The Spy at Majdanek

Excerpt from The Rare Earth Series, Volume One: On the Job Training - Berlin to Vladivostok    

     The soldier began getting louder repeating, “NO FOTO…NO FOTO…NO FOTO!!!!”

     He pointed at a large sign that had a camera crossed out and the word “NIE!” written above it. The soldier then motioned for Jim to step out of the car and pointed at the camera waving his arm and the AK-47 to get it and go with him. Gary and I started to get out of the car not sure if we were all supposed to go with them. The soldiers angrily motioned for us to stay in the car. Jim looked a little sick and told us that if he wasn’t back in a couple of hours to try to get a message to the American Consulate or Embassy. He also muttered that he hoped they would take the film and let him go. He was escorted off through the trees across the road and disappeared behind them.


     Gary and I nervously waited for several hours. I told him that I had heard the automatic shutter going wildly as he panned across the view of the soldiers and the road.

     Gary kept saying, “I knew something wasn’t right with him.”

     We tried to get out of the car several times to get a bit of a breeze to cool off but the soldiers stopped us every time.

     “Under fucking military arrest in martial law Poland…just wunnerful!” Gary lamented.

     After what had been about two hours, a group of four soldiers carrying their rifles came out from behind the trees across the street marching double-time in unison. They formally surrounded the car and opened the door yelling at us to follow them…and to do so immediately without delay. We were taken across the road to a small building with all sorts of red and white painted metal signs emblazoned on the side.



     Gary kept saying, “I love you, Mom! Whatever they say I did…I didn’t do it!”



     I remembered Gary’s line from the old Flip Wilson skit, “The Gorilla in the Cage” but wasn’t laughing about the situation we now found ourselves in.