Heroes - Texas Style

The heroes of "Walking Between the Raindrops" are many. I've been keeping a list of names and agency references and it's just mind boggling. Many others, I know, I'll never know about. The list in the next paragraph represents just the ones "discovered" in records and reports provided to me by different agencies.

Here's my (partial)  Hero Hall of Fame:

Williamson County Sheriff's Office -  28+ officers and detectives
Texas Department of Safety - 8+ officers and helicopter pilots
Texas DPS Texas Rangers - 10+ rangers
Hays County Sheriff's Office - 6+ officers
Texas Department of Corrections - K-9 Unit
Austin Police Department - 3+ officers
San Antonio Police Department, SAPD SWAT and ROP Units - 22+ officers and detectives
San Marcos Police Department - Unknown
CERT Team Volunteer Search and Rescue - Unknown
U. S. Marshalls Fugitive Task Force - 4+ rangers
F. B. I. - 2+ agents
Laredo Police Department - 4+ officers
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms - 3+ agents
A very brave little girl and her mom
Tom Roland

See? Mind boggling.

Two special people, however, are central characters in this book. They led the way, ran down every lead, never slept and kept all the wheels from falling off. You can read all about them in "Walking Between The Raindrops" when the book comes out this fall.  Until then, here's a couple of shots from the e-Book added video:

                          Williamson County Sheriff's Office - Dectective James Maugham

                                                 D.P.S. - Texas Ranger Matt Lindemann

Perspectives

Looking back over the last six years, since Paul's abduction, gives me a strange perspective on the human condition. Since February 2008, there have been major natural disasters all over the world, too many school shootings, wars and rumors of wars and all manner of trauma for human beings everywhere. There have also been grand gestures of great populations around the world lending support and help to the world's most needy or devastated. Celebrities and politicians, students and organizations and faiths of all kinds rally together to send aid and money when horrible things happen to others.

The kindnesses I remember in our case weren't blasted all over by the media. They were quiet acts of kindness. Quiet acts of strength. Quiet acts of encouragement from people who were strangers, now friends, and existing friends who, by their acts then and still, define the very word.  They were from law enforcement. They were from the justice system. They were fellow victims. They were people who cared before we needed care; who continue to care today.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" is our journey from victim to victorious. It's the true story of heroes with uncompromising ethics in a world full of blurred lines. It's the true story of international organized crime terrorizing an average American family - average American grandparents. It's also the true love story of two people whose lives were torn apart and rebuilt.
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