Nikki, Inga, and Carol had worked for the agency as intelligence interpreters for several years; we all agreed it was a monotonous job until one morning Nikki told us to look at the notice board. It advertised a vacancy for three intelligence interpreters to staff a small outpost in support of a drugs operation.

Nikki said It would be nice if we all went together but I am going to apply anyway”. Inga and I looked at each other and I said What have we got to lose, working here is boring me to tears lets apply”. Inga replied, Aren't you both forgetting what the agency told us when we enlisted”? Nikki replied We know the agency didn't like the idea of having to enlist women and if they had too the best place for us was behind a desk”. They don’t trust us in the field and told these tales to frighten us so if I am accepted I'm off”. Inga and I looked at each other and I said, That makes sense let’s all apply”.

We were interviewed together and reminded that if we were captured we would be treated as spies and they knew from previous experiences when women were interrogated they would experience worse treatment than men. While we were fresh and undamaged we would be stripped and raped many times before being subjected to humiliation and pain. What happened next would depend on who caught us but being young white girls we would most likely be sold as slaves. With this warning were we still prepared to accept the possibilities? Asking how likely this was we were told it was possible but since government soldiers were in the area the risk was low so we accepted.

Our base was in two parts; one held the equipment, the other our work desks and living quarters. It was just as boring as the work we were doing home, with little home comforts wished we had not left. For three weeks we sat in our hut sorting the information brought to us by the soldiers and field agents, then radioing the good stuff back home. One morning we heard gunfire and started to worry, nothing happened until two days later when there was more intense gunfire, heavier and closer, some of it hitting our equipment room. It went quiet, Nikki went next door to check for damage, our door burst open, but before I could turn I felt what I knew to be a gun at my neck.

Two voices shouted, Hands on head and stand up”. As I stood I saw Inga also had a man behind her and feeling a hand at my waist it reached my chest both men said these are women let’s have some fun with them. Now they knew we had no weapons we were told to keep our hands on our heads and turn around. They both wore uniforms but I didn't think they were soldiers. As they came toward us I knew there was nothing gained by fighting them off and accepted the possibility of being raped. At that moment we heard Nikki cry out Please don’t then she screamed and the two men pushed us into the equipment room. We saw Nikki in a heap on the floor her hands on her head with two more men standing over her. Like our two men they also were wearing uniforms and carried automatic guns but not like those of soldiers.

They spoke with American accents and telling the first two men to go they told Nikki to stand up. I saw she had a cut on her face and her eye was closing up, then finding a cupboard with enough room they pushed the three of us inside. It was very quiet so we tried the door but they had fastened it somehow. As Inga asked what we thought would happen Nikki said, These people must be part of the drug suppliers”. What they do to us will depend on who they are”, If they are just thugs they will rape us, tie us up then tell the others where we are”. f they are more intelligent they will take us to their base to find out what we are doing and what we know”. One thing I do know, after me kicking that little bastard he is going to rape me before doing anything else to us”. How right she was, it wasn’t long before the two men who had punched Nikki let us out, tied the wrists of Inga and me and told us to sit on the floor to watch the show. One of the men held Nikki’s hands behind her back, the shorter man punched her in the stomach, and the other then punched her in the back. She fell gasping to the floor then the short man kicked her and said Stand up bitch and drop your skirt”