Stagehands Walk

Set against the backdrop of the arcane world behind the scenes in live entertainment, "Stagehands Walk" is an action story about two men and the people they care for as they deal with threats to their lives and livelihoods. Unlike the typical young action hero acting in relative isolation, these men are approaching retirement age and must make accommodations that would not inhibit younger men. The environment in which the men live gives the story more depth than the typical action story.
The book opens as a long forgotten foe threatens Quentin Xavier O'Donnell and forces him to take on a risky task. The task is interrupted and O'Donnell finds himself in the middle of a conflict over possession of nuclear secrets. Enlisting the aid of two of his colleagues, he attempts to accomplish his original mission only to discover that his mission is much more complicated than he thought. Determining that the task he was originally assigned is not appropriate, using his talent and skills learned "back stage", he delivers those who threatened him to justice at considerable personal risk.
Teddy Premberton joins the story on his final day at work before being asked to resign. He is thrust into the secretive world behind the scenes where O'Donnell has worked for most of his career. Teddy and O'Donnell's paths cross several times until Teddy provides vital information O'Donnell uses to thwart an assassination attempt at a religious rally.
O'Donnell recruits Teddy to work a two week long spring break event. At spring break, Teddy helps provide evidence assisting in the arrest of a sexual predator and drug sellers. The arrest of the drug sellers leads to the arrest of a dishonest cop who has been harassing O'Donnell for years.
On the way home from spring break, the two stumble into a drugs for weapons transfer. Accused of murder, they call for help from the law enforcement people O'Donnell worked with earlier. Threatened at home, the men split up and flee. Teddy returns home and leads the police to intercept another transfer. One of the lead smugglers escapes the trap. Teddy flees again further away this time. The smuggler tracks O'Donnell to his hiding place where O'Donnell manages to trap him and deliver him to the police.
While "hiding in plain sight", Teddy is recruited by local civic leaders to manage a festival organized by the city to raise awareness of the city and its emerging industries. Desperate to rescue the city from dire poverty in the midst of wealthy neighbors, the city has invested tremendous resources in this festival which appears about to fail. Teddy enlists O'Donnell in the endeavor and with the help of Teddy's daughter, O'Donnell's grand daughter, the television crew from spring break, several of O'Donnell's colleagues and a racist parading on horseback in a Klan outfit carrying a Confederate flag, they succeed in rescuing the festival.
Underlying the action plot are the themes which are the real motivation for the story. Not only does the story deal with the simple battle between good and evil, it further asks how one knows the difference. It explores the question of how much one can expect friends to be of help in a crisis. It touches on the issue of endemic racism, but mostly it is about two men who did not realize they were lost finding meaning in their lives.
The story reads quickly and would be suitable for high school students as well as adults.