THE GANG OF EIGHT: 

L-R: Yon Kee Sietaram (Montel), Ken Everett (Kendo, Everetti), Oscar Colino (The Sheik of Shock-Alot), far in background: Dominique Paschoud (he told a great "got late" joke), top: John Bitsche (Beach, Giovanni, and assorted other aliases), bottom: Vincent Aurelio (Vincenzo), Denis Legros (Crazy Canuck--we mean it in a GOOD way), Nader (Darth Nader, and Style--as in Daghi Style), and Antonio Borras (Banderas, Zorro) 

Because I am always wistfully thinking up things to write (I'm an aspiring novelist), I decided to have fun with the guys one day and  "enlighten them" about their new job.  I dug around on some of their backgrounds, and was startled to find that there was plenty of material for what I had in mind... 

"Guys, haven't any of you ever thought it STRANGE that a SOFTWARE company is based in WASHINGTON D.C.??  And that one of our products is called DSS AGENT!!?  And that the company is organized around DIRECTORATES!!?? 

I mean, think about it... 

Yon Kee: former world-class kick-boxer, and general all-around martial arts expert 

Ken: former Marine sniper, and not exactly a man to scrap with either 

Oscar: no shady past, but oh man can this guy attract the women 

John: I can neither confirm nor deny anything... 

Vincent: computer guru par excellence 

Denis: being from Canada, he is politically invisible as a front man who can slip into any country and gather advance intelligence 

Nader: the man can speak several languages 

Antonio: communications expert 

These real-life characters will perfectly fit into a story-line that I have already been working on for a few years about a company that runs a legitimate business while collecting employees who could easily put their skills to use as part of a private army that occasionally works to eliminate threats to global security.  The name of my novel-in-progress: "Plowshares".