Split Second
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at somebody.”
Sean checked the gun’s magazine. “Empty,” he said.
“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 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.
David Baldacci is one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 110 million copies in print. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at www.DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at www.WishYouWellFoundation.org, and to look into its program to spread books across America at www.FeedingBodyandMind.com.
ALSO BY DAVID BALDACCI
Absolute Power
Total Control
The Winner
The Simple Truth
Saving Faith
Wish You Well
Last Man Standing
The Christmas Train
Split Second
Hour Game
The Camel Club
The Collectors
Simple Genius
Stone Cold
The Whole Truth
Divine Justice
First Family
True Blue
Deliver Us from Evil
Hell’s Corner
The Sixth Man
One Summer
Zero Day
The Innocent
The Forgotten
The Hit
ACCLAIM FOR DAVID BALDACCI’S
THRILLERS
FEATURING SEAN KING AND
MICHELLE MAXWELL
SPLIT SECOND
“The action is explosive. Readers will barely have time to catch their breath.”
—People
“Genuinely scary scenes… driven by tense action.”
—New York Daily News
“Baldacci knows how to hold his readers’ attention.”
—Associated Press
“Great… a fast-paced thriller.”
—Denver Post
“The reader will enjoy the ride.”
—Houston Chronicle
“A compelling storyteller… a supercharged pace.”
—Orlando Sentinel
“Baldacci provides plenty of action and plenty of surprises.”
—News Journal (DE)
“A fast-paced… adrenaline-fueled story.”
—Newark Star-Ledger
“Pulse-pounding suspense.”
—Booklist
“A pulse-racing tale [that] offers fast-paced suspense from beginning to end.”
—BookPage
“Entertaining… twists and turns… The pace is very good.”
—Sullivan County Democrat (NY)
THE SIXTH MAN
“A complex puzzle… Baldacci is a master craftsman.”
—Associated Press
“A masterpiece of misdirection, wonderfully played out by a storyteller at the absolute top of his game.”
—Providence Journal
“An entertaining read.”
—Chicago Sun-Times
“Fresh and engaging… a lean, relentlessly-paced thriller… The Sixth Man is built for speed.”
—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Authentic scenario, mystery piled on misdirection, and more double-crosses than a tic-tac-toe tournament.”
—Kirkus Reviews
FIRST FAMILY
“Impossible to put down.”
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Riveting… never offers a moment to set the book down… a superb Washington thriller.”
—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Plenty of action drives Baldacci’s stellar novel.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Mr. Baldacci’s books are jigsaw puzzles of intersecting events, not simple whodunits.”
—Washington Times
“What Baldacci does best is provide thrills, chills, and suspense. This novel is a total surprise from beginning to end.”
—Columbus Telegram
“The story unfolds wonderfully. It’s another top-flight thriller from this bestselling author, and it’s good to see King and Maxwell again.”
—Oklahoman
“David Baldacci is indisputably one of the greatest thriller writers of the last decade. One of the most endearing qualities of a Baldacci novel is the world he creates: heroes with severe flaws, powerful men of influence who are easily corruptible… Rather than write the same type of book several times, Baldacci has repeatedly traveled away from his comfort zone, with astounding results.”
—Strand Magazine
SIMPLE GENIUS
“Keeps a reader turning pages.”
—Washington Post Book World
“Compulsively readable… Baldacci, always strong on suspense… finds his voice here.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Exciting… good fun and fast-paced.”
—Midwest Book Review
HOUR GAME
“A thrill a minute… King and Maxwell are fictional treats, a fabulously entertaining team, and the action is hot and hard.”
—New York Daily News
“Plenty of surprises and suspense… rich and deeply textured… fast paced.”
—Associated Press
“The action is suspenseful and relentless.”
—Newark Star-Ledger
“The book’s pace is near-gallop.”
—Buffalo News
“Utterly absorbing… spins in unexpected directions… There are terrific
action sequences throughout and plenty of suspense… texture and depth… A snappy surprise ending will have Baldacci’s many fans remembering why they love this author so much.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Hour Game has the elements of a classic Baldacci thriller. His characters keep getting better and richer and the plots—while always tight and well executed—are becoming more intricate and realistic… There is no question: David Baldacci will stay on the bestseller list for a long time to come.”
—Richmond Times-Dispatch