The Sixth Man (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 5)

“I was kidding.”

“I know. I’ll go.”

“I’m not letting you do that, Michelle.”

“I don’t remember asking for permission, sire.”

“Do you two always talk this way?” asked Roy.

They both stared at him.

“What way?” barked Michelle, her gaze boring into him.

“Uh, never mind,” said Roy. He looked down at his hands.

Sean said, “We can drive past, see if anyone comes after us.”

“Or we can set up a recon point on that hill over there, hunker down, and watch the place,” replied Michelle.

“Or we can just do it the old-fashioned way,” said Sean.

“What does that mean?” asked Roy.

“Wait in the van,” said Michelle. “And don’t open the door to strangers.”

They approached the house from back and front. It took them all of ten minutes to clear it. The farmhouse was empty and looked just like it had when they had been there previously. Michelle drove the van into the barn behind the house, and she and Roy got out and walked toward the house after Michelle closed the barn doors.

“This is my sister’s place?” said Roy, gazing around.

“For now, I guess. I assume she doesn’t stay in one place for long periods of time?”

“No, she doesn’t.”

“But you two have obviously stayed close. She’s risked a lot to help.”

“She’s always protected me.”

Sean came onto the front porch and overheard this. “Have you needed protection a lot?”

“Yes, I guess I have.”

“Let’s get inside,” said Michelle, looking around. “I’m not too keen about the surroundings. Sniper heaven.”

Inside, they found a pantry full of food, wood for the fireplaces, warm coats and boots, flannel shirts, pajamas, and clean sheets on the beds.

Michelle lifted up one of the coats. “I think I’ll put this on right now. It’s freezing outside and it’s not much better in here.”

“I’ll get a fire started,” said Sean.

“I can cook if you want,” said Roy.

Michelle shot him a glance. “You can cook?”

“Yes, but if you’d rather do it, that’s fine.”

“She’d rather not,” said Sean quickly, ignoring a dirty look from Michelle.

After a meal of pork chops, vegetables, biscuits, and a slice each of a store bought apple pie that Roy had found in the freezer, they settled in front of a blazing fire.