John parked in front of the main gate to Prewitt Chapel Cemetery. They visited the graves of Donna’s parents and grandparents. Feeling rather helpless, they watched and listened as she said goodbye to them. Donna still hadn’t decided to stay in the UK, but she didn’t expect to be back in Louisiana, for a very long time.
Richard and John watched as she walked away from them and stood under a tall magnolia tree at the entrance. “She reminds me of Jared the night he left,” John commented.
Richard folded his arms across his chest and watched as she mindlessly tapped a spent blossom with her toe. “Yeah,” he sighed. “Strong on the surface, but soft in the centre, like she’s totally lost.”
“Do you think she’ll change?”
“Who knows?” Richard responded. “Maybe she’ll be better when we get back to the UK.”
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Donna pushed away from the tree and wandered through some of the other grave sites, close to the fence. She couldn’t help thinking, how much less she would hurt to lie among the dead. The final solace of the cold ground was an enticing solution. She thought about Sarabeth, Jared’s daughter.
Hugging herself, Donna closed her eyes. She could almost feel the little girl’s warmth in her arms. She thought about Myra, Jared’s sister, and Tom and Nadine, his parents. Lastly, she thought about Jared. It hurt so badly she could barely breathe. Donna could easily have called Arizona home, but not now. She couldn’t face Jared, not after what Forrest had told her. And, even if it had all been lies, Jared didn’t want her anymore. He’d left her. She had to live with that fact.
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John’s cell phone rang. He unlocked it, glanced at the name and then at Richard. “It’s your Dad. Hello, Sir.”
“John, where are you?”
“At Prewitt Chapel, in Hornbeck.”
“What in the hell are you doing there?”
“Donna. She wanted some things from the old house, and then she wouldn’t leave without coming here first… to say goodbye.”
“How is she? Has she said anything about Jared?”
“Not directly, but she’s thinking about him. You can see it in her eyes.”
“Damn that fucking bastard – I’ll make Forrest pay for this!”
“I will enjoy carrying out that order. Would you like me to do it now?”
“No! I wouldn’t be surprised if Jared took care of him.”
“Hang on, a second, Sir.” John popped in his Bluetooth ear bud and drew his gun. “Ricky, get Donna and head for the side gate. Get behind the tall monuments and stay low. I’m going to try and make it to the car. I knew this was a stupid idea! If anything happens to me, you and Donna head for the nearest house and call the police. Go – now!”
Sir Richard’s voice was frantic. “What is it John?”
“Rifle barrel – behind the church.”
Donna glanced up and saw John’s gun. Richard grabbed her hand. “Come on! Keep your head down!”
A bullet ricocheted off the magnolia tree, inches from John’s right shoulder as he ran past. He crouched behind one of the concrete gate posts. “Shit!”
“Get out of there John!”
“I will when I can, Sir. They’re between me and the car!”
Another shot rang out and ricocheted off the edge of the monument Richard was crouched behind, missing his shoulder by microns, “Bastard!” Donna gasped and lurched toward him. He held his hand up. “No - stay there! I’m fine. He missed.”
John dropped to one knee, leaned out and fired a few rounds in the vicinity where he saw the rifle barrel. A shot hit the ground in front of the monument Donna was hunkered behind. “Where’s John?”
“I don’t know. It would help if I could talk to him, but he’s on his cell with Dad. Just stay there. I’m going to see if I can do something.” He put in his ear bud and pressed a button on his cell phone. “Gary - it’s Richard. Where’s Dad?”
“He’s in his office. You sound out of breath. Where are you? Where’s Donna?”
“Hiding behind the monument across from me.”
“Hiding behind - what’s wrong?”
“Get in there, so you can relay a message to John. He’s on the phone with Dad. Tell John when I give you the signal, I’m going to try and draw fire away from him so he can get to the car.”
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Gary ran down the hall. “What the fuck is going on Richard?”
“Just do what I said!”
“Sir Richard,” Gary shouted as he banged on the door.
“Not now Gary!”
“Sir, please. Open the door. I’ve got Richard on my cell. He needs you to get a message to John.”
The door flew open. “I’m here, Ricky. Are you and Donna OK?”
“We’re hemmed behind some monuments, a few yards from the side gate of the cemetery. They’re taking potshots at us, but so far, we haven’t been hit. I don’t know about John.”
Sir Richard pressed the hands-free speaker on his and Gary’s cell phones. “Can you both hear me, now?”
“Yeah, Dad.”
“I hear you Sir. Are Ricky and Donna OK?”
“Yeah,” Richard responded.
“I’m sorry, Sir. Every time I go for the car, they drive me back behind the gate post.”
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“Get ready John!” Richard said.
“Ricky, don’t do anything reckless.”
“I’ve got to do something, or one of us is going to get killed! Get ready!”
“I’m ready Ricky, but be careful. Just run to the next monument.”
Richard scanned over several possible barricades. “No, it’s not far enough. Now John!” Richard darted behind the first monument. A shot grazed the granite vase between the gravesite next to him. He ducked behind several other monuments, dodging the bullets.
John ran for the car and started the engine. “I’m here! Get back to Donna. I’ll be there in a second,” he said as he shoved it in drive. Loose gravel sprayed behind him as the tires hugged the road.
Richard made a run and ducked behind the monument beside Donna. “Are you OK?” she gasped.
“I’m fine. Either he’s a crap shot or he’s not actually trying to hit us.”
John shoved the car in park, flung the door open, jerked the gate and ducked behind the monument across from Richard and Donna. “I’m going to fire off some rounds! Ricky, you and Donna get to the car. If I’m not right behind you – get out of here!”
Donna’s mouth gaped. “No! We’re not leaving you behind!”
John clenched his teeth and sighed in exasperation. “Do as you’re told!” he forced through his teeth, enunciating each word. “Now!” he shouted and fired repeatedly toward the back corner of the church.
Richard and Donna took off. A shot rang out. Donna yelped, grabbed her upper right arm and dropped to her knees. “She’s hit!” Richard scooped her into his arms and ran for the car. He set her on the ground, yanked the door open and shoved her in the back seat.
“Get in!” John yelled as he jumped behind the wheel.
Richard jumped in the passenger seat and fastened his seat belt. “Pet! How bad is it? Are you buckled in?”
“Yeah,” she groaned. “I don’t know how bad it is, but it hurts like hell!” she winced, afraid to look at her arm.
John fishtailed as he hit the blacktop and put his foot down. “Donna – we need another way out.”
“When you hit Plainview Road, instead of turning left to go back to Hornbeck, go right. When you see the red brick church on your left, take the next blacktop to the left! Watch out – it’s full of potholes.”
“John, you need to find a place to stop, so I can check her arm.”
John swerved right, onto Plainview Road and put his foot down. Richard unbuckled his seat belt. John glanced at him out the corner of his eye. “What are you doing Ricky?”
“I’m getting back there with her!” Richard jumped in the space next to Donna and fastened his seat belt. He laid his hand over hers. “Here – let me see….”
Donna closed her eyes; her stomach flipped. She tasted sour at the back of her throat and moved her hand. “Ow!” she groaned as Richard checked the wound.
“Sorry pet. It went straight through. I don’t think it hit a bone, but I’m not the doctor,” he grinned. “Toss me your handkerchief, John.” Richard took John’s folded handkerchief and put it over the entry and his over the exit wound. “Hold this!” he said, ripped off a strip of his shirt and tied it around her arm. “There. That will do until we can get you to an emergency room.”
Donna was starting to shake. Richard wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his body. “Pet… are you still with me? Are you going to be OK?”
“I’m cold Richard,” she said. “I think I’m going into shock.”
“John, turn off the air conditioner and turn on the heat.” Richard started rubbing up and down her arms. “Donna… stay with me. Are you awake?”
“I’m trying, Richard, but I’m so tired, and it hurts,” she murmured, blinking rapidly. “I’ve never been shot before.”
“If you’d listened to me, you wouldn’t have this time, either,” he growled.
“Ricky, look behind you and see if they’re following us. I’m coming up on 171.”
Richard glanced over his shoulder. “No - there’s nothing behind us. Donna? Pet? Are you with me?” Richard’s cell phone rang. He accepted the video call. Sam’s image came on the screen. “Richard, what in the hell is going on? Your Dad said Donna got shot!”
“Yeah, Sam.”
“Where?”
“In her upper right arm.”
“Is the bullet still in her arm?”
“No. It looks as if it went straight through.”
“Did it hit a bone or a main artery? How bad is it bleeding?”
“I can see blood on my make-shift tourniquet, but there’s none running down her arm.”
“How long ago did it happen?”
“About quarter of an hour.”
“Is she conscious?”
Richard sighed. “No, Sam. I don’t think so.”
“Is she breathing all right? What about her pulse?”
“She’s breathing all right. Her pulse is strong and steady, but her skin is cold and clammy.”
“She’s probably gone into shock. Are you keeping her warm?”
“Yeah, we’ve got the heat on.”
“Hold the camera so I can see her face. Wow!”
“Sam!” Richard groaned.
“Sorry. She’s a little pale. I want you to carefully untie the tourniquet, but do it slowly. If the wound starts seeping, put the tourniquet back on and get her to the nearest hospital. If you don’t see any fresh blood, hold the camera, so I can see the wound.”
“Hang on. It’s not bleeding. Is that at the right angle? Can you see it OK?”
“Yeah. Oddly enough, the wound doesn’t look that bad. It’s still seeping a little, though. Put the padding back on it, but don’t tie the tourniquet as tight this time. Just enough to keep the padding in place.”
“I’m coming into Many,” John interjected. “The hospital is up ahead, on the right. What’s the verdict, Sam?”
“If you can control the bleeding, she can probably make it. How far do you have to drive?”
“About eighty or eighty-five miles by the time we get to the airport.”
“A gunshot wound won’t be easy to explain,” John spoke up.
“No, it won’t,” Sir Richard said stepping into camera view. “Sam? Can she make it?”
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Jared’s eyes turned crimson. The head of the silver fork in his hand slowly bent forward as he pushed it with his thumb. “They let her… get shot!” he growled low in his throat.
“Easy, Jared,” Nadine said, gently patting his hand.
“She’ll be all right, Son,” Tom added. “You can connect with her telepathically. No one would ever know.”
Jared swallowed the lump in his throat. “Donna would. She’s reaching for me now,” he choked, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. He blinked them away. “I want to reach out to her, but I can’t!”
“No, but you can help her with her pain,” Tom said.
Jared’s head jerked up. “How?” he gasped. “Tell me! I want to know everything. Don’t hold anything back.”
Tom glanced at Nadine and nodded.