by: Brian

The ruthless heat of the Georgian summer clenched Hazzard County in a withering grip, stilling the air and suffocating the crops. Birds chirped listlessly in the dry branches of the trees, while insects swarmed thick over the remaining swampland.

Despite being accustomed to the Southern climate, Daisy felt the drained by the fatiguing temperature. She sighed and brushed a damp strand of hair from her forehead. She had only been waiting a few minutes…or had it been a half an hour by now? The heavy, heat-laden air seemed to be stopping time itself.

“Where are they, General?” she spoke softly. Restless with concern, she took a short walk around the parked Dodge Charger, her eyes searching the wooded hills for any sign of her cousins.

Bo and Luke were nowhere to be seen. Daisy was alone.

“I wish they’d hurry,” she whispered. There was so much that could go wrong…so much that could have already gone wrong…

The thought sickened her. Bo and Luke might have been caught. They might now, at this very moment, be in the hands of the law…or worse.

“I can’t wait much longer,” Daisy decided. “If they’re not out in five minutes, I’m gonna go in and get ‘em.”

The General was silent except for the small pings and ticks coming from the hot engine. Daisy rested against the nose of the orange stock car, feeling the waves of heat breathing from the radiator. It had already been a long, trying day for the General Lee, and his mission was not yet complete.

Within her mind, Daisy replayed the events that got her cousins involved in a dangerous gambit. Bo and Luke were too observant for their own good; and Duke curiosity often led them right into the numerous traps set by Boss Hogg and Rosco. So it was only natural that when Bo and Luke noted the activity of a suspicious-looking moving truck, that they set out to uncover its purpose on their own.

The sight of a moving truck backed up to a house in town had only received passing interest. Later, when the same moving truck was parked at another property, the Duke instinct for trouble was stirred. And the appearance of the large truck at a neighbor’s farm convinced Luke that burglaries were likely in progress.

There were few people in Hazzard, save for the Sheriff himself, that cruised the county as often as the Duke boys. This was the main reason the moving truck escaped attention by everyone else. It was making stops according to a pre-arranged plan and schedule, docking up to houses and quickly cleaning them out. The team of movers, as Luke described them, were three huge men with work coveralls and baseball caps. Their truck was a pale yellow with a makeshift logo painted on the side, the name “Town & Country Movers” emblazoned on the panels.

Thinking that there was no sense going to Rosco when he was probably involved, Bo and Luke set out to follow the moving truck. They took Uncle Jesse’s pickup in the hopes of avoiding notice, leaving Daisy stay in reserve with the General. The last CB call by Luke said the moving truck was heading for the old coalmines near the edge of the county. He instructed Daisy to bring the General to a nearby moonshine site, which had also been long abandoned. The plan was simple. Bo and Luke would follow the moving truck, find its destination, and then do some snooping around. If they were discovered by Boss and Rosco or the henchmen du jour, they would make a break for it and rendezvous at the old still site to escape in the General.

A short burst of static erupted from the General’s CB, making Daisy jump. Rosco’s voice boomed over the airwaves a second later. “Enos! Enos, you gotcher ears on?! Come back!”

“Yessir, Sheriff!”

“Enos, listen up! We got us a burglary over at the Clayton place, and the truck matches the description of the one seen at Otis’s farm. Gitcher gumballs goin’ and meet me over here pronto!”

“Right away, Sheriff! I’m gone!” Enos’s breathless reply was no sooner made, then the voice of Boss Hogg cut in.

“This is County Commissioner J.D. Hogg! Sheriff Coltrane, you’d better answer me!”

At this, Daisy felt her heart miss a beat. Instantly, she knew that Boss and Rosco were not behind this one. Boss rarely used Rosco’s title; the use of it alone was a signal that real trouble was in Hazzard.

“I’m here, Boss!” Rosco answered.

“Here better be right in front of my house! I ain’t takin’ no chances on bein’ robbed!”

“Khee! You ain’t got nothin’ to worry about, Boss. I got Cletus out there standin’ watch.”

“Hrmph. He’ll watch, alright. He’ll hold the door open for ‘em, the dumb lug nut…”

“Hey!” Cletus’s voice broke in.

“Hush!” Rosco shot back. “Cletus, maintain radio silence! I need this channel to stay clear!”

“How can it stay clear when you’re always talkin’ on it?” Cletus questioned.

That one made Rosco pause. Boss interrupted again. “Cletus, pipe down! You just keep your eyes peeled, and if you see that there movin’ van, you shoot first and ask questions later!”

“Yes sir, cousin Boss….uh….what kind of questions?”

“Bah! Nevermind that! Just guard the place!”

“Roger Wilco!”

Daisy leaned into the General’s driver’s side and reached for the CB mike. She was convinced of Boss and Rosco’s innocence in this particular scheme; and with Bo and Luke still missing, she was more than ready to ask for help. Any help. “This is Daisy Duke callin’ Sheriff Rosco, come in Rosco!”

“Daisy?” Rosco radioed back, surprised.

“Rosco, we seen that movin’ truck too, and Bo and Luke were followin’ it towards the old coal mines!”

“Ooo! They shouldn’t be messin’ around with those maverick movers! Those men are considered armed n’ dangerous, I got the A.P.B. on ‘em from Atlanta!”

“Oh no!” Daisy gasped. “Rosco, I got a bad feelin’, please come out here….”

“Uh…well, I got this report to finish here at the Clayton’s, ya see…”

“Rosco!” Daisy pleaded. “They’re in danger!”

“Sheriff, I’ll go!” Enos radioed in. “Stay put, Daisy!”

“Enos, yer supposta meet me here!” Rosco ordered. “You can’t go on some wild Duke chase when there’s work to be done!”

Enos’s CB reply was a long burst of static, indicating a sudden bit of convenient radio trouble. Rosco gave a mumbled oath that would have offended the FCC.

Daisy let out a breath and hung up the mike. Help was coming…

The CB radio squawked again, unexpected and sharp. “Mayday! Luke Duke callin’ anyone on the Hazzard net! We’re at the coal mine on Pine Knot Road –“

“Luke!” Came Bo’s urgent voice in the background. “Look out!”

There was grunt of pain and the CB fell silent.

Tears threatened Daisy’s eyes and she choked back the emotion. Enos was going to be too late. It was up to her. Even then, she might be too late…

Daisy climbed behind the General’s wheel and turned the key. The mighty engine gave a ripping growl, responding eagerly. The thrumming power under the hood fed courage to Daisy’s heart, and she threw the car into gear and pressed the gas determinedly. The time for waiting and stealth was over.

She launched the General from the still site and felt the velocity of steel and horsepower throw her back against the seat. The motor roared in her ears. They could probably hear it in Canada. It didn’t matter; her cousins were in trouble, and the General Lee might be all that stood between them and certain doom.

The hot sun flashed brilliantly across the orange hood, forcing Daisy to squint her eyes against the glare. Pine Knot Road was a ribbon of dirt leading into the hills, and the General’s wake was a swirling cloud of dust. The old rutted path that lead from Pine Knot Road to the abandoned mines was just wide enough to squeeze the General through the trees. Speed meant everything, and Daisy held the wheel with both hands as the General bounced and leaped towards the face of the closest hill.

The rutted trail abruptly dove down at a sharp angle, and the General began a roller-coaster descent, nearly flying free from the trail altogether. A loud blare from a truck horn sounded at the same instant that the moving van rounded a curve at the base of the trail. It was beginning the climb up the one-lane trail at the same time the General was rolling down it, and the impending collision seemed impossible to avoid.

Trusting to reflexes and instinct, Daisy veered the General sharply to the right, aiming for a short ledge that ended with a complete drop-off. It might get her killed or it might save her. “Come on, General!” she shouted, laying one hand over the Dixie horn, blaring the General’s battle cry as the Charger’s wheels shot off the ledge. The sensation of flight and guided free-fall made Daisy hold her breath. The beauty of the moment, the perfection in the arc of the General’s dive, was only marred by the fact that the truck was too close…

There was a heavy bam! as the General’s wheels made contact with the top of the moving van; but the forward motion of the van, coupled with the General’s downward leap, prevented the car from landing square-on and falling through. Instead, the Charger skipped over the top like a stone across the water, taking another leap and landing solidly on the sloped trail, speed unabated. At the jarring landing, Daisy gave a heartbeat’s pause before putting her foot on the brake and slowing the car down. She had control, and the General was intact.

Unfortunately, the truck was continuing its climb up the trail towards the road, and there wasn’t anything to be done about it. Her first priority was finding Bo and Luke. She doubted that they were in the back of the moving van; something told her the criminals wouldn’t take the chance on having evidence such as live hostages – or worse – found in the truck with them.

Then again, they were also unlikely to leave evidence behind them. Alive or otherwise.

A flashing, sparking line caught her eye. It confused her for a second; the small crackling light took a moment to register. She quickly realized that a long fuse line had been run from the mouth of the old mine. Apparently it had been timed to length, allowing the thieves ample escape room. Lit upon their departure, the sparking fuse was making a deliberate journey to the mine, where it would undoubtedly destroy all evidence. Including her cousins.

“No!” Daisy prayed. “Lord, no!” She shifted the General and felt the tires dig in deep, spitting rocks and debris as the Charger barreled into the mine’s wide entrance. The lit fuse burned resolutely just behind her. She flipped the headlights on, and saw Bo and Luke’s huddled forms bound to the earthen floor some twenty feet ahead. They were yelling at her to turn back and save herself, their faces holding terror. Piled dynamite was stacked behind them, rigged to bring the support rafters down and collapse the tunnel.

“DAISY! PUT IT IN REVERSE! GO!” Luke ordered.

Ignoring him, Daisy put the General into park and climbed out of it, running to him and to Bo as fast her high heels could take her. The hiss of the burning fuse was steadily growing closer, its erratic light flickering hauntingly in the darkness. Coal dust swirled and misted in the General’s headlights, sifting around like finely-ground ash. Daisy coughed as she struggled with the snap to Luke’s knife pouch, freeing the blade and sawing nervously at the rope that bound Luke’s wrists. The knife was sharp, and the rope broke apart quickly. Luke snatched the knife and cut the rope from around his boots with one deft slice.

“Get back to the General!” Luke shouted to Daisy. He spun around to free Bo.

“Go on, Luke! Leave me!” Bo yelled. The burning fuse was too close. “Take Daisy and get outta here!”

“Not on your life, cousin…” Luke said, gritting his teeth as he worked the blade through the rope. It broke free, and another slash shed the rope from Bo’s boots. Luke helped Bo up and shoved him towards the General. “DRIVE!”

Bo needed no urging; he dove into the driver’s side while Luke scrambled over the hood and hauled himself into the passenger side. Daisy hung on in the backseat as Bo threw the car into reverse, gunning it straight backwards while Luke was still getting situated.

Daisy saw that there were scant inches left of the burning fuse. They would not get clear in time…

Bo figured the same thing. “STAY DOWN!” The tail of the General found daylight as it cleared the mouth of the coalmine. The Charger’s nose was barely out when Bo cranked the wheel hard to the right and then threw the car into forward gear, executing a vicious Y-turn to send the General running for the uphill trail.

Luke sensed it coming and gave warning. He sank lower into the passenger seat and clutched the door panel. “Bo, don’t stop this car no matter what!”

Bo gripped the wheel tight. Daisy cringed in the backseat, face down.

The explosion was like the detonation of a bomb. A ball of fire boiled from the mine as the dynamite erupted with the trapped gasses and coal that had been collecting for decades. The ground shook and the glass blew out from the General’s back window. Though her eyes were shut, Daisy felt the flash of fire and the surge of sudden, intense heat. It enveloped them and overtook them. Trees creaked and fell beside them, crashing down with a crack of thunder. The world was coming apart and the pieces were scattering everywhere, raining onto the General like chucks of blazing hail.

There was another sound within the riot of noise; the ripping, growling roar of the General Lee. They were still moving. Daisy felt the fire’s heat fade back. The nose of the General was suddenly skyward. Bo had done the impossible; he had found leverage to jump the General uphill, gaining a short but precious distance between them and the volcano of the exploding mine. The Charger landed heavily and threatened to backslide, but Bo threw the gear into low and pushed the car up the trail. Triumph rippled through him, and he sounded the Dixie horn and gave a whoop. “YEEEHAAAAA!”

Luke didn’t argue with that. He sat up straight in the seat and glanced into the rearview mirror. “Daisy, you alright?”

“Yeah,” she said with a dazed voice. She moved to sit upright, glancing once at the hellacious scene behind them. She vowed to never look at it again. Turning forward, she found Luke’s blue eyes looking at her seriously. He didn’t have words for what he wanted to say.

He didn’t need them. Daisy leaned forward and placed one hand on Bo’s shoulder, and rested the other on Luke’s. Together, they found the safety of Pine Knot Road.

***** ***** *****

The arrest of the moving truck thieves was a happy surprise to the Dukes. Enos and Rosco boxed in the fleeing vehicle with a roadblock. Thanks to Daisy’s earlier CB call, finding the truck had not been difficult.

Experienced criminals that they were, the thieves considered putting up a fight and shooting it out with the law. But the look of fury on the Deputy’s face, combined with the bloodhound expression that the Sheriff was wearing, made it clear that if gunplay started, it would be answered with due force. The explosion and black smoke coming from the mines had given Rosco and Enos grim thoughts about the Duke’s whereabouts, and each Hazzard lawman controlled himself with effort.

When the General Lee rolled up alongside the county patrol cars, the Dukes were just in time to see the handcuffs being snapped on. Bo and Luke were happy to cooperate with the law for this occasion, and gave eyewitness accounts to add to Rosco and Enos’s reports. The Hazzard law was going to look good for a change, and Rosco was already imagining the newspaper articles.

Daisy, meanwhile, showed her appreciation to Enos in a way that left him stammering and blushing. Rosco had no choice but to give him the rest of the day off to recover.

With the apprehended thieves secured, the two Hazzard county cruisers swung back towards Hazzard. Luke drove the moving truck behind them, saving the law from having to pick it up later.

Bo slid back into the General and waited for Daisy. She walked by the front of the Charger, then paused for a moment. She rested her hand on the brow of the hood, speaking to the car once more.

“Thank you, General.”

The End

by: Jax
(rewrite of the episode “Heiress Daisy Duke”)

 

Eleanor Wallace sat in her rocking chair staring out at the gravel lined, circular driveway. She bore a quiet, contemplative expression as she gripped the grey shawl around her shoulders trying to ward off the chill of the damp Georgia morning. Beside her, setting on the white wicker table, sat a thick manila envelope. Its contents had been perused at length, the information it contained had only seemed to age the elderly woman; now the lines in her face seemed a bit deeper and the silver in her hair more prominent. With a heavy sigh, she watched her vision begin to blur and she raised a trembling hand to wipe the newly formed tear as it dropped onto her cheek.

“Why didn’t you tell me Caitlin? Why lead this double life without saying a word?” She whispered to herself, her voice thick with emotion and pain. Eleanor squeezed her eyes shut; the tears unstoppable now as they rolled down her face.

The sound of crunching raised her head, a sigh of relief escaping her trembling chin as she recognized her son’s dark blue BMW as it made its way towards the house.

“Phillip–” She sniffled as the driver side door opened and out stepped a tall, thin dark haired man in a sharp charcoal grey Armani suit. He spotted his mother and pulled the sunglasses off his face as he approached the porch.

“I came as soon as I could Mom–” He saw the look on her face and the wet marks on her cheeks. “What is it?” Phillip asked as he lowered himself down to her eyelevel. He reached out and touched her hands. “Mom? Please tell me what’s going on.”

Eleanor gripped her son’s hands, exhaling audibly. “I’ve tried for years Phillip, years trying to understand why Caitlin did it. What made her drive off that mountain road.”

Phillip’s expression grew somber. “Caitlin had problems Mom, for years. You know she did.”

“I know…” Eleanor paused a moment, raising her gaze to meet her son’s. “But there was more to it–” She turned to look at the table. “I didn’t tell you or your sisters but ever since Caitlin died I’ve been having her investigated.”

“Investigated?” Phillip pulled his hands away from hers, a thundery expression on his face. “Mother why did you do that? Invading Caitlin’s privacy like that! How could you?”

“I had to know!” The older woman cried out, her chin once again beginning to tremble as more tears flooded her eyes. “Your sister killed herself Phillip! I had to know why she did it! I had questions that needed to be answered!”

They studied each other; the silence lingering for a moment before Phillip saw the envelope on the table. “Is that the report from the private investigator?”

“Yes…” Eleanor relaxed a little, slumping back in her chair. “I know everything now Phillip, why she did it and the double life that she kept from all of us.”

“Double life?” He picked up the envelope then rose to his feet and sat down in a nearby wicker chair. Phillip pulled the papers out and began to go through them, his hands shaking as he skimmed over the investigator’s report.

“My God–” He muttered, then lifted his eyes to see his mother’s face. Setting the papers down, Phillip leaned forward, covering his face with both hands.

“How could she do this Mom? How could she not tell us?”

“I don’t know Son, but she must have had her reasons–” Eleanor sighed, her expression growing quiet as she turned to look out across the large front yard.

“We didn’t know Caitlin as well as we thought Phillip.”

 

******      ******      ******

 

Bo whistled as he gazed out of the passenger side window of the General Lee. The orange stock car tooled down a country road, the roar of the engine slicing through the serene countryside. The hints of the fading winter still hung in the air yet the warmth of the noon-day sun made it refreshing. Bo breathed it in, his eyes closing in pure bliss as he exhaled audibly.

Luke heard his cousin and raised an eyebrow. He glanced at him a moment seeing his cousin’s dreamy expression.

“Something on your mind cousin?”

“Hmm?” Bo asked, turning to meet Luke’s face. “Aw, I was just appreciating things, that’s all.”

“Things? Like what Bo?” Luke’s expression turned curious, he kept his gaze bouncing between the road and his cousin like a tennis match.

A grin came to Bo’s face. “This beautiful day, the purring of the General’s engine–” He sighed again. “Let’s face it cousin, life doesn’t get much sweeter than this.”

The dark haired Duke pondered his cousin’s words a moment, mirroring his grin. He too had to admit that between the good crop the farm had produced, the winning streak he and Bo had with races lately and the lack of trouble from Boss and Rosco—Luke couldn’t agree more…things were looking up for the Duke family.

“I think you’re right cousin. Guess I just didn’t really give it much thought.”

Reaching out, Bo patted Luke’s shoulder. “Me either till now–”

He then slumped back in the seat, a quiet grin still on his face. “So what do you say we get the feed and fertilizer like Uncle Jesse wants, then we head on over to the Boars Nest for a cold one?”

Luke started to answer when the CB blared to life.

“Shepherd to Lost Sheep…”

Bo leaned forward and grabbed the mike. “Lost Sheep here Uncle Jesse…” He said into it, releasing the button.

“Where you boys at?”

“Luke and me are headed to Murphy’s for the feed and fertilizer.”

“I already stopped by Homer’s and got the chicken wire and nails, so you boys don’t have to worry about that.”

“Yes sir Uncle Jesse, we’ll get started on the new chicken coup as soon as we get home.”

“Just don’t take too long at the Boars Nest. The girls need a new pen and I want it done before dark.”

Luke heard his uncle and started chuckling, shaking his head. One thing about Jesse, he could be very perceptive.

Bo grinned as he raised the mike to his mouth and held the button down.

“Yes sir, we’ll be home soon. Lost Sheep out.”

The mike got placed back on its stand; the two cousins looked at each other and started laughing.

 

******      ******      ******

 

Daisy sighed as she pushed the glass door open, walking out of the Hazzard Emporium.

She had gotten up at five o’clock in the morning to be at work at six and had spent the morning sorting clothes, putting them on display on the racks and pricing them. All that time on her feet had left them aching and she reached down to take her heels off as she headed down the sidewalk towards Dixie. She got behind the wheel of her Jeep groaning as she turned to the side, reaching down to rub her feet. It had been a long shift, but Daisy didn’t mind though, it paid better than her job at the Boars Nest ever had and she got to wear dresses and jeans, not just short shorts and tank tops.

“Lost Sheep to Bo Peep…”

“Bo and Luke–” She said with a smile as she picked up the mike.

“Bo Peep here Lost Sheep, you boys got perfect timing, I just got out of work.”

“Where you heading now Bo Peep?”

“Thought I’d head home and get some chores done. What about you?”

“We’re heading to the Boars Nest for some lunch—care to join us?”

That brought a smile to Daisy’s face. “Bo Duke do you mean to tell me that you’re going to buy your cousins lunch?”

A pause came through the mike before the sound of Bo’s chuckling crackled over the speaker. “If I buy my favorite girl cousin lunch, will she make fried chicken for dinner?”

“That’s Bo…always thinking with his stomach. You better say yes Daisy, it ain’t often that Bo Duke takes the padlock off his wallet–” The voice of Luke came through the mike this time and Daisy couldn’t help but giggle.

“Now how I can refuse an invitation like that? I’ll see you both at the Boars Nest. Bo Peep out.”

She smiled, still giggling as she faced forward in her seat. With the turn of the key, Dixie burst into life and Daisy strapped on her seatbelt before dropping the gearshift into drive.

 

 

******      ******      ******

 

“Here you go, three lunch specials.”

The blond waitress lowered the tray down to the table and passed out three plates, each one had a BBQ brisket sandwich, ranch beans and country potato salad.  Her gaze then drifted to Bo and she shot him a wink.

“Enjoy.”

Luke saw the wink and rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he raised his beer mug to his lips. Bo too saw the wink and grinned.

“Now…if there’s anything you boys need, you be sure and let me know. My name’s Cathy and I just started working here.”

Bo’s smile only widened he gave a nod. “Well you’re doing a fine job so far Darlin’, ain’t she Luke?”

“Terrific…we’ll let you know if we need anything–” Luke gave her a sardonic grin that instantly faded the moment she turned and sauntered off; she glanced over her shoulder at Bo once more before going back behind the bar.

Bo gave an appreciate sigh as he watched the tall, curvaceous beauty begin to dry beer mugs. She had hazel eyes and short, slightly curly blond hair and a smile that could stop traffic.

“She sure is something ain’t she Luke?”

“If you say so Bo, she sure seems to have a thing for you–” Luke brought his plate closer; he picked up his fork and stirred his potato salad around.

“Yeah I know she does.”

“Well if you know why don’t you just ask her out?”

Looking down at his own plate, Bo gave a shrug. “Guess I’m just playing hard to get. Shouldn’t we wait for Daisy before we start eating?”

“Yeah–” Luke put his fork down and had another drink of his beer.

The door to the Boars Nest opened and in came a flustered Daisy. She sighed, smoothing her hair back away from her face. She spotted her cousins and went over to them, taking the chair right beside Luke.

“Sorry I’m late, I ran into Sarah Jo when I stopped to get gas at Cooter’s–” She glanced down at her plate in front of her. “Boars Nest specials?”

“Yeah–” Bo piped up as he took a hold of his fork and had a bite of the ranch beans. “Isn’t the BBQ brisket your favorite?”

Daisy grinned as she set her purse down on the end of the table. “Always has been, even when I worked here. It’s the only real beef Boss orders.”

That cracked up the three cousins as they started eating but then suddenly stopped.

“Should we say grace?” Bo asked, his forkful of potato salad hovering close to his face.

Luke scoffed and shook his head. “We should be thankful for this?”

Bo chuckled at that, dropping his head a moment. “We might be cousin if we eat this food and survive.”

“That’d be something to be really thankful for–” Luke stated and then grinned.

That brought another round of laughing from Bo; he picked up his napkin and pressed it to his mouth a moment, glaring at his cousin for nearly making him choke.

“Oh you two! Shame on the both of you!” Daisy picked up her napkin and whacked Luke in the arm with it, then reached across the table and smacked her other cousin in the head. She tried not to laugh but then couldn’t help it, breaking down into helpless giggles.

 

******      ******      ******

 

The bar’s door opened again as the lunchtime crowd began to filter in. Most of them locals, farmers, the shop owners from Hazzard Square who wanted more with their lunch than what the Busy Bee Café could offer, a nice cold beer and jukebox country tunes.

A few had come from the surrounding towns, the smells of rich earth, sawdust and diesel fuel began to permeate the air, the workers from the major industries coming to quench their thirst and fill their stomachs.

Among the invading patrons, a brown haired man in a dark grey suit entered. He chose a far table at one corner of the room, giving him a grand view of everyone that came in. Moving slowly, he pulled a photo from the inner pocket of his blazer and glanced at it; his professionally trained gaze glancing over each person. His eyes stopped at the table with the three Dukes and his eyebrows rose. One of the young kids in particular held his blue-eyed stare a moment before switching to the grainy black and white photo in his hand.

“Bingo–” He muttered quietly then shook his head. It can’t be THIS easy… He said to himself and checked again: the blond hair, the easy grin….He had found exactly who he was looking for. The photo got tucked back into his pocket as he rose to his feet and crossed the room towards the table.

 

******      ******      ******

 

“So when is this race?” Daisy asked as she had another bite of her sandwich then daintily wiped her mouth with her napkin, looking at both her cousins.

“Next month, we got plenty of time to get the General ready for it–” Luke stopped talking and leaned back as Cathy set down two beers and another ice tea; she then removed the empty glasses and placed a basket of corn muffins in the center of the table.

“Thanks–” He told her and she gave him a smile in return.

“You’re welcome–” Her eyes shifted to Bo again, a soft smile turned up the corners of her mouth as she turned and walked away.

Bo saw the smile but didn’t pay it much mind as he picked up a muffin and started buttering it.

“Luke’s right, we’ve already got the entry fee saved and tucked away so that–” He stopped in mid sentence as the suited man approached the table. Luke saw him out of the corner of his eye and Daisy turned partially around.

“Excuse me–” The man started, reaching down into his coat pocket. He pulled out a thin black wallet and opened it so the three Duke cousins could see the identification card.

“Thomas Beckett, Private Investigator.”

“What can we do to you for Mr. Beckett?” Luke asked, unpleasant past encounters with men in suits made him eye the older man suspiciously.  He cast a gaze at the empty chair directly in front of him.

“Have a seat.”

“Thank you and you are?”

“Luke Duke–” He extended his hand and gave it a shake. “These are my cousins Bo, and Daisy.”

“A genuine pleasure to meet all of you–” Beckett looked at Daisy and gave her a nod; she smiled at him as she moved her purse out of the way so he could sit down.

“Forgive me for disturbing your lunch but I have an urgent matter to discuss with all of you–” He glanced across the table at Bo, studying him in a way that both Daisy and Luke noticed immediately. As did Bo, he suddenly pushed his plate away; Beckett’s microscopic eyes had made his appetite vanish and he shifted in his chair.

Luke saw his cousin’s discomfort and raised an eyebrow. “What matter Mr. Beckett?”

The investigator’s gaze moved away from Bo as he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a photo. “My client lives in Atlanta, I’ve been working with her for the past three years trying to find answers behind her daughter’s death. She was a private woman and kept to herself mostly, then one day out of the clear blue sky she drove her car off a mountain pass. Ever since that day, her family has sought answers and I’ve finally found some but I need your assistance to find more–” Stretching his hand out, he offered the photo to Bo.

“I need you to tell me all you can about this woman, Mr. Duke.”

Bo took the photo and studied it, a black and white shot of himself and a dark haired girl leaning on the hood of an old car. The color drained out of his face and his eyes widened as he swallowed hard, his heart thumping madly in his chest.

Daisy’s eyes grew round, seeing the hue of her cousin’s face turn from normal to the color of milk. “Bo? Bo are you all right?” She reached out and touched his hand, giving it a squeeze.

He shook his head slowly, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. “I…I don’t know who this girl is–” Bo stated in a low whisper.

Luke leaned close to his cousin gazing at the photo in his hand, his brow creasing when he saw not only the girl but the old car. The young man in particular piqued his interest and he shook his head.

“That’s not you Cousin and I’ve never seen this girl before.”

Beckett arched an eyebrow at that, a small smile coming to his face as his suspicions were suddenly confirmed. “That photo is older than you Mr. Duke, but the resemblance is uncanny.”

Curiosity got the best of Daisy and excused herself and stood up, then walked around the back of Bo’s chair. She put her hands on both her cousins’ shoulders and bent down to see the photo. As soon as she saw it she gasped loudly; her cousin a spitting image to the man in the photo.

“That’s…”

“My father–” Bo finished, raising his head to look at Beckett. “Who’s the girl he’s with?”

“Caitlin Wallace–” Beckett folded his hands in front of him resting them on the table. “She’s the young woman that killed herself.”

He gazed at the picture again, his chest growing tight with emotion. “My father died when I was a baby Mr. Beckett; he and my mother Diane were killed in a plane crash.”

Luke gently plucked the photo from his cousin’s hand and handed it back to Beckett.

“If there’s anyone that can tell you about Cooper, it’d be our Uncle Jesse.”

 

******      ******      ******

 

“Cooper was my youngest brother…” Jesse stood over Beckett, pouring the investigator a cup of coffee. The aging silver pot shook a little in his hand as he set it down and took his seat at the head of the table.

Beckett noticed the older man’s haggard expression and the concerned looks on the faces of the three young kids that sat on either side of him.

“Mr. Duke, I realize this must be painful for you to talk about but my client is just as pained as you are and she too lost someone she loved. I need you to tell me what you can.”

Jesse nodded, lowering his head. “Cooper was a private man, Mr. Beckett and his personal life was just that. Just because I was his brother didn’t mean I was privy to the details.”

“I understand that Mr. Duke but there’s more to this than just prying into Cooper Duke personal life.”

His statement got everyone’s attention, four sets of eyes now focused on the investigator and he touched the suddenly tight collar of his white shirt and stretched it out a little away from his neck.

“What else is involved in your investigation Mr. Beckett?” Luke asked the only one brave enough at this point to open his mouth. Talking about the family, even after all these long years always brought on a sense of sadness and grief to the farmhouse, especially to Jesse.

Beckett sighed, he had opened a door and had no choice now but to go through it.

“In my investigation, I tracked down some hospital records belonging to Caitlin Wallace–” He stood up and excused himself a moment, leaving out the back kitchen door. Returning a few moments later, he carried with him a black attaché case and pulled out a manila envelope, then handed it to Luke.

“I think it’d be just easier if you saw for yourself.”

Luke pulled the aged yellow papers out of the envelope and looked them over; both Daisy and Bo leaned closer as he flipped through the pages. He came to one and read it, his cool blue eyes widening.

“Holy Smokes–” Raising his head he stared at Beckett and swallowed hard.

“Caitlin Wallace had a baby.”

“A baby?” Jesse whispered and Luke turned to him and handed him the paper he had read.

“Yes–” Beckett nodded as he pulled something else out of the attaché case. “She didn’t keep the little girl but gave her to the Fulton County Orphanage.”

Everyone present stared at him, waiting for him to say what they all were thinking but were afraid to give voice to.

“Are you saying that this child might be the daughter of Cooper Duke?” Luke broke the eerie silence again as he handed the envelope back to Beckett.

“She was born almost a month and a half after you were born Bo–” Jesse’s eyes raised from the paper, seeing his youngest nephew’s stunned face. He pointed out the date on the paper and Bo got up from his chair and went over to his uncle. He saw the date and swallowed hard.

“I’ve got a sister?”

“A missing Wallace heiress—Being Caitlin Wallace’s biological child means this young woman would be entitled to a rather large sum of money.”

Beckett’s statement made Jesse’s mouth tighten as he practically shoved the paper back at him. “Are you suggesting that Cooper got this poor girl pregnant and then left her to hook up with Bo’s mama?” His voice rose as he spoke, the evidence that the hot fire of his temper had begun to creep through.

“Of course I’m not implying that Mr. Duke but the evidence suggests…” Beckett started to say but Jesse rose up out of his chair fast, practically knocking it over.

“I don’t care what the evidence suggests! I know my brother and he wouldn’t have left a girl carrying his child! He would have accepted the responsibility like any man would!” He walked around the table and over to the back door jerking it open so hard he nearly ripped it from its hinges.

“Now you get your papers and get out!”

The fuming in Jesse’s face left no room for argument; Beckett gathered his things, got up from the table and headed out the door. Jesse shoved it closed, the house rattling from the force of it. He then approached the table, practically breathing fire as he gazed down at his kids.

“The nerve of that man! Accusing Cooper of doing something like that! Cooper wouldn’t have done that!” He saw all their surprised faces and the older man straightened his spine.

“I want you kids to stay away from that man!”

“But Uncle Jesse–” Daisy started to say and the older man shook his head.

“I don’t want to talk about it!” He shouted as he marched out of the kitchen, the next sound the kids heard was of Jesse’s bedroom door slamming.

 

******      ******      ******

 

Daisy got up from the table rubbing her arms as she stepped out into the living room and peeked at Uncle Jesse’s bedroom door.

“I’ve never seen him so angry–” She whispered, turning to look at both her cousins.

“That’s because no one’s ever come to the house before accusing one of his brother’s of being less than honorable–” Luke got up from the table and stood beside his cousin, he too looked at Jesse’s door.

“Ain’t no use trying to talk to him right now, not when he’s this upset.”

Bo sighed as he leaned forward resting his elbows on the table as he covered his face.

“And what if Mr. Beckett was telling the truth?” He said softly, both Luke and Daisy shifting their attention to him.

“Now Bo there’s no way I’d believe for one second that your father would–”

“I don’t mean that Luke–” He lowered his hands from his face. “I mean the fact there might be another Duke out there. A kin that we didn’t even know we had.”

Luke nodded as he went back over to the table and sat down on it, looking down at his cousin. “She’d be the same age as you and she’d be your sister Bo.”

“She’d be cousin to both you and Daisy–” Bo leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “Uncle Jesse said he didn’t want us going near Mr. Beckett, but I have to know Luke–” A solemn expression came to his face. “I have to know if she’s my sister or not.”

Daisy went over to Bo and laid a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“Bo’s right Luke, if we’ve got another relative somewhere out there–” She stopped in mid sentence and shook her head.

Luke nodded, a deep sigh coming out of him. “Then we have a right to know and she has a right to know where she comes from.”

“Even if that means disobeying what Uncle Jesse said?” Bo’s gaze told all, his heart torn between defying his uncle and seeking what could be a long lost sibling, another piece of his father somewhere out there that existed other than himself.

Folding his hands in his lap, Luke sighed. “Uncle Jesse wants to know as badly as we do Bo, he’s just upset. You know how he gets where the family is concerned. He’d defend them with his last dying breath if someone spoke harshly about one of them.”

“I guess the best thing to do would be to go talk to Mr. Beckett–” Daisy squeezed Bo’s shoulder again and he reached back and covered her small hand with his.

“I say we best go now, before Uncle Jesse comes back out.”

 

******      ******      ******

 

Beckett kicked the door to his room closed, his arms loaded with papers and take out food. He carefully bent over depositing all of them on the table right inside the room. He sighed as he dropped his head forward and rubbed the back of his neck, the muscles tight with tension beneath his fingers. Things hadn’t gone at all like he had hoped; he came into Hazzard with a simple plan: Find the guy in the photo, ask some questions, then return to Atlanta to give a full report to Eleanor Wallace. What the private investigator hadn’t counted on was stepping into a bear trap named Jesse Duke. Not that he blamed him, what he had found out about the Duke family in the Hall of Records more than justified the older man’s tyrannical defense of his family and a fiery temper at the mere suggestion of besmirching the Duke name.

Pulling out the chair, Beckett sat down and pulled a hefty folder closer to him.

“You lost all your brothers Jesse, now all that’s left is their kids–” He found Cooper’s death certificate and read it over shaking his head.

“Died in a plane crash, along with Diane your wife.”

He started to remove the Styrofoam container from the white plastic bag that held his dinner when a knock sounded on the door.

“Now who could that be?” He said to himself as he stood up and peered through the peephole. His eyes widened as he recognized the three people he saw through it.

Gripping the knob, Beckett pulled open the door and stepped back beckoning the three Dukes inside.

“Come in…please.”

“We’re not disturbing you, are we?” Luke asked as he looked around the room, the style at the Hazzard Hotel had changed very little. The gold shag carpeting, gold bedspread and faded country paintings that covered the walls were the same ones that graced the establishment when the hotel first opened in the 50’s.

“No, just sitting down to some dinner. The deputy recommended the Busy Bee Café so I thought I’d give it a try–” The investigator sat back down, Bo and Daisy took the chairs on either side of him while Luke remained on his feet pacing about the room.

“I suppose you know why we’re here, being an investigator and all–” Luke said over one shoulder, seeing Beckett nod.

“Yeah I know why, though I’m a bit taken back by it. I thought your uncle made it clear when he threw me out that you all weren’t interested.”

Luke sighed and nodded. “You’ll have to forgive him for that Mr. Beckett. Uncle Jesse–”

Beckett shook his head as he stood up, interrupting. “There’s no need to explain, one thing this investigation has taught me is the value of family.”

He excused himself as he passed Luke and sunk down to his knees. Reaching underneath the queen size bed, he pulled out a black suitcase and laid it on top of the bedspread.

“Unbeknownst to Mrs. Wallace, I’ve already begun searching for her long lost granddaughter.”

The locks on the briefcase clicking, Beckett opened the leather lid and pulled out a small stack of folders.

“There were eight baby girls that were left at the orphanage around the same time Caitlin’s baby was born. The staff ladies that helped raise these kids kept in good contact with each one; they were willing to let me see the files they kept them.”

Beckett rose to his feet and took the folders to the table, handing one to Daisy and Bo then turning and holding out one to Luke.

“You want to find your cousin, don’t you?”

The question hung in the air a moment, forcing Luke to turn around and face the waggling manila folder. The truth being that Luke and Uncle Jesse shared one trait in common, a difficulty with dealing with the past.

Now he stared it directly in the face.

Glancing over to see Bo and Daisy, his two cousins watched him wanting for him to answer the question put before him. Did he truly want for this lost Duke to be found?

Then Luke’s gaze shifted to just Bo. He saw the uncertainty in his blond cousin’s face and the pain reflecting in his dark blue eyes. This lost Duke wasn’t just a cousin to him, but she’d be a sister to Bo…a true link to his father. That’s one thing that truly separated the two Duke cousins; Luke had known his father however brief it was, but Bo had been too young to have any real memories of Cooper. This was a chance for Bo to know something of his father and he knew he couldn’t deny his cousin that.

“Yeah… I do–” A small smile came to the eldest Duke cousin’s face as he took the folder and pulled out the chair beside Daisy.

 

******      ******      ******

 

In a smoke filled dark brick building downtown, a young brunette woman sighed as she leaned her elbow on the marred wooden surface of the bar.  She gazed around the room, her dark eyes watching the customers beginning to file in one by one through the double doors.

“Another exciting night at Trigger’s–” She muttered to herself, then reached down to pick up her wooden tray, an apron and a note pad. The apron a black one that read Trigger’s in white lettering and she slipped it over her head, the material a tad tight across the blue sleeveless shirt she wore and long enough to barely cover her jean shorts. Tying it around her back, the young woman emerged from behind the bar and tugged on the bottom of the apron, earning a few wolf whistles from the patrons.

“Hey Darling! Don’t worry about how you look! Just get over here and help us quench our thirst!”

Raising her head, the young woman’s cheeks took on a red hue.

“All right who said that?” She asked to the gathered crowd, naturally no one admitted it and she shook her head. “I should let you all die of thirst.”

A smile on her face, she shook her head as she approached the first table and began to take orders.

 

******      ******      ******

 

Beckett closed his folder, tossing it onto the table in disgust. “Well no luck with my two.”

“Me either–” Daisy set her folders down, rubbing her hand across her eyes. “Bo, Luke, what about you?”

Luke shook his head, sighing. “Struck out here too, the two girls I got were adopted and moved out of the state–” He yawned and leaned back in his chair, stretching.

“Well…that leaves you Bo.”

Bo hadn’t heard much his family or Beckett had said, he had his thoughts focused on the two file folders. The first one he had discarded right away, the young woman had been adopted at age 4, the folder contained details of her life and her new family.

Now Bo had his nose in the second folder, going through each page carefully.

“Bo?” Luke set his chair back down, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Daisy.  He reached out and waved his hand over the paper Bo read snapping him out of his stupor.

“Huh?” He asked, blinking as he raised his head.

“Did you find anything?” Daisy asked as she sat forward, her elbows resting on the table.

“I…I think so–” Bo handed the folded to Luke then stood up; he rounded the table and read over his cousin’s shoulder.

“This baby was never adopted; she stayed at the orphanage until she was 18.”

“Does it say anything about how she got to the orphanage?” Luke flipped the paper up reading it.

“Not really, they didn’t really say much about how she got there only that she was a few weeks old.”

The eldest cousin read the papers over, shaking his head. “Bo, I don’t see anything that makes me think this young woman is your sister.”

Bo shrugged his shoulders as he straightened up. “It’s just a feeling Luke–” He took the folder from his cousin’s hand. “She’s been alone her whole life…it has to be her, something inside of me says so.”

Beckett got up from the table and went to the other end. Luke handed him the folder, shifting in his chair to face him.

“What do you think Mr. Beckett?”

The investigator looked over the papers carefully, shrugging his shoulders. “Well…this could be her. She fits the time period of when Caitlin had her child and according to this she’s still in Atlanta–” He raised his gaze staring at the three Dukes.

“First thing in the morning we can check her out, if you want.”

Daisy and Bo both looked at Luke who nodded. “We’ll be back here at 8 am sharp.”

 

******      ******      ******

 

Bo sat up with a start, a sense of panic rising through his chest as he looked around. In the dim light he saw the bedroom…the posters on the wall, the photos of cars and Luke in his bed; the sound of his deep breathing a comfort that helped burn away the fog of sleep. Taking a breath, Bo wiped his hand over his sweaty face. Thoughts of his sister had filtered through to his dreams, turning them into hellish nightmares. He couldn’t make out her face…the features blurry. But her anger had been crystal clear…her anger and resentment over the cards of life she had been dealt.

What if she hates me? He said to himself as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.  Bo leaned over, his damp bare shoulders flexing.

What if she doesn’t want to be part of the family?

With a sigh he stood, his knees wobbling a moment and he took a few shaky steps towards the door stopping when he saw the beams of light creeping under it. Bo knew instantly why and grabbed a t-shirt from his dresser before opening the bedroom door quietly.

Sure enough there he was…the older man in his overalls, the moonlight giving him an unearthly silver glow as he sat rocking in his chair. Beside him on a small table sat a weathered box, Bo glanced at it a moment knowing it had family photos before averting his gaze back to his uncle.

Jesse Duke bore a sad expression on his face, the lines around his eyes and mouth seemed more prominent, making him appear to be about a hundred years old.

“You shouldn’t be up Boy,” He said, the rocking chair creaking rhythmically; his voice hollow and weary. Raising his eyes, he took the sight of his nephew in.

“I know where you youngsters went, you didn’t hear a word I said and went to see the detective fellow.”

Bo nodded, swallowing hard. “You’re right, we did. And I think you know why we did.”

He knew he tread on dangerous ground, his uncle’s temper could be on the verge of exploding again and Bo didn’t want to be within the blast radiance if it did. But he had no choice; not talking about his sister wasn’t going to make her go away.

Jesse looked away as his nephew lowered himself before him, with his height it made the two men be eye to eye.

“There’s another Duke out there Uncle Jesse and she’s going to need you. I know you’re upset because you think my father wronged Caitlin Wallace but…if he was half the man you said he was I don’t think he did. I don’t think he even knew about the baby.”

“He did know Caitlin…he had a relationship with her–” Jesse started off, then turned his head to face his nephew. “Cooper loved her but it just didn’t work out.” He reached out a shaky hand and touched Bo’s golden hair gently.

“When he met your mother Bo…I ain’t never seen your Daddy so happy, he married her and then they found out they was having you a short time later.”

Tears filled the old man’s eyes and rolled down his face. “Cooper was dear to me and it would kill me if that detective made you think less of him Bo,” He took in a deep breath and lowered his head.

“If I had known that there was another child…If I had known that young lady was carrying Cooper’s baby–”

Bo reached out touched Uncle Jesse’s shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. “You didn’t know anymore than my father did.”

Raising his face, Jesse reached out and pulled his nephew into a hug. For long moments neither man spoke, the comfort of the embrace said all the words that needed to be said in the silent, loving gesture. When they had both settled down, Bo raised his head from his uncle’s shoulder.

“We found her Uncle Jesse…we know where my sister is.”

He pulled back from Bo’s hug as fast as lightning, Jesse’s vacant pained eyes suddenly growing bright, pulsating with life.

“You did?”

“We told Mr. Beckett we’d meet him at the hotel at eight, then go to Atlanta–” A smile came to Bo’s face. “Got room in the General for one more…know of anyone that might be interested in coming along?” He looked at his uncle, his eyes silently pleading for the older man to go. The whole family needed to be together at a time like this.

Jesse raised an eyebrow to his nephew, his expression resuming the paternal one he always bore though a hint of affection and appreciation shone in his eyes.

“Then I know a couple of Dukes that best get themselves to bed.”

 

******      ******      ******

 

They rode to Atlanta in silence, following closely behind Beckett’s blue sedan. The miles slowly ticked by, each one making the air in the General Lee thick and tense.  Too nervous and worked up to drive, Bo sat in the passenger seat gazing out into the scenery that whipped by while Luke drove.

Only yesterday he had been commenting to Luke how good things were, now that seemed like another lifetime ago. His stomach felt tight and hot, the nerves all jumbled together into a knot made up partly out of fear and anticipation. He chewed his thumbnail, images of blond haired girls floating in his mind. Or would she even have blond hair like him?

“Bo?” Luke raised an eyebrow, seeing his cousin’s attention focused out the window.  He elbowed Bo in the ribs, the action making the blond man jump.

“What?” He blinked a moment gawking at his cousin.

“You all right?”

“Yeah…just a little nervous I guess–” He grinned sheepishly, his cheeks flushing.

Daisy leaned forward; crossing her arms she rested them on the back of the seat.

“Any idea what her name is?”

“No, the folder didn’t mention it. Not sure why, maybe out of privacy since these kids were given to an orphanage.”

“You think she’s why Caitlin Wallace killed herself? Couldn’t live with what she done?” Bo asked, a little afraid of the answer but he still posed the question to his cousins.

Luke shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe, or maybe she just never got over the breakup with Cooper.”

“She probably loved him and couldn’t get over not having him in her life anymore–” Daisy whispered; a sigh escaped her as she teared up knowing the pain of having lost her own parents and now her cousin would know that pain as well.

Jesse heard Daisy’s voice and gave her shoulder a gentle pat. “No one but Caitlin will know why she did it; we can speculate from now till Gabriel’s trumpet the where’s and the why’s, only Caitlin truly has the answers.”

“And what do we tell our cousin when she asks about her mother?” Like piped up, sighing. “How can we give her answers if we don’t even have them ourselves?”

A sad look crossed the older man’s face, his features pensive. “I don’t know Luke, but the good Lord’s led us this far. We’ll just have to believe that things will work themselves out.”

“I hope you’re right Uncle Jesse–” Bo whispered as he saw the Atlanta city limits sign pass his window.

 

******      ******      ******

 

The Dukes followed Beckett through the older side of the downtown area. Here the buildings were much older and much more dilapidated; most of them had been abandoned long ago and now sat wasting away in the Georgia sun.

“This place is like a ghost town–” Daisy said quietly as she looked out her window, swallowing hard.

“A lot of these buildings were build at the turn of the century…they’ve seen a lot of the history of these parts.”

Jesse put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to him. “But not everything’s abandoned; there are a few businesses out here still.”

“With not the best upstanding reputations, I imagine–” Luke sighed shaking his head. “This place makes Hazzard look downright fancy.”

Bo nodded in agreement; he too couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the eeriness that enveloped this part of Atlanta.

“Makes you wonder how anyone can live out here.”

They crossed a set of rusty train tracks, then veered off to the right and headed down a long street. The asphalt cracked and full of pot holes, the big orange stock car bounced along it. Most of the buildings were warehouses that appeared to still be in use; they weren’t as rundown though they were in need of some serious repair.

“See, there’s still some life out here–” Jesse gave his niece a kiss on the head. “So don’t you three be counting this place out, I remember coming to this part of Atlanta when I was a boy to get farm equipment with my Papa–” He pointed to a grey structure, the fading sign read Weiler Farm & Industry.

“That’s where we bought it from and right beside it was a big feed store.”

“Yeah we see it Uncle Jesse.” Bo glanced over his shoulder, giving his uncle a small smile. The older man was trying to make them all feel a little more at ease and in some ways it worked.

“Looks like he’s slowing down.”

Everyone straightened in their seat to see what Luke talked about, sure enough Beckett’s tail lights came on just as the rundown area began to widen, and what looked like a manufacturing area lay up ahead, the soot covered smoke stacks rose high in the air.

“And that there’s the reason–” Bo pointed to a sign beside a maroon brick building, the neon’s glow barely visible in the daytime read Trigger’s.

Beckett pulled along side and got out. He waited until Luke parked the General beside his car and bent down to peer into the driver’s side window.

“She works here and lives above it, let’s get out and see if she’s working today.”

Luke nodded as he shut down the engine, turning to look at his kin.

“Well you heard the man, let’s go in.” Raising a hand, he gripped the edge of the roof and slipped out. He then lent his cousin Daisy a hand helping her climb out then walked around the car and helped Bo get Uncle Jesse out.

“One of these days I’m taking a chainsaw to these doors!” He groused, then shook off the boys helpful hands.

The private investigator smiled at the older man’s ranting and cleared his throat, trying to once again regain his professional demeanor. He touched his hand to his light colored tie and adjusted it taking a moment to gage his attire, a tailored taupe suit and a beige shirt. He felt the family watching him and a wave of self consciousness suddenly hit him, his cheeks flushing.

“If you all don’t mind, I’d like to do the talking just to be sure she’s the one we’re all looking for.”

Luke gave a nod, his arms crossed over his chest. “We’ll let you go in first.”

“Give me about five minutes–” Beckett gave a nod to the family before gripped the handle of the pair of heavy wooden door and tugged one of them back.

The strong smell of fresh sawdust greeted him, intermixed with beer and cigarette smoke as he stepped into the bar.

 

******      ******      ******

 

“Oh my.”

Beckett mumbled to himself as he scanned the room, his eyebrows rising. The floor of the bar had a thick layer of sawdust; he glanced down at his shoes and kicked some of it away. The room had round tables covering most of it, their chairs turned upside down atop each one. At the top of the room sat the long bar in front of a mirrored wall, the more expensive liquors and fancier glasses covering it from top to bottom.

“Hmmm–” The investigator said to himself as he headed for it, looking around for any sign of life.

“Hello? Anyone here?”

A side door opened and out came the young dark haired woman carrying an enormous bag of pretzels. Dressed in purple sweats and a ratty white t-shirt, her dark hair twisted in a makeshift bun on the top of her head. She started at the man in the center of the room, wiping a few stray hairs away from her face.

“Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t hear you come in–” She set the big bag on top of the bar and wiped her hands down the front of her legs.

“We’re closed right now but if there’s something I can get you…”

Beckett gave her a gentle smile as he reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out his identification.

“Actually, I came here to speak to you. My name is Thomas Beckett.”

She saw his credentials and creased her brow. “Private investigator? What do you want with me?”

“If we can sit down a moment, I’ll explain–” He took down two chairs from a nearby table and extended his arm out towards it. “Please.”

The young woman hesitated and moment, then reluctantly took a seat.

“Why are you here?”

He saw her fear and reached out, giving her hand a gentle pat.

“It’s nothing bad; you’ve done nothing wrong I assure you.” Reaching into his blazer he took out a small notepad and flipped it open.

“Your name is Collins, Miranda Collins?”

“It’s Min actually–” She wrinkled her nose a moment. “I’ve never been too find of Miranda.”

“Min,” Beckett repeated and smiled. “All right Min, what can you tell me about your family?”

Her face grew sad and she swallowed hard. “Nothing much to tell you Mr. Beckett…I haven’t any. I was left at an orphanage when I was a newborn; the ladies that ran it had no idea of who brought me there. They opened the door one morning and there I was.”

“And how did you get the name Collins?”

She sighed, leaning back in her chair. “The woman in charge of the orphanage, her name was Bridget Collins, she was the one that mostly raised me and she said that if she ever had a daughter she would name her Miranda Lee. She had four sons already so when I came along, she gave me that name.”

Beckett nodded. “And you kept in touch with her even after you were old enough to leave?”

Min gave a nod, sighing. “Yes, she helped me find a place of my own; I live in an apartment above this bar and got me the job as a waitress here. She’s been my mother, the only one I’ve ever known.”

“Of course you know absolutely nothing about your parents?” Beckett’s expression grew sympathetic as he watched the young woman’s eyes grow bright.

“Nothing…”

He patted her hand again and gave it a squeeze. “Min, that’s why I’m here, to tell you that you do have a family.”

Her dark eyes widened and swallowed hard. “I do?”

“Yes, I know all about your mother and your father.”

The door to the bar opened, letting the bright sunshine come pouring in. Both Beckett and Min turned away, shielding their eyes. When the door closed again Min blinked, letting the residuals of the sudden invasion of light dissipate. When her vision cleared up, she saw four people standing just inside the bar.

Beckett turned around and saw them, rising to his feet. “Come over here please.”

The Dukes seemed nailed to the spot, the four of them staring at the young woman who sat beside the investigator. Jesse especially stared at her and pressed his lips together as he took a few shaky steps. That snapped his kids out of their stupor and they followed him, their knees trembling.

“You’ve got superb timing–” Beckett glanced at Min a moment and offered him her hand. She took it and rose to her feet.

“Min, I’d like you to meet your father’s family. They go by the name of Duke, as you rightly should–” He then turned to Jesse and gave a smile. “Jesse Duke, I’d pleased and honored to introduce you to your niece, Miranda Lee Collins. Though she prefers the nickname Min.”

He then glanced back at Min. “Min…this is your Uncle, Jesse Duke. He was your father’s eldest brother.”

Beckett tugged on her hand and she stumbled a little towards Jesse. He let go of her hand and Min found herself unable to speak. She simply stared at the older man, her face astonished.

Jesse felt his eyes grow bright; he turned to see Bo, Luke and Daisy.

“She looks like your father Bo…she’s not the spitting image that you are, but I can see his face in hers.”

He held his hand out to her and she slid her trembling one into his.

“I’m so proud to meet you little girl…” He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug, his eyes closing. The tightness that had grown in his chest ever since Beckett came to the farmhouse loosened in a rush of tears that flowed down his cheeks.

Min didn’t know what to think, she found herself overwhelmed by all this; her body trembling and her mind racing. But something in the older man’s quivering voice seemed to reach her deep down inside. A stirring that she had never known before began to grow and she found her arms coming up around his overalls as she returned the embrace laying her head on his shoulder, her face now wet.

Her tension began to lessen and that brought a smile to Jesse’s face as he reached up and stroked his hand down her hair.

“I’m not the only one that’s your family.”

Raising her head, she wiped her cheeks. “You’re not?”

“No–” Jesse touched her cheek, his fingers stroking it. “You’ve got two cousins and a brother.”

Turning around, Min faced the three kids and this gave them a chance to get a better look at her. She had the same slender, shapely build Daisy had, her hair a darker shade of brown. Her eyes weren’t blue like most Dukes were but a deep, rich brown, large and expressive with long eyelashes. She had a small button nose, and a pair of elegant lips, giving her a very kind and gentle face when she smiled.

Luke stood directly in front of her. After a moment he gave a deep smile, one that made his gaze soften.

“I’m your cousin Luke, Min.” He moved closer and gave her a strong hug. The reality of the past couple of days finally hit him. There was another Duke to add to the family Bible and another cousin that would rely on him

“I’m so glad to meet you Luke–” Min whispered, her hand rubbing his back.

Standing beside Daisy Bo watched, his own emotions about finally finding his sister threatening to come forth at any moment, like a bursting dam. When Luke and Min released their hug, Luke cleared his throat. He saw how anxious Daisy seemed, but before he could continue with his introductions she practically showed him out of the way as she embraced Min.

“Oh I’m so glad we found you cousin!”

“This is Daisy,” Luke chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head.

“Me too Daisy,” Min let go of the hug and smiled.

“We…we could practically be sisters.”

They both laughed a moment before all eyes then turned to look at Bo.

Min’s smile faded as she stared at him.

“Min, this is Bo, your brother,” Luke stated as Daisy moved beside him and he put his arm around her.

The two siblings gawked at one another, neither one not knowing exactly what to say.

Bo’s throat felt as if it had closed up and he forced himself to swallow. He remembered his bad dream and that pressed a cold finger of fear into his heart. She didn’t have blonde hair like he did nor blue eyes, but he could see in her face that they were related. He wasn’t sure how or why…but something inside of him reached out to her. Perhaps something on a more spiritual level told him that she was exactly how he had pictured. This was someone he had to get to know and make a part of his life.

Min simply stared at the blond haired young man. Beckett had dropped a bomb on her and she still felt the aftershocks from it. But something about Bo’s face and his big blue eyes caused that same stirring within her. All her nights of crying herself to sleep, wishing and longing for a family had finally come true and she took a deep shuddering breath. Though these people were all strangers to her, just their presence filled up a deep gaping hole within her chest. Her vision blurred as the warm tears brimmed in her eyes and rolled down her face.

“I…” She started to say but then stopped and held her arms out to him. Bo slid into them, his arms around her waist as he lifted her off the ground in a fierce hug.

“I feel like I’ve known you for a long time, like I’ve just been waiting. I don’t understand why.”

“Yeah…I feel it too.” Bo whispered as he closed his eyes. He gently set her down and released the hug, his hands coming to her shoulders.

“I’m sorry it took us so long to find you.”

Shaking her head, Min wiped her face and gave a watery smile. “It’s okay…better late then never.”

Bo grinned at that and started to laugh as he drew her into another hug, his hand touching the back of her head.

“We Dukes say that all the time!”

 

******      ******      ******

 

Daisy came from behind the bar, a coffee pot in her hand. She refreshed everyone’s cup then her own as she sat back down at the table. Min sat in the middle, her family all around her. Beckett given her the same photo he had showed Bo and she studied it, feeling a lump form in her throat.

“You do look just like him Bo,” She said as her gaze shifted to her brother, who gave a nod.

“The spitting image.”

“And you bear a resemblance to your mother Min, Eleanor Wallace is going to have an apoplexy when she sees you.” Beckett stretched out his arm across the table and Min handed him back the photo.

“What’s she like? My grandmother?”

The mention of the name Wallace made Bo frown, Luke too wasn’t happy; he crossed his arms over his chest, his mouth tightening in a scowl.

Jesse glanced to his right and left, giving both his nephews a stern gaze. Silently telling them that the Wallace’s were just a much a family to Min as they were. They both seemed to ease back at that, though their looks of disapproval remain.

“She’s a good woman, kind, caring. The death of your mother really hit her and the rest of her children hard. She’s spent thousands of dollars to find out the truth.”

Min nodded, giving a heartfelt sigh. “I wish I could have known her, or my father.” She raised her head, her dark eyes pained. “You really think the guilt of what she did to me is what drove her to…”

Beckett shook his head. “Maybe…or maybe breaking up with Cooper Duke affected her in a way that she never recovered from. Most of her mental issues started right after they broke off their relationship.”

“Now she’s gone—They’re both gone–” Min sighed as she leaned forward and covered her face, her elbows resting on the table.

Jesse placed a strong hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “They may be gone but the rest of your family is still here.”

“Your uncle doesn’t mince words Min and as soon as I give your grandma a call, I know she’s going to want me to take you to see her.”

Daisy smiled, reaching out to touch Min gently on the arm. “Mr. Beckett’s right, why don’t we go upstairs and get you ready to meet your grandma?”

“Really?” Min’s hands slid from her face. “You’d help me?”

“Well sure I would, you’re my cousin after all.” Daisy rose to her feet smiling gently.

“Come on.”

 

******      ******      ******

 

Min unlocked the door, her face growing red with embarrassment as she led her cousin inside. The modest studio had meager furnishings, the dingy walls mostly blank; a small scrap of carpeting covered the floor around her double bed; a raggedy brown couch and a matching chair sat in the living room area.

Daisy looked around, her expression sad. Min having so little gave mute testimony to the hard life this young woman had and it made her appreciate everything she had all the more, including Uncle Jesse and Bo and Luke. Reaching out, she placed a hand on Min’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“Don’t be embarrassed, a home is what you make of it.”

“Not much here to make into one.” Min went over to a pair of double doors and pulled them back, a few dresses hung in the closet and she pulled them out laying then across her bed.

“Maybe one of these will be all right.”

“I’m sure it will be.” Daisy leaned over and perused each dress, a small smile coming to her face.  “These are beautiful! Did you make them yourself?”

“My one talent—being pretty handy with a sewing machine.” Min motioned to the old fashioned looking machine in the corner.

“I got it at a garage sale.”

“Something we have in common then Cousin.” Daisy picked up a simple dark blue dress and held it against her chest.

“I think you’d look pretty in this one and I know how to fix your hair just right.”

 

******      ******      ******

 

“Don’t you think this all might be too much for her?” Bo asked as he pressed his elbows into the table, casting a gaze at the door his sister and cousin and gone through.

Luke shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know Bo; don’t you think she’s got a right to know her family?”

The four men all sat around the table drinking coffee, Jesse and Beckett on one side, Luke and Bo on the other.

“I’m not saying she doesn’t have a right to know Luke, but all this time she’s been alone and then all of a sudden we show up and then she find out she’s related to one of the most prominent families in Atlanta.”

Beckett raised an eyebrow at Bo’s statement. “I promised Mrs. Wallace I would let her know immediately when I found her granddaughter. I have an obligation as a licensed private investigator to fulfill my end of the bargain.

“Well yeah but–”

Jesse picked up his coffee mug and had a slow sip, then raised his head.

“Bo…let Mr. Beckett do what he was paid to do.”

He quieted down, slumping back in his chair. “Yes sir.” Bo looked at Beckett, a frown on his lips as he glared briefly at the investigator.

“If you all will excuse me, I better let Eleanor Wallace know about Min.” Beckett got up from the table; instead of using the phone in the bar he chose the one just outside it to make the call.

Bo watched him leave and shook his head as he got up. “He’s rushing her Uncle Jesse. He’s not giving her any time to adjust to the fact she’s got family.”

“We were just as anxious to see her Bo.” Luke stood up; he picked up his coffee mug and slipped behind the bar. There he picked up the steaming pot of java and poured himself another cup.  “Can’t blame Mrs. Wallace for wanting to meet her granddaughter as soon as possible.”

“I have to take Min to the mansion.” Beckett came back inside, tucking his notepad back into the inner pocket of his blazer. Luke, Jesse and Bo all turned to see the investigator standing just inside the door. “Mrs. Wallace is expecting her within the hour.

“We can all go…can’t we?” Another voice joined the conversation, Min stood in the doorway; the blue dress she wore went to her knees, the front of it a criss cross design with three quarter length sleeves. Her dark hair had been piled on top of her head in a French twist, and small curled wisps framed her face.  She saw the way the men looked at her and felt her cheeks grow warm at their admiring gaze. Daisy came in behind her, nudging her gently into the room. Beckett cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention, including Min’s.

“Your grandmother is waiting Min, let’s go.”

“That’s fine Mr. Beckett but I think I’d feel more comfortable if the Dukes went with me.”

He started to open his mouth to protest, but then the look in Min’s eyes made him decide against it. The spark in the dark depths of her eyes and the determined upward tilt of her chin matched that of Jesse’s that Beckett had seen the previous night, made him cave in. “All right they can follow us–”

“I think I’d like to ride with them, if that’s all right.”

Jesse nodded, rising from his chair. “I’ll ride with your Mr. Beckett; Min can have my seat in the General.”

“That’ll be fine,” Beckett replied, and then sighed begrudgingly.

 

******      ******      ******

 

Eleanor wrung her hands together as she watched her servants flutter about the house. She glanced over shoulder at the grandfather clock that stood in the entryway.

“Hurry up! Everything must be perfect!”

“Relax Mother, things will be ready.” Phillip came out of the living room, touching his blue tie a moment and adjusting it, then his hands ran down his lapels.

“And I must say that you look beautiful.”  He took his mother’s frail hand and gave it a gentle kiss. The older woman in a grey silk dress, the sleeves made of sheer lace. She took her son’s compliments with grace and raised her head.

“Thank you Dear, what of your sisters?”

“Caroline and Catherine are busy Mother, they don’t think they can be here on time.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “Something this important and they can’t make it?”

“They’ve got meetings Mother, it can’t be helped.”

An older man with graying hair and a black butler’s uniform suddenly stuck a vase filled with colorful roses on a shiny round wooden table in the foyer.

“Excuse me Mr. Phillip.”

“Not at all Benton.” Phillip said with a smile as he took his mother’s arm.

“What did Beckett tell you other than that he found Caitlin’s child?”

“That she works as a barmaid in a sleazy little pub in the old industrial district.” Eleanor shuddered visibly. “And here I thought only rats lived out there and now I come to find out my granddaughter does as well.”

“I’m sure she had no other means Mother. She had to find a place to live and work the best way she could.”

“Well that’ll all change, won’t it? She’s a Wallace now and she will live as she should.”

All talk ceased as the humming of engines filled the air. Eleanor and Phillip went to the double oak doors and pulled back on them, just in time to see a blue four-door car and a bright orange one follow the circular driveway.

“Oh my…Guess Mr. Beckett brought along company.” Phillip turned back. “Benton, you better make sure we’ve got plenty of refreshments for everyone.”

Eleanor watched as the people exited the vehicles, she saw the pair of dark haired women and her gaze bounced between both of them.

“I wonder which she is?” She whispered to herself.

Min’s eyes were wide, her throat tight as she gazed at the enormous property and the fancy cars that were parked off to one side beneath a carport. They spoke of a luxurious lifestyle that she had never know and her stomach tightened at the thought that it might be something she would soon be accustomed to.

Or be expected to.

The astonished noises of her kin broke this train of thought and she turned to see their awed expressions.

“Whoa! Will you look at this place?” Luke said as he took in the enormous white mansion with the tall pillars.

“Looks like something out of Gone With the Wind.” Daisy said behind him and he nodded.

“Yeah it does.”

“Bet this place has servants.” Bo stood with his hands on his hips, staring up at the enormous structure with a child-like grin.

“Now you kids mind your manners.” Jesse scolded them a moment before clearing his throat and taking off his cap in a show of respect as the double doors opened all the way and Eleanor Wallace emerged from between them.

“Good Afternoon.”

Beckett smiled and climbed up the marble steps. “Afternoon Mrs. Wallace.”

He held out his hand to hers and gave it a gentle shake.

“Mr. Beckett. Which one of these lovely young ladies is my granddaughter?”

Daisy flushed at the compliment and shook her head, giving a gentle smile.

“It’s…me…”  Min took a few shaky steps forward. Eleanor got a better look at her and her eyes widened.

“Good heavens!” She touched her hand to her mouth. “You…you look like your mother!”

“That she does Mrs. Wallace, from the moment I saw her she reminded me of the one photo you showed me of Caitlin as a young woman.” Beckett held out her hand and Min took it as he helped her up the steps.

“May I present, Miss Miranda Lee Collins.”

The two women now stood face to face, one older, the other younger. Eleanor reached out, her shaking hands coming to rest on either side of Min’s face.

“My granddaughter, my beautiful Miranda.”

She swallowed hard at the older women’s intense gaze and gave a nod. “I’m glad to finally meet you.”

“As am I child.” She stroked her fingers down Min’s cheek, then remembered they weren’t alone and stepped back.

“Come inside everyone, it’s time we got acquainted.”

 

******      ******      ******

 

Eleanor led the way, escorting the Dukes plus Beckett into the living room. Mostly used for entertaining prominent guests, it had quite a few conversational pieces…from its marble flooring, massive stone fireplace, to its fancy paintings that lined the walls and its Victorian, rose colored furniture.

“Make yourselves comfortable.” Eleanor took the chair closest to the fireplace, watching as the Dukes sat down. They looked a bit out of sorts, like fishes out of water and that brought a small smile to her face. Jesse especially seemed too afraid to move, not wanting to harm the expensive chair he chose to sat in.

“You’re not used to this, are you Mr. Duke?”

“No ma’am.” Jesse grinned sheepishly. “All the land I own put together probably wouldn’t fetch the price of this thing I’m sitting in.”

“You’re quite right. These things have been in the Wallace family for generations.”

Min sat down on a bench seat, her fingers gliding over its velvety covering. The house a castle, its furnishings spoke of the utmost taste and luxury, but there was something cold about it, something cold and impersonal that didn’t speak of a loving family home but more like a museum.

“Oh! I see our guests have made themselves comfortable.”

A dark haired man in a fancy suit came into the room; he gave an apologetic look to his mother who gave a nod.

“Phillip Wallace, a pleasure to meet all of you.” He shook all their hands, then gave a gentlemanly kiss to Daisy’s hand, which made the young woman grin. Straightening up, Phillip then turned, seeing another young woman sitting directly behind him.

“And you must be…”

“Miranda Collins, your niece.” Eleanor finished for him, his grin widened at this and his gaze softened. He held out his hand and Min took it, then pulled her to her feet.

“I’m so glad that Mr. Beckett was able to find you Miranda. You’ll bring joy to this family, I know you will.” He gave her a gentle hug, closing his eyes as he did so.

The death of his middle sister had been hard on Phillip, the two siblings were close in age and her suicide had been especially painful. Now he had a chance to get to know her child and he wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass him by.

“Thank you, Uncle Phillip.” Min had been a tad shy at first, but then wrapped her arms around her uncle and returned his embrace.

The hug ended and Phillip took a moment to compose himself, clearing his throat. He guided Min back to her seat and went to stand beside his mother, his arm around the back of her chair. A small smile came to Eleanor’s face.

“You’re quite right son; I do believe Miranda will bring many things to the Wallace family.”

“And to the Duke name as well.” Jesse added, cocking his eyebrow. “You seem to forget Ms. Wallace, Min here ain’t only part of your family she’s part of ours too.”

Eleanor nodded. “Yes of course she is Mr. Duke but you have to admit that I can surely provide a better life for her than you can.” Her gaze shifted to Min.

“I can send her to the best finishing school, to the best university. Get her in touch with all the right people, the social circle of Atlanta society.”

Bo and Luke looked at each other then to Min, who had the appearance of a possum in the high beams. She swallowed hard as she watched the exchange between Jesse and Eleanor, her mind swirling at all the things that the older woman said.

“The right people?” Uncle Jesse raised his chin, his mouth tightening.

“Ms. Wallace, you seem to think that makes a person’s worth is how much money they got. Just because someone’s got money don’t make them better, its what’s in here.” Jesse tapped his chest.

“You want Min surrounded by the right people, then let her stay in Hazzard with all of us.”

“Hazzard? What would she possibly do there?” Eleanor shook her head and rose to her feet. “I’m afraid that’s out of the question. Miranda is a Wallace and she should stay here.”

“Min is half Duke! And her father was my youngest brother and I know what he would have wanted for her. He wouldn’t have wanted her turned into some debutante; he would have wanted his daughter to know the value of country living and appreciating what you got.” Jesse too stood up, his temper beginning to boil.

“Just like he learned them!”

Eleanor’s calm demeanor began to falter. “Miranda is all I have left of my daughter! You think that I’m going to let her go now that I’ve found her?”

“And she’s all I got of my brother!”

They began to argue now in earnest, and not only Jesse and Eleanor, but Bo, Luke, Daisy and Phillip began to go at it as well. For one brief moment, the Civil War had returned to Atlanta, the anger in the room building and threatening to take the roof off. Finally, Min stood up.

“Stop it! Just… BE QUIET!” She yelled, her voice reverberated through the room and bounced off the walls. It brought a swift silence and all eyes turned in her direction.

“No one is the boss of me! No one tells me what to do! I’ve been alone my whole life! No one gave a damn about me and now all of a sudden I’m this long lost heiress?” She then turned to her grandmother.

“My life may be meager to you! I may be just a little barmaid of the bad side of town but no matter what I am or what my life is… its mine! So you can take it or leave it! I don’t need any of you!”  She then stormed out of the room, a scowl on her face. Min shoved the front doors opened and hurried down the steps. She had two choices to get out of there and marched past Beckett’s blue sedan.

The roar of powerful engine being fired up and driving away at great speed brought the attention of everyone inside. They scrambled out the front door just in time to see the General Lee growing smaller in the distance.

 

******      ******      ******

 

“Yep…she’s a Duke all right.” Luke chuckled as he slung his arm over Bo’s shoulder.

“Must be something in the genes to make all of us handle cars that way.”

“She’s a Wallace!” Eleanor came down the steps in a huff, her face flushed with anger from all the arguing. Luke heard her and turned around, his expression growing serious.

“It doesn’t matter what Min is, for the moment she’s gone.” He looked at the older woman and shook his head.

“With all due respect, I think I can understand now why Caitlin never told you about her and Cooper, given your opinion about poor folks in general. Seems to me you wouldn’t have accepted her child, the father being Cooper Duke, nothing more than a country boy moonshiner from Hazzard. Caitlin knew you’d never accept Min and did the best thing she could for her…she gave her away.”

Luke started up the steps walking past the stunned woman. Luke’s words held the awful truth in them and it made Eleanor tear up, her fingers touching her mouth.

“We need to borrow your keys Beckett.”

Beckett nodded and touched his trouser pocket, pulling his key ring out. He slapped them into Luke’s outstretched.

“It’s not fancy like your car is Luke, but you should be able to catch her. If not…then just press the red button on the dash, it’ll send a boost of Nitrous Oxide to the engine.”

“Nitrous Oxide? Didn’t know private investigators needed it.”

“We don’t normally, but some clients are more difficult to deal with than others.” Beckett said with a small grin that vanished as fast as it had appeared.

“Find her Luke, she’s hurting.”

Luke tossed the keys to Bo, who caught them and headed down the steps.

“We will, don’t worry.”

“You boys be careful, remember this is Atlanta not Hazzard!” Jesse called after his departing nephew, slipping his arm around Daisy. They watched Bo and Luke take off in Beckett’s car. The tires spun on the gravel driveway, kicking up a cloud of dust as they headed in the same direction as Min.

 

******      ******      ******

 

Min sniffled as she drove, running her fingers across her eyes. She had no idea where she was heading, but just the miles she put between herself and her bickering family helped calm her raging temper.

“How did this happen?” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she steered the big stock car through the empty back roads that circled around the Wallace Estate.

Her eyes began to grow wet again as more tears began to film over her vision, the windshield becoming blurry.

“Why are they doing this to me?” She asked and squeezed her eyes shut a brief moment trying to quell the pain that started to swell within her.

Min opened her eyes just in time to see the road curve sharply ahead and she gasped, her speed didn’t allow for a smooth turn and the front tires of the General slipped off the road and into a ditch. The nose hit first and jostled the big car; the back end stuck up at an angle.

The force of the impact slammed Min head first into the steering wheel. She groaned raising a shaking hand to her forehead; she winced as her fingers brushed the tender area then slumped, her long dark hair spilling forward over her face. Steam began to rise through the General’s grill with a muted hiss and the back tires still spun then slowly came to a stop.

 

******      ******      ******

 

“What are we going to say to her Luke?” Bo glanced at his cousin who shrugged.

“I don’t know Bo, let’s worry about what to say to her later, right now we have to find her and get her to come back to the house with us.”

Bo shook his head as he watched the road wind up ahead and lightly turned the wheel to follow it.

“Guess we shouldn’t have started arguing.”

Luke ran his hand over his face, exhaling through his fingers. “Yeah but the things her grandmother was saying…I couldn’t help but argue with her.”

“She sure don’t think much of us does she?”

“Well Uncle Jesse always said that folks with money have their own view of the world, guess he was right.”

“Yeah but Cousin, money is something Min’s never had and we’ve never had it either.” Bo’s face grew sad and he gave a heartfelt sigh.

“We can’t offer her much compared to what her grandma can.”

“There’s more to life than money Bo, you know that.” Luke saw his cousin’s grim expression and reached out, giving his shoulder a pat.

“I don’t think Min thinks the same way about money that her grandmother does, if she did she wouldn’t have lost her temper and took off.”

Bo started to say something but then a flash of orange caught his attention and his dark blue eyes widened.

“Luke!”

“Looks like she tried to take the curve too fast just pull over Bo.” Luke pointed to the ditch and Bo directly the blue sedan over. He quickly shut off the engine as the two Duke men got out and raced over to the General.

Luke climbed into the passenger side; he scooted over in the seat and gently put both hands on Min’s shoulders.

“Ease her on back Luke,” Bo leaned into the driver’s side window, he touched Min’s dark hair gently and brushed it back from her face. He gritted his teeth as he saw a large purple lump on her forehead.

“Looks like she banged her head on the steering wheel.”

“I’m not surprised, this ditch is pretty deep.” Luke pulled back on Min’s shoulders, moving her back from the steering wheel. He leaned her against the seat and cupped her chin.

“Cousin?” He slid her over to the center, allowing Bo room to climb in through the window. He sat down beside his sister and gently turned her face towards him.

“Min?”

Min stirred, sighing softly as her eyes opened. She saw Bo and Luke on either side of her and blinked as her forehead began to throb.

“Sorry…didn’t mean to wreck the General.”

Bo sighed in relief, then grinned. “Aww it ain’t a big deal Sis, me and Luke here wreck him all the time, don’t we Luke?” He shifted on his side and smoothed her hair away from her face.

“Thank you.” She wouldn’t look at either man, her eyes focused down at the gear shift.

“Bo’s right, wrecking the General is part of our normal routine.”

Her demeanor didn’t change, obvious her long face wasn’t about taking the General Lee and planting him in a ditch, something else weighed heavily on the young woman’s mind.

The two Dukes exchanged glances and Luke raised his chin, clearing his throat.

“It’s all right Min; you don’t have to go back there if you don’t want to.”

This got her attention, her dark eyes lifting to peer into her cousin’s face.

“I don’t?”

“No, in fact…We’ll use Beckett’s car to pull the General out of here and then Bo and me will take you back to Trigger’s if you want.” Luke motioned with his head and both he and Bo climbed out.

“Sure would have been nice having you around though.” He then leaned over and glanced back into the car.

“Just give us a moment to figure out what we’re going to do, just sit tight.”

Bo shot his cousin a worried look as the two men walked away from the General.

“Luke you ain’t serious are you? We’re not going to just dump her off and forget all about her are we?”

“Of course we’re not Bo, but the choice has to be hers. Her grandmother wants one life for her and we can offer her another, but Min has to choose for herself, no one else can do it for her.”

Bo’s gaze bounced between Luke and the General, then he sighed in defeat and sat on the hood beside his cousin. “So how long do we give her to think things over?”

“All the time in the world Cousin.” Luke said with a grin as he crossed his arms over his chest; he leaned against the side of Beckett’s sedan and simply waited.

 

******      ******      ******

 

“More sir?” Benton leaned over and poured more coffee into Phillip’s cup. The older gentlemen then went around to each person in the room, refreshing all the dainty white China cups. All but Eleanor, the older woman paced back and forth in front of the fireplace rubbing her hands together. Benton turned to look at Phillip, who dismissed the servant with a wave of his hand.

“Mother…pacing and worrying yourself like this won’t help matters.” Phillip stirred his coffee, then set the spoon down on the saucer and had a small sip.

“I can’t help it Phillip, Miranda has run off.”

“Course she’s run off, can you blame her?” Jesse leaned forward and set his cup down on the coffee table in front of him. “You had her whole life planned out for her and wouldn’t let her get a word in edge wise!”

Daisy sat beside her uncle, a slight scowl on her face. She decided to say nothing for now and to simply let Jesse do the talking.

Eleanor’s heels clacked in a steady, unchanging rhythm as she walked the length of the floor, then turned and headed in the other direction.

“I only did what I thought was best. I’m trying to save my granddaughter from a life of shucking corn and chopping cotton for a living.”

The air in the room suddenly grew tense again and the sound of a sharp intake of breath told of how well Eleanor’s comments had gone over.  Phillip’s eyes grew round as he saw the look on the face of Jesse Duke and set his cup down on the floor beside his chair.

“Now, Mr. Duke…I’m sure my mother meant.”

“I know exactly what she meant, Mr. Wallace I don’t need it explained to me.” Jesse looked at his niece a moment, and just the withering gaze he gave me made her almost shrink back into the sofa.

“Mrs. Wallace, I don’t take kindly to what you’re implying. The Dukes have been farming the land for generations, it might not be an exciting life but it’s an honest one. We Dukes might not have much in terms of worldly good but we make up for it in love and trust and good old fashioned family values. I think some of you rich folks can take a page or two from that and maybe learn to appreciate what you got a little more.” He rose to his feet and reached into his back pocket. His fingers touched the lump there and pulled out a worn looking brown leather wallet.

“This here is a photo of Min’s daddy, Cooper. He wasn’t a sophisticated man; he was a good, decent, hard working one and in the end ain’t that the most important thing? Even more so than money or status?” He passed the photo to Eleanor, who studied the worn photo. The grainy black and white still showed Cooper’s bright blond hair, his gentle smile and the look of pride and tradition shining in his eyes. Beside him stood a young Jesse and just the love and respect so clearly visible between them caused a lump to form in her throat.

“Cooper loved his family and he only wanted the best for them.” Daisy gently spoke up. “I was a little girl when he and Aunt Diane were killed but I do remember him. I remember how much he loved my cousin and I know he would have loved Min too had he known about her.”

Phillip went over to his mother and gently took a hold of her arm. “Mr. Duke is right Mother, the money doesn’t matter but Miranda’s happiness should.”

Benton returned to the room and cleared his throat. “Excuse the interruption Mr. Phillip, but the young lady has returned in the company of the two gentlemen. They’re back in Mr. Beckett’s car.”

“They’re back in the one car?” Jesse turned away from Eleanor and went with the butler out the front door. Daisy, Phillip and Eleanor soon followed, they watched from the front steps as Beckett’s blue car made the circular driveway and came to a stop.

The driver side door opened and Luke came out, followed by Bo in the passenger. He had his arm around his sister and guided her up the steps. Furrowed brows watched them, curious as to where the General Lee was and why they treated Min like a porcelain doll. Their questions were soon answered when Min got within sight and the large purplish bruise on her head told the tale.

“Min!” Daisy gasped as she took her cousin’s hands, then reached up and gently brushed her hair away from her wounded forehead. “My goodness what happened?”

“Took a curve too sharp, I put the General in a ditch.” Min’s face turned red, embarrassed over her unfortunate accident.

“Are you all right?” Jesse took her arm then lifted her chin, turning it slightly to look at her. “We’ll get some ice for your head, get the swelling down.”

“Oh! You poor thing!” Eleanor went to take her arm but Min gripped her wrist, stopping her.

“I’m fine Grandmother, really.” Her expression grew somber and she took in a deep breath.

“I appreciate all that you offered me, I truly do but…” She paused a moment.

“Miranda, I–” Now Eleanor tried to speak only to have Min raise her hand.

“Wait, I need to say this–” Min then turned to look at the Dukes; they stood to one side of her while her grandmother and uncle stood to the other. The young woman literally caught between two very different ways of life.

Bo especially looked anxious and rubbed his hands together. He really had no idea what his sister was going to say; the ride back to the mansion had been a quiet one. Beside him Luke gave his cousin a reassuring pat on the back.

“Steady Bo.” He said softly.

Min saw their anxious faces and swallowed hard as she returned her attention to her grandmother. “I can’t be all the things you wish for me to be, I wouldn’t even know how to start. I have to be where my heart will be happy and I don’t think I can be happy inAtlanta, not anymore.” She watched Eleanor’s face crumble and took the older woman’s hands in hers.

“I’ll always be your granddaughter and I want to get to know you and the rest of my family, if that’s all right.”

Eleanor studied her granddaughter’s eyes, seeing not only the truth behind the words she spoke but she noticed something she hadn’t seen before. Min had her mother’s eyes…the long lashes, the big wide shape…even the deep, rich suede brown color.

The flash of déjà vu made a lump form in her throat as she realized how similar Min and Caitlin truly were. The one being born into a life of wealth and privilege and look where it had gotten her; Caitlin had taken her own life. Though the reasons weren’t exactly known, the last thing Eleanor wanted was to see her granddaughter follow in her mother’s footsteps.

“I’d like that.” She gave Min’s hands a squeeze as her eyes grew bright.

“You go with the Dukes to Hazzard and you make a life there.”

“You mean it?” Min gasped, touching her hand to her mouth as she watched her grandmother nod.

“I mean it child, I want you to be happy.” Her hand came to rest on Min’s cheek and caressed it gently. The young woman closed her eyes at the feel of the fingers on her face.

“Thank you Grandmother.” She whispered and then sighed in relief.

 

******      ******      ******

 

Min took another armload of clothes from her suitcase dresser and placed in the open drawer. She looked around the room she now shared with Daisy, the posters on the walls, the bright pink curtains…all of it had such a homey feel to it that she couldn’t help but smile.

“Getting settled in?” A voice asked from the open door and Min turned to see Bo standing in the doorway.

“Yeah, I’m almost done unpacking.”

He came into the room, his hands behind his back and a grin smile on his face.

“So what did you think of Hazzard?”

“I like it, definitely smaller than Atlanta but that’s okay. I’ve had enough of big city life.”

She put the last of the clothes in the dresser and closed the drawer.

“Life in Hazzard can get just a complicated as living in a city, especially with Boss Hogg running things.”

“He was something else that’s for sure.” Min watched her brother and raised an eyebrow. “What do you have behind your back Bo?”

“Who me? What makes you think I’ve got something?” The corners of his mouth drew up even higher, his smile turning slightly wicked. Min raised an eyebrow at that and he finally caved in, chuckling as he brought his hands back around in front. In them, he had something wrapped in white tissue paper.

“Oh! You mean this!” Bo stretched his hand out towards his sister. “Here…It’s just something I thought you might like to have.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything Bo.” She took the wrapped item and sat down on the bed; the paper gave way with a rip, beneath it a silver frame.

“What is this?”

“Well here, have a look.” Bo sat down beside her and gently turned the frame over. Min gazed down at it, her eyes wide.

“It’s…”

“It’s our dad.” He said gently, his grin returning. “I thought you might like your own picture of him.”

Min swallowed hard as she gazed down at the photo.  Cooper leaned against the hood of an old black car, his arms crossed over his chest and a huge grin on his face. She traced her fingers over the glass a moment sighing wistfully.

“I wish I could have known him.”

“You will that’s a promise Min.” Her brother said softly as he reached out and touched her hand. Min set the photo down on the comforter, her eyes growing bright.

“Thank you Bo.” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her brother’s neck in a hug.

Bo returned it, closing his eyes.

“Welcome to Hazzard…” He whispered as he sighed, and touched his head to hers.

END.

By Jax & Shaman
(rewrite of the episode “My Son, Bo Hogg.”)

The Duke Farm’s front lawn was a symphony of crickets that sang their reedy songs in the stillness of one a.m.  It was nearing the end of May, and several white-winged moths circled the porch light several feet above Bo Duke’s head as he sat on the porch steps, gazing off into the night. He wore nothing but a pair of faded denim cut-off jeans and a red and black plaid blanket wrapped around his shoulders to ward off the dampness.  In the distance, thunder rumbled.

Bo’s dark blue eyes were bleary with broken sleep and he rubbed them with both hands as an unstoppable yawn rose up from his chest.  He made no move to suppress it, and the sleepy sound ended in a sigh that seemed to come from somewhere near his toes. The sigh seemed to loosen something inside of him and suddenly he felt tears prick at his eyes.  He closed the lids tightly, and his fists clench.

“Come on Bo.”  He said to himself softly, “Knock this nonsense off and get back to bed.”  His voice, which he wanted to come out sounding like his usual self-confident self, sounded weary and full of shakiness.

 

Deep inside the quiet slumbering farmhouse, Min Duke opened her eyes. The approaching storm had dropped the temperature; the air blowing in through the open window now chilly and damp. She rolled over and saw her cousin fast asleep on her back, unaffected by the coldness of the little room. Rising from her bed, Min shut the window and gave her arms a rub. Glancing over her shoulder at the door, she saw a single thin ribbon of light from underneath it.

“Hmmm, someone’s up.” She opened her closet door and took out a purple robe, slipping it over her shoulders. Quietly as she could, Min left the bedroom, and headed for the source of light.

Bo didn’t bother to glance up as the front door opened, he could tell it was his sister by the softness of her footsteps.

“It’s late, Min.”  He said as a stiff breeze tumbled his blond curls over his ears and forehead.

“I know it is Bo, what are you doing up?” She walked out onto the porch, her bare feet silent against the wood. Her hand slipped into the pockets of her robe as she walked around her brother and sat down beside him on the steps.

“I don’t really know.  I woke up awhile ago and just couldn’t go back to sleep.”  Bo replied, still not looking at her.

Min gave her brother a sidelong glance, noticing his avoidance of her eyes.

“Really? You were pretty quiet at dinner too, sure there isn’t anything bothering you?”

Bo shrugged.  “Guess I’ve been thinking about Susie a little.”  He sighed deeply.

“I just wish things had ended differently, Min.”

Just the mention of that name set Min’s teeth on edge, her brown eyes flashing as she set her jaw.

“You do? You wanted to be with her, Bo? After she lied to you and used you and then cheated on you with that guy from Chickasaw?” She tried to keep her temper in check knowing how deeply Bo felt for this woman, but the very idea that she had deceived her brother almost instantly angered Min.

Bo looked away, ashamed.  “I know what she did, Min.  You don’t have to tell me.  But it’s like I told Luke and Uncle Jesse, I just can’t turn off my feelings for her.”

“I know you can’t Bo.” Min sighed, and turned to glance at her brother. She could see the pain in his face and slung her arm across his shoulders, drawing him closer to her.

“I don’t think she meant to hurt me, Min, honestly.”  Bo ventured, knowing full well how Min felt about Susie Gebhart.  She had given Susie’s departing trailer a look of such seething despise the day it left Hazzard that Bo was surprised the thing hadn’t burst into flame.

“That’s where you’re wrong Bo. She knew what she was doing when she…lured that guy into her bed.” Her hand stroked through Bo’s thick blond hair, trying to comfort him.

“Min!”  Bo exclaimed, and from the glow of the porch light, Min could see his face redden with a mixture of anger and humiliation. “Don’t talk about that, and don’t talk about him!”

“Why not? That’s the truth and you know it!” Min raised her chin and stared into her brother’s eyes. “You feel strongly enough about her…but that doesn’t change what she did!”

Suddenly needing to be in motion, Bo sprang up from the porch steps and began to pace the worn wood of the porch itself.

“Yeah well . . . . it doesn’t matter now, does it.  She’s gone, and she’s not coming back.”

“Bo it does matter.” Min also got up and stood in the path of her brother, forcing him to stop right in front of her. “Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter to you because it does. We can all see you’re hurting.” She stepped closer to him and touched his hands.

“You don’t have to keep it all bottled up. We’re your family and we’re here for you.”

“Min, there’s some things a man just has to figure out for himself.”  He told his sister, echoing the words of his Uncle Jesse when he’d overheard his cousin Luke ask the old man what he could do to help Bo.  However, Bo could tell by the expression on Min’s face that she wasn’t at all impressed by the words.

“I ain’t trying to be macho, Min, it’s the truth!”  He exclaimed.  “I know you’re here if I want to talk, and I appreciate that, but I think I have to puzzle out my feelings on my own.”  He sighed and squeezed her hands.

“Think I’ll go fishing in the morning.  That usually helps when I have to take time to sort something out.”  Bo leaned down and kissed his sister’s cheek.  “Go on back to bed now, okay? I’ll be fine.”

Min studied her brother for a moment seeing the sincerity in his eyes. She knew he spoke the truth; he had to sort things out on his own but it wasn’t easy watching him do it.

“Okay Bo.” She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I know you’ll work it out.”

“Yeah.”  Bo offered her a smile before she went back into the house and into the room she shared with Daisy.

Knowing he probably wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, Bo went out behind the barn into the small shed where he and Luke kept their fishing gear.  He pulled his rod, tackle box from the stacks of sports equipment, and began to load them into The General by the light of the front porch.  After he loaded up the car, he would grab a bite to eat, pack a few sandwiches for the road, pull up some night crawlers from the moist patch of ground near the vegetable garden, and be gone by five.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

“So are you excited? You’ve talked about wanting to go see the Grand Ole Opry for years, and now you’re finally getting to go!”

Min sat sideways on her bed, a pillow clutched to her chest. She watched her excited cousin go back and forth between the closet and the dresser, a huge grin on her face.

“Excited?  Honey, I’m just about ready to jump out of my skin!”  Daisy piled two more stacks of clothes into her suitcase before forcing it closed.

“Me and Donna Jean have been saving our tips from The Boar’s Nest for just about ever!  I can’t believe we finally saved enough money!”

“All those extra shifts finally paid off.” Min tried to smile glad that her cousin’s dream had finally come true, but the situation with Bo and his early morning departure for Hazzard Pond kept creeping back into her mind. She sighed and lowered her chin to the feather pillow in her arms.

Daisy looked at her askance, and then patted her shoulder as she went to pick up several extra pairs of shoes.  “Min, you have to quit worrying about Bo.  He’s young, and chances are he’ll have his heart broke more than once before he settles down with a girl who loves him.”

“I know I haven’t been here too long Daisy so I’ve missed other times when Bo’s been heartbroken, but things are different this time. This wasn’t just some cute country girl with a mean Papa and a shotgun. Bo loved Susie and he probably thought she was the one for him.” Min set her pillow aside and got up from the bed deciding to help her cousin pack; she picked up a bottle of Daisy’s perfume along with some hairspray and added them to Daisy’s little overnight bag.

“I just hope this fishing trip helps him put things into perspective.”

Daisy laughed and shook her head.  “Oh honey, both Bo and Luke are probably going to go through at least a half a dozen ‘perfect’ women before they turn thirty! Bo will get over Susie, you’ll see.”

“Maybe, but…” Min started to open her mouth about to tell Daisy that Bo had truly been in love with Susie Gebhart and that her cheating on him and the whole town knowing about it had hurt him deeply. In respect of her brother’s privacy and dignity, her jaw snapped shut.

“But what?”  Daisy asked curiously, noticing the strange look on Min’s face.

“Oh nothing…I’m just an overprotective little sister I guess.” Min laughed as she sat back down on the bed folding her legs under her, hoping her cousin bought her explanation.

“Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”  Daisy laughed, and then turned as a car horn sounded in the front yard.

“It’s Donna Jean!”  She squealed, and gathered her things.  She kissed Min on the cheek, and then stopped long enough to kiss Jesse and Luke, who were having breakfast in the kitchen.  She waved wildly as she threw her things in the back of her friend’s blue Nova, and then they were gone, speeding down the road toward Nashville.

Luke smiled and shook his head.  “I’m amazed she slept at all last night.  Going to the Opry’s all she’s talked about for the past year.”

“Yeah but I’m glad she’s getting to go, broadening her horizons.” Min stood behind her cousin and put her hands on his shoulders, giving them a squeeze.

“So what’s on the agenda for today, cousin, since it’s just you and me while Uncle Jesse does chores?”

“While Uncle Jesse does chores?”  The old man spoke up, raising his eyebrows.

“Seems to me that gathering the eggs and sweeping the barn aisle are your chores, young lady.”

Min felt her face blush as she was pierced by her uncle’s paternal gaze.

“I meant…that you’re going to be plowing the back forty today, right?”

“That’s right, and while I’m doing that, I expect you two to keep yourselves out of trouble.”  Jesse replied as he finished his coffee.

Luke hid his smile in his own coffee cup, always amused when his uncle’s gruffness was aimed at someone else and not him.

“We’ve got something to do, don’t we, Luke?” Min leaned down, her dark hair spilling to one side as she peered at her cousin’s profile, hoping he would have an answer that would get her out of hot water with Uncle Jesse.

“Sure.  You can help me fix the porch roof.  Bo was supposed to help me, but he took off early this morning.  His note said he went fishing at Hazzard Pond and he’d be back around lunchtime.”

Min inwardly sighed in relief as she sat down beside Luke. “Yeah he mentioned going fishing last night, I’ll take care of my chores and then we can do the roof. After that, how about we go into town?”

“Sounds good.”  Luke shrugged as he finished his coffee.  “Do you have to work this afternoon?”

“Boss closed the Boars Nest for the inventory shipment that should be coming in some time this morning.” Min poured herself a glass of milk from the pitcher sitting in the middle of the table.

“If he closed down for the day, you know he’s going to charge twice as much tomorrow just to make up for it.”  Jesse said as he got up from the table and rinsed his plate in the sink.

“Don’t forget your chores,” he reminded them as he went out the door, “And after Bo gets back maybe we’ll have time to make some ice cream before dinner.”

Min sighed as she sipped her milk and took a piece of toast from the plate in front of her. “Luke, I’ll go do my chores and then we’ll get to the porch.” She stood up, pushing the chair back as she did so.

“All right.  And remind me to kick Bo’s rear end when he comes back for ducking out on us when there’s work to be done!”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Bo whistled along with the Merle Haggard tune playing on the General’s radio, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days.  Being by himself at Hazzard Pond, casting his line and having time to think by himself had truly helped put his relationship with Susie Gebhart in perspective.  He’d been angry with himself for falling for her lies, and angry at her for hurting him intentionally. In the end, he realized that he had to forgive not only himself, but her as well.  Now, as he drove back toward home, he felt considerably more cheerful.

As he rounded the bend of Route Seven, The General’s right front tire suddenly blew out with a loud bang, sending Bo into a struggle with the steering wheel in order to stay on the road. Finally, he wrestled the stock car onto the side of the road and got out.

Grumbling in irritation, he opened The General’s trunk in order to pull out the spare tire, and then his grumbling quickly turned into one or two colorful expletives when he saw that the spare was flat too.  Luke had neglected to haul it out of the trunk last time they’d had a flat.  Wondering how effective the flat spare would be as a tool with which to strangle his older cousin with when he got home, Bo slammed the trunk shut and headed off down the road on foot.  Maybe someone would come along and give him a ride, or better yet, he could take the shortcut through the woods and across the old railroad trestle.  That would cut at least twenty minutes off of his walk.

Bo jogged across the small expanse of scrubby field that ran adjacent to the woods, and then ducked into the cool canopy of trees.  It was shady and quiet there, and Bo began to smile as he followed a narrow footpath across the woods.

Fifteen minutes later, the train trestle loomed into view, its rusted girders an auburn skeleton against the blue sky.  As he approached it, he heard voices, angry voices, carrying on the quiet early afternoon air.

“I don’t care what you say! You’re not exactly in a position to give orders Doyle! If the office finds out about you, not only are you looking at losing your badge but some of your freedom too! I suggest you do what Boss says!”

“Don’t you threaten me little girl! If it weren’t for me, you’d be stuck in that damn typing pool till you were old enough for Social Security! I’m the one taking the risks here and I think I should be the one calling the shots!”

Bo’s eyebrows rose in pure curiosity and he peered down over the rusted railing of the trestle.  Down below him, in the shadows of the concrete foundations, a man and a woman were arguing.  The man was big, heavyset and gray-haired, the woman willowy with red curly hair that rioted in the afternoon sun.

“You listen and you listen good Doyle! You’re well paid for your risk and you aren’t even taking that many! Except sitting on your fat behind and making a phone call whenever a suspected moonshiner’s still is found! Then the evidence and the still conveniently disappear! I’m the one doing the running and all the risk taking and you don’t see me barking for more money!” She pointed a finger directly at his broad chest, the size difference between the two akin to a little girl scolding her father. The breeze kicked up, tousled her hair, and made her blue sundress flutter. She turned her head away a moment as the wind kicked up dirt, spraying the both of them with it. Once it passed, she faced the stout man again, her hands on her hips.

“If anything you should be giving me part of your cut!”

An ATF agent and a shine runner arguing out here in the middle of nowhere?  Bo thought to himself.  Although it was obvious that the agent was on the take, Bo wondered about the girl.  She had to be working for Boss Hogg, since he ran all the still operations left in Hazzard.

The idea of sharing his cut of the shine money obviously didn’t sit well with Doyle.  His blue eyes flashed anger.

“You ain’t getting one thin red dime from me Cat! You should be damn grateful I don’t take you in for all the shine you’ve been running lately! It’d be enough to lock you up and throw away the key! But you tell that fat butterball that if he don’t start coming across with more money I’ll take my business to Boss Hinkley! Then we’ll see if that fat clown will even have a county to brew his shine in much less run it!”

Leaning over even further, Bo could see a familiar shadow near the opposite foundation.  It was Rosco, no doubt keeping an eye and an ear out for intruders.  Suddenly realizing the danger he was in, Bo crept across the trestle as quietly as he could.  When he reached the other side, however, one of the old wooden ties cracked loudly and sifted dust and flakes of rust down onto the ground below.  Bo squeezed his eyes shut, and a moment later Rosco came barreling up the slope.

“FREEEEZE!”  He wailed, pulling his pistol from its holster, and Bo took off running toward the direction of The Duke Farm.  In another ten minutes he’d be at the path that led right up to the edge of their own back forty, and from there, he’d be safe.

“Get him! We can’t let him get away with what he heard!” Doyle huffed and puffed as he ran right behind Rosco, the rotund man’s face as red as a cherry.

“You freeze it right now, Bo Duke! I’m serious!”  Rosco shouted as he watched Bo’s lean form pound down the footpath toward home.  He suddenly took a sharp left, and Rosco skidded on the pine needles that covered the forest floor as he tried to follow.  He fell hard, and Doyle all but kicked him aside as he continued the pursuit.

Bo risked a glance behind him and saw that despite his girth, the ATF agent was gaining.  Another few minutes and I’ll be safe-

His thoughts of safety were cut short, however, when he saw that a huge jackstraw jumble of fallen trees and rotted logs were blocking the path that opened up onto the Duke’s property.  It was the result of the last summer storm they’d had, for the property ahead of it ran downhill and often flooded during wet weather.  The trees and uprooted bushes had ended up here, creating a blowdown that rose a good six feet over Bo’s head.

Breathing hard, Bo planted one booted foot on the bottom log and began to climb the tangle of branches, praying they wouldn’t come tumbling down and crush him.

Doyle’s wheezing grew louder until finally he couldn’t run another step. Catching his breath a moment, he watched the distance between him and the blond man widen. Reaching into his coat pocket, he withdrew a small pistol and took aim.

“You stop right now you hear! Stop or I’ll fire!” He watched the fleeing man reach the massive pile of decaying trees, tree branches and leaves all gnarled together and called out again.

“This is your last warning!”

Taking the chance that the ATF agent wouldn’t fire and attract attention with the gunshot, Bo kept climbing.  A moment later that proved to be a poor gamble as the gun went off and Bo felt a sharp pain in his right temple.  His head jerked forward from the shot, causing him to lose his grip on the branches.  He felt himself falling, and landed on his back with a bone-jarring thud that knocked the air from his lungs.

Doyle saw Bo fall and grinned as he walked over to where the blond man had landed. The grin slid from his face however, when he saw the bullet had done no more than given him a gash on his head. He crouched down a moment feeling for a pulse on Bo’s neck; he figured that since the bullet didn’t get him, the fall from the height must have. A strong thud against his fingers made him scowl in disappointment and that grimace sunk even deeper in his face when he saw the young man beginning to stir.

“Ohh no you dont!” Doyle turned the gun over in his hand and drew his arm back.  He brought the butt end of it down across Bo’s head. The sound was loud and deep, and the blow caused Bo’s body to jerk once, violently, before it slumped back to the ground, unconscious once again.

“Doyle!”  Rosco called as the sheriff saw the big revenuer raise his arm to strike Bo again.  The young man was already obviously unconscious, and Rosco’s heart dropped into his shoes as he realized just what kind of man Doyle was.

“Doyle, no!  Have you lost your mind?”  He ran up behind the bigger man and grabbed his wrist, stopping Doyle from striking Bo again.

“He heard everything!” Doyle snatched his wrist away from Rosco’s grasp as he rose to his feet. “That kid saw and heard me arguing with Cat! When he wakes up the first thing he’s going to do is go running to my superiors!” He then took a step towards the sheriff and jabbed a finger in his chest.

“And when he does its over and I don’t just mean for me but I mean all of us! Including you! Now you get out of here and let me do what I gotta do!” Doyle then turned to Bo and cocked his gun, aiming it at the fallen man.

“Then we’ll drop him off Kissing Cliff and make it look nice and accidental.”

“Are you off your rocker?”  Rosco shouted.  While he had no love for any of the Dukes, he certainly wouldn’t stand by and let one be brutally murdered.

“So you’re willing to go to jail over this? And lose your career and your freedom over what this hayseed saw and heard?” Doyle shook his head. “Well I ain’t!”

Rosco’s mind raced.  “Look, Doyle, just give me a few minutes to radio Boss Hogg on the CB.  He’ll know what to do for sure.  If’n your lucky, you won’t have to waste any bullets out of your pretty little gun, there . . . ” Rosco gulped as the weapon was briefly aimed at him.

“You’ve got 24 hours Rosco!”  Doyle took a closer step towards him, and the gun tilted up to aim directly at his nose. Rosco crossed his eyes a moment as he stared down the barrel. “You keep that kid quiet or I’ll silence him, permanent like. And not only him but that fat cheap skate Boss and you as well!” Doyle hissed the words then backed up, aiming the gun’s end down at the ground. With the threat spoken, he turned around and stalked off in the opposite direction.

“He’s mean.  Mean.”  Rosco shook his head and hurried back to his patrol car, hidden under the abandoned trestle.  He leaned in, grabbed the CB mike and pushed the button.  “Breaker breaker, this is Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, Boss Hogg, you got your ears on?”

“Yeah I got my ears on, over and why ain’t you here with me?” Boss’s mouth sounded full as he spoke. “And how many times have I told you to not interrupt my lunch?”

“Which lunch?”  Rosco asked, puzzled.  “Your one o clock, two o clock, three o clock or four o clock?”

“The one I’m eating now so what do you want, over?”  The gruff response crackled through the CB mike.

“Boss, I’m in a bit of a pickle down here at your number three still site.  That lady shine runner of yours was arguing with big Jim Doyle, and well . . . . Bo Duke heard everything they said.”

The sound of heavy coughing came over the speaker and Rosco glanced down at the mike a moment. “Boss, you okay? Sounds like one of them pickled pig’s feet when down the wrong way.”

“Bo Duke? What was he doing there and what exactly did he hear?”

“I don’t know what he was doing there, but when Big Jim Doyle saw him listening, he chased Bo down that old runner’s trail and into the woods.  I tried to stop him, Boss, but . . . . I didn’t get there in time.  He beat Bo up pretty bad.”

Rosco swallowed hard.  “He wanted to kill him and make it look like an accident.”

“Kill him?” Boss grew quiet a moment, the tone of his voice dropping low. “As much as I want them Dukes gone from Hazzard for good…I don’t want to see them come to any harm!” He paused a moment. “Rosco…you keep an eye on that boy, I’m coming in my Caddy, over and out!”

“Over and out.”  Rosco sighed, and jogged down the trail to where Bo lay quiet on the carpet of pine needles.  He put a hand on Bo’s shoulder and shook his head.

“You sure put your foot in it this time, Bo Duke.”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Boss arrived a short time later, his white Cadillac coming to a halt a short walking distance from the blowdown. It was a rare sight; Boss driving himself around was about as common as a sober preacher on Sunday morning.

With a grunt, he slammed the driver side door and waddled over to where Rosco stood.

“All right, now where is he?” He asked as he took off his white hat and fanned his flushed face with it a moment before stuffing it back onto his head.

“Right over here, Boss.”  Rosco led him to Bo’s unconscious form, sprawled on the ground.  “He ain’t moved since Doyle hit him.”

“Let’s see what we got here.” Boss got down on one knee, placed a chubby hand on Bo’s shoulder, and carefully rolled him over. His beady eyes widened a moment when he saw the young man’s face.

“Oh my!”

Rosco gasped aloud, his heart starting painfully. Bo’s face was smeared with blood that almost totally obscured his features.  The blood ran from a large gash just above his hairline, his blond hair streaked with red at the front and at the sides where it had dripped down when Boss had turned him over.  Now, as Rosco watched in shock, a thin drizzle trailed its way down Bo’s face and dripped off his chin.  The sight of it plopping onto Bo’s white tee shirt and spreading there like groping fingers made Rosco shiver.

“This is a mess Boss, a real mess! Doyle said he’s giving us 24 hours, if Bo Duke talks then its curtains for you, me and him! And I mean—” Rosco gritted his teeth and dragged his finger across his throat.

Boss gasped loudly, his eyes bugging out with fear.  “Then we gotta make sure this boy doesn’t talk!”

“But how we going to do that Boss? As soon as he wakes up you know he’s going to open his mouth to the first Duke he comes across!”

“If that’s true, then we have to keep him away from his kin!”  Boss frowned.  “Let’s get him out of here, pronto!”

Rosco hesitated a moment then nodded. He walked around the chubby man in white and sat down on the ground, easing Bo’s head in his lap. Grimacing a moment, he gently touched Bo’s bloody neck feeling his pulse. “He’s breathing…I don’t know Boss, hedon’t look good.”

“Well he never looked good!”  Boss taunted, lighting his cigar.

“We best get him to Doc Petticord.” Rosco glanced up at Boss, his gaze then returning to the unconscious Duke.

“Uh uh.”  Boss said gravely.  “Doc can’t help him now.”

“Why?”

“Doc’s out of town.”  He shrugged.

Gently, Rosco laid Bo’s head back down to the ground and he stood up. “What about we take him over to that Tri County Emergency?”

“Oh, let’s do that!”  Boss nodded.  “They got a good charity ward!”

Together, the two men picked up the injured Duke; Boss had him by the shoulders while Rosco took a hold of Bo’s long legs. They then lifted him from the ground and headed for Boss’ Cadillac.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Luke hammered another shingle onto the porch roof as Uncle Jesse looked on, nodding approvingly at his nephew’s work.

“Looks good, Luke.  It’s about time we got to it, you kids have been shucking-and-jiving me about it long enough.”  He said with a gruff smile.  Luke tossed a smile at Min, who sat beside him and handed him another shingle.

“We weren’t shucking and jiving you about it Jesse, between the races and the repairs on the General Lee, we just haven’t had time to get to this.” Luke sat back on his haunches a moment and plucked a nail from between his lips.

“Just the same, it’d be nice to sit on the porch in the rain and not get wet.”  Jesse replied.  Luke laughed and nodded. “All right, all right, you win!”

Min couldn’t help but laugh at the exchange, moving her bucket of nails over so her cousin could fish a few more out of it. The bucket nearly toppled as a pain rippled through her stomach, one hand immediately touched it as she hunched over a bit.

“Min?  Are you all right?” Luke turned to her, alarmed.

“I…I don’t know.” She cringed a moment, her eyes closing as she leaned forward, her palms flat against the roof.

Luke wrapped his strong right arm around her waist and shuffled her forward.

“Help her down, Uncle Jesse.”  He said, and Min’s uncle caught her under the arms as Luke lowered her down.

“Min?  What is it?”  He asked.

“I’m not sure Uncle Jesse,” Min stated through her gritted teeth. Her feet hit the ground and Jesse guided her to the picnic table by the door and helped her sit down.

“I…I thought I saw something but I’m not sure.”

“Saw something?”  Luke jumped down from the porch roof in one fluid motion.

“Yeah,” She paused a moment, lifting her gaze from the ground to straight ahead.

“It was like…a big pile of logs then suddenly everything was swirling around.” Min shook her head. “I don’t know what it means.”

“A pile of logs.”  Luke shook his head.  “You mean like a campfire?”

“No logs that were blocking something.” Min ran her hand across her forehead. A slight pain had developed there and she thought that perhaps she had just gotten too much sun.

Luke frowned.  His cousin’s abilities had always unnerved him, but he tried to be supportive for both her sake and for Bo’s, who loved his sister deeply.

“What do you think it means?”  He asked at last.

“I don’t know Luke, those were the only clues I got.”  She sighed as she finally stood up. “Let’s just finish this roof up so we can go to town. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Luke hesitated, and glanced out over his shoulder at the place where Bo usually parked The General.

“Didn’t Bo say he’d be back before lunchtime?”  He asked.

“That’s what his note said; maybe he got a flat or something.” Min put her hands on her hips as she stood beside her cousin.

“Even with a flat tire he should have been here by now.”  Jesse put in.

Min stared thoughtfully at the empty space where the General was supposed to be and bit her lip a moment.

“Maybe…maybe he ran into trouble?” She glanced at her cousin. “I’m a mess from chores Luke, let me go change and we’ll go into town.”

Luke nodded, and Jesse picked up the bucket of nails.  “I’ll stay here in case he calls in or comes back.”

“Okay Uncle Jesse.” Min opened the screen door and went into the house. She came out a few moments later dressed in blue jeans and a blue sleeveless shirt.

“We’ll be on channel nine Uncle Jesse, call in case he shows up.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys to Li’l Darlin’ tossing them to her cousin.

“I think you better drive Luke.”

Luke slid into the Mustang, not unhappy despite the worry over his cousin that had begun to gnaw at him.  He enjoyed driving the Mustang almost as much as he enjoyed driving The General.

Beside him, Min sat in the passenger seat chewing on her thumbnail as he started the vehicle up. “You think he’s okay Luke? Or maybe we’re just jumping to conclusions?”

“It’s not like Bo to say he’d be back at a certain time and then not show up.  I’d feel better if I knew he was all right.”

“Yeah, me too.” Min gave her cousin a smile, trying to find reassurance in his eyes. She saw none there and that only made a feeling of dread form in her stomach as she looked out the passenger side window at the passing scenery, hoping and praying her brother was all right.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Doctor Jackie Broadway gently lifted the eyelid of her patient, the beam of the penlight striking the pupil within and she watched its reaction closely.

“Hmmm pupilary reaction normal–” She said to herself as she leaned over and checked his other eye. “A normal reaction to the light, looks like he doesn’t have a concussion.” Jackie turned away from the table a moment as she picked up her chart and made a few notes, glancing down at the shirtless blond man on the table.

“Deep wound close to hairline, required ten stitches… additional wound high on the right temple, no stitches needed.”  She mumbled as she wrote. “We won’t know what sort of other head trauma he suffered until he regains consciousness.”

The dark haired doctor finished her notes and closed the chart, tucking her pen into the pocket of her green scrubs.

“Well that’s that.”

“So, doctor, when do you reckon he’ll come to?”  Boss asked.

Jackie studied the rotund man in the white suit and raised an eyebrow.

“It’s really not up to me Mr. Hogg; he took a bad blow to the head.” She motioned with her chin to Rosco. “From what the Sheriff told me, this young man got thrown from a rolling vehicle, he’s lucky he only got this cut on his head. He could have broken something or got internal injuries.”

Bo stirred on the table with a small groan and his eyelids fluttered open.  They roved around the room for a moment and then locked on Dr. Broadway.

“Where am I?”  He asked after a moment.

Jackie leaned over, her long dark hair shifting forward. “My name is Doctor Jacqueline Broadway and you’re at Tri County Emergency.” She smoothed his hair from his face and gave a smile. “Do you remember what happened to you?”

Bo shook his head dazedly.  “No ma’am.”

The doctor’s gaze shifted up to both Boss and Rosco a moment before focusing back down on Bo. “You don’t recall being in an accident?”

Bo shook his head again, and Rosco stepped forward.

“You ran The General off the road, don’t you remember?”  He asked, glancing a moment at Boss, who gave a nod. Bo frowned.

“No, sir.”  He replied, creasing his brow. “Who’s the General?”

“Oh dear–Sometimes it’s common for a patient to not remember an accident.” Jackie replied as she helped Bo sit up and put both hands on his bare shoulders.

“All right, now I want you to tell me exactly what you do remember.”

“I . . . ” Bo blinked.  “Nothing.”

“What about your name? Or where you live?” Jackie looked into Bo’s face searching for some spark of recognition in his dark blue eyes.

“My name is, uh . . . ”  He looked up at her, confused.  “Doc I don’t remember my name, or where I live!  What’s the matter with me?”  He asked as he tried to get up.

“Hang on a second!” Jackie stood in front of Bo, blocking him from getting down off the table. “You need to take it easy, you’ve been through a terrible ordeal and you’ve been injured.” Once satisfied that Bo wasn’t going to leave, the doctor turned to Rosco and Boss. “I’m sorry to say this but it looks like your son has a case of amnesia.”

“His son? Amnesia?”  Rosco scoffed.  “Doc, you have made one horrendous mistake!”

“I’m sorry Sheriff but I haven’t made a mistake. I know what amnesia is when I see it.”

“That’s not the mistake I’m talking about.”  Rosco countered.  “I’m talking about him,”  he pointed at Bo, “being his-”

Boss suddenly reached out and grabbed Rosco’s finger, pulling the sheriff into his shoulder and holding his head there with one hand.  Rosco’s arms wind milled, his face muffled in Boss’s suit coat, and Boss grinned at the doctor.

“Pay no mind to the boy’s uncle, Doc! He’s frightful worried about his nephew here and now he’s gone and worked himself into a state!”  He shoved Rosco away and held his arms out to Bo.

“Bo! Say hello to your daddy!”

Bo hesitated a moment not sure what to think, but after a moment he climbed down from the table and stepped into Boss’s embrace and returned it.

“It’s good to see you, uh…Daddy.”

“That’s my boy!”  Boss exclaimed, and hugged Bo tightly.

“If you’ll come with me we’ll get your clothes.” Dr. Broadway took her patient by the arm and guided him out of the room, feeling sympathy at his confusion and disorientation.  “Now if you’ll excuse us a moment, Mr. Hogg.”

“Of course.  Now you do just what the doctor tells you to, Sonny Boy.”  Boss instructed as Bo left with the doctor, and Rosco goggled at him.

“Boss, are you sure you’re not the one who hit your head?  I know for a fact that you and Lulu never had any children!”

Boss watched the swinging doors close shut before giving Rosco his full attention.

“Well of course we never had any children! But…this is just the chance I was waiting for! A chance to save my hide! And yours too!” He glanced at the doors again making sure they were alone. “Not only that but I don’t want Bo Duke having any recollection of Doyle and Cat arguing!”

“Looks to me like Bo Duke doesn’t have a recollection of anything right now.” Rosco glanced over his shoulder at the door a moment.

“He even swallowed that line I gave him about rolling The General like it was a fact!”

“Not right now he don’t remember, but it won’t be like that forever. That’s why I told that there lady doctor that he was my son.” Boss took a cigar out of his pocket and lit it. He saw Rosco’s confused face and rolled his eyes. “You see Rosco…if Bo Duke remembers that argument between Doyle and my runner they’ll be planting all three of us with the spring crops! We ain’t got no choice!”

“You might be able to convince Bo he’s your son, but what about the rest of the Dukes?  I’m pretty sure they’re going to know it’s not true!”

Boss looked aghast, making a pained face. “You’re right… and I never thought I’d see the day when you’d be right about anything!” He stuck his cigar in his mouth and started pacing back and forth, puffing smoke like a locomotive.

“Gotta find a way to make those Dukes leave my Sonny Boy alone!” He muttered to himself and then suddenly stopped; he gasped loudly his expression brightening as he reached up and plucked the cigar from his mouth.

“We’re going to use the law!”

“The law?” Rosco asked, and then he jumped as if someone had goosed him.

“Oo!  You mean- you . . . and me . . . . we’re going to make it all nice and legal?”

“We are indeed Rosco!” Boss switched his cigar to his other hand as he patted Rosco on the back, laughing. “Come on, let’s collect Sonny boy and get back to the Courthouse. We got work to do!”

“Boss, speaking of work, you still haven’t paid me my ten percent of ten percent from the whiskey runs that little gal’s already done for you.”  Rosco said, then managed to look amazed and offended at the same time. “Boss!  Were you plannin’ to cut me out of my usual ten percent of ten percent?”

“Uhhhhh…” Boss turned away from Rosco, his eyes shifting from left to right as he thought of a reason he didn’t cut Rosco in and fast.

“Well of course not Rosco!” He turned back, a big Cheshire cat grin on his face.

“I was just waiting for the profits to start rolling in! Your ten percent of ten percent was so small it was hardly nothing. I was just going to tell you all about it right this very day.”

“Oh, well, that makes much more sense.  I think.”  Rosco shrugged.  “We best get Bo and go to the Courthouse.  I love it I love it!”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Luke drove Min’s red Mustang slowly along Route Sixteen as Min sat cross-legged on the hood, looking carefully at either side of the road for any signs of her brother.  Finally, she waved Luke to a stop.

“I don’t see any signs of an accident, Luke, and this is the main road back from Hazzard Pond.  There’s no skid marks . . . “

“Ain’t no busted tree branches or bushes, either.”  Luke sighed, and shook his head at Min.

“Then where could he be, Luke?  It’s way past lunchtime and there’s no sign of him!”  She exclaimed, and then her eyes widened.

“Oh my God.  Luke, you don’t think he ran away, do you?  I mean, he was pretty upset about this whole thing with Susie Gebhart.”

“No, I don’t believe that.” He opened the Mustang’s door and got out.

“Bo was upset over how things worked out with Susie yeah, but he wouldn’t leave his family over her Min. He wouldn’t do that.”

“Then where is he? Why can’t we find any trace of him?” Min got down from the hood and walked around the front of it. “It’s like he just disappeared into thin air!”

“Well…the Hazzard air has been known to swallow up people before Min, that’s no surprise there but usually they leave some clue behind. Like a tire track or…something!”

Luke tucked his hands into his back pockets as he stared down at the ground, studying it between his slow easy steps.

“Come on Bo…give me any sign–” He muttered to himself as he walked away from

Min and the red mustang. “Just one clue…”

Min watched her cousin, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the driver’s side door. Her mind began to imagine a thousand scenarios that would explain her brother’s disappearance, each one more terrible than the last. She lowered her head, rubbing her fingers across her forehead as she closed her eyes.

“There’s got to be something Luke…anything.”

“I know Min, I know.” He replied as he stopped suddenly and straightened up.

“What did you say you saw?” He asked as he turned around to face his cousin.

“Logs—a pile of logs.” Min sighed, her hand still rubbing her aching forehead.

“Stacked up all neat like for a house?”

“No…they’re all messed up like they were on the back of a semi and the cable broke, scattering them all over the road.” Her eyes opened and she glanced over at her cousin.

“Do you think that means something?”

“I don’t know, but it’s the only clue we’ve got.” Luke went back over to Darlin’ and put both hands on Min’s shoulders, giving them a squeeze.

“You have to keep your chin up Min, wherever Bo is we’ll find him.”

She lifted her gaze, staring into her cousin’s cool blue eyes.

“You mean that Luke or are you just saying it to make me feel better?” There was a tinge of worry in her voice despite the joke and she tried to give Luke a small smile.

Luke returned it and pulled Min into a gentle hug, one hand coming up to touch her long dark hair. “I mean it Min, I wouldn’t lie to you. We’re going to find him and bring him home.” His jaw clenched a moment as he closed his eyes, grateful that Min couldn’t see his face and the worry that tightened his lips into a thin line.

“Come on…let’s keep looking.” Luke patted her back as he let go of her, then got back behind the wheel of the Mustang.

Min sighed, nodding. “Okay Cousin, we’ll keep going, Bo wouldn’t give up on us we can’t give up on him.”

“Believe me; I have no intention of giving up.”  Luke pulled back onto the road and continued down it at a snail’s pace.  As he rounded the sharp curve of Route Sixteen, his eyes widened.  On the side of the road sat The General Lee, its right front tire flat.  Min yelled out at the same time he saw it, and vaulted off of the hood of the car.  She ran at the Charger as Luke pushed the driver’s side door open to follow her.

“Oh my God!” Min bent down and poked her head in the driver’s side window. Everything seemed to be there; even the keys and she plucked them from the ignition.

“I don’t get it Luke.. its like…its like he just walked away from it!” She closed her eyes a moment as she gripped the keys in her hands.

“Where are you Bo?” The low question asked, she saw the flash of logs again and opened her eyes.

“What is it about those logs Luke?”

“I don’t know of anything around here like you’re seeing in your head, Min.  Are you sure it even has anything to do with Bo?”  Luke opened the trunk and hissed through his teeth when he saw the spare was flat too.

“Oh, I bet he was calling me a name or two because of this.”  He slammed the trunk shut again.  “He must have started walking towards town.  Might be that he’s already there, or someone gave him a ride.  Come on, we’ll call Cooter on the CB and have him tow The General into town, and I bet we’ll meet Bo there.”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Boss pulled up to The Boar’s Nest in his Caddy with Bo riding shotgun and Rosco close behind in his cruiser.  As Bo hopped out and looked up at the sign over the wooden building, Rosco sidled up to Boss.

“Boss, how come you didn’t take him home to Lulu?”

Boss lit a cigar and looked at Rosco as though he’d lost his mind.

“Because, mini-brain, Lulu’s done gone to the fat farm for the week and for another thing, her cooking would kill a buzzard!”

“Well that’s true.”  Rosco nodded.

“Besides, you know that by now them Dukes are out looking for Bo, and with The Boar’s Nest closed today, it’s a perfect hideout!  My house is too close to town, and you know they’d have everyone and their momma out looking for my Sonny Boy!”  Boss walked over to Bo and smiled grandly.

“Well, Sonny!  Do you remember this place?  It’s your home away from home!  You practically live here!”

“The Boar’s Nest.”  Bo sighed, squeezing his eyes shut.  Then finally, he shook his head.  “Daddy I’m sorry I just don’t remember a thing!”

“Well that’s all right.  I’m sure it’ll come to you in time.”

“Hey!”  Bo said, smiling.  “I bet once we get inside it’ll help me remember!  Cos then I’ll get to see all my own things!”

“Your own things?”  Boss frowned, and then he smiled widely.  “Oh, that’ll be just fine! Come on then, let’s go inside.”  He unlocked the door and let Bo enter.

“I think I’ll go in too . . . “ The door was abruptly slammed in his face and Boss backed him off of the threshold with a stubby, pointed finger up in his face.

“You hightail it over to the Duke farm, quick-like!  And then what you’re gonna do is swipe a bushel full of Bo’s personal things!  Souvenirs, pictures anything!  After that, you get over to the courthouse and bring me them papers that we’re gonna need, you hear?  And be quick about it!”

“But Boss, taking stuff from the Duke farm would be stealing!  You mean you want me to steal in broad daylight?”

“It ain’t stealing!”  Boss declared, puffing on his cigar.  “When you’re sheriff, it’s confiscating!  Now get!”  He shooed Rosco away, opened the front door to The Boar’s Nest, and stepped inside.

“Sonny? Oh, there you are!”  He smiled when he saw Bo standing in the middle of the darkened room, and flicked on the lights.  “Now, we’re closed today, but Daddy his-self is going to whip you up some vittles!”  Boss donned a large checkered apron.  “Hog jowls on cornbread!”

Bo sighed.  “Daddy, I really ain’t as hungry as I thought.”

“Dipped in molasses!  That’s your favorite!”  Boss went through the swinging doors to the kitchen, and then his chubby face appeared briefly in the little square window.

“Trust me.”  He nodded with a wink, and vanished into the kitchen.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Later that afternoon, Jesse stood with Cooter in front of the younger man’s garage.  Cooter was worried; he had never seen Jesse Duke look so pale and distracted.

“Worrying never helped anything, Jesse.”  He said gently, and the old man ran a hand over his face.

“I can’t help but worry, Cooter.  We’ve looked everywhere, and it’s as if the earth has just opened up and swallowed Bo whole!”

“I’m sure he’ll turn up.”  Cooter soothed, and then turned his head as he saw Rosco turn the corner of the square and pull up to the courthouse.

“There’s Rosco!”

Jesse turned in the direction and raised his chin. “Come on Cooter, we have to tell him that Bo’s missing.”

“Shoot, what good is that gonna do?”  Cooter drawled.  “Ol’ Rosco is about as helpful as a screen door in a submarine!”

“Helpful or not, he’s the only law we got here in Hazzard.  Come on.”

The two men called out to Rosco as he climbed the steps to the courthouse.

Rosco turned when he heard the sound of Jesse Duke calling him, and his eyes widened.  His cruiser was parked right in their line of sight, and the bagful of stuff he’d swiped from Bo’s room sat in the backseat.  He hurried back down the steps and stood in front of the car, using his body to hide Bo’s belongings.

“What is it now, Jesse?  I ain’t got time to fool around, I got work to do!”

“But Rosco, Bo is missing!”  Cooter exclaimed.

“Of course he is!”  Rosco replied, and both Jesse and Cooter exchanged a puzzled glance.  “I mean . . . he is?”

“Yeah, he went fishing to Hazzard Pond this morning and we ain’t seen him since.”   Cooter stated raising an eyebrow, glancing at Jesse as he shrugged his shoulders.

“Tuh.”  Rosco grunted.  “Is that all?”

“What do you mean ‘is that all?’  Rosco, didn’t you hear what we said?”  The older man shouted.

“Well of course I did, I got ears.”  Rosco glared at both Cooter and Jesse.

“Look, I’m sorry about Bo and all, but I haven’t got time to mess around with stuff like that!  I’m on urgent business here at the courthouse!  Now you two just get before I arrest the bunch of you for loitering!  I mean it, now!”

“Rosco, you glorified night watchman!”  Jesse roared, and Cooter flinched.  Jesse Duke didn’t lose his temper often, but when he did, the result was more ferocious than a summer twister.

“Do you mean to tell me that you’re just gonna stand there and threaten to have us arrested when we’ve just told you that we got a missing family member?”

“Like I said, Jesse, I got urgent business.  Now go on . . . . I mean it!”  He shooed them from his cruiser.  Tossing Rosco a seething look of anger, Jesse turned to Cooter.

“I got a feeling in my gut that Boss and Rosco are involved in Bo’s disappearance, and with the way Rosco was acting just now, I’m sure of it.”

Cooter Rosco vanish into the courthouse.

“I got the same feeling, Uncle Jesse.  We best fill Min and Luke in on what Ol’ Rosco said the minute they get back.”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

When Rosco returned to the Boar’s Nest with the bag full of Bo’s personal things, he snuck in through the back door and scattered them all over Boss’s office.  He could hear Boss and Bo talking in the barroom, and just as he was putting up one of Bo’s trophies, the door to Boss’s office banged open, hitting him square in the face.  Bo pulled it back as he walked in, and shrugged at Rosco.

“Sorry Uncle Rosco.  What were you doing behind there?”

“I’ll put a-”  Rosco began, raising his fist, but clamped his mouth shut when Boss casually  kicked him in the shin while he smiled at Bo.

“Say Sonny, look around here!  This is your favorite room, and these are all your own things!”  He glared at Rosco in case the Sheriff tried to speak up again.  Bo looked over the pictures and trophies, and his brow furrowed.

“Some of these posters bring back a few memories, daddy.”

“They do?” Boss switched his cigar to the other hand and touched a racing banner.

“Well, you love to race, Sonny, and you’ve got your Daddy’s natural talent for it too.” He gave Bo a big, squinting smile, his cheeks rounding like apples.

“Now you just look around, see if any of this other stuff jogs your memory while I talk to you Uncle Rosco.”

Taking a hold of Rosco’s arm, Boss steered him through the open office door and out into the darkened bar. “Well? Did you get them?”

“Khee!  I got ’em Boss, just like you said.”  Rosco handed a bunch of papers to Boss, and then his brow furrowed.  “You know, Boss, them Dukes, they’re already out looking for Bo!”

Boss flipped through the papers and nodded before sticking his cigar in his mouth. He had a puff of it and blew the smoke at the Sheriff, who coughed and waved his hand in front of his face.

“Of course they are Rosco, that’s just what I expect them to do. That’s why I had you get these, to put an end their meddling all nice and legal like.”

“But Boss, what worries me is that amnesia will wear off of Bo’s brain.  What’ll we do then?”

Boss glanced over his shoulder a moment and gripped Rosco’s arm moving him further away from the open door. “We won’t do nothing! Cause by then Cat will have delivered all my shine to all my clients and then I pay her to get lost for a good long time.” He let go of Rosco’s arms and brought his hands up.

“No shine! No evidence!” He said with a bright sunny grin, his eyes wide.

“But Boss, Bo will remember what he saw.  And if he talks, then Big Jim Doyle will-”  Rosco made a fssshhht sound and drew his finger across his throat.

“Rosco!” Boss pulled the sheriff almost to the middle of the room. “Don’t you go talking about stuff like that! As long as we keep Bo quiet Jim Doyle won’t have no reason to . . .  uhh . . . uhh…” He waved his hands in the air.

“You know what! When the twenty-four hours are up, I’m gonna have Bo Duke so brainwashed that he’ll think he’s been a Hogg his whole life!  He’ll be totally loyal to me, and besides, you done heard what that lady doctor said!  It’s people, not things, that’ll bring Bo Duke’s memory back, and we’ve already got that covered!”  Boss patted his suit coat pocket with a grin.

“When Big Jim Doyle sees that Bo doesn’t know nothing excepting the fact that he’s a Hogg, he’ll have no reason to . . . “  Boss grimaced.  “Commit violence on my person.”

“I hope so.”  Rosco replied worriedly.  “Cos you know Boss, it’d be hard to eat those pig’s feet you like so much if Big Jim fsssshhht!”  Rosco mimicked cutting his throat again and Boss shoved him aside.  “Would you stop with that noise already and get out on patrol like you’re supposed to?”  He turned and waddled back into his office, where Bo was waiting.   “Come on over here, Sonny!  Got something to show you.”

Bo obeyed, but as he passed a mirror, he pulled up short and examined himself.  The thick, almost curly blond hair and the deep blue eyes were familiar, and he put a hand to his face.  “You know daddy, it’s kind of funny you and me being father and son.  We don’t look a thing alike!”  He exclaimed.

“That’s cause a lot of years has passed since I looked like you do Sonny Boy.” He put a hand to his stomach and gave it a pat. “And I’ve gained a pound or two since then.”

“Or ten, or twenty.”  Rosco put in helpfully, and then withered under Boss’s glare.  He slipped out the door, and Boss beamed at Bo, who looked in the mirror again.

“I still don’t think we look much alike.”  He sighed, and Boss grinned around his cigar.  “Oh, you don’t eh?  Well Sonny Boy, we can soon fix that!  You come along with me!”  He took Bo by the arm and led him out the back door, to where his caddy was parked and waiting.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Jesse, Luke, Min and Cooter stood outside of Cooter’s garage in a small circle, their faces grave.  Jesse sighed and wrung his red cap in both hands, his expression one of distress and grief.  “There was no sign of him? Just The General?”

“Just the General.” Min sighed as she crossed her arms over his chest, her head hanging. “His fishing gear and cooler were still in the backseat, the keys were still in the ignition.” She raised her face and gazed at her cousin.

Luke felt just as helpless, and wiped his hand over his face. “We searched the woods around where we found The General.” He shook his head and sighed. “No sign of Bo anywhere.”

“Well he can’t just have fallen off the face of the earth!”  Jesse snarled suddenly, anger masking his worry.  Cooter patted his shoulder.

“Of course he didn’t, Jesse.  He’ll turn up soon, you’ll see.”

“Sure seems like he did.” Min moved away from leaning against her car and walked around it, running her hand over the bright red paint. She heard the sound of an engine and glanced across the street; there she saw Boss pull up in his white Cadillac. The passenger side opened, and Min’s eyes went round as a loud gasp hitched out of her.

“Min?  Are you okay? Min!”  Luke said sharply when his cousin didn’t reply.

Her dark eyes were wide in genuine shock and she raised a trembling hand to point across the street. Following her extended arm, the three men saw what had made her pale and they too gasped.

“Holy Smokes–” Luke muttered as he swallowed hard.

Cooter watched Boss climb the courthouse steps with a companion at his side.  The man was dressed in a white suit identical to Boss Hogg’s, and he was well over six feet tall.  Cooter shook his head numbly.

“Either somebody done run Huey Hogg over with a giant rolling pin, or that there’s Bo.” He said with surety.

“Bo!” Min finally snapped out of her stupor and began running, a wave of relief washing over her at the sight of her brother, alive and unharmed. She could hear the thuds of Luke’s boots behind her as she ran.

Cletus, just leaving the courthouse, met Boss and Bo just as they came up the stairs.

“Hi Cousin Boss, hey Bo.”  He smiled, and then stopped short.  His eyes widened, and he turned back.  “Cousin Boss? What’s Bo Duke doing in one of your suits?”

Boss opened his mouth about to give his kin what for when he heard the shout. Turning around he saw the Dukes racing over and grabbed Cletus, using him like a human shield. “Never mind that! You just keep them meddling Dukes of this building! You hear?” He then grabbed Bo by his arm, his tone changing from stern to gentle.

“Come on Sonny Boy, we best get inside.”

“Bo wait!”  Luke shouted, but his shout was drowned out by that of his uncle, who was red-faced with rage.

“J.D. Hogg you overstuffed marshmallow! What have you done to Bo?”

Bo heard the commotion and glanced over his shoulder seeing the group of people. He blinked a moment, their faces causing a stirring in his mind.

“Daddy? Who are they?” He rubbed his gauze-covered cut a moment under the brim of his hat, flashes of images poured forth and made him slightly dizzy.

“Never mind who they are! You just get inside and wait for me by the door!”  Using his bulk, Boss shoved Bo through the courthouse door and slammed it shut.  He then used his body to block it, his arms spread out, as he faced the angry mob of Dukes.

“You Dukes get on out of here before I have Cletus here arrest you for loitering!”

“Arrest us? Maybe we should arrest you! What are you doing with Bo and why is he dressed liked a tall, skinny Pillsbury Dough boy?” Min scowled, the fire of her temper slipped through as she tried to get past Boss, who shifted from side to side blocking her efforts.

Luke vaulted up the steps in quick strides standing beside his cousin.

“Min’s right! We’ve torn up half the county looking for Bo and you’ve had him all this time! No wonder Rosco didn’t seem concerned that he was missing.”

The three Dukes plus Cooter all surrounded Boss, the four people towering over the chubby man in white, but he refused to budge planting his backside firmly against the door.

“Maybe he got tired of feeding chickens and slopping hogs!  I mean, pigs!”

“Slopping pigs!” Jesse forced his way between his niece and nephew coming face to face with Boss. “Now you listen here JD! The only pig he’s slopped around here is you! Now I want to talk to my nephew and I want to talk to him right now!” Anger coursed through the older man hard and fast, causing his face to turn a beet red.

“Take it easy, Uncle Jesse.”  Luke said softly, concerned for his uncle’s blood pressure.  “Look Boss, we don’t care how or why Bo ended up here, we just want him back!”

“Well he don’t want to come back Luke Duke! In fact-” Boss reached into his suit coat and pulled out a sheaf of papers, which he handed to Jesse.

“Those papers say that you Dukes have to keep away from Bo at least five hundred feet at all times! All times! Including now! So you just march your boots right back where you came from, hear?”

Min glanced at the papers in her uncle’s hands and then shifted her gaze back to Boss.

“A restraining order! You’re keeping him from us? But why?” She felt her emotions threaten but held them in check as she lifted her chin, refusing to let Boss see her that way. “You can’t get away with this!”

“I can and I will! I own this county, and if I say Bo Duke doesn’t want to talk to you, then that’s that!”  Boss turned and jerked open the courthouse door.  He lumbered inside, and slammed the door hard.

Luke blinked, Jesse groaned and Cooter shook his head.  “Bo doesn’t want to be a Duke anymore?  How can that be?”

Min pounded on the door with her fists, this time her feelings boiled over, a combination of anger and heartbreak; the tears ran down her face.

“Boss! Open this door! Bo! Bo come out here and talk to us please!”

Cletus turned to the group.  “I’m sorry guys, but if you don’t leave, Cousin Boss will make me arrest you.  You’d better get on out of here.”  He said, not unkindly.

Cletus’s words made little difference. Min beat her fists into the door until her hands hurt. She leaned her forehead against the door closing her eyes.

“He can’t get away with this…he can’t keep Bo from us. I refuse to believe he doesn’t want to be a Duke anymore.” Her voice was low, mellow, and thick with emotion and frustration.  Min sighed heavily, wishing this nightmare would end.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Once safely inside the courthouse, Boss exhaled loudly and paused to pull a large white hanky from his suit coat pocket with which to wipe his face.  As he tucked it away again, Bo approached him with an uncertain expression in his eyes.

“Daddy? Who were those people?  I swear I recognized them!”

“No you did not!  And even if you did, it’s probably because you saw their faces on some wanted posters in your Uncle Rosco’s office!”

Bo creased his brow.  “You mean they’re criminals?”

“Criminals!  Pah!   They’re worse than just criminals!  They’re lowdown, mean, sneaky, underhanded scoundrels!  Always poking their noses into other people’s business!  Mostly mine!  They’re powerful mean, and they’d like nothing better than to run upstanding citizens like us clean out of town! You saw the temper on that old polecat with your own eyes after all!”

“I . . . I suppose so.”  Bo replied, and then he shook his head uncertainly.  “But it sure seemed like they wanted to talk to me about something important.”

“Bull’s breath!  The only thing that’s important to The Duke gang is shine!  And they’d do anything to drum me right out of the market!”

“Shine.”  Bo repeated softly, and blinked at Boss.  “You mean . . . moonshine?”

“That’s right!”  Boss patted Bo’s shoulder, pleased.  “And you might not remember it Sonny, but you’re the best shine runner around these parts!  The Duke gang is always trying to get you over to their side!  That’s why they were calling you out there before, to try and talk you into running for them and leaving your poor old daddy in the dust!”  Boss’s lower lip stuck out and he mooned like a Basset Hound.  Bo frowned.

“Daddy, I’d never do that!”

Boss brightened.  “Course you wouldn’t!  You’re a Hogg, after all, and us Hoggs are loyal right down to the bone!”  Boss pulled out his gold pocket watch and flicked back its scrolled cover.

“Oh my, it’s getting late, and we got us an important appointment, Sonny!”

“What kind of an appointment, daddy?”

“Well . . . “  Boss put a hand on Bo’s shoulder.  “That lady doctor told your daddy and Uncle Rosco that we needed to show you familiar things to help fix that swimmy head of yours.  So I thought we’d start with the thing that you know best . . . . the family business!”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Doyle paced back and forth near Boss’s still site, artfully tucked away in some bushes near the abandoned railroad trestle.  The sun was starting to set, sending rays of bright light down through the trees and splashing shadows along the forest floor.  Doyle, a pragmatic and practical man, noticed none of nature’s beauty.  He only checked his watch and paced, paced and checked.  Finally, a wordless growl tore from his throat and he snapped his watch closed with a flick of his wrist.

“Damn it Hogg! Where are you?”

As if in reply, the sound of an engine broke the silence as Boss’s white caddy pulled up where Rosco and any shine runner would hide his car.  Rosco was at the wheel, and Doyle’s eyes widened in disbelief when he saw the boy he’d pistol-whipped earlier riding next to Boss Hogg himself.

“Hogg!”  He roared, advancing on the Caddy with quick, aggressive steps.  “What the hell is this?”

“Mind your tongue Doyle, I said I’d be here, and here I am. The time don’t make no nevermind.”  Boss lit a cigar and motioned Bo forward.  “Jim Doyle, I’d like you to meet someone.”

“That’s-”  Doyle began, and Boss interrupted him smoothly.

“That’s right!  This here’s my son, Bo Hogg.”

Bo took off his hat in a gesture of respect, the late afternoon sun making his golden hair shine like a halo.  A square white bandage covered an area of skin near his hairline, and a small flesh-colored band-aid was visible at a diagonal on his right temple.

Doyle’s eyes widened further, and after a moment he began to laugh.

“You sly old weasel!”  He chuckled, and Boss grinned expansively.

“That’s right, Doyle.  What you see here is the solution to our problem.”  He said softly, and then patted Bo’s shoulder.  “Cos never was there more a loyal son to his daddy than Bo Hogg!”

“Loyal!”  Rosco echoed with a giggle from behind Boss.

“You hush.”  Boss told him, erasing the smile from Rosco’s face.  Then he turned to Bo.  “Sonny, I want you to stay here with Uncle Rosco for a minute while Mr. Doyle and I talk private-like for a minute.”

“Okay daddy.”  Bo smiled, and Boss smiled back.

“Oh that’s my good boy.  We’ll be right back.”  Boss led Doyle away under the shadows of the rusted trestle and puffed his cigar.

“Well Doyle, does this satisfy you?  The boy doesn’t remember a thing, and he ain’t likely to for a long while.  Seems like that bang on the head you give him turned out to be a blessing in disguise for you.”

“A temporary blessing, Hogg!  That’s all it is!  What about when the boy regains his memory?”

“Listen!  The doctor who treated Bo Duke said that the longer he goes without seeing people like family and friends, the less likely it’ll be that his memory will come back!  Long as he’s with me, he ain’t never gonna remember!”

Doyle raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I don’t like this and I don’t trust it.”

“Don’t worry, Doyle!  I got me a restraining order against The Duke family, and they can’t get near the boy without getting hauled to the pokey!”

“A restraining order?” Doyle looked past Boss’ shoulder at the Bo and sighed. “You best keep an eye on him Hogg; you best keep him on a tight leash.” He raised a pointed finger and stuck it in Boss’s face, the stout man’s eyes crossing briefly as it bumped the end of his nose. “Because I’m going to be watching and the first time he slips up…”

“Right.  He slips, and you land on me.”  Boss gulped, and then glanced back at Bo.

“That’s right…I land on you and that bungling Sheriff of yours, and the last two I landed on…” He gave a grim smile. “Let’s just say they went out to Euchie Swamp and never came back.” Boss paled at this.

“And Bo Duke?  After all Doyle, he ain’t much more than a boy, really.  I mean . . . .you wouldn’t really hurt him, would you?”

His smile widened, and his beady eyes turned cold. “Plenty of room out in that swamp Hogg…plenty…”

Boss began to have the terrible feeling that he was in over his head, but managed to give Big Jim a reassuring smile.

“Well no need for that, Doyle.  You just wait and see . . . . once I finish with Bo Duke, he’s going to think he was born a Hogg!”

“For all of your sake’s, he better.” Doyle lowered his finger and straightened up seeing Bo watching the both of them.

“You better start right now Hogg; he’s looking at me like he remembers who I am.”

Boss’s eyes widened and he hurried back over to Bo, who was looking at Doyle curiously.  Although he didn’t recognize the man, there was something very familiar about his voice.

“Mr. Doyle, have we met before?”  He asked, and Boss jumped in before Doyle could reply.

“Why of course you have, Sonny!  Mr. Doyle here has been my associate for years!  He’s been around ever since you was born, practically!”

“An associate?” Bo grinned sheepishly, his cheeks turning pink. “Guess I…guess I just couldn’t remember that. I’m awful sorry Mr. Doyle; I’m having some problems with my memory.” He extended his right hand hoping Doyle would shake it and accept his apology.

Doyle grinned slyly and shook the boy’s hand, all the while shooting Boss a look that said, Blow this, and you’re all fish food.

“Now isn’t that nice? They’re being all nice and friendly like,” He took out his white handkerchief and nonchalantly dabbed as his face.

Rosco watched him and Boss widened his eyes a moment and made a slashing motion across his throat. The sheriff’s eyes grew as round as dinner plates and he mirrored Boss’s fake grin.

“Nice and friendly like.” He went over to Bo and put his arm around his shoulders. “Now you’re going to do listen to every word your Daddy says, ain’t you Bo?”

“Sure, Uncle Rosco.”  Bo smiled, turning back to Boss.  “You’re going to tell me about the family business, right?”

“Why of course I am Sonny!” Boss took his watch out and opened it checking the time. “But right now we best get home cause it’s getting close to suppertime.” He tucked it away and turned to Doyle. “We best be going now Doyle, it was nice to see you again.”

“Nice to see you too!” Doyle grinned, and Boss hurried Bo away from the area as Bo looked curiously over his shoulder.

“Daddy?  Why didn’t you invite Mr. Doyle to supper?”

Boss stopped walking before he got to the Caddy and whipped around.

“Cause I don’t make a habit of inviting mangy polecats to supper Sonny.” He saw confusion on Bo’s face and gently patted his shoulder.

“Sometimes you have to be friendly to those that don’t deserve it, its called business relations.”

“But I thought you and Mr. Doyle was good friends, daddy!”  Bo exclaimed as they got into the caddy, and Rosco paused at the driver’s side door just long enough to look Bo in the eye.

“Listen to your daddy now, Bo, he knows what he’s talking about!”

Bo sighed and sat back in the caddy’s soft seat.

“Yes sir.” He said softly, and closed his eyes against a growing headache behind his eyes.

 

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Cooter pulled up to Bertha’s Cafe. Jogging around the bright yellow truck he went inside the small grey building and came out a short time later, both arms loaded with two big, overstuffed grocery bags.

“Thanks a lot for the food Sweetheart; I’ll tell the boys you said hey!” He called out over his shoulder as the door closed. He whistled a cheerful tune as he opened the passenger door to his truck and carefully set the bags inside it.

After he adjusted his cap a moment, he got behind the wheel and started the tow truck up, kicking up a cloud of dust as he headed towards the direction of the Duke farm.

“Best give them a holler; see if they’re up for company.” He picked up the mike and held it close to his mouth. “Breaker one, breaker one! Might be crazy but I ain’t dumb…Crazy Cooter calling over to the Duke Farm, any of you Dukes out there, come on…”

“You got Lost Sh-” There was a broken pause, and then Luke replied.

“Hey, Cooter.”

“Hey Lukas Dukas! I’d ask how you’re doing but that reply says it all.”

His grin faded. “I know you’re all feeling poorly, I picked up some brisket, potato salad and beans from Bertha’s. I’d sure hate to eat all this food alone.”

“That’s mighty fine of you, Cooter, but . . . .”  Luke hesitated, and Cooter could hear the emotional pain in Luke’s tone.  Luke Duke wasn’t a man to show his emotions easily, but when it came to his young cousin it was a different story, and Cooter could tell Bo’s absence was hitting Luke hard.

“Come on Luke…you three sitting around moping ain’t going to get Bo back to you. Let me come by and we’ll break bread together then talk about getting your kin back. What do you say?”

Luke paused, and when he spoke next, his voice was hopeful.  “Are you saying you have some kind of plan for getting Bo back, Cooter?”

Cooter gave a shrug. “Do I?” He said to himself first then raised the mike again.

“Can’t say I do Lukas, but I’m sure we can put our heads together and come up with one.”

“We have to do something, Cooter.”  Luke’s voice lowered noticeably.  “Uncle Jesse’s just about going out of his mind with worry.  Something’s happened to Bo, and we can’t even help him!  If we get too close, Boss’ll have us all in the pokey for violating that restraining order of his!”

“As I recall Lukas, it that piece of paper Boss gave said someone named Duke couldn’t get near Bo.” Cooter’s grin widened. “But I sure didn’t see nothing bout someone named Davenport getting near to him!”

There was another pause, and then Luke laughed out loud.

“Cooter, you’re a genius!”  He shouted.  “Come on over and you can tell Uncle Jesse and Min!  Hurry!”

Hearing the life spark back in Luke’s voice sent a rush of relief to Cooter.

“I’m down and gone Brother, I’ll be there in two shakes!” He tossed the mike into the seat and began to whistle again, this time with genuine mirth as he turned down Mill Pond Lane.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

While The Dukes’ appetites weren’t up to par, they laid out a good table to show their gratitude to Cooter.  As they sat down to eat and said grace, Cooter could almost feel the heaviness that’s Bo’s absence had left in the family.

“Lord, bless this food and this family . . . . and watch over those that we cannot.  Amen.”

“Amen.”  Luke, Min and Cooter echoed, and Jesse began to serve the brisket, beans and potato salad that Cooter had brought.

Min stared down at her plate as her uncle served her and gave a nod. “Thank you Uncle Jesse.” She picked up her fork and glanced across the table at Cooter.

“You really think you can get him?”

“Sure I can Min, shouldn’t be no trouble at all!” Cooter leaned forward, his fork in his right hand. “See despite the fact Ol’ Bo’s a tad off his rocker right now, deep down in him there’s the same good ol’ boy there’s always been! He won’t be able to stop himself from lending a neighbor a hand!”

“How do you mean, Cooter?”  Luke asked, dishing himself out some potato salad.

“Simple Luke,” Cooter shifted his attention to him and began to use the tablecloth like a paper, grabbing the salt and pepper shakers and a slice of bread.

“See this is Boss’ house here, in Hazzard Square.” He set the bread down.

“See I’ll come driving along–” The pepper shaker slid across the table and stopped close to the bread slice. “And oh darn ain’t it a shame! My fuel line’s gonna get clogged and the truck’s going to stall out.” He then raised the salt shaker and grinned.

“And here’s Bo Hogg, all decked out in his fancy white duds. I’ll go knock on the door and ask for help, get him over by the truck then bushwhack him and take off with him!”

Jesse’s expression turned cautious.  “Bushwhack him?  Cooter, you don’t aim to hurt my boy, do you?  Cos whatever’s goin’ on in his mind, I’m sure it’s not his doing.”

Cooter picked up the saltshaker that he had placed close to the pepper and gave it a pat. “Don’t you worry yourself now Uncle Jesse, I swear I won’t hurt Bo none, just get him in the truck and take off with him. I’ll drive him out of the square and you all can be waiting.”

“And after that, then what?”  Luke asked.  “If Bo really has lost his mind or his memory, how do we help him get it back?”

Min wiped her mouth with her napkin; she had been thinking about when they saw Bo with Boss. “You all remember when Bo looked at us and he touched his forehead?”

Luke nodded.  “He looked like he had a headache or something.  And I think his head was bandaged.  It was hard to tell with that hat, though.”  He looked up at Min.

“Do you think he recognized us, Min?”

“I think so Luke, I think for a brief moment something came back to him.” She raised her hand and touched her forehead in the same spot Bo had rubbed his.

“I think I saw some gauze on his head, but any memory flash he might have gotten I’m sure Boss lied to him about anything he remembered.”

Jesse frowned severely.  “When I get ahold of that overstuffed bean bag, he’s going to wish he’d never tangled with my family!”

Luke reached out and patted his uncle on the shoulder. “Easy now Uncle Jesse, what we know is that Boss is holding Bo and keeping him away from us, what we don’t know is why.”

Cooter nodded. “Luke’s right, Boss and Rosco have done some mean and under handed things but nothing this low before. There’s got to be a good reason.”

“There’s only two reasons that J.D. does things.  Either for money, or to save his own sorry hide.  Whatever he’s got Bo mixed up in, you can bet it’s because of those two reasons!”

“And that’s what worries me. If its more profitable or safer to keep Bo with him…”

Min pushed her plate away, her appetite suddenly vanishing. “What if Bo’s in danger if we take him away from Boss?”

Luke turned to Jesse.  “Uncle Jesse, you know Boss better than anyone else in Hazzard.  Is there a chance that Boss is protecting Bo from something?”

Jesse scowled.  “He don’t need Boss’ protection!  We’re his family, and if he is in trouble, we’re the ones who should be protecting him!”  He snapped.

“Amen to that Uncle Jesse.” Cooter set his napkin down on the table. “If Bo were in trouble, I think Boss would have said something about it.”

“Maybe he couldn’t.  Maybe someone was listening.”  Luke suggested, and Jesse shook his head.

“It’s either money or his hide, like I done told you all before!”  He looked over at Cooter.  “When?”

Cooter rubbed his hands together, his toothy grin returning. “Well I figure Boss and Rosco gotta leave Bo alone some time. He opens his bank at eight a.m. sharp, I figure that’s when I’ll mosey on over to Boss’ house and have my truck break down.”

Jesse nodded.  “Let’s do it, then.  Let’s get Bo back where he belongs.”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Bo ran for his life, his feet pounding over the hard packed earth.  The smell of pine was all around him, and his lungs burned as he ran faster and faster.  Suddenly, a huge barrier of fallen trees and underbrush loomed up in front of him, and he cried out for help as he tried in vain to climb the slippery wood.  From the other side, voices began to call his name.

“Bo, come home!  Come home, please!”

“I’m trying! I’m trying, help me, please!”  He called back to the voices that were so familiar, yet just out of his reach.  He continued to call to them as he scrambled up the fallen logs, but then suddenly something was dragging him back down.  He screamed aloud as strong hands yanked him backwards, and something hard and cold struck his head.  As the thing continued to strike him, Bo heard the muted crack of his own skull cracking open, and the voices on the other side of the blowdown faded along with his consciousness . . . . .

He came awake in the room his daddy had said was his, breathing hard and damp with sweat.  His head ached, and Bo put both hands to the bandage that covered the wound there.  His daddy and Uncle Rosco had said he’d run off the road and hit his head, but he had no memory of the accident.

He climbed out of bed with a sigh, his bare feet cold on the wood floor.  He padded over to the window and looked out at the coming dawn, unhappy for a reason that he couldn’t explain.

Who are those people that I keep dreaming about?  He thought to himself.

Why do I only hear their voices, but never see their faces? 

A knock on the bedroom door broke these thoughts.

“Sonny? You awake in there?” Boss called out, from behind the closed door.

“Uh . . . yeah daddy, hold on just a second!”  Bo threw a robe over the sweat pants he’d slept in and opened the door.

“Come on in.”  He offered Boss a smile that he hoped looked genuine.

“You sleep all right?” Boss looked around the room as he came in. Getting ready for the day, he only had on his white shirt and vest, his jacket and hat in his hands.

“I came to tell you that your Uncle Rosco and I have some work to do down in my bank. You think you can fend for yourself for a little while, say for an hour or two?”

“Sure, daddy.”  Bo replied, his eyes roving around the room that Boss has said was his.  The wallpaper was a riot of huge pink roses and pale green vines.  He shook his head. “Daddy, if this is my room, why does it look like you and momma had a girl instead?”

“Oh! Uhhhh….” Boss slipped his jacket on, adjusting the lapels. “That’s cause your momma thought she was having a girl but low and behold she had you instead! You just ain’t never had the heart to change it since she spent a lot of time and hard work decorating it.”

“Oh.”  Bo said uncertainly, wanting to tell his father about the dreams he’d been having, but obviously he had a busy day ahead of him, and Bo didn’t want to trouble him.

“I’ll be fine here alone, daddy.  I’ll read the paper and have a bite to eat.  Don’t you worry about me, just go on to the bank and get your business done.”

Boss nodded as he slipped the hat. “All right I’ll do that.” He took a step closer to Bo and pointed a chubby finger at him.

“Now you listen to me and you listen good you stay in this house and don’t you open for the door for no one you understand?”

Bo nodded.  “I understand, daddy.  You better go on now before you’re late.”

A grin came to Boss’s face.

“That’s my good boy!” Boss gave Bo a pat on his shoulder, then promptly turn and left the room. The sound of his heavy footfalls echoed through the house as the stout man walked down the steps. The front door opened, then closed with a bang, leaving silence in its wake.

Alone with his troubled thoughts, Bo went down into the kitchen.  The morning paper was already on the table, and Bo helped himself to a glazed donut from a box next to the paper.  He poured himself a cup of coffee, drank it down, and reached for the egg basket that always hung beside the front door-

Bo blinked as his hand closer over empty air.  “Egg basket?”  He asked himself aloud, and then shook his head.  He was pretty sure his daddy didn’t own any chickens, much less an egg basket.  Shrugging off the random memory, Bo poured himself another cup of coffee and sat down to read the paper.

He was halfway through the front page when the doorbell rang, its robust chimes echoing through the house.  Bo hesitated, and then got up to answer the door.  Remembering his daddy’s orders, he didn’t open the door right away.  Instead he called out.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Jim Doyle, son!  Your daddy’s oldest friend, remember?  I plumb forgot yesterday that I had a package for him.  Left it in my car and didn’t recollect it until after you all had left.  Be a good boy and open up, so’s I can give it to him?”

Bo hesitated.  “Daddy told me not to open the door for anyone, Mr. Doyle.”

“I realize that son and I’m glad you’re obeying your Daddy but…this is something that pertains to his business and he could lose a lot of money if I don’t give it to him.”

“Maybe you could just leave it there on the porch, Mr. Doyle.  I’m sure my daddy will pick it up there when he and Uncle Rosco get back from the bank.”

“Oh no I can’t do that! Someone’s liable to steal it and that’d hurt your Daddy’s business even more!”

Bo hesitated, and then swung the door open.  Doyle grinned at him, and Bo held his hand out.  “I can take it for you, Mr. Doyle.”

Doyle had his hands behind his back, he brought one around and grabbed Bo by the wrist then yanked the young man forward. Spinning him around, he slapped a chloroform soaked handkerchief against Bo’s face and held it there.

“Just breathe it in son, breathe it in nice and deep!” He said with a cold smile as he held Bo against his chest and watched his struggles grow weaker.

At that moment, Cooter was rounding the bend that led to Boss’s house.  He glanced down to make sure he could stall the truck out easily, but when he looked back up, he got the nasty shock of seeing a big, barrel chested man standing on Boss’s porch, holding Bo tightly against him with one arm while his other hand held something white over Bo’s face.  Bo’s legs were kicking helplessly, and Cooter swore loudly as he fumbled for the CB.

“Breaker one! Luke, Jesse, Min!  Please tell me you got your ears on, this here’s an emergency!”

“Min here Cooter, what’s going on? Is it Bo?”

“Yeah!  Min, you and Luke got to get over to Boss’s house; some big dude in a blue suit is manhandling Bo!”

“What?? What big dude? He’s got Bo? Hang on Cooter we’re almost there!”

“Hurry!”  Cooter shouted as he watched the big man drag Bo to a dark green Chevy parked at the curb.  Bo looked unconscious, and Cooter watched in dismay as the big man tied Bo’s hands and feet, and then shoved a white cloth in his mouth before bundling him into the backseat.  He drove off, heading away from town, and Cooter got back on the CB in a hurry.

“Min! He’s got Bo in his car and he’s heading away from town!  I’m on his tail!”  Cooter began to follow the Chevy at a casual distance, his heart beating hard.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Meanwhile in Min’s red Mustang, the two Duke cousins were speeding towards town, on their way to meet Cooter. They heard his latest transmission and the color drained from Min’s face as she glanced at her cousin, swallowing hard.

“Oh God Luke someone snatched Bo!” She pressed the CB mike again; it shook a little in her hand.

“Cooter? Which road did he take?”

“He’s heading down Orchid Lane and now he’s turning onto Old Farm Road!”

“Old Farm Road?”  Luke repeated, his blue eyes widening.  “There’s nothing out there but-”  His blood ran cold as he thought of the endless tangle of swampland and quicksand pools out at the old dead end road.  He clenched his jaw.

“Put it to the floor, cousin.  Whoever that guy is, he’s planning on making sure we never get Bo back!”  Min exclaimed, and thumbed the mike again.

“Shepherd, this is Darlin’, you got your ears on?”

“You got the Shepherd, Darlin’, come back?”

“We got trouble!  Cooter called us and said he saw some big fella kidnap Bo right off of Boss’s front porch!  Cooter’s on his tail and we’re close behind.”

“Where they headed, Darlin’?”

“West, on Old Farm road!”

There was a pause, and Jesse’s voice was hard-edged with barely controlled panic.

“You just keep on ‘em, Darlin’, and I’ll be there in two shakes Shepherd out.”

“Copy that, Shepherd.  Darlin’ out.”  Min put down the CB and glanced over at Luke.

“Jesse knows where Old Farm Road ends up, Luke.  Just what the heck did Boss tangle Bo up into this time?”

“I don’t think we have to time to ponder that right now, cousin.  If we waste any time, Bo’s going to be at the bottom of the swamp before we can turn around.”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Doyle grinned a hard, unforgiving grin as he headed for the swamps and the end to his troubles with Bo Duke.  Of course he hadn’t trusted Boss at his word, a frog would be better off to trust a hungry snake.  Knowing that Boss would most likely betray or lie to him about what Bo Duke remembered, Doyle had decided to take matters into his own hands.  Sure it was a dirty trick, but dirty tricks were what had kept him alive all of these years.  Alive, and one step ahead of the game.

There was a stirring from the backseat, and then several muffled protests as Bo came out of his ether-induced sleep.  He squirmed against his bonds and called Doyle’s name through the thick white cloth in his mouth.

“Quiet down, boy.  It’ll all be over soon enough. Then I can tell the Dukes that you were silenced permanently.”  Doyle spoke into the rearview mirror, where Bo’s dark blue eyes were wide above his gag.  He shook his head desperately, and Doyle laughed.

“That’s right, I’m working for them, and they want you out of the picture!” He lied, enjoying the look of panic in Bo’s eyes.

“You go on ahead and struggle all you like, the gators love it when their prey puts up a fight.  Makes the meal that much more satisfying!”

“Mnnnnph!”  Bo shouted, his bound feet pounding the back of Doyle’s seat.

“You got plenty of fire boy!  The gators are goin’ to be fighting over you!  Lucky for them there’ll be enough of you to go around.”  Doyle grinned into the rearview mirror as he saw fear jump into Bo’s eyes, and a thrill ran through him.

“Too bad I’m in such a hurry.”  He said in a low, husky voice.  “Otherwise I’d stop along the way so you and I could have a bit of fun of our own before I fed you to the critters in Little Fox Swamp.  Now quiet down before I waste you right here and the swamps be damned!”

Old Farm Road was dwindling into a narrow dirt path, and that made Doyle sigh in satisfaction.  Soon it would be all over and he could get back to using his badge in a manner unbecoming a revenuer, robbing moonshiners of their whiskey and stills, and then selling them a profit.  He had made a huge mistake trusting the likes of Boss Hogg, and he would settle his fat hash, along with his idiot sheriff, just as soon as he took care of Bo Duke.

“See that Boy? It’s almost the end of the line for you and I won’t shed a tear, just another ridge runner that finally got his comeuppance.”

Bo strained against the ropes that bound his hands, praying that somehow his daddy and Uncle Rosco would come after him.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

“Ooh! Oooh!  Boss, come quick! Big Jim Doyle’s gone and kidnapped Bo Duke!”

Rosco called from the driver’s seat of the Caddy as he sat in front of the bank, and Boss nearly fell down the steps of the building in his mad dash to the car, his chubby arms flailing wildly.

“What?  Rosco, are you sure you heard right?  I told Sonny Boy not to open the door for nobody!”

“I heard it with my own two eyes, I mean, ears, I mean . . . . I was sitting right here when I heard Cooter and Min and Jesse talking about it over the CB!  They said some big fella in a blue suit had kidnapped Bo right off’n your front porch!  There’s only one bigfella in a blue suit that I know of, Boss, and that’s Doyle!”

“What!  That no good double-crosser!  We had a deal!”  He got into the caddy and jammed his hat onto his head.  “You just can’t trust an honest crook these days!  You get on the horn and find me a Duke!  Any Duke!  I gotta tell them the truth before it’s too late!”

Rosco pulled out of the town square as he picked up the CB mike.

“Breaker one, this is Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, any of you Dukes got your ears on, come on?”

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Min’s eyes went wide as she heard the hail over the CB and picked up her mike.

“This is Min Duke, sheriff, and if this is about some trumped-up charge or stupid speed trap, we haven’t got the time!  Somebody has Bo-”

There was a spate of static on the line and then Boss broke in.

“Gimmie that thing here,”  Min heard him grumble.

“Now listen up you Dukes!  The man who has Bo is a crooked revenuer named Big Jim Doyle!  He’s gonna do away with Bo if we don’t do something right quick!”

“J.D. Hogg, what have you gotten my boy into?  You’d best start talkin’ right here and now, or Bo won’t be the only one in trouble!”  Jesse raged into his own CB mike.

“Now now Jesse, just take it easy . . . . “ Boss placated his old nemesis.  “I was only tryin’ to protect the boy!”

“Looks like you’re doing a fine job.”  Luke drawled, and Boss gave a wordless noise of protest.

“I resent that, Luke Duke!  I did everything I could for Sonny Boy!  It’s not my fault that Doyle didn’t live up to his end of the bargain!”

“What bargain?”  Min asked, and Boss swallowed hard before pouring out the whole story.  The revenuer’s meeting, Bo on the trestle, the argument, Bo running for his life, Doyle pistol-whipping him at the foot of the blowdown, and finally, Bo’s loss of memory as a result.

Gasping, Min’s mouth dropped open. “So that’s why you kept him from us with that restraining order!”

“I had no choice! Doyle threatened to put all of us six feet under if we didn’t find a way to keep Bo from talking!” Boss took his handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his sweating face. “I couldn’t let Doyle hurt him, so I figured making him think he was a Hogg would be the best thing to do!”

“The best thing for you J.D. but how do you think Bo’s feels not knowing about his family! You did it to protect your fat hide and if’n I get my hands on you….” Jesse roared and the tone of his voice made Boss wince.

“I know I done wrong Jesse but now I want to fix it!”

“Well you all better think of something and quick!” Cooter suddenly interrupted. “We’re almost to Old Farm Road and from what I can see…Bo’s awake!”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Doyle turned down a hard-packed dirt road that bore no sign, only an empty, rusted-out post where one had once been.  In the distance, the land gave way to huge swamp trees and silty quartz deposits that could suck a person down within seconds and smother them.  Doyle knew these swamps well; Bo wasn’t the first person he’d brought here when they’d become a nuisance.  As he sped down the road, kicking up dust behind him, Doyle glanced in the rearview mirror and watched his captive struggle. Beyond that, though, was a speck of yellow that began to gain on him.  Realizing he was being followed, Doyle snarled and pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor.

“Damn it! Looks like I picked up a tail!” He squinted a moment, recognizing the tow truck that belonged to Cooter.

“That greasy monkey from the garage thinks he’s going to be some kind of hero…let’s just see how he likes a few surprises.” Doyle leaned forward and reached out, opening the glove box. He rustled around amongst the papers stuffed into it and pulled out a small black box. Keeping on hand firmly on the wheel, he set the box across his chest and opened it, pulling out a couple of sticks of dynamite.

“This should slow him down.”

From his vantage point, lying on his back in the backseat, Bo could see the dynamite sticks in Doyle’s hand.

“NMMMFF!”  He cried, kicking and struggling as he tried to maneuver his bound feet between the front seats so that he could kick at Doyle.

“Knock it off rube!” Doyle changed the dynamite sticks from one hand to another, and then reached behind him to try and punch Bo with one closed fist.

Bo managed to duck the fist, and then he heard a loud horn begin to honk in the distance.  The honking grew louder and louder, and then Doyle was swearing as the huge front fender of Cooter’s yellow truck rammed into the rear of the Chevy.

“That mangy no good son of a–” The sentence got cut off as the tow trick slammed into the bumper again, the force of it throwing both men forward. Doyle fumbled with the dynamite sticks a moment, then searched the pockets of his suit coat for a lighter and flicked it. He lit the end of the dynamite then rolled down his window, heaving it as hard as he could behind him.

Bo cried out again as he was thrown to the floor by the impact of Cooter’s truck ramming into them, and he looked up just in time to see Doyle toss a stick of dynamite out the window.

“SHOOT-FIRE!”  Cooter shouted, swerving to avoid both the dynamite stick and its resulting explosion that took out a good chunk of road where he’d been only moments before.

“Look out y’all, he’s powerful armed!”  Cooter yelled into his CB.

“I got an idea.”  Luke said to Min as they caught up with Cooter, and swerved away from the yellow truck.  He bumped through a weedy field, and then roared into a copse of swamp maples that marked the beginning of the marsh.  Min looked around nervously.  “Careful Luke, there’s quicksand around here!”

“I know what I’m doing.  Just hang tight.”  Luke replied, and maneuvered the sure-footed Mustang around the thick-trunked maples.  He shot out of them a moment later, the car little more than a red bullet as Luke shot out across Old Farm Road, and cut Doyle’s Chevy off.

Min braced herself as best she could, her teeth clicking together and he body jostling despite her seatbelt.  As she glanced down into Doyle’s car, she Bo briefly locked eyes.

“Oh my God Luke! He looks scared to death!”

“It’s all right, it’s all right, we’re gonna get him.”  Luke said, his tone quiet yet hard as steel.  Doyle slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the mustang, and the two cars now sat on the edge of the swamp, Darlin’s front and rear left tires only a few feet from the greenish water’s edge.  Doyle snarled at Min and Luke through his windshield, and then he was dragging Bo out of the car by his waist, a huge colt .45 pistol jammed under his chin.

“You take one step, you rubes, and I muss this kid’s pretty hair the hard way!”

Min swallowed hard, her finger pressed the CB mike down so Doyle’s threat was broadcast to both Jesse, Boss and Rosco.  Her breathing sped up as she shook her head slowly.

“We won’t move! Just don’t hurt him!”

Doyle approached the mustang, and then inched around it.  Just to the right of the car, a wide deposit of whitish-gray silt ran between two large maples.

The old timers called it ‘lightning sand,’ because anything or anyone who stepped into it vanished beneath the surface lightning-quick, never to be seen again.  Bo whimpered through his gag, his eyes locked on the two people in the red car.

Luke watched Doyle with his arm slung around his cousin.

“We have to do something Min; if he tosses Bo into that sand…he’ll be gone before we can get out of this car!”

Min nodded her throat dry. “But what Luke? What can we do?”

“If we so much as twitch, he’ll blow Bo’s brains out.”  Luke said with desperation.  He closed his eyes, knowing that whether he moved or not, he was about to see his little cousin die before his very eyes.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

In Boss’s Caddy, Boss was shouting into Rosco’s ear.  “Hurry up Rosco!  If we’re going to save that boy’s life, we need to get to that swamp and pronto!  Now step on it!”

“Right! Step on it!”  Rosco tromped down on the caddy’s gas pedal, and Boss yelled as he flew backwards into his seat.

Rosco’s eyes widened as the swamp approached with amazing speed, the caddy gobbling up fuel as it gobbled up yards.

“Do’HOOOH!” Rosco yelled as he slammed into the back of Cooter’s truck.  Cooter grunted as his truck careened forward, hit Min’s car a glancing blow, and knocked Doyle backwards into the whitish gray silt.

The big man screamed, dragging Bo with him as his hands scrabbled for purchase on the mossy bank near the swamp maple.  Bo was half in and half out of the stuff, and Luke dove out of Darlin’ like a linebacker.  He grabbed Bo’s bound ankles and pulled hard in the other direction as Doyle lost his grip, and fell into the lightning sand.

Luke cried out in horror as Bo’s head plunged into the sand as well, as Doyle still had a grip on him.

“Help me, Min! Cooter!”  He yelled.

“Luke!” Min scrambled out of her car and ran towards the edge of the quicksand. She crouched down and wrapped her arms around her cousin’s waist, pulling him backwards.

“Cooter! Help!” She cried out, and then gritted her teeth as she gave another yank on Luke’s waist, moving him only a few inches away from the sand.

Cooter, Jesse, Boss and Rosco all jumped from their cars and converged on the three Dukes, pulling them all away from the deadly sand.  Bo was gagging and coughing, and Luke rolled him over to wipe the drying sand from Bo’s face.

“Bo…are you all right?” He patted his back, hoping to help his cousin’s lungs get clear of the sand and gently plucked the gag from his mouth.

Min stepped over Luke and crouched down beside her brother her heart racing. She smoothed Bo’s gunk covered hair away from his face, mindful of the bandaged cuts on his head. He had his eyes closed, his breaths still sounding raspy.

“Bo? Come on talk to us, please.”

Bo’s eyes fluttered open slowly, and then they locked on his cousin’s face.  He coughed up a fair amount of sand, and groaned aloud.

“Daddy . . . ”  He moaned, and Jesse sighed.

“He still thinks he’s a Hogg.”

“Sonny Boy!” Boss raced over to Bo and smiled down at him. “Yeah I’m here Sonny, you’re all right.” He then heard a growl and looked over his shoulder seeing a pair of volcanic blue eyes staring down at him and he gave a sheepish grin.

“We need to have a talk Sonny.” His attention shifted back to Bo and he sighed. “Remember how I told you all those things about the Dukes? And how I told you that you and me was father and son?”

Bo nodded wearily as Luke untied his hands and feet and tossed the ropes into the silt, where they promptly vanished.  “I remember, daddy.”

“Good, that’s very good Sonny Boy but… there was just one itty bitty little problem with all that I told you.” He opened his mouth a moment, then closed it. He cast another glance over his shoulder seeing Jesse raise an eyebrow.

“What I mean is…” He started looking back at Bo. “Those things I done told you, they wasn’t exactly the truth. Ya see…the Dukes ain’t really all those things I said. They’re your family.”

Bo blinked.  “My . . . . family?”  He looked up at Jesse, Luke and Min.

“No . . .  you said the Dukes were criminals.”  He looked up at Boss.  “No!  My name is Hogg, Bo Hogg!  Doyle told me they were the ones paying him to get me out of the way!”

“No it’s not Sonny Boy, its Bo Duke.” Boss then glanced at Rosco.

“Right Rosco?”

Rosco nodded.  “That’s right Bo.  You’re a Duke.  Like Luke and Min there.”  He gestured to the two young people.  “And that’s your Uncle Jesse.”

Cooter also nodded as he stepped closer. “Bo, they’re your family and they practically tore Hazzard clean apart trying to find you.”

“No . . . ”  Tears suddenly came to Bo’s eyes and spilled down his cheeks.

“I’m a Hogg. I . . . I’m . . . .”  Bo’s eyes rolled back and he slipped into unconsciousness, his head falling back onto Luke’s shoulder.

“Bo!” Min touched the side of her brother’s face. “I think…I think the shock of all this made him pass out!”  She glanced at Luke who nodded.

“We best get him to Tri County.”

“Capitol City General’s better.”  Boss put in.  His eyes lifted to Jesse’s.  “And don’t worry none about the bill.”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Bo stayed in the dark for nearly twenty-six hours.  When he awoke slowly from his torpor he found that he once again had a bad headache, and that he was back in a hospital.  The Duke girl with the dark hair was sitting at his bedside, and he turned his head to look at her.

“What’re you doing here?”  He asked in a weak, hoarse voice.

Min smiled, reaching out she touched Bo’s blond hair and moved it away from his bandaged cuts. “You’re my brother…whether you remember it or not its true.”

She spoke in a gentle voice, not wanting to rile him.

Bo jerked away from her, and then groaned when that action aggravated his headache.  “You’re a liar!  Doyle told me all about you!  He said he was acting on your orders!”

“Doyle lied about that Bo. Think about it… if we wanted you dead, would we have pulled out of that quicksand?” She stared directly into his face, watching him think it over.

“I . . . I don’t know what to think.  I’m so confused.  I thought I was a Hogg, but you say I’m a Duke.  Daddy said The Dukes are our worst enemy.”  Bo rubbed his eyes.

“I feel like a marker in some big game, pushed around by people who all want me to believe their side of things!”

“I know right now things are a mess in your head, but what I’m telling you is the truth. You’re a Duke and somewhere deep down inside of you is that knowledge, it’s just been scrambled because you hit your head.” Min reached out and gently touched his hand.

“I want you to look at me, in my eyes and tell me that you think I’d hurt you.”

Bo looked into the girl’s dark eyes.  Although she was dark where he was fair, there was something of himself mirrored in her face.  He swallowed hard.

“If you really are my kin, then prove it.  Help me remember what happened.  Uncle Rosco says I was in an accident.”

Min nodded, tightening her grip on his hand. “Then come with me outside.”

Bo hesitated.  He might not remember his own past, but he did remember what happened the last time he went somewhere with a stranger.

“I- I don’t know.”

“What does your heart tell you?” She didn’t want to force him to go with her, for this to work he had to go along with her outside willingly.

Bo closed his eyes.  “That I have to know the truth.”

He swung his legs out of bed as Min handed him his old blue robe that Jesse had brought for him.  He shrugged it on, pausing to frown at a hole in the sleeve.

Caught it on the hook where I hang my towel in the bathroom, he thought randomly, and then blinked down at Min.  “This . . . this is my robe, isn’t it?”

“Yeah it is.” Min grinned at that, something had come back to her brother, though small at least it was a start.

“Where are we going?”  Bo asked as they got into the elevator and headed down to the first floor.

“Outside, figured you could use some fresh air.”

She escorted him down the white-tiled hall to the end of it, the sliding glass door parted and there, under the ambulance port sat the General. Min grinned as she let go of Bo’s arm and approached the long stock car.

“This is the General Lee Bo…you and Luke built him together.”

Bo stared hard at the car, and suddenly a memory flashed through his head.  Snatches of a country tune about how Mama Tried, a fishing pole, and a flat tire.  He frowned.

“The General.”

“Right! The General Lee. How’s this grab your memory?” Min bent down and poked her inside the driver’s side door and hit the horn, the first eleven notes of Dixie suddenly blared out from beneath the hood.

Bo’s eyes widened at the sound as a mass of roaring pain rolled through his head like thunder.  Memories began to flood his mind all at once, memories of his childhood, his family, and along with those, memories of Boss and Rosco and Big Jim Doyle.  He screamed, clapping his hands over his ears as he sank to his knees onto the pavement.

“Bo!” Min grabbed her brother around the waist, preventing him from falling all the way to the concrete and injuring himself further. She propped him up as best she could, and stared into his face.

“It’s all right…I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Bo looked up at her, and another wave of memories crashed over him.  Min coming to the farmhouse for the first time, saying she was his sister.  Pinball at The Boar’s Nest, racing down Foxhill Road . . . . Bo put a hand to his head as he looked directly into her warm brown eyes.

“Min.”  He said shakily.  “Your name is Min.”

She blinked at that, her eyes widening. “You…you remember me?”

His hands coming up to touch her face, Bo nodded.

“Yes . . . yes I do!”  He got to his feet slowly.  “And Luke, and Uncle Jesse?  Are they here?”

“They’re in the waiting room.” Min’s breath caught a moment, a smile coming to her face as she saw the recognition shining in his brother’s eyes.

“God Bo…when you didn’t come home…” She bit her lip, her eyes growing shiny as tears welled up in them. “We didn’t know what had happened and then we couldn’t find you.”

Bo threw his arms around her and held her tightly. He remembered everything, from going fishing to running for his life from Jim Doyle down that path that was carpeted with pine needles.

“I saw something I shouldn’t have, Min.  It was an accident . . . I was just taking a shortcut home because The General had a flat!”

Min returned the hug, a bit overwhelmed at everything that had happened over the past couple of days. “I know, Boss told us everything.”

“I want to see Luke and Uncle Jesse.  Please.”

“All right.” She let go of her brother, pausing a moment to wipe her face. “They’re over here.” Taking a hold of Bo’s hand, she led him back into the hospital.

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

Luke paced back and forth, his arms crossed over his chest as he wore a path in the carpeting. Close by, Jesse sat on one of the maroon colored couches in the room, his fingers laced over his chest. He watched his nephew walk and sighed.

“Worrying ain’t going to help nothing Luke. Min can’t force Bo to remember, we just have to hope she can help.”

“What if he never remembers us, Uncle Jesse?  What if we have go to go the rest of his life trying to help him remember his own past?”  Luke asked, stopping his pacing long enough to confront his uncle.

“All we can do is hope for the best; the rest is in the hands of the good Lord.”

Though Jesse’s words were strong, his eyes betrayed him, the worry and pain of Bo’s memory loss and almost losing his life reflecting in their depths.

The double doors behind them rumbled open, and Luke’s heart all but stopped in his chest as he heard a familiar and much-loved voice call his name.

“Luke! Uncle Jesse!”

Jesse turned, a grin coming to his face as he saw his niece and nephew come in; he slowly rose to his feet as Bo practically tackled him, his blond head pressing to his chest. He couldn’t speak, just lowered his chin to rest on top of Bo’s head, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

“Uncle Jesse.”  Bo said softly, hugging his uncle tightly.  “I can’t believe I forgot about you!”

Luke touched his cousin on the back. “You were hurt Bo, you didn’t remember any of us.”

Bo turned to hug Luke hard.  “I was trying to remember, but Boss kept telling me that Dukes were the enemy.  Guess I just started believing it.”

“Whoa!” Luke chuckled then returned the fierce embrace. “And with you not remembering the truth, it was easy for you to believe.” His grin widened. “Just promise me one thing Cousin.”

“What’s that?”  Bo asked, pulling back to look his cousin in the eye.

“That you’ll never ever wear a white suit again!” Luke saw his cousin’s eyes grow round; the expression so familiar that it made his heart flood with relief.

Bo groaned, knowing that Luke would never let him live that down.  “Luke, that’s a promise!”

 

***************                 ******************                ****************

 

It was evening again, and a cool, gentle breeze tumbled Bo’s wavy blond hair into his eyes as he rocked back and forth on the glider that sat on the Duke’s front porch.  It had been two days since the Dukes were a family again. Bo had come home with his memories intact, but at times he was sorry that he remembered everything.

Doyle’s death particularly upset him; not because Doyle was an innocent man, but because Bo felt somehow responsible.  He sighed and pushed his hair back, grateful for the cool soothing breeze.

“Should be getting some rest Bo, the doctor said you had to take it easy for at least a week.” Jesse stood at the screen door peering at his nephew, then opened it and stepped down onto the porch. He walked around the swing and sat down beside his nephew.

“You’ve been awfully quiet since you got home, something on your mind?”

“I don’t know, Uncle Jesse . . . .I just . . . ”  He ran both hands through his hair, making the loose curls pile atop one another.  “I remember how Doyle died, and I feel like it’s my fault.”

Jesse reached down and patted Bo’s knee. “I know you do Sprout, but it wasn’t your doing. You were helpless, bound hand and foot. Doyle was the one that made the choice to kidnap you and take you to the swamp, the things that happened there were unfortunate but they weren’t your doing. You’re just as much a victim as Doyle was, ‘cept you were lucky enough to come out in one piece.”

“I just wish no one had gotten hurt is all.”  Bo said softly.  “Even though Doyle wasn’t exactly an upstanding kind of fella, I don’t think he deserved what happened to him.”

“Nobody ever does Bo; when someone dies tragically they never deserve what happens to them.” Jesse shifted over, his arm coming up and resting across his nephew’s shoulders, he then drew the younger man closer.

“Been a wild couple of days, hasn’t it?”

“Yessir.”  Bo said softly, and allowed his head to rest on Jesse’s shoulder for a moment.  He was of course too old for such gestures anymore, but for those few moments, it was a huge comfort.

“Boss told me that he did what he did to protect me.”  He laughed softly.  “I’m surprised he didn’t deliver me to Doyle wrapped up in a big red ribbon.”

“Now don’t go holding nothing against him Bo. I know there are times when J.D. Hogg is lower than a snake’s belly, but deep down he knows what’s right and wrong and once in a great while, that overpowers his greed. He could have done just that, delivered you to Doyle to save his own hide but that sense of right and wrong won out because it woulda meant having to put a youngster like you in danger.” Jesse raised his index finger.

“And that makes all the difference in the world.” A gentle smile came to his face.

“You understand what I’m trying to say to you?”

“Yessir.”  Bo smiled a little.  “Just think, this time not too long ago I was out here feeling sorry for myself.”

“Life is that way Bo; you never know what hand it’s going to deal you next.” Jesse kissed Bo’s blond hair and stood up. “I’m going to head to bed; you don’t stay out here too long, all right?” He raised his eyebrow at Bo, and then his face softened as the younger man nodded.

“I won’t, Uncle Jesse.  Night.”  Bo watched his uncle go inside, and took a deep breath of the sweet night air.  Jesse was right, nothing in life was certain . . . .

Except!  Bo thought with grin, the certainty that Luke’s gonna be awful sore when he wakes up in the morning and finds out what I’ve done to get him back for leaving that flat spare tire in The General! 

Chuckling to himself, Bo got up and went inside, glad that he remembered that Min was a heavy sleeper . . . .and where she kept her makeup case.

The front door closed on Bo’s laughter, and the front porch light winked out.

 

END.

by: Tara

“Mr. Hogg said we aren’t allowed to cash y’all’s paychecks anymore.” I inform the brunette haired man dressed in a short sleeve shirt and jeans.

“Why not?” He inquires.

My satin blouse covered shoulders rise for a moment. “Maybe Rosco can help ya.” My lips curl part way into an impish grin.

“I can’t wait for him to come back from patrol,” He mutters.

“Oh?” I stare at long fingers being jammed into the front pockets of well worn denim. His thumbs hook into the belt loops. Attention turns toward the white vinyl blind covered windows.

“I’ll loan you the amount.” I offer.

“I couldn’t let you do that.” He insists.

“C’mon,” I reach into my skirt pocket and pull out a twenty. “Will this be enough?”

Hesitantly, he faces me again and takes the crinkled bill. “Interested in goin’ to the drive in this weekend?”

“Um,” I pause. “Can I give you an answer in a few days?”

“Just let me know before Friday,” He smiles and steps back from the counter. He winks.

“Take care.” I wave and turn my attention to paperwork, listening to the door open and shut, his departure accompanied by an off key whistle.

*                  *               *

“Here?” Boss yelled from his desk. “Are y’all outta your cotton pickin’ minds?”

“We ain’t got time for an ambulance from the nearest medical facility.” Luke said.

“Jesse’s helped deliver livestock,” Bo added.

“Y’all either help or get outside,” Rosco ordered. He was kneeled down next to Wilbur Fudge’s wife. In the middle of filing out a deposit slip, the petite blond had clutched her stomach. As people stepped over to help, the young woman’s water broke. The Sheriff and security guard had assisted Iris behind the counter so she’d have a bit of privacy.

After Jesse did a mini exam, He went to get the doctor. Just in case, the county physician was out on an emergency, Daisy had gone to fetch towels and other items needed from the hotel across the town square.

Boss really didn’t cotton to the idea of a baby being born in the bank. But the county commissioner knew he didn’t have much choice.  “Go see what’s takin’ that uncle of yours sooooo long.” He motioned with his hands to Bo and Luke like he was shooing a chicken to a henhouse.

“Ok,” The boys agreed and ran to the door. The brunette opened it and stepped out first, followed by the blond. Their boots could be heard thumping on the building’s steps before the door closed.

Rosco looked at his watch. The contractions were a little less than thirty seconds apart. He raised a hand and wiped the perspiration that had beaded on the nape of his neck. “You got a name picked out?” He asked nervously.

Iris nodded. Her small hand squeezed Rosco’s knee at another wave of pain. An uneven breath was taken before she spoke. “Kinda. Wilbur doesn’t want him to be a junior.”

Rosco smiled. “What if it’s a girl?” He retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and lightly brushed the folded white cotton over Iris’s forehead. Her bangs were slightly damp with sweat.  “Not sure. Maybe Fern after-” She bit down on her bottom lip. Her grip tightened on Rosco’s leg. “I’m sorry, Sheriff.”

“It’s awright,” Rosco assured the frightened young woman. He thought for a moment. Daisy should’ve been back by now from the hotel. He looked over to Boss. “Can you hand me one of those, please?” He pointed to a large white bag laying on the mahogany desk.

“What for?” Thin, dark eyebrows arched suspiciously.

“Boss,” Rosco paused. A wry smile crossed his lips. “Sooner we get this little tyke born, the bank can reopen for business.”

“Oh,” Boss’s pudgy hands grabbed the bag. And almost as fast as a frog could swallow a June bug, the requested item had been placed next to the Sheriff.

“Thank ya,” Rosco replied. Blue eyes darted to the bag and he took a deep breath. He picked the semi clean cotton sack up and looked at Iris. “Unfortunally, we’re gonna have to work with the supplies we got…”

“Hold on a second, Sheriff.” Daisy Duke’s nervous voice called to the uniformed man. She hurried out from the door marked Private with a laundry basket. Boss’s dark eyes only saw the towels and blanket. “Daisy, this ain’t no time to be doin’ wash.”

She stepped to the teller station and glanced over her shoulder at the county commissioner. “Boss Hogg, you… why if-” She felt a tug on her peasant blouse sleeve. She turned her attention to the uniformed man that stood staring at her.

“Daisy, can I at least have the basket before you finish hollarin’ at Boss?” Rosco asked gently.  She held the basket out to him. “That,” Her hand brushed over a small black emergency medical kit box after the Sheriff placed a hand on each side of the basket. “isthe best I could find at the drugstore.”

“Like I just said, we’re gonna have to work with the supplies we got.” Rosco paused as the basket transfer completed. “I could sure use a glass of water.” He sighed.

“I’ll go over to the café and get you one.” Daisy replied and hurried back to the door that she had come from. “And see if you can’t find your cousins and uncle.” Rosco added before she left. He glanced around the room at who was present and who wasn’t. He hadn’t even noticed Enos and Cooter slip out the front door. It was just him and Boss. The security guard had been sent over to relief Wilbur from his duties at the impound lot.

Wasn’t like he needed the Duke family, but Jesse had a way of calming folks nerves in tight situations. And Rosco was nervous. He just didn’t want to voice it. The sweat damping his hairline and shirt was enough.

The Sheriff turned to finish bringing a new citizen into Hazzard. Blue eyes widened. Boss’s voice behind him on the phone and cb barely registered with Rosco. Without a sound, the basket dropped to the floor. He grabbed the medical kit and fumbled with the lock on it for a moment. He pulled out a pair of exam gloves with one hand. His other hand sat the black box on the wooden counter top.

Boss paused in his conversations and watched Rosco put the gloves on, then unfold a towel. The Sheriff also got a blanket from the laundry basket. He said a silent prayer that everything would be ok.

His dark eyes grew misty hearing a cry. He placed the phone receiver on top of the cb box and put the cb mic in the phone cradle. He walked to the counter and peered through one of the three teller windows. “Holy Hannah!” He exclaimed and grabbed a handkerchief from the pocket of his vest under the suit coat. The stout county commissioner wiped his cheeks and replaced the monogrammed cloth next to his pocket watch.

Quietly, Rosco finished the last detail of separating the new baby from his mama. He took a deep breath, thankful nothing had gone wrong. He looked over toward the door that had opened. The Dukes and other folks were milling in. He smiled and reached his hands down to pick the baby up to show everyone but froze hearing…

“Sheriff!” Iris’s face was extremely pink. Her eyes squeezed shut. Her arms slid from holding the baby to the floor. Her fingers dug into the carpet.

“Uh,” Rosco quickly got the baby and placed him in the basket on top of the other towel. “Boss, someone come here, please.” He requested and kneeled down once. His gaze focused on a towel that laid over the top part of the young woman’s legs. He turned toward Boss and nearly jumped as his hand brushed against soft skin.

The Dukes and other folks started to move toward Rosco was but Boss wagged his finger, shook his head and mouthed for them to be stay where they were. There wasn’t a lot of space behind the counter. Bo and Luke looked ready to protest until someone whispered about the county commissioner being their probation official. Daisy put her hands over her mouth, enjoying the silent exchange. The Sheriff’s drink had slipped her mind after finding her cousins and uncle at the dry goods store.

Her ears caught a small buzzing noise over the Sheriff’s coaxing for Iris to take a breath and push. Daisy noticed the receiver and quickly placed it back on the cradle. The cb mic was put next to the box. A smile came to her lips hearing not one but two small voices wail.

She ran over to the counter and stood next to Boss. Hazel eyes saw the tiny bundle being laid on the left side of Iris’s chest. A head of dark hair rubbed against the satin material. “What is it?” She asked curiously.

“A girl,” Rosco smiled. “And a boy.” He got the basket and carefully moved the little boy to the small space between the counter and Iris’s right side. “They both seem to be alright.”

“Yeehaw,” Bo shouted. He joined with everyone else in congratulating Wilbur who’d snuck in the establishment as his second child was born. “What are you gonna name ‘em?” Several folks asked in unison.  Commotion insured for several moments when everyone gave their opinions. Then everyone clamored about holding the babies.

“I’ll wait until they’re dressed,” Luke stated and put a plaid satchel in Wilbur’s hands. The young man’s hands tightened around the rope cord that held the bag together.

“Go on,” Jesse patted Wilbur on the shoulder. He turned to his niece. “Wasn’t you suppose to get Rosco a drink?”

“Oh,” Daisy looked from her uncle to the Sheriff. “I’ll go get it right now.” He looked down to see Iris resting.

Rosco shook his head. “It’s ok, I need some fresh air after all this.” He moved out from behind the counter and gave Wilbur’s shoulder a squeeze as he passed by. Boss followed Rosco outside. Jesse and some of the others took their lead and left the building. The group had barely gotten back from the café when Wilbur peeked outside the bank’s front door.

Iris was seated in the dark wooden swivel chair in front of Boss’s desk. A weary smile crossed her lips at the sight of folks remigrating. “We were just getting ready to leave for the hospital.” That brought a chorus of people offering to take the new family. Wilbur shook his head. “We’re already troubled everyone enough already.”

“We do appreciate everything y’all did,” Iris added.

“Are you gonna name one of them after Rosco,” someone voiced their curiosity.

“Hadn’t really thought…” Wilbur and Iris glanced at Rosco.

“Now, that ain’t really necessary.” The Sheriff said modestly. “Tho’ you could go with Grace,” he paused. “and Kelly.”

“Two Grace And Kelly Fudges?” Someone chuckled. “Won’t that be a bit confusin’?”

Boss wagged a finger at the person. “He meant Grace for the little girl and Kelly for the little boy.” The county commissioner paused. His dark eyes looked toward the young couple. Each was now holding one of the infants. The babies had been laying asleep in the laundry basket. “Jefferson Davis would work too.”

“J.D.,” Jesse Duke exclaimed.

“I was kiddin’,” He replied and turned his head to the sound of a vehicle beeping its horn outside. He watched Jesse turn and look out the window. The elderly farmer raised a hand to shield his eyes from the light that had begun to shimmer through as the sun changed position in the aqua hued sky. “The ambulance.” He announced. His other hand pushed against the door handle.

Twenty minutes later, there wasn’t anyone left in the bank but an employee and the security guard.

The End

by: Wendy

*Author Note: Although a response to the one set challenge, this is kind of a prequel to “Jessica Lynn.” *

Daisy sighed in frustration at the number of people already in line when she stepped into the bank. Boss was too cheap to have more than one teller working on what he considered “off” days – and, of course, pay day for the Boar’s Nest was one of those days.  “I’d hate to see his idea of busy,” she muttered, taking her place in line. It looked like half of the town was in there, and the poor teller, Rose Ellen, looked frazzled.

As the line inched forward, Daisy glanced again at the check in her hand. Normally, she just deposited the whole thing in the family’s account, but today was different. Today she had special plans for this money, but, if Rose Ellen didn’t hurry, she just may chicken out.

After her visit with Doc Applebee last week, Daisy had been trying to gather the courage to share her big news with Jesse and the boys. Then, when she got her check this afternoon, it had hit her – she didn’t have to tell them anything. Instead, she would just cash the check and leave town. As hard as it would be for her, she could save them the shame of knowing what she had done. She could get a job somewhere, surely, and manage to provide for herself and the baby. This was her problem; it had nothing to do with her family. They would get along just fine without her.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts with a little shake of her head, Daisy gazed around the room. This would be almost as hard to give up as her family would. She had known everyone in this room her entire life. She forced a smile and waved in response to Cletus as he passed by to go back on patrol. The deputy had been friends with the Duke cousins since elementary school – in spite of being a Hogg. Then there was Mr. Johnson at a nearby table filling out a deposit slip. His family had lived down the road from the Duke farm for generations, and he had helped Jesse on runs until the boys learned to drive and help with the stills. He and Jesse had been friends their entire lives. Looking past Mr. Johnson, she spotted Linda Jacobs. The two of them had been friends since Linda moved to Hazzard in the second grade. Daisy did not have many memories from childhood that did not involve Linda. And, of course, there was Cooter, joking with Rose Ellen as he paid on his loan. She didn’t know how she would have survived without Cooter. No matter what happened, he was always there to pick up the pieces if one of them wrecked, or provide a distraction if necessary. Cooter was more like a member of the family than anything else.

She had a million memories attached to each and every person in this room. As the memories flooded over her, she glanced again at the check. It was not too late. She had the deposit slip in her purse, filled out and ready to go. She could just go home and talk to her uncle. Explaining herself would be difficult, but not impossible. Jesse would be upset, of course, but he would understand. He had always told his kids that there was nothing they couldn’t tell him – it didn’t mean that he wouldn’t yell some, but he would help them with any problem they had. As she moved up again, Daisy smiled to herself, hearing Jesse’s voice in her head again “Dukes don’t run. Sometimes we oughta run, and sometimes we feel like we’d like to run, but we don’t and we won’t!”

“All right, you win,” she muttered to the voice in her head, “I’ll try it your way.” As she moved toward the head of the line, Daisy watched a woman, new to Hazzard, come in with a young child, and smiled again. She began to picture herself bringing her own child with her when she brought her checks. Everyone would make a fuss over the baby. When it was older, Rose Ellen would give it lollipops at the counter for being good in the bank. Everything would turn out just fine.

When her turn finally came, Daisy felt wonderful – cheered for the first time in a week by thoughts of what life could be like if she stayed here in Hazzard. She greeted Rose Ellen with a real smile, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted. As she placed the check on the counter, though, all of her fears came crashing back, and she heard her voice say, “I need to cash this, please.” Rose Ellen didn’t even blink, just counted out the money and handed it to her with a smile. When Daisy turned to leave, she heard Rose Ellen say, “See you in church Sunday.”

She nodded slightly, but, as she walked away, a tear slipped down her cheek, and she whispered, “No. You won’t,” her voice too low for anyone to hear. At the door, she stopped and took another look back at her friends and neighbors inside, knowing that she would probably never see any of them again. Another tear slipped down her cheek, and she stepped quickly out onto the sidewalk, heading for home to pack for her new life.