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LUTHER GAGE

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Full Name: Luther Gage
Nationality: American
Organization: The Escape Committee
Occupation Agent

Creator: Ralph Hayes
Time Span: 1983 - 1984

ABOUT THE SERIES

Luther Gage is an agent with the Escape Committee.

That rather unusually sounding name for the "organization" comes from the fact that it is an ad-hoc created by the whim of the current sitting President of the United States, James Ballard.

Some time before the events of the first recorded adventure of Gage, the Chief Executive had decided that his regularly held meetings with a small group of people, Vice President Jameson, high ranking Senator Atwood, General Spaulding, and National Security Advisor Jurgens should take a deeper purpose than just routine briefings. Though the existence of this Escape Committee, so named by the President, was a secret, he made sure that transcripts of the meetings were made.

The Committee's purpose was to "review situations in which Americans or others were being wrongfully held or imprisoned in foreign places by governments, individuals, or groups and in which human rights were abridged or national security was impaired". The President had empowered the committee to take "extraordinary action" to rectify the situation. Once a motion was approved by the Committee, one of several agents specifically assigned to the Committee would be given the mission. "Nobody outside the [members], the secretary [taking the notes], and the employed agents even knew that the committee existed. Not the CIA, not the FBI, not the NSA."

General Spaulding was the face of the committee as far as the operatives were concerned. How many agents there were is not revealed but the tone used would indicated that there were not many.

Luther Gage was one of those agents.

Since the Committee had not been in existence for long because the founding President was still relatively new to the job, Gage's connection was still new to it. He had already performed a couple of dangerous missions and had pulled them off sufficiently well enough to be already looked on with favor by the members.

Gage is 6' tall and in quite good shape, his body mostly bone and gristle. "Ex-Green Beret, ex-martial arts instructor, ex-military intelligence officer" Gage had served with honor in Vietnam but had eventually left the military because of changes in it that he disliked. He still served as a Major in the Reserves, though. It was Spaulding who, when directed to find people to be the agents with the Committee had looked up Gage and found him more than anxious to leave his civilian life behind.

BOOKS

Number of Books:4
First Appearance:1983
Last Appearance:1984

1 The Scorpio Cipher The Scorpio Cipher
Written by Ralph Hayes
Copyright: 1983

With the U.S.'s top weapons expert being held in Iran, the President wants the man to be freed and then secreted out of the country back to the States. The job is next to impossible. He asks Luther Gage to pull it off.

2 The God Game The God Game
Written by Ralph Hayes
Copyright: 1983

Gabriel is the last name of the religious fanatic who had elected to move his chosen flock from California to New Guinea to avoid persecution. He also had brought along a good supply of automatic weapons which he has used to create a concentration camp there. The US President instructs Luther Gage to remedy the situation.

3 Illegal Entry Illegal Entry
Written by Ralph Hayes
Copyright: 1984

The police state in Haiti rules that half of the island with an amazingly strong fist. It is currently holding one of its more vocal opponents in captivity awaiting execution. The President has ordered Luther Gage to find a way on the island and getting the person out. The former is very difficult. The latter impossible

4 Deadly Reunion Deadly Reunion
Written by Ralph Hayes
Copyright: 1984

I was told a hostage crisis three years before in the American Embassy in Syria saw 12 men and women being kept prisoner. 7 of them died during the 3-day affair. Now a reunion takes place with the 5 survivors in that same city and suddenly 2 of those are killed. Luther Gage is sent to learn who and why.

MY COMMENTS

     I pose the following question: Can Ralph Hayes come up with a series that I do not like? I then deliver the following answer: NOPE. Certainly it has not happened yet and the man has written several.

     Now, I did get a kick out of the fact that the group for whom this series protagonist works came about largely from a whim. No deep thought into the matter. No long term study as to its need or focus group. Nope. The President thought, "Hey, you know what we need?" and there it is.

     Teasing aside, this is a fun series as always and worth checking out.

GRADE

My Grade: B+

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