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DONNA-LOU DROVE for half an hour along I-85, trying hard to keep her nerves under control and not speed away from Golden as fast as possible. The sun was up and she felt exposed in the daylight, her eyes constantly moving back and forth, watching for any signs of a state trooper. There was no telling where a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle could show up.
Chet and the two kids were dozing in the back seat while Rory was slumped in the passenger seat, leaning against the door and trying to keep watch with her. As they passed a highway sign, Rory pushed himself up in the seat, groaning as he did, "Okay. I want you to take the next cut-off. The sign back there said there's a town twenty miles to the south."
Shaking her head, Donna-Lou said, "But we're still half-hour at least away from Greenville. I thought that's where you wanted us to go to get away from them?"
"I know," Rory said. "But I've been thinking. We can't stay in this car. Harrison pulled me over when I was going back to Golden and any of his state trooper buddies could have the make, model, and license number and be watching for us. Especially after finding Buck's burned body and his car at your burning house by now–"
Donna-Lou voice rose an octave in fear, "I know. I've been watching. But if we don't get far away, if they see us–"
Rory held a hand up to calm her, "I know. I understand your fears. But we can't take the chance on staying in this car. Besides, we have to find the treasure before they do–"
"We just call the police," Donna-Lou stated firmly. "They can take care of it."
"I thought we had agreed–"
"I've changed my mind," she shot back. She glanced into the rearview mirror at the kids in the back seat, "After what happened back there at my house...at what's left of my house...I can't take the chance."
"Okay. So which police do we call?"
There was a moment of silence and then Donna-Lou's jaw clenched and rippled with anger.
"Which ones can you guarantee won't be members of the KGC?"
More tense silence.
"Are there more judges like the one that was at Jesse's house? Which members of the–"
"Okay, okay. I get your point." Donna-Lou cursed under her breath.
"Just trust me on this. Okay?"
Licking her lips and working to push her fears back down, Donna-Lou finally gave him a nod, "Okay." Her hands gripped the steering wheel hard, "But if something happens, so help me...."
"I understand."
In five minutes she took the next off-ramp and drove south for another twenty minutes before finally reaching the outskirts of a small town.
The kids stirred in the back seat, rubbing the sleep from their eyes as they sat up to see where they were.
"Okay, here's what we need," Rory said as he pointed ahead on the left. There were three car dealerships. Rory leaned ahead and examined the signs coming up. "Turn off at the second dealership," Rory said.
Donna-Lou nodded, turning off the road into the dealership's lot, driving between two lines of cars that stretched to the left and right.
Rory pointed off to the left, "Okay, park over there."
In a moment, Donna-Lou pulled the Jaguar to a stop on the left of the large garage for the dealership.
Rory peeled off the bullet-proof vest off, groaning in discomfort as he did. "Do you still have your weapon?" he asked Donna-Lou.
She nodded, reaching under the seat and pulling out her Glock 19 handgun, showing it to him.
"You're bad ass mom," a proud Corry said from the back seat.
"Language young man," she chided with a half smile.
Chet stirred in the back, where he had been lying against the door, holding his head as he slept.
"Here's your gun, Mr. Calhoun," Emma said as she handed Chet his Glock from the floor of the back seat.
"Thank you, sweetie," Chet said. "Now, does anybody have any aspirins? I'm not sure what hurts worse, my arm or the back of my head."
"We'll get you some as soon as we can," Donna-Lou said as she looked back over the seat with concern.
Rory removed his shoulder holster containing the Baby Eagle and set it on the floor in front of his seat. "I'll be back in a moment. Keep an eye out," he said as a got out.
***
HALF AN HOUR LATER, Rory was driving towards the Jaguar in a large Land-Rover Range Rover. He parked to the left and rolled down his window, calling over to Donna-Lou, "Let's transfer everything to this vehicle."
Donna-Lou nodded and it wasn't long before everyone and everything was transferred to the Land-Rover Range Rover. Rory drove the Jaguar towards the back of the dealership and then came back a few minutes later, holding a hand against his chest.
"Are you okay?" Donna-Lou asked as Rory jumped into the driver's side.
Rory nodded, "Just a little sore, is all."
"Do you want me to drive?"
"No, it's fine," Rory said, "I've had some driver training in evasive maneuvers and if someone tries to stop us...."
Donna-Lou nodded in understanding, "What did you do with the Jaguar?"
Rory glanced at the building, "I didn't tell the dealership, but I parked it in the back lot with a bunch of other vehicles. It should be some time before anybody finds it." He put the Range-Rover in gear and they left the lot behind.
Ten minutes later, they were parked in front of a Best Western Inn and Suite and Rory took three adjoining rooms. Everyone enjoyed room service and several hours of sleep before they got up just after noon and began to plot out their next move.