Prologue

According to the BBC*, there are currently an estimated three hundred thousand child soldiers in the world, most in places like Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Burma.

For two decades in Uganda, ninety percent of the soldiers who fought in their various wars were children. Children are small and can infiltrate tight spaces undetected. Children seem innocent and are less likely to be a target. Children can be taught, blackmailed, and brainwashed. In some cultures, children are unimportant and expendable.

In 1989, a former C.I.A. agent, Mel Greenstone returned from Africa with an epiphany for a black ops unit like none the U.S. Government had ever seen. However, he wasn’t able to convince several high-ranking officials to implement his plan—to recruit orphans, homeless children, and young criminals to a secret organization and train them as special agents. He decided to take matters into his own hands. With a few financial backers, he created S.I.U.—the Secret Intelligence Unit. In Greenstone’s words, “Young people without a real future will be given one as the next generation of soldiers.”

Years later, six of these soldiers fought back and imprisoned Greenstone, believing the head of the snake had been cut off. Desiring a normal life, they were determined to prove their freedom. Then they discovered S.I.U. still had a leader—Harding. With the help of many hands, they were able to take down S.I.U. and imprison its leader. Now, they are on a journey to discover the many souls who are still lost or forgotten.

*http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/childrensrights/childrenofconflict/soldier.shtml