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THEY LEFT WELL BEFORE SUNUP the next morning. Rory drove north and then took the Old Greenville Highway west before working his way back south towards the Golden area. The sun was just peeking through the trees when Rory came to a stop on a narrow back road in the middle of nowhere. He hit his power button and let his window roll down. The air was warm and carried the rich scent of pine trees. The twittering of birds competed for his attention with the chattering of squirrels.
Despite the pleasant atmosphere, Donna-Lou went on alert and sat up in the back seat, "Why are we stopping here?"
Rory looked over his seat, "Everything is fine, don't worry. From here, we're going to head cross-country to Cherokee Ridge."
Chet had been dozing in the passenger seat and he stirred with the conversation, sitting up as well and looking around at the surrounding trees, "You want us all to get out here and walk now? I have no idea where we are, but...I think we're still a long ways away yet, Rory."
Corry stirred in the back seat as well and set his forehead against his window, "Yeah. I don't know where we are either."
Emma kept her eyes closed and moaned, "I'm too tired to walk."
Rory shook his head and patted the steering wheel, "No, Emma, we're not walking. That's why I rented this Land-Rover Range Rover. It's the biggest and baddest for cross-country trekking." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, "I had the dealership put a big cooler back there when I rented this thing. And before we left, I got that place across the road from the hotel, to fix us up a whole bunch of sandwiches and cool drinks. We're all set."
Corry sat forward and eagerly put his hands on the back of Rory's seat, "So we're staying in this?"
"Yeah, it's an off-road vehicle so...."
Pumping his fist, Corry said "Cool beans." He looked at Emma and gave her a big grin, "We're in the biggest and baddest."
Emma gave him a sleepy return grin and two thumbs up.
Donna-Lou leaned forward, "Well, I sure hope you know where you're going, cause, like Chet here, I'm lost."
Chet nodded as he looked at their surroundings again, "She's right. I've never been up in this area."
Corry set his chin on the back Rory's seat, "So...if we don't know where we are...how do we get to Cherokee Ridge?"
"Some treasure hunters you guys are." Rory pointed to the GPS console screen, "We have a navigation system, don't we?"
Raising an eyebrow, Chet said slowly, Okay. But...?"
Rory shook his head, "Corry? You have that topographical map back there, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you get it?"
Corry scrambled around in his seat to look into the storage area behind the back seat. All their items were sitting on top of the fold-down seat. He grabbed the rolled-up map and turned back around, holding it up, "Okay, I got it. Now what?"
Rory pointed to the GPS console, "Can you and Chet figure out where we are using the GPS and the map coordinates?"
Corry and Chet looked at each other for a moment and then Chet reached for the map, "I guess we can try. Right?"
Shrugging, Corry stood on the back seat and leaned over and watched as Chet unrolled the topographical map.
Emma squeezed her way up beside Corry.
Rory sat waiting for five minutes as Corry and Chet discussed where they were and how to use the navigation system.
Chet finally said, "Okay. I think we have it figured out. I'm not sure how to set the system but...."
Rory hit the power button and his window rolled back up, "Just do your best. I'll concentrate on the driving, so we don't get stuck, and you guys keep me heading in the right direction. Sound good?"
"Sounds good," Chet said as he looked at Corry and Emma, who both looked eager to get going.
Rory pulled his Baby Eagle and placed it on the dashboard in front of him, "And let's keep an eye open for anybody suspicious as well. Everybody ready?"
Chet scrambled to get his Glock 19 out and placed it on the dashboard in front of him, "Ready."
Donna-Lou picked up her weapon from where it was at her feet and placed it into the pocket at the back of Chet's seat. She glanced through her window nervously, "Okay. I'm ready...I guess."
Rory nodded, "Okay. Let's go." He put the Range Rover in gear, applied gas and steered slowly off the road. The wheels bumped their way over several rocks as he drove between two bushy pine trees and headed up a slight incline of grass.
Corry and Emma were already discussing the treasure signs they should look for.