Perhaps he would recall where he came from, who he was, why he ended up here, and maybe, just maybe, even remember the name of the woman who would sometimes visit him in his dreams, the one who would tell him to go on, to be strong, to never give up and find a way back to her.
The one who called him Jack.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Peter Wolverton, editor in chief of Thomas Dunne Books, and Brendan Deneen, head of Macmillan Entertainment, came up with the idea for this book, developing it into a terrific synopsis about a man who jumps from the uppermost reaches of the atmosphere and vanishes during reentry, landing on an alternate Earth, where he died five years earlier. What a wild ride! I was spellbound by the outline, thrilled to be tapped to write the book, and honored to have worked with such pros. Thanks for taking a chance with me, guys. A special thanks goes to Brendan for your continued support and confidence. Every author should be so lucky.
Matt Bialer, my super agent at Sanford J. Greenburger, who discovered me over a quarter of a century ago. Thanks for sticking by my side ever since, for your unflagging support and guidance, for sharing your amazing artistic talents—from watercolors to photography and poems—and for getting me connected with Pete and Brendan.
Nicole Sohl, Associate Editor at Macmillan Entertainment, for your diligence and consideration during editing and production. It is much appreciated and recognized.
Bob Gleason, although not involved with this project, for teaching me what it means to be a novelist while pushing me to hammer out the best books I could for over two decades.
Dr. Cameron M. Smith, professor of anthropology at Portland State University, who in addition to digging for fossils in Africa and launching solo voyages in the Arctic, actually built and tested a DIY functional space suit on a shoestring budget. Your adventurous life and your efforts to democratize space travel are an inspiration. Thanks for taking the time to review the manuscript and for your very insightful feedback.
The hero of the story, Jack Taylor, is a former U.S. Navy SEAL. Special thanks go to a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who prefers to remain anonymous, for your candid feedback when I got it wrong and for doing your best to keep me honest.
Many thanks go to my personal proofreaders, Linda Wiltz, Michael Wiltz, and my wife, Lory.
Last but not least, a tip of the hat to my son, Cameron. Your dad is very proud of the man you have become.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. J. PINEIRO is the author of many internationally acclaimed novels, including Shutdown, Firewall, Cyberterror, and Havoc, as well as the millennium thrillers 01-01-00 and Y2K. He makes his home in central Texas, where he lives with his wife, Lory Anne, and his son, Cameron. You can sign up for email updates here.
ALSO BY R. J. PINEIRO
Siege of Lightning
Ultimatum
Retribution
Exposture
Breakthrough
01-01-00
Y2K
Shutdown
Conspiracy.com
Firewall
Cyberterror
Havoc
SpyWare
The Eagle and the Cross
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
1. A Worthy Cause
2. Levels of Consciousness
3. Problem-Solving 101
4. Conspiracy
5. Time and Data
6. The Return of the Warrior
7. Pressure Point
8. Connecting the Dots
9. Surprise
10. Revelations
11. Misguided Men
12. The Big Kahuna
13. Good Enough
14. Risks and Costs
15. Real Fear
16. Running Man
17. Blinded by the Light
18. Take Me Home, Country Roads
Epilogue: New Beginnings
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by R. J. Pineiro
Copyright
THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. ALL OF THE CHARACTERS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND EVENTS PORTRAYED IN THIS NOVEL ARE EITHER PRODUCTS OF THE AUTHOR’S IMAGINATION OR ARE USED FICTITIOUSLY.
THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.
THE FALL. Copyright © 2015 by St. Martin’s Press LLC. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Young Jin Lim
Cover photographs:
astronaut by Algol / Dreamstime.com;
Earth by Andreas Schott (Bonnix) / Getty Images;
space by Shutterstock
eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Pineiro, R. J.
The fall: a novel / R. J. Pineiro. — First edition.
pages; cm
ISBN 978-1-250-05214-8 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-5347-8 (e-book)
I. Title.
PS3566.I5215F35 2015
813'.54—dc23
2015015662
e-ISBN 9781466853478
First Edition: July 2015
The Fall Page 41