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IT TOOK FIFTEEN LONG HOURS of driving before Rory pulled to the curb in front of Donna-Lou Haney's house. Donna-Lou had taken turns with Rory in driving back from Mississippi but right now she was in the back seat, asleep with the kids. Rory wanted to sleep as well but there was no time. The threat of an atomic weapon being used on American soil was just too serious a matter. He kept the car running as he leaned forward over the steering wheel and examined the windows of the dark house. Everything looked quiet.
Chet had been sleeping and he now stirred in the passenger seat. Stretching his good arm, he yawned and looked out the passenger side window, "Are we there?"
"Yeah," Rory replied. His attention was focused on a couple of cars parked further down the road under the street lights. Neither looked like a police car but they couldn't afford to be caught off-guard.
Chet turned in his seat, reached over and placed his hand on Donna-Lou's knee, shaking it gently and whispering, "Donna-Lou. Donna-Lou."
Rory looked in the rearview mirror, then the side mirror, checking the street behind them for police cars or anything else suspicious.
Donna-Lou stirred, "Hmmmm?"
"We're here," Chet said in a low voice.
Donna-Lou wiped the sleep from her eyes and sat up, glancing out the side window, "What time is it"
Chet glanced at the car's clock, "It's just after five. We have an hour or so before sun-up. And just so you know, Rory got a call from his sister Skye two hours ago. She's taken Jesse to Greenville. Apparently she found her tied up at her house by a couple of state troopers. And guess what? Circuit Court Judge, The Honorable Vernon P. Teague was also there with the troopers."
"What?" Donna-Lou sat up wide awake. "You mean Teague is KGC?"
"Looks like he was."
Donna-Lou swore, "No wonder he wouldn't help much with finding the kids. He was part of it."
"I know. But he's dead."
Her eyebrows flickered at the news and then she leaned forward, dropping her voice, "But how many others are involved, Chet? That's the question. I mean...are we surrounded by them?"
Chet nodded and shrugged, "I don't know. But at least there's one less."
That didn't seem to offer much comfort to Donna-Lou. She glanced at Corry, sleeping beside her, and she frowned, her jaw clenched in anger.
Chet decided there wasn't much more he could offer and he turned back around, opened the glove compartment and pulled out a pair of Glock 19, 9mm semi-automatic pistols. He looked across at Rory, "Are we still going inside?"
Rory took another quick look down the street ahead of them. Then he took another look at the dark house. Finally, he nodded, "Yeah. Hopefully, nobody's broken in to get the flag or anything else we need. You up for it?"
Touching his wound gingerly, Chet, nodded, "Yeah, I guess I have to be."
Nodding in return, Rory looked over the back seat, "You should get the kids up."
Donna-Lou reached out and gently brushed the hair off Corry's forehead. She smiled. Corry and Emma had fallen asleep against each other and they looked so cute. "Can't we let the kid sleep a little longer?"
Rory looked over at the seat at the kids, "I'd like to, but we don't have any time to spare. And it's definitely not safe to leave them out here alone. If any members of the KGC show up before we get back out here...."
Donna-Lou nodded, "You're right." She shook her son, then Emma, "Wake up you sleepy heads. C'mon, wake up."
The kids stirred, stretched and sat up, yawning. Instead of saying anything, both of them rubbed their eyes, looked at the darkness outside the car and then plopped their heads against the seat and closed their eyes again.
Rory pulled his Baby Eagle handgun from his shoulder holster and looked across at Chet, "I think it's best if you and me check around the outside of the house first. Just to make sure before we all go in."
Chet nodded, "Okay, that sounds good to me."
Looked back over the seat, Rory asked Donna-Lou, "Were all your doors and windows locked when you left?"
Donna-Lou nodded, "Yes. We always make sure to do that when we leave." She shrugged, "We don't have much but...."
Rory looked at Chet again, "Okay. Watch for unlocked or open windows. Same for the doors. Donna-Lou, I want you to get behind the wheel and be ready to drive the kids away from here and to safety if anything happens."
Donna-Lou nodded and got out on her side as Rory and Chet opened their doors and got out.
Chet handed her one of the Glocks, "Be careful out here."
Donna-Lou took the gun and whispered, "Uh...about that kiss back there...."
"It's okay. It was the heat of the moment and all that," Chet whispered. He waved a hand, "I've already forgotten about it–"
"You have, have you?" Donna-Lou replied tersely in a low voice. She snorted, "I guess you're not as smart as I thought you were, Mr. Calhoun." With that said, Donna-Lou marched in a huff around to the driver's side.
Chet stood there, blinking, embarrassed and feeling a little foolish.
Donna-Lou got in the driver's side, setting the pistol on the seat beside her.
"You leave the minute you even suspect trouble," Rory told her and then he closed the car door. There was a clunking sound as Donna-Lou locked the doors.
Rory took a look in both directions down the street, making extra sure there was no police car or any other suspicious vehicle in sight. So far so good. He walked around the front of the Jaguar to Chet, "Okay, let's go check the yard and the house. Keep your eyes and ears open."
Chet took a deep breath and nodded, following behind as they headed for the house.
Rory moved to the left of the house while he indicated he wanted Chet to check out the right side. Moving slow, Rory held his Baby Eagle in both hands as he swept it back and forth, peering into the darkness of the yard. He reached up and checked the first window. Locked. He moved further down to a smaller window and found it locked as well. Skirting some bushes, Rory moved carefully to the next window. He reached up and checked. Locked. Reaching the corner of the house, Rory peered around into the dark backyard. He spotted movement on the far side of the house. Dropping to a knee, he brought the Baby Eagle up and then realized it was Chet.
Chet was moving low in the dark, his Glock held in both hands. He swung around to his left when he detected movement.
"It's me," Rory whispered.
There was a visible drop of relief in Chet's shoulders and he nodded.
Rory moved out from his position, gesturing towards the back door as he knelt and kept his gun trained on the darkness around them.
Chet tip-toed to the back door, reached out and turned the doorknob. He looked back over his shoulder and whispered, "Locked,"
Rory nodded and indicated for Chet to move back around the right side of the house. Rory kept his eyes trained on the darkness behind them as they moved back to the front of the house. Standing at the bottom of the front porch, Rory indicated for Chet to go check the front door while he kept alert for movement in the surrounding darkness.
Chet walked softly onto the porch, reached out and checked the door. He quietly and quickly moved back to Rory. "Locked," he whispered.
"Okay," Rory whispered, "You stay here and keep your eyes open. I'll go get the others."
Chet tiptoed back up on the porch, holding his Glock 19 in two hands as he kept an eye on the darkness around him.
Rory went back to the sidewalk beside the Jaguar. He looked up and down the street in both directions again - he brought his weapon up when he caught movement down the street. Every muscle was tense, ready for battle. But after a few moments, everything stayed quiet, the only sound his own breathing as he watched, listened and waited. Rory slowly let his breath out and he lowered his weapon. Finally, he tapped lightly on the vehicle and motioned for Donna-Lou to bring the kids.
Donna-Lou looked back over the seat and called to the kids. They had fallen into a slumber and she had to reach back and shake them both. Then she grabbed her pistol, jumped out and ran around to the passenger side back door. She looked at Rory and whispered, "Did you see something? It looked like you did...."
Rory shook his head, "Probably just a cat."
Donna-Lou licked her lips, nodded and then opened the back door, urging the two sleepy heads to get moving.
The two kids slid across the seat, grumbling and got out.
Rory stood on the sidewalk, his head on a swivel as Donna-Lou got the kids moving towards the house. Then he followed, constantly keeping an eye peeled for any sign of an attack.
Donna-Lou fished her key from a pocket and unlocked her front door.
"Let us go in first," Rory whispered.
Nodding, Donna-Lou stepped aside, standing with the kids, holding her Glock low in both hands.
Rory moved quietly ahead, slipping inside the house, followed closely by Chet. Rory gestured for Chet to check the living room on the right while he slipped into the kitchen.
Donna-Lou and the kids stepped inside behind them, closed the door and waited.
Meeting Chet back at the front entrance, Rory whispered to him, "I'll check upstairs while you check the sitting room and the closets down here. Come up to the top of the stairs when you're finished."
"Okay."
Keeping close to the wall, Rory crept slowly up the stairs. The stairs squeaked softly despite his best efforts to tread lightly. Once at the top of the stairs, he moved from room to room, checking the closets and under the beds, clearing each. Last was Corry's treasure room. He opened the door carefully and slipped inside. It was empty and quiet in here as well. Moving back to the stairs, he found Chet just coming up.
"Everything is clear downstairs," Chet said.
"Only one other place," Rory said as he holstered his weapon. He walked over, jumped up and pulled the attic stairs down.
Chet kept watch as Rory climbed the stairs into the attic.
Rory cleared the attic quickly, checking behind all the boxes and every possible hiding spot. He went back to the top of the attic stairs and called down to Chet, "Okay, everything looks good. I'll get the stuff from the trunk. Send Donna-Lou and the kids up and then you get what we need out of the car."
"Okay." Chet headed back down the stairs.