May 5, 2016
Random Acts… “War Hawk” possibilities all too real
We live in a world where drones are capable of killing an enemy, and information cyber attacks are increasingly being used to blackmail corporations for money and more.
With that reality as the backdrop, James Rollins and Grant Blackwood have written a thriller that could be tomorrow’s headlines, putting a spotlight on the dangers of using technology without working out the moral consequences first.
In War Hawk, (William Morrow, $27.99) Tucker Wayne, an ex-U.S. Army Ranger, works with the help of his military war dog Kane to figure out who’s killing cyber experts on a top secret project, and unravels a web of digital warfare that could end up toppling targeted governments.
Imagine a media mogul, manipulating the flow of information in publications and social media by using drones to secretly gather information and change what’s reported. Add in other drones to target and kill those who stand in the way of making profits to fund this man’s vision of a better world.
The tale reflects the military expertise of Blackwood, a U.S. Navy veteran who spent three years as an Operations Specialist, and the perspective of Rollins, a former veterinarian whose thrillers combine scientific breakthroughs, historical secrets and fast-paced action.
Beyond the taut suspense of a thriller, “War Hawk” explores the questions of who will control future drones, and the consequences of psychological warfare in an era where digital information spreads faster than our ability to discern the truth.
What’s frightening is that the technology cited in the story is already in play.
The concept of telling the story through the eyes of a former Army Ranger and his dog came from a two-week trip Rollins made to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010 as part of a USO author tour.
“Since a lot of the military were reading thrillers, the USO asked five of us who were members of Thriller Writers International to visit some bases,” Rollins says.
“War Hawk” book cover courtesy of William Morrow.
“We talked with the men and women there, and tried to encourage them to write about their experiences – whether through journaling or recording thoughts — so that events would be preserved, even if it was for personal family histories.”
Prior to going on the USO tour, the authors visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. There, Rollins met soldiers who had PTSD and who lost limbs.
“Moral injury is something they’ve been talking about in the last couple years, and the treatment regimens are different,” Rollins explains. “When it comes to PTSD, treatment may include drugs and psychological therapy. With moral injury, the better treatment is talk therapy. It can become a manageable condition over time.”
As a former veterinarian, Rollins was curious about military handlers and their dogs. He researched the emotional connection between the two, and decided to create the Tucker Wayne and Kane duo, writing parts of the book from the behavioral standpoint of the dog, and giving Wayne the little discussed condition of moral injury.
After returning from the USO tour, Rollins founded Authors United for Veterans, a group that raises money for USA Cares and its efforts to support veterans. He also supports the US4Warriors Foundation, which helps veterans and their families who have specific needs.
While doing research for “War Hawk,” Rollins learned that drone technology has advanced to the point where drones can act autonomously, with the capability of shooting without orders.
“A lot of this is being developed by corporations who are becoming more involved in running wars and the military, which is disturbing,” Rollins says. “It has me worried because drones make it easier to go to war, and as killing becomes impersonal, the likelihood of choosing aggression over diplomacy grows.”
And that’s a headline none of us want to read.
Dinah Eng 