Дэвид Балдаччи - The Sixth Man

MICHELLE WAS DRIVING.

Sean was shotgun.

Edgar Roy was in the backseat of the van.

The drive had been long and they had stopped only twice, for bathroom breaks. When they pulled down the country lane, Michelle slowed the van.

“I know Bunting told us we were off grid when we came here before to meet Kelly Paul, but this case has given me a large case of paranoia.”

Sean nodded as his gaze swept the area. It was the perfect place for an ambush.

“But other things being equal it’s better than checking into a motel.”

“Only if we don’t end up getting killed,” Roy said.

Sean looked at him in surprise. Roy had spent most of the trip in silence.

“A brilliant observation,” said Michelle sarcastically. She put the van in park and glanced sideways at Sean. “Plan?”

“I can always sneak up there, and if someone is waiting for us, they can kill me and you can get away.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“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.

“Any word from Kelly or Bunting?” asked Michelle.

Sean said, “Just got a text. They each made contact with their respective targets. And each was apparently very successful.”

Roy nodded, his eyes on the fire. “They’re playing Quantrell and Foster against each other.”

Sean said, “Did your sister tell you that was the plan?”

“No, it’s just the most obvious one. I met Foster twice. She’s clearly a megalomaniac. Mason Quantrell is just greedy and jealous. A lethal combination.”

Sean put another log on the fire and drew closer to the flames. “Tell me about the bodies in the barn.”

Roy turned to him. “Why?”

“We’re investigators. Ted Bergin hired us to help you. That’s what we’re trying to do. In order to do that we need information. And this is the first real chance we’ve had with you.”

Roy took a moment to rub his glasses lenses clean on his shirt. He settled them back on and said, “I was taking a walk before dinner. I usually did that. I hadn’t been in the barn in a long time. It was just a whim I decided to go in. Everything looked the same until I spotted the disturbed dirt on one side. I grabbed a shovel and started digging, to see what was there. That’s when I saw the face. I was about to call the police when I heard the sirens. They arrested me. I can’t blame them, really. I had the shovel in my hand and the bodies were there. It must’ve looked like I was just burying them instead of trying to dig them up.”

“And that’s when you went into…?”

Roy looked embarrassed. “That’s when I retreated into my head, yes.”

“But you remember everything that went on?” asked Michelle.

“I never forget anything. I remember the first jail they put me in. Mr. Bergin coming to represent me. He tried very hard. There were times when I thought about talking to him, but I was just scared.” He paused. “I’m very sorry he’s dead. It was because of me, of course.”

“So Foster and Quantrell put the bodies there in order to frame you.”

Roy said, “I appreciate the presumption of innocence.”

“I never presume anything,” replied Sean. “But the timing of everything was too neat, too tidy. If I had to bet I’d say you were being watched, and as soon as you went in that barn, the cops got the call.”

Michelle added, “And what we know of you, you’re a little too smart to get caught red-handed by the local cops.”

Sean looked at Roy. “Okay, Quantrell and Foster framed you. They thought they were home free. Now they’ve been turned against each other. What will they do next?”

Roy didn’t hesitate. “Foster has no history of wrongdoing, while Quantrell’s reputation is far sketchier on that score. Other things being equal, Quantrell will react more calmly to the situation than Foster.”

“In other words, he’s used to stepping over the line,” said Michelle.

“Exactly. His innate reaction will be to survive this and perhaps even continue his business. Foster may very well lash out and let the chips fall. Or she might withdraw from the field and do nothing, hoping it goes away.”

“That option I doubt,” said Michelle. “You don’t get to be the head of DHS by being a wallflower, particularly a woman.”

“I agree with you,” said Roy. “Which means she will probably be very aggressive in trying to turn the situation around.”

“So she goes to her allies again, trying to shore up support,” said Sean. “And blacken the well against Quantrell?”

Roy nodded. “She has the advantage there. She can get a meeting with the president or the FBI director if she needs to. Quantrell can’t. He obviously knows this and will play to his strengths.”

“Which are?” asked Sean.

“Operations in the field. Foster never would have used DHS personnel for the murders or my extraction. But private mercenaries are far less picky. They pledge allegiance to whoever’s paying them.”

“So Quantrell will use his men to do what?” asked Michelle.

“Find me, kill Bunting and my sister. And if the need arises he may very well hit Foster.”

“Taking down the DHS head, pretty gutsy,” said Sean.

“When you have nothing to lose, it doesn’t take that much guts,” replied Roy. “And it doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out.”