This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any actual resemblance to persons or historical persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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© Copyright: 1996-2004. Lisa Philbrick

The Dukes of Hazzard
Roses For Daisy
by: Lisa Philbrick

"Once there was a way...to get back homeward...."

Rosco sat in his patrol car at his favorite speed trap, looking at the black and white photograph in his hand. Taken at Hazzard County Fair in the fall of 1955 it showed Ethan Duke and his soon to be bride Lea Fields sitting on a bale of hay with one of their good friends.

Yep, that’s Rosco on the end there in that picture. Hardly recognize him without a badge huh? The good lookin’ fella in the middle holding the pretty girl, well, that’s Daisy’s daddy and the young woman is her momma. You see, way back years ago there was a time when Dukes and Coltranes got along, and one of Rosco’s best friends was that very Duke in the picture.

Rosco placed the photograph on the seat beside him and started the patrol car. The white Plymouth came out of the woods and kicked up a small cloud of dust as it drove down the road.

When Ethan and Lea passed on, tho’, Rosco had a hard time with it, as we learned when he talked to Jesse at the grave site. But friends and neighbors, just wait until Daisy finds out what Jesse learned.

At the Duke farm, Jesse Duke was in the barn cleaning Maudine’s stall. He had sent Bo and Luke to town with his pick up, to get the boards and wood they would need to fix the pen for the goat.

“There ya are, Maudine,” he said pushing some fresh hay with his pitchfork. He placed the pitchfork aside and then persuaded Maudine into the stall. Content with her clean surroundings, she immediately started to snack on the hay.

Jesse came out of the barn, where Harvey the goat was taking a drink the water trough. Chickens clucked and scattered out of Jesse’s way, only to have to turn around and go a different way when a car pulled into the yard. The white Plymouth slowly came around Daisy’s Jeep and came to a stop. Rosco looked at Jesse before stepping out of the car.

“Howdy, Rosco,” Jesse greeted as the Sheriff walked over.

“Jesse,” Rosco returned. He looked at the photograph and thumbed the edge of it.

“Listen, I want you to give this to Daisy,” he said, handing the photo to Jesse. “I want her to have it.”

Jesse looked at the picture, recognizing the young faces in it. He then looked at Rosco, who was looking at the picture sadly.

“You sure?”

Rosco nodded. “Yeah. She should have it, Jesse.”

“Okay.” He studied the picture again. “The county fair,” he said thoughtfully and looked at Rosco. “I took this picture.”

“Yep, ya did.”

“I also seem to recall you and Ethan bein’ dang fool enough to enter the demolition derby.”

Rosco couldn’t help his grin. “We won, didn’t we?”

Jesse smiled. “Yeah, ya did.”

Inside the farm house, Daisy watched from the living room window as Jesse and Rosco talked. She couldn’t hear their conversation, but she saw her uncle held something in his hand. Another citation for the boys? she thought sarcastically.

After a moment, Rosco returned to his patrol car and drove out of the yard. When Jesse came into the house, Daisy met up with her uncle in the kitchen.

“Why was Rosco here? He’s not tryin’ to nail the boys for somethin’ is he?”

Jesse shook his head. “No, he’s not. Actually it was a social visit.”

Daisy scoffed. “Rosco never pays a visit, social or otherwise, unless he’s got something up his sleeve.” She turned and walked towards her room to get her purse.

“Now that ain’t always true, Daisy,” Jesse called after her.

After a moment, Daisy came back out. “Name one time Rosco’s come out here for reasons other than a trumped up charge or on Boss’s orders.”

“Well...” Jesse paused. Needless to say, it was few and far between. He glanced at the photograph. “Well, like right now.”

“You mean that’s not one of those vehicle citation cards?”

Jesse shook his head. “No. This here’s a photograph, that he wants you to have.”

“Me?” Daisy looked at Jesse, puzzled. She stepped closer to take the picture that Jesse held out to her. She looked at the black and white images for a moment and then looked at her uncle.

“It’s...my parents.”

Jesse nodded.

“Why did Rosco have this?”

“Umm...might be because he’s in the picture too.”

Daisy looked again. “Oh.” She studied the young Coltrane’s face for a moment. “Yeah, that is him, isn’t it?” She then looked to Jesse for some kind of answer.

“There once was a time when Dukes and Coltranes got along, much the same way you and the boys are friends with MaryAnne,” Jesse said. “Your folks and Rosco were pretty good friends.”

“Oh. So what prompted him to bring this picture here now?”

“Well...I saw him at Ethan and Lea’s grave site earlier today. You remember how there were always yellow roses when you and I would go, when you were younger?”

Daisy nodded.

“Rosco was the one who had been leaving those. Your momma’s favorite color was yellow, and Ethan used to get her yellow roses for her birthday and on their anniversary.” Jesse paused. “Rosco’s been carrying some guilt for a long time over what happened to your folks. You know they were killed by a drunk driver.”

“I remember.”

“Well, Rosco had pulled over that same drunk driver earlier that day....”

Daisy’s expression suddenly changed.

Uh oh...

“He didn’t arrest the person?” she asked pointedly.

“At the time, no. He poured out the booze and sent them on their way...” Jesse spoke cautiously. He had seen the hardened look that had come to his niece’s eyes.

“So he thinks this is gonna make everything better is that it?” She held up the picture. “Uncle Jesse, I can’t believe you’re tellin’ me this! After all these years....Rosco could have prevented my folks from being killed?!”

“No, he couldn’t have...”

“Yes, he could have! If he had arrested that man before, my folks would still be here! And don’t stand there and tell me you’re gonna defend him, after all he’s done to this family.”

“Now, Daisy just simmer down--”

The young woman spun around on her heel. “I don’t believe this. You’re own brother, and you’re gonna tell me that it wasn’t Rosco’s fault.”

“It wasn’t! He wasn’t the drunk driver.”

“He may have just as well been!” Daisy stormed to her room, leaving the photograph on her dresser. She fought the urge to rip the side of the picture with Rosco on it right off. She walked out, swinging her purse over her shoulder. She marched
through the kitchen. “If I see Rosco today....” she fumed.

“Daisy!” Jesse called and followed his niece out into the yard. “Daisy, you’re forgetting that your daddy and Rosco were best friends, and Rosco’s the one that found them that day. Now he’s had to live with that for 24 years.”

Daisy threw her purse in her Jeep as she climbed in. She was going to say something, like ‘serves him right’ but she held her tongue. She glanced at her uncle and then started the Jeep and tore out of the yard.

Hmm boy....

Bo and Luke were in the pick up truck heading back to the farm when they saw the Jeep tearing towards them. Daisy went flying by, much faster than usual, and Luke even waved, but Daisy never looked at them.

Bo turned in the passenger seat and watched the Jeep disappear around the corner. He let out a whistle.

“I think she’s mad at something.”

“Yep,” Luke agreed. “When she’s got that look on her face...look out.”

The truck rattled into the yard and the boys jumped out calling to Jesse that they were home. When the Duke patriarch came out of the house, Luke asked what was with Daisy.

Jesse sighed. “It’s a long story...”

While Jesse was tellin’ the boys what had made Daisy upset, Daisy was trying to get herself under control before she arrived at the Boar’s Nest. Judging by the look on her face...does she look like she’s under control to you?

MaryAnne glanced at the clock on the wall behind the bar at the Boar’s Nest. Daisy was late. Daisy was usually never late. MaryAnne shrugged and continued her work, filling popcorn bowls and making sure there were plenty of supplies behind the bar, like clean towels. A few moments later, the door of the Boar’s Nest opened and MaryAnne looked up to see Daisy come in. She grinned.

“Yer late there, missy.”

“So?” Daisy shot back.

MaryAnne blinked. She watched Daisy walk across the floor and then come behind the bar. The young Duke woman put her purse down and then walked without a word towards Boss’s office door where the time sheet was posted on a clip board next to the door. Daisy marked her time in.

“I’m not that late. Only five minutes,” she said.

“Yeah, well usually you’re here a good 15 minutes before we open.”

“Not my fault your cousin decided to pay a visit,” Daisy said as she returned to the bar.

“Oh.”

Daisy shot MaryAnne a glance, but the deputy pretended not to notice.

Now MaryAnne knew Daisy pretty well, and had the odd hunch that Rosco’s visit to the farm was something more than issuing a trumped up charge to the boys. Besides, MaryAnne kept the CB radio behind the bar tuned to the various popular channels of the Hazzard Net...and the last thing she heard Rosco say was a reply to Cletus’s radio check, which was not his usual battle cry of ‘hot pursuit!’

Daisy managed to put on a show for customers, smiling as pretty as usual as she delivered their orders. No one would have detected anything was bothering her, not even Enos and Cletus, who stopped at the Boar’s Nest for a short spell. It wasn’t until Rosco showed up, did things turn a little cool...

“What are you doing here?” Daisy asked, before Rosco made it to the table where Enos and Cletus were. The Sheriff looked at the waitress a little stunned and then looked around the Boar’s Nest for an answer.

He pointed towards the deputies table. “I was only here to see them two dipsticks over there....”

“Better be a short visit,” she commented before turning back towards the bar.

Rosco glanced at MaryAnne, who could only shrug.

“I don’t know what you did, Sheriff, but you got Daisy purty upset with ya,” Cletus said as Rosco took a seat.

“Cletus, hush,” Rosco replied.

Now ol’ Rosco knew why Daisy was upset. He figured Jesse had told her about their conversation at the grave site when he had given her the photograph. Rosco wondered if given the picture only made things worse.

Later, as Rosco was walking out towards his patrol car, MaryAnne followed out after him.

“Rosco, wait up a sec...” She caught up to her cousin. “What’s going on?”

Rosco sighed. “I think Daisy knows what happened all those years ago, when her folks died. Jesse musta told her. Which is awright, not like it was anything she didn’t deserve to know about.”

“Yeah, but you don’t deserve to be treated like that by her.”

Rosco shrugged. “Maybe. She’s just not as forgiving as Jesse, that’s all. Although I suppose I feel better knowing she’s mad at me.”

“Hush. It wasn’t your fault, Rosco. I mean, I can understand her bein’ upset and all but...oh heck.” She looked at Rosco sympathetically. “We’ll just leave her alone.”

Rosco nodded. “That’s what I was figuring would work best.”

MaryAnne patted him on the arm. “Don’t let it get to ya, k? I’ll see ya later.”

“Yeah.” The Sheriff made his way to his patrol car, his young cousin watching him. MaryAnne had heard the story years ago and knew Rosco had been carrying a lot more than just memories with him ever since. It was nearing dusk in Hazzard County and the white patrol car headed out with parking lights lit and fastly fading down the highway.

* * *

Later that night when Daisy got home, the boys and Jesse were still awake, waiting for her. When she walked in, she could tell that some kind of spirited discussion had taken place during the afternoon. Jesse and Luke were in the living room, the older Duke cousin leaning on the mantle of the fireplace. Jesse was sitting on the sofa. Bo, she figured, was probably in his room.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Uncle Jesse,” she said immediately and headed for her room. “You probably got Bo and Luke on your side on this anyways.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Bo said, now coming out of the room he shared with Luke.

“This isn’t about who’s on who’s side,” Jesse said. “This is about understanding what happened.”

“Oh I know what happened!” Daisy exclaimed. “Rosco didn’t do what he was supposed to do!”

“Daisy, you can’t hold Rosco completely responsible,” Luke said. “There was no way he could have predicted what would happen.”

“You’re forgetting, Luke, he had pulled that drunk driver over already that day,” Bo said. “What he should have done was arrest the guy on the spot and get him off the roads.”

“Rosco did what he thought was right,” Jesse said sternly. “Back then, anybody caught driving drunk wasn’t necessarily arrested.” He turned his head to look at Daisy and Bo. “Rosco’s had to live with it for years, he’s the one that found Ethan and Lea and he’s the one that came to tell me and Martha what had happened.” Jesse stood up now. “Now, if you two want to go and make him feel worse about it, you can, but I can tell you right now that in the end it’s not going to make you feel any better, Daisy.”

“But, Uncle Jesse--”

Jesse held up a hand. “I think I’ve heard enough from the lot of ya.” He looked at his niece. “Daisy, I’m sorry. But you know, as well as I do, that we can’t change the past. And wastin’ your energy to make somebody else feel worse than they already do doesn’t help anything.” Jesse looked at each of his ‘kids’ for a moment.

Now Jesse understood why the boys and Daisy were reactin’ the way they were. It was only natural. But Jesse was not about to let it tear the family apart either.

“Alright,” Jesse said. “Let’s get some sleep, we got a lot to do tomorrow.”

The farm house was very quiet once everyone turned in for the night. Daisy didn’t even hear the boys talking like they usually did. She sighed and went to her dresser to remove her earrings and comb her hair. The photograph Rosco had left earlier was leaning against her brush. She picked up the photo with one hand and the brush with the other. She looked at the picture for a moment before placing it aside. Was she wrong to be mad at Rosco? She brushed her hair, contemplating the answer to that question. She stopped and looked at the reflection that looked back at her.

“You look just like your momma,” Jesse had told her often when growing up.

Daisy looked at the woman in the picture a moment and then back at herself. A small grin came to her face. After a moment though, it faded. Often, while growing up, Daisy had wondered what her folks had been like. Jesse had many stories that helped her paint a picture in her mind of them. But the painting was never complete, and often had sections that were blurred.

Daisy finished combing her hair and then picked up the picture. She went over to her bookcase and found her small photo album that held some pictures of her parents and her when she was a baby. She opened the book and found a place for the picture, carefully sliding it into place in the cellophane pouch. She looked at it to make sure it was set right and smoothed her fingers over the cellophane before closing the album.

Over on the other side of town, Rosco was doing some thinkin’ too.

Rosco had spent most of the afternoon trying to shrug the memories off, as he had for the past two decades. But it was becoming more difficult to do that, especially after Daisy’s reaction to him at the Boar’s Nest. The Sheriff now sat in his living room, with Flash on his lap. He stroked his fingers along the bassets back, staring out the window. There were times he could forget what had happened, and then there were those times when it became so intense it was as if everything had just happened the day before.

“I’d do anything to go back and change it all, Flash,” he said softly. Flash looked up at him, seemingly sympathetic. She then rested her head on his lap.

Rosco was still sitting that way when MaryAnne came in a few minutes later. She spotted her cousin sitting in the living room and after dropping her stuff at the bottom of the stairs, she walked in to join him for a minute.

“Thinkin’ about what happened?” She sat down on the couch that was to Rosco’s left.

He nodded and sighed. “Yeah...I guess I’m gonna be stayin’ outta Daisy’s way for quite awhile. Tho’, I can’t blame her. But...I just wish I could talk to her.” He looked at MaryAnne. “That seem odd?”

She shook her head. “Naw. There’s only two people on this planet whose forgiveness matters to you. Hers. And yours.”

She leaned forward. “I’ve the feelin’ I know who’s forgiveness is going to be the hardest to get.”

Rosco looked at his cousin. He thought a moment. “Mine?”

She nodded. “Give her some time. I’m willing to guess after she’s lamented enough, Jesse will put her in line. She’ll wanna talk at some point.”

“Hope so. And I hope it’s sooner, rather than later.”

MaryAnne smiled. She then got up. “It will be. Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

Ol’ Rosco made sure to stay out of Daisy’s way for awhile and things in Hazzard were pretty quiet for a couple of days. But while things were quiet in Hazzard, trouble was brewing in Atlanta.

A large man with a dark mustache and receding hairline sat behind a deep mahogany desk. His office looked out on the Atlanta skyline, but the view from this office was not as good as it had been from the office he had had three years ago. He had never forgotten the names or faces of the two country officers that had been part of his partial downfall then. Partial in that he himself had not been caught, but many of his associates had been, all but taking the legs out from under his operation.

For three years the word on the street was he was maintaining a low profile, quietly putting his organization back together. However, that low profile was triggering rumors that he no longer had the intestinal fortitude of a Syndicate Don, that his new organization would be nothing more than fluff, easy to take over. Other factions within Atlanta’s underworld were getting
restless, young guns with ambition dreaming of taking the Big Man’s place. Three years before, to think that would have been suicidal. Now, it was considered a glorious cause.

That’s Frankie Tyler, a Syndicate boss that Rosco and MaryAnne helped to nearly catch back when MaryAnne was an officer in the Atlanta PD. Needless to say, he might be lookin’ to get even...

The Big Man was aware of this and knew he had to begin to send the message that his new organization was not fluff. And that to attempt to take his place, would be fool hearted.

Tyler leaned forward and picked up the paper on his desk. His first order that would secure his place in the Atlanta underworld. Below the paper was the file that contained all the information his hit men would need. Frankie smiled and placed the paper back down. He adjusted the gold and diamond ring on his pinky finger and stood up. He nodded to his Lieutenant and the other man quietly slipped out of the office. Frankie adjusted his dark expensive suit jacket as he waited. A moment later, the Lieutenant returned with two other men.

The two men knew why they were there. They’re boss had a job for them to do. An important job. One that if they messed up, would be disastrous for more then just themselves.

The Big Man gestured for them to be seated. They did as they were told as Frankie turned back to his desk to pick up the file folder and paper. He turned back to his hit men.

“This is your contract,” he said handing the folder and paper to the senior of the two men. The man looked at the paper and nodded, showing it to his partner. Two names, joint contract. Nothing out of the ordinary, other than the Big Man’s request that the two be brought to Atlanta first, before being dispatched. It was peculiar to say the least, but both men knew not question it. They would do as they were told.

“The folder has all the information you need, locations, recent photographs and other information. I expect the two to be brought back here within 24 hours of when you leave here.”

The two men nodded.

“Once I have seen them, you will receive further instructions. Mistakes are not affordable.” He paused. “Any questions?”

The senior hitman opened the folder. Two photographs were on top. One was a blurry photograph of a woman standing between a white Jeep and a blue Firebird, waving to somebody out of view of the camera. The building behind her was advertised as “The Boar’s Nest.” The other picture was of the Sheriff of Hazzard County, Rosco P. Coltrane.

Uh oh...

“No, sir,” the senior hitman answered.

“Very well. I will see you two tomorrow then.”

The two men nodded and stood up to leave. They walked out of the office, now on a mission.

Friends and neighbors...I don’t even want to think about it...

The next day, Rosco was sitting out at his favorite speedtrap. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was bright. He squinted to see the car coming down the road. The horn tooted and a hand waved out of the open T-top of the blue Firebird. Rosco waved to his cousin and the patrol car’s siren gave a short whoop.

“Khee!”

After a moment, Flash started pawing at the passenger door, the signal that she needed to get out of the car. Rosco stepped out of the car and watched Flash jump out of the car and disappear into the woods. He stood, waiting for her with the door still open.

After a minute, Rosco glanced at his watch. Suddenly, something poked in his back.

“Afternoon, Sheriff. Don’t turn around, don’t make any sudden moves.”

“Ooh! Jit jit...now listen here...”

The man took Rosco’s pearl handled pistol from the holster and tossed it into the patrol car.

“Alright now,” the man said. He took a hold of Rosco’s arm and turned him towards the woods in a different direction from where Flash had gone.

“What’s goin’ on here? Listen, I’m the Sheriff, you can’t do this.”

“Just button up and walk, Sheriff. Don’t make this difficult for yourself.”

Jit jit, what the heck did I do now???

While Rosco was being marched off to who knows where, Daisy was doing the usual afternoon cleanup of the Boar’s Nest to get ready for the evening crowd. And was about to get a visitor too...

The senior hitman had taken the responsibility of getting the Sheriff. When the short message came over the CB that that had been taken care of, the junior hitman acknowledged and said the second half of the operation would ensue at that point. The
junior hit man looked around the parking lot of the Boar’s Nest. The Jeep was the only vehicle and it was the same as the one in the photograph. His information said that MaryAnne Coltrane worked as a waitress at this establishment along with being a deputy Sheriff. He had watched the courthouse in town and didn’t see any women deputies come or go from the building so he found the Boar’s Nest....just after MaryAnne had left.

The junior hitman studied the blurred image in the photograph. He was fairly sure he would recognize MaryAnne despite the woman’s features being difficult to distinguish in the photo. After another moment, he put the picture aside and got out of the car.

Now he’s supposed to looking for MaryAnne. And Daisy’s the only one in the Boar’s Nest. And that picture wasn’t all that clear....

The junior hit man quietly made his way into the Boar’s Nest through the side entrance that led to the storage room. His steps were quiet as he moved towards the door that led to the bar. He glanced through the small window on the swinging door and
spotted Daisy, from behind, sweeping the floor near the jukebox. She had the figure, although she seemed thinner than what was in the picture. The hair was brown...

The second hitman stepped back and pulled a cloth and small bottle from his pocket. He prepared the cloth and tucked the bottle back in his pocket. He then resumed watching the waitress, waiting for his opportunity to strike.

Uh huh...you know what’s gonna happen...

Daisy finished sweeping the floor and returned the broom behind the bar. She then wetted a cloth and headed over to the booth near the wooden Indian to clean up where some soda had spilled onto the seat.

The hitman saw his chance. Quietly he opened the door and started to move towards Daisy. He held the cloth out in his open hand, ready to wrap it around her face. When Daisy realized somebody was behind her, it was too late. She turned slightly,
raising an arm to the man, but he grabbed her with one hand and forced the cloth to her mouth and nose, muffling her yelp and knocking her out in a matter of moments. When she was completely unconscious, the hitman shoved the cloth into his outer jacket pocket and carried Daisy out of the Boar’s Nest.

Dang it, I hate it when Daisy’s in trouble!

Back at Rosco’s speedtrap, Flash returned to find her daddy gone.

“Woof!” the basset barked at the patrol car. She then looked around the area.

I feel bad for Flash too.

Now while Rosco and Daisy were disappearin’, the rest of Hazzard was oblivious that anything had gone wrong.

Bo and Luke were at Cooter’s garage having a friendly argument, over who’s date the evening before was better looking, when Maverick came into town. The boys stopped and with Cooter watched the blue Firebird drive by towards Rhuebottom’s General Store. MaryAnne waved and the boys and Cooter waved back.

“No contest,” Cooter said. “MaryAnne’s better looking than BOTH of the girls you went out with last night.”

The boys chuckled.

Over at the courthouse, Boss was trying to get Rosco on the radio.

“Rosco! You knucklehead, are you out there??”

Silence was all that answered. Boss put the CB mike down in defeat and walked out of his office.

* * *

“Listen uh, where exactly are we going?” Rosco asked. He had an idea of a general direction, but was still at a complete loss as to what was going on.

“You’ll know when we get there.”

“You know kidnapping’s a federal offense. An kidnapping an officer of the law that’s--that’s...a really offensive offense!”

The senior hitman didn’t reply and turned his car onto Route 35. Atlanta.

Rosco looked out the back window. He thought of Flash and how she was going to come back to the patrol car and he wasn’t going to be there. Just stay with the patrol car sweetheart, hopefully MaryAnne or somebody will see something’s wrong on their way to the Boar’s Nest. Hopefully...

The other vehicle that was carrying Daisy quietly slipped through the shadows of Hazzard heading for the Interstate Highway that would take it to Atlanta. The driver had no conversation with Daisy, for the young woman was still unconscious.

Flash, meanwhile, didn’t wander far from the patrol car and howled every so often as if calling for Rosco. She watched the road and when she saw the blue car coming closer Flash took a few steps towards the road, barking like crazy.

MaryAnne looked and saw the patrol car’s door was wide open. She pulled Maverick to side of the road and stepped out of the car, with Flash running over to her barking up a storm.

“Flash, honey, what are you doing wanderin’ around here?” MaryAnne bent down and scooped up the basset hound. Flash squirmed a little and MaryAnne figured the puppy was upset by something.

“Rosco?” MaryAnne walked to the patrol car and looked in. She then looked around the woods. “Rosco, you around here?!”

Flash barked.

“Rosco!!”

The only thing that replied were the squawking crows. MaryAnne didn’t like the feeling she was getting. With her foot, she closed the patrol car’s door and carried Flash to Maverick.

MaryAnne figured she better look around, to make sure Rosco hadn’t taken ill or something before she went on ahead to the Boar’s Nest. Any idea what she’s gonna think when she gets to the Boar’s Nest and finds Daisy gone too?

Flash watched anxiously from the driver’s side window of Maverick as MaryAnne stepped into the woods to look for her cousin. After a fruitless search, MaryAnne returned to the patrol car. She got in and started the car and found it worked fine. She cut the engine and then was about to pick up the CB mike when she spotted Rosco’s pearl handled pistol on the floor by the passenger seat. She leaned over and picked it up, looking at it curiously.

Why would Rosco leave his gun behind? She laid it down on the seat and then picked up the CB mike. “Enos? Cletus? You fellas got yer ears on? This is MaryAnne...”

“This is Enos.”

“And this is Cletus Hogg reportin’.”

“Either one of you heard from Rosco in the last...I dunno, 45 minutes or so?”

“No, MaryAnne,” Enos replied. “I haven’t heard from Sheriff Rosco since he left for patrol earlier.”

“I ain’t heard from him either,” Cletus said. “Although, Cousin Boss tried to raise the Sheriff on the CB and didn’t have any luck. That was about...twenty minutes ago?”

“Is there something wrong, MaryAnne?” Enos asked.

“I ain’t sure, Enos. I’m sitting in his patrol car at his favorite speed trap and he ain’t here. But Flash is still here and the patrol car runs fine. And his gun is here. It ain’t like him to just take off.”

“Umm...didja look around?” Cletus asked. “Maybe he’s...uhh...”

“I looked around. I called his name. He ain’t here fellas. Listen, I’m gonna go on ahead to the Boar’s Nest and bring Flash with me. Y’all wanna come out and bring his patrol car in?”

“Sure thing, MaryAnne,” Enos said.

“That’s a big ten-four,” Cletus signed off.

MaryAnne put the mike down and got out of the patrol car. After a moment, Maverick was heading towards the Boar’s Nest.

* * *

When Daisy awoke, all that filled her ears was the sound of a cars tires traveling on a highway. A cool breeze blew in from the open driver window and Daisy gripped the back seat that she was laying on. The vinyl was cracked right where the simulated stitching was. Her head was a little foggy but she could recall, faintly, somebody grabbing her at the Boar’s Nest. One thing was clear, she was in some kind of trouble.

Slowly, Daisy pushed herself into a sitting position. She looked out the window at the scenery going by at 55 miles an hour. She then turned to look at the driver, who was watching her in the rearview mirror.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Who I am is irrelevant,” he replied turning his eyes back to the road. “You won’t be seeing enough of me to warrant knowing my name.”

“Where are you taking me?”

The junior hitman smirked. “To meet your cousin.”

Cousin? Where the boys in trouble too? Why did he only say cousin and not cousins?

Daisy gasped. “What have you done with my cousins!”

“Why don’t you just relax, darlin’, we’ll be there soon.”

“What ever you’re trying to pull you won’t get away with it!”

The hitman chuckled. “You sure are brave aren’t you? I suppose in your line of work you have to be. It can be fool hearted too.”

Daisy stared at him. Brave to be a waitress? Um..okay...

* * *

MaryAnne pulled up the Boar’s Nest.

“Okay, Flash, you wanna come in or do you wanna sit in Maverick?”

The basset responded by curling up in the passenger seat.

“I don’t blame ya.” MaryAnne chuckled and stepped out of the Firebird. She entered the Boar’s Nest and looked around.

“Daisy?” She walked over to Boss’s office and looked in. No Daisy. MaryAnne then crossed the floor and went into the storage room and didn’t find Daisy there either. She came back out into the Boar’s Nest and stood for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought and confusion.

Poor MaryAnne’s gonna think that she and Flash are the only one’s left in Hazzard before too long.

“First Rosco disappears now Daisy’s missin’,” Jesse said. He and the boys along with Enos and Cletus were gathered at the Boar’s Nest. MaryAnne had called all of them when she couldn’t find Daisy.

“It is kinda strange,” Enos said.

“Maybe they met up somewhere to have a talk about Daisy’s folks?” Bo suggested.

“On foot?” MaryAnne asked.

Bo made a face. True, that didn’t make much sense.

Luke shook his head. “No, it ain’t like either of ‘em to just take off. Especially not without tellin’ somebody.”

“Then Daisy’s in some kind of trouble,” Jesse said.

“Looks that way.”

“It’s possible they were kidnapped,” MaryAnne said. “Why them two specifically, I ain’t sure. But with the way things were left, Rosco’s patrol car and Flash and here with the Jeep, it’s a strong suggestion.”

“Maybe we better be calling the FBI on this,” Jesse said.

MaryAnne nodded.

* * *

The Dukes, Enos, Cletus and MaryAnne all came filing into the booking room, startling Boss Hogg.

“Enos! Cletus! Where have you two cowchips been?--What are you Dukes doing here?”

“Boss, we gotta situation,” Luke said. “We think Daisy and Rosco have been kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped??”

“They’ve disappeared,” MaryAnne said. “Rosco left his patrol car out at his favorite speedtrap with Flash and Daisy just disappeared from the Boar’s Nest.”

“Well who would kidnap both Rosco and Daisy?” Boss asked.

“That’s the part we can’t figure out,” Cletus said.

“I’ll go ahead and call the FBI, MaryAnne,” Enos announced.

“Okay.”

Boss blinked. “FBI?”

“Kidnappin’s a federal offense,” Bo reminded Boss. “And I’m sure kidnapping a Sheriff gets complicated.”

“Unless, J.D., you know something about this?” Jesse questioned.

“What? Jesse, I ain’t got nothin’ to do with this! What could make you think such a thing?”

Ol’ Boss just gets nervous if the FBI’s gonna be pokin’ around in Hazzard is all. I think we can figure why.

While Enos was calling in the report to the FBI in Atlanta, Rosco and Daisy were about to find out what was going on.

Rosco had started to get an odd feeling of deja vu’ when the hitman led him into an office complex in downtown Atlanta. They walked through modernly decorated hallways and took an elevator to the 6th floor. There, Rosco was escorted to an empty office, his gun belt, sans gun which had been left back in Hazzard, was taken from him and he and the hitman waited.
He looked at the paintings on the wall, not particularly impressed by any of them, other than one of a dozen long stem red roses, spread on a white table. It was almost like the vase had tipped over, petals had fallen off, leaves were scattered near the stems. But in the midst of chaos, the roses still maintained their graceful beauty.

Rosco turned his attention away from the painting when he heard a door click. He looked over to see Frankie Tyler enter the room. The Syndicate Don looked at the law man and gave a peculiar smile.

Rosco stared, recognizing the face but not being able to put a name to it.

“Good afternoon, Sheriff,” the Big Man said. “Did you have a pleasant ride?”

Rosco was still staring, racking his brain trying to figure why the man looked so familiar. He drew in a breath and was about to ask a question when voices were heard in the hall outside the room. The door on the other side of the office suddenly opened.

“Get your hands off me!”

Rosco looked and then suddenly stood up when he recognized Daisy. She was struggling against the hold the other man had on her. He let go of her now and she looked at the Don and then at Rosco. Her face went from fighter to utter confusion.

“Rosco, what’s going on here?” she demanded as she walked around the furniture and came up beside the Sheriff.

Suddenly it hit Rosco like a slap in the face. He looked at the Don, Frankie Tyler, with a look a that should have shown the Big Man that he had made a mistake.

“Don’t you see, Miss Coltrane?” Frankie asked.

Daisy looked at Frankie. “Coltrane?”

Rosco cringed. “This isn’t MaryAnne...”

The expression on the Don’s face went cold. Daisy looked back and forth between him and Rosco. She realized that whatever she had been pulled into, it was all a terrible mistake.

“Oh my Lord...” she said softly.

The hitman who had been given the task of catching MaryAnne paled. The Don took a few steps towards Daisy, studying the woman’s face. She was not the officer he remembered. He turned to his hitman.

“This is not the girl...”

“She was the only one in the road house--”

“Silence! There is no excuse for this poor performance! I now must clean up your mess...” He turned back to Rosco and Daisy.

“Look uh..” Rosco started. “She doesn’t know who you are or what happened three years ago. Why don’t you just let her go?”

“I can not do that, Sheriff Coltrane, and even you know that. I will still get your cousin. The young woman here...it is unfortunate that my associate made a mistake. And I have no choice but to dispatch her, as I must you.”

“Wait a minute,” Daisy started in protest. “Now I don’t have any idea what’s going on here or who you are--”

“Young lady, the mere fact that you have seen my face and know where this office is located...” He shook his head. “I’m afraid I can not let you go. Certainly not with you being the last person to see the Sheriff here alive.”

Daisy’s eyes were wide. “But you’ve got the wrong girl!”

Frankie ignored her and turned to his two hitmen. “Dispatch them. And try not to screw this up too, you think?”

“Yes, sir,” the senior hitman replied and his partner hurried over to help escort Rosco and Daisy out of the office. Daisy resisted for a moment and then stopped when she felt a gun poke into her side.

“You’re really batting a thousand now aren’t you, Rosco?” Daisy said as they were led out of the office.

Yep, I was waitin’ for her to say something like that...

Rosco and Daisy were hustled out of the office complex and taken down to the basement level. They were pushed into a black Mercedes and the car drove out of the lower parking garage and onto the street. They headed south, and Rosco figured a swampy ditch was waiting for them.

While one hitman was driving, the other was turned in the passenger seat, keeping a watchful eye and gun on the Sheriff and waitress. The drive was quiet as they left the city limits. Daisy just stared out the tinted window, but Rosco was watching the gunman, trying to brew an escape plan. One that would work with or without Daisy’s help.

“What makes you think you’re gonna be able to shoot us with that gun?” Rosco asked suddenly.

The hitman grinned. “I pull the trigger and poof, you’re gone.”

Rosco shook his head. “That ain’t what I meant. You’re eyesight ain’t good enough to tell Daisy here from MaryAnne, what makes you think you can see well enough to hit us?”

The hitman raised the gun and moved it closer to Rosco’s forehead, the cold barrel touching just lightly.

“A blind man could make a shot at this range,” the hitman said.

“Jeeee...yeah.” Rosco cringed.

Daisy turned her head to look. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Rosco...”

“Well, I’s just askin’!”

The hitman took the gun back and chuckled. “I’m probably a better shot than you, Sheriff.”

Rosco raised a fist to the man. “Jit jit, that’s what you think...”

“You are,” Daisy said. “Everybody’s a better shot than Rosco here.”

“Hush. I could part this guy’s hair...” Rosco glanced at the man’s balding head. “’course he ain’t got much hair to part. Khee!”

The hitman scowled. The driver chuckled.

“Shut up man.”

Rosco eyed the driver who stopped chuckling but still had a grin on his face. The hitman took his eyes off Rosco long enough to glance at the driver. It was all Rosco needed.

Daisy screamed as Rosco lunged for the gun in the hitman’s hand. He grabbed it, but the gunman wasn’t about to let go. The barrel faced the driver and then the front windshield. The Mercedes swerved as the driver tried to help his partner fight Rosco off, but the Sheriff was giving them everything he had.

“Daisy! Jump!!”

Daisy was watching the struggle and snapped out of her stare long enough to look to see if the door was unlocked. It was and she pulled the latch, opening the door. The car swerved again and was already slowing down enough for Daisy to jump out of the car. She hit the shoulder of the road, tumbled and rolled in the dirt and when she stopped she looked up to see the Mercedes going down the road, the back door still open.

Rosco kept fighting. The gunman tried to grab at the Sheriff’s face or throat, but Rosco knocked the other hand away. He managed to curl his finger around the trigger of the gun and pulled it, sending the bullet smashing out the front windshield of the car. Both the gunman and driver flinched. The Mercedes swerved again and Rosco got an elbow to the gunman’s face, stunning the man long enough for Rosco to knock the other man’s other hand on the dashboard, causing the gun to drop to the floor of the car.

Rosco then quickly slid across the backseat and dove out of the Mercedes. Daisy saw him as she got to her feet. She also saw the taillights of the Mercedes light up and the car came to a screeching stop. Daisy made a beeline for the woods.
Rosco heard the squealing tires too and scrambled to his feet, heading for the woods. The two hitmen jumped out of the Mercedes.

“Where’s the girl?”

“I dunno, let’s get the Sheriff. She’s gotta be back that way anyway.”

The gunman waved his weapon at his partner and they took off into the woods. Daisy watched them from behind a tree.

Daisy wasn’t sure what to do now. Even tho’ she was mad at Rosco, she couldn’t bring herself to start walkin’ back towards Atlanta, but she knew she wasn’t going to be much help to Rosco if she tried to find him.

Daisy looked to the heavens for some kind of answer, frustration clear on her face.

You can blame Uncle Jesse’s upbringing for that.

Rosco, meanwhile, was far enough ahead of the two hitman that he turned and headed north towards Atlanta and hoping to find Daisy. The two hitmen realized they were wasting time and figured Rosco and Daisy would try to get back to Atlanta. They turned around and hurried back to their Mercedes, before a passing motorist noticed and called the police.

As they turned the car around, they both looked towards the woods and down the embankment where Rosco and Daisy had disappeared. Slowly the Mercedes got up to speed and headed back to Atlanta.

Daisy waited for the car to be completely out of her line of sight before she walked out of the woods. She could see the cityscape of Atlanta off in the distance and figured her best bet would be to head back, maybe find a police station. She then turned and looked back at the woods.

“Rosco?”

Rosco saw her and ran through the woods towards her. He came out about ten feet away from where she was.

“You alright, Daisy?”

“Yeah...” She then sighed, her anger towards Rosco returning. “Argh, Rosco I can’t believe this happening. You--you...You’re gonna get another Duke killed ain’t ya?” she stammered out.

Rosco looked at her, more disappointed than hurt. “You’re welcome,” he shot back. He started marching off towards the road.

Daisy’s eyes flared. “How can you say that!”

Rosco stopped and looked at her. “I got you outta that car didn’t I? Or would you rather be on your way to a ditch somewhere?”

“Oh well, thanks a lot. Thanks for gettin’ me into this whole mess to begin with.”

“Not my fault they confused you for MaryAnne. Only now they’re gonna be goin’ back to Hazzard to get MaryAnne! And they’re gonna do to her what they were gonna do to you. And I ain’t gonna be able to stop ‘em!”

“Well, I’m...I’m sorry,” Daisy said.

“Do you have any idea, any idea at all of what they were probably gonna do to you? Besides kill of ya of course.”

Daisy stared at the Sheriff. His blue eyes showed hurt but were intense as well.

“You don’t mean...?”

Rosco nodded. “They’re Syndicate boys, Daisy.” And then in a voice more serious than Daisy had ever heard from Rosco in her life. “They would have had a good time with you first.”

Daisy was silent now.

“Yeah...” Rosco said and continued on towards Atlanta. After a moment, Daisy followed.

Part Two