Infinite

About the Book

The story follows Allen Mead, the main character, through a series of events.  Each new event leads to more questions for the reader, drawing the reader in, and requiring the reader to use their imagination.  From the opening, when Allen disappears, no attempt is made to explain his departure [The tires screamed on the paving, attempting to stop the forward momentum of the vehicle!  Then silence, the blue-white light faded to gray, then blackness, nothing, no sound, was he even breathing?  Was this death? ].  Or his return, [A feeling of panic!  A brilliant bluish-white light!  Both feet jammed onto the brake pedal!].  He reappears as a 69-year-old man, with the physical appearance and the abilities of a 20-year-old.  The exceptions, along with his young appearance, he has the strength of two men and reactions that are faster than normal.  No explanation is offered to the physical changes that occur.  

The disappearance of Allen folds into his reappearance, only a lot of time has passed.  A lot of questions are unanswered, at first Allen does not realize that he has changed.  He finds himself in trouble with the Police and the INS.  When he does see that he has changed, the shock puts him on the floor.  

Then comes the examination period that tries to prove he is not who he says that he is.  Only each test, each check all go to prove he is just one old man that happens to looks like a kid!

When he is finally released, he goes home to meet his wife, he finds her gone and news media camped in his front lawn.  He finds his wife, only to have her disappear and be arrested for her disappearance.  This leads into a duel with the Sheriff’s Department and a few questionable Deputies.  He is ultimately cleared of all legal problem and leaves town to get away from it all.  While on his way to his son’s home he gets a message from a stranger.  A message that really makes no sense to him, at the time.

At his son’s home, he finds Deputies hard at work destroying the house.  Allen finds a way to get the Deputies out of the picture and get his son’s home restored.  Then he gets another message to be at a given place, a path to find his wife, so he goes.  Only when he gets there he gets another cryptic message and off he goes again in a different direction.  

When he arrives at his destination, he finds another problem to solve.  This leads to armed conflict and working with the FBI hand in hand assisting a friend.  The problems are taken care of.  A short flight, supplied by his friend, solves one mystery and creates more.  A new message and a new destination, only this time he has company.  The woman that Allen found looks young but is old like Allen.  Together they leave to solve the next mystery.

Their search leads to major problems and big business in the grip of raw greed!  After a daring rescue of yet another person, the husband of the old/young woman he found earlier is himself now young.  Allen gets them established as real people with their identities restored. He goes on solving problems, getting the courts into the greed package, still looking for a clue to take him to his wife.

With no new messages, which are just words popping into his unconscious or conscious brain and no signs to supply a clue as to where his wife might be.  Allen tries to go back to days that are only memories, to see if they really exist, and if he is really who he thinks he is.  What he finds, are memories from real events with real people?  People that need real help.  So Allen helps them and stays until he gets to feeling or need to go in search for a clue again.  This leads to his findi? ????? ??? ???? ? ?????? ????????? ???????  ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ????? ???????? ?? ?? ?? ? ???????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ????

About the Author

Gerald Strickel was born in Independence, Iowa and graduated high school there. Served 30 years in the US Navy retiring at the top enlisted pay grade of E-9 as a Master Chief Petty Officer. Tours of duty placed him in areas from the Middle East, in Iran, to the far East, in Vietnam. After retirement in May 1980, he worked as an independent contractor, until service injuries required him to totally retire in 1994. Married a year after joining the Navy, he and his wife have five Children, ten Grandchildren, seven Great Grandchildren. This book is dedicated to his wife of 50 years in April of 2001.