The Polaris Protocol pl-5
Page 36
As for Mexico, I was once again lucky. When I mentioned to a buddy that I was going to write about Mexico, I found out that a Navy SEAL I know was working in the embassy. I contacted him, and he took time out of his schedule to give me a helping hand peeling back the onion in that part of the world. He was in the process of moving back to the United States, but like SOFs everywhere, he laid out the red carpet upon my arrival, giving me a granular feel that I couldn’t get from books. More important, he introduced me to Dudley A., a journalist who has lived in and reported on Mexico for major news outlets across the world for more than twenty-two years. When you read about Tepito in the book, that isn’t my imagination at work. That’s me being naive enough to allow Dudley to take me through it. I’ll tell you, the pucker factor got pretty high when the cabdriver said — in Spanish—“Please lock your doors now.” We made it out okay, but it probably wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve done. Beyond Tepito, Dudley gave me invaluable advice on where to go and what to look for to ensure the accuracy of various scenes. All I had to say was “I need a location that does XXX” and he’d say, “I know just the place.” One scene that ended up in the book will make him cringe, because it’s so touristy. We did indeed have a margarita underneath the bullet hole fired by Pancho Villa in La Opera. I had no intention of using that bar, but given the scenario the sicario was dealing with, it worked.
As for the Cloud, I’m indebted to Mike, an old 1/75 Ranger that I met under bad circumstances at Arlington, during a funeral for a mutual friend. He’s now fighting the increasing number of marijuana growers in our national forests — no small chore, and possibly another book — and was more than willing to give me a town that could potentially host the Cloud in Utah. I gave him my parameters, and he gave me a name (by text while he was out in the woods on an operation, no less), but make no mistake, everything involved with the Cloud is pure Brad Taylor. The sheriff, the jail, the holding of terrorists, and the Cloud are all fiction. Pretty believable fiction, though, huh? Look over your shoulder the next time you’re arrested. Just kidding.
Once again, the Barrier Island Free Medical Clinic hosted a charity auction for the naming of an individual in the book. The BIFMC provides continuing primary health care to uninsured adults living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. All of its doctors are volunteers, and all of its operating costs are donated or generated through fund-raisers. When they asked me if I would be willing to auction a character again, I said, “Well, yeah, but I’ve only got a bad guy this time.” They thought that was great, and the bidding went high because people wanted to name someone besides themselves, in secret. In the end, Arthur Booth, the man who founded the clinic, won the “honor,” due to the generosity of some anonymous bidders. He didn’t know it at the time, but he will when he reads the book.
I’m slowly weaning myself from working in the security world in order to become a “real writer,” and I’m indebted to my publisher, Dutton, for sticking with me. To my editors, Ben Sevier and Jessica Renheim, thanks for your keen eyes and necessary tweaks, which always make my manuscripts better — even if it means killing a fifteen-year-old boy at the beginning of the book. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my publicity guru, Liza Cassity, for her superb work on my behalf, as well as the entire marketing team who is always there at the drop of a hat, regardless of my requests — and sometimes those requests seem a little strange, I’m sure.
I wouldn’t be where I am without the friendship and advice of my agent, John Talbot, who goes above and beyond on my behalf regularly. I truly appreciate all you do. Last but not least, a huge thank-you to my amazing wife, Elaine, without whom I couldn’t do my job. Thanks for keeping all the balls in the air and doing it all with grace and style. She told me she would rather I get to the Honey-Do list than be mentioned in the book. Oh well, I did manage to milk that for a few years. I promise I’ll get the list knocked out soon. I swear.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brad Taylor, Lieutenant Colonel (ret.), is a twenty-one-year veteran of the US Army Infantry and Special Forces, including eight years with the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment — Delta, popularly known as the Delta Force. Taylor retired in 2010 after serving more than two decades and participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as classified operations around the globe. His final military post was as Assistant Professor of Military Science at the Citadel. His first four Pike Logan thrillers were New York Times bestsellers. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.
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