Stoner

The latest Dreamland - Revolution - has a character named Mark Stoner.

Unlike most of my characters, Mark is semi-based on a real person. (It's not his name, btw.)

I first met him in high school. He was a middle linebacker. I was a wide receiver. Actually, I think I was playing slot back that day. Anyway, for some reason in their coverage scheme he had to cover me when I ran short patterns over the middle. Let's just say I was having a field day in those patterns, including one for a TD. At some point, we went to the well once too often; the quarterback didn't quite lead me enough and Mark got a good measure of revenge, just about taking off my head with probably the most vicious slam he'd ever made.

(Mark was about twice my size. Everyone is about twice my size, but he was really twice my size.)

I wish I could say I held onto the ball, but I didn't. I saw about three of everything after that, but I stayed in the game. I don't think any more routes over the middle were called for me, though...

Flash forward like a million lifetimes, and Mark and I crossed paths in Europe. We were friends, though that probably deserves an asterisk, because Mark wasn't a friends kind of guy. In a lot of ways he was still a middle linebacker type, ferocious on the field and very much to himself off.

We generally didn't work together, but one night he needed to get picked up from somewhere, and I got the job. I'll say it was in Paris under a bridge near the Seine . . . which it wasn't, but it'll give you an idea of the ambiance since it's similar to the actual setting ... and believe me, a hell of a lot more romantic . . .

There were complications, and I showed up an hour late. Mark wasn't there. I hung out a bit, left, came back, left, came back, left . . .

Mark never showed, there or anywhere else.

In the morning, we found blood beneath the bridge. Was it his? I have no idea. I never saw him after that day. I'm not sure anyone has.

Stoner's different - kinder, older, less likely to take your head off. But if he ever asks me to meet him someplace, I'll show up an hour early, well-armed, and prepared to wait.