Over Easy is a cross-over short story written by Lee Child and Tess Gerritsen and was published only for Transworld edition of Safe Enough, on August 29, 2024. It is the 4th Reacher cross-over story, in which he teams up with Maggie Bird who is a retired CIA agent, now reside in Purity, Maine as a chicken farmer.
The bonus short story is bundled with Safe Enough as Transworld Exclusive.[1]
Plot[]
In 2024, Jack Reacher arrives in Chicago to visit Frances Neagley, a former MP now running her own private security company. Neagley is testing a new artificial intelligence prediction software and uses Reacher as a test subject, taking advantage of his minimal digital footprint. However, this results in digital searches related to his long-deceased brother Joe Reacher's military intelligence history with the IP tracing back to a small town in Maine, belonging to that of a small chicken farmer.
Arriving at Purity, Maine, Reacher meets Maggie Bird, a retired CIA agent who informs him of Josephine Kimura who believes she is illegitimate child between Joe and her mother Helen Kimura, a retired CIA agent who was recently killed in Oahu, Hawaii with her death reported to be an hiking accident though Bird suspects otherwise due to their closely shared history and her corpse being mauled beyond recognition. However, Reacher believes his brother would not have abandoned a child but is informed Helen kept much of her personal life to herself. Considered Josephine's time of conceivement is aligned with his brother's time in Bangkok, Reacher decides to reach out to Josephine herself and is informed of her upcoming arrival.
At a nearby coffee shop, Reacher notices a thin man wearing a porkpie hat accompanying a young woman stepping off a bus from Boston. Intrigued, he approaches the woman, Josephine, and asks about her origins. She shares a photograph with a woman’s handwriting mentioning Joe’s name. However, Reacher quickly realizes the man in the photograph is not Joe, as the features are entirely different, leaving Josephine confused. While observing their conversation, Reacher spots Ben Diamond, who has been spying on them at Maggie's request. Reacher confronts Ben and insists he call Maggie to join them. When Maggie arrives, she confirms Reacher’s suspicion, revealing that the man in the photograph is not Joe but a terrorist connected to Josephine’s mother’s case in Bangkok.
Twenty years earlier, Maggie, Helen, and a team of agents were working to dismantle a drug-related financial terrorism operation in Bangkok. The operation was led by two cousins notorious for their strict communications discipline and brutal methods, including skinning and burning their victims alive. This led to a stalemate until Joe offers up information to Helen that led to a conclusive breakthrough. The arrest led to Ivan escaping but his cousin killed. Reacher realises Josephine is going after her mother’s killer, with the only lead being her mother's photograph containing Joe’s name. However, he deduces the connection to Joe is purely coincidental—Helen had simply written down the caller’s name at the time, using an agency-issued pen to jot it on the back of the photograph. Josephine confirms Reacher's deduction as asking a past CIA operation in less likely for people to offer help and did not believe Joe was her father. Needing assistance to identify Ivan’s current appearance, Reacher turns to Neagley, asking her to use her technology’s program to analyze the aged photograph. The results reveal a match: the man Reacher saw at the bus stop, who had been following Josephine from Boston.
Realizing Ivan is targeting Josephine, Maggie contacts retired CIA agents Ben, Declan Rose, Lloyd, and Ingrid for backup and entrusts Josephine to the care of Luther Yount. That night, Reacher and the team position themselves around Maggie’s chicken farm, preparing for Ivan’s arrival. However, Josephine sneaks out, determined to confront her mother’s killer. Her bold move backfires when Ivan takes her hostage, holding her at gunpoint. Ivan demands Maggie and Reacher reveal themselves. As tensions rise, Maggie notices Ivan’s deteriorated condition and deduces he is dying of cancer. She realizes he has nothing to lose and is indifferent to the consequences of his actions. As Ivan prepares to kill Reacher, Josephine lunges at him, stabbing him in the back. In the ensuing chaos, Reacher shoots Ivan in the head.
The group buries Ivan’s body and gathers to celebrate their victory that night. Maggie offers Josephine a place to stay with her for the time being with Reacher says his farewells before continuing on his way to the next destination.
Appearances[]
- Maggie Bird - A 60-year-old retired CIA agent now living in Purity, Maine, leads a quiet life as a chicken farmer. Reacher tracks down Bird after uncovering digital records connected to his deceased brother Joe's history.
- Josephine Kimura - A 24-year-old young woman with no living relatives begins investigating her origins and discovers that she might have been conceived by Joe and her mother, Helen, during their time stationed in Bangkok. She tracks down Bird, one of her mother’s closest friends, hoping to uncover concrete answers to the mystery.
- Helen Kimura - A retired CIA agent who was recently killed in Oahu, Hawaii, under suspicious circumstances, leaving uncertainty about whether it was an accident or murder.
- Frances Neagley - A retired MP now running her own private company in Chicago. Reacher visits her and learns someone has been showing interest in his brother's history. Diving deeper, Reacher tasks Neagley in supporting him in solving the mystery spurring around in Purity, Maine.
- Ben Diamond - One of Maggie Bird's closest friend and retired CIA agent.
- Luther Yount - One of Maggie Bird's closest friend and her next door neighbour.
- Callie Yount - Luther's Granddaughter.
- Declan Rose - One of Maggie Bird's closest friend and retired CIA agent.
- Lloyd - One of Maggie Bird's closest friend and retired CIA agent.
- Ingrid - One of Maggie Bird's closest friend and retired CIA agent.
- Ivan - A terrorist once involved in leading a drug-related operation to finance terrorism in the East. The scheme was foiled by the CIA with Joe Reacher's assistance, which led to the death of Ivan's cousin while he managed to escape. Years later, now slowly dying from cancer, Ivan seeks revenge on those connected to the Bangkok operation.
Locations[]
- Chicago
- Purity, Maine
References[]
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