“Sean, it’s okay,” said Michelle. “Let him go.”
Sean reluctantly released his grip, then bent down and picked up the gun. He looked at it. “What the hell is this?”
“A German Mauser,” said Tyler, scowling up at him.
“Without a trigger,” pointed out Michelle. “Saw that in the headlights. Makes it a little hard to use as a weapon unless you throw it at somebody.”
“Right,” said Sean.
“Tyler was just going to tell me where he lives so we can drive him there,” said Michelle.
“Tyler?” said Sean.
“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 looked at Michelle. “Can you just give me a lift home?”
“Yes,” 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,” he added as another bolt precipitated a
deafening crack of thunder.
They got back to the Land Cruiser where Sean had parked it off the road. There were some blankets in the back cargo area. Michelle grabbed three of these and handed one to Tyler, who draped it around his shoulders. She handed another to Sean and wrapped the last 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.
“Which house?” asked Sean.
Tyler pointed to one on the right. 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.
“Why are they here?” she asked Tyler.
“To tell me my dad was killed in Afghanistan,” said Tyler.
CHAPTER
5
THE WOMAN RUSHED TOWARD THEM in the rain as Sean, Michelle, and Tyler climbed out of the truck. She slipped on one of the cement steps, but quickly righted herself and raced across the small patch of soggy lawn. Smoky air rose from her mouth with each breath.