FACT vs. FICTION

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. ~Proverbs 3:27

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Cincinnati’s Abandoned Subway

The largest abandoned subway system in the United States lies just below downtown Cincinnati. The Erie Canal was drained and used to house the new rapid transit system. The project was held up by World War One. It was finally under way in 1920, but the Great Depression and political infighting stopped construction for good.

Just over two miles of tunnel, and four stations, were completed underground. Three more stations, and four miles of track, were completed above ground, and later demolished to make way for Interstate 75. No steel tracks were ever laid underground. Find out more by visiting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_Subway or http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/subway.html

Prohibition Tunnels

Tunnels were dug to speakeasies throughout Prohibition. There were many more rumored in Cincinnati than have been uncovered-not that anyone is really searching for them.

The large vaulted room is a cellar two stories below the Jackson Brewery. You can see why they continued to be used even after alcohol was outlawed. Learn more about the breweries and speakeasies of Cincinnati at http://www.cincinnatibrewerytours.com/

Taser Shotgun Rounds

Pretty sweet huh? It works just like described in Becoming The Wolf. But at $150 a round they were discontinued by the company. If you want the technical details of how they work just visit http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/taser-shotgun-shell.htm

Triple Barrel Shotguns

Yes, they exist. But they are rare and expensive. Too expensive for me to saw one off for the cover of the book. I used an inoperable double barrel twelve gauge and added a third barrel to the bottom. Cut it down to 14 inches and handed it to my son. That’s who is wearing all the police gear on the cover.

Kel Tec KSG Shotgun

Yes, this one is also real. It’s the shotgun every cop wants in their cruiser, but not many agencies want to pay for them. The shotgun holds 14 rounds in two separate tubes, and is a bullpup design that makes it very compact for building searches. It can throw a lot of buckshot or less lethal ammo at someone. The KSG really is a street sweeper on steroids.

Dragon Skin Body Armor

Its characteristic two-inch-wide circular discs overlap like scale armor. The discs are composed of silicon carbide ceramic matrices and laminates, much like the larger ceramic plates in other types of bullet resistant vests.

There are shields like the one I invented in the book called the Dragon Wing, but none use the Dragon Skin discs, that I know of. Learn more about Dragon Skin at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Skin

Extreme Ultralights

These aircraft have come a long way, as you can see in the photos. The one to the right is used in Nepal to skydive from. They are incredibly light and some models only require 50-60 feet to land. The military and law enforcement utilize ultralight aircraft in their missions, and many have carbon fiber bodies.

Adrenal Implants

Yeah, I invented these just for the book. But the implants shown to the right are very real. In fact, I have two neurostimulator implant units in my lower back. One leads up to a paddle in my spinal cord, like the one shown in the x-ray with the three strips of electrodes. The other battery powers two separate leads that go nearly up to my neck. They suppress pain caused by my nerve damage.

Who knows, maybe they’ll give me superpowers some day. That is, if I fall in a vat of acid or get hit with some gamma radiation. It could happen!

St. Bernard Church

I reversed a few names for Becoming The Wolf, not wanting to offend anyone. The church is real, but it’s St. Clements Church, and it sits in the City of St. Bernard. Which is where the fictional City of St. Jude is located in the book.

The Farm

The farm image in the book is of the one I grew up on, and moved back to after retiring. The house was built in 1814 and sits on 187 acres of Ohio’s finest farm land. We no longer have livestock, but when I was growing up we had a hundred head of beef cattle, hogs, and three worthless peacocks.

Oh, and a pet goat I named Martha, since she was born on George Washington’s birthday.

I even proposed to Gloria in the hay loft of the big white barn at the top of the hill, with cattle mingling below us. Can it get any more romantic?

Regardless, the tactic worked on her.

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