Penny and two other crewmembers had begun unloading food and medicine. Over Daisy’s shoulder, Faller spotted a bewildered-looking Asian woman at the edge of the crowd. She took an unsteady step forward.
“Hello, Kathleen.”
“Peter?” One of her hands was moving frantically at her side.
“I’ll answer to that name, but I prefer Faller.”
Kathleen bolted toward him open-armed, and just about crushed his still-screaming ribs with a hug.
Ugo stepped out of the Harrier, his arms full of supplies. Kathleen shrieked, backpedaled half a dozen steps.
Ugo frowned, confused by her reaction.
“Don’t worry about him,” Faller said. “He’s fine. Go ahead, Ugo.”
“She startled me,” Ugo grumbled as he set the boxes down and went back inside the Harrier for more.
“What’s going on?” Kathleen said. “Is it safe now? How do you know my real name?”
“I don’t know about safe. Definitely safer. And I know your name because I bumped into Melissa on my way down. She’s back at our HQ. She says hi.”
Kathleen lowered her voice. “What is he doing here?”
“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Melissa told me that—I didn’t come up with it myself.”
Faller put an arm across Daisy’s shoulder. “You want to take a ride with us, once we’re finished here?”
“Oh, sure.”
“You’re going to live with me and Storm. Plus you have a brother and two sisters to keep you company.” He looked at Kathleen. “You, too. We need your help. We’re getting the band back together.”
Faller looked up at the skyscraper. It made him dizzy and a little queasy to stare up that sheer, towering wall. He couldn’t believe he’d actually jumped off it wearing a homemade parachute. But then again, he could.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Will McIntosh is a Hugo Award winner and Nebula finalist. Along with six novels, he has published around fifty short stories in Lightspeed, Asimov’s Science Fiction, numerous Year’s Best anthologies, and elsewhere. He lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, with his wife and their wildly energetic twins. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter I
Chapter 9
Chapter II
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter III
Chapter 12
Chapter IV
Chapter 13
Chapter V
Chapter 14
Chapter VI
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter VII
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter VIII
Chapter 19
Chapter IX
Chapter 20
Chapter X
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter XI
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter XII
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter XIV
Chapter 28
Chapter XV
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter XVI
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter XVII
Chapter 33
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter XIX
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter XX
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter XXI
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter XXII
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter XXIV
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter XXV
Chapter 48
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter XXVII
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
About the Author
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.
FALLER
Copyright © 2016 by Will McIntosh
All rights reserved.
Cover photograph by Mark Owen/Arcangel Images
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates
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The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-0-7653-8355-6 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-9246-0 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466892460
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First Edition: October 2016