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Author Insight
Jason's "Failure' Was The Team's Save
Jason starts this scene beating himself up. He broke the first rule of patrol training: never give up your weapon. He's convinced he's proven he doesn't deserve the team's trust. Then Rose says what he did was "perfect." I love this moment because it's a gut check for Jason. Often, we are our own worst critics, especially in the moment. Where Jason sees failure, though, Rose sees the one action which allowed the rest of the team to move together instead of apart. When I first drafted the preceding scene, Jason played the hero, which is great since United is "his" book, but it felt flat. So I asked, "What if Jason forgets his training in the moment and tries to sacrifice himself instead? What happens to everyone around him as a result?" That question is where this moment came from. United is built on the premise that no one hero carries the win alone, and Jason's "failure" is how the team ends up working as one. They still have plenty of bad guys ahead of them, but they just got a little closer.
Book Excerpt
United
Jason led his team, wondering if he’d ever live up to their leaders’ expectations of him. He’d almost gotten his team killed by delaying too long in the tunnels underneath Martinsburg. Then, they’d barely escaped Brianna and her team when Jason had tried to negotiate with a woman who’d gone mad by way of association with Junior. He’d even dropped his weapon on her demands, not even thinking doing so would leave his team one gun down. He shook his head at himself.
Jason should have taken the shot, instead of dropping his weapon then letting Rose tackle him to the ground. First rule of patrols was to never give up your weapon. He was the patrol officer, the one trained in weapons handling and disarming suspects, not the others.
The explosions had distracted Jason so thoroughly he hadn’t even heard the other team approaching from behind until they’d yelled.
“I’m such an idiot,” he mumbled.
Next to him Rose scoffed and shook her head. “What you did back there was so perfect, Jason, it was like we all coordinated,” Rose said, putting a hand on his arm to slow his quick jog. “Look at me.”
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