In this chapter, we are introduced to a new character, Captain Hobbes. He is a former soldier who has returned to the U.S. as a field agent. He has been stationed at a military base in Djibouti for the past few months. He tells us that he is depressed because he does not want to go back to the battlefield. He does not know why he has been spending so much time at the base, but he does know that it is because he has not been able to sleep at his allotted place. He also says that his thoughts are drifting towards the sexual aspect of his life. He says that he has had a sexual relationship with a woman in the past, but that he cannot bear the thought of having sex with her again. He feels that it would be unfair for him to have sex with another man, and that he would not be able to do so if he wanted to. The only thing he can think about is the fact that the Chinese are responsible for recent attacks against the United States. He realizes that he will be unable to do anything about it. He decides to go to the front and prepare for the extraction point.