Fault Line Read online

  She wanted to scream, No! Not here! Not now! Someone might be watching, someone might see, and even now shake his head, say Lucy is weak, and scratch me from the duty roster. Oh, God …

  The worst part of waiting is I have to go back to Houston to wait, where he can find me …

  Her gait fumbled. She slowed for a moment to correct it, bring it back under control. Forcing herself not to look over her shoulder, forcing her vision instead to the far horizon, away from the evilness of gulls and those who would inspire rage, Lucy forced the shot of adrenaline into an even faster gallop. Yes, that was good; anyone watching would think she was simply forwarding her training, and never know what truly chased her up the beach. In fact, yes, she could now already slow her pace, move it back into an easy lope. Easy now, remember where I am, remember that I am the predator here, not the prey. No matter that the Space Program puts its scientist astronauts at the bottom of the food chain, and treats those women among them even worse; money is the bottom line here, and they have invested plenty in my training. I am part of a team. An essential part of a team, a team that has prepared rigorously to do a job.

  Lucy pounded on up the beach, building her future one footprint at a time. NASA would not fail to use her now, and, she assured herself, when she rode that thrumming monster into the sky, no adolescent gull, or any of the searing memories it unearthed, could possibly reach high enough to find her.

  This is 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.

  FAULT LINE

  Copyright © 2002 by Sarah Andrews Brown. Excerpt from Killer Dust © 2003 by Sarah Andrews Brown.

  All right reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever wihtout written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

  Grateful acknowledgment is made to Edward Christopherson to quote from The Night the Mountain Fell: The Story of the Montana-Yellowstone Earthquake, copyright 1962.

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

  eISBN 9781466818026

  First eBook Edition : May 2012

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2001048664

  ISBN: 0-312-98445-6

  EAN: 80312-98445-8

  St. Martin’s Press hardcover edition / January 2002

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / January 2003