When my agency reviewed my manuscript prior to publication, I had to remove a portion that they felt disclosed too much of our surveillance techniques. So I won’t be able to go into too much detail, but I’ll share a little more here than I did in the novel itself.
Effective surveillance requires teamwork. And, to be efficient, a team needs lots of training. In my former unit, twenty hours per month were spent on training. In The Thin Black Line, Mike, Lisa, and Jasmine Carson are conducting two different categories of surveillance. When they are either on foot or in their vehicles, it is called mobile surveillance. They also conduct static surveillance in chapter 66 when they use an apartment to get the “eye” on the bank Ghazi used to deposit the cash the Sheik requested.
As you all know, surveillance is the act of watching a person, usually one under suspicion, or a place suspected of being connected with a criminal/terrorist organization. There are many reasons to conduct surveillance; intelligence gathering, evidence gathering, and identification of suspects are only a few of them. In law enforcement, there are two distinct attitudes toward physical surveillance. The first one is that everyone can do it and that it’s an easy job. The other is that surveillance work demands the capabilities of officers who have been specially trained for that purpose. By experience, I can tell you it’s not easy. Anyone who’ll tell you otherwise wasn’t doing his or her job properly.
To accomplish its goal, a surveillance operation must be done by professionals who understand that “watching” a subject simply won’t do. Surveillance officers need to “observe” in order to be successful. The officer must be totally aware of what is going on around him or her at all times. In the book, Mike Walton identified a brush pass between Ghazi and another man. In real life, this type of exchange is easy to miss even for an experienced officer. The level of concentration needed to recognize what is happening is great. Experienced criminals/terrorists are fully cognizant of law enforcement tactics. That is why they will do everything to shake the surveillance team off their backs. They’ll alternate between driving or walking slow and fast, they’ll often stop to take in their surroundings, and they’ll purposefully drive in circles or into dead end streets. The successful criminals/terrorists are the ones who are resourceful and skillful when it comes to eluding surveillance. This is why the person conducting surveillance must be alert and have a clear understanding of what is happening at all times.
Acknowledgments
It takes many hands to launch a publication. I’m very fortunate to have some of the best people in the business helping me out. Lou Aronica, my editor extraordinaire at The Story Plant, offered timeless advice that made the book so much better. His insights into the publishing industry kept me focused on what I needed to do to write the best book I could. I also thank Aaron Brown and the rest of the team at The Story Plant for all of their hard work on my behalf. Another thank-you goes to my friend and literary agent Eric Myers of The Spieler Agency. If all the literary agents were like you, the world would be a better place.
I am thankful for all the assistance I’ve received from the International Thriller Writers (ITW) organization. Special thanks to my friends: Kimberley Howe, David Morrell, Steve and Liz Berry, Jon Land, Steven James, James R. Hannibal, Barry Lancet, Lee Child, and many others behind the scenes. I’m also grateful to John Paine, Elizabeth Bond, my friend and photographer Esther Campeau, and my parents Céline and Raymond who were brutally honest with me when they read the first draft a few years back.
I want to save the best thank-you for last. I’m indebted to my wonderful and beautiful wife, Lisane, who believed in me before anyone else did. There would be no book if it wasn’t for her continuous support and encouragement. And truth be told, The Thin Black Line wouldn’t be half as good if it weren’t for her honest feedback throughout its creation. Thank you for standing by me. You’re my inspiration. I love you.
Un gros merci à Florence et Gabriel. Vos sourires me réchauffent le cœur. Papa vous aime.
About the Author
Simon Gervais is a former federal agent who was tasked with guarding foreign heads of state visiting Canada. Among many others, he served on the protection details of Queen Elizabeth II, US President Barack Obama, and Chinese President Hu Jianto. He has also protected the families of three different Canadian prime ministers. Prior to this, Simon spent five years in an anti-terrorism unit and was deployed in many European and Middle Eastern countries. He now writes full-time and is a member of the International Thriller Writers organization. He lives in Ottawa with his wife and two children. Find Simon online at SimonGervaisBooks.com, facebook.com/simongervaisbooks, and Twitter.com/GervaisBooks.
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