting stranger and stranger.’
Eventually a very civilian looking man came into the room. James stood up to greet this man.
“Are you Lieutenant James Hughes?” questioned the man.
“That’s me,” James replied.
The man smiled and said, “I’m William Buell, come into my office.”
James nodded and followed the man into his very Spartan office. Looking around he saw that it was too bare. Then in the corner he spotted a large safe and realized that this man must be one of the head spooks, he had put away anything that could give James a hint about any possible operations that the CSA was involved in.
“Colonel Patton said that you are one of the most promising officers under his command, and I understand you have a flair for tactics correct?” asked Buell.
“Yes sir that would be correct,” replied James.
“Good, and I imagine you have heard about the situation in Ethiopia currently?” inquired Buell.
“Yes sir I have, but what does this have to do with me?” James asked.
“Well, we are going to send you to watch the fight and try and gather what the Italians are doing. There have been reports that the Germans have send a few “observers” to watch the Italians, we here at the War Department think that the Germans are teaching the Italians a new way of warfare that is being developed in Germany. We want to you go see what they are doing and report back to us.”
James stared at Buell. The last thing he wanted to do was go to some backwoods African country. This was the “secret mission” he was being sent on. What the hell was he going to get out of it?
“Sir, what exactly will I be getting out of this?” James asked pointedly.
Buell laughed and said, “If you do a good job in Ethiopia we may be able to find some other things for you to do, we need to see if you are all that Colonel Patton has said you are.”
“Well, that is fair I suppose, this just doesn’t seem particularly dangerous,” James mumbled.
Buell looked him in the eye and said, “Oh it will be, you aren’t technically allowed to be there, so you will officially be an advisor for the Ethiopian military.”
“I’m going to be helping the Ethiopians fight the Italians?” questioned James.
“Yes, so don’t get yourself killed,” Buell said.
