Chapter Three
As the Chevy tore into the back roads, Brian fought to keep his poker
face. "Whattaya mean, loose ends?"
"Your last job was never finished," Duece said conversationally.
"The Contract on those two Dukes is still open. You a good shot
with your left hand?"
"Yeah, I am...." Brian couldn't keep the distraction out of
his voice. He had gambled with MaryAnne's life, by telling Duece that
she was leathally allergic to penicillin. He didn't think she was...since
he wasn't. But if Duece found out MaryAnne was still kicking....the
Syndicate would not be amused. No more than they had been over his
failure with the Dukes. But what can I do? Brian knew he had
to get away from Duece long enough to talk to Rosco....though the effort
could get him behind bars without accomplishing anything. "Tell
ya what, Duece. I'll get ya back to the hideout...and I'll go follow
up on the Dukes."
"You do that," Duece answered cooly. "And this time....don't
miss at close range." The threat and suspicion in Duece's voice
was unmistakable.
***** ***** ***** *****
Back at the hospital, Rosco and Enos were walking out through the lobby,
after Rosco explained his idea to MaryAnne and asked the doctor for
help. The doctor offered to move MaryAnne to another floor and wing
of the hospital and she went in under a different name. As much as
he wanted to, Rosco didn't stay to see MaryAnne resituated for fear
that he and Enos would be watched now, so before leaving, the two cousins
embraced, Rosco promising that they would see each other again.
When they got to their patrol cars, both officers stopped and looked
at each other.
"Enos, you gotta promise me you won't tell anyone where MaryAnne
really is. I mean, no matter how much Daisy cries or Lulu or WHOEVER,
they can't know what's really going on until it's safe. I don't mean
to be forward, but don't let your honesty put MaryAnne back in danger,
okay?"
"I understand, Sheriff," Enos said. "I'm just gonna feel
bad lyin' to everyone."
"Misery loves company. I'll be lyin' too, Enos....and she's my cousin."
Enos nodded. He then drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Time
to act sad huh?"
Rosco nodded. He then nodded to Enos's patrol car. "Go ahead, I'll
follow you."
The two Hazzard County Patrol cars paraded back to the courthouse...driving
slower than usual.
When they arrived in town, Rosco and Enos saw the General Lee and Daisy's
Jeep parked infront of the courthouse. The boys and Daisy were standing
on the sidewalk, waiting and they immediately came to attention when
the two patrol cars came up to the curb. Rosco and Enos approached,
their looks of weary true...their look of grief convincing enough.
"Rosco?" Luke asked, looking at the Sheriff, trying to read
an answer to the unspoken question.
Rosco shook his head slowly. "They got her..." he said softly.
"One of 'em snuck in and injected a lethal dose of penicillin
into her...she was allergic to it..."
Daisy gasped and grabbed Bo's arm. The three Dukes looked at Rosco in
shock and horror. "Rosco, we're sorry..." Luke said.
"The Doc said she didn't feel nothing...nothing at all..."
Rosco turned away and walked up the steps to the courthouse followed
by Enos.
"Oh my God..." Daisy said softly. "MaryAnne..."
Luke put his arm around Daisy and the three Duke cousins stood quietly
in grief, staring at the pavement or the traffic in the square. Luke
then broke the hynotic stance and said, "We better get back to
the farm...and tell Jesse... You okay to drive, Daisy?"
Daisy nodded. "I'll be alright."
"Alright, me and Bo will follow you."
They dispersed to their vehicles and Daisy sat for a moment before turning the key. Poor Rosco....
***** ***** ***** *****
After spending a couple hours at the hideout with Duece, Brian drove to Hazzard alone. He wore his bloodstained black jacket, that he had grabbed from his hospital room during his hasty departure. The weight of the gun in his pocket was a reminder of what he'd done to MaryAnne. At least she should be safe in the hospital. At least Duece thought she was dead.
Brian had a choice in front of him....nail the Dukes as he was supposed
to, and go back to Atlanta and the Syndicate....or take another risk
and talk to Rosco. He decided on the latter, for now. And he had to
know how MaryAnne was doing. Brian pulled the Chevy into the alley
behind the courthouse, and snuck inside.
He crept to the booking room, flattening himself against the wall, a
sense of deja' vu nagging at him. He pushed one booking room door open
a crack. No one in view, but voices coming from the Sheriff's office.
Brian snuck over to it, assuming he had surprise on his side.
"Rosco, I'm sorry...." Boss Hogg was saying. "I'm terribly
sorry...is there anything I can do?"
"Let me know when you're gonna tell Lulu. I'll go with you."
Boss nodded. He then adjusted his grip on his cigar and stood up. "She
was a fine officer, Rosco. I mean that...I'm very sorry this happened..."
Rosco nodded.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!" Enos yelled in the booking room.
Brian froze, cursing under his breath. He raised his hands up halfway,
the right arm to the best of it's ability. "Don't be a fool,"
he growled at the Deputy behind him. "I need to talk to Rosco."
Boss and Rosco came rushing out of the office to find Enos standing with
his gun pointed at Brian, who showed no sign of pulling any kind of
trick.
"Rosco...is this--?" Boss started.
"Boss," Rosco said plainly. "You better get outta here."
"What for?"
"Just GIT! Now!"
Boss nodded and scooted towards the booking room doors. He took one last
look back and then slipped out the doors.
"Enos...put the gun down."
"But Sheriff--"
"Put it down, Enos." He looked at Brian. "The man has
something to say, let him say it."
Brian let out a breath as the Deputy's gun was holstered, and he lowered his arms. Pain was throbbing steadily in his right shoulder, and looking into Rosco's cold eyes seemed to make it worse. This was the 'incomptent Sheriff ' he'd heard about?
No...Brian thought to himself, realizing with a chill why Rosco
was capable of using the Colt on his hip. This is another Coltrane...my
kin. And just as surely as I was able to fire on MaryAnne...Rosco was
able to fire in return. And he'd do it again. "Sheriff....Duece
was in MaryAnne's room, right after he was in mine," Brian said
with an unsteady voice, the question unspoken, but obvious.
"Yeah," Rosco said, piercing his blue eyes into Brian's dark
ones. "He finished your job for you..."
The room seemed to be tilting under Brian's feet. His mouth had went
dry so suddenly, that it took him minute to form the next words. "She...was
allergic to penicillin?"
Rosco's expression remained unchanged. "Lethally. The allergy was
discovered when she was an officer in Atlanta..it nearly killed her
then."
"My God...." Brian felt sick. He turned away, unable to look
into Rosco's accussing eyes. "MaryAnne....." he wanted to
go to her, apologize, tell her everything...but he'd never have the
chance. Brian staggered over to the wall and leaned against it so he
wouldn't fall over.
Rosco watched the hit man, who seemed geniunely upset by the news. Even
shocked, which surprised the Sheriff.
"You knew he was going in there," Rosco accused, still keeping
up his grief stricken act. "You KNEW what he was gonna do!"
So why the heck are you so shocked??
Brian covered his face with his left hand, shaking his head. "I
knew....what Duece was gonna do," he said in a broken voice. "I
thought I was givin' MaryAnne a chance..." A sudden, choking sob
shook Brian's shoulders, and he turned to face the wall, buring his
face.
Rosco suddenly realized that it was Brian that had told Duece to use
penicillin. But he didn't let on. "What do you mean, give her
a chance?"
"The Syndicate...doesn't trust me...since I blew the last job I
had in Hazzard...they sent...." Brian took a breath, trying not
to completely break down. "They sent Duece to make sure...the
job got done...in case I failed them." The despair in Brian's
voice echoed the hopelessness that drained his soul. "I didn'
want to hurt MaryAnne...but I had to make it look good....I thought
I could fool them....I'm not allergic to penicillin, I thought -"
The rest of his words were replaced with grief, and he could say no
more.
"You thought she wasn't either, being "kin" and all,"
Rosco said plainly. He paused, looking at Brian in a peircing stare.
"Well....you sure made it look good didn't you?"
With a cry of anguish, Brian spun from the wall and walked towards the
booking room doors.
Rosco wasn't going to let Brian off that easy. The man's tears meant
almost nothing to Rosco, Brian's grief over what had "happened"
was not going to stop Rosco from protecting his kin. He stepped behind
Brian and grabbed his jacket, spun him around and gripped the lapels.
Enos stood rigid as the Sheriff prepared his words carefully.
"You walk out that door...you better be heading straight back to
Atlanta, and no one, not you or anyone else in the Syndicate better
even THINK of setting foot in Hazzard again. Otherwise, if I find out
you and your buddy are still in Hazzard...you'll either be going back
to Atlanta to the Federal Prison....or a pine box." Rosco had
to make a point, although the final threat was meant more for Deuce,
seeing as he had intended on killing MaryAnne. Brian was trying to
protect her....and Hazzard. Rosco started to realize it now, yet his
blue eyes continued to look at Brian coldly. He could betray nothing.
I'm going to protect my kin...even this retched one.
"I wish it was that easy," Brian snarled back. "Believe
me, Sheriff, I want to leave this goddamn town. But there's a problem."
Brian paused, his chest heaving in anger and grief. The weight of his
handgun, tucked away inside his jacket, was a temptation...if only
to make Rosco let go of him. But the gun stayed put. "The problem
is that there's an open Contract on the Dukes."
Rosco forcefully let go of Brian. "You're a buncha fools....the
whole damn lot of ya! You're idiots! You go ahead and try to get the
Dukes. I'm gonna go reserve your number for ya at the Federal Pen."
"You do that," Brian hissed. "If I had killed them to
begin with, like I was supposta the last time...MARYANNE WOULDN'T BE
DEAD!" The rage had built up to a boiling point, and Brian's voice
rose as he shoved Rosco back. "YOUR BADGE WON'T STOP THE SYNDICATE!
IT DIDN'T LAST TIME! IT DIDN'T SAVE THE DUKES, AND IT SURE AS HELL
DIDN'T SAVE MARYANNE!!"
Rosco stood steadfast, undeterred by Brian's fury. Silence hung in the
booking room for a moment. He gave a look to Enos, keeping the deputy
at bay after Enos had seen as his commanding officer be pushed by the
hitman, and then looked Brian calmly.
"Good bye, Brian," Rosco said calmly, his blue eyes taking
on a new look, still cold but with a new gleam...unafraid...holder
of a secret. "Have a nice life...."
Brian's gun hand twitched. Rosco's scorn was almost too much to bear, after the loss of the one person Brian felt he could really talk to...the one person that had halfway understood him. The one person that he would have done anything to protect, and failed. His dark eyes were hard as onyx, and he kept them locked on Rosco as he slowly backed away.
"Goodbye....Sheriff. Enjoy your pension.''
Rosco watched Brian leave and remained quiet for a moment after the doors stopped swinging. He then looked at Enos.
"Come on, Enos. We're going to the Duke farm...."
***** ***** ***** *****
The Duke family were working quietly about their farm, each of them lost
in thoughts of the news they had received a couple of hours ago. The
young Coltrane was gone and each of them was now starting to feel some
kind of void in knowing that MaryAnne was no longer around.
Jesse stopped what he was doing for a moment and looked at his two nephews
and neice. He couldn't help but think of Rosco...and how MaryAnne had
been something for the Sheriff to live for, a piece of family to look
out for, to protect. Jesse knew that if he ever lost the boys and Daisy
he wouldn't know what to do with himself. There was nothing else in
the world that matter to him more than his 'kids.' He could only imagine
how badly Rosco was hurting now. Very badly.
Daisy glanced at her uncle just as he resumed his work. She pulled a
damp shirt from the laundry basket and hung it on the line. It was
one of her shirts, a red and white flannel one that she had let MaryAnne
borrow once. She chuckled a little at the memory, and remembering how
MaryAnne wouldn't wear anything LESS than a full blouse or shirt.
"I ain't wearin' one of them things!" she has said,
reffering to the halter tops Daisy often wore at the Boar's Nest.
Daisy put the second clothes pin on the right shoulder of the shirt and
then wiped away the tear.
Bo put a silent hand on Daisy's shoulder. He knew words wouldn't help
right now, so he held them back. Daisy looked up at him with a sad
smile of gratitude for his sympathy. Then her eyes looked across the
yard, at their older cousin, who was chopping firewood with a vengenance.
Bo nodded at Daisy and walked towards Luke. There seemed to be no consolation
for their older cousin. Bo sighed and gathered the split logs into
cords of wood, staying near enough to Luke to be supportive, far enough
away to allow him to grieve.
It was a couple of moments later when the sound of approaching automobiles
made the Dukes all stop what they were doing and look up. Two white
Plymouth Furys slowly came around the Duke farmhouse and to a stop
in the yard.
Almost as one, the Dukes stopped their chores and walked to the patrol
cars, words of sympathy at the ready.
Rosco stepped out of his patrol car and looked at each of the Dukes.
Oh boy...they're gonna hate me when I tell them that MaryAnne's
actually okay...look at their faces! But he wasn't here to tell
them that just yet.
"Umm....listen y'all..I got something to tell ya...and it ain't
good."
"What is it, Rosco?" Jesse Duke asked gently.
"Y'all remember that fella from the Syndicate...tried to get Bo
and Luke here awhile back?" Rosco swallowed. "He's gonna
try again..."
Luke stepped forward, his face etched in stone. "How'd ya know that,
Rosco?"
"He...." Rosco stopped, suddenly feeling sick. He just kinda
came waltzin' and told me...oh geez....
"He told us," Enos said. Rosco looked at the deputy...praying
he wasn't gonna spill the whole thing.... "After he...told Sheriff
Rosco how he told his partner to use penicillin to...kill MaryAnne."
Rosco nearly collapsed right there, more or less out of relief. Thank
you, Enos.... Rosco figured everything was gonna come out in the
wash eventually, but for now, he and Enos were going to do what ever
they had to do to keep folks safe.
The confusion on the Duke's face was only second to thier shock and anger.
"He WHAT?!" Luke said loudly, as Bo put a restraining hand
on his shoudler. Daisy piped up suddenly, her voice quiet, but intense.
"Wait a minute Rosco....MaryAnne wasn't allergic to penicillin...was
she?"
Rosco was shaking a little now....from Luke's sudden outburst and from knowing he was now about eye deep in horse manure. He nodded though. "It was discovered when she was in Atlanta..." he said softly. Somebody in Atlanta heard about it...passed it on...the Syndicate heard about it...BAM! He wasn't exactly lying now...just not confirming she was lethally allergic to it.
Jesse Duke knew Rosco pretty well, and
he caught the Sheriff's nervousness.
Still, Rosco had been through a lot...no sense in riling him
at a time like this. "I'm
sorry about MaryAnne. We all
are. And I appreciate you comin' out here
to warn my family, when you ain't over the loss in yours."
"I don't want them to do it to you,
Jesse," Rosco said. "I
don't want them to do to you what...they've done to me...."
Jesse put a hand on Rosco's arm, and the
younger members of the Duke clan murmured their sympathy. At a nod from their Uncle, the three
cousins drifted off, giving him and Rosco a chance to talk. Enos wandered
over to join his three friends, agonizing in his inability to tell
them the truth.
Rosco looked at the Duke patriarch, starting
to feel the weight of everything now. He glanced over at Enos and the
Dukes and then at Jesse and waited for him to speak.
"Rosco, you know that if you need
anythin' at all, you can come to us Dukes," Jesse said gently.
Rosco stood for a moment, wringing his
hat in his hands. "I appreciate
that, Jesse," he said. "All I need is...for you Dukes to
stay alive..."
Jesse gave the Sheriff a kindly grin.
"Rosco, you n' J.D. never managed to tree those boys...and
I don't think nobody else can do it either.
Though we're obliged for the warnin'," he added more seriously.
"Jesse, I'd give anything if this
whole situation could be traded for one of...Boss's frame ups. I'd rather be chasing the boys, chokin'
on the General's dust than...not having MaryAnne here..." he finished
softly.
Rosco's statement held a double meaning.
To Jesse, it was as if the Sheriff was mourning the loss of his cousin.
But Rosco was wishing he could have her there with him for help and
guidance.
“I know, Rosco...we all loved MaryAnne. We all did." Jesse's voice roughened with emotion, and he looked to the
ground. He rested a hand on
Rosco's shoulder and stood in silent grief, picturing MaryAnne's bright
smile and her ready 'khee' laugh, so much like the Sheriff's, though
lighter and merrier. Finally
he raised his moist eyes to the Sheriff's, and spoke in low tones.
"You git this varmint," he ordered Rosco. "You git 'em and bring him to justice
for what he done. And if he
shows up on Duke land after my boys..." the rest went unspoken.
Rosco's eyes weren't dry anymore either.
"I'll get him, Jesse...if it's the last thing I ever do..."
Jesse nodded and patted Rosco's shoulder.
As their conversation continued, another took place in the yard.
Luke had cornered Enos on a question the Deputy didn't know
how to answer. "You got
information from this guy, but he's not behind bars?
Why?!"
The Deputy had a hard time making eye
contact now. "He...duped us." Enos stammered out. His hat was being held so tight in his hands that his fingers
were turning white.
Luke was getting a feeling that he was
being lied to. But what shocked him was that he was being lied to
by Enos. Some things in
the universe just weren't possible...and this was one of them.
He took a step closer, as Bo and Daisy looked from the deputy
to Luke in concern. "There's
some kinda cover-up goin' on, ain't there," Luke accused.
"Luke...please...there's a lot of
lives at stake...and there ain't no way in the world anyone would ever
believe what was going on...."
For once, it was Bo who restrained Luke,
instead of the other way around. "Take
it easy, cousin," he said just as Luke was about to wring the
truth out of the deputy. Daisy
clung to Enos's arm protectively, knowing that whatever was so important
as to make Enos hide the truth, was important enough to earn their
cooperation. Luke took a slow,
deep breath and counted to ten. "Awright,"
he said finally. "But
I'm gonna be lookin' for answers real soon."
Enos looked at Luke, feeling more guilt
about lying than he had ever felt in his life.
But he knew he had to keep his promise to the Sheriff, for MaryAnne's
sake and everyone's in Hazzard. Enos
loosened his grip on his hat and nodded at Luke. "Luke, I'm sorry,"
he said. "Hopefully, Sheriff Rosco and I can provide some answers
later..."
"You do that... and meantime, we're
not just gonna sit here and wait for an ambush.
C'mon, Bo." Luke
titled his head towards the General Lee and walked off, with Bo following. "Be careful," Daisy called
after them. She then looked
at Enos, silently forgiving him with her warm eyes, before squeezing
his arm in farewell and walking towards her uncle.
Enos watched the boys climb into the General
and then he looked over at Rosco who was looking too. Enos started to walk towards Rosco as the orange Dodge came
to life and started to roll out of the yard. "They say they ain't
gonna wait around for an ambush," Enos said.
Rosco was still watching the car as it
drove down the road, away from the farm. He then looked at Enos. "I
ain't gonna stand here and do nothing either," he said. "Come
on, Enos."
The General Lee had no sooner pulled onto
the dirt road, when a black Chevy swung into view a half-mile behind
it, tearing out of seclusion and ripping up shrubbery.
About a quarter of a mile behind the Chevy
were Enos and Rosco. Rosco
rubbed his hand over his face, realizing that having lied to Jesse
Duke had been the hardest thing he had ever done.
Seeing the Dukes reactions to MaryAnne being 'dead' and their
shock at how she 'died' bothered him the most.
He was almost certain they wouldn't forgive him when they found
out MaryAnne was actually okay, but he hoped they would understand
why he lied. He felt fairly sure that they would have done the same
thing, in his situation.
But they don't have a…cousin...who's a
hitman…I bet they'll never understand that either....
"Sheriff?" Enos's voice came
over the radio, making Rosco jump a bit.
He picked up his mike.
"Go ahead, Enos."
"Sheriff, have you thought about
what you're gonna do...when this is all over?"
Rosco paused. "Yeah, Enos I have.
I'm gonna retire, go to Florida, go deep in the Everglades and I'm
never coming out."
"You are?"
"Enos...I'm kidding. Listen, I'll
worry about what to do when this is all over with, once and for all."
"Yes,
sir."
Rosco hesitated a moment, "Listen, Enos---" He stopped when he glanced up the road and saw two cars. The black Chevy and the General Lee. "DOH! Enos, he's up ahead, right behind the General!"
"Sheriff, Route 17 meets up with this road again about two miles ahead! I'm gonna try to cut them off!"
"Do it!" Rosco glanced in his rearview mirror as the twin white Plymouth disappeared from behind him and down Route 17. Rosco put the mike down and stepped on the accelerator.
Brian closed the gap on the General Lee gradually, until he was in striking range. Then he punched the accelerator hard, hurling the black Chevy towards the General's trunk at high velocity. The sudden roar caused Luke to turn and look over his shoulder. "HIT IT BO! NOW!!" Bo floored it, seeing the chrome and long black hood filling the mirrors. "LUKE, HE'S GOT NITROUS OXIDE IN THERE, HE'S GONNA -"
Bo's words were cut off as the Chevy's grill caught the edge of the General's tail, and with a thunderous bang of metal, the General Lee was sent spinning off the road. The black Chevy flew by, then braked hard and turned around. Bo's hand was already holding the CB. "ENOS! ROSCO! BO DUKE CALLIN' WE GOT TROUBLE!" Luke reached back and grabbed a compound bow, but the Chevy had already slid to a stop in front of them. "Drop it," Brian ordered coldly as he got out of his car, gun at the ready.
Both Rosco and Enos heard Bo's call and Rosco slammed the accelerator. The patrol car swung around the corner and Rosco aimed the Plymouth for the black Chevy that was a short distance down the road. Rosco was no good of a shot with his left hand...so instead he grabbed a tear gas canister and tucked it between his gun holster and hip. He kept both hands on the steering wheel and never took his eyes of the cursed black car.
The Dukes had a minute to live, between the two of them. Luke dropped the bow, but his eyes were hard with defiance. "You won't get away with what you did to MaryAnne," he vowed. As if to prove Luke's point, Rosco's patrol car came howling down on them, forcing Brian to make a split-second choice. Fire on the Dukes...which meant also firing on Rosco, since the Sheriff would be a witness...or not fire, knowing that the Dukes would nail him with an arrow when he tried to escape…which meant arrest by Rosco.
“Damn," Brian swore softly, not liking any of the options.
The patrol car came barreling along and Rosco grabbed the tear gas canister with his left hand, shifting the Plymouth the to the side of the road, to avoid a head on collision with the Chevy when he got to the scene. Rosco saw that the Dukes and Brian appeared to be in a stand off, and Rosco knew the boys had no way of knowing he would throw the canister. He wanted the boys to get the advantage...but he didn't want them to get distracted. So, knowing the risk involved, he had to wait for Brian to make a move first. Rosco slowed the patrol car slightly and plotted his course.
Bo and Luke exchanged a quick glance between them. If this hitman wiped out one cop, it won't bother him to kill another, Luke thought to himself. He caught Brian's brief, nervous look towards the patrol car. Luke then noticed the dried bloodstains on the hitman's leather jacket. It gave him an idea, and he broke the tense silence with a suggestion. "Give yourself up. MaryAnne was Rosco's cousin, and they were close-knit. You shoot us now, and the Sheriff's gonna have all the excuse he needs to settle up the score with you, permanent-like." Bo caught on and nodded. "You'd at least have a chance, with a trial.”
Brian suddenly looked at them as if he'd seen the Dukes for the first time, which maybe he truly had. They almost made doing the right thing sound attractive. "Sounds like somethin' MaryAnne woulda said," he answered.
"She was our friend," Luke said evenly, and despite Brian's gun on them, the Dukes looked ready to settle accounts themselves.
"I know,” Brian muttered. It’s the only reason you two lasted this long, he added silently to himself.
As the Dukes tried to talk their way out of it, Rosco had spotted Enos’s patrol car coming at them from the opposite direction. Rosco picked up the CB. “Enos, stay back a bit and keep an eye out okay?"
"Are you sure, Sheriff?"
"Just do it, Enos...just keep yer eyes sharp."
"Yes sir..."
Rosco swung the car around the Chevy and it came to a swerving stop, the driver side coming around completely and facing the Dukes and Brian. He jumped out of the car, the tear gas canister in one hand, and his pearl handled .38 in the other, pointed down. The Sheriff said nothing. His eyes, steel-blue and ice-cold, spoke loudly enough.
Brian acknowledged Rosco's presence with a sideways flick of his dark eyes, but kept his gun leveled at the Dukes a moment longer. Finally he gestured towards Rosco with it. "Get over by the Sheriff," Brian ordered the Dukes.
Bo and Luke walked over to stand by Rosco, both Dukes suspecting that the hitman intended to take them all down at once.
Rosco kept his eyes trained on Brian. Still, he did not speak.
Brian's gun barrel was leveled at the Sheriff and the Dukes, and he kept it there as he took slow steps backwards towards his car.
"You really think you're gonna get all THREE of us, and get away?" Rosco challenged.
"No," Brian answered coldly. "I think I'm just going to get away." He eased his way to the Chevy, never taking his eyes off the Sheriff.
"What's the matter? Can't finish it, Brian?"
"Not that I can't.....just that I ain't. Not here.
Not now."
"What's wrong with right here, right now?"
Rosco asked. "Come on, Brian, don't give me this pile of horse
manure. The only witness you got here is Enos. You had a dozen or so
at the Boar's Nest when ya shot MaryAnne, Enos and I saw your buddy
there go into MaryAnne's room...what do you want more witnesses?"
"What do you want, Sheriff?!" Brian suddenly countered, waiving his gun. "Want me to pick off the Dukes right in front of ya, so you can nail me and not have to worry about 'justification of lethal force' ?"
Bo and Luke watched nervously. They couldn't figure out why Rosco was baiting the hitman...and why the situation, tense enough as it was, had an added, personal element beyond anything they’d expected.
Rosco was using that element effectively. His words tore Brian open, more than the bullet wound had.
The young hitman wanted to argue, defend his actions, explain himself…but then he looked into the burning blue eyes of the Sheriff and saw exactly that...a Sheriff. Not someone that he could turn to or confide in. Not someone that could help him...after all, he was a criminal. MaryAnne had at least tried to understand him...and now she was gone. And it was his fault, just as surely as if he'd aimed for her heart when the shots flew at the Boar's Nest.
At the thought, Brian lowered his gun, then dropped it altogether.
Rosco watched the gun drop and looked at Brian. The Sheriff tossed the tear gas canister back into his patrol car and holstered his gun. He stepped towards Brian, pulling his handcuffs off of his gun belt.
Brian saw Rosco coming for him. It made him think of something he’d told MaryAnne once, something he’d forgotten about until now. You’re a good Deputy...a damn good one...and if I ever let anybody arrest me, it'd be you.
Brian turned slowly and put his hands on the hood of the Chevy, giving the honor to Rosco.
Without a word, Rosco patted down Brian's jacket pockets and emptied out the various contents onto the hood. He then carefully took Brian's arms and brought them behind the hitman, turning the wounded one gently. The touch of cold metal found it's way on the hitman’s wrists.
Brian had no words to say as Rosco did his job. There
were none that would matter, anyway. None that would bring MaryAnne
back. Br
"We'll be careful," Bo said quickly, cutting
off Luke's yet-unvoiced questions. "We'll be careful alirght,
" Luke added for himself. "About everythin'." He turned
and walked away fast, leaving Bo to follow.
Rosco sighed and let the boys go. He wondered if he'd
be able to answer all their questions later...
If I'm still standing...
Rosco turned back to Enos as the boys climbed into the
General and the big engine came to life. The orange car drove off down
the road both law men watching it.
"I'll follow you, Sheriff," Enos said.
Rosco nodded. "Alright."
"Yes, sir." Enos
walked to his patrol car and Rosco got into his. Not a word was spoken
from the Sheriff as he put the car in gear and began to drive back
to town.
The entire trip was made in
silence. Rosco was actually a bit perturbed at Brian for not taking
the bait, despite knowing the risk the Sheriff had been placing the
Dukes in. Rosco had figured that with the tear gas, he could have duped
Brian into thinking he'd killed the Dukes… and then 'let' him escape,
return to his partner, Deuce, and then return to Atlanta, where everyone
would think Deputy Coltrane and the Dukes had finally been taken care
of.
The Syndicate would welcome
Brian back with open arms, and with smiles of satisfaction in knowing
he was still 'one of them', that he still had the capabilities to do
their dirty work and that he hadn't let a silly thing like finding
blood kin mess up his mind. Life would go on.
At least, for a little while.
Until Brian somehow goofed on the next hit. And he wouldn't have a
cousin deputy or sheriff, to help him out of that one.
I wish you could be 'one of us', Brian, but I can't
reverse a lifetime's habits and the Syndicate doesn't let theirs go
so easily.
Cooter agreed to give the Sheriff a ride, although he didn't know really
what car Rosco was going to fetch, or why. The mechanic had only learned
of MaryAnne’s "death" a few hours before, from the Dukes
and couldn't believe Rosco was still functioning.
Everybody reacts different... Cooter thought. He expressed his condolences to Rosco but could find no more to say. During the drive out to where Brian's Chevy was, Cooter glanced at Rosco every once in awhile in concern, seeing the Sheriff staring blankly out the passenger window. Cooter wasn't used to Rosco being this quiet and he wondered if the Sheriff was ever going to be quite the same again.
When they arrived, Rosco mumbled a "thanks, Cooter," and climbed out of the truck. The Chevy was still where it had been last, Brian's gun on the ground, all the stuff Rosco had emptied from Brian's pockets still on the hood of the car. Oblivious to Cooter watching, Rosco gathered the items, picked up the gun and literally threw everything into the backseat of the car.
Cooter put his truck in gear
and backed up, figuring Rosco was quite angry and that it would be
best to let the Sheriff alone to deal with his grief. The tow truck
rattled as it turned and drove away and Rosco gave it nothing more
than an uninterested glance. He then violently slammed his hand on
to the roof of the car and stood in silence, burying his face in his
hands.