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TROOPER BUCK WALKER HARRISON kept his hand firmly over Chet's mouth, "See what happens when folks don't listen? I told that man to leave. Now he'll be doing it in a pine box."
Chet twisted his head, trying to get the big man's hand off his mouth.
Harrison put the still smoking Glock against Chet's temple, "Now why don't you tell me who else is in the house? And keep in mind, if you make any attempt to warn anyone, I'll kill you and then everyone else in the house. Of course, if that sweet Donna-Lou Haney is in there, I'll have a little bit of fun with her first. Know what I mean?" A moment later, he took his hand off Chet's mouth, Now who's in there–?"
"You touch Donna-Lou and I'll–" Chet winced as Harrison pressed the end of the gun barrel hard into his temple.
"You'll do what?" Harrison asked smugly. "You always were a little piece of–"
A light flashed in the window on the second floor, catching Harrison's attention.
Chet looked up as well and fear registered on his face. Flames were climbing the drapes on the second-floor window.
"Are you people crazy?" Harrison hissed. "That house is a tinderbox and we'll lose anything of value in there–"
Chet struggled to free himself.
Harrison smashed the Glock against the back of Calhoun's head.
Chet's world exploded in a mass of stars and pain as he fell to his knees. He clutched the back of his head and groaned, his eyes squeezed shut. A moment later, he looked towards the old house and his heart skipped a beat.
Buck was running for the porch, the weapon in his hand swinging back and forth.
Chet desperately bought a foot up, wanting to give chase but his legs betrayed him. They were jello and his hands clutched desperately for something to hold onto as he fell face down, landing hard on the sidewalk.
Harrison ran up the two steps to the porch, leaped over Rory Mack Steele's body and barged into the old house.
As soon as the trooper disappeared inside, Donna-Lou appeared at the side of the house, running ran low in the darkness, the Glock 19 in her right hand. She carried the Confederate flag, folded around the gun case in her left hand.
Closely behind her came Emma and Corry. Emma carried the stag hat and the Confederate uniform, while Corry had the topographical map along with his photocopies. They all ran for the Jaguar, with Donna-Lou dropping to her knees beside Chet, laying the flag and gun case down, "Chet, Chet! Are you okay? Speak to me. Chet?"
Chet rubbed the side of his head as he rolled over on the sidewalk, "Yeah...yeah... I think I'm okay–"
Donna-Lou kissed him squarely on the lips, "Thank God, I saw someone with you and I heard a shot...."
Blinking for a moment at the kiss, Chet then said, "Uh, yeah. It was Buck Harrison–"
"Buck Harrison! Is he part of the KGC too?"
"Yeah...looks like it...."
"Where's Rory?" asked a very worried Emma.
Chet's head snapped up and he looked at the house. "Oh, no!"
Whirling around on her knees, Donna-Lou brought the gun up, looking for a target, "What's wrong, Chet? Who is it?"
Chet pointed a shaky hand to the house, "No, no. It's Rory. Buck shot him when he came out of the house. I think...he's dead."
Donna-Lou put a hand to her mouth as she looked at the house. Flames were leaping out of the second-floor window now and a body could be seen on the porch in the flickering light. She got to her feet, running for the porch.
Corry and Emma dropped everything and ran for the porch as well.
Chet tried to rise, moaned as he put a hand to his head and collapsed, hitting his head on the side of the Jaguar.
Donna-Lou bounded up onto the porch and dropped to her knees beside Rory.
Corry and Emma jumped onto the porch, crying as they got on either side of the body.
"Rory, Rory," Emma cried as she shook his shoulder.
Donna-Lou lay the Glock down beside her knee and placed her hands on Rory's head, searching for an injury. Then she slid her hands to his chest, feeling for a bullet wound.
Rory's head snapped up, "What–?"
Startled, Donna-Lou pulled back, "Chet said Buck Harrison shot you! Where are you hit?"
Rory coughed as his hands went to his chest. His fingers fumbled for a moment and then held up a flat metal object.
"Is that a bullet?" Corry said in amazement.
Rory's voice was hoarse as he nodded, "Yeah, I'm still wearing my bulletproof vest the government guys gave us."
Tears of relief flowed from Donna-Lou's eyes.
Corry tugged urgently at his mother sleeve, "Mom, mom. Look!"
Donna-Lou grabbed the Glock as she looked at her son and then realized what he was pointing at. Through the crack of the still open door, they could see flames engulfing the main floor of their house. Donna-Lou spoke urgently as she slipped the Glock into the back of her jeans, "We have to get out of here, Rory. Help me get him up, kids."
Rory grunted in pain as he struggled to get to his feet with their help. But his body was still weak from the force of the gunshot and he fell over with his first step, taking everyone down with him, the old porch boards rattling and groaning under the force.
Donna-Lou, Corry, and Emma scrambled back to their feet, all three of them nervously eying the open door and the flames beyond as they worked to get Rory back up.
Rory shakily got to his feet again, his legs rubbery as they helped him down the stairs. "Where's the guy who shot me?" he asked, his voice raspy.
"He ran into the house," Donna-Lou said as she and the kids helped Rory move away from the burning structure.
Glancing back, Rory looked at the dancing flames as the fire intensified, "What the hell happened?"
"That was me," Donna-Lou said. "I looked out the window and saw someone had hold of Chet. Then I heard a gunshot. I figured it was the KGC after us again and I panicked. I didn't know what to do so started a fire to distract them. Stupid, I guess...."
"No, not stupid at all. You did what you had to do," Rory said. "But we should get out of here before that guy comes back out."
As they approached the vehicle, Chet had struggled to his feet and he leaned against the Jaguar, confusion written on his face, "Rory, I saw Buck shoot you. I thought you were–"
A man's scream tore through the air.
Everyone looked to the Haney house to see a figure, completely on fire, stumble out of the front door. Buck Walker Harrison screamed and beat at the flames that engulfed his body. He took one step off the porch and collapsed on his face, flames and sparks from his body dancing with the force. Behind his burning body, flames tore through the house, the old boards and timbers snapping and crackling. Black smoke began to creep through the door and the strong smell of burning wood filled the air.
"Mom, our house," Corry whispered.
"It's okay, sweetie, we can always get a new house. It's people that matter."
The black smoke crept across the yard and swirled around them and Corry and Emma coughed.
"We have to get moving," Rory said urgently, "the fire will bring people. And if other KGC members show up...."
"You're right," Donna-Lou said. "Emma, get the car doors open. Corry, help me get Rory up."
Emma waved swirling smoke away and pulled on the passenger side door beside Chet. "It's locked!" she cried.
Chet swore, "I...I had the keys when Harrison jumped me." He placed a hand against the Jaguar, holding himself steady as he looked around on the sidewalk, "I think I dropped them...."
Emma spun around, frantically looking for the keys p she pounced to the side of the Jaguar just behind him, "Here they are." She aimed the key fob at the Jaguar and pressed the button. There was a slight thunk as the doors unlocked and then Emma opened the passenger side door.
"Good girl," Donna-Lou said as she urged Rory to get up.
Rory groaned in pain as he slid into the car and sat heavily on the passenger seat.
Corry pulled open the back door, helping Chet to slide inside.
Donna-Lou slammed the passenger side door shut, took the car keys from Emma and ran for the driver's side, yelling to the kids, "Get all the stuff and put it in the car. Hurry."
Corry and Emma gathered up all the dropped treasure items, along with Chet's dropped Glock and threw them into the Jaguar. Then the two kids ran around the car and jumped into the back seat, slamming the door shut behind them.
Donna-Lou started the Jaguar and looked at Rory "Where do we go?" she asked desperately.
"Just drive," Rory said as he winced in pain. "We can't stay here in town. Head towards Greenville and we'll find a hotel along the highway. We don't know if any other troopers are members of the KGC, so you need to keep your speed down–"
"Like that's going to be easy," Donna-Lou complained as she stamped on the gas pedal and the Jaguar squealed away from the corner, leaving behind the heavy smell of the house burning and the smoldering body of Buck Walker Harrison.