Chapter 1

Junior McCoy loved the rumble of the three inch straight pipes as he pressed the accelerator closer to the floor. He threw the wheel over, mud lugs on the rear tires showering the brush along the road with rocks and dust. Ted Nugent howled out "Cat Scratch Fever", powered amp making the 4x4 vibrate with the bass as he rode the brakes into the next corner. His right foot played the accelerator and brake like a fine instrument as the 350 under the hood roar out its own tune. Shooting out of the apex of the curve he pressed the gas pedal all the way down, getting that small floating feeling in his gut as he topped a hill.

"Shit!" Junior yelled as his feet slammed on the clutch and brake, the dust billowing around him as he fought the wheel as the back of the truck tried it's best to become the front. His eyes sought an opening as his brain sorted the options, try to spin around and get the hell away, or try to squeeze past the vehicle sideways in the road. Then his eyes recognized Sheriff Pembrook himself standing by the Ford Explorer blocking the road, lights flashing red and blue.

"Shit!" Junior yelled again, visions of himself in irons headed to prison for running shine filling his mind. He had just intended to stop by and visit his Pa for a few minutes, and had let himself be talked into running twenty gallons of Pa's best home brew into Gatlinburg for him. As his 1985 Chevy slid to a halt he stuffed the half empty bottle of beer down by the bucket seat, and threw the tranny into neutral. As the brown cloud of limestone dust settled on the scene the Sheriff hitched his worn Sam Browne belt into a more comfortable position and walked over to Junior's door. Junior swung the door open and looked down at the Sheriff. Having a six inch body lift and Mickey Thompsons on your truck made you look down on most things, as Junior was fond of saying.

Junior punched the power button on the stereo, muting the sound to the Kraco speakers as he raised a nonchalant eyebrow at the Sheriff.

"Problems Sheriff?" he asked mildly. Junior liked Pembrook, even if he was a "law dog" and had even deer hunted with him on occasion.

"Where you headed Bubba?" Pembrook called everyone Bubba, unless he was dealing with you in an official capacity. Hearing this Junior relaxed a little. Still, knowing that his truck bed was full of one gallon plastic jugs of moonshine his asshole didn't relax totally.

"Runnin' in to town to get some vittles for Pa. I stopped by on the way back from Hiram Walker's place and Pa's feelin' a little poorly. With Ma gone he don't eat right, and I thought I'd get him some real food, not something that came out of a can. Need to stop at the Doc's and get him some pills. He's got an awful cough."

Pembrook nodded his head understandingly. When Mary McCoy had passed away 18 months ago, George McCoy had begun to partake of his own product a little too much. And it hadn't gotten any better. Nowadays the only thing George seemed to care about was his still. No matter how lit he got, he still turned out the best shine in this part of Tennessee.

"When you' all gonna make an honest woman of that Sarah? Got to hand it to you there Bubba, she's the best looking thing come out of these here parts in recent memory. Was I a few years younger I might give you some competition for that one." Junior knew that last was a joke. In his job Pembrook had been offered a roll in the hay in exchange for looking the other way more than once. He would just laugh, dig out his wallet and show the lady a picture of his wife. She was a fox, no doubt about it, and Pembrook made it no secret she kept him too satisfied to be looking elsewhere.

"Besides, she'd geld me in a hurry if I ever thought about steppin' out on her. She's got enough Cherokee in her to know how to collect a scalp right proper too." He'd told Junior once.

"Sorry Junior, I can't let you go into town. Besides, I figured you's up here would stay put till this thing blew over." At Junior's blank look he shook his head. "I keep forgetting the Whitman's nor your Pa has a TV. Ain't you caught the news this week Junior?" At Junior's negative head shake he continued.