Hard Target

Acknowledgments

Hard Target required input from professionals in a myriad of fields. Because my research spanned many years, some of their titles might presently be different from what I’ve noted below. I’ve made corrections where known, but otherwise left their positions as they were when I worked with them. Thanks to those individuals, named and unnamed, who gave me access to vital places and information:

Brian Mitchell, Master Sergeant, United States Marine Corps, at Quantico Marine Base’s HMX-1. Brian patiently answered all of my questions and reviewed pertinent portions of the manuscript for accuracy relative to the operation and maintenance of the United States’s executive detail’s helicopter fleet (“HMX-1”) and the vice president’s transport, Marine Two. Brian has flown these birds, transporting presidents and vice presidents on missions around the world. He’s walked the walk. I couldn’t have written those chapters without his experience and assistance.

Lee Bassett, Master Sergeant, United States Marine Corps, for taking me on a tour of Quantico Marine base — particularly HMX-1. Given the stringent security requirements, this was no simple request.

Melissa Thomas, FBI Special Agent, and John Adams, Joint Terrorism Task Force Special Agent at the Bureau’s Washington Field Office, for a behind-the-scenes tour of their facility, and for Agent Adams’s detailed answers to my logistical and procedural questions.

Mark Safarik, FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Senior Profiler (ret.) at the Bureau’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, for his behavioral analysis guidance and bomber profile information. In addition, his FBI and military contacts and thorough review of the manuscript for procedural accuracy proved invaluable.

Cole W. Cordray, Lieutenant, US Army Crisis Response Team (deceased), and Brian Hains, Special Reaction Team Officer, for sharing their expertise relative to knives, assault rifle weaponry, and their in-depth information on the Sikorsky VH-3 and SuperStallion helicopters.

Robert L. Snow, Captain of Detectives, Indianapolis Police Department homicide unit (and author of The Militia Threat: Terrorists Among Us), for his expertise and invaluable insight on militia psychology, structure, and organization.

Lee McDonald, United States Marine Corps veteran and ordnance expert, for his assistance, suggestions, and manuscript edits relative to explosives and bomb detonation scenarios. Mike Fergus at the FAA for his orientation and information on accident scene investigation. Guyllermo Canedo, Major, United States Marine Corps Headquarters Washington, for information regarding the USMC’s procedures involving crash investigations.

Kai Barkhald, Chief Inspector, for his personal instruction on helicopters. Asking for information on how to blow up the vice president’s helicopter met with… some raised eyebrows. Kai handled the questions with integrity and honesty. And without massive paranoia.

Steve Garrett, US Navy Hospital Corpsman Senior Chief (Diver/Free Fall Parachutist/Fleet Marine Force) (ret.), for his thorough review of the manuscript and for correcting my Special Operations Force terminology and procedures (as well as other military, medical, and governmental agency jargon). Details matter — and Steve’s review made a huge difference in my “getting it right.”

Bill Caldwell, armorer and police officer (ret.), for his knowledge and expertise on ballistics and weaponry, and for reviewing numerous excerpts for accuracy. Gabriel Salgado, former First Sergeant with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), for background and information relative to his time with the IDF and the Shin Bet security service.

Marc Usatin, MD, for instructing me on the physiology and treatment of burn injuries. Bill Kitzerow, Lieutenant, Fairfax City Police Department, for being my Virginia and Washington, DC, police presence and “eyes on the ground,” and for helping me select an appropriate location for ARM’s compound. Micheal Weinhaus, ICE Special Agent and former Fairfax County Police Officer First Class, for a thorough tour of the Mason District Station.

Matt Nosanchuk, Senior Counselor to the Assistant US Attorney General, former Assistant US Attorney (Washington, DC), and former Litigation Director and Legislative Counsel for the Violence Policy Center in Washington, for helping me frame the issues relative to the fictional National Firearms Alliance.

Paul Ortega, Emerging Technology Executive at AT&T, and Joy E. Lovell, Client Solution Executive of the IBM eBusiness Hosting Services division, for their assistance with server backup technology.

Jack Nargil, head concierge, director Les Clefs D’or, the Hay-Adams Hotel, and Andrew Crosby, President of Crosby-Volmer Communications, for roof and facility access, information, floorplans, and historical background on the Hay-Adams.

Sue Stengel, Western States Counsel, Anti-Defamation League, for information on militia groups; and David Friedman, Director of the ADL office in Washington, DC, for his candidness and perspective. Michael Brown, Battalion Chief, San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, for his detailed explanations of helicopter fire-fighting procedures.

George Q. Fong, ESPN Director of Security and FBI Supervisory Special Agent (ret.) for assistance with procedural issues pertaining to Jake Osborn’s transgression. Corey Jacobson, Policy Analyst and Strategic Communications Associate with Purple Nation Solutions, for his information on campaign finance laws and electoral procedure. Salem Wali-Ali, linguist, for his assistance with Arabic translations.

RoseMarie Mirabella, Barns and Facilities Rental Director, and Valerie Wheels, Stage Manager of Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, for providing access to their facility.

To those unnamed sources who provided information and background on the Mossad and the Department of Defense, thank you.

My agents, Joel Gotler and Frank Curtis, for their insight, decades of knowledge, and hard work on my behalf.

My editor, Kevin Smith, with whom I share a brain during the editorial phase. Sometimes we’re so much in sync I think that if we were women, we’d be cycling together.

My publishers: On the “e” side, Thomas Ellsworth, Daniel Tibbets, Hutch Morton, and Julie Morales at Premier Digital Publishing. The gang at PDP are revolutionaries and outside-the-box thinkers in a constantly changing industry. It’s refreshing to work with professionals who understand the landscape and who aren’t afraid to adapt when they identify a trend. On the hardcover side, Virginia Lenneville and John Hutchinson at Norwood Press: their primary interest is to turn out a first-rate top-quality product. Their hardcovers look beautiful on the shelf and will last a lifetime, and I’m honored to be part of the Norwood stable of legendary authors.

My fans and readers, worldwide, and those who follow me on Facebook and Twitter: You’re the best! A special shout-out to the active posters for participating in spirited discussions, and for spreading the word about “Alan Jacobson”; and a special thank you to the two administrators of my Facebook fan group, Terri Landreth and Sandra Soreano. There are three ways to stay socially networked with me: my official fan page, www.facebook.com/AlanJacobsonFans; my fan-run Facebook group, which you can find at www.FansOfAlanJacobson.com; and Twitter, @JacobsonAlan.

Ultimate thanks goes to Jill, my wife and life partner. It’s not easy navigating the challenges an author faces dealing with an industry in perpetual flux, but having one’s mate solidly behind him during that uncertain journey, which has now spanned eighteen years, makes it bearable (and possible).

Any deviations from fact that appear in the novel should not reflect on the above named professionals. On (very) rare occasions, certain facts were modified to protect national security interests.