I relied most heavily on the following reference materials: my personal Bible, Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas, and Catechism of the Catholic Church (Second Edition), as well as dozens of articles from open-source websites that included National Catholic Register, Worldbank.org, The Independent (UK), Gates of Vienna, World Port Source, IWM.at, and the intelligent analysis from Gatestone Institute.
Cast of Characters
The Absolvers
Michael Thomas: Priest, AKA “Andrew”
Sergio Guzman: Priest, AKA “Jude”
John: Supervisor and Trainer
Chasseur Antlé: Priest, AKA “Alpha”
Church Officials
His Holiness Cornelius II: Current, Sitting Pope
Cardinal Paul Dylan: Under-Secretariat of the Economy, Vatican City
Eduardo Hernandez: Monsignor, San Miguel Chapel, Santa Fe
Dietrich Burg: Priest, Saint Francis Seraphicus, Vienna
The Rest of God’s Children
Shawn Moore: Fallen Priest, AKA “Thomas”
Frank Thomas: Michael’s Father
Mary Thomas: Michael’s Mother
Stefanie Schatz-König: Austrian Fashion Designer
Alfred König: International Business Mogul
Rogelio Salvador: Santa Lena cartel leadership
Dedos: Low-level MS13 gang member
Retaco: Low-level MS13 gang member
Fuerza: MS13 enforcer
Negro: MS13 enforcer
El Trece: MS13 shot caller in Lower Austria
Gerhardt Nowak: Commander, Austrian National Police
Brandon Berry: Patrol Sergeant, Silver City (NM) Police Department
Berhardt Brünner: Captain, König der Meere cargo ship
Tomas Steiner: Executive Officer, König der Meere cargo ship
Gavin answered his call to service by working as a professional cop, spent many weekends and holidays in a cop car of one kind or another, and is honored to have protected and served the public in this manner. His training and experience in areas such as Patrol, Narcotics, Undercover Operations, Counterterrorism, Sex and Human Trafficking, S.W.A.T., and Dark Web Investigations provide an ever-growing queue of ideas and stories for his fact-based fiction. Gavin currently works on advanced academic degrees that he hopes improve the public good.
Gavin’s rare free time is devoted to family, travel, martial arts, SCUBA diving, mountaineering, and pursuing the perfect ice cream. Never all in the same day.
A portion of all Gavin’s sales is donated to crime victims, as well as charities that serve law enforcement professionals and veterans, their families and heirs, and honor the memory of our Fallen Heroes.
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