In 1903, Jim Turk, 19, leaves the woodland swamps of the Deep South to travel and experience the world.  He earned the name Blue Heron and has an elaborate tattoo of a Great Blue Heron on his left arm.  As he travels on tramp steamers, he builds a reputation based on his reliability, and his ability to handle trouble in difficult situations.

Mark Sullivan, also 19, wants to start an import/export business in Singapore.  He is highly skilled as a trader and dealer.  He is quick to take risks if the return is worth the risk.

Jim and Mark meet over a daring mission to hijack coal in Somaliland, Africa.  A friendship develops, then a business partnership.  Later, Jim gets a cryptic cable from Mark,

‘Come to Singapore when you get this.’

Jim finds himself wondering, has Mark gotten into trouble with one of the Chinese Tongs in Singapore?  Could there be trouble involving opium?

Go to the bushlands of Angola as part of an immunization program, run a white water rapid, hop freight trains in the wild west, teach emergency medicine techniques in Bosnia during the Bosnian War, ride with the Afghans in their wild national sport of Buzkazi, take a moonlit hike in the mountains of Colorado while on some magic psilocybin mushrooms.

These stories are also authentic stories, born from my travels.