Red Wolf

Author’s Acknowledgements

This is fiction. I want to emphasize that all events and characters are entirely and only the product of my own vivid imagination. Like everyone else, however, I have memories, experiences and impressions that I make use of as I find necessary.

I spend a lot of time on research for my books. Even though every line is fiction, I take care that the details of places, activities and phenomena which do exist in the real world are as accurately described as possible. This means that people sometimes recognize some elements, which is entirely proper. Everything in this book could have happened.

However, I sometimes make use of the author’s prerogative to change details of existing bus-routes, the location of certain compressor sheds, the use of various sites, etc.

The interior of the Norrbotten Airbase, which is closed to the public and must not be photographed or otherwise documented, is my own invention.

Neither the Evening Post nor the Norrland News exist, but they bear traces of many different actual media organizations. Katrineholms-Kuriren (Katrineholm Post) does exist, however, but all references that my characters make to the newspaper and its organization are completely fictitious.

A project aimed at threats to politicians, involving among others the Association of Local Councils and the Federation of County Councils and the Department of Justice, did actually take place during 2003 and 2004, but Thomas’s working group and its members, methods, discussions and consequences are entirely imaginary.

This is, in other words, a novel, and it could not have been written without Torbjörn Säfve’s incisive analysis of the rebel movement in his book Rebellerna i Sverige (Författarförlaget 1971; The Rebels in Sweden) – thank you, Jan, for the tip, and Matthias, for finding a copy in a second-hand bookshop in Vadstena!

Further essential reading was provided by Björn Kumm’s documentation and summary of the history of terrorism in the book of the same name (Terrorismens historia, Historiska media; I have editions published in 1997, 1998 and 2002).

I would also like to thank the following, without whose tolerant assistance this project would never have been successfully completed. They are:

Dan Swärdh, theatrical manager of Teater Scratch in Luleå, and a dormant Maoist going by the codenames of ‘Greger’ and ‘Mats’, who initiated me into both the public and the hidden activities of Maoist groups in Luleå in the early 1970s.

Mikael Niemi, author and old acquaintance from Pajala, for discussions of the backgrounds of various characters, and for an introduction to Læstadianism in the Torne Valley.

Christer L. Lundin, public relations manager of Teracom, who provided information about the technical and political development, marketing and situation of digital television, and with whom I discussed and analysed the consequences and plausibility of various fictitious political decisions.

Stefan Helsing, public relations manager of the Norrbotten Airbase, F21, in Luleå, for facts and discussions concerning the history of the base and scenarios of possible attacks.

Anders Linnér, public relations manager for the Air Force, for discussion of the political and military complications surrounding an attack against a military target, and for information regarding flying routines and the security arrangements of airbases.

Peter Svensson, personal advisor to the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, for ongoing invaluable collaboration.

Thorbjörn Larsson, chair of the board of the newspaper Expressen and TV4, and a colleague on the board of publishing company Piratförlaget, for valuable discussions concerning media issues.

Per-Erik Rödin, chair of the executive committee of the Uppsala Student Union, for assistance with local knowledge and contacts.

Sakari Pitkänen, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Metro, for information regarding newspaper technology and other matters.

Peter Rönnerfalk, chief medical officer and health advisor to Stockholm County Council, for information regarding the diagnosis and treatment of ventricular cancer, frostbite, etc.

Lotta Snickare, head of management training at FöreningsSparbanken, for constructive discussions on all manner of subjects, from capitalism to ceramics courses.

Lena Törnberg, head of the lost property section of Stockholm Police; Niclas Abrahamsson, police inspector with the Norrmalm Police in Stockholm, and Tor Petrell, detective inspector with the Stockholm Police, for theoretical discussions concerning lost property.

Niclas Salomonsson, my literary agent, and his staff at Salomonsson Agency, for all their dedicated work.

Tove Alsterdal, dramatist, who follows me every step of the way and reads everything first of all. Without you there would be no books.

Any mistakes or errors that have crept in are entirely my own.