Free The Siege by Darrell Maloney

ears.
         Hannah said, “One appears to be dead. He was shot right between the shoulder blades and hasn’t moved. The other was shot in the upper chest. He’s on the ground, convulsing but still alive.”
         She paused long enough for Mark to relay the play by play to the shooters.
         Then she went on.
         “The one in the dining room has moved to the hallway and is looking out the window toward the gate. He appears to be afraid to go outside. The one on the roof is still there. Two others came out of their rooms and are now out in the hallway with the other one. I think the second man at the gate has died. He’s not moving anymore.”
         Mark passed the info onto the shooters.
         John responded, “10-4. We’re about five minutes away.”
         “10-4, John. Hannah, let me know if anything changes. John, I’ll open the door as soon as I have you in sight.”
         A few minutes later the Gator came out of the woods and Mark opened up the mine’s overhead door. David and Brad stood by with weapons at the ready during the thirty seconds the door was open. Mark reclosed it immediately after John and Bryan came speeding in and screeched to a halt.
         Mark called back to Hannah and said, “All secure. Everyone accounted for.”
         Then he gave his brother and John each a high five.
         “Two more down. Nice going, guys.”
         The two men on the Gator had each just taken a human life. But they weren’t bothered by it. It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. Instead of remorse or guilt, they each felt a sense of accomplishment.
         It turned out that despite their initial reservations, guerrilla warfare suited them quite nicely.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 17
     
         Mark looked over at Hannah. She was sound asleep. He’d always said she looked like an angel when she slept. Early in their relationship, he set his alarm clock ten minutes before he had to get up in the morning, just so he could watch her in peaceful slumber.
         He carefully drew the covers to one side, with the intent ion of crawling stealthily out of bed without waking her.
         It didn’t work.
         As soon as he drew his body away from hers, she placed her arm around him.
         She said, “Uh-uh.”
         “Uh-uh what?”
         “Don’t leave me. You’re nice and warm.”
         “But I told John I’d meet with him and the security people this morning.”
         “You didn’t ask me first.”
         “I didn’t know I had to.”
         “Of course you have to. I’m the boss of us. Have you forgotten that?”
         He chuckled.
         “Apparently I didn’t get the memo. When did that happen?”
         “The day you said you did.”
         “The day I said I did what?”
         “The day you said ‘I do,’ silly. It’s in the ownership papers.”
         “I don’t think I ever said, ‘I do, silly.’ And I’m pretty sure I never signed any ownership papers.”
         “The marriage license, silly. It was in the fine print. It said the husband would do whatever the wife wanted him to do forever and ever and always, amen. You mean you didn’t read it?”
         “I guess I overlooked that part.”
         “Trust me, it was in there. You do believe me, don’t you?”
         “Uh… sure.”
         “It also said it applied especially when you had an early morning meeting with John and the security people…”
         Mark smiled and started to get out of bed.
         Hannah continued, “…and your wife wants to make love to you instead.”
         Mark stopped.
         “You want to make love to me?”
         “Over and over again.”
         “Well, why didn’t you say so?”
         “It was more fun to drag it out.”
         “Is there really any fine print