Chapter Six

"Almost in Time"

Daisy thrashed against the arms that held her and tried to scream but a strong hand clamped down on her mouth, silencing her cries.

"Shhh! Miss Duke, please be still!" a voice hissed in her ear. "I'm not gonna hurt you!" She stopped struggling and the man gently released her. "It's Carl, the deputy," he whispered. "I'm a friend of Sam's. I'm tryin' to help him and your cousins. I'm sorry to grab you so rough, but I had to get you out of the way fast."

"Carl, we've gotta do something," Daisy said in a low voice. "That crowd's getting ready to kill them!"

"I know. I've already called other officers in the surrounding counties. They should be here any time now. I was on my way out to try and stop that mob but then I saw them chasin' after you and I knew I needed to get to you before they did."

"Thanks a lot, but we better get back out there! They may already be—"

"I know, we don't have much time." Carl paused and pressed something cold and heavy into her palm. "Here. You may need this. Now come on, my car is back here." Her heartbeat quickened as her fingers tightened around the pistol. They sprinted back to Carl's squad car at the back of the alley.

Daisy pushed his hand aside when he reached for the driver's side door. "Uh-uh. You'd better let me drive." Carl didn't argue. He jumped in the passenger side and slammed his door closed just in time as Daisy gunned the engine. She barreled out of the alley, narrowly missing two of the men who had been after her. Tires squealed as she skidded around corners, filling the air with the harsh smell of burning rubber. The buildings flashed by in the darkness as they hit the edge of town.

"Oh, dear Lord," Carl groaned.

Daisy bit back a cry of dismay as she saw the long shape suspended in the air beneath a black oak tree. She laid on the horn, and the mob scattered as she bore down on them. The police car spun sideways and skidded to a stop in a cloud of dust. She felt a rush of relief when saw that Bo and Luke were still alive.

"Cook, what the devil are you doin'?" Parker demanded as Daisy and the deputy jumped out of the car.

"You gotta stop this, Sheriff!" Carl ordered. "You're making a mistake!"

"These people want justice done!" Parker said angrily.

"This isn't justice!" the deputy's eyes were filled with fury and sorrow. "This, this is murder. Sam Avery was innocent." The crowd drew close again, and Daisy could feel the rising edge to their anger. She looked anxiously at Bo and Luke. Tom and another man had Luke in a viselike grip—a noose already around his neck, she noticed with sudden terror—while Bo was still held firmly between Kyle and Nelson. Nelson was holding a rifle. The boys looked pale and scared, but obviously relieved that she was all right.

"Sam worked for the DEA," Cook continued. "Didn't he ever try to tell you? He wasn't making meth. He was trying to put an end to it! But his cover was blown and he was framed for a crime he didn't commit. And those two fellas there didn't have anything to do with it. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." The momentum of the crowd was suddenly brought up short. Most were still angry, but some were beginning to look uncertainly at each other. They could easily believe that a stranger—a newcomer to their town who wasn't generally liked—could lie; but this was one of their own and a man they knew was honest. Cold threads of doubt began to weave through their minds.

"Carl," Parker said sadly, "I never thought I'd see the day when I'd have to call you a liar."

The deputy twitched in surprise. "What?" Then his face began to turn red with anger. "Parker…you are involved!"

"I don't need to listen to you make false accusations," the sheriff growled. He was mad, but he was getting nervous. He hadn't expected his deputy to appear.

"That's fine," Carl said icily. "You can tell the other officers when they get here. They're on their way here now. And then you can explain to the DEA why you stood by and watched while one of their men died!"

That did it. Parker's nerve broke in the face of the unexpected confrontation and he lost the last of his steadily weakening hold over the mob. "You can't blame me!" he burst out furiously. "Tom Harmon and the others arranged this, not me! I was just as in the dark as you!"

Tom had had enough. Before anyone could stop him, he caught hold of the noose around Luke's neck and jerked the younger man back against his body. Bo threw himself forward, trying to knock the big man away from his cousin, but his captors hauled him back and knocked him to the ground. Nelson jammed the end of the rifle barrel against his back.

"I don't wanna hear any more of this!" Tom declared, looking around at the increasingly uneasy crowd. Luke tried to break away, but he couldn't with his hands tied and the bigger man nearly lifting his feet off the ground. The rough hemp scraped against his skin and his eyes grew bright with the first gleam of panic as he struggled unsuccessfully to breathe. "Nobody come any closer. I got a good hold on this feller, so I suggest that y'all let me get outta here—only a few minutes, and then he dies. I know you don't wanna try to wait me out."

"Don't try it, Tom," Carl warned, drawing his pistol. "Let him go."

Tom just smirked, knowing Luke was as good a shield as he could ask for. "Why are you aimin' at me? Parker's the one who—"

Bang!

Tom jerked violently and pitched forward as the sheriff's bullet found its mark in his back—while focusing on Carl, he hadn't noticed the lawman slip behind him. He fell hard and brought Luke down with him. Carl took advantage of the moment of distraction and darted forward. He tackled Nelson, bringing him to the ground as he knocked the rifle away. Parker saw his chance and took aim at his deputy.

"Don't try it!"

The sheriff froze in astonishment as the commanding shout knifed through the chaos. He saw Daisy pull a handgun from the squad car. Her pale blue eyes narrowed as she settled him in her sights. "'Little Sister' don't miss when she aims her gun," she warned in a steely voice. He wet his lips nervously before his thick fingers slowly relaxed around the butt of his pistol and the weapon dropped harmlessly to the ground.

The stunned silence that had fallen was suddenly pierced by the wail of sirens. Bright flashes of red and blue light cut through the black night. Within minutes, five police cars had surrounded the crowd, and a dozen armed officers were on the scene. Tom's colleagues saw that they were caught and abandoned all efforts to keep their prisoners. They dropped their weapons and ran for it, but they didn't get far. Some of the townsfolk had seen the deadly mistake they had made, and they weren't about to let the real criminals escape. It was only a few minutes before the escaping meth cooks were caught and handed over to the reinforcing officers.

Daisy rushed over to where Tom and Luke had fallen. Both men were facedown on the ground. She pushed the dead man away with a grimace, leaning anxiously over her cousin. He was coughing harshly, sucking down air in ragged gulps. "Luke, are you all right?" Her hands shook as she pulled the rope away.

"I'm okay, Daisy," Luke said hoarsely.

"Thank God!" She slid her arms beneath him and helped him climb slowly to his feet. It was awkward because his hands were still restrained behind him and he was more than a little shaky from his brush with death, but he soon steadied when Daisy embraced him tightly.

He couldn't hug her back because of the handcuffs, but he bent his head and pressed his cheek against her hair. "Cousin, you sure have good timing."

The moment Carl had taken down Bo's captors, the young man had rolled away and struggled to sit up as the echoing shot from the gunfire rang in his ears. He tried to stand, but his head was pounding and he thought the world was looking a little funny—and with his hands tied, he couldn't get his balance.

Carl suddenly appeared at his side. "How're you doin', young fella?"

"I'll find out when I get on my feet." Bo sighed in relief as the deputy untied the tight rope that had bound his arms. "Sure glad it didn't make it around my neck," he said, rubbing his reddened wrists. Carl hooked an arm around his waist and helped him stand. He stayed close for a moment to make sure Bo could stand on his own.

"Can you walk?"

Bo looked over to see Daisy hugging the daylights out of Luke and he grinned. "Sure can."

"Bo!" Daisy saw him coming and threw her arms around his neck.

"Whoa, easy!" He caught her and staggered back a little. "All these flashin' lights are making me dizzy." Carl stepped around them and unlocked Luke's handcuffs.

Daisy drew back immediately, noticing with alarm the dried blood on the side of Bo's head. "You're hurt!"

"Nah, it's nothin' I can't shake off." He let go of her to wrap Luke in a huge bear hug. "You sure had me scared," he said, clapping the other man on the back. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I will be." Luke's voice was still a bit hoarse and there was an angry red mark on his throat where the rope had burned him, but the half-smile on his face eased Bo's anxiety.

Luke's serious blue eyes drifted over to the oak tree, where a few of the policemen had gently lowered Sam's body to the ground. His jaw tightened and he swallowed hard. "I just wish this could have ended in time to save him," he said quietly.

Bo felt his heart twist in his chest, and he felt suddenly cold as he realized just how close he had come to watching his best friend be hanged—how close he had come to hanging himself. He draped a long arm across Luke's shoulders and pulled him a little closer. "Me too, Luke. But…boy, I'm glad I didn't have to watch you—"

"I know." Luke closed his eyes. Am I ever going to be able to forget seeing him die like that?

Bo was watching him carefully. "This'll fade, Luke," he said softly. "I don't think we can ever forget what we saw tonight, but it'll get better. Honest, it will."

Luke gave his cousin a weak smile. "If you say so."

"I do say so."

"Hey, you three," Carl put in, "I think it's time we got you inside. It's been a long night for everyone and we're gonna have a lot to talk about come mornin'. You just follow me, now. I'll take you back to the motel." He glanced critically at Bo. "He seems all right to me," he told Luke, "but I think you should wake him up every half hour or so, just to be safe. Can't be too careful with a head injury." Luke nodded in understanding. He could tell that Bo was still a little unsteady on his feet, so he let his younger cousin lean on him a little as they followed the deputy to the car. As they drove off, a small cluster of police officers reverently covered Sam Avery with a sheet.

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There's one more chapter coming! I am hoping to post it by Thursday (9/8).

-Flynne :)