“What about you, Gunny?” asked Parker. “Got some houses to paint, I imagine?”
Moncrief laughed out loud. “Like hell!” He cut his eyes to the prince, then back. “I have tickets for the Yankees!”
“I have something for you too,” Scott said to Parker. He indicated the red file and pointed to the hangar. “Gentlemen, if you don’t mind, I need to borrow him for a second.”
Parker wasn’t sure what was going on, but followed Scott the few paces to the inside of the hangar.
“What is it?” Parker asked.
Scott’s face darkened. “The man who put your mission together in the first place? Well, it turns out he didn’t want to leave a trail. Exactly what he did is unnecessary — and illegal — for me to tell you. Suffice it to say that he murdered one of our people in Doha and then tried to take out both you and me.”
“Where is he now?”
“Supermax. The Alcatraz of the Rockies. For life.”
Parker shook his head. Death was a better option than Supermax. It was solitary until the day you breathed your last.
“This is for you, Colonel.” Scott handed him the blood-red folder. “I promised you the rest of the story.”
Parker opened the cover. The label inside was simple. Only one phrase in bold:
The Lockerbie Report
TOP SECRET
AUTHORIZED EYES ONLY
“Nothing held back or redacted,” said Scott. “Are you sure you want to read it?”
Parker nodded. “Yes.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It takes a village to make a story and I greatly appreciate each member of my village. A thriller such as this is meant to entertain, but also possibly to give one thought about our need, always, for heroes. For we are fortunate that such guard our nation. In my two tours with the USO, I have had the honor of meeting many. Some have served on the front lines, in combat patrols, and some have served in the scorching heat of an outpost literally in the middle of nowhere so that the supplies can get to the front or the airplanes can be loaded for their missions — or just so that the world can know that there is someone guarding the gate. All are greatly appreciated.
And the authors who have participated in the USO tours have faced risks for the first time in their lives just to say thank-you to the troops. More than fifteen well-known authors have now participated in Operation Thriller and have flown across half the world to say hello to a corporal serving from Fort Benning or Camp Lejeune or many of our country’s other bases.
When a C-130 drops out of the sky in an effort to avoid ground gunfire to land in Mosul, one appreciates the sacrifice that the troops make by being there, but also that of the people who give of their time to the USO, and of course, the USO itself. Jeremy Wilcox and Lonnie Cooper spend countless hours on the road, often in C-130s and C-17s, supporting the tours, and their work is also greatly appreciated.
I am sincerely grateful to Gary Goldstein for being dedicated to the craft of writing and serving as a most talented editor and advisor. Likewise, to Karen Auerbach, Arthur Maisel, Adeola Saul, and all the staff at Kensington Publishing, who are determined to produce the best story possible: I thank you. And John Talbot, my dedicated agent: I’m thankful for your taking on just one more.
David Morrell has provided much-appreciated counsel and advice. It is a privilege to know one of the masters. And Kathy Reichs has also been generous in both advice and insight. Paul, a fellow Marine, has been a great sounding board. To all of my good friends and fellow writers at Queens University of Charlotte, thank you for your insights and suggestions.
Tom Ragsdale has also been a much-appreciated advisor, and he is an exceptional fellow Marine.
Ed Stackler has been an editor who has weathered a barrage of ideas that just didn’t work. I greatly appreciate the skill and insight he has provided. And a special thank-you to my friend and coauthor Andy Peterson, who fearlessly chaired Operation Thriller into Afghanistan.
Meryl Moss has been an invaluable advisor, as has M. J. Rose — for their insights and suggestions on the trade, a thank-you to both.
Rick Sheehan works too hard! And I am one of the ones who has been served so well by his advice and generosity. My alias is Andy Harp and his work is www.andyharp.com.
I greatly appreciate Dr. Cecil Whitaker for his medical insight and Kevin Harcourt for his aviation acumen. If there is a technical error in this story on either point, it is the author’s fault for asking the wrong question. To George Scott, who has dedicated his life to giving people the thrill of meeting a new author and who created Books for Heroes, thank you, as well.
Michael Goldman, my good friend and fellow ATO, knows the Yankees, and his introspection concerning the team and its stars was of great benefit. I greatly appreciate the help of Greg Grasso for his creative thoughts, Thom Hendrick for his talented eye, and Leigh and Alan Jenkins, and Rich Ikin for their suggestions and advice.
The hunting scenes would not have captured reality without the help of the Tiny Bell crew: Jimmy, Skipper, Sonny, Bobby, Dick, Neil, Jerry, Tommy, James, Richard, Steve, Grayson, Johnny, David, Mike, Allen, Gary, Warner, Glenn, Harold, Butch, and all the rest of the gang!
And most important, to those who serve in harm’s way, to the Marines of Marine Special Operations Force, the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, the U.S. Army Sniper School, the 11th Marines, and to those whom I cannot mention other than to express my gratitude, to SFC J—, C—, Capt. A—, Gunnery Sgt. J—, and the many, many others: for what they do that you will never know about, thank you.