Split Second (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 1)

“Tyler Wingo,” said Tyler sulkily. “And you better not have damaged my dad’s gun. It’s a collectible.”

Sean slipped the gun into his waistband. “Which made it pretty dumb to run around in the rain with it,” he pointed out.

Tyler didn’t answer him. He looked at Michelle. “Can you just give me a lift home?”

“Yes we can,” she said. “And maybe on the way you can tell us what happened.”

“I already told you, there’s nothing you can do.”

“You’re right, there is absolutely nothing we can do if you don’t tell us anything,” replied Michelle.

“Can we go get in the truck?” said Sean. “Or the only place we’ll be going is a hospital where they can treat us for pneumonia. Unless the lightning kills us first since we are in the middle of a forest,” he added, as another thrust of lightning precipitated a deafening crack of thunder.

They got back to the Cruiser where Sean had parked it off the road, after getting ahead of them on the other side of the woods.

There were some blankets in the back cargo area. Michelle grabbed three of these and handed one to Tyler, who draped it around his shoulder. She handed another one to Sean and wrapped the last one around herself.

“Thanks,” Tyler mumbled.

He climbed into the back while Michelle sat next to him. Sean drove.

“Where to?” he asked.

Tyler told him.

“Directions from here?” said Sean. “I’m not familiar with this area.”

Tyler gave him turn-by-turn directions until he hung a left down a street where there were a few older homes located at the end of a cul-de-sac.

“You ran a long way,” said Michelle.

Tyler didn’t answer.

“Which house?” asked Sean.

Tyler pointed to the one on the right at the very end next to a stand of thick woods. It was ablaze in light.

Michelle and Sean exchanged a glance. Parked in the driveway of the house was a dull green Ford with U.S. Army plates. As they turned into the drive a woman and two uniformed Army officers came outside on the covered porch.

Michelle turned to Tyler.

“Why are they here?” she asked.

“To tell me my dad was killed in Afghanistan,” said Tyler.