She rotated her shoulders, shrugging in a mostly unsuccessful attempt to remove the stiffness brought on by the beginning of the healing process. Her range of motion would return to one hundred percent, according to the agency doctors, and Tracie had no reason to doubt them. She was young and healthy and already beginning to feel stronger.
At least physically.
The doctors would clear her to return to work eventually, and when that happened, she had already decided she would go. She knew nothing else, and the prospect of walking away from the CIA and service to her country, returning to an unimportant job and a life filled with emptiness, held no appeal.
But she would never forget Shane Rowley. She uttered the words aloud, despite the fact they would be heard only by the birds in the trees. Speaking them instead of just thinking them served to make them real for her, to give them permanence. Shane had willingly given his life to save hers and even though she knew nothing she could ever accomplish would make that sacrifice worthwhile, she vowed she would honor it — and Shane — by giving everything she had every day for the rest of her life in support of freedom.
It was all she had to offer.
Down the hillside and across the field, the figures dressed in black clustered around the lone coffin. Tracie watched, thankful for the dark sunglasses covering her eyes, even though no one could see her; no one even knew she was there. The service ended and a couple of mourners began to help Katherine Rowley to a vehicle.
Tracie watched a moment longer, then turned toward the wrought iron gates of the cemetery and walked away, shivering even in the heat.
Acknowledgments
When it comes to inspiration, I need look no further than across the room to decide where to begin. From the moment I first decided I wanted to make stuff up and write it down, I’ve had no bigger or more enthusiastic supporter of me in this foolish endeavor than my wife, Sue. Her relentless optimism forms the perfect counterpoint to my outlook, which is typically, shall we say, less so. My bride has stuck with me for nearly thirty years, a source of constant amazement on my part and proof positive of the old adage, “There’s no accounting for taste.”
Editor Jodie Renner deserves much of the credit for anything you may have liked about this book, and none of the blame for what you didn’t. She is to thrillers what Vivaldi was to violins, and not a day goes by I don’t thank my lucky stars for finding her. Jodie’s hard work, keen insight, and refusal to settle for anything less than the best possible product sets her — and her work — apart from the crowd, at least in my book, which this is.
A couple of my air-traffic controller cohorts are always available to me to answer my often ignorant and sometimes downright silly questions. Dan Gravelle is a long-time coworker and licensed EMT and the first person I turn to when I need a medical point clarified. Joe Serafino, another long-time coworker, is my personal weapons expert and has, for years now, helped keep me from looking overly ignorant about a subject in which my knowledge is somewhat — some would say woefully — inadequate.
One of my oldest and closest air-traffic controller friends is a guy named Steve Henrich. We attended the initial FAA employee screen together in Oklahoma City way back in 1982, and thank goodness he didn’t cover his test answers too well, or I might never have managed the air-traffic control career I’ve had since I was twenty-two years old. Anyway, I was having some trouble coming up with a compelling name for this book and Steve saved my ass, suggesting the title you see splashed across the cover.
Speaking of covers, thanks to Scott Carpenter for taking the amorphous concept I gave him to work with and rendering visually stunning cover art that just screams “Exciting Thriller!” at the top of its lungs. I only hope the words behind the cover did justice to the art at the front of the book.
Plenty of other people have helped in plenty of other ways, including some who have provided inspiration, whether they know it or not. They include Ian Graham, Robert Bidinotto, CJ West, Vincent Zandri, Robert Gregory Browne and J. Carson Black, outstanding writers all, as well as Jeff Zarella, Joe Leonard, Tony Serino and many others. Thanks to you all.
Last, but definitely not least, I want to thank you, the reader, for plunking down your hard-earned cash on my work. Whether you’ve read all of my stuff and have been waiting anxiously for something new, or you never heard of me (much more likely) and decided to take a chance on an author you didn’t know, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to entertain you for just a little while. I hope I succeeded. If not, I can tell you it wasn’t for lack of trying. I can honestly say, and in all sincerity, you’re never far from my thoughts when I’m writing.
About the Author
Allan Leverone is a 2012 Derringer Award winner and the author of five novels, including the Amazon bestselling thriller, The Lonely Mile. He lives in Londonderry, New Hampshire with his wife of nearly thirty years, three children, one beautiful granddaughter and a cat who has used up eight lives. Learn more at www.allanleverone.com, on Facebook or Twitter, @AllanLeverone.