Adrenalin. br Berlin. At 3 a.m. br Location Checkpoint Charlie. br The sign says 'YOU ARE LEAVING...' br Yes, that is the big idea. br A piece of cake it is, br but not yet ours to swallow. br br Yes, uniforms give me the creeps. br Intimidating. br Oozing power br and reeking br of the bayonet br designed for kidneys. br br We should be right, br assurances sound hollow. br And tremors have to wait for other times. br Then 'Step inside', br a voice of razor sweetness. br Commands and lights and lie detector fun. br br Now comes the captain. br Walks like Colonel Klink. br He whips his pistol out br to point the muzzle br at my left eye. br There is no time to worry, br wet your pants or cry, br the captain quietly says: br 'You are a spy! ' br br Shit! What a thing to say. br I reckon he is guessing, bluffing br or perhaps he knows as these guys do, br the most incredibly covert and secret stuff. br The problem is that everybody knew br that his authority to shoot br was good enough. br br I stood my ground br and squeezed my anal sphincter br so tight that jaw and wisdom teeth br were grinding. br And he mistook br the brave expression br for defiance. br Of honest and well-founded origin. br And now he smiled. br br 'You're free to go br but tell me why you travel, br from East to West br at 3 AM so often? br 'I cannot sleep at night', br I meekly said, he nodded. br And went to fry a bigger fish br waiting outside. br br For: All those we did get out and those we couldn't.