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.

The Dukes of Hazzard characters, settings, locales, ect. are owned by other entities who have not endorsed this fic nor have they given express permission for the character's use. Author makes not claims to these characters and is not making any profit from their use.

All original characters are the property of the author.

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© Copyright: 1996-2004. Lisa Philbrick

Roses for Daisy (Part Two)

* * *

“You lost them?” It was more of a statement than a question that the Big Man posed to his two hitmen.

“Yes, sir,” the senior one answered. “The Sheriff...duped us.”

“Duped you?” Again, more a statement instead of a question.

The senior hitman sighed. “Yes, sir.”

The Big Man fiddle with the gold and diamond pinky ring for a moment. “He’s famous for that,” he said. He looked at his two hitmen. “Where did this happen?”

“Just outside of town. On Route 81. My guess is that they may try to get back into the city and go to the cops.”

The Big Man nodded. “We’ll blanket the city. Get all the men you’ll need to patrol and put the word out on the street. Anyone who helps us catch Sheriff Coltrane and...Miss Daisy Duke, will be rewarded graciously.”

The senior hitman nodded. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Frankie said, eyeing his hitman. “They haven’t been found.”

Well while the word was being put out on the streets of Atlanta about Rosco and Daisy, folks back in Hazzard were figuring things couldn’t get any worse.

Boss had gone with MaryAnne back to the Boar’s Nest to help open for the afternoon. Bo and Luke had taken Daisy’s Jeep back to their farm and it was clear on the boy’s faces that they wanted to do something to get Daisy back...but nobody knew where she and Rosco had disappeared or who even had them. And that in itself was frustrating enough.

Boss kept his office door open to keep an eye on things in the bar and on MaryAnne.

Now ol’ Boss was a little bit ahead of everyone else. See, he figured that maybe Daisy had been taken by mistake and perhaps MaryAnne was the original target, seeing as Rosco had been grabbed and both had disappeared at the same time.

Thing was, it was only a strange hunch and Boss didn’t know who would want to grab both Rosco and MaryAnne anymore than anyone else would have. So he kept the theory to himself, but kept an eye on MaryAnne.

MaryAnne delivered two beers to a table with a smile and then walked back to the bar. Boss glanced up and watched her and then resumed crunching numbers on his adding machine.

MaryAnne looked around the Boar’s Nest and saw that everyone appeared all set for a moment. There were two bags of garbage sitting in the store room that had to be taken out. Now.

Two more of Frankie Tyler’s hitmen were sitting in their car watching the Boar’s Nest from the far side of the parking lot. They saw the side door open and MaryAnne came out with one bag of garbage. She put the bag down and then went back in for a moment, soon returning with another bag.

“Let’s get her,” one of the men said. The driver nodded and started the car.

MaryAnne was too busy trying to coordinate lifting the dumpster lid and pushing the heavy bag into it to notice a car pull up.
“Argh...I’m too short...” she mumbled as the two men approached.

“MaryAnne Coltrane?”

The bag went in now. “Yeah, that’s me.” She turned to the two. “Can I help you with something?”

“We may have some information on the disappearance of your cousin,” one of the men said. He put his hand inside his jacket, as if he was reaching for his wallet but instead out came a gun. “If you’ll come with us...”

MaryAnne looked at the gun and then at the two men. Holding their gaze, she suddenly knocked the gunman’s hand against the dumpster, sending the gun to the ground and she started to run away. The other hitman went after her and caught her half way across the dirt parking lot. MaryAnne went down into the dirt.

Coming down the road at that moment, however, was Cletus. He saw the scuffle in the parking lot and realized it was MaryAnne.

“Flap jacks on a Ferris wheel!!” Cletus hit the accelerator and his Plymouth Fury came roaring in off the road.

MaryAnne kept fighting and then suddenly the two men saw the deputy coming. They left MaryAnne and ran back to their car.

“MaryAnne! You okay??” Cletus asked after he stopped the patrol car next to her. The young waitress was still on the ground but started to get up.

“Yeah, I’m alright. Move over Cletus, we’re going after ‘em!!”

“What??”

“MOVE!!” MaryAnne pulled open the driver door on the Plymouth and Cletus hastily put it in park and slid over to the passenger seat. The other car was just swinging behind them and onto the road. As soon as MaryAnne was in they were in hot pursuit.

“I think they’re the same dudes that took Rosco and Daisy,” she said.

“That’s what I was coming to tell ya,” Cletus said quickly. “The FBI called back and said some Synd..cindy...something or other, some big time gangster boss in Atlanta has a contract on you and the Sheriff!!”

“Dang it! They musta grabbed Daisy by mistake. And now they’re trying to get me again. Aw Cletus! Did the Feds say who the gangster is?”

“Uh...somebody named Tyler?”

“Tyler...Tyler...doh! I thought I he was in jail by now. Durn it..” MaryAnne stayed after the two for awhile and then suddenly slammed the brakes.

“You ain’t goin’ after ‘em??”

“It ain’t gonna do much good. We catch them and Tyler sends more after me. What we do is head back to the Boar’s Nest and tell Boss what’s goin’ on and then we go tell the Dukes. I think we’re gonna be takin’ a trip to Atlanta.”

The Dukes, meanwhile, were trying to continue on their chores. Which became difficult when every time one of them would look at Daisy’s Jeep they would be reminded of what was really going on. They tried to pretend that she was at the Boar’s Nest, but the pretense was weak.

“We should be out there lookin’ for her, that’s what!” Luke said as he and Bo came out of the barn. “Every time I look at the Jeep, I keep thinkin’ she’s in trouble and all we can do is stand here and do nothing. I hate it. I hate not being able to do
something.”

“Yeah, I know Luke. I feel the same way.”

Jesse looked at his two nephews. “Me too. About the only thing that gives me any comfort is that where ever Daisy is, Rosco’s probably with her. Rosco may be crooked, but I know he wouldn’t let anything happen to Daisy.”

The boys nodded. “That’s assuming Daisy’s bein’ nice to him,” Luke said.

Bo gave a tiny smile. “That’s true...”

“I would think Daisy would put that aside considerin’ the situation she’s in,” Jesse said.

Hmm...if only Jesse knew...

The boys glanced at each other. The thought of Daisy and Rosco arguing despite the threat to their lives offered a little comic relief for the situation. They both smiled. A moment later the sound of an approaching car filled the air. Each Duke stopped what they were doing and turned towards the drive in time to see the white Plymouth Fury with Cletus and MaryAnne.
The two deputies got out of the patrol car and approached the Dukes.

“Cletus just got some information from Atlanta,” MaryAnne said. “It looks like somebody made a really big mistake.”

“And then tried to correct it by kidnappin’ MaryAnne here at the Boar’s Nest,” Cletus said. He straightened his shoulders. “Good thing I showed up when I did.”

“What in tarnation...?” Jesse started. He then shook his head. “Why don’t you two come in and explain everything.”

Cletus and MaryAnne followed the Dukes into the farm house and everyone sat down at the kitchen table.

“Okay,” MaryAnne said. “Back about three years ago, Rosco and I kinda sorta nearly caught a Syndicate Don. He got away and I figured he was in jail by now. Turns out he’s not, and according to the FBI, a contract was put out on me and Rosco. By the time the Feds found out about it, Rosco and Daisy had already been snatched from here. A little while ago, two dudes showed up at the Boar’s Nest and tried to take me as well, but like Cletus said it was a good thing he showed up when he did.”

“So they mistook Daisy for you,” Bo said.

“Right.”

“Which means...” Jesse said softly. “They ain’t likely to let her go.”

MaryAnne looked at the elder Duke with a cautioned expression. “No...and they’re surely gonna be comin’ back lookin’ for me.”

“What do we do?” Bo asked. “Do we try to find the guys that tried to grab you and maybe they’ll lead us to Daisy?”

MaryAnne shook her head. “Too dangerous. Way too dangerous. What we do is we all go to Atlanta. Granted, we’ll have to sit and wait there, but I figure it would be better than sittin’ ‘round here and waitin’.”

“I agree,” Jesse said. “And besides that we’ll serve as reminder to the FBI and the city police of who they should be lookin’ for.”

MaryAnne smiled. “That’s right. I recommend we leave as soon as possible.”

“But what about those two lookin’ for you?” Luke asked. “They’ll be askin’ about you.”

“Well then everybody in town is gonna have to know I’m goin’ to Atlanta. Once them two realize that I’m there, they more than likely will just leave Hazzard alone and return to Atlanta. They’ll figure I’m hiding with the FBI or something.”

“Then we don’t have much time to lose,” Jesse said. “You better head back to town and let folks know you’re leavin’. Me and the boys got a few things to finish here and then we’ll let ya know when we’re ready to go.”

MaryAnne nodded.

While the Dukes were finishin’ up on chores, and MaryAnne was spreadin’ the word, Rosco and Daisy were just getting back into Atlanta. Neither one of them figured that gettin’ to a police station or just gettin’ through the city of Atlanta alone would become as complicated as it did.

“So where are we going?” Daisy asked as she and Rosco stepped back onto a sidewalk after crossing a street.

“We’re either going to try to get to the police or get back to Hazzard.”

“Brilliant plan.”

“You got a better idea??”

Daisy was quiet. No, she didnt’ have a better idea, but she was so angry that she could help but sound off at Rosco.

And Rosco knew she was angry. He looked at her briefly, her eyes focused straight ahead. He wished he could apologize, but he knew it would not make any difference to her. She was mad about what had happened to her folks, she was mad about being mistaken for MaryAnne, kidnapped and nearly killed and Rosco just made a convenient target for her anger.

So Rosco took the abuse, believing deep down that he deserved it anyway. He made one promise to himself, however. He would do whatever he had to do to get Daisy to safety and keep her out of harm’s way. It was the least he could do for Ethan and Lea’s daughter.

Down the street behind them, a lone black Mercedes turned off a side street and prowled through the traffic. The passenger slapped the driver on the arm and pointed to the man and woman walking on the side walk. The driver nodded and the Mercedes followed.

Rosco and Daisy kept walking, oblivious to the car following them. They crossed another side street and the Mercedes turned down the same street, increasing it’s speed to get to the end of the block, circle around back and come up the other side street and be there when Rosco and Daisy got there.

Rosco was watching the traffic on the street beside them, Daisy was looking down at the concrete and up occasionally at the shop windows. Rosco turned his gaze from the traffic to the Mercedes sitting and waiting.

The back tinted window was rolled down just enough for a sinister looking face to show and the barrel of a gun to point out. Rosco saw the black extended barrel of the silencer and he instinctively grabbed Daisy and pulled her between the parked cars near the side walk. One bullet embedded in the back fender of the pickup truck that Rosco and Daisy had disappeared behind.

“Rosco--” The rest of what Daisy wanted to say was drowned out by a blaring car horn. The Sheriff and waitress hustled and continued to jaywalk across the road, causing other cars to stop quick. The Mercedes pulled into traffic.

“Rosco, what in the world??”

Rosco looked back and saw the Mercedes. “Daisy, that fancy black car’s followin’ us...I think they tried to take a shot at us. Fella in back had a silencer on his gun.”

Daisy looked now and saw the black car with tinted windows. She turned back forward. “Oh my God...”

“Just keep walkin’.” Even as he said that, he glanced back to see the Mercedes still following on the other side of the road. Despite the traffic on the street, and the presence of people on the sidewalk, Rosco felt just as much as if he was running down an empty, dark, dead end alley with the Mercedes closing in on him.

“Rosco, that bus...”

Rosco looked ahead and saw a city bus pulling up to the curb to pick up passengers.

“We can fool ‘em,” he said, thinking the same thing Daisy was. They hurried their step and pretended to get in line to board the bus. The Mercedes kept moving, but all in the car were peering through the tinted windows, trying to keep an eye on where Rosco and Daisy were going. As the car went by, the law man and waitress disappeared on the other side of the bus.

“Turn it around,” the gunman in the back of the car said. “We’ll follow that bus.”

The driver nodded and hastily turned the Mercedes around, pulling into an alley to do it. He backed up and headed towards the bus that was now pulling away from the curb. Rosco and Daisy had seen the black car pull into the alley up the street and they quickly ducked behind a van that was parked off another side street. They watched through the window of the van as the bus went by followed by the Mercedes.

When the black car disappeared around a corner with the bus, Rosco and Daisy both relaxed a bit.

“Good thinkin’, Daisy.”

Daisy paused. She withheld her sharp retort and only said, “Let’s get out of here.” She turned and started walking. Rosco followed.

* * *

Four Atlanta police officers stopped and watched as the orange Dodge Charger pulled into the parking area of the Atlanta PD. When the car and it’s four occupants disappeared, they looked at each other and snickered.

“Park right here, Bo,” MaryAnne said, pointing from the back seat to a spot where the General could sit. Bo swung the car into the spot and cut the engine. A few moments later the boys, MaryAnne and Jesse were out of the car.

“Alright, MaryAnne, who do we go see?” Jesse asked.

“Follow me.”

* * *

The wind was blowing cold in Atlanta. Despite the sun shining, fall was waning in the city and the wind was bringing in it’s winter chill. Daisy rubbed her hands over her bare arms. This was not the weather to be wearing a waitress uniform.

Rosco saw she was cold. He was too and could have gone for a good hot meal somewhere. But he knew they couldn’t stop, not with Tyler’s men who always seemed two steps behind them. Rosco knew the city pretty well, but was used to traveling through it in a car, not on foot. He and Daisy were at a distinct disadvantage at the moment.

They waited at the crossing lights, Daisy constantly moving to keep warm, Rosco watching the traffic on the street as it passed and looking over his shoulder. In the course of his security watch, he spotted a clothing store across the street.

The light turned and people stepped onto the crosswalk. Rosco took Daisy by the arm, which she promptly pulled away from him and they walked to the other side of the street. Daisy marched down the sidewalk with Rosco calling after her.

“Hold up a sec.”

Daisy turned in time to see him walk into the store.

“Argh..Rosco, we don’t have time for this...” she mumbled and followed him into the store.

The store was small, and she found Rosco going through some clothes on a rack that was to the right of the doorway.

“Rosco,” she hissed. “What are you doing?”

Rosco flipped through the different cotton hooded sweatshirtsthat were on the rack. He picked one, a light blue one and pulled it off the hanger.

“Here,” he said. “Try that on.”

Daisy just glared at him.

“Go on, try it.”

Daisy took the sweatshirt and sighed. She slipped it on, zipped the front part way and couldn’t help but enjoy the soft warmth of the material.

“Looks like it fits you alright.”

“Yeah...”

Rosco looked at the tag on the sleeve cuff. $9.99. He then dug out his wallet.

“Rosco, you’re not buying this,” Daisy told him.

“Yes, I am. Cuz you ain’t gonna go gettin’ hypothermia on me from being so cold. Yer Uncle Jesse’d have my tail.”

Daisy took the jacket off and gave it to Rosco. She said nothing as the Sheriff paid for it and declined the bag the clerk offered. He then gave the jacket to Daisy to put back on. She did, they thanked the clerk and were back out on the street.

“The least I can do is get you back to Hazzard or to the police,” Rosco said.

“Ha! I don’t need an escort back to Hazzard,” Daisy shot back as they both stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “I know my way around Atlanta and I know how to get out of here and back to Hazzard.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s so. And believe me the last person I want escorting me, is you!”

Rosco had had enough by this point. He threw his hands in the air. “Fine! Have a nice walk, I’ll see ya back in Hazzard.” Rosco turned and walked back in the other direction.

“Yer going the wrong way, ya know!”

Rosco waved her off and kept going. Daisy watched him a moment and then resumed walking in the other direction.

Now friends and neighbors, there ain’t no way Rosco’s gonna let Daisy go walkin’ through the big city alone. Not with those Syndicate boys prowlin’ around lookin’ for both of them...

Rosco walked but kept looking back every so often. More than two city blocks separated him from Daisy now. He stopped and looked back in the direction he had left Daisy and couldn’t see her. He hesitated and then turned to resume walking. He looked at the traffic and once he saw the grill of the black Mercedes, he panicked. He quickly ducked into the doorway of an apartment complex and watched the black car creep by.

Rosco may not be the most honest law man around, but deep down he has a good heart. You know, I like that about him.

When the Mercedes was out of view, and Rosco was sure he hadn’t been spotted he stepped out of the doorway. He then started to walk back to Daisy, hurrying his step.

Daisy, meanwhile, was walking like a woman on a mission. She had her arms wrapped around her waist and the cement echoed the click of her high heeled sandals. Even though the expression on her face clearly showed she was angry, it didn’t stop three young men hanging around and old El Camino from noticing her. The dark haired one in the group twitched his mustache. He tapped the buddy closest to him on the arm and all three stepped onto the sidewalk in front of Daisy.

Daisy stopped and looked at the three. Her expression went from anger to fear in a heartbeat.

“Hey babe, can we give you a ride somewhere?” the mustached one asked.

“Uh...no, that’s okay...”

One of the other men started to walk behind her, checking out her legs and curves. Daisy turned to keep him and the other two in her line of sight. In doing so, she now had her back facing the building. The three men chuckled.

“You from around here?”

“Umm..no. No, I’m not, I’m just...visitin’...”

Down the sidewalk, Rosco saw the three men and Daisy with her back towards the brick wall. She was giving them some jive, trying to get them to go away but they weren’t buying it. They were slimy looking and Rosco didn’t like how they seemed to be moving in closer and closer to her. Daisy nervously pulled the cotton windbreaker Rosco’s ten dollars had bought, around her, taking a step back from the men.

“Come on baby...” one of them said as Rosco walked closer. The other two just grinned.

“No, really, I appreciate the offer of a ride, but I’m waitin’ for somebody. They should be here any moment.”

“And that somebody can get very jealous.” Rosco spoke up.

All three turned their heads to look at Rosco. When they spotted his uniform, they stepped away from Daisy quickly. Daisy hurried over to Rosco and he put his arm around her.

“Hey, sorry man, we didn’t know...”

“I think you three can find some place else to be, right?”

The man in the middle, with the mustache nodded. “Sure. Yeah, we can do that.”

He looked at Rosco’s uniform again, noticing the Sheriff was without a gun belt. He ignored it and nodded to his buddies. Without another word, they turned and walked away.

When the men were out of ear shot, Daisy turned to Rosco, genuinely relieved. “Thank you...”

“Something told me to come back. Listen, I know you don’t like me right now, but I’m not going to let you walk around Atlanta alone. So you’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”

Daisy tried to hide her smile and nodded.

“Hey, man, don’t look so down. There’s other skirts to find ‘round here,” the blonde said to his mustached buddy.

“That ain’t what’s buggin’ me.” He stopped walking, prompting his two friends to do the same. They looked at him.
“Remember what Rico at the pool hall said about how The Big Man was lookin’ for a man and a woman?”

“Yeah? So?”

“The guy is some Sheriff or something....” He ran a hand over his face and mustache. “And that dude had a Sheriff’s uniform on. But he had no gunbelt.”

“Rico said The Big Man would smile favorably on anyone who could help find them...” the blonde said.

The mustached one grinned. “That’s right.” He eyed his two buddies and then gave a nod of his head. “C’mon, let’s go try to catch ‘em.”

Rosco and Daisy were quiet as they walked, basically retracing their steps backwards. As much as they wanted to get to the other side of town and to the Atlanta PD headquarters, they weren’t about to go through a ‘bad neighborhood’ to get there. So, Rosco figured to venture back to midtown and chose a new route from there.

The El Camino that the three men had been leaning on when Daisy had walked by was now mobile. Two sat inside the car, while the third was in the back payload. They spotted the Sheriff and young woman and they kept the old Chevy at a crawl.
Daisy had heard the rumble of dual pipes but didn’t think much of it until the noise followed them around a corner and onto another street. She glanced over her shoulder to look and saw the El Camino and all three passengers looking at her and Rosco.

Rosco saw her turn to look back behind him. He looked as well just as the Chevy's engine revved and the car suddenly jumped the curb in an attempt to block his and Daisy’s passage. Rosco grabbed Daisy’s arm and they turned around.

The one riding in the payload jumped out and ran after them as the driver swung the Chevy off the curb and around in the middle of the street. He punched the gas and aimed the car towards a spot on the sidewalk just ahead of the Sheriff and girl. The El Camino jumped the curb again, tires squealing as it came to a jolting stop. The driver door popped open and Rosco pulled Daisy down to the pavement, right close to the front fender of the Chevy. The man chasing them couldn’t stop his
momentum enough and went over them and across the hood of the El Camino. Before he tumbled to the ground on the other side of the car, Rosco and Daisy were running back down the sidewalk.

The driver yelled to his two friends that they weren’t giving up that easy. The passenger helped the other man up and he stumbled to the back of the Chevy as the other two returned to the inside of the car. The El Camino bounced backwards off the curb and was back chasing after Rosco and Daisy.

Rosco spotted a one way street on the otherside of the road. It was one way coming out as opposed to going in. He looked back to see where the El Camino was and waited for it to pull ahead and try to cut him and Daisy off again. When it did, he called to Daisy to follow him.

They quickly stopped and reversed direction and then darted out into the street between two parked cars. The man in the back of the El Camino was yelling at the driver.

“They’re over there!! Go on!!”

The Chevy squealed and turned towards the other side of the street. Rosco and Daisy ran up on to the sidewalk and made a beeline for the one way street. The El Camino did too.

“We got ‘em now!!”

Rosco and Daisy snaked down the one way street with the El Camino following. But it was short lived when tires squealed and horns blared as a car that was already coming down the street blocked further passage for the Chevy and it’s three passengers.

“Hey!” the driver of the other car yelled out his window. “Don’t you see the sign, one way street! That ain’t one way take yer pick you know!! Can’t you read??”

“Yeah I can read!!...”

Rosco and Daisy stopped long enough to look back as the three got into a shouting match with the other driver. They snickered and then hurried to get out of sight of the threesome and take a moment to catch their breath.

Kinda makes ya wonder how ol’ Rosco and Daisy would do if they had a car right now, don’t it?

After the near miss in on the one way street, the three men drove their El Camino to the pool hall that the mustached one had spoke of. They told Rico what happened, and how they tried to capture the two for Mr. Tyler but were unsuccessful. Rico told them he would pass that along to The Big Man and put in a good word for them. They thanked him, already envisioning their lives as members of the ruling crime family.

Frankie Tyler was thankful for the information, but in no way interested in making three mere punks part of his organization. He had the last known location of the Sheriff and mistaken waitress passed on to his hitmen who mobilized immediately.

Jesse, the boys and MaryAnne sat in Captain Anthony Briggs’ office by themselves. The Captain had been gone for nearly twenty minutes, putting a group of officers together for the problem that the Dukes and MaryAnne had brought to him. He
was also trying to get an answer from the FBI, regarding the contract that had been put out on the Hazzard Sheriff and deputy. Especially since that deputy had been one of his officers once.

“The Captain’s a good man,” MaryAnne said to Jesse. “He was my commanding officer when I was here a couple years ago. He was a Lt. then. Musta finally got his promotion.”

“I hope he can help us,” Jesse said.

“He’s gonna do everything he can, that’s for sure.”

Rosco, meanwhile, was doing everything he could to keep himself and Daisy from being spotted by Tyler’s men. Black colored cars, no matter what make or model were now discriminated by the Sheriff. If he saw one, he and Daisy either ducked or ran. Maybe they were paranoid, to the point of not thinking that the hitmen could use a different colored car at some point. But the black Mercedes seemed to be their vehicle of choice.

And one such sedan was spotted by both Daisy and Rosco at the same time. She turned to him just as he pulled her into the doorway of the cafe and they watched the black sedan prowl by. When the car continued on, both let out a sigh of relief for not having been spotted and Daisy rested her head for a moment on Rosco’s shoulder.

“Would you folks like a table?”

“Ah!” Both Rosco and Daisy jumped at the voice of the young waiter who was standing before them. Daisy giggled as Roscotried to find the words to reply.

“Uh...jit jit..” He paused and blinked and then looked at Daisy. “You want something to eat?”

* * *

The Dukes and MaryAnne were now camped out in the hall way, between Captain Briggs’ office and the squad room. Bo had volunteered to go with MaryAnne to the sandwich shop that was down the block from the station and they returned with
sandwiches and drinks.

They ate mostly in silence, watching the bustle of officers and citizens. One lady was yelling at the booking officer about her son who had been brought in. Why were they always picking on him, she wondered. He’s a good kid, can’t you leave him alone? Other people who were being brought in under arrest were giving officers a hard time, cursing and mouthing off.

“Remind me next time were in the Sheriffs office to appreciate the quiet,” Bo said to Luke.

MaryAnne smiled. “You think that’s bad, you should see how some people are when they’re put in the holding cell. They scream and yell. It’s often not a pretty sight.”

“How’d you put up with all this?” Luke asked.

“I only did it for a year, which was long enough. I learned a lot about law enforcin’ but I did a lot of growin’ up too.” She shook her head. “And I’ll never do it again.”

* * *

After Rosco and Daisy ordered, the Sheriff looked at the young woman across the table from him. He drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly and speaking gently. “Listen, Daisy. I’m sorry about your folks. I mean that. If I could do something or give up something to bring then back, I would.”

Daisy was quiet for a moment and then shook her head. “Rosco, it’s not your fault.” She looked at him apologetically. “I’m the one that should be apologizing, for being so awful to you.”

“You have every right to act like ya did. I mean, you parents were taken away from you when you were six years old by a nameless, faceless drunk driver,” he said. “Then to find out that I coulda done something to try to stop it all...I just became a target for your anger.” Rosco paused and made a peculiar face. “Jit jit, I ain’t had to think like that since I took that psychology class at the police academy.”

Daisy smiled. “Well, whatever the reason, I haven’t been very fair to you. Uncle Jesse said that you and my dad were pretty good friends.”

Rosco nodded and then thought a moment of the past. The pleasant past. “Yeah, we were. We went through school together, played baseball. Your mother--” He stopped suddenly, not sure if Daisy wanted him taking a trip down memory lane.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I’d like to hear about them.”

“Your momma was the prettiest girl in the county. No contest.” He grinned.

Daisy giggled. “You liked her?”

“Daisy, there wasn’t a breathin’ male in Hazzard back then that didn’t appreciate Lea’s looks.”

Daisy laughed.

“And Ethan...well, he was a Duke boy. Had every girl’s attention from here to Hatchapie County. But once he got to know Lea, she was the only girl he paid any attention to.” Rosco paused for a long moment. “I’ve really missed them,” he said softly.

Daisy nodded, understanding a little more. She waited and then asked, “Why did you give me that picture?”

“Because you should have it.”

“But you’re in it. They were your friends.”

“They were your parents. I felt you deserved it more than I did.”

“Oh Rosco...”

The Sheriff shook his head. “I’m gonna carry what happened to you folks with me for the rest of my days, Daisy. Ain’t much gonna change that.”

“Even if I told you I forgive you?”

Rosco nodded. “Not that I don’t appreciate your forgivin’, but the person who’s forgiveness matters most, is the one that’s the hardest to get. And that’s my own. The only thing that just barely begins to make up for that is making sure you’re okay and we get outta here and back to Hazzard. I figure I owe your folks that much.” Rosco dropped his gaze to the table. The waiter returned with their orders and drinks. When he left, Daisy looked at the law man.

“Rosco?”

He looked up.

“Can you tell me about ‘em some more?”

He did. By the time they left the cafe it was late in the afternoon and the sun shone across the west side faces of buildings. Rosco and Daisy walked out of the cafe and crossed the street, heading towards the park, figuring they wouldn’t be spotted as they walked through.

They weren’t. But once they came out of the park, fate reset the game back and there was little time for the players to adjust.
It happened so quickly, that Rosco wasn’t sure what had kept them alive, other than maybe devine intervention of some sort. He and Daisy were pounding the pavement, heading towards the Jefferson Bridge that crossed the Chatahoochie River. Somewhere off in the distance, sirens were blaring, a sound that they both blocked out now having heard it so much. But in the road a car slowed down as it came closer to them. Rosco turned his head just enough to see the black sedan and the familiar hitman leaning out the passenger window. Before his eyes registered the gun in the hitman’s hand, Rosco immediately turned and grabbed Daisy, hauling her back down the sidewalk.

Concrete skipped and chipped behind them and car horns blared as the bullets rained over the front of the abandoned building, shattering the glass. Daisy screamed and Rosco took her hand as they started to run. More shots were fired and tires squealed as the sedan turned around to go after the Sheriff and girl. The car’s engine growled in the street next to Rosco and Daisy, like a beast coming up for lunch. Rosco quickly pulled Daisy into a narrow alley way and they ran, more shots ringing behind them.

“Get them!!”

One hitman jumped out of the sedan and ran down the alley while the car swung around to try to cut Rosco and Daisy off around the block. This was the closest Tyler’s men had gotten to them since they escaped. Daisy couldn’t help her fear and found herself gripping Rosco’s hand tight. They came out of the alley and kept running, heading towards the river. Daisy quickly glanced back to see the man following them.

“Rosco! He’s still back there!”

“Keep running!”

They ran and at that moment, Atlanta cops were getting the report on their radios of gunfire near the Jefferson Bridge. Units were on their way.

The sedan came around the corner two blocks ahead of Rosco and Daisy. The nose of the big car was trained on them and it was a race on who could get to the intersection first. Rosco was pulling Daisy’s arm to keep up. They bolted to the sidewalk and cut down the other street before the sedan got there. Tires squealed as the sedan made the turn and Rosco and Daisy got a little more of a distance on their pursuers.

But they weren’t in the clear and they knew it. They rounded the corner of the building and were back facing the Jefferson Bridge again. The bridge itself was maybe 125 feet long from one bank of the river to the other. It was two lanes with guard rails that came up to the chest on an average person. Rosco and Daisy started across the bridge when they both spotted another black sedan coming fast from the other side of the bridge. They both stopped running and turned to see the car
chasing them was still coming.

“Daisy, do you trust me?”

She looked at him and he nodded towards the river. Sirens were crying off in the distance.

“You mean jump?”

He nodded. “If we can get to the shore under the bridge here--”

“But we could get killed!”

“We don’t stand much chance staying here either!” Rosco stepped up on the guard rail’s lower rung and swung one leg over the railing. He looked at Daisy.

She looked at the two cars coming and the resumed clattering of gunfire forced her decision. She quickly climbed over the railing with Rosco and then he took her hand.

“Now, Daisy!!” Rosco exclaimed as a bullet pinged off the guard rail. Tires squealed and anybody who happened to look out a window towards the Jefferson Bridge, watched in horror as the two people dropped from the bridge and disappeared into the deep waters of the Chatahoochie.

Police cars came up on the bridge in the seconds after Rosco and Daisy disappeared into the river. The two Syndicate vehicles were soon surrounded and two cops ran to the railing and looked down to the river.

Somewhere in the watery confusion, Daisy lost her grip on Rosco’s hand. Her face and head broke the water’s surface and she paddled for a moment, trying to get her bearings. She saw the sandy shoreline under the bridge and she swam to it.

She could hear shouting on the bridge above her. She pulled herself out of the water and rested on the cold sand on her knees.

“Rosco?” She looked around now and at the river, waiting for him to come up. Mild panic creeped in. “Rosco!”

Officers came down below the bridge. “Miss? Are you okay?”

“You better go get a blanket, Randy,” another officer said.

“Rosco,” Daisy said. “He was with me. We jumped the same time, he’s gotta be around here...”

“Okay, Ma’am just take it easy.”

“No! Rosco--he...he was right with me...you gotta find him!” Daisy’s eyes warmed with tears and she gripped the officer’s arm tightly.

Daisy didn’t want to think that Rosco could have perished while saving her life. After all they had been through and after she had finally forgiven him for what had happened to her folks...she sure didn’t want to have it all end like this.

About twenty minutes later an officer, a young man of about 30, hurriedly moved down the hallway of the fourth floor of the Atlanta PD. “Mr. Duke! Mr. Duke!!” he shouted, darting around other officers and people. The Duke family and MaryAnne all looked up and then stood up as the officer came closer.

“Mr. Duke, they’ve found your niece. She and the Sheriff jumped into the river off the Jefferson Bridge while outrunning some of Frankie Tyler’s men. They’re ok, but everything’s still bein’ sorted out. I don’t have any more for you, I gotta git back to the squad room, but the Captain wanted me to let you know.”

Jesse nodded. “Thank you, son. We appreciate you tellin’ us.”

The officer nodded and turned to go back to the squad room. Jesse turned to his nephews who looked more relieved than they had for most of the day.

“Can you believe that?” Bo said with a chuckle. “Rosco and Daisy jumpin’ off a bridge?”

“Sounds crazy but I guess they’re okay,” Luke said. “Boy is that ever good news!”

MaryAnne was smiling too. But her elation would be short-lived.

Daisy sat on the passenger seat in the open doorway of an Atlanta PD police cruiser, wrapped in a blanket and with a Styrofoam cup of hot soup in her hands that she sipped at. She watched the commotion, the arrest of the men in the two cars that had tried to put a squeeze play on her and Rosco, the search and rescue people as they coordinated where to search and what could have happened to Rosco in regards to the river’s currents and undertows. By the looks on their faces, Daisy had the horrible feeling that they didn’t expect to find the Sheriff alive.

She sipped at the soup again, feeling the warm tear drop roll down her cheek. She wiped it away with the blanket, but that didn’t stop the new ones from silently forming.

* * *

Another officer came out into the hall where Jesse, the boys and MaryAnne were sitting. They all stood up as the officer, who was not the same one that had told them before when Rosco and Daisy had been found, approached.

“Daisy?” Jesse asked.

“Your niece is fine. They’re taking her to Atlanta General to be checked and then they’ll be bringing her here. If you’d like to go see her there, I can let the hospital know you’re coming.”

Jesse nodded. “We’d appreciate that.”

MaryAnne looked at the officer hopefully. “What about Rosco?”

The officer looked at her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “They haven’t found him yet.”

MaryAnne stared at the officer, her expression crestfallen. “But the other officer said they were both okay...” Bo put his arm around MaryAnne’s shoulders. The young Coltrane continued to stare at the officer. “You mean he...he didn’t come out of the river?”

The officer shook his head. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, no. They’re looking for him. That’s all I know right now.” The officer then dismissed himself and the Duke men gathered around MaryAnne.

“There’s still a chance, MaryAnne,” Luke said. “He may have gone down the river a bit and got out...”

“Maybe.” She paused, looking at the Dukes. “Y’all know he ain’t no swimmer,” she said softly. “Listen, go on and see Daisy. I’m gonna stay here...”

“Alright,” Jesse said. “But we’ll be back. Just keep good thoughts, MaryAnne.”

MaryAnne nodded.

After the Dukes left, MaryAnne sat down on the bench again...and cried.

* * *

Sadie Drew had been coming to fish at this spot on the Chatahoochie with her Grandfather since she was a young girl. Now, at 16 she still enjoyed the outings, even if she didn’t catch any fish.

“Go on ahead down,” Grandpa Drew said. “I’ll lock up the truck and meet ya down there.”

“Okay.” Sadie had her fishing pole and tackle box and she started down the narrow dirt path to the river. When she got to the small clearing, she put her tackle box and pole down on the ground and stood for a moment, admiring the mighty river. She watched the water as it moved and swirled down stream and crashed through some rocks that were poking above the waterline...

Sadie stopped and looked at the formation of rocks off to her left. Approximately 20 feet from the shoreline there looked to be something caught in the rocks. Sadie could make out something blue and she squinted to try to see more. There was somebody there!

“Grampa!!” Sadie turned and ran back up the trail meeting her grandfather half way. “Grampa! There’s something or somebody caught on the rocks in the river!”

“There is?” Grandpa Drew looked towards the river and then hurried down the path with Sadie following.

“Over there.” She came around his side and pointed towards the rocks. Grandpa Drew looked and let out his breath. “Good Lord...” He quickly put his gear down and turned to his granddaughter, giving her the keys to his truck.

“There’s a medical kit in the truck cab, go get it. I’m gonna wade out and see if there’s anything we can do.”

“Okay.” Sadie took the keys and ran up the trail. Grandpa Drew turned back to the river and stepped into the water, slowly making his way to the rocks. The water never went higher than his chest and he had worn his hip boots. But the water was cold. Very cold.

As he got closer, Grandpa Drew could see it was indeed a person. The man looked to be in his fifties and was wearing a police officer’s uniform. Grandpa looked at the patch on the shirt:

Hazzard County Sheriff.

He suddenly remembered hearing something on the radio about the Hazzard Sheriff. He was missing or something like that. Had jumped off the Jefferson Bridge uptown with a young girl...they had been kidnapped... He hadn’t listened to the whole news broadcast but he was sure that there were people looking for this man.

Grandpa Drew checked the Sheriff for a pulse. He found it but it was slow and the Sheriff himself was cold to the touch. He looked over to the shoreline and saw his granddaughter had the med kit. She held it up.

“He’s alive! You better grab some of the blankets too!”

“Okay!”

Sadie left the med kit and ran back to the truck and Grandpa looked at the Sheriff. The man wasn’t tangled in the rocks, in fact it looked as though maybe he had swam towards them before the cold water did him in. Carefully, Grandpa put his arms around the Sheriff and lifted him out of the rocks.

When Sadie came back to the edge of the river with the blankets, Grandpa was carrying the Sheriff out of the river. She quickly put one of the blankets down and helped him to lay the law man on the ground.

“He’s gotta be sufferin’ from hypothermia, Grampa,” Sadie said. “I’m gonna call for help.”

Grandpa nodded. He then started in removing the Sheriff’s wet tie and shirt and got another wool blanket ready to wrap him in. “You’re gonna be alright, Sheriff, just hang on...”

Lucky for Rosco them two folks knew what to do and had found him when they did. Because back at the police station, MaryAnne wasn’t doing any better.

MaryAnne had moved from the bench just outside the squad room to one that was down the hall near the window. She stared blankly out onto the city of Atlanta realizing that if they hadn’t found Rosco by now, it was more than likely her cousin...was gone.

The Dukes had returned to Atlanta PD headquarters with Daisy. Captain Anthony Briggs spoke with the Duke family privately in his office. He apologized to Daisy for what she went through and asked her if she would be willing to provide testimony.

“Yes,” Daisy replied. “Captain Briggs?” Her voice was soft. “Anything on Rosco?”

Anthony Briggs took a deep breath. “Search and rescue is still looking for him...”

Each Duke could detect the silent ‘but’ in the Captain’s statement. They looked at him, waiting for him to finish his statement.

Briggs glanced up at the clock. “If he’s still in the river, he’s been in there for almost 45 minutes....” he took a breath. “With the cold water and cold air temperature...”

“Hypothermia would set in,” Luke said. “Assuming he...”

“...hasn’t already drowned...” Jesse finished quietly.

Daisy closed her eyes.

“Captain Briggs, have you told this to MaryAnne yet?” Jesse asked.

“Mr. Duke, I was MaryAnne’s commanding officer when she was here in Atlanta three years ago. I know how she feels about her cousin and just before you folks arrived I was trying to think of how to tell her. Telling someone that a loved one may have passed on is the hardest thing to do. Telling a fellow officer that a loved one may have perished...is dang near impossible.”

“I think she deserves to know what’s really going on,” Jesse said.

“I know, Mr. Duke, and she does.” Briggs drew in a deep breath and then stood up. The Dukes did as well and followed the Captain out of his office and down the hall to where MaryAnne was sitting.

The young deputy looked up. She saw the Captain and the Duke family with Daisy just behind him. Out of respect for the Captain’s rank and with urgency to find out more about Rosco, MaryAnne stood up.

“Captain Briggs?” she said. Her tone held some surprise and dread at the same time. Was he bringing bad news?

“They haven’t found him yet.”

MaryAnne looked at him, waiting for the rest of it.

“MaryAnne, I’m hoping for the best here, but...if he’s still in the river, he’s been in there for a long time. The water’s cold and the air temperature’s cold. It’s possible--”

“Captain, I know what’s possible,” MaryAnne said. “It’s possible that my cousin's going to be found, one way or the other and that’s all I want. I want him found.” She paused and swallowed. “I know what your trying to tell me and I’ve already realized that...” MaryAnne’s gaze dropped from the Captain as her eyes sprung new tears.

Daisy’s eyes weren’t very dry either and she stepped towards MaryAnne.

“MaryAnne, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry...”

MaryAnne shook her head. “It ain’t yer fault, Daisy.” She looked up at her. “It ain’t yer fault.”

Daisy put her arm around the young Coltrane. Jesse placed a hand on MaryAnne’s shoulder.

“MaryAnne,” Captain Briggs said. “If I hear anything more, I’ll let you know.”

MaryAnne nodded.

Well, I hope somebody tells them soon that Rosco’s been found....

Sadie was on her knees next to Rosco and she looked down at the lawman, who was wrapped up now in two dry wool blankets and a towel around his head. Grandpa Drew took a third wool blanket and wrapped himself and the Sheriff in it. It was the only way to effectively combat the effects of hypothermia, despite his granddaughter’s raised eyebrow expression.

“Now Sadie, this is the only way to help him. We have to do whatever we can to bring his body temperature back up, or it’ll kill him.”

Sadie nodded, the young girl’s look sobering now. At school, Sadie had taken part in an outdoors course that taught how to make a fire, what to bring when going hiking or camping, and what to do in the case of hypothermia. And everyone giggled. But now Sadie was seeing first hand the effects of hypothermia. The Sheriff just looked plain cold and her embarrassment quickly faded away, replaced now with concern for the stranger with a badge.

She watched as her grandfather checked the Sheriff’s pulse again, his expression dire. She wished for the rescue squad to hurry up and get there....

Meanwhile, two hitmen regrouped about a half a mile away from Jefferson Bridge. They were the last to arrive, and the first to bail when their associates were surrounded by cops. They had seen the Sheriff and young woman jump off the bridge and disappear into the cold waters of the Chatahoochie. Question was, did the jump or the river itself do them in, and how were they going to find out so to satisfy their boss?

“Well, look, it’s a what? Fifteen, twenty foot drop? The water’s ice cold now. There is no way they could have survived that jump. I mean if the jump itself didn’t kill ‘em, the freezin’ water would.”

“But the cops were right on top of ‘em. They could’ve got in there and pulled them out.”

The hitmen were silent, staring at the ground in front of them in thought.

“So, what the hell do we do?”

“We make sure they’re taken care of. And if they’re not...we finish it. The Big Man asks for no less.”

The other man sighed heavily. “All right.”

“Come on,” the first man said. “We’ll drive along the river. See if maybe they got caught by the current and washed up somewhere.”

The two men returned to their car and headed back towards the river.

Sadie Drew stood at the top of the drive of the boat ramp, next to her grandfather’s pick up truck watching the road for the ambulance. She had heard sirens in the distance down at the river and figured they were coming soon. After a moment that
seemed too long, the red and white ambulance came into view, lights flashing. Sadie waved them over and anxiously waited for the paramedics to get out. In just a few seconds, they each grabbed medical kits and supplies and followed Sadie down the path to where Rosco lay.

“Thank God y’all are here,” Grandpa Drew said, craning his neck to see the line of medical personnel coming towards him. They moved quickly and efficiently. They asked Grandpa and Sadie questions to help them assess the situation while they took some readings of Rosco’s vitals; heartbeat, pulse and reaction of his pupils to light to check for any head injuries.

The paramedics gave no indication of Rosco’s condition, they only spoke to either ask a question or announce a reading of a vital sign. A number followed the heart rate, then blood pressure. The Sheriff’s eyes apparently responded normally.

Sadie watched nervously. When Grandpa Drew could get in a question of his own, he told them how he believed that this man was the missing law man from Hazzard County.

“He is?” one of the paramedics said. He scribbled on his clipboard.

“Sadie, show ‘em the shirt.”

The young girl went to the side of the clearing where the fishing gear had been left and grabbed the Sheriff’s cold damp shirt. She showed it to the paramedic.

“Hazzard County...” the paramedic looked at the patch on the shirt and then to one of his partners. “Call General and PD, tell ‘em we have the Sheriff from Hazzard, we’re bringin’ him in.”

The other one nodded quickly and ran back up the drive to the ambulance.

The two hitmen, meanwhile, were cruisin’ along the highway that ran along the river. The speed limit was 55. The car was going 45. Under their dash was a police scanner. The prominent Atlanta PD channel was tuned in and ears were listening while eyes looked.

“You see anything?” the driver asked.

“Naw...couple of fishin’ boats and tents and stuff.” The passenger’s eyes scanned the river bank near the highway and on the other side. A flashing red light caught his eye and he looked. As the car traveled further, he spotted people on the clearing on the other side of the river. And paramedics. Something was going on.

“Look there, across the river.”

The driver slowed the car and turned to look. “Range Road boat ramp ain’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s get over there and check it out.” The driver punched the gas and aimed for the next exit.

The passing minutes dragged. MaryAnne barely was aware of the bustle of people in the hall or of the voices of the Duke family talking to her. She was hoping...praying for good news about Rosco, but at the same time was thinking about how she was going to break the news to Boss and Lulu.

And Aunt Abby....and cousin Hortence...doh...

Bo and Luke excused themselves for a few minutes, saying they were going to go outside for some fresh air. MaryAnne saw them leave out of the corner of her eye, but didn’t register that they were leaving. When they had been gone no more than two or three minutes, she looked over at the other side of Daisy noticing they were gone.

“Where’d the boys go?”

“They went out for some air,” Jesse said softly.

MaryAnne nodded.

“Do you want to go outside for a bit?” Jesse asked.

“No...” She shook her head and looked at the Duke patriarch. “I just wanna wait here.”

Jesse nodded, patting her arm. “I understand.”

Daisy sniffled and wiped a tear with her tissue. “Oh MaryAnne, I feel so awful about this. After I was so terrible to him about what happened to my folks...something like this had to happen.” Daisy looked at MaryAnne.

“He couldn’t save Ethan and Lea,” Jesse said suddenly. “But he did save you...”

“Exactly....” Daisy whispered. “But Rosco may not even know...”

“He’ll know,” Jesse said. “One way or the other he’ll know.”

MaryAnne nodded thoughtfully and then looked at Daisy. “That’ll be alright with him.”

“I hope so...”

MaryAnne glanced down the hall and saw Captain Briggs walking towards them, darting around other people. He was smiling and nodding. The young deputy was on her feet in a shot, startling both Jesse and Daisy. When they realized who she was running to, they stood up too.

“They found him, MaryAnne!” Briggs said. “Somehow he ended up down by the Range Road boat ramp. An older gentlemen and his granddaughter were about to do some fishing when they found him.”

“Range Road?” MaryAnne paused trying to recall Atlanta’s landmarks and their distances. “That’s...atleast a half a mile from the Jefferson Bridge! Is he alright? Is he alive??”

Briggs nodded. “He’s alive, but suffering from hypothermia. He was unconscious when they found him. I don’t know much more than that. They’re going to be taking him to the hospital.”

“Which hospital?”

Briggs paused. “Uh...” He held his hands up. “I can find out for ya.”

“Please do!”

Briggs nodded and turned back down the hall. MaryAnne turned to Daisy and Jesse. Daisy was hugging her uncle in relief and

Jesse was smiling at MaryAnne.

“Khee!”

Now them tears look more hopeful don’t they? But friends and neighbors, this ain’t over yet.

The paramedics and EMT had worked quickly. Grandpa Drew and Sadie were now watching them load the Sheriff into the ambulance. And they weren’t the only ones watching. Down the road, the two hitmen watched silently. Their car was hidden in the brush and there were several feet away, assured they wouldn’t be spotted. The police scanner was hopping now. They listened and heard the confirmation that the man who was just put into the ambulance was the Sheriff. Now they had their target...they just needed the right opportunity.

Before the medical personnel left, one of them asked for Grandpa Drew and Sadie to remain where they were, a police officer would be coming to ask them some questions. They nodded saying they would stay. They then watched the ambulance drive away, lights flashing and siren wailing.

Grandpa put an arm around his granddaughter, proud of how she handled herself and grateful for her help. Just before the ambulance disappeared out of their view, another car roared by from the other way. A black Mercedes with tinted windows.

“Grampa who was that?”

The older man quickly walked up the drive, with Sadie following. They peered around his Ford pickup truck at the quickly fading black car. He tried to see the license plate, which only had two digits, but all he could make out was the letter T.
“Can you see that plate?” he asked.

Sadie squinted and looked. She shook her head. “No, it’s too far away. Who is it Grampa??”

“I ain’t sure...but I have a bad feeling about it. Listen, why don’t you go collect our fishing stuff. I don’t think we’re going to be doing any fishing today anyway. I’ll watch for the police officer.”

“Okay.” Timidly, the young girl headed back down the drive. She wondered if the bad feeling she had was the same her grandfather had about that car.

Tryin’ to follow a speedin’ ambulance is about as smart as standing in the rain without an umbrella. Them two hitmen knew they couldn’t keep up with ambulance for long, not without being spotted. But then again they’ve already been spotted....

The two hitmen lost the ambulance half way across town. This didn’t quite settle well, considerin’ there were atleast three hospitals in the city of Atlanta and two of them were in the direction the ambulance was heading in. But the driver continued on, figuring they were going to have to check the emergency entrances of both hospitals for the ambulance. But he wasn’t sure what good that would do seeing as by that time, the Sheriff would be within the confines of the hospital...and damn near impossible to get to.

The police scanner was still squawking below the dash.

“This is Briggs, Atlanta one-five. Rescue 79 please acknowledge.”

“This is 79. Go ahead Atlanta one-five.”

“I’ve two ladies here who are very happy to know that the Sheriff is on his way to a hospital. Can you confirm destination?”

“Ten-five, we’re headin’ to General.”

“Ten-five, thank you very much.”

The passenger looked at the driver. “The Sheriff...”

“They’re takin’ him to Atlanta General,” the driver said suddenly. He swung the wheel, cutting the Mercedes down a side street.

“Yeah but two ladies? Who’s he talkin’ about?”

“Think about it! We got contracts for his cousin and that other chick that Randy goofed and grabbed by mistake. That means they’re at the freakin’ police station. We’ll never get them now.”

“What if they’re gonna go to the hospital? Why else would that cop be askin’ what hospital they were takin’ the Sheriff to?”
The driver nodded. “That’s possible. And if they are gonna be there, we can nail all three of them in one felled swoop.”

“Jeeez...right in a hospital parkin’ lot. Whatever happen to the days of back alleys?”

“We ain’t gonna get another chance you know, atleast not with the Sheriff. And tryin’ to get them two women will be hard enough. We nail the Sheriff before they get him in the door. Then we cut down the other two and get the hell outta there.”

The passenger pulled his gun out of his shoulder holster. He checked the rounds, screwed the silencer on and then rested the gun in his lap. Hopefully they could nail this quickly.

“The ambulance was followed??” the police officer repeated. Grandpa Drew and Sadie hadn’t let him get a word in edgewise when he arrived. The immediately told him this information.

“Black Mercedes,” Grandpa Drew said. “Had tinted windows and a low digit plate.”

The officer scribbled on his note pad. “What was the plate?”

“I couldn’t make it out too well. All I saw was a T. I think a number followed it.”

The officer nodded. “Will you folks excuse me for a moment? I’m going to call this in.”

Grandpa Drew nodded and the officer hurried back to his patrol car. He leaned into the gray Plymouth and grabbed his radio mike and called in what he’d been told. His haste was the result of the description of the vehicle. Everyone knew that black Mercedes' with low digit plates consisting of the letter T and a number belonged to Frankie Tyler.

As soon as Captain Briggs gave MaryAnne the hospital that Rosco was being taken to, she, Jesse and Daisy quickly departed. They hurried out of the police station and found the boys on the walk, heading back in. Daisy grabbed Luke while MaryAnne grabbed Bo and as they hustled towards the General Lee, Jesse quickly explaining that Rosco had been found and was being taken to Atlanta General.

The boys fell right into step. They helped Jesse into the General first and then Daisy and MaryAnne climbed in to the back seat, sitting on either side of Jesse. Bo slid into the driver seat, Luke in the passenger seat and the orange car was soon squealing out of the parking lot, heading back to the same hospital where Daisy had been earlier.

Just in time for all hell to break loose...Rosco woke up. Y’all didn’t figure on him to miss out on everything didja?

Slowly, Rosco opened his eyes. He looked around at the two medics who both looked at the heart monitor when it bleeped faster. They then looked at the patient.

“Where...?” Rosco couldn’t finish his own sentence. He realized he was very tired.

“You’re in an ambulance, Sheriff. You’re gonna be ok. We’re takin’ ya to the hospital.”

“Daisy...” On the bridge....she was with me...good Lord I didn’t lose her too... “Ethan, Lea...I’m sorry...” he mumbled.

One medic looked at the other. “Daisy?” he said softly.

“I think he means the woman who jumped the bridge with him.” He looked down at Rosco. “The girl who jumped in the river with you is okay. I think she’s with her family at the police station.”

Rosco closed his eyes, his face softening in relief.

The medic nodded. “Just relax, Sheriff. We got get your body temp up just a little more. You’re doing good so far.”

Rosco nodded. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, or that he was suffering from hypothermia. And at that moment, he didn’t really care. Daisy was okay and that was good enough for him.

* * *

“You can save having to go through a bazillion traffic lights if you take a right up here,” MaryAnne said to Bo. The blonde Duke nodded and eased the General into the right lane and then made the turn.

Zooming through the intersection up ahead was a black Mercedes.

The passenger fidgeted in his seat. “Ambulance is probably already there by now...”

“I don’t think we’ve lost that much time on it. I know a couple of shorter routes.”

The driver turned the Mercedes down another street. A few moments later, the orange Dodge Charger followed.

Captain Briggs looked at his officer slack jawed. “The ambulance was followed? Damn, Tyler’s got gaul. Alright, I want officers up to the hospital pronto. Get a warnin’ to that ambulance not to remove the Sheriff!” The officer nodded and departed quickly with the Captain at his heels.

Bo followed the Mercedes into the hospital parking lot. No one in the General Lee suspected anything odd about the black car with tinted windows. The two cars then split up, the General heading towards the main entrance parking lot, while the Mercedes pulled into the emergency parking lot. The ambulance was just completing it’s back up to the emergency doors.

The two hitmen moved quickly, running from their car down the parking lot towards the ambulance. They paused behind a pillar that held up part of the over hang of the walkway that led to the emergency room doors along the building. The two medics in the front of the ambulance were stepping out.

The Dukes and MaryAnne were hurrying across the other parking lot. The emergency room entrance was visible from the parking lot of the main entrance and Bo and Luke both saw the two dark suited men come out from behind the pillar and hastily move towards the side of the ambulance.

“Bo...”

“I see it...”

Each hitman had their hands in their pockets. When Daisy and MaryAnne looked they both gasped, with Daisy exclaiming, “That’s them!”

Bo and Luke bolted towards the two gunmen who had started to remove their weapons but stopped when they realized they had 300 pounds of Duke hurtling towards them. They had no time to aim their guns and the two medics turned from opening the back door to watch the scuffle. They immediately closed the doors again when they saw one of the guns that fell to the ground had a silencer on it.

The two hitmen fought and elbowed against the boys and eventually squirmed their way out. Jesse and the girls had stayed back during the fight and they watched as the two gunmen ran towards the emergency room parking lot. Bo and Luke got up off the pavement and started after the hitmen.

Before they caught up, the black Mercedes Bo had followed in squealed backwards out of it’s parking space. The boys stopped suddenly and jumped on to the trunk of another parked car as the Mercedes swung around, attempting to make the boys hood ornaments.

“Oh my God...” Daisy said. She then grabbed MaryAnne’s arm. “Come on!” MaryAnne ran with Daisy back to the General. The two girls climbed into the car with Daisy at the wheel and the General was soon roaring out of the parking lot after the
Mercedes.

Bo and Luke watched the General disappear down the road and then looked over at the two medics who were now talking with Uncle Jesse.

The boys and Jesse filled the medics in on what had just happened. Daisy and MaryAnne, meanwhile, were lookin’ to settle a score. Gotta love them two!

The sound of “Dixie” filled the air as Daisy cut the General into traffic. The Mercedes was about a block ahead of them and Daisy punched the gas, speeding the Dodge past other cars and through a traffic light that turned red just as the General’s back tires crossed the stop line.

“There they go,” MaryAnne said, pointing. “They’re cuttin’ down Madison.”

“Maybe I shoulda had you drive,” Daisy said, her voice unsure.

“You’re doing fine, Daisy. Just stay after ‘em!”

The General’s tail pipes roared as Daisy tried to close the gap. She turned down Madison Street, swerving a bit through the turn and the Dodge leapt on in chase.

The passenger in the black Mercedes turned to see who was after them. “What the hell is that?? Can’t be them two hicks, we left them on the pavement.”

“I don’t care who it is, get ‘em off our tail will ya?”

The passenger moved to get his gun the stopped when he realized he didn’t have it anymore. “Ohh man.”

“What?”

“I dropped my piece back at the hospital.”

“You gotta be kiddin’ me?!”

The man shook his head. “No.”

The driver growled. “If we get away from this day-glo orange excuse for a car, The Big Man’s gonna use us for different kinds of pieces!” He pulled his gun out and handed it to his passenger. “Now git ‘em off our tail.”

The passenger rolled down his window and aimed the gun back at the General.

“Look out, Daisy!” MaryAnne exclaimed, ducking down in the seat as a bullet slammed into the General’s windshield. Daisy flinched and the Charger swerved a little but the chase continued.

The passenger settle back into his seat. “You ain’t gonna believe this,” he said. “It’s two women in that car. You don’t think it’s....”

“Coltrane and Duke? Could be, seein’ as we figured they’d be at the hospital when we tried to get the Sheriff again. We’re gonna take care of them two right now...” The driver swung the Mercedes down another road and let the Charger follow.

Back at the hospital, mild pandemonium was setting in. Police officers had arrived and were now gathered around the now empty ambulance. Rosco was now resting comfortably in the emergency room. The Duke men and Captain Briggs, however, were not as comfortable with Daisy and MaryAnne having gone after the Mercedes.

“Look, if we can get to a CB radio maybe we can get the girls to back off their chase,” Luke suggested. “If them dudes realize who they’ve got chasin’ them, they could turn on the girls...and that could be trouble.”

Captain Briggs nodded. “Agreed. We have CB radios in the cruisers, come on.”

The boys and Jesse followed the Captain to one of the patrol cars. Luke told him what channel they needed it on and the Captain handed him the receiver.

“Lost Sheep to Bo Peep and Songbird, come back!”

With Daisy busy driving, MaryAnne grabbed up the CB mike. “Go ahead, Lost Sheep. Where in the heck you broadcastin’ from??”

“A police car in the Atlanta General parkin’ lot. Listen! That car you girls are chasin’ is them hitmen that have been trying to get y’all and Rosco.”

“We know that, Luke.”

“Look, chasin’ them could be dangerous. They could turn back on you and take you by surprise. Back off on the chase and come back here.”

MaryAnne looked at Daisy, who was shaking her head. “No way, MaryAnne. I’m tired of running away scared from these fellas. I don’t care if all we do is run ‘em off the road. I want one hit!”

MaryAnne nodded and held up the mike. “Sorry, Luke. Daisy and I got a point we have to make. We’ll see ya soon.” She hung up the CB mike. “Let’s get ‘em, Daisy!”

“MaryAnne--argh.” Luke gave up and tossed the mike into the cruiser.

“You put Duke stubbornness and Coltrane stubbornness together you ain’t gonna get through no how,” Jesse said.

“Jesse, what do we do?” Bo asked.

“I’m going to send cruisers out to track them,” Briggs said. “What does your car look like?”

While the Captain was getting a description of the General, the girls were handlin’ themselves pretty good against Frankie Tyler’s hitmen.

Daisy pushed the General to within striking distance of the Mercedes. The driver of the black car didn’t figure the woman behind the wheel of the Dodge to be as aggressive a driver.

“Hang on, MaryAnne,” Daisy said. She aimed the push bar of the General to the back bumper of the Mercedes and gunned the engine. On contact, the Mercedes’ tires squealed a little and the black car swerved.

“Holy--!!” The passenger gripped the dash board with one hand and his seat with the other. He looked back at the orange car and saw nothing but front grill, push bar and hood.

“Dammit...” the driver said, glancing at his mirrors.

"She’s gonna hit us again---”

WHAM! The Mercedes swerved again.

“Argh, so much for tryin’ to get them,” the driver said. He quickly turned the wheel of the black car, sending it sliding into a turn down another street. Daisy swung the wheel and the General fishtailed through the turn.

It wasn’t too long before MaryAnne saw blue and red lights in the distance. The General followed the black car towards a bridge that went over another street. The traffic was thin and she pulled the General to the side to flank the driver’s side of the Mercedes.

“That’s it, Daisy,” MaryAnne said, watching the tail of the Mercedes come closer to her door.

The passenger in the Mercedes watched through the tinted window behind the driver as the Charger’s fender came dangerously closer to the Mercedes. The driver glanced in his side mirror and saw nothing but front grill of the General.

Daisy wasted no time. Soon the Mercedes had orange streaks on it’s back door.

“GAH!” the driver exclaimed. He held on to the steering wheel and pushed the gas, trying to get ahead of the General. But the Charger kept up without breaking a sweat. Metal crunched again and the two cars swerved after contact. Once they started over the bridge, Daisy swung the steering wheel again, pushing the black car a little more closer to the guardrail. Blue and red lights were blinking on the other side of the bridge.

“If we were only over a river...” Daisy said and stomped on the General’s accelerator. Fenders crunched and the General pushed the Mercedes right into the guardrail. Sparks flew from the other side of the hitmen’s car as it was pushed along the
wall of steel and the passenger and driver both saw they were coming up to the end of the rail quick. The car bumped and swerved and when the rail was gone, it went head first into the earth embankment, tail end swinging forward with the momentum.

Daisy swung the General away from the crashing black car and zoomed past an oncoming Atlanta PD cruiser. She swung the wheel around and the General left a semi-circle of rubber before speeding back to the police cruiser and the others that came
along. The two girls climbed out of the General and surveyed their work. The Mercedes was effectively totaled and the two hitmen were slowly climbing out of the wrecked car only to be greeted by waiting police officers.

MaryAnne grinned. “Nice drivin’, Daisy.”

Daisy smiled too. “That was for Rosco.”

MaryAnne gave her friend’s arm a pat and then they approached the officers.

* * *

Frankie Tyler sat at his desk with his hands clasped together, the index fingers steepled and touching his chin. Six of his men had been caught in the attempt to get Sheriff Coltrane, his deputy and the waitress. What the hell was it with these people from Hazzard County? He decided that he could not afford to loose anymore men on the contracts and without fanfare, the three pieces of paper were filed away in an inconspicuous manila folder and placed on the bottom of the bottom drawer of his desk. The contracts were not canceled, nor would they probably ever be, but The Big Man could not waste resources on them at this time. One day...when the rebuild of his empire was complete, the two law officers and the young woman would be taken care of. But for now, they were lucky....

I’m hopin’ this guy gets caught before he tries to do this all again, don’t you?

The Hazzard folks gathered in Rosco’s hospital room later that night for a pretty nice reunion of sorts.

Of all the Dukes, Daisy was the first one in Rosco’s room. She was followed by her kin and MaryAnne and Rosco greeted them all with a smile as bright as the look on his face. He had recovered well from the hypothermia, his color was back and he reacted with his usual ‘jit jit!’ when Daisy came up to him with a hug and kiss on the cheek.

“Ooh, jit! I’m okay Daisy, how are you? Khee!” Rosco grinned.

“A lot better seeing you’re ok!” she replied.

“We’re sure glad to see you’re alright, Rosco,” Jesse said. The Duke patriarch stepped closer to his niece and the Sheriff.

“And I want to thank you for lookin’ out for Daisy here.”

Rosco nodded. “You know I wouldn’t have let nothing happen to her, Jesse. I’m just sorry she was mistaken for MaryAnne and was pulled into this whole mess.”

Jesse shook his head. “There wasn’t anything you could do about that.”

Rosco looked at Jesse. The Sheriff knew there was more to what Jesse said and that was that he couldn’t have done anything about what happened to Ethan and Lea either. He nodded as MaryAnne came around the other side of the bed to give her cousin a hug.

“How you feelin’?” she asked.

“Much warmer,” he replied.

She smiled.

“I honestly don’t know how I got here, tho’. I don’t remember much after jumpin' the bridge.”

“An older gentlemen and his granddaughter found you,” MaryAnne explained. “About a half a mile down the river! I’ve asked Captain Briggs to get their names so we can thank them ourselves.”

Rosco nodded.

“You were in that river for a long time,” Daisy said. “We really started to think something had happened to you...”

“Takes more than a cold river to do in ol’ Rosco P. Coltrane! Khee!”

The Dukes and MaryAnne laughed as they gathered around Rosco’s bed to tell him all the things that had happened after jumping the bridge.

You know...considerin’ all the different car crashes ol’ Rosco’s survived, that silly ol’ river sure didn’t stand a chance!

After Rosco was debriefed on what had happened, the boys and MaryAnne made their departure, to allow Uncle Jesse and Daisy to talk to Rosco alone.

After MaryAnne gave Rosco a wave and shut the door, Jesse turned to Rosco. “You feel up to a little reminiscing?”
Rosco nodded. “Sure.”

“Wanna tell Daisy about that picture?”

Rosco looked at Jesse for a moment and then his face broke into a grin. “The picture itself...or the demolition derby?”

Jesse laughed and glanced at Daisy. “Why don’t you tell her about both?”

* * *

The day after Rosco was released from the hospital, he and MaryAnne went to the Atlanta PD headquarters to meet Mr. Drew and his granddaughter. Sadie was a little shy now but she gladly shook Rosco’s hand when she met him and was very glad to see that he was okay. Grandpa Drew was more than happy to see the Hazzard law man.

“I tell you, Sheriff, you’ve given me and my granddaughter here more than enough excitement to last for both lifetimes.”

Rosco laughed.

“You oughta live in Hazzard County!” MaryAnne added. “Sometimes we get some excitement there to last a couple of lifetimes. Khee!”

The interview room of the third floor of the Atlanta PD was filled with laughter.

“I do wanna thank ya,” Rosco said when the laughter died down. “I owe ya my life.”

“Aw heck. We was just goin’ fishin’. Sadie here never has much luck with catchin’ fish. So instead she caught you.”

“Grampa!”

“Khee!”

The young girl’s face turned red, but she laughed anyways.

A few days later, Rosco drove into the yard of the Duke farm in his patrol car. The boys and Jesse were actually just down the road a ways, delivering eggs to Mr. Thurston’s. Rosco picked up the wrapped roses off the front seat and got out of his patrol car.

He waited a moment on the porch of the farm house after knocking. When Daisy opened the door she looked at him, pleasantly surprised.

“Well howdy Sheriff,” she said with a smile.

“Hi Daisy.” He looked at the wrapped flowers. “Uhh...these are for you. I know I’ve said I’m sorry about a million times, but I saw these in the window of the flower shop in town....” He held them out.

“Now Rosco, if Jesse and the boys knew you were bringin’ me flowers...” She grinned and then peered in at the half a dozen yellow roses. Her grin melted into astonishment and after looking at the beautiful unopened roses, she looked at Rosco.

“Did Jesse ever tell you about the yellow rose at your folks’ grave?” he asked.

Daisy nodded. “I can remember seeing one there when Jesse used to take me there when I was a kid. I used to wonder who was leaving them...he told me who had been leaving them a few days ago.” She paused, looking back to the flowers. “I now realize that it’s a beautiful sentiment.”

Rosco nodded. “You’re momma liked yellow roses. Ethan used to get ‘em for her on birthdays and anniversaries.” He spoke softly, gazing at the flowers. Daisy looked at him and then carefully turned towards the kitchen table, laying the flowers down.

“They’re beautiful, Rosco.”

Rosco looked at the flowers as Daisy carefully tore open the paper. “I also came to see how you were doin’,” he said, his voice normal again. “FBI says that them contracts are still out on you, me and MaryAnne.”

Daisy nodded. “I know. We’ll have to be careful.”

“They tell me Tyler’s pushed them aside for now, but there’s no tellin’ when he might decide to put them back into action again.”

“Can they warn us?”

“Maybe. They said they would let me know if their informant’s heard of Tyler putting the contracts back in action as soon as they could. Other than that...we’ll have to keep an eye out.”

Daisy paused. “You know, considerin’ all the trouble he ran into tryin’ to get just you and MaryAnne, he may decide to not bother with us at all.”

Rosco chuckled a little. “Yeah, MaryAnne said the same thing. Maybe the FBI will catch Frankie Tyler and we won’t have to worry about it anyway.”

Daisy smiled. “That would work for me.”

Rosco nodded. “Me too.” He put his hat back on his head. “Well, I should be heading back to town.”

She nodded. “Thank you for the flowers.”

“You’re welcome.” He started to turn towards the door.

“And Rosco?”

He looked at her and she suddenly gave him a hug. “Thank you for saving my life...”

Rosco returned the short hug. “You’re welcome, Daisy....you’re welcome....”

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