City Under the Moon (46 page)

Teddy Harrison decreed the company line: While the United States government evaluated the werewolf threat, every option was considered. That phrase, “Every Option Was Considered,” made worldwide headlines as pundits speculated upon its meaning. Officials refused to elaborate.

Documentarians discovered grainy video, supposedly taken on the evening of January 2, which depicted a plane that may have been a B-1B bomber dropping dozens of small objects over the city. But how could it be that none were ever located?

In fact, the AD24 smart bomblets with the Sorcerer payload were tracked by GPS and recovered in mere hours by special ops strike teams, including some from the Shadow Stalker division. In recovery mode, the bomblets emitted a nausea-inducing sonic blast when lifted by unauthorized users. Refraction coating made them appear like rainbow blurs in photographs. Even in this surveillance age, no convincing evidence of their existence emerged.

The so-called Full Moon Massacre fascinated the world. Werewolf-related books flew off shelves as new ones arrived every day. Personal accounts were in abundance, and the public found each one more captivating than the last. Journals dedicated to the occult rose to outsell celebrity lifestyle tabloids. Conspiracy-driven headlines burst from supermarket racks: HITLER WAS A WEREWOLF! MARILYN MONROE’S KINKY WOLFMAN LOVER! JFK’S “MAGIC BULLET” MADE OF SILVER?

Werewolves took their place in the pantheon of conspiracy theories, alongside aliens, superflus, cure-alls, and other things that go
kaboom
in the night. The most disturbing rumor, and also the most persistent, was that the government had a secret underground laboratory in which they were running experiments on captured werewolves: “Area 52.”

Recovery efforts in New York were arduous. Real estate and tourism tanked, insurance companies buckled, and the struggling unions pressed harder than organized crime. Paranoia grew to dangerous levels and there were just too many guns in the city. The economic fallout reached well into the trillions. Globalizing technology allowed more companies to leave the metropolis, diminishing the city’s necessity. Such repercussions kept the wound from healing. The psychology industry flourished and state governments established programs to send counselors to offices and schools.

Nevertheless, Weston’s administration enjoyed unprecedented political opportunities while he had the attention of the American people. He seized the moment, tackling previously gridlocked issues like election reform, corporate taxation, and gun control loopholes, while squelching the special interest groups that had held them hostage. Science and defense technology were also newly important to Americans, so federal standards to foster cooperation among researchers were easily passed. Congressmen who dared vote against Weston faced outrage among their constituency.

William Weston, the man, had nightmares about that pivotal moment in the Situation Room for the rest of his life. In his dreams, the members of his security council transform into werewolves as he pleads with them to disarm the weapon. His team of doctors and psychologists has recommended that he not run for a second term, but he and his family remain undecided.

Dr. Jessica Tanner

The days following the werewolf crisis were hard for Jessica Tanner, and an outright nightmare for the CDC.

Their decision to extract an infected werewolf from the New York quarantine ignited a firestorm of outrage. When a traffic camera revealed that a creature had been on the loose in Atlanta, the media called for their heads.

Headlines renamed the organization “Set Disease Free.”

President Weston lauded the efforts of the entire team, but Jessica stepped down from her position as Director of the CDC. It was the right choice for her regardless of public sentiment; she would be happiest where she belonged: in a laboratory. She quickly decided that relinquishing the administrative duties was the best decision she’d ever made.

It was funny, she supposed, how life can dump you in the most unexpected places. After countless hours on the opposite side of the table, Jessica joined the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, putting her in bed with USAMRIID’s Select Agents Division as the joint head of the lycanthropy virus team.

There were long hours and too many dead ends, but they kept her from dwelling on her empty bed. And moving across the country helped her gain distance from her sorrows.

And no, she wasn’t hopeless without Richard. As the scientific community banded together, Jessica found inspiring new colleagues—and friends.

She wished Richard could have experienced this new collaborative mindset. And the new, independent Jessica. But a part of him would be with her forever: Miraculously, the IVF treatment took. She was pregnant.

Parenting would be daunting, especially as a single mother with so many responsibilities. But she’d gotten a head start.

In an unnamed laboratory hidden deep beneath the wildlife refuge on Protection Island, five miles off the coast of Washington State, Jessica was working on a top-secret project.

She was raising Zaharius Valenkov IV.

GRATITUDES

A wide variety of wonderful people were generous with their time and talent to help me bring this novel to fruition. One of the best things about having finished is that I finally get a chance to rave about them.

(And if I got something wrong, I’ll betcha it’s my fault and not theirs.)

ON INSPIRATION

Curt Siodmak
wrote the 1941 film
The Wolf Man
, in which he created the lore of the werewolf’s connection to the pentagram and the wolf man poem.
Lon Chaney, Jr.
played the cursed Lawrence Talbot and the wolf man.
George Waggner
produced and directed.

Monster makeup guru
Jack Pierce
defined the look of the werewolf in
The Wolf Man
and
Rick Baker
revolutionized it in
An American Werewolf in London
(1981).

John Landis
wrote and directed
An American Werewolf in London
, the movie that ruined my childhood and began my fascination with werewolves.

Bram Stoker
wrote the 1897 novel
Dracula
.

Bela Lugosi
played Bela, the cursed Gypsy who infected Lawrence Talbot in
The Wolf Man
. In the 1931 film
Dracula
, he defined the role of Count Dracula.

Gerry Conway
wrote many of the best issues of
the Amazing Spider-Man
, including issue #124, “The Mark of the Man-Wolf!” (art by
Gil Kane
). A Book & Record set of that story fueled so many of my nightmares that I finally made my father break the record. Spider-Man was created by two of my favorite influences,
Steve Ditko
and
Stan Lee
.

Stephen King
wrote the most terrifying novel I’ve ever read,
Pet Sematary
. His book about the craft,
On Writing
, has served as my inspiration and my crutch on many occasions.

I’ve also been inspired and educated by the works of
Shane Black, James Cameron, Wes Craven, Cameron Crowe, Michael Crichton, Frank Darabont, Richard Donner, William Goldman, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Aaron Sorkin, Steven Spielberg,
and
Joss Whedon.

Judy Burns
taught me how to take an idea and make it a story.

ON SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Dr. Paula Cannon
, an associate professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at USC, took the time to assist me with the intricacies of the lycanthropy virus and the Sorcerer bacteria, as well as the politics of government and private scientists. She gave me a tour of her laboratory and shared her fascinating research into a cure for AIDS.

Diana Colleluori
, PhD in Biochemsitry, reviewed my jargon.

Demetrius Valenkov’s meditation techniques are an amalgam of the practices he and I researched.
Dr. James Hopkins
directed me toward Pythagoras’ concept of the Harmony of the Souls and inspired Valenkov’s harmonic therapy. Dr. Hopkins is an old friend, and he has enlightened me with his astounding talent and wisdom in so many ways. Please visit him at
harmonixhealing.com
.

I created Brianna Tildascow’s artificial savant syndrome from research and imagination. Forecasts of her physical augmentations were born from my studies for another project, which was inspired by the work of
Ray Kurzweil
and his book
The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology
(Viking Press, 2005). Learn more at
kurzweilai.net
.

Rick Loverd
and
Jennifer Ouellette
from the Science & Entertainment Exchange put me in touch with a number of brilliant scientists, including Dr. Cannon and Mr. Reed. Their website is
scienceandentertainmentexchange.org
.

Anna Murdock
, RN, helped with medical terminology.

My dear friends
Jay
and
Lisa Orlandi
shared their experiences with In-Vitro Fertilization, helping me describe Jessica Tanner’s physical trauma.

Timothy Reed
lent me his expertise in the realm of optical physics. We had great fun discussing theoretical spectral catalysts and inhibitors for the lycanthropy virus.

I pieced together Jessica Tanner’s anti-quorum-sensing technology from an article in
Discover Magazine
(“Field Notes,” September 2010). The article, by
Dava Sobel,
explored the research of chemist
Helen Blackwell
into QS-resistant compounds. Graduate student
Margie Mattman
and biochemist
Andrew Palmer
are also credited in the article.

Ira Sterbakov,
best father in the universe (and crackerjack/crackpot physicist and mathematician), introduced me to the subject of heuristics as I designed Tildascow’s problem-solving methodology.

The sunrise/set and moonrise/set times presented are accurate to the corresponding dates from 2009/10.

ON LAW ENFORCEMENT & MILITARY

Attorney
Jason Alderman
proposed legal ramifications for President Weston.

Ian Anderson
was invaluable in helping me understand every aspect of Brianna Tildascow’s life in the FBI. We discussed a wide variety of topics, including her relationships, her job structure, her interrogation techniques and FBI culture in general. Mr. Anderson also provided advice about firearms and tactical combat.
Matt Senreich
put me in touch with him.

Sergeant Christopher Angelone
, USMC Scout Sniper (Ret.) talked me through sniper technology and assisted with dialogue in the attack on New Year’s Eve.
Jerry
and
Chris Scarmuffa
put me in touch with Sgt. Angelone.

Dwight ‘Cpt Awesome’ Cenac
and
Moe Suliman
also provided firearms advice.

Chief Warrant Officer Jonathan Hulse
of the 1-82nd Armed Recon Battalion (Attack) (Airborne) was my guide through the world of the US Army and their helicopters. In his downtime between flying combat missions in Iraq, CW3 Hulse E-mailed long, detailed descriptions of the Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, Army society, and the pilots’ dialogue.
Mel Cherney
put me in touch with CW3 Hulse.

Colonel Tim Wray
, US Army (Ret.) provided legal and military advice in regard to Operation Wolfsbane and the fallout for President Weston. Col. Wray’s son,
John Wray
, put me in touch with him.

My research suggested that the government might consider detonating a nuclear weapon over New York in order to thoroughly eliminate the werewolf threat. I chose to pursue the biological weapon simply because it was a more palatable scenario for entertainment purposes.

ON ROMANIA

The accounts of Vlad II Dracul and Vlad III Dracula’s military achievements are accurate according to historical records. My description of their fictional secret castle was drawn from other Romanian castles linked to the Basarab lineage: Bran, Poienari, and Hunyad.

Claudiu Trandafir
contributed all of the Romanian translations in the novel. He also undertook tireless research on topics from Romanian history that aren’t readily available in English, particularly in regard to Vlad II Dracul’s wives and the history of the Order of the Dragon. My great friend
Paul Kim
put me in touch with Mr. Trandafir, and
Garrett Frawley
also offered assistance with Romanian translations.

ON THE BOOK

Bob Boardman,
my tireless editor, had a deft touch that cleaned the whole house without moving any of the furniture. You can find him at
RobWrite.com.

Rob Prior
created the astounding cover art, as well as concept images.

Manny Galan,
an all-star supporter, finessed the cover design.

Katrin Auch
solidified the book and cover design, tolerated my nitpicking of fonts and wording, and assisted with marketing materials. See more of her work at
KatrinAuch.com.

MISCELLANEA

Mike Fasolo, Renae Geerlings, Fred McFarland, Robert Taylor, Robin Taylor
and
Brian Turner
provided feedback on early drafts.

Christa Starr
was a spectacular proofreader, nitpicker, supporter, and advisor. She also authenticated Lon’s goth playlist.

Sandra Rohr
, my second mother, gave me a grammar lesson.

Dan Amrich
educated me on Lon’s taste in Bach.

Kevin Weinstock
supplied architectural lingo and partnered in several of my crimes during a frantic research trip to New York.

Rebecca Brooks, Rich Hatem, Brad Meltzer,
and
Josh Ortega
also took the time to give me much-appreciated advice.

Zoa Keith
always kicks ass on my behalf.

Brenda Feldman,
the most tireless PR flack in the business, has looked out for me for many years, through thin and a lot of thick. And thanks also to the Batman to her Robin, my friend
Trice Koopman
.

The beautiful
City Under the Moon website
, based on the cover design, was created by
Craig Fisk,
with assistance from
Jonathan Coates
and
Matt Hancock
.

Allison Binder
is my rockstar entertainment lawyer. The best thing about having her on your side is that you’ll never have to come up against her. Thanks also to my agent,
David Saunders,
who—despite what they say—always takes my calls.

“Bawk Bawk” to my friends and family at Robot Chicken.

“Oh, bye there” to my friends at the One of Swords podcast.

And a very special thanks to my loyal and devoted Freshmen fans.

My home team, supporters and advisors:

Amy Freese, Amy Neely, Anna Murdock, Brian Turner, Caroleigh Deneen, Christa Starr, Clare Green, Dan Amrich, Dan Milano, David Freese, Fred McFarland, Jay Orlandi, Katrin Auch, Kevin Weinstock, Lyman Massey, Mack Culkin, Matt Senreich, Mila Kunis, Momma Rohr, Rich Hatem, Zoa Keith, and my co-pilots and cheerleaders, Bill Itzstein and Seth Green.

“Think where man’s glory most begins and ends,

And say my glory was I had such friends.”

-William Butler Yeats

For

Ben and Derek, who taught me how to be a friend and a man.

Poppa Sterb, who saved me, supported me, and believed in me.

Lisa, the best wife I could never have imagined.

And our glorious children, Sophie Pie and Sammie D.

March 2012