Demaris Protocol — Brian Randall

In 1992, before "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the CIA secretly ran a dark operational unit known only as the Demaris Protocol. For nearly a decade in parallel to the LGBT movement, the CIA used the protocol in special assignments to leverage same-sex coercion and exploit sexual orientation where it offered a unique advantage.

In June 1992, Trey Carter, a closeted, gay, Christian civilian is ensnared in a dangerous trap--recruited and trained within the experimental same-sex protocol. He is specifically tapped for an assignment in Munich. His orders are to lure and capture a former Soviet nuclear engineer with a dark secret. Special Officer Rick Morgan is assigned to lead the experimental recruitment and training of the young man, but Rick also hides a secret. He suddenly finds himself with a deep desire to protect the twenty-two year old recruit, while those in power observe and exploit the program to offer insights on the service ban for homosexuals within the US military. Rick and Trey, caught in the crossfire, develop a mutual attraction and must somehow navigate the dark world of counterintelligence as they attempt to hold the line and survive.

In this novel based on actual events, a closeted, young gay man involuntarily recruited into a secret CIA program in 1992 confronts his fears to carry out a mission against all odds.

..".a taut psychological thriller."

-- The BookLife Prize in Fiction, Publisher's Weekly

"Demaris Protocol is an exciting, fascinating thriller that deals with a little-known, and dark corner of CIA history. It crackles with authenticity "

--Ralph Pezzullo, bestselling author of Left of Boom, Jawbreaker, and others.