Ben Smith was raised on a farm in Washington State in a large family. He enjoyed the work pursuing national security interests around the globe, but then he met a girl… He currently lives in New York City, where he is completing a science-fiction novel.

Doug Laux grew up in small-town Ohio as the son of a steelworker. Throughout his career, he completed warzone tours tracking al-Qaeda, Taliban, and ISIS terrorists across multiple countries. He currently lives in Key West where he is completing his dive master certification.