Some days later
That night, Trautman was urgently called for a phone-call coming from Saigon itself.
As they told him who was calling, Trautman smiled and continued doing so even when picking the receiver up.
“Trautman?”
“That’s me”
“It's General Loyd speaking”
“General”
“What the fuck are you doing, Colonel?”
“It's a pleasure hearing from you too, sir”
“Don't bullshit me, Trautman... You and that damn Patrick Nelson, in the triborder zone... What the fuck are the two of you doing in there?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about, Sir. I am here in Fort Bragg training your men, right where you sent me”
“Something's happening in the Triborder Zone of your dear friend Patrick Nelson. There are South Vietnamese deserting, betraying and vanishing into thin air. What the fuck are you doing, Trautman?”
“Just some rotten apples leaving the tree, I guess. And with all due respect, I am a million miles away from Vietnam, Sir. I see no way I could...”
“Enough, Trautman. Is there anyone of the MacV behind this? Is the A.I.D. helping the two of you? I have no idea what you think you are doing, but this ends now. Am I clear? Stop right now or I swear that this time I won't just send you back to the US”
“I am here already, Sir”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP! THIS TIME I WILL MAKE YOU LOSE YOUR RANK”
Trautman pulled the receiver a little away from his ear.
“I WILL HAVE YOUR ASS THROWN IN JAIL! I WILL HAVE YOUR LEGS BROKEN! I WILL HAVE YOUR ASS SENT INTO INTESIVE CARE, YOU FUCKER!”
“Sir...”
“WE ARE ON THE EDGE OF AN ABYSS IN THERE, DO YOU REALIZE THAT, COLONEL? THERE'S PEOPLE HERE THAT WANT TO SEE THE COMMUNIST PARTY INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT AND YOU START PLAYING WITH THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARMY? DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THE FUCK YOU REALLY ARE DOING?”
“I am doing nothing at all Sir. I am right here, in Fort Bragg”
“For the last time, Trautman: stop doing what you’re doing. That's the last time I will repeat it”
“Or what?”
“Or I am going to have you killed, Colonel”
There was a long silence.
Trautman inhaled and exhaled deeply, in order to calm himself down, but in the end his eyes were narrowed into two small splits.
“I am okay with that Sir. I am ready to die in order to save this fucking country. Are you?”
At the other end of the line, the General too stayed silent for a while, before replying.
Then he said:
“Very well, colonel. Very well”