Chapter 1

At midnight, a group of men bury a large man named Keever near a farmhouse, choosing the hog pen so the disturbed earth will blend in and evade detection from aerial searches and thermal imaging. Their backhoe makes quick work of a deep grave, and they push Keever’s body into it.

As they resume covering the grave, an unexpected complication arises: the evening train passes five hours late, its lights and noise momentarily exposing them to potential observation. After it disappears into the darkness, they return to their task.

Twenty miles north, the same train stops at a rural depot dominated by massive grain elevators. Jack Reacher steps off at a place called Mother’s Rest, intrigued by the name and expecting a small, historical settlement rather than an agricultural hub.

Near the exit, an Asian woman approaches with hopeful energy, then shows disappointment when she realizes Jack Reacher is not the person she expected. Reacher deduces she is awaiting a very large man who did not arrive on the delayed train.

They exchange brief questions: she knows nothing about Mother’s Rest, and Reacher admits he is only passing through, curious about the name and any historical marker. Learning there is a motel with vacancies, Reacher decides to stay overnight and offers to knock on her door at first light, leaving her to hope her contact appears on the morning train.