So many people helped me pull this book together. Any errors are my own.
Lee Etten, a fire captain and paramedic, Portland Fire & Rescue, explained how house fires behave.
Joe Collins, a firefighter and paramedic, helped me figure out the best way to torch a car—and how to make that fire spread.
Jake Keller, a volunteer with Multnomah County Search and Rescue, helped me brainstorm worst-case scenarios.
To help me write this book, I became certified in wilderness medicine through NOLS (which began life as the National Outdoor Leadership School). One of my instructors was Paul Dreyer, CEO of Avid4 Adventure (avid4.com), which introduces kids to the wonders of the outdoors. For months after the course ended, Paul answered a million and one questions about how to deal with various first aid emergencies in the wilderness.
Craig Aronson II, RN, helped me understand what would happen to a diabetic who hiked for hours and did not eat.
Ginny Gustin, president of Austin Babywearing, answered a bunch of bizarre questions from a stranger about how to carry a toddler in various dangerous scenarios.
Garrett Gustafson, a senior structural engineer for MaineDOT’s Bridge Program, explained how bridges work and told me all the correct names for bridge parts.
Sheri Burns, honeybeesonline.com, answered my questions about wild bees nesting in trees.
Marco Carocari, a photographer and writer, bid in a fundraising auction to have his name used in this book. He even sent me pictures of himself when he was the same age as the fictional Marco.
Even I find it hard to believe, but this is my twenty-fifth book with my agent, Wendy Schmalz.
My editor, Christy Ottaviano, helped me ramp up the book’s tension. Associate editor Jessica Anderson has a sharp eye and keeps us all organized. Publicist Morgan Rath has helped me survive planes, trains, and automobiles. Mike Burroughs designed the amazing cover. Other wonderful folks at Henry Holt include Nancee Adams, Melissa Croce, Lucy Del Priore, Molly Ellis, Alexei Esikoff, Erica Ferguson, Katie Halata, and Allison Verost.