Chapter 13

I called the Chief of the South Carolina State Police, at the number on the card he gave me, I explained to the Sargent, that answered the phone, who I was and asked to speak to the Chief. She put me right through. I explained that we didn’t feel exactly safe here and were leaving, and too please keep the surveillance at the camp for a week. He asked and I gave our route out of South Carolina, that would eventually put us in Knoxville.

Samantha and Sue arrived back at the coach. I told them we were leaving and why, no argument there, they agreed with me completely. They immediately started breaking camp. I suddenly realized that I had not told Violet or Hannah we were leaving, when I got inside, Violet said, good idea John. We are getting ready, do I have time to say goodbye to Donna. I told her, we would pick her up at the gate on the way out. Half an hour later we were loaded, completely and I was done with my preventive maintenance on the coach. I put $2000.00 in an envelope for the staff. Told anyone of the girls to put our route in the GPS as follows; Atlanta then Knoxville a six hour trip. I drove to the gate, went inside, gave the envelope to the manager, informing him to divide it among the employees, He informed me that all was taken care of with the camp in Knoxville. I Kissed Donna goodbye and squeezed one of her breasts. Violet and I boarded the coach, Hannah was driving and we were gone. I told Hannah to keep the speed down to sixty-five until we got out of Georgia. Samantha came up to me, and whispered, if we could go to bed. I told her as soon as we got on the interstate, we sure could. We should be in Knoxville, between 10:00 and 11:00. Violet was ridding shotgun, Sue and Georgia in the recliners checking out Netflix. Half way down the hallway, I checked the water tank and it was full, what a great crew I had.

I entered the bedroom and Sam was just coming out of the bathroom, finishing the shower she had started at the camp, I was going to wait till we got on the smoother highway, before I started mine. One thing for sure in the south, you sure do sweat a lot. I went up front, just to see how things were. I don’t know why, I just did. Was I spooked or what, we were not even close to the highway. Hannah said that there was a vehicle coming up on us fast. I said put the pedal to the metal, honey. The coach was no hot rod, I looked at the rear view camera, but couldn’t tell what kind of vehicle it was, we were up to seventy-five and it was coming fast, on this two lane road we were going dangerously fast, at eighty it was not gaining on us fast now. Hannah if it gets beside us and looks menacing, run it off the road,. I could see now, it was a pick-up truck, pulled out and was just passed the trailer, when I saw a big blast come from the passenger side window, then another one, blowing out the window in the lounge. Hannah said what do I do Daddy, I said swerve to the left and hit him hard but don’t put us in the ditch too. She was doing it as I spoke, a loud bang and crunch and we were almost in the ditch, out of control at best, but she brought it back on to the roadway, thank God for wide berms. I told her to slow it down. I grabbed the CB radio mic, Violet reached over and turned it on. I don’t know anything about CBs, so I just said help, this is John Marshall, we were just attacked by a pick-up truck, then to Hannah pull over and stop. Then the CB said, this is the highway patrol, come again, not knowing what he meant I just stood there and looked dumb, Violet took the mic from me, we were just attacked by a pick-up truck. What is your location mam? She looks at the GPS and tells where we are. Turn the flashers on, honey. Can anyone see anything, Georgia sticks her head out the broken window, says that there is a limping man coming up the road. Hannah drive a way, don’t let him get close, I can’t Daddy, she was a wreck, probably in shock I reached around her, put it in drive and hit the gas, steering as best I could, letting off the pedal, we rolled along at an idle, Still coming Georgia, she said no, he sat down in the road, looks like he’s crying.

A patrol car appeared, coming towards us and stopped. Is anyone hurt? Where is the truck, we told him about one hundred yards back but a man is on the road. He said he saw him and had called for an ambulance, another patrol car pulled up. Searching the ditch and field with a spotlight, shinning on an over turned truck in the field. A few neighbors came over to see, what was about. A squad arrived back at the spot where the truck was, the patrolman had helped get the man up off of the ground and was leading him past our coach, he yelled, you SOB, you killed my wife, that tramp isn’t worth it, she’s was just a piece of crap, nobody cared about till you came along. The Patrolman put him in the cruiser and drove back to the place where the truck lay.

One of the neighbors walked up to us and asked if we needed anything, we told him no, and thanked him. He hung around, wanting to talk, being nosy I guess. We started to clean up, that’s when I noticed I was naked, and put some clothes on, in a hurry. Just then the Park Manager and Donna showed up, asking if we were alright and what could they do to help us. The Manager, Donna, the neighbor, Violet and I walked back to the squad, to see about everything. We spied a sheet pulled over a body by the truck on the ground and another person, that didn’t look too good, being loaded into the squad, The squad and the Patrol car with the man from the road left with lights and siren, another Patrol car without a light bar but blue and red lights in the grill came. Two Officers got out, one walked to the truck the other over to us, are you the Marshalls? We nodded yes, he asked if we could meet at the coach. So we all headed that way. Sue and Georgia had all the glass cleaned up, Hannah and Samantha were in the bedroom, Samantha was quietly talking to her. Hannah had a hot water bottle on her head and Sam was holding her hand, rubbing it,

I asked the Park Manager, if there was a repair shop around, that could handle the repairs on the coach, maybe in Athens, for sure in Atlanta but nothing close. Violet Honey, will you call the Red Roof Inn in Athens and get us some rooms, for tonight, then tomorrow we’ll go to the trailer place and see, about repairing the coach. Looking at the Park Manager I asked, if he would call the park in Knoxville and tell them we are not coming. We all gave a statement to the Investigator, he said that we would get a copy of the report and asked if we needed a tow. I told him no, that we could limp into Athens ok even with a flat tire. I told everyone what we were going to do and went to look at all the damage. The neighbor said he had read both of the current books, wished us luck and went home. I looked at the tire first, and the other dual was ok, but the tag along was shot too. I hoped we could make it to Athens. We thanked the Park Manager and Donna for their concern, and said our goodbyes again. Loaded up and headed to Athens at the minimum speed limit, sure was loud and breezy. But we made it.