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THE TALK OF USING an atomic bomb against the White House hung heavy in the car. Chet swore and asked, "Are you sure Corry? I mean, that's movie type stuff and...."
"Yeah. I'm sure. That's why they took me down there," Corry explained. "They wanted me to help them find the treasure."
"Yep. They called him treasure boy," Emma added. "He didn't have to work like the rest of us."
"That's right. They kept me in a room and they kept talking to me over and over and over again," Corry said.
Chet twisted in this seat, groaning a little at the pain, "Why would they need you to find the treasure? They're KGC. Don't they know–?"
Corry shook his head, "Nope. Me and Emma heard them talking. Some of the members of the Knights of the Golden Circle decided to move the treasure for some reason a long time ago."
"The men we were listening to called them traitors," Emma added.
Corry nodded and he sat forward, eager to tell the story, "There was a big fight and some of them were killed over it."
Emma nodded, "Yep. And then they found out the ones who buried the treasure made up signs to the new spot."
"And they fought over that too," Corry added.
"And then some more were killed," Emma said.
"But they found out someone kept the stuff to find it. But the others didn't know where it was and then they found out–" Corry's voice suddenly cut off and he looked stricken like he had said too much.
Donna-Lou looked at her son, realization suddenly dawning on her, "And that...stuff...they were looking for...? You found it in our attic, didn't you?"
Corry lowered his eyes
Emma jumped in, "Corry told some of the boys at school about a skin he found in the attic. A skin that can lead to the treasure. And those men found out."
Corry nodded, "The men kept asking me where I got it. I told them...I found it..." His voice trailed off again and he sat back and didn't seem to want to say any more.
Donna-Lou glanced at Rory and Chet. Then she shifted slightly in her seat towards her son, "Corry, where did you say you found it? Corry? You have to tell us. It's important."
Corry's head hung down, "I didn't want them going to our house, mom. So...I told them I found it in the old house over on Carmichael Street."
Donna-Lou put her hand to her mouth in shock.
"I... I didn't know who lived there before," Corry said. "It's really, really old and...I'm sorry...."
"Whose house are we talking about?" Rory asked.
"That's where Jesse Flint's family lived," whispered Chet.
Rory wasn't sure who they were talking about until it dawned on him, "You mean Jesse...from the diner?"
Donna-Lou nodded, "She was raised by her grandparents. They were very poor and that house was almost unlivable, even when she was there as a little girl."
"They're gonna go after Jesse because of me, mom," Corry blurted. It looked like he was about to cry.
They rode in silence for a few moments, everyone digesting the information.
It was Chet who spoke up, "Corry, is the treasure up near Cherokee Ridge?"
Well, I'm pretty sure we have to start up there."
Chet shook his head, "But...how can anyone find the treasure now, when at least two of those signs no longer exist up there? We saw the photocopies of the signs you had on that whiteboard. But...we have no way of knowing where they were–"
"I do," Corry answered, suddenly eager again. "One of the signs was on a tombstone. Someone was building a dam and other buildings up there and one of the things they removed was the graveyard."
"They said the Knights of the Golden Circle tried to stop them from doing that and there was some more killings over it," Emma added.
"Yeah," Corry said. "But a photographer recorded each grave because they were moving it."
"That's fine and all but you still don't know the direction, Corry," Chet countered.
"I could tell which direction the sign was pointing from the old picture they sent me from the Historical Archives in Atlanta," Corry explained. "I could see the western part of Cherokee Ridge in the background."
Rory and Chet looked at each other.
"I guess we didn't ask enough questions," Rory said.
Chet nodded, thinking some more. Then he turned with a grimace from the pain and looked over the seat at Corry, "Okay. But that still leaves one sign...."
"I think the photographer was a treasure hunter too because he took a photograph of that one as well," Corry said.
"Or he was a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle too," Emma added.
Corry nodded, acknowledging the possibility, "Anyways, it was on an old tree that was removed. And you can tell which direction it's pointing in, too. All we need to know is where the tree was growing when they cut it down and removed the stump."
Rory and Chet looked at each other again. Rory then looked into the rearview mirror at Corry, "Okay, I'll bite. How exactly do you figure that out?"
Corry shrugged, "That's how you find any of the signs. You find two or more signs, and they point to a spot where you find another sign. That's what I was doing when they kidnapped me. I was trying to figure out the spot where that last sign was located."
Chet shook his head slowly, "Told you the kid was better than any of us."
"The only problem is that I heard them say they got the skin," Corry said. "I think I can remember the layout but–"
"Rory and I got the skin back," Chet said. "Well... Rory mostly..."
A big grin split Corry's face, "Cool. So now we can go up to Cherokee Ridge and I'll help you to find out where the last signs are–"
"Let somebody else do it," Donna-Lou insisted. "I'm not losing you again."
"But I know which signs are false and which are real. And I can help find it faster," Corry insisted. "And if we don't, they could buy a bomb. And if they go after Jesse...."
"We can protect her," Donna-Lou replied. "We'll keep her safe–"
"When daddy died you said that sometimes bad things happen to good people. That we can't always keep them safe," Corry said. "I don't want bad things to happen to Jesse...or you...."
Donna-Lou put a hand to her mouth and shook her head. Now it looked like she was about to cry.
"We got to go help her first, mom," Corry whispered. "And then...."
Finally, she said, "Okay. Maybe we can call Jesse and have her leave Golden–"
"I'll make a call and see if Skye can go up there to take care of her," Rory said. He hit the call button on his steering wheel, "If she can catch a plane, she'll be there quicker than we can."
"Oh, thank you, Rory," Donna-Lou said in relief. "She's always been good to Corry and me."
"And then we can go and find the treasure. Right, mom?" Corry asked.
"I'm going too," insisted Emma as she crossed her arms. "I have to protect my boyfriend."
Corry Haney rolled his eyes.