An odd and awkward silence once again builds within the small undercover patrol car as the two local lawmen glance nervously at one another before the sheriff slowly turns back around in his seat ahead of me.  For a moment, I allow my imagination to run wild within me of all that could be happening beyond the thick trees and bushes that separates us from Max’s gang and the FBI, of who had shot at who and why. “I have a problem, sheriff,” I dryly state to interrupt the silence as my thoughts flash from the gun shots and the battle being fought feet away and onto my future. Of what this battle between Max’s gang and the FBI holds upon my future, whether it will prove of my innocence or convince the feds of my guilt as they see it.

“What you mean you’ve got a problem, Duke? You’ve got several of them that I can think of right now,” the sheriff gruffly responds ahead of me, staring out through his window, “You’re a Duke, that’s a problem, you’re guilty of beating the town’s mechanic, and of beating your own gang member while in jail. I’d say you’ve got several problems.”

“I’m done defending myself against your unlawful accusations. I’ve told you my story, I’ve told you the truth. If I had done all that, you think I would have ran to the feds once I got lose from jail?” I throw back at them as I struggle to swallow down my anger that begins to build within me.  “Don’t matter right now, what matters right now, is that I’ve got to go pee.”

The sheriff lets out a huff of disbelief while shaking his head. “You better hold it, then,” he finally responds, “because we are ordered to watch you and make sure you don’t escape. Which I presume means to keep you inside the car no matter what. Better hope they don’t take too long in apprehending your criminal friends.”

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Thick darkness lingers heavily across the cold jail as I stare blankly ahead, my mind once again aimlessly wandering through all that has happened and had led me to where I am at now. Of where my future will be taking me. If only I had stayed in Knoxville and allowed my dad to turn me in as he had been threatening to do, I’d only go away for the things I actually had done. Now that I had optioned to move Kristy to Hazzard in attempt to escape jail time, I am not only facing the charges of what I had done in Knoxville, but also for beating the hick mechanic that I had found lying upon his floor in his own blood. “Damn,” I cuss angrily in frustration as I silently wonder of how long I could be spending behind bars now.

“Awesome,” I hear Ronnie whisper behind me and I slowly glance behind me to find a hand slipping a note into the open bars of the window. Ronnie reads the note by a dim light that his friend shines through the window only for a broad smile to cross his face. “It’s about time, Steel. Let’s do it!”

The man he had called Steel whispers something before I hear footsteps walking away and Ronnie slowly climbs down from standing on his cot to meet his friend, as he always does at this time of night. “What’s that about?” I slowly ask, turning around the rest of the way to face him.

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