Joe Ledger: Special Ops

Violin leaned into my arms, and I bent and kissed the silver tears on her face.

We sat there on the edge of the river and above us the wheel of night turned from this day toward the next.

— The End~

Inside The DMS

THE GOOD GUYS

JOE LEDGER

Combat Call Sign: Cowboy

Rank: Captain

Brief Bio: Joe Ledger is a former Baltimore cop recruited by the Department of Military Sciences to head a team of special operators against terrorists with cutting-edge bioweapons. Joe is a dangerous man but a badly fractured one. The victim of terrible childhood trauma, Joe has three separate and distinct personalities inside his head: The Civilized Man — that idealistic and moral part of himself; the Cop — the investigator who is all about control; and the Warrior, also known as the Killer — who is savage and unforgiving. Thanks to years of therapy with his doctor and friend, Rudy Sanchez, Joe is able to use all three of those aspects and keep them under control. Joe Ledger is tough, resourceful, and a professional smartass. Ask anyone.

First Appearance: Patient Zero

MR. CHURCH

Combat Call Sign: Deacon

Real Name: Classified

Rank: Director

Brief Bio: The enigmatic man known variously as Church, the Deacon, the Sextant, Colonel Eldridge, Dr. Pope, St. Germaine, and a dozen other names, is the founder and director of the Department of Military Sciences. Brilliant, cold and dangerous, Church brings enormous financial and technological resources to bear in his crusade against terrorism. He is apolitical, ruthless, and well-connected. The running bet is that he’s a former Cold War era special ops shooter. But that might be simply another layer of cover.

First Appearance: Patient Zero

DR. RUDY SANCHEZ

Combat Call Sign: Aztec (honorary)

Rank: Chief Medical Officer

Brief Bio: Mexican-born Rudy is now an American citizen and the Chief Medical Officer for the DMS. A psychiatrist specializing in post-violence trauma, Rudy was one of the doctors who helped Ground Zero workers cope with their experiences after 9-11. Since coming to work for the DMS, his job is to help the field teams cope with the horrors they encounter and the violence they’re forced to commit.

First Appearance: Patient Zero

AUNT SALLIE

Combat Call Sign: Auntie

Real Name: Classified

Rank: Director of Field Operations

Brief Bio: Only Mr. Church knows who Aunt Sallie really is. And, though she could pass for Whoopie Goldberg’s twin sister, she has none of the actress’ charm and compassion. A former field agent and assassin, Aunt Sallie is the only person who knows Mr. Church’s secrets. She runs the Hangar, the DMS headquarters located at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn.

First Appearance: The King of Plagues

DOCTOR WILLIAM HU

Combat Call Sign: Dalek

Rank: Science Director

Brief Bio: Dr. Hu is one of the most brilliant scientists in the world — proof that Mr. Church never hires second best. He runs the advanced sciences division of the DMS and oversees research and development. He and Joe Ledger have failed to bond on a spectacular level.

First Appearance: Patient Zero

DR. CIRCE O’TREE

Combat Call Sign: Greek Fire (honorary)

Rank: Director of Strategic Intelligence

Brief Bio: A bestselling author whose books explore the ways in which religion and political ideologies are used as the basis for war and terrorism, Dr. O’Tree joined the DMS to help stop the terrorist organization known as the Seven Kings. She has since become a valuable member of the team and, most recently, the wife of Rudy Sanchez. Only a handful of people know that she is the only known surviving member of Mr. Church’s family.

First Appearance: The King of Plagues

LEROY WILLIAMS

Combat Call Sign: Bug

Rank: Director of Computer Sciences, Deputy Director of Field Support

Brief Bio: Bug is the heart and soul of the DMS. His genius with computers brought him to the attention of Mr. Church, who hired him to manage the supercomputer MindReader. Bug and his team also provide real-time intelligence support for DMS field teams. He’s one of Joe’s most trusted allies and closest friends.

First Appearance: Patient Zero

GRACE COURTLAND

Combat Call Sign: Amazing

Rank: Major, Special Air Service, UK (deceased)

Brief Bio: Grace Courtland was the first woman to make it through the experimental program for women soldiers in the SAS. After distinguishing herself in that notorious boys’ club, she helped Mr. Church form Barrier and later its American counterpart, the DMS. She and Joe Ledger became lovers for a brief time before Grace died a hero’s death saving billions from ethnic genocide.

First Appearance: Patient Zero

VIOLIN

Combat Call Sign: Violin

Real Name: Classified

Rank: Arklight Senior Team Leader

Brief Bio: Violin was born into horror, as the child of one of the breeding slaves kept by the horrific Red Knights. When her mother, Lilith, escaped the Knights and formed the covert counterterrorism hit-squad Arklight, Violin quickly rose to prominence as their top field agent. Beautiful, deadly, and not entirely human. She is Joe Ledger’s former lover and sometimes ally.

First Appearance: Assassin’s Code

JUNIE FLYNN

Combat Call Sign: Bookworm (honorary)

Rank: n/a

Brief Bio: Junie has a complex past as the subject of a breeding program initiated by the Majestic Project in the years following the Roswell Crash. She is the former host of a conspiracy theory podcast and an author, and currently heads up a foundation dedicated to repurposing technologies illegally developed by the Majestic Three. She and Joe Ledger became romantically involved during the Majestic Black Book affair.

First Appearance: Extinction Machine

GHOST

Combat Call Sign: Ghost

Rank: Sergeant

Brief Bio: A big, strong, occasionally goofy and entirely dangerous white shepherd who is partnered with Joe Ledger. He has been awarded official rank as a sergeant in the DMS.

First Appearance: Dog Days

BRADLEY SIMS

Combat Call Sign: Top

Rank: First Sergeant, Army Rangers

Brief Bio: Top Sims is Joe Ledger’s strong right hand and the most trusted field agent in the DMS. A former Ranger who came out of retirement after his son was killed and his daughter wounded in the early days of the Iraq War, Top now runs Echo Team.

First Appearance: Patient Zero

HARVEY RABBIT

Combat Call Sign: Bunny

Rank: Staff Sergeant, USMC

Brief Bio: Bunny is a big, blond, former competitive volleyball player who joined the Marines and went from Force Recon to the DMS. He and Top are best friends, and they joined Echo Team at the same time as Joe Ledger.

First Appearance: Patient Zero

LYDIA RUIZ

Combat Call Sign: Warbride