by Brad Taylor
Before I get a bunch of e-mails about how I’ve put American lives in jeopardy by blue-printing how a terrorist could attack our power grid, the Fort A.P. Hill Ammunition Supply Point, and/or the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, rest assured I didn’t. Explosively Formed Penetrators are real, of course. We are, in fact, conducting research into nanotechnology to make them more effective. I have no idea, however, how effective, because all that stuff’s top-secret, and I’m not privy to it anymore. It’s fiction in this book. Fort A.P. Hill is also real, as is the ASP. About 90 percent of what I wrote is accurate, but there are a few red herrings in there that are not. Try attacking the place like I described, and you’ll fail. For instance, the first thing you see when you go in the police station is not a desk in the open; it’s a man behind a layer of bulletproof glass. I won’t tell you the other red herrings, but people who work there will know. Finally, the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Plant is also real, as is the state park. The difference is that the park doesn’t butt up to the plant. There’s about a mile of civilization between them. It would be impossible to attack the place like Rafik does.
Writing of any sort is a collaborative effort, and anyone who says otherwise is either a genius or a liar. Since I’m neither, I owe a debt of gratitude to a plethora of people who helped me with this story. In no particular order, here you go: Bruce, for the information on oil refineries. A chemical engineer for an oil company, and the husband of my wife’s friend, he saved me about ninety hours on the Internet for no other reason than I asked. Lunchbox, for screening my first draft of the Tandem HALO jump. He’s a Tandem jumpmaster who knows more about military free-fall operations than anyone else in the Department of Defense, and he fixed all of my little mistakes. I did, however, change some back for literary reasons. The mistakes are mine, not his. Poacher, for coming up with some cool call signs. I was on a contract with him and complaining about how hard it was to invent call signs that weren’t already used when he started spitting some out. I told him to hold on and grabbed a pen. Finally, a huge thank-you to Tami, a close friend who really took a liking to critiquing Jennifer. Her guidance swung between “Jennifer wouldn’t do that, she’s not a man,” to “Jennifer’s a crybaby. Give her a spine.” It caused me to pull my hair out, but at least Jennifer’s someone Tami would hang out with now.
To my agent, John Talbot, and the entire Dutton team for the phenomenal effort you all put forth on my behalf. I’ve told most of you in person, but one can never say it enough. Ava, my publicist, who is relentless at getting my books and me exposure. Your work ethic is remarkable and very much appreciated. The entire sales force for amazing me with your ability to penetrate just about every single market. And last, but certainly not least, my editor, Ben Sevier, for the guidance and friendship in not only crafting the manuscript, but in helping me navigate this new world. Your instincts are always correct, even if I initially fight them.
Finally, a huge thank-you to my family for putting up with me writing at all hours. My kids have become experts at making me feel guilty (“But, Daddy, I thought you left the Army. Can’t we go play?”) while also letting me work. And to my wife for going through this manuscript almost as much as I did as a first-line reader of some really rough drafts. She would roll her eyes after she corrected a grammatical mistake, and I would claim (incorrectly) that she was wrong. If you find a mistake in here, rest assured she found it before you, but I was too stubborn to change it. As an example, when she was editing these acknowledgments, she added this last sentence: She’s my rock, and I love her. I don’t have the courage to change that…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brad Taylor, Lieutenant Colonel (ret.), is a twenty-one-year veteran of the U.S. Army Infantry and Special Forces, including eight years with the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment — Delta, popularly known as 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 Pike Logan thriller, One Rough Man, was a national bestseller. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.
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