Terminal Rage (39 page)

He wanted to meet the guy who
’
d pretended to be a terrorist, gotten inside his head, and outsmarted him. Outwitted the FBI. And outclassed the US government in its war on terror. The father and the husband who had lost his family and waited seven long years to do right by them. Blackwell wanted to stand in front of him and speak on behalf of a government he no longer represented and tell him, “Sorry we failed you.”

But perhaps his most burning need was to stare straight into Sam
’
s eyes and take a long hard look at his soul and ask himself the most important question of all.

Would I have done the same thing if my own family was murdered?

Sam removed his sunglasses, eyes fixed on Blackwell, with a tiny smile formed on his lips. Quietly. Patiently. Even the dog had calmed down now, in tune with its master
’
s state of mind.

Blackwell nodded at Sam and smiled back, then pressed his foot on the accelerator pedal and drove away.

Acknowledgments

I started writing
Terminal Rage
after my daughter was born, and finished it with the arrival of my son. My love for my children is the primary source of inspiration for this novel. With that said, everything I know about being a good father flows from the endless stream of nurturing I received from my own parents. I am grateful to them for raising me to see the world for the beautiful place that it is.

Jodie Renner is the best editor and ally any author could ask for. Working with her has transformed this manuscript and made me a better writer. My friend Ernie Porter generously shared his years of experience as the Chief of the Investigative Publicity and Public Affairs Unit of the FBI. His insight ensured my representation of the Bureau and its brave men and women was accurate. My buddy Valerio Gelpi read the manuscript and helped refine it with the spirit of a hacker and the incisive eye of a technologist. Tomasz Opasinski designed the unforgettable cover this book deserves. My friend Sharon Lee Cowan is usually busy saving the world and fighting chronic hunger, but remarkably, she found the time to read the manuscript and cleaned it spotless. And my musical partner-in-crime, Christof Unterberger, believed in this project enough to score amazing vignettes inspired by my story, which in turn served to influence my writing process.

Finally, I wouldn
’
t have been able to write this book without the unwavering support of the love of my life, my wife Mona. She is my fairest critic and my most fervent fan. I still write to impress her.