by Debbie (Ldydebpv31)

Fandom: Dukes of Hazzard FanFic and Yahoo! Groups: DukesFanFic
Rating: PG-13
Status: NEW
Archive: Please Archive
FEEDBACK: Both Positive and Negative are welcome and appreciated
Series/Sequel: Chapter Eleven

Disclaimers: This is a complete work of fiction written just for fun. No intended Copyright infringement.

Notes: This is a rather long text and will take several posts to send all of it. I thank any and all who take the time to read my work. To Those who chose to honor me with their comments/critique’s I offer my sincerest gratitude.

Warnings: The Story has some of the usual car chases, fist fights, etc., but there is also a little sexual content and suggestions of sexual violence but not very graphic. You be the Judge.

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CHAPTER ELEVEN

The sun was just beginning its descent, ending the day during the drive Will and Bronco were taking Bo and Caitlin on. Will wanted to keep Caitlin’s nerves on edge…to keep her controlled. He made sure to keep his hand resting over her seat’s head rest, his fingers brushing the back of her neck and hair. He tried to caress her cheek, but she flinched and pulled away from him. Bronco laughed. Will used Caitlin’s hair to pull her back against the seat…keeping her there with his hand again resting on her neck. Bo helplessly watched Caitlin hang her head…tears drenching her face. Unable to stand the pain being caused his Caiti-Girl and not being able to help her, Bo turned his attention to the road…taking mental notes of the path they were following…the knowledge of where they were going beginning to worry him and bring him hope at the same time. Will nudged Bo slightly and jeered, “My, My, country boy, shame on you for violating your parole. I hear the sheriff of this county doesn’t like you very much. Matter of fact he’s promise J.D. to shoot you on site.”

Bronco added, “guess that means you better behave yourself, Mr. Duke, and don’t try any of those escape plans you been forming in your head.” Bronco continued to drive in circles until the sun had completely set and darkness covered the roads. Bronco laid a hand on Caitlin’s knee and commented suggestively, “We’re almost there, Miss Rose. We went to a lot of trouble to pick out just the right place for you. Will, they use a she’ll be as good as or guest as she was a host?” The two men laughed as bronco made sharp turn down a very narrow path. He had turned on only the parking lights of the jeep so as not to give away their position to Bo. It did not matter; both Bo and Caitlin were too busy trying to hold on in their seats to pay attention as the jeep job down a hill into a thicket of trees.

The jeep finally came to a halt to inside that thicket near a very old and very small shack. Caitlin’s heart finally slowed to a regular beat allowing her to look at her surroundings. She did not see a road only a very narrow path going back into the darkness. The shack looked to be about 100 or more years old and about ready to collapse inside itself. Its only redeeming quality was a small porch that surrounded the entire house. Three rusty metal lawn chairs and a long beaten up metal swing late toppled over on the front of the porch. Will stepped out of the Jeep and faced Bo. Clearing his throat, Will said, “Mr. Duke,” as Bo’s eyes focused on Will, Will forced Caitlin to look up at him, her chin held within the vice grip of his hand. His voice became hard and cruel, his eyes the commanding Caitlin’s complete attention, “look around here. There is no way for car to get down here. I planned this very carefully. So remember who’s in charge and you both won’t have to be tied up.”

Will pulled Caitlin from her seat and pushed her to stand in front of the headlights. He made Caitlin faced Bo while he examined the ropes cutting into her wrists. He sighed in mock sympathy at the angry welts tinged with blood. He called, “bronco, give me your knife and that special package I got just for Caitlin the other day.”

Too eager to comply, bronco unhooked the hunting knife from its holster on his belt and tossed to Will. He looked at Bo with a self-satisfied smile as he reached across Bo to retrieve what looked like a doctor’s leather medical bag. He tossed that to Will as well. Forcing Bo to stand out of the jeep bronco hissed for Bo to watch Will give his Rose the first of her many surprises they had planned for her that night. Bo looked to see Caitlin again facing Will their expression hidden in the shadows but their movements glowing within the light from the jeep.

Caitlin watched in terrified fascination. Will made a show of taking the knife out of the case and running the tip across the neckline of her swimsuit. He teased, “My beautiful rose, I just realized how much fun we are going to have tonight.”

Sickened by his behavior and not wanting to show him her fear she spat “you always did have a sick sense of what fun is and a bad sense of humor too.” Instead of the fear will was hoping to see, he found her look of disgust irritating.

In retaliation, he used the knife to cut apart one of her shoulder straps to bathing suit. Caitlin bit her lip instead of reacting grateful that she still wore her yellow blouse as a jacket. It was not preventing the top of her bathing suit from falling down and exposing her breasts. Before she could say anything else Will forced her to turn around and pushed her face first against the hood of the car. He picked her legs apart to prevent her from moving. Caitlin closed her eyes in preparation for the attack she thought was coming her ears listening to Bo yelling against the gag in his mouth and bronco having to keep Bo still. Will leaned over her and replied sarcastically, “just another example of my sick sense of fun my Rose.”

Caitlin felt the knife’s tip lifting her skirt up to her hips. Instead of attacking her, Will simply cut away the ropes binding her wrists and elbows together. She heard him open the bag on the hood behind her head…out of her line of vision. She Knew that bag very well…and braced herself for its contents. She wanted to fight Will…tried to squirm, but with his body pinning her legs apart and against the jeep…his hands holding her wrists together and pushing them against her back to keep her from moving it was futile. She was about to bang her head against the hood in frustration when she felt Will lift slightly and turn her over on her back. He then pulled her to a sitting position while encasing her hands in a pair of leather-banded cuffs linked together by a very short chain with another longer chain hanging from it. When the leather bands were securely fastened about her wrists, Will looped the long chain around her waist and pulled until her hands were trapped against her waist. He secured a second lock to one of the links on the belt and the chain between her hands…leaving the rest of the belt’s length to dangle in front of her. He warned her, “Now, MY Rose, you can remain in this comfortable position and I will keep you to myself until this is over. If you behave, I will even let your lover live to see his new jail cell. Do you understand me!”

While promising to escape as soon as she could to herself, Caitlin nodded in mock resignation…thankful for the cover of darkness to hide the truth. She knew he was lying to her. She knew Bo’s life was finished as soon as her Uncle paid the ransom…and she would disappear from the face of the earth never to see her father…her family again. Will eased up on his prisoner and called out to Bronco, “How soon will Jack and the others be here?”

Bronco lead Bo to the shack as he replied, “Jack and Rick will be here soon…they can follow the path on the bikes. Ray and Scott will need us to get them from the road. They’ve hidden the car and are waiting for us.” Pushing Bo a little too hard to get him to walk, Bronco asked, “What do we do with him until they get here?”

Will helped Caitlin stand up and guided her towards the shack too. He said, “Set Mr. Duke in one of those chairs…you can secure his hands to it with this.” Will tossed a short chain with a clip on each end to Bronco. Bronco set Bo down, hooking his hands still cuffed behind him to the chair. Bo’s eyes reflected his hate as he fought until he lost that battle and heard the lock clamp shut. Will handed Bronco the chain linked to Caitlin and instructed, “Secure this to the railing along the steps of the porch…make sure our guest is comfortable, Bronco.” Bronco and Caitlin’s eyes met…Bronco silently reminding her of the revenge he owed her…the lust he still felt for her. Bronco barely heard Will saying, “I’ll go and get Scott and Ray. I need to go back into town to make sure our message got to Brooks.” Will caught the interactions between Caitlin and Bronco…the fear and disgust in Caitlin’s and the evil in Bronco’s.

Bronco set Caitlin on the steps of the shack and then looped the end of her “leash” around the railing. He knelt down next to her as he promised, “I’ve got everything under control, Will. Miss Rose is very safe in my care. Unless of course she does something stupid.” He looked at her with expectation of her doing exactly that which would give him license to do anything he wanted to her…he would get his revenge one way or another. To Caitlin he said, “My memory is very long, Miss Rose….”

Before he could say more, Will called out, “Bronco, I’d like to have a word with you!”

Bronco felt himself being picked up from his kneeling position in front of Caitlin. Will dragged him away from the porch…he wanted to make sure Bronco knew his place out of earshot of Caitlin. He got in Bronco’s face and asked, “Can I trust you to handle them by yourself, My friend!”

Bronco said, “Of course, Will! I want this as much as you do!”

Will instructed, “Then I don’t want you touching or threatening, My Rose anymore…. do you get me!”

Bronco argued, “But you promised…you…she owes me for….”

Will said, “For what…reminding me of how you once lusted for her…how you took advantage of my trust and kissed her!” Will played with the ring on his finger…. making sure to show it to Bronco. He said, “I think once Jack gets down here, Bronco…I want him to become my second in command until we’re done here.”

Bronco’s anger rose in his eyes. He had been waiting for his chance to get to Caitlin…he bided his time…took the abuse Will heaped on him…hoping Will would share her with him as before…if only for one last time…maybe even get her to himself once Will was busy and away. He was offended that Will was not only preventing him from getting his revenge…but putting Jack ahead of him…taking away the power he had worked for within Will’s organization. He said these things to Will and without thinking yelled, “You said we were friends, Sharp…you promised me a reward for her…”
Caitlin watched the argument between them in disinterest at first. She had been a witness to them before; even purposely caused a few. She remarked…her eyes looking back to Bo, “They are at it again. Bronco will never learn….” She looked back and was reminded that Bo could not respond. Angrily She turned back toward the arguing pair and then smiled, “I’ve got an idea!” She saw Bo’s eyes question her and she said, “I mean…now is our chance…. trust me!” She inspected the wood railing and almost laughed at the decayed and rotting stick Bronco had tied her to. She inched her way still she could grasp the wood within her hands and then leaned against the rail…using her hands to push until she heard the wood crack. She looked around making sure her captors had not heard her…but they were still fighting…Bronco reminding Will that he owed him. Her heart jumped and she smiled when Will’s fist slammed backwards against bronco’s face. She could imagine the new cut mingling with the old one on Bronco’s cheek. She watched for Will to hit Bronco again and then pulled hard on the wood causing it to break in her hands. Within the next second, she crawled over to Bo and broke off the chain from his handcuffs. She pulled him down to the floor of the porch into the darkness and pushed him ahead of her toward the back of the shack. They jumped off the porch into a clump of bushes and waited for chance to make a clean break into darkness of the woods beyond the thicket.

Will picked Bronco up from the ground where he had knocked him to just as they heard motorcycles coming down the path towards them. Jack dismounted his bike and removed his helmet. He looked around for their prisoners…instead, he found his boss and accomplice fighting each other. Disgusted, he accused, “At each other’s throats again over that woman! Where is she?”

Both Bronco and Will pointed toward the shack as they looked to see the spots they left them in empty. Bronco announced in frustration, “They’re gone!”

Jack replied sarcastically, “Ya think! Luckily they could not have gone too far.”

Will became furious with himself and with Bronco…. but he held his temper, “I’m going for Scott and Ray…you too look for them! This time…you know what I want done. Jack…you are in charge now! Get her!”

Bronco was not happy…but he knew that if he found Caitlin first then he could regain his position. He suggested, “They’ve probably gone up to the main road…Caitlin wouldn’t go up into the woods…not in the dark anyway.”

Jack agreed, “Right…” And he got back on his bike and took off.

Will ordered, “Bronco, stay here and keep looking on foot. I’ll be back. If you see them, shoot Bo Duke…but do not kill him! Caitlin needs stronger measures to remind her who is in control here. This time she will be begging at my feet to keep that boy alive. She’ll sign our marriage license…away her inheritance…then we’ll kill them both.”
Caitlin watched for them to desert the area. When it was all clear, she removed the bandana from Bo’s mouth and kissed him. She said, “I don’t know what I’m doing! I’ve put us in so much danger! This is so crazy and stupid to try to escape! But what’s the worst they can do…Kill us…right!”

Bo replied, “You know what! You talk too much! Let’s get out of here!”

Caitlin checked to see if it was safe. Then she helped Bo the best she could to his feet and pulled him out of the bushes. “Do you know where we are?”

Bo nodded, “Yup. Will made a huge mistake picking this place. This was one of Boss’s favorite storage places for his stills.” Bo directed with his eyes and a nod of his head into the dark forest away from the road, “If we head that way, I know of a small cabin where we can hide out for the night. We can get back into Hazzard tomorrow.”

Caitlin said, “But what about your parole and that sheriff?”

Bo laughed, “Sharp lied. We’re no more than a mile or so from Hazzard County. Are you ready?”

Caitlin said reluctantly, “Yes, I’m ready. We need to talk soon about the meaning of that telegram.”

“You mean the one about your father?” He wanted to hold her in sympathy, “I am sorry about him, Caiti-girl…but let’s talk about that when we’re safe!”

They heard motorcycles in the distance and Caitlin followed Bo…helping him not to fall as best as she could into the dark woods. Carefully they made their way through the deep forest…seeing flashlights and hearing engines behind them. There was a point where Bo used his body to knock Caitlin down into the talk grass just as the area was flooded with lights. They lay there holding their breath until the lights died down and disappeared. Bo pushed himself to his knees and let his eyes adjust enough to the darkness to see past the line of trees into the next clearing. At first he thought his memory had failed him…he could not find the cabin he was looking for. Then a flash of light came behind him toward the field and he vaguely made out the shape of a house deep within another thicket. The house was very well hidden…a person would not know it was there unless they knew to look for it. Very large Weeping Willows, George Pines, Apple trees, and Pecan trees surrounded it. Caitlin rose up beside him and asked if he had found it. Bo looked back at his ladylove and the stars overhead glowed heavenly on her face…but they too revealed something he had not noticed before. It was then he asked, “Is what Jack said true? Are you afraid of the dark?”

Caitlin bit her lip and said, “Not the dark especially, but what I fear is inside that darkness…especially outside…like bugs, spiders, wild animals…ghosts….” Then she smiled, “But that was before I experienced something to really be afraid of! I’d rather face a whole nest of spiders than let Will, Bronco, and Jack catch us again!” She looked at Bo’s cuffed wrists.

Bo tried to stand and said, “We need to get going,” just as gunshots were heard being fired in the distance.

Caitlin pulled him back down beside her. She instructed, “Wait!” She produced a silver key in the moonlight for him to see then used the key to set his hands free. As soon as his hands were free, Bo wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. His eyes questioned her gift and she said, “I stole them from Bronco while he was tying my chain to the rail. I’d hoped there would be a chance to use them to free you…even if…well”

Bo kissed her again, “We’re both free…now lets get to safety! Let me free your hands.”

Caitlin bowed her head and said, “You can’t. These were specially made for me two years ago…they even still carry the blood stains from my hands when Will used them on me then…that night…” Her voice trailed off and she continued without further explanation, “Will has the only key to the special locks…we’ll have to find something to cut them off with.”

Bo kissed her forehead…not wanting her to see his anger at Will’s cruelty to her. He promised he would find something to use in the cabin. He asked, “Can you make it to the house?”

Caitlin nodded vigorously and they each took a deep breath and then ran towards the house. Just as they reached the entrance to the thicket the sound of the Jeep and other footsteps reached their ears coming out of the woods and into the field again. Bo pushed Caitlin causing her to fall face down into the long grass. He held his hands over her mouth and whispered, “Stay here and don’t move or even breath.” He crouched next to her as they listened for a break.

Bronco shined his flashlight around every inch of the field as Will barked orders to him of where to look. In frustration, Bronco tried to persuade, “We’ve searched everywhere, Will.”

Jack’s motorcycle came into the field behind the Jeep. He added, “It’s too dark to keep looking. We will never be able to find them tonight.”

Will agreed, “You both are right. Let’s get out of here. Ray told me that Brooks is in Hazzard and talking with The Dukes now. He radioed that O’Toole will be here by morning. I want Brooks to have our ransom demands before he gets here! Jack…find that pilot that my father sent here. I want that plane at that small airfield we found before sunrise. I want us out of here the moment we have Caitlin back in our possession and the ransom is paid in full.”

Bronco agreed, “Those two are too smart to come out of hiding and contact Duke’s family. That gives us time to find them!”

Jack added, “I’m gonna go watch the Rose’s place just in case. If they do come out of hiding, Will….”

Will concluded, “We’ll be waiting for her. Just don’t let them know we’ve lost them… keep the search as quiet as possible.” Will waved Bronco to the jeep and soon the clearing was quiet and empty of the intruders.

Bo made Caitlin stay down until he was sure Sharp and his thugs were not coming back or tricking them. When he finally picked himself up off the ground, Bo helped Caitlin to rise up. Bo led her the rest of the way to the cabin. He broke the lock on the door and forced it to open. It was clear the door had not been used in a long time. The hinges screamed from being used without being cleaned of their rust or oiled. He tried to look into the room through the darkness to make sure everything was fine and safe. He turned to Caitlin and said, “Stay here, I’m gonna make sure we aren’t disturbing a family of squirrels or something. Make sure we can walk in the dark without killing ourselves.”

Before she could stop him, Bo disappeared through the door inside the darkness. She pulled on the chain between her hands in nervousness and bit her lip. Seconds became hours long as she waited for him to return. She called out quietly, “Bo!”….”Bo! where are you?”….She poked her head through the door to see if she could hear or see something. She called again, “Bo! Are you there! Answer me!” Impatiently, She stepped through the door just as Bo was coming back to get her.

They collided, Bo announcing, “Everything seems to be OK…but…”

Bo was forced to cover Caitlin’s mouth with his hand at the first sound of her scream burst from her throat. She beat him back with her hands and scolded, “Why did you do that! Where were you! You frightened me!”

“Caitlin…I’m here now….”

“But what took you so long!” She almost shouted.

Bo again smothered her words saying, “Caiti-girl…please quiet down!”

But Caitlin’s nerves had been on edge for too long, she was about to burst from the stress of it all. She rounded on him…trying to whisper but failing…”Quiet Down! Quiet Down! How dare you! Don’t do that any more!”

Instead of arguing with her, Bo pulled her against him and after he looked at her sternly and said, “I know one way to get you to shut up!” He kissed her long and deeply. He molded her against him until he felt her stop struggling against him and her begin to return the kiss eagerly. He let her go…leaving her breathless. He teased, “Are you going to keep quiet now!”

Caitlin’s amusement only showed in her eyes. She promised, “I’m going to get you back for that, Bo Duke!” She turned away from him and tried to explore her new surroundings in the dark. She could have sworn she saw a raccoon under one of the windows, so she pushed Bo to go ahead of her as they bumped into a chair, then a rickety table, a rocking chair, and finally a small bed with a thread bare blanket tossed across it and a mattress that slightly sagged in the middle. She pushed Bo towards the rocking chair and claimed the cot for herself.

Bo pouted, “OK, Miss Rose, where am I supposed to sleep?”

Caitlin replied politely, “I pointed you in the direction of those chairs…they should do the trick for you.”

Bo grabbed Caitlin’s hand only to be reminded that they were still attached to each other and to her waist. He told her to stay on the cot and when he returned he held a pair of thick, heavy-duty metal shears in his hand and a fishing knife in the other. With a few cuts to the chain and cuts to the leather bands, Caitlin was soon free of her bonds completely. She hugged Bo very close in thanksgiving. Bo made himself comfortable by pulling the rocking chair as close to the bed as possible. Caitlin watched him get comfortable…as she rolled the blanket into a pillow and then propped herself up on it. She needed to talk to Bo about their situation…the one they were going to face when they were rescued. Bo leaned back in the rocking chair and propped his foot next to Caitlin’s waist on the bed. He commented, “This is great! The girl I’m gonna be marrying soon just stuck me with sleeping in this chair!” He leaned over and kissed her.

He leaned back and thinking the matter was over closed his eyes to go to sleep. Instead he heard Caitlin’s soft voice say, “About getting married, Bo…I think we should go to New York…like we talked about the other day before we make any concrete plans. I also want you to think about making a home there for a little while…”

Bo said, “I thought we settled all this the other day? I told you then I want us to stay here…to live here.”

Caitlin looked at her engagement ring and almost cried. She reached for her pendant watch the rings around it only to find they were not there. She recalled putting them up in safe keeping while she started a new life. She pondered out loud, “Do you think you’d be willing to make a sacrifice for me…especially now with my father so close to dying? I want so much for my family to meet you…before we begin the wedding arrangements.”

Bo shrugged, “We can go I promise, but I want you to be my wife when we go…so no one can break us up again. Even if that means we get married tomorrow.”

Caitlin was happy to be clouded in darkness. She did not want to see Bo’s face when she told him about a problem she knew was coming as a result of her father’s shooting and possible death. Before she lost her nerve, she plunged in, “There is a problem with that, my love. I am not suppose to marry anyone until my father has met him and approved him first. That condition was added to my father’s will to try to protect me from anymore Will’s. Will knows I will inherit everything…including the right to marry whom I choose should my father die…but I must be single when he dies to have that freedom of choice. Otherwise, if I married or eloped without his approval or knowledge, then I would be blocked from inheriting anything from my father. He knew that I would never pay a ransom on myself, but that my Uncle Charles who is my father’s executor and co-owner of their company would pay it. Are you understanding what I am trying to tell you?”

Bo understood exactly what she meant…he asked, “So why didn’t you mention this before…why did you lead me to believe you were free to marry me…without having to pass some test of your family’s.”

Caitlin lowered her eyes, “Because I thought we had time to work things out as soon as Will was jailed forever and I could go home again without fear. I also knew, that despite what you fear, my father will/would adore you…as would my mother! I thought I was getting his approval when I received those telegrams from him…turns out they were all just lies…and he still hasn’t received word from me since I’ve been living here. Will saw to that when he prevented my letters from going through. And now my father may be dieing and he needs me…and all my plans….” Her tears silently fell down her cheeks as she contemplated the eventual outcome of the situation. She waited for him to say something to her. When he did not, She offered, “I know I must sound like a horrible person and that it’s wrong, but I love you and I don’t want to lose you. I was counting on a dream that Will’s lies allowed me to create. I wanted to believe that Will’s arrest let me free to choose because now I had all the time in the world to convince my father to come down here to meet you. You must believe me, My Love, when I tell you that you are the best thing that has happened to me in a very long time.” She sat up and looked away from Bo…out the window. She whispered, “Now Will will get his way even if we are rescued and he goes to jail forever. My father may never get to know you…he may never get see me be happy again….”

Bo heard the desperation and sadness in her voice…the hesitation she felt of what she should do next…the choices she needed to make…what to sacrifice what to hold on to. He rose from his rocking chair and set down behind her on the bed. He stroked her hair and consoled, “Don’t worry about it my love. Just go to sleep. It’s going to be a busy day tomorrow.”

He gathered her into his arms and they leaned back against the wall. Caitlin sighed, “Remember, my love, whatever happens, I do love you!”

Bo kissed her forehead and said, “I know. I will always love you too!” There were no more words to be said…the couple resigned themselves to their exhaustion and fell asleep.
The Couple slept while across into Hazzard County the rest of the Duke Family gathered at the courthouse. Luke carried the box Daisy had found in the barn inside. A 5’6”, thick-shouldered gentleman with blonde hair, and a friendly smile met him. The gentleman wore tight fitting dark blue jeans, dark brown, copper tipped leather boots and a leather sport coat to match. His true age was reflected in the experience that showed in his eyes. There was a quiet air of authority and assertiveness about him. Enos stepped around the crowd to greet the man with a handshake and a smile. Enos asked, “Are you finding everything you need, Agent Brooks?”

“Yes, Deputy Enos. Your offices have provided me with everything I need to run this operation effectively. Now please introduce me to the folks that are with you.”

Enos first indicated Daisy as he began to introduce Special Agent Lt. Jim Brooks to the Duke Family. As he took Jesse Duke’s hand in greeting, Jim Brooks asked, “Are you relatives of Bo Dukes?”

Jesse replied, “I’m his Uncle…this is his cousin Daisy.” Daisy and Jim shook hands…Jim’s eyes became concerned from the nervousness he felt in Daisy’s handshake and the worry in her eyes.

Daisy asked, “How do you know about Bo?”

Jim held up the newspaper with the picture of Bo kissing Caitlin. “From this,” he said, “And from several e-mails we intercepted between Sharp and his father in New York. On my way here, I received this in my e-mail.” Jim produced a printed out E-mailed ransom note with Bo’s name printed at the bottom.

Daisy defended, “Bo did not send that! You have to believe that Bo and Caitlin have been engaged…Bo tried to prevent…he would have died if Caitlin had not….”

Jim rested a comforting hand on Daisy’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Miss Duke. I know all about your cousin. I would not have let Caitlin come here to hide in the first place if I knew it would have dangerous for her. I have also been getting to know you all from the e-mails we have been tracking between Will and his family.

Enos finally turned to Luke but they were not able to shake hands due to the heavy box Luke carried. That brought a small bit of comic relief as Luke tried to maneuver the box around. Jim Brooks offered, “Let me help you find a place for that. What is this?”

Enos and Daisy cleared a spot on a nearby worktable allowing Luke to rest the box there. Finally, Luke was able to extend his hand, “So you are the man Caitlin told us to find.”

Jim Brooks smiled, “Yes, I am. I had told her that one of the agents on my team or I would be close by should she need help. I’ve been staying in Atlanta since she moved here. It concerned me when we stopped getting her daily reports that she was safe and sound about two weeks ago. William stopped E-mailing his father then too. I wanted to come here to warn Caitlin but did not want to reveal her whereabouts. I was not aware that Will had already tracked her down. Then Jack Dannon skipped out on his bail about a week ago and was followed here. It was through him that we found that Will had changed e-mail accounts…which led to us finding him hiding out here and the plan he was hatching. I tried to send Caitlin several telegrams…didn’t she get them?” He looked at Enos and Rosco.

Boss Hogg tried to sidestep his part in this. He admitted, “No, Sir. That Sharp character fooled me into helping him. He took over my telegraph office without me knowing.”

Both Enos and Luke coughed out, “Bull!” And Boss stuttered, “All that is besides the point now…water under the bridge. We got to find Miss Rose! That’s what ya all should be doin’.”

Jim Brooks was not here to get rid of Boss Hogg or to arrest him for his part in Will’s plan. He needed Boss’s complete cooperation if they were going to find Caitlin and Bo alive and unharmed. Jim replied, “Quite right, Mr. Hogg.”

Luke asked, “So why are you here now?”

Jim Brooks answered, “You know that Caitlin’s father was shot two days ago. He’s been in the hospital, in intensive care waiting for us to bring Caitlin home. He was shot because we arrested Will’s Father. We found the remains of Caitlin’s husband. Mr. O’Toole refuses to let the doctors operate to save his life until he sees Caitlin standing in front of him. So I’m here to arrest Will and his thugs for good this time.” Jim looked at the box on the table and repeated, “Now what is this?”

Though Daisy was very worried for her cousin and friend, she felt better with each moment spent with Jim Brooks. She understood why Caitlin leaned on him so much. Daisy replied, “Caitlin made me promise to give you this just before Sharp took her away from me.”

Jim opened the box and began pulling out its contents. He scanned several pages of her journal, leafed through the folders of print outs and documents. His smile widened with each page. He commented…talking to himself out loud, “You little brat! Why didn’t you give these to me when I asked you for them!” Upon retrieving the two videotapes and one audiocassette, Jim muttered, “I wonder what she has here?”

Rosco offered, “Agent Brooks, There is one of them VCR’s in Boss’s office.”

Jim smiled, “Well then let’s go see what this little girl found on Will Sharp that kept him chasing after her but not killing her!”

At that moment, he realized just what might be on the tapes and he said, “I will need to view these alone. What is on here will not be enjoyable to watch…”

Luke stopped Brooks from taking the tape from the box. He said, “I want to go with you! That is my cousin that Will has! I want to know what kind of monster we’re dealing with!”

Jim replied, “Trust me…you don’t need to see this to know how dangerous Will is and what he did to Caitlin! She’s already told you what happened to her…yes?”

Luke replied, “Yes…she did.”

Daisy shot out, “Luke, I’ve already witnessed Will’s cruelty…you don’t want to see what is on that tape.”

Jesse said, “Luke is right…I want to know what this Will character is capable of…best way to know how to stop him!”

Since he was not going to convince them to let him view the tapes alone, Jim said, “Let’s go…but this is police evidence…that is what I’m going to be looking for!”

Luke and Jesse followed Jim into Boss’s office, leaving Daisy, Enos, and the others alone. Inside Boss’s office, Jim found and loaded one of the tapes into the videotape machine and turned on the television. Will’s voice was heard telling whoever was behind the camera to make them look innocent…and that Caitlin wanted them to do this to her…to kill her husband. Then in fast forward motion, the three men watched in silence as Scott and Ray grabbed a man dressed in a thick bathrobe and began hitting him with their guns. Will held a screaming Caitlin against him. He forced her to watch as her husband’s beaten and broken body was dragged away and out of the cabin. His voice was heard calling out his love for her in a desperate, defiant, and fighting tone. Then an eerie silence came over the video. Muffled voices and a deep sorrowful weeping were then heard. Caitlin’s body was seen landing on a glass table, it breaking underneath her…her face and arms becoming sliced and bloody. Jack pulled her out of view of the camera as the camera recorded Jack and Ray taking her husband’s limp body out of the cabin a gun held to his head…

Jim turned off that tape…remarking, “We’ve seen enough…there it is…Jack was the one who fired the shot that killed Drew…not Caitlin as Will tried to convince the prosecutor…. this tape proves she was attacked as she said to us two years ago!” Jim changed video’s and the three men watched Caitlin seducing Will and getting him to talk about his crimes…where evidence was hidden…where the gun was…names of people in His and His father’s organization…names of Judges, Police officers, FBI Agents in their pocket. Will even bragged about the agent that kept revealing Caitlin’s hiding places to him every time she escaped. The next scene was Caitlin standing in front of the camera talking to Jim…she was rigid and crying. She spat, “I hope you’ve got what you need to put this ass behind bars, Jim. I got everything!”

Jim spoke back to the TV, “Yes, you did…little Caitlin. You got more than I thought you would get. Hold on! I’m coming to get you!”

Jim Brooks looked to see the horrified and stunned faces of Luke and Jesse. He admonished, “I told you it was going to bad.”

Luke slammed his fist into the door and then left the room. Jesse said, “Let’s get this animal!”

Back inside the main office, Jim placed the videotapes with the other evidence on the table. He searched the box again and pulled out a large locked jewelry box. With a pair of metal cutters supplied by Cooter, Jim opened the box…there was nothing inside. That is until Jim turned the box over and discovered a false bottom to the box. He broke open the bottom door to find a 57 magnum wrapped in brown paper. A note inside read, “Bo, if you are reading this…that means Will has returned and I’m dead! Take this to Atlanta…” She had written a phone number and address. A second piece of paper was address to Jim. It was a list of all the evidence she had on Will…including everything on the computer disks that lay under the gun. She had written angrily, “Don’t wait to use this in a court of law, Jim…kill him! Like you promised me!”

The door of the courthouse burst open and Cletus rushed in to announce, “I think something is wrong…something’s happened. I just saw that Ray character hiding his motorcycle behind Cooter’s garage in the alley. I followed him …”

Jim Brooks motioned Cletus to be quiet. He called everyone in the room into a tight circle and said quietly, “I’ll bet they’ve escaped from Will. He’s hoping we’ll lead him right to them.”

Luke said, “But they could be anywhere! I told Caitlin long ago that there are places in those hills she and Bo could go where no one could find them…Bo knows some that I don’t know about.”

Jim replied, “That’s actually a good thing, Luke. Gives me time to get more of my people down here. By morning, I want to have rounded up all of Will’s thugs and get them here. We’ll see to finding Caitlin and Bo when they are completely safe from harm.”

Daisy volunteered, “I know a way to find them. Brie escaped from us today…I’ll bet if we find and follow her…we’ll find Caitlin.”

Jim nodded, “Good…then in the morning we’ll meet at Caitlin’s house. Luke, you will look on horseback…and don’t worry about breaking your parole…I will take care of everything. If you need to cross county lines…do so!”

Luke laughed, “I was planning to do that anyway.”
No one slept the rest of the night. Will learned from Ray that Jim Brooks had arrived in Hazzard and that Caitlin’s evidence was in his possession. Will was furious…becoming out of control with anger and determined to get Caitlin. One by one, Will’s thugs began to desert him. None of them wanted to be arrested. But as each tried to get out of the area, they were stopped by a newly arrived FBI agent until only Will, Bronco, and Jack were left. Jack and Bronco promised to remain loyal to Will no matter what. Bronco did because he wanted to be the one to kill Caitlin to get revenge for humiliating him. Jack because he had been loyal to Will’s father first and wanted to prevent Caitlin from testifying and putting them in jail no matter what the cost. He swore that if he was going to jail for murder…he might as well go for killing her and her new boyfriend too.

The last of Will’s thugs to be caught was Ray. He was found by Luke still trying to get information to pass on to Will outside of the courthouse the next morning. Luke didn’t even bother to call for assistance, but grabbed Ray by the collar and pummeled him into the ground. Luke unleashed his anger and frustrations out on Ray’s face. He called him a “Bastard” for touching his Cousin Daisy! Luke would have killed Ray…as his temper got hotter each time he threw another punch, but Daisy had seen him and went to get one of the many new FBI agents that swarmed around Hazzard County Courthouse…their new base of operations until Will was found and brought in. Daisy ran into the office and warned Brooks about what Luke was doing. Brooks grabbed three of his best men and headed outside. It took them all to separate Luke from Ray…Brooks yelling at Luke to calm down and stop. Brooks instructed one of the agents to call an ambulance then told Daisy to get Luke over to Caitlin’s and back on Aidan. He told Luke to stay away from Hazzard until Bo and Caitlin were found.

Instead, Luke watched Ray being treated by some paramedics. When Ray was handcuffed to a stretcher and carted away in the ambulance, Luke made his way back into the courthouse. There he found Jim Brooks and another Agent interrogating Scott. They were trying to find out where Will was…where had they taken Caitlin and Bo before they escaped. Brooks used every trick to pull what he needed out of Scott. But Scott refused to speak…he kept repeating that he had the right to remain silent…that he wanted a lawyer and he wasn’t saying anything until his got there. Brooks said that they did not have time to wait for Scott’s attorney to arrive from New York. Scott shrugged and gloated that Brooks would just have to wait then. Luke lunged for Scott who had been partially handcuffed to the chair he was sitting in…Rick watching from the nearby jail cell. Luke got in Scott’s face and said, “You better tell me what you know! I am no cop! I don’t have to listen to their rules!”

Brooks told Luke to shut up…that if he got Scott to say anything it would be unusable in a court of law. Luke shouted that he didn’t care…he was going to make Scott point out the spot they had taken Bo to on a map if he had to smash his face into table to do it. Brooks motioned to two of his officers…the same two who had pulled Luke off Ray only moments before. They held him back…as Brooks got in Scott’s face. He said, “Now, Scott! You have a choice…you can accept that local public defender sitting in the corner over there doing nothing and tell me what I need to know. Or I’m going to drop all charges and have my deputies take you out of the police station. I will not be able to protect you from Mr. Duke here, or his family, or the rest of this town! I can’t arrest them all.”

Another agent knelt down next to Scott’s other ear and said, “You know if we let you go, and you survive the beating Duke and his kin give you…you’ll have to worry about what your friend over there will tell Sharp and Dannon. Do you think you’ll be alive much longer after they learn you betrayed them?”

Scott was about to tell Brooks to go to hell, but Luke shook off his guards and again lunged for Scott’s neck. Brooks and the agent beside Scott blocked Luke but let him get close enough for Scott to see the hatred and determination on Luke’s face. Brooks instructed his officers, “Cuff him if he fights you again! Now HOLD HIM!” To Scott, Brooks said, “Well…I’m waiting!”

Scott pretended to hold his breath calling on Brooks bluff. Brooks nodded and his assistant took the handcuff linking Scott to his chair from his wrist. Brooks announced loudly so Rick could hear, “I don’t need him anymore…get him out of my sight!” To Scott he said, “You are free, Mr. Scott. I am dropping all charges. You better leave Hazzard while you are still breathing…if you can.”

Brooks assistant chided, “Good Luck!” They turned as if to ignore him. Scott started to stand up to leave…he was going to escape while he could…didn’t want to take a chance on Brooks changing his mind. Scott walked past Daisy who stuck her foot out to trip him. She threatened him, “You should be more careful where you walk. Lots of accidents happen in this part of the country.”

Upon passing Boss Hogg, he heard Boss remark off-handed to Rosco, “Do you remember where we stashed that last stranger that came into Hazzard?”

Rosco replied, “You mean the one who wouldn’t pay their speeding ticket! I don’t remember…but no one’s heard from him and no one ever came looking for him here.” Rosco then grabbed Scott’s neck and shoved him towards the door, “You better get, Son! I’m not in the mood to clean up after Luke again!”

Scott was about to exit the room when Uncle Jesse came through with his double barrel shot gun announcing that he was ready to kill any of Will’s Thugs that hurt his new “Daughter-in-law”. Scott’s eyes bulged and he pushed his way back to Brooks. He came up against Luke still struggling to get away from the agents keeping him in line. Luke got in Scott’s face and said, “Ready to take this outside!”

Scott sat down in the interrogation chair, cuffed himself to it, and said, “You win, Brooks…I confess…I sent one of the bullets into Caitlin’s husband! I helped kidnap her!”

Brooks retrieved a piece of paper and said, “Wait, Scott. Are you sure you don’t want an attorney…your lawyer…you have the right to remain silent! Remember anything you say now I will use against you in a court of law!”

Scott grabbed the paper and quickly signed the waiver to an attorney. He said, “What I got to say I don’t need no lawyer! Just keep those people away from me and get me home to New York!”

Brooks thrust a map in front of Scott’s face and said, “Show me where you last saw Caitlin and Bo!” Scott quickly pointed everything out to them…and freely answered every question Brooks put to him. Brooks let his assistant continue the interrogation while he went over to Luke and Daisy and said, “Here’s where Will’s hideout was…where Caitlin and Bo escaped from them last night. Scott assured me that Will has no idea where they are and is still looking for them too. So go…get those horses and find them!”

Luke’s temper did calm a bit and he realized that he almost killed Ray and Scott with his bare hands. He was frustrated at not being able to find Bo and Caitlin though he had looked the entire night. With the new information provided by Scott, Daisy convinced Luke to try again and the two of them found The General and headed back to Rose Ranch. Brooks and several of his agents followed them out of the courthouse and into the countryside.
In their small cabin hideaway, the lovers slept…resting before having to face the chaos around them again. A streak of sunshine cut a trail through the window to Caitlin’s face. She squinted, even in sleep, at the invasion coming through her eyelids. She knocked Bo in the face as she reached up to try to brush away the offending light. Bo only stirred a moment to curl up away from her. During the night they had lay within the safety of each others arms…Caitlin resting her back against Bo’s chest…Bo’s head nestled against Caitlin’s…his arms clamping her to him like a child holding his favorite teddy bear. When Caitlin tried to rub her eyes, she broke his hold on her and he turned away from her in his sleep.

Caitlin tried to go back to sleep but the sun refused to move. She sat up suddenly realizing where she was and how she got there. Looking about the small cabin…she realized it was not a run down shack like the one Will wanted to keep her in last night. This had been used often by she guessed were hunters or fisherman. Several sizes of fishing poles and tackle boxes lined the shelves of one wall. There was a rifle rack, but it was empty. The furnishings were simple. She smiled as she saw a wood-burning stove at the back of the cabin…a fireplace next to it. There was a refrigerator, but she could tell that it had been unplugged. Her stomach lurched a bit and she knew she was hungry. As she stood up though, she remembered her broken bathing suit. She buttoned the blouse she wore to make sure she did not lose her top.

Caitlin stood up from the bed and stretched out the kinks of sleeping in such a cramped position within Bo’s arms. She smiled at the discomfort…realizing how much she would miss it. She gently brushed the hair away from Bo’s eyes and said, “I love you!” She added, “Stay and sleep my love. I’m going to find us breakfast.”

She exited the cabin as quiet as possible. Once outside, she took a good look of her surroundings. She smiled, “Bo was right. This place is very well hidden. I can’t even see past the trees to the field outside this thicket.” She scanned the area and found a sturdy reed basket. Then she went for a walk.

Inside the cabin, the empty spot he felt next to him disturbed Bo’s sleep. He rolled back over to take Caitlin back into his arms. His eyes opened with a start and he jumped up when he realized Caitlin was not with him anymore. He called out, “Caitlin!” He rose out of the bed and looked around the cabin, “Caitlin! Where…?” The cabin had been deserted and Bo ran out the door calling her name.

Caitlin had heard him calling her as she made her way back to the cabin. She didn’t want to shout back to him, so she hurried back to the door. It opened and he crashed outside, yelling for her as she approached. When he stopped screaming her name, she tapped his shoulder and said, “I’m right here, Darlin’. You don’t have to shout.” Bo pulled her into his arms and gazed into her very satisfied smile.

He scolded, “Where did you go!”

Caitlin explained very innocently, “Just to get these! I didn’t want to wake you. I hope you are hungry.”

He staggered, “You mean you scared me to death because you are hungry! You took off without me to get food! What if someone had seen you!”

Caitlin shrugged, “I was careful. I made sure to stay within the trees…no one saw me…I promise.” She pushed him out of her way with the basket and said, “Come see what I found!” She set the basket on the table and produced several handfuls of strawberries. She said, “These were growing in a huge wild patch just beyond the house. But as I was picking them, the aroma of frying bacon came steaming past my nose! I had to follow the scent. I found a small hen house with a smoke house nearby. So I got us breakfast!”

She pulled out several eggs and a small smoked ham bone from the basket. Bo shook his head in disbelief, “Did you steal that. You know I am friends with the guy that owns that house!”

Caitlin remarked, “Really! Is that how you knew to come here?”

Bo said, “Yes. Luke and I used this place a long time ago to go fishing…there is a lake on the other side of this thicket. Now, Luv…did you steal these?”

Caitlin huffed indignantly, “What kind of person do you think I am! Of course I didn’t steal them…wasn’t able to ask for them…so I left the few dollars I had in my blouse’s pocket stuffed inside on the owner’s hams inside the smoke house. Was that all right, MY Luv! Are you Happy with me?” She was teasing him, her eyes twinkling.

He gruffly took her chin in his and kissed her mouth. “You know I am, Silly Caiti-girl!”

Caitlin held herself from falling the moment Bo let her go. She like that breathless feeling he left her after they kissed. She grinned, “Keep that up, Mr. Duke, and there won’t be any breakfast!”

Bo laughed, “Sure there will…just not food!”

Caitlin went over to the stove and her face became tense and worried. Bo asked her what was wrong. She again bit her lip and asked, “Do you think it will be safe to make a fire…to cook? What if someone sees the smoke and decides to take a closer look?”

Bo soothed, “I think it will be all right. There is some firewood out back…I’ll get it.” He added, “This place is so well hidden…no one but Luke or Uncle Jesse would be able to find us for days or weeks.”

That thought caused Caitlin to think about being found and the consequences to that. She wished allowed, “If only that were true…if we could stay here…like this forever… without the real world intruding on us…”

Bo brought the wood through the door and noticed Caitlin staring off into space, her eyes in that far away place he had seen before. It was a sadness he could not reach no matter how hard he tried. He took the wood to the stove, set it down, and reached out to hold her. He asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Caitlin tried to smile. She replied, “My father…being found…rescued.”

Bo didn’t have to hear anymore. He let his love do the talking for him…hoping it would cheer her up again. He offered, “Let’s get this breakfast you found for us done. We have a lot of walking to do.”

Caitlin mused, “And Will thought he was so clever bringing us here,” and began preparing the ham to be cooked as Bo got the fire going inside the stove. He helped Caitlin locate an iron skillet and spatula. As she cooked, she asked who the cabin belonged to and Bo told her that it was an abandoned cabin used by everyone. It used to be a hideout for stills, but not since Jesse promised not to make the stuff anymore. Within a few minutes, Caitlin had breakfast on the table…a slice of ham and eggs surrounded by cut fresh strawberries for dessert covered each of the metal plates Bo pulled out from one of the cabinets and washed off. Bo had also brought them back some ice-cold water from a well he knew was near by.

The couple sat down together to enjoy the food. Midway through her eggs, Caitlin heard a familiar sound just outside the cabin. She went to the door to find Brianna waiting for her in the center of the field eating grass. The horse looked up at her and waved her head in greeting. She whinnied loudly at Caitlin…as if saying, “I’m here…let’s go home!”

Caitlin smiled, “We’ve been rescued, Bo…I don’t think we’ll have to walk after all.”

Bo held her back. He warned, “How do you know she isn’t a trap set by Will…that he didn’t bring her here to smoke you out?”

Caitlin argued, “Because, Bo, Brie trusts no one…as you well know! Brie would not let Will or any of his other thugs within 20 feet of her. You remember how long it took her to even tolerate you!”

Bo returned, “But what if he followed her…let her escape from your barn and then just followed her!”

Caitlin nodded, “You might be right, Bo…but We can’t just leave her out there if that is the case! And now we have a way home! Are you coming or not!” Caitlin didn’t wait for him to answer. She ran out of the cabin…emerged from the thicket to meet her beloved Brianna with Bo hurrying after her.

The barreling of The General through the trees interrupted Caitlin’s approach toward Brianna. The sound of another car engine coming towards them pulled their attention to a jeep easily speeding past the General, blocking his way to the Cabin. Behind the General, Jim Brooks and two of his assistants rode in one of the Hazzard County police cars. Immediately one of the agents jumped from the car and opened fire on the jeep causing Will to slam on his breaks. Now it was Will’s jeep that was blocked by the General and the police car. Will held Brooks at bay with an automatic rifle waving at them. He held that pointed at Brooks and his pistol pointed at Caitlin. He said, “Brooks! Get out of here! I’m not going down without making sure Caitlin or her boy dies first!”

Brooks returned, “Give up, Sharp. You know we have your father in custody in New York and the rest of your men locked up in a jail cell in Hazzard. I will not hesitate to shoot to kill you! Sharp…not after all you’ve put me through!”

Will looked to the other edge of the field…he was waiting for Bronco to act. Bronco had dropped from the jeep to crawl over to get Caitlin. They knew if they could just get to her, they would be able to get away. Bo, however, estimated his intent and as soon as Bronco was close enough to strike Caitlin, Bo pushed Caitlin to the ground and lunged for Bronco’s waist…landing him to the ground…his fist into his face. Luke ran past Brooks to help his cousin…they started to take turns at Bronco. Jack rode into the field on his motorcycle tearing past The General, Brooks, and Will’s jeep. He slowed long enough to pull Caitlin onto his bike and force her to ride with him back to Will’s jeep.

Bo and Luke stopped their attack on Bronco in shock. Will fired a shot into the air to gain control of the situation. He ordered, “Brooks! Back off! You want to this beautiful creature to suffer!” Will turned to Jack who had Caitlin by her arm pulling her off his bike. Will said, “Bring her to me, Jack!”

While Bronco retrieved his gun, Jack held Caitlin as a shield against himself tightly around her waist. She was kicking him hard and trying to make him fall. But he held her arms to her sides and dragged her with him. Bo tried to intervene, but Bronco turned his gun on Bo and said, “Come on, Pretty Boy, give me a reason to kill you! Make Caitlin watch you die!”

From behind the police car’s door, Brooks called out, “Will! Stop this! Let Caitlin Go! I will hunt you down! Dead or Alive I will get you!”

Will laughed…Jack forcing Caitlin to get into the jeep. As soon as she was within arms reach, Will took her by her waist and made her stay in front of him. He said, “Oh I think as long as I have My Rose with me my luck will be good. Remember Brooks…If you don’t let me leave and get to that plane waiting for me…I’ll kill her…slowly! Piece by Piece…you wouldn’t want her to suffer because you were stupid would you!”

Brooks temper was smoldering. He tried to tire Will out…keep him busy until more of his agents arrived to help. It was a stand off and he knew it. He raised his weapon willing to take any opportunity to get a shot off. But Will caught him and ordered, “Don’t take another step, Brooks! I mean it!”

Caitlin tried to squirm against him. She mashed her foot into his unsuccessfully. He just grabbed her hair and told her to be still. A rustling of the trees distracted everyone as Daisy came charging through on Aidan. Jack took the opportunity to force Caitlin’s hands together and bound them over her head to the back bar on the jeep. He warned her, “You won’t be escaping from Will this time, Our Rose! I’m not as clumsy as Bronco is!”

Will ignited the jeep’s engine and punched the accelerator. Bronco was about to jump aboard, but Daisy raced past him knocking his gun to the ground again. In Will’s desire to get away, he turned the jeep sharply around almost tipping the thing over. Jack was knocked out to the ground as Will sped away. Bo did not hesitate and used the opportunity given him to jump into the back of the jeep. Will tried to see him, and demanded, “What happened to Jack?”

Caitlin accused, “Your bad driving knocked him out. The cops are surrounding him right now!” Her tone was joyful. She turned to see Jack and Bronco being handcuffed while Daisy and Luke scrambled to get into the General, and Brooks got behind the wheel of his borrowed Police car to go after Will.

Will watched that too through his rearview mirror. He looked at Caitlin and ordered, “Keep quiet, My Rose! The end is almost here…we’re leaving this place!” He turned and looked at Bo trying to hide behind the driver’s seat out of Will’s sight. Will ordered, “Mr. Duke. Please join me up here!”
In the General, Luke radioed Brooks and told him of a plan to stop them. He also told Brooks that they needed to get to them soon because he knew the road they had turned down after leaving the field was dangerous. If they did not stop them than Caitlin, Bo, and Will would be dead.

Again Will ordered Bo to come to the passenger seat of the jeep. Bo sighed in frustration, but took the opportunity to slip Caitlin his pocketknife. He helped her bring her hands down the bar to a place where she could reach it easier. He jumped in the passenger seat and tried to distract Will from Caitlin’s attempts to free her hands. Bo looked at the road they were on and warned, “Sharp…you need to change course…stop this! You don’t know where you are Going and you’re going to get us all killed!”

Will lashed out, “You are lying!”

Bo said, “No, I’m not. There is a large gorge ahead…too large to jump…and the bridge is out…has been for months.”

Will accused, “You are willing to say anything to take Caitlin away from me…to make me go to jail! If the bridge was out there would be a sign!”

Bo said…his frustration mounting…his eyes watching as Caitlin cut into the first rope, freeing one of her hands, “There was a sign you idiot. A drunk driver knocked it out! That same drunk driver ended up dead after his car went over the side!”
Will stuck to his heels…he knew his world was ending. He did not want to face his father…did not want to go to jail. He also knew that he would get the death penalty anyway…and he decided he would choose the way he was going to die…not the law. He looked at Bo and then at Caitlin. He wanted to take them with him…if he had to die, then Caitlin would too! He remarked, “Then Mr. Duke, My Rose, We die together!”

Caitlin remarked, “You are Crazy!”

Behind them Rosco came up with Jesse and Enos; Cooter in his truck; Brooks; and Luke with Daisy beside him coming up fast. Luke sped past them all and got directly behind the speeding jeep. Jesse radioed, “Luke, Can you stop them?”

Luke replied, “I hope so!” Luke looked at Daisy and said, “Let’s do it!”

Daisy nodded and pulled herself out the side window of the General to sit on the door. She held on for her life…Luke trying to drive and make sure she didn’t fall out at the same time. Luke handed her a bow and one of the arrows with the explosive attached. Daisy fitted the arrow into the bow, aimed at the rear wheel well of the jeep, and with a “Wish me Luck!” She fired at the jeep. The arrow flew directly to its target, sank deep into the tire and then exploded causing the whole tire to break off…causing the jeep to twist and turn as Will struggled to remain in control.

Caitlin saw the approaching edge and screamed as she pulled the last of the rope from her wrist. She was finally free. She put the knife to Will’s throat and ordered him to stop the car. Will ignored her…the jeep rumbling along on the rim. Daisy was preparing to fire another arrow. Caitlin tried again to get Will to stop, but he yelled that he wanted to die and was going to take her with him. Bo grabbed Caitlin and without waiting, jumped with her from the jeep. He used his body to protect her as they rolled to the ground and then stopped. They landed just in time to see the jeep with Will still inside go crashing over the edge…a fiery explosion evaporating into the air. Caitlin ran towards the edge, Bo making sure she did not go over too. She buried her face in his shoulder in horror over where she would have gone had he not pushed her out. She was very thankful to be breathing at that moment. Her tears flowed down her cheeks as the adrenaline she’d been using to keep herself calm drained away. She felt herself going limp in Bo’s arms. He held her up repeating, “I’ve got you, Caiti-Girl. You are Safe! You are free! We’ve won!”

Caitlin’s brain screamed, “Have I won?” just as they were joined by Daisy, Luke, and Jesse. Caitlin hugged Daisy, “I am so sorry about yesterday! You saved my life just now!”

The hugs and the questions about their well-being and safety went on and on until Bo shouted for everyone to quiet down and assured, “We’re fine! We’re fine!”

From the sidelines, Jim Brooks waited for Caitlin to finish being loved by her friends. She noticed him and immediately sought his hug. He had become like a father to her…a knight in shining armor to her in the last two years. She asked, “Is he really dead! Is this really over?”

Jim Brooks hugged her letting himself cry in relief. He assured, “You saw what I did, Sweetheart. Your Uncle and Father are going to be so proud of you when they hear about all of this.”

Caitlin blushed and replied guiltily, “Well not all. They will not be pleased with how I got that evidence. Did you see it all?” Her skin became very red with extreme embarrassment. She realized if he did see the evidence…then he watched her being raped.

Jim said, “I saw only what I needed to make my case. Now introduce me to the guy Atlanta called your “country lucky charm.”

Caitlin blushed again, “Jim, this is Bo Duke. Bo this is Jim Brooks.”

The two men shook hands. Jesse interrupted their introductions and called for a celebration. Caitlin and Bo’s eyes locked in sadness. Jim gave Caitlin a stern look and said, “You Uncle is waiting for you at your place now.”

Caitlin nodded, “I thought he might be. Have you heard anything about my father?”

Jim replied, “Not me, too busy here. Charley will be able to fill you in on that.”

Caitlin tried to laugh; “I thought Uncle Charles forbade you from ever calling him that after that last poker pot you won from him.”

Jim extracted Caitlin from The Dukes and led her to his borrowed police car. “He did,” Jim replied, “but you know I never listen. Now let’s get you home.”

Caitlin’s eyes met Bo’s in a silent good-bye. She pleaded with him to follow her before getting into the car and Jim Brooks drove her home.

Jesse came up behind Bo and questioned, “What was that all about…why did she just leave like that?”

Bo responded, “It’s is complicated, Uncle Jesse. But she needs to go take care of her father and mother right now…he’s got to go into surgery and she needs to go home.” Bo refused to talk about it anymore. All he wanted now was a shower and clean clothes, but first he wanted to meet Caitlin’s Uncle…to make sure the man did not blame him for Caitlin’s capture! He wanted to make his intentions to marry Caitlin to him. Jesse could see that Bo did not want to talk, as did Luke and Daisy. There needed to be some explaining to do from Caitlin. The Dukes were soon settling into their vehicles and on their way to The Rose Ranch.

The trail of cars following Jim Brooks halted along Caitlin’s driveway. There was a mass of confusion going on as movers and horse handlers worked to pack Caitlin’s things and get her ready to leave. Bo noticed a truck being loaded with Caitlin’s Viper. His eyes rested on a long black limousine resting in the parking spot the Viper once occupied. Caitlin threw herself from the police car and a launched herself into the arms of the gentlemen who emerged from the back of the limousine. It was obvious that he was Caitlin’s Uncle. They shared the same shape and shade of green eyes. This man looked to a kind man. He held Caitlin for a long time without even speaking to her. Bo pulled himself out of The General listening to Caitlin sob her sentiments of Missing her family and being thankful that Will was dead.

The man turned to Brooks and asked, “So will this finally get Sharp Sr. behind bars for good, Jim?” His voice carried a faint hint of Irish brogue.

Brooks said, “You know I can’t make any guarantees, Charles. Anything can happen. Sharp has some very good attorneys working for him, that was why I was forced to move so slowly. But this time I made sure to cross every “T” and dot every “I”.”

Caitlin’s Uncle Charles asked, “I know that. Just tell me that our Caitlin can come home. That her tormentors are going away for a very long time!”

Brooks nodded happily, “That I say with certainty. Bronco and Jack should each get a needle. Caitlin will have to testify, but the video tapes she gave me, the gun that I’ve already locked up for transport back to New York…all of that will not be overlooked by any jury.” Upon seeing the accusing look in Caitlin’s eyes…and remembering the last time he had said that to her and several key files she had stolen for him had disappeared in transport…he assured, “I am personally taking that box of yours with me. It has not left my side…go look…it’s in the backseat of that police car right now!”

Caitlin smiled as Bo joined the group. Brooks also noticed him and said, “Charles, I want you to meet the man who kept Will from doing any more harm to Our Caiti-girl.”

Charles warmly grabbed Bo in a big bear hug, saying, “Come here, Lad! I am so grateful my wee-Caitlin found you here, Mr. Duke! You can bet my family will reward you and yours very well. Did Brooks tell you about the reward that has been out on Will and his thugs for two years now! You’ll have to come to New York to testify at their trial…but don’a worry about a thing my boy!” He was about to offer it to Bo…but the look of offense that crept across Bo’s face disturbed Charles.

Bo retorted, “I didn’t save her for any reward, Sir.”

Caitlin knew Bo had misunderstood her Uncle. Charles saw the hurt in both Caitlin and Bo’s eyes…and the mixture of love and sadness they exchanged every time they looked at each other. He looked at Caitlin and asked, “Is this yer lad in the newspaper picture then?”

Caitlin nodded, “Yes, Uncle Charles.”

Charles replied, “I see. Mr. Duke, I apologize for my rudeness. I did not mean to imply you were doing this for money. My desire was truly to thank you for giving back to my family this precious jewel of ours. Her Papa and Mama would give all they had and more just to see her again safe and sound.”

Caitlin touched her Uncle’s shoulder until he looked at her. She asked, “How is Papa? Mama? What have the doctors said?”

Charles informed while the rest of the Duke family listened in…Bo holding Caitlin’s hand in comfort, “Tis bad, Child. I’ll not lie to you. The doctor wants to do surgery to remove a bit of bullet from his heart.”

Caitlin asked, “How many times was he shot, Uncle?” Charles hesitated and Caitlin demanded, “How many times?”

Charles replied, “Three, My Lass. One grazed his face, the secon’ went clean through his neck, and da’ third exploded into his chest…some found the way to his spine and one piece went to his heart. But the stubborn fool won’t let them get that one until he sees you! Your mother is doing her usual ordering everyone around and organizing things! But she needs her daughter, Lass. You remind me so much of her…strong and determined. But the strain of these last few years has taken a lot out of her. You know she was with Collin when he was shot. She was fired on too, but your father pushed her down and shielded her. Now she just sits beside his hospital bed talking about how much she loves him…reading all their love letters to each other from their youth. She believes he’s listening even when he slips in and out sleep.”

Caitlin gasped, “Oh my god!” Her heart burst with new shed tears and she closed herself within Charles’ arms. Charles soothed her hair, “Don’t, My Wee Caiti-Girl, I can’t handle it when you cry! You know until your cousins marry you’re the only daughter I’ll ever have…so I’m not lying to ya when I tell you she is all right…everything is going to be all right.”

Caitlin challenged, “Then you think Papa will come out of this alive? He’s not going to die?”

Charles replied, “Now I didn’t say that. That is why we must hurry, Lass. We need to get to Atlanta and catch the first plane home. Your things will be back at your brownstone in no time and the horses will be at O’Toole Stables in a few days.”

That was not a pleasant thought either for her. She was torn between wanting to go to her parents and wanting to stay…torn between taking her place as head of her father’s company and wanting to come back to Hazzard…to her Bo! Caitlin looked around at the dismantling of her home. She asked, “I don’t suppose…”

Charles saw the wheels turning in his niece’s head and he replied, “Lass, Don’t even go there with me. You’ve known your duty to your family all your life and what was going to be expected of you! It’s a shame you can’t go on with your plans just yet…but patience!” To Bo, Charles said, “It won’t be that long, Man! Can you wait for her!”

Caitlin saw Bo’s hurt and confusion. She made him look at her and took him aside. She said, “Remember what we talked about last night! I tried to explain last night!”

Bo said, “I understand that, Caitlin. I just don’t understand why all your possessions are being taken out of this house like you are never coming back! I don’t understand why you can’t go be with your father and then come back to me!”

Caitlin replied, “I want to! Don’t you understand that! I Love you! But…I have work to do now…people that are counting on me…I can’t be selfish!” Unable to face her future and its uncertainty with Bo, She looked back at her Uncle, Daisy, Luke, and Jesse. She saw the confused expressions from her Hazzard family…there was mess she was going to be leaving behind and she had not time to clean it up.

Charles nudged, “Caiti, please go get changed. We do have a plane to catch.”

Caitlin waited for Bo to tell her he loved her…to say he would wait…to say “Good-bye” Anything. But he refused to even look at her. He ran back to the General and started the engine. Caitlin turned and escaped into her house, fighting her way past the workman to her room. She was amazed to find the furniture covered again…her suitcases sitting at the bottom of the stairs. When she entered her bedroom, she found a large dress box wrapped in gold ribbon waiting for her. She opened it and realized it was from her mother. Beneath the tissue paper laid everything she would need to dress in to go home. Her mother did not miss a thing, including jewelry. There was a full flowing Sundress made of a very light crepe material. The colors were her favorites…a strong burgundy mixing with dusty rose pinks and forest greens on an ivory background. The bolero jacket was Ivory linen and Irish Lace. She found an antique-ivory slip that was the matched the dress’s length. The hem, bodice, and thin shoulder straps were made of Irish Lace to accent the dress on the outside. Caitlin found it breathtaking. Caitlin, however, once showered and dressed, only retrieved the pair of diamond earrings from the box and added it to her usual pendant watch and the engagement ring Bo had given her. She piled some of her loose curls into a Grecian style twist…several strands escaping all over her neck and down her back in wisps of waves. She looked in the mirror to find a girl she had not seen in years…then again she no longer saw a girl, but a sophisticated woman who was expected to join her father’s world.

Outside, Jesse and Charles talked about O’Toole’s Whiskey, sharing a bit of their knowledge with each other. Charles had explained the difficulties with Caitlin’s engagement to Bo to Jesse, Luke, and Daisy. He added, “If it was just a matter of her being cut out of his will and my brother was being a jerk, Jesse. Caiti would be fighting to stay here…she would not even be getting dressed right now. But there is more at stake here and she knows it.”

Jesse nodded, “It something she has to do. She’s been prepared for it all her life. It is just unfortunate that what she thought was perfect circumstances was a lie.”

Daisy suggested, “But all is not lost forever, Is It?”

Caitlin had come from her house hearing Daisy’s remark. She looked past The Dukes to the General where Bo sat brooding. Sadly she said, “I don’t know, Daisy. Bo’s hurt very bad. But no matter what happens between Bo and I, Daisy, you and I are friends!”

Daisy smiled, “You bet, Sugar!”

Caitlin returned, “And you will come to visit me soon in New York…won’t you?”

Jim Brooks interjected, “She’ll have to, Caitlin. She’s going to be one of our star witnesses against Jack and Bronco.”

Charles offered, “In that case, Jesse. You and your family must all stay with my family during the trial. It would be a pleasure to welcome you.”

Jesse agreed.

Daisy sighed, “Oh my! The two of us in New York!”

Luke stepped forward. He had been silently listening to everything…trying to understand yet seeing Bo’s side too. He knew he did not have a lot of time. Caitlin felt Luke come to her. Her eyes misted as she felt him squeeze her tightly to him in a brotherly hug. She thanked him for being there for her, for taking care of Ray. He let her go and she told him that she was jealous that he got to do what she had been longing to do for two years…send any one of Will’s thugs to the hospital! Their laughter was interrupted by “Dixie” being blasted from The General.

From inside the General, Bo did not like or understand everyone just accepting Caitlin’s decision to leave him, to leave Hazzard. He knew it might be forever. He feared that once she was back in Her beloved New York that she would lose her love for him and find someone else. His insecurities prevented him from enjoying the last few moments with his lover. Instead, he pouted in his car letting his family savor their last moments together.

Caitlin’s eyes filled with tears and she made Luke promise to watch out for Bo, to protect him. She kissed Jesse’s cheek then and he admonished her to stay out of trouble. She smiled at that and joked, “Well, Jesse, you know how they spell trouble, D U K E, here in Hazzard. My family spells it…C A I T …you get the picture.” Her joke lightened the mood a bit.

Charles indicated to his driver that they were ready to go. Caitlin almost allowed her uncle to help her into the back but instead she told him she would be right back. She hurried over to the General and knelt in the dirt to talk to Bo. She pleaded, “Look at me, Bo Duke! Please don’t look so sad. This is so hard for both of us. I cannot even bring myself to say ‘Good-bye’ you have to know I did not want this to happen this way! You’ve got to tell me you understand…Please smile for me!”

Bo looked at his beautiful Caiti-Girl. He was awed how she was able to be more incredible each time he saw her. But This woman who knelt before him was not his Caitlin. Gone were the riding boots, the loose bandana tying back her hair as she cleaned…the bare feet under her gypsy skirt and the revealing blouses that billowed over her hands. He was dying to pull her into the house and love her into staying. Underneath he knew she was doing the right thing. She needed to take care of her family…her father and mother, the work her father did, the business he built that made Caitlin’s life comfortable. He did understand, but his heart did not and he was angry with her for that! He started to speak but shook his head at her and remained silent. His arm had been resting along the open window of the car door. Caitlin knew it was a lost cause to get him to give up his pride and hurt to say good-bye to her. She hung her head and whispered, “You don’t have to say anything, Bo Duke. You’ve said enough as it is.” She took his hand in hers and very slowly and lovingly reverenced his skin with her lips. Her tears wet his skin, her eyelashes tickling his fingers. He couldn’t even look at her and then she was gone, her voice reaching out to his ears with words of how much she loved him and would miss him till the day she died.

Caitlin entered her Uncle’s embrace and Bo watched her knees buckle in her grief. Charles gently put her into the limousine’s backseat and then he too entered the vehicle. The Duke family waved them and Jim Brooks off staying to see that the workman took good care of packing Caitlin’s belongings. Daisy charged over to the General and hit Bo. “What is your problem, Bo Duke! All she wanted to hear from you was that you loved her! Her father is dying and all you can think about is yourself! I’m ashamed of you.” Daisy did not wait for Bo to defend himself; she turned away from him and found a place to wait inside Jesse’s truck.
An hour or so later, The Duke family were settling in and relaxing after their recent adventure and its not-so-happy ending. Bo sulked outside, viciously attacking several tree limbs with his pocketknife and muttering that Caitlin did not even say “good-bye” to him. His mind was filled with memories, his senses filled with every nuance of the woman he loved. The image of her clinging to her Uncle as she tried to get into the limousine stung his conscience. He wished he could go back and comfort her for facing the possible loss of her father. Their circumstances were not of her making and he just gave up. He knew he was being spiteful and selfish, thinking of his own pain. He just did not know how to react to losing her in the midst of finally being truly rid of Will Sharp and out of danger. Bo grabbed another thick stick to bury his knife into. He contemplated getting into the General and chasing after her…even if it meant driving all the way to New York. A new determination to get her back into his life entrenched itself inside him with each stroke of the knife. He promised that he would fight for her to come back to him even if it meant waiting for her forever. If only he could tell her.

The noise of an engine coming toward the house caught Bo’s attention. It was Jim Brooks, Boss Hogg, and Boss Hogg’s Lawyer. Bo ignored them…not concerned with whatever they had to say. He rose from the porch and went into the house. He announced without emotion, “Uncle Jesse, You have company.”

Jesse wanted to ask who it was, but Bo dismissed him and went to hide in his bedroom. Daisy rose to go after him, but Jesse put a hand on her shoulder, “Leave him alone, Daisy. He’s got to work this thing out by himself.”

Luke suggested, “Let’s go find out whose here.”

Outside they met Brooks and Boss Hogg coming towards their door. Jim Brooks extended his hand to Uncle Jesse and then Luke. He informed, “Mr. Hogg and I have some business to discuss with you on behalf of Caitlin and Charles. Do you have a few moments?”

Jesse welcomed, “Come in.” He led the group into the kitchen. They gathered around the kitchen table.

Boss shoved his lawyer toward a chair and instructed, “Get the papers ready to sign! I want this over now! You hear!”

Jesse questioned suspiciously, “What’s your angle, JD?”

Boss quibbled, “Ain’t my doin! That little ungrateful bit of girl…she did this! She double-crossed me!”

Brooks laughed, “What he means, Jesse, is that Caitlin knew that you would not take the reward money for yourself, so she paid off the mortgages of Hazzard’s Orphanage and Cooter’s Garage. She’s also signed over some funds to several churches in this area to be used as they see fit and it’s all courtesy of the Duke Family.”

Luke sat down in shock. He knew Caitlin could be generous, but he had not expected her to let them take the credit for her gifts. Jesse smiled, “That precious Rose. I am going to scold her when I see her!”

Daisy asked, “But would that make you mad at her, Boss?”

Boss Hogg replied, “That ain’t what I’m mad about! Bo’s Rose refused to sell me back her land! Instead she hired herself someone to look after the place.”

Brooks interrupted, “What our friend here is trying to say, Jesse, Luke, is that Caitlin has named you and your family the custodian of her Ranch. She has plans to return here to open a horse ranch, like the one she owns up north.”

Daisy said, “She didn’t have to do that! Why didn’t she tell us?”

Brooks explained, “She didn’t want to offend you and she didn’t want to put you on the spot. She has left the offer totally up to you, though. She will not force you, but she will be grateful. She wanted me to give you this letter explaining.” Brooks handed Jesse an envelope with a pre-printed letterhead: “O’Toole Inc.”

With Luke and Daisy looking over his shoulder, Jesse opened the envelope and read, “I am sorry for the way things ended the way they did. Please understand that I am grateful for everything and I do love you all! I could have been selfish and talked Bo into coming home with me, into moving to New York. But I am not sure how long this mess will take to unravel. I know how Bo loves you all and living here in Hazzard. He would not be happy away from here and would eventually blame me and we would lose it all in the end. I am only sorry Bo did not try to understand. Maybe in time, he will forgive me. Maybe he will even want to marry me again.

“Forgive me. By now, Jim and JD have told you about my desire for you all to take care of my home. Rent it out or let it be used as a free safe place to stay for some other runaway until she can get her head together and is out of danger. I know you all will make sure the land and all that is on it are well cared for and used generously and properly. I have arranged for you to be paid a monthly salary plus allow you to keep any rents gained from its use. I would be so honored if you would do me this favor, but I will understand if you pass. Again, I Love you and I promise one day…when you least expect it…you will see me riding my beloved Brianna over those fields. I will see you when you come for the trial to New York. Please know that all of your travel arrangements will be taken care of when the time comes. Daisy, I can’t wait to shop with you! Please tell Bo…Never mind. I love you, Caitlin Rose O’Toole!”

JD grumbled, “Jacob here has the papers you all will need to sign. And here…” He reluctantly handed them a card with numbers on it, “This is the account for expenses that Caitlin started before she left.”

Jesse, Luke, and Daisy were astounded by their good fortune. They were not as shocked as Bo who had been listening from his room at the door. He now stood just beyond the kitchen as Jesse quietly accepted, “That little girl can count on me, Mr. Brooks.” He was handed several sheets of paper and a pen.

Luke asked, “When did Caitlin have time to do all of this? I thought she and her uncle were already long gone.”

Jim Brooks responded, “Actually they left the courthouse just a few minutes before we did. Caitlin wanted to be able to take care of this. She drew up that letter as Mr. Hogg’s Lawyer here was putting together this paperwork. I heard her tell her Uncle there was just one more stop she wanted to make before driving on.”

That was all Bo needed to hear. He knew what he had to do; he hoped it wasn’t too late. He barged through the people standing around his kitchen and announced, “Uncle Jesse, don’t wait up for me. I don’t know when I’ll be back.” The General’s engine was heard igniting.

The next few minutes found Bo driving to His and Caitlin’s favorite pond. His heart jumped at the sight of a limousine parked across from the entrance to the road that dead-ended at the pond. He knew Caitlin must have wanted to be by herself and had walked from the car. He too chose a spot near the entrance. He ran down the remainder of the road until he came to the clearing and saw the edge of the pond. Bo scanned the area to find Caitlin looking out in deep thought from her position on the log over the water. Her feet dangled into the water, the skirt of her sundress hiked up to her hips so she didn’t get it wet. From his vantage point, he could tell she had been crying from the way her cheeks sparkled in the sun. He stood very silent to watch her for a long time. He was rewarded with a small smile and wondered what she was remembering about this spot. Bo could remember the many naps in sun, their favorite blanket spot when they ate, running through the water trying to catch each other, making love in the sun-filled field of wild flowers and tall grass, and finally the playful dunking that made them fall in love. He could not stand just watching her anymore. He needed, wanted to touch her again, hear her voice, smell her skin, and taste her lips. He called out, “Caiti-Girl!”

As if awakening out of a wonderful daydream, Caitlin raised her eyes to meet his. Without hesitation, she jumped from the log to the sandy shore and ran bare foot across the field towards him. At first there were no words, just the sound of sobs coming from her buried face in his chest and his voice soothing against her ear. He tried to meld her into him…to hug her as hard as he could. They began to speak at the same time, “I’m so sorry, Bo (Caitlin), I have made such a mess of this whole thing!”

Bo kissed her to keep her quiet. He said, his eyes capturing hers, “No! I am sorry for being so hard on you! You are so precious to me! I was scared and angry….”

Caitlin returned his kiss and they held on to each other for a very long time with no words. She smiled, “I’m glad you are here. We don’t have much time.”

Bo replied, “Let’s not waist any of it.” He fiercely pulled her against him trying to feel the silk of her dress against his own skin. There was a longing, desperation to the way he touched her and kissed her.

Caitlin returned those feelings until she heard a horn blowing in the distance. She cautioned, “My Uncle is waiting.”

Bo replied, “And?”

Caitlin laughed, “We can’t leave him alone!”

Bo remarked, “He’s a big boy. We’ll only be a few more minutes.”

Before she could argue more, Bo let her know what he wanted from her within the fire of his mouth. Caitlin felt giddy and breathless at the same time. Her brain was turning to mush and she could not breathe. Bo pulled the pins holding her hair up until he felt her soft curls flowing into his fingers. Her cheeks tasted of salt, but he savored every moment, every touch. The couple’s passion took over their efforts to talk about their troubles, to say good-bye. They soon found themselves on the ground not caring about getting dirty or being seen. No words were spoken, just the sounds of loving satisfaction and tearful remorse for having to be separated. Bo tried to be soft with his delicate rose, but she would have none of that. Caitlin wanted to experience the full force of their love for each other since she knew she might not feel again for a very long time…if ever. She felt their bodies rising to a beautiful powerful climax and she pulled his head to hers and made him lock eyes with hers. She whispered, “I will love you forever, Bo Duke. Don’t Forget me!”

A few moments later, the couple had collapsed against the soft earth still wrapped around each other. Caitlin tenderly kissed Bo’s hands…wanting to burn to her memory every inch of his skin. She wished she could give him something…something that he could look at that would bring them together in spirit…to keep them connected. She smiled and rose to a sitting position. She looked at him and said, “I have something to give to you. Wait here.”

Bo took the opportunity to clean up a bit as he watched Caitlin rise and run towards the tree stump near the pond. He smiled at the condition she presented to him…it was his Caiti-girl again. Her hair fell wildly about her shoulders with bits of grass clinging to her curls; her feet bare against the earth and now slightly dirty; and her sundress a mass of wrinkles. He swore to himself that when she returned to him he would keep her that way all the time.

Caitlin found and picked up her purse. She returned to see Bo watching her every move. She could tell that his love for her was rising to a lustful level again. But there was also something more. He loved her as much as she loved him. Bo rose to meet her. Caitlin withdrew an emerald green wrapped package from her purse. She said, “I’ve been meaning to give this too you since the day you proposed to me. Daisy helped me pick it out when we went shopping that day. We had that fight about me riding Aidan. You were so against it to protect me from hurting myself. I wanted to throttle you. Then I realized how much you loved me and were just afraid for me. Anyway…Well…here.” She presented the package to him and said, “Now, I hope this will be a way for us to be together…for you to know I love you whenever you look at it. Think of me. I know I will be thinking of you.”

Bo opened the package to discover a leather-banded watch inside. Caitlin took the wrapping and box and stuffed them back in her purse as Bo quickly slipped the band around his wrist. He asked, “How did you know I needed one?”

Caitlin laughed, “Because I am the one who lost your old one. This one has been inscribed, but don’t read it until I’m gone.”

Bo kissed her gratefully. He said, “I am sorry I don’t have anything to give to you.”

Caitlin pulled her locket watch from around her neck to show him the engagement ring he had given her. Gone were the rings from her first marriage. His ring nestled alone against her chest. She smiled, “I’ve got all I want right here. And I promise to have you explained to my father and the will changed by the time you come to testify at the trials. Now you have to promise you won’t let some other wayward, lost woman to worm her way into your heart!”

She had said the words teasingly, but Bo could see it was something she feared. He too was afraid that once she returned to her city life that some fancy, wealthy businessman would steal her heart away from him. Instead of admitting his fears too, he joked, “Don’t worry. Daisy will be like a watchdog every time some pretty girl even says hello.”

The sound of several horn blasts reverberated down from the main road. The time had come for them to part company. Caitlin took Bo’s hand in hers and said, “Walk with me. I will be forced to sit in that car all the way to Atlanta and then on a plane.”

Bo walked along side His Rose up towards the main road where he knew he would have to say good-bye. Each step was like walking to their deaths…but each one was cherished and savored. They became silent with each other. They were each afraid and unsure of what to say. Bo finally asked, “So when I come to New York, will you take me to one of those pretzel vendors you’ve told me about?”

Caitlin laughed, “Oh yes! And so much else. Then we’ll go out of the city to stay at our farm. If you come this winter, there will be sleighrides, snow skiing, snowmobiling…and lots of space to get lost in. I think you will like that part a lot. I know my family will adore you once they meet you.” Caitlin had babbled to keep from crying again. As they saw the main road coming up on them, Caitlin stopped walking and said, “Bo, let’s say…well…what we have to say right here. In private.” She didn’t give him a chance to speak first; instead, she held his face in hers and searched his eyes. She said, revealing to him everything she felt, “I want to love you for the rest of my life, Bo Duke! I hate leaving you! I wish… I will find a way back to you; I will be your wife! I will stay with you forever no matter where we live…”

Bo didn’t want her to have to go on anymore…it felt like she was begging him for something. Instead He said, “I know, My Caiti-Girl.” Bo kissed her, pouring everything he felt and wanted to say into his lips.

Caitlin’s eyes were still closed when another horn blast came at them. Caitlin sighed and said, “Write to me? Often!”

Bo replied, “Of course, I promise.”

Caitlin lightly kissed his cheek, remarked, “Don’t follow me or I won’t be able to get into the car. I’ll see you soon, My Beau!” She turned away from him feeling her tears threatening to spill on to her cheeks again. She reached the back door of the limousine, turned back once to blow him a kiss; then she entered the car and closed the door.

The limousine’s engine was heard revving up and Bo watched it begin to drive away. He watched until it disappeared from sight down the highway. He saw his Caiti-girl watching him, her hand slightly raised in “Good-bye” until he couldn’t see her or the car anymore. With a heaviness of heart, he removed the watch from his wrist to look at the back. The letters were very tiny, but he was able to read…

I will Love U 4Ever!
Your Million Dollar Rose
Your Caiti-Girl!
The End!

Or Is It?

Email: Debbie

by Debbie (Ldydebpv31)

Fandom: Dukes of Hazzard FanFic and Yahoo! Groups: DukesFanFic
Rating: PG-13
Status: NEW
Archive: Please Archive
FEEDBACK: Both Positive and Negative are welcome and appreciated
Series/Sequel: Chapter Ten

Disclaimers: This is a complete work of fiction written just for fun. No intended Copyright infringement.

Notes: This is a rather long text and will take several posts to send all of it. I thank any and all who take the time to read my work. To Those who chose to honor me with their comments/critique’s I offer my sincerest gratitude.

Warnings: The Story has some of the usual car chases, fist fights, etc., but there is also a little sexual content and suggestions of sexual violence but not very graphic. You be the Judge.

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CHAPTER TEN

During the late morning hours, Will Sharp and his men sped down Caitlin’s driveway, skidding to a halt behind The General Lee. There was no sign of Caitlin’s Viper. Will jumped out of his jeep as Bronco and the others scrambled out of the jeep and BMW to find out what Will wanted done next. Jack pulled up on his motorcycle just as Will sent his men off in different directions of Caitlin’s property to find Caitlin, Bo, and Luke.

Jack and Bronco went into the barn and returned to report that the barn was empty; the horses were gone. Caitlin’s viper was nowhere in sight. Scott and Ray had forced their way into the house only to find it empty to. Bronco commented in irritation, “I knew we should taken her last night.”

William responded, “They are here somewhere.”

Ray asked, “I just hope we have enough time to find them.”

Jack suggested, “we need to split up, Will. We can use Boss Hogg bar to hold out until they’re caught.”

Scott offered, “Ray and I can check out the race track and the Duke farm.”

William agreed, “Bronco, I want you to stay with me at the BoarsNest to monitor everyone’s whereabouts. Jack, tell Rick to keep an eye on the sheriff and help him find Mr. Duke’s cousin. Then I want you to get your bike and follow the places only horses can near this place.”

Again the rose ranch was left in peace as Will and his men laid a trap to capture Bo’s rose.

At the courthouse, boss Hogg had just received a call from Will informing him about the problem of finding Bo and Caitlin. Will had ordered boss Hogg to meet him at the BoarsNest and not to open it for the day. Will Sharp was getting on boss’s nerves. Boss called Rosco into his office and sent him to look for the Duke boys and Caitlin. Boss Hogg then did something he rarely ever did, a good deed. He took out the wanted posters that Enos had showed him the day before and picked up the telephone.

Twenty minutes later, boss Hogg white convertible was pulling up in front of the house at the Duke farm. He laid on his horn until Uncle Jesse came strutting out of the house. Jesse was surprised to see J.D. but he did not even get a chance to say hi J.D. demanded, “Jesse where’s Bo and Luke and that rose girl?”

Naturally, Jesse was suspicious of boss Hogg motives. He responded, “I don’t know J.D., what do you need them for? And my future daughter of laws name is Caitlin.”

Boss Hogg asked, “I know that. Jesse, did Caitlin contact her father like a told her to last night? Did she call that FBI fella?”

Jesse remembered that conversation at the party the night before. He remembered Rosco whining about being sorry to Caitlin repeatedly but would not say why. He remembered Enos hugging Caitlin and Bo as the party ended and promising he would let them get hurt. Boss Hogg had pushed both of them to their cars without explanation except for the gruff suggestion that Caitlin telephone her father and Jim brooks of the FBI. Jesse stepped closer to Boss Hogg, looked him in the eye, and demanded, “what is going on J.D.?”

Boss Hogg sighed in frustration, “Jesse, you’ve got a tell me where they are! That Sharp fella is back any was to kidnap Caitlin and pin the whole thing on Bo!”

Jesse responded in alarm, “what are you talking about JD? You had better start exploiting yourself. You are involved in this I know you are. And I thought that Sharp fella went to jail in New York.”

Boss Hogg replied in gruff guilt, “I’ll explain, I’ll explain, Jesse after you tell me where they are I don’t want to see them all hurt. We’ve got to find before Will and his men do.”

Jesse had known Boss Hogg almost all of their lives and knew J.D. to be greedy but not enough to hurt someone or get someone killed. He realized that Boss must have gotten in over his head and had underestimated Will Sharp. Jesse informed, “O.K. Caitlin sent Luke on some errands for her.”

Boss laughed, “Heh…heh…heh. I remember he’s paying up for that bet.”

Jesse replied, “well of that is the payment remind me to lose to her more often. She only sent him to get her groceries and supplies for the barn. Then she presented Luke with a picnic basket with hot fried chicken, the keys to her viper and told him to get lost for the day.”

Boss asked, “So then where are Bo and Caitlin?”

Jesse replied, “I have no idea. Bo said something about taking a horseback ride around the county and playing all day. Now tell me why we have to find.” Boss Hogg proceeded to tell Jesse how he had made a deal with Will Sharp to help him fool everyone into believing Will had been arrested and taken back to New York. Boss had arranged for Will to hide out until Will could arrange to get out of the country. That was supposed to be the deal. Boss then went on to tell Jesse the rest.
While Boss Hogg told Jesse, Enos showed up at the BoarsNest to find Daisy doing her weekly scrub down of the place. Daisy saw him coming with a very worried and sad look on his face. She greeted him by the door and asked him in concern, “What’s wrong, Enos sugar, can I fix ya’ something to drink?” She led him to a table that still had chairs piled high around as she had been mopping the floor. Enos nodded and Daisy asked, “the usual?”

Enos replied, “I’d like that, Daisy, thank you.”

Daisy brought him a glass of Dr. Pepper along with a glass of iced coffee that Caitlin had introduced her to for herself. She sat down next to Enos and gently prodded, “talk to me Enos, you look like you could use a friend.”

Enos said, “I wish I could Daisy but it’s a secret. If I don’t tell someone will be hurt and if I do tell someone will get hurt.”

Daisy offered, “you can tell me. Who am I going to tell?”

Enos said, “I can’t tell you. You could get hurt but if I don’t tell then Caitlin and Bo will get hurt.”

Daisy got Enos to look at her. She said sternly, “Then you have to tell me right now! What is going on Enos?” Enos nodded in agreement and began telling Daisy what he knew.

While Enos told Daisy about Will Sharp’s visit to Boss Hogg’s office, Rosco was waiting for Boss Hogg to contact him inside the courthouse. Rick came into the courthouse and asked the sheriff if he had found the Dukes or Caitlin yet. Rosco played his part well pretending he couldn’t wait to arrest those Duke boys. Voices tried the court house window caught their attention. Luke was walking away from Cooter’s garage reading a piece of paper and laughing at Cooter. Rick informed, “Sheriff Coltrane, let’s go find out where this Luke Duke is going shall we.”

As the two men departed the courthouse, they watched Luke go in to a local grocery store. Inside a young girl about sixteen of seventeen came around the corner and cheerfully greeted Luke. Luke presented her with Caitlin’s list and the two of them walked around the store filling it. Outside, Rick used his cell phone to tell Will what was going on. At the end of the conversation, Rick ordered Rosco to keep an eye on Luke and to make sure Luke did not go back to the Rose Ranch even if it meant arresting him. Then Rick left to continue the search for Bo and Caitlin. Rosco turned back to look inside the grocery store window. He saw a large box of groceries sitting next the cash register.

Inside the store the young girl asked, “Is this all Luke?”

Luke looked over Caitlin’s list and counted out the things in the box. He was satisfied that everything he needed was there. He smiled at the girl, “that’s all, Amy, how much do I owe you?”

The girl took a few seconds to scan the items into the cash register and then she said, “its on the house, Luke.”

Luke wondered, “Come for all this? You have to charge me something.”

Amy smiled, “no, Luke. Tell Bo and Miss Caitlin that it is our wedding gift to them. She really is very nice.”

Luke asked, “You have met her?”

“Oh yeah, she comes in here a lot. Why just yesterday she was in here getting the ingredients for the fried chicken she made you.”

Luke laughed, knowing he had been sent this errand in payment for the bet and to get rid of him for the day, “so she told you about our bet?”

“Yes,” Amy laughed, “and that she was sending you here.” Amy lifted a brightly colored gift bag out from a high the counter and handed it to Luke. Amy said, “she wanted me to give this to you.”

Luke read the card attached to the handle of the bag. It was a note from Caitlin thanking him for his help and for leaving her and Bo alone for the day. She also wrote that she hoped her gift would please his lady friend and to enjoy his drive in her viper. Inside the bag, Luke found a bottle of sparkling wine, two plastic wine glasses, a corkscrew, of pink rose surrounded by baby’s breath and wrapped in tissue paper. Luke thanked Amy and asked, “How’s your Pa?”

Amy responded, “Doin’ good. He and Ma went into Capital City for the day.”

Luke picked up the box and the gift bag as he said good-bye, “Tell your folks I said hello.”

Amy was about to say goodbye until she looked the window. She said, “Luke, did you know Rosco has been watching you all this time?”

Luke laughed, “Yep, he’s been sitting there for last hour. Wonder what he’s trying to arrest me for now.” Luke said goodbye to Amy and left the store. He took his load over to Cooter’s garage where Caitlin’s viper waited. He knew Rosco was watching him and following behind. Luke stored the box of groceries into the trunk while putting the gift bag on the passenger side next to the picnic basket Caitlin had given him earlier. Warning bells went off in Luke’s brain, he did not like the way Rosco was watching him. But Luke had a friend to meet so he waved at Rosco and drove off. Rosco hurried into his police car and followed.

At the Duke farm, J.D. Hogg had just finished telling Jesse how it got involved with William Sharp and what he knew about the plan to kidnap Caitlin. When J.D. was finished, Jesse began fishing his pocket for his car keys. He would over to his truck and grabbed the CB. Before he could use it, however, J.D. warned, “you can’t use that, Jesse. Sharp is going to be listening. He’s using the BoarsNest right now as a hideout until they find Bo and Caitlin.”

Jesse gave J.D. a worried look and informed, “but Daisy’s there. I’ve got to get her out of there.”

Boss Hogg assured, “Daisy’s all right. I sent Enos to stay with her but he’s not supposed to tell her anything. I told Sharp she was there and he said he would stay out of sight in my office and not bother her. I’m going there now to wait with him. I just hope that FBI fella gets here before Caitlin and Bo are found. But Jesse if you use the CB Sharp will know I’m double crossing him.”

Jesse agreed and said, “I’m going to go find Luke and get Cooter to help. We’ll find Caitlin and Bo and get them into hiding.” Jesse got into his truck while J.D. got into his car and two of went off to stop Will Sharp’s plan. Jesse found Cooter and learned where Luke was going and that Rosco was following him.
The search for Caitlin and Bo had begun. The couple however was unaware of the danger coming towards them. They were happily sitting by their favorite spot, the pond. They had been leisurely riding Aidan and Brianna along the trails near Caitlin’s ranch. They had discovered during their first week together a path that led to their pond. By the time they reached the pond, the couple had worn themselves out and was starving. Caitlin took the saddlebags that she had filled earlier with supplies over to their favorite tree and began laying out the picnic while Bo took care of removing the horses’ saddles and allowing them a little freedom. Aidan and Brie found their way to the edge of the pond and drink of the water and nimble on some of the tall grass.

When Bo was satisfied that the horses were taking care, he went over to the tree and helped Caitlin spread out a beach blanket. He then laid-back against the tree and watched her getting their lunch ready. The day had been one of the best they had had so far. He remembered when she came out of the house that morning to greet he and Luke how she had stunned him again with her beauty. Get she was not dressed very fancy, her hair held away from her face with a scarf made into a headband; the rest of her hair flowing freely down her back. She had worn her bathing suit with the pale rose-colored ankle length peasant skirt. Over the top of the bathing suit, she wore the yellow poets shirt he had seen on her before. As he watched to make lunch tree, Caitlin removed the yellow shirt and laid it neatly on the beach blanket. She was preoccupied with her task. She looked up at and smiled, “ready to eat?”

Bo replied that he was and the couple enjoyed lunch together. As they ate they laughed, took turns feeding each other, and then Caitlin took out a deck of cards and started a game of poker with Bo. They played for pretzels and kisses; and were soon laughing very silly. The sound of a motorcycle caught Caitlin’s attention; and for a second she thought of Will and the last time she had heard a motorcycle. Bo saw Caitlin face become worried, the look of the fear in her eyes — a look he had not seen in awhile. He after about it and she said, “I don’t know I suddenly got the feeling that something’s wrong. I am just overreacting to the sound of that motorcycle. I forgot that the road is just beyond those trees.”

Bo coaxed into his embrace telling her everything was going to be all right. He remembered her telling him that Will had one of his friends attack her on a motorcycle once. That guy, Jack, she had said loved torturing her for Will. She had tricked Jack into getting fingerprints from. The Police matched those prints to one of several found inside her honeymoon cabin and on the bloody rope used to tie her up while she had been raped. Jack was arrested which gave Caitlin the opportunity to escape to Hazzard. Caitlin held on to Bo until her fears went away. She felt foolish knowing, believing that Jack, Bronco, and Will were far away in a jail cell in New York. Caitlin felt exhausted, as did Bo. Caitlin suggested, “Let’s move the blanket into the sun and take a nap. We could fall asleep and wake up with a gorgeous tan.”

Bo liked the idea with a few modifications; he helped Caitlin move the blanket into the grasses by the pond and into the sun. Caitlin sat down on the blanket and then pulled on the belt line of Bo’s short until he sat next to her. She helped Bo removed his shirt and then found herself being captured into his arms and pulled to lay across his chest. He held her against him and began kissing her and caressing bare skin underneath the bathing suit. She laughed at him telling him that was not what she had in mind. Gently Bo rolled Caitlin under her back as he covered her body with his own and they made sweet love with the tall grasses to protect them from being seen.

But they were being watched. The motorcycle that Caitlin heard had been hidden in a dense section of bushes and trees. Jack had climbed into the tree he and Bronco had used before and watched the couple in the sunlight. He waited until they fell asleep in each other’s arms before climbing down to report to Will they had found them.

A half hour later, Jack climbed back up into the tree to find the couple waking from their brief nap. Caitlin had gone over to herself and retrieved a towel he heard her tell Bo that she was hot. Bo then suggested that they go swimming. Caitlin smiled and then yelled at him, “Last one in get dunked.” Then she ran into the water only to find it colder than she thought it would be. But Bo followed her in and began splashing at her while she flashed him in return. They laughed hysterically and chased each other in the water. It did not take much for Bo to catch Caitlin and Jack was treated to another round of them making love.

Not knowing she had an audience, Caitlin became very aggressive, kissing, touching, and melding Bo’s body into hers under the water. She wrapped her legs around Bo’s hips as he pulled aside both their bathing suits to accommodate their lovemaking. He raised her up slightly out of the water and then pulled her back against him until he felt himself deep inside her. His lips tasted the water of the pond on her neck and breasts. Caitlin drove her fingers down into his back as she felt the first waves of passion drive up her body. Again, their passion for each other had been expressed until they climaxed and then collapsed into the water. Bo lifted Caitlin into his arms and carried her back to the beach blanket where they again laid side-by-side talking.

At the BoarsNest, Enos finished telling Daisy about Will Sharp, his plan, and Boss’s plan to out-smart Will until the real FBI got there. Enos completed, “Rosco is out looking for Luke right now. I’m supposed to stay with you and keep you safe. That Sharp fella thinks Rosco is going to keep Luke busy until Bo and Caitlin for kidnapped.”

A voice behind them said, “is that right deputy? Mr. Hogg, you have double crossed me.”

Daisy and Enos looked to see Will Sharp standing just outside of Boss Hogg’s office. Boss Hogg had a frustrated look on his face he knew his plan had just been found out. Will Sharp ordered, “Bronco, please go make Boss Hogg comfortable in his office.” Bronco grabbed Boss Hogg jacket and pulled him out of sight. Will looked at Enos and ordered, “Now, deputy, I suggest you go help Rosco keep Luke Duke busy. You tell the sheriff that I have Mr. Hogg in my possession and will not hesitate to kill him if Caitlin and Bo are not in my possession by the end of the day.” Will watched Enos go for Daisy hand to take her with him. Will quickly closed the gap and took hold on Daisy’s other arm. He said, “Now my pretty Daisy, you will stay here to keep Bronco and me company. Would you be so kind and get us a couple of drinks my dear.” His tone of voice was overtly threatening. Will pulled his gun to show Enos they met business, shoving the barrel into Daisy side. Will demanded, “Deputy, please give me your handcuffs.”

Reluctantly, Enos pulled the cuffs from his belt and handed them over to Will. Enos apologized to Daisy. He helplessly watched Will forced Daisy’s wrists together in front of her and then he cuffed her. Will nodded toward the door and Enos was forced to leave. Will pushed Daisy to the main door of the bar and forced her to lock it.

Bronco came out of Boss Hogg’s office and said, “Jack is on the cell phone. I think he has something.”

Will push to Daisy toward the bar and ordered, “My friend and I would like something to drink. Get us a couple of beers please.”

Daisy went behind the bar and retrieved two bottles from the cooler. Her movements were clumsy because of the handcuffs and she dropped a bottle. She angrily got another one and then slammed them both down on the counter in front of Will. She scoffed, “anything else.” Then as Will turned away from her, she added barely under her breath, “like rat poison maybe.” Will turned to face her again and she smiled sarcastically.

Will instructed, “Miss Duke, I’m going into Boss’s office now. I am sorry that I have upset your pretty face, but don’t do something that we will both regret.” His cold eyes boldly caressed her body in warning. Then he followed Bronco into Boss Hogg’s office.

As soon as they were out of sight, Daisy pretended to clean up the broken beer bottle, squatting down behind the bar. She took the cell phone she kept there and quickly dialed. She was grateful in that moment that Caitlin had talked the Duke family into getting cell phones for each of them. She heard the phone pick up on the other line and quickly whispered, “Luke, answer!”

Luke asked, “Daisy what is wrong?”

Daisy warned, her voice shaking and fearful, “you’ve gotta find Bo and Caitlin. Quickly, Luke, they are a great danger.”

Luke said, “danger! From what! Where are you Daisy?”

Daisy said, “Hurry, Luke, Boss Hogg and I are being held prisoner by Will Sharp. He is going…”

Bronco slowly took the cell phone from Daisy’s hands and turned it off. Twisting the chain of the cuffs, Bronco pulled Daisy back to a standing position and against him. Caressing her cheek, Bronco asked, “what do you think you were doing?”

Daisy countered, pushing him away “let go, you are hurting me. I’m going to stop you!”

Bronco pulled her back against and said, “Sweet Daisy, now I can’t let you go and spoil everything we’ve been planning for Caitlin and Bo. That would be rude.”

Will came out of the office and asked, “What’s going on here?”

Bronco informed, “I found this pretty little thing on her cell phone. She was trying to betray you Will to her cousin. What are we going to do with her, Boss?”

Will replied, “nothing for the moment, Bronco. Bring her in to sit beside Mr. Hogg. She will come in handy later.”

As Bronco pushed her toward Boss’s office, Daisy demanded, “What are you talking about?”

Daisy found herself again surrounded by Will and Bronco. Will explained, “You see, pretty Daisy we come to give my rose and her Beau an early wedding gift. And I think you should help us.” He pointed to a chair next to a much-trussed up Boss Hogg. Then he nodded at Bronco and the two of the escorted Daisy to the chair and tied her to it. Will retrieve a linen handkerchief from his pocket, tied a knot in the center and used it to gag Daisy’s mouth.

Will informed, “Jack has found them.”

Bronco asked, “are they where I said they would be, that picnic spot?”

Will responded angrily, “yes and from what Jack tells me they’ve been enjoying themselves to much. Jack is going to let us know when they had back to Caitlin’s house. We will make sure they never reach it. I’ve already contacted Rick and the others and they will be in position and waiting for a signal to strike.”

At the pond, Caitlin stretched leisurely as she said and looked thoughtfully at the water. Her imagination gave her a picture of her wedding to Bo. She could see brightly colored tents set up on one side, a flowing linen canopy adorned with flowers set behind an altar with rows of chairs that would be used for their guests. She already had a big church wedding with Drew. Here with her Bo would be a simple one, well simple in her mind anyway. In her mind, she could see her wedding dress; it would be antique ivory linen with lacy sleeves that hung down her wrists in medieval fashion. The bodice would lace up to an off the shoulder collar. The skirt would be full and swirled to the ground in yards of soft lace. Everyone would come to the pond on horseback. She and Bo would be riding Aidan and Brianna. Caitlin laughed as she realized she would have to ride sidesaddle. Her laughter got Bo’s attention and he caressed her arm, “what are you thinking about?”

Caitlin didn’t like being caught in her fantasy. But the idea did have merit and she said, as she turned to lay on her stomach and looked at him, “its is so pretty here, Bo, I could stay here forever. But, and you are going to think I’m crazy, let’s have the wedding here.”

Bo responded, his look betraying what he really thought and a slight laughter to his tone of voice, “what ever you want, my sweet Rose.”

Caitlin did not like the mocking tone to his voice. She called him on it, “if you don’t like the idea just say so.”

Bo defended himself, “I didn’t say that.”

Caitlin challenged, “Maybe not with words, but your laughter, the way you’re looking at me tells me you think the idea is dumb.”

Not realizing just how serious Caitlin was being, Bo stroked Caitlin’s cheek like you would a silly child and said, “Well you have to admit that this place would take a lot of fixing up to please the Yankees you’d be bringing from New York. So yes, Darlin, it is pretty silly. But if you want to have it here then I say whatever makes you happy.”

Caitlin sat up, her eyes filled with anger and hurt at both being patronized and insulted by Bo’s comment. Caitlin demanded, “Take that back, Bo Duke! You have no idea what you are talking about! My family would think this is a perfect place! They are not the snobs you think they are.”

Bo was stunned at Caitlin’s reaction. He had not meant to offend her. However, he was amused by the look on her face and the tone she had taken with him. It instead of trying to explain himself and apologize, Bo laughed. Caitlin’s mouth pursed together in a thin line of irritation; she let out a huff of breath and stood to walk away from Bo. She went over to where the picnic was laid out and quickly gather their lunch together and threw it back into the saddlebags. At first, Bo just watched her thinking she needed time to cool off. But he realized his mistake when Caitlin began putting a Brianna’s saddle back on the horse. When Caitlin returned to the blanket, she grabbed her yellow blouse, slipped it around her shoulders, and pulled her skirt back up over her bathing suit while saying in irritation, “I trust you can take care of getting Aidan saddled and find your way back home. Obviously you don’t need this Yankee city girl to help you.”

Caitlin turned on her heel to go, but Bo reached out for her and said, “wait, my Caiti girl, let’s talk about this.”

Caitlin pulled away from Bo and stubbornly said, “Later, right now I’m mad.” It was obvious Bo was still amused at the situation even though he was desperately trying to control himself. Caitlin looked at Bo sternly and then returned to Brianna whom she mounted. Bo quickly stood up as Caitlin trotted by him. She stopped for a second and looked down at him, “I suggest you get my Aidan back home where he belongs. And don’t worry about me coming up with any more stupid suggestions for our wedding if there ever is one! I will not be laughed at Bo Duke!” Caitlin touched her heels to Brianna’s flank, urging her to a slow gallop out of the clearing and toward the narrow path that led back to her ranch.

Suddenly finding himself alone, Bo quickly pulled together the blanket they had been lying on and then re-saddled Aidan. Luckily, the narrow path Caitlin had taken was not one she could race down and allowed Bo to catch up to her. He called out to her, “Caitlin, wait! I didn’t mean to laugh at you.” Caitlin was ignoring him. Bo edged Aidan to ride side-by-side Brianna. He insisted, “Please, Caitlin, I want to talk to you.”

Stubbornly holding her nose in the air, Caitlin refused, “I have nothing to say to you and I’m not in the mood to hear anything you have to say. I will not let you laugh at me again.” Caitlin was about to nudge Brianna a head of Bo and Aidan. Bo however maneuvered Aidan close enough to try for Caitlin’s reigns. He did not want to give her a chance to gallop away from him when they got to the next clearing. Caitlin yelled, “Bo Duke! What are you…” Bo now had a piece of her reigns and his. He pulled on Brianna as reigns trying to get her to stop. Caitlin held on also, pulling them the opposite way and demand, “let go! Come on! Let go before you get us both killed!”

Bo was determined to have his way. Aidan seem to understand Bo’s intent and edged Brianna to stop while Bo ordered, “Whoa, Brie-girl, whoa.”

Both horses stood still on the path next to each other. Bo kept a tight hold on Bri’s reigns and bridal as he turned Aidan around so that he was face to face with Caitlin. Caitlin watched Bo maneuvering around her and pouted, “what are you doing? Well, what ever it is, I won’t listen to you.”

Bo brought Aidan so close to Brianna that his leg touched her side as well as Aidan’s. Before Caitlin could say another word Bo pulled her to him saying, “you will listen to this, my Caitlin Rose.” Holding her cheeks between his big palms he kissed her and kept kissing her even though she at first try to push him away. Within seconds, Caitlin’s resistance melted away and instead she found herself cradled in Bo’s arms and in his saddle. She was no longer riding Brianna but completely a stride Aidan. When Bo felt Caitlin’s temper subside, he looked into her eyes and said, “We can have the wedding by our stream. I promise. And I won’t laugh at you anymore.” The couple then continued to enjoy each other’s company as they slowly made their way back to Caitlin’s ranch was Brianna following behind on the narrow path.

The couple’s movements were being tracked and a telephone call was made. At the BoarsNest Bronco clicked off his cell phone and announced, “it’s time. They’re on their way back to their ranch. Jack said they must have had argument because Caitlin suddenly raced away from the pond with her Duke boy racing after her.”

Will asked, “Was the argument serious, are they still fighting?”

Bronco replied, “I don’t think so. That was Rick calling just now and they must have made up. Rick said they were all over each other by the time they made it back to Caitlin’s fields. Rick said there in a good position to be taken and will be waiting for a signal from us.”

Will could imagine just how the couple was making up. He threw his beer glass at a wall in Boss hogs office the glass shattering to a thousand pieces. Maintaining his composure, Will smiled, “well, I’m glad they solved their differences. We can’t have the love birds fighting.” Will’s gaze fell on the bound and gagged Daisy in the chair next to a bound and gagged Boss Hogg. Will smoothed the creases of his black jeans and black leather blazer as he ordered, “Bronco, bring her along with you. Mr. Hogg, I trust you’ll stay put.”

Will left Boss’s office slamming the door behind him. Bronco was not gentle in removing the gag from Daisy’s mouth or the bonds time her to the chair. However, he did leave the handcuffs around her wrists. He asked with a polite tone, “Miss Daisy, I trust you will want to walk on your own?”

Bronco lifted her into a standing position as Daisy demanded, “Where are you taking me?”

Not in the mood to deal with a fighting female just yet, Bronco pushed Daisy towards the door ordering, “Shut up and move!” Before she could refuse, Bronco pulled his gun from his belt and pushed it into her back.

Daisy protested, “I’m going you don’t have to push.”

Will stepped back into the office and impatiently demanded, “Hurry up! I still know Caitlin’s riding habits. If they’re on their way back their little rest won’t last for long.”

Outside Bronco sat Daisy in the driver’s seat of Will’s jeep. He ordered, “you are gonna drive, pretty Daisy, and nothing cute or else.”

Daisy protested, holding her cuffed hands out for them to see, “and how am I supposed to drive with these on?”

Wanting to see her trip so that he would have a reason to force himself on her, Bronco said, “I suggest you figured out unless you want me to teach you what you can do with those cuffs on.” Bronco was in the process sitting behind Daisy and he set forward allowing a free hand to caress down her arm. Daisy was not as helpless as Bronco thought. With all of her strength, she sent her elbow into his side until he fell back against the rear seat of the jeep. Bronco came at her to strike, but Will blocked him as he sat down next to her.

Will took Daisy’s cuffed wrists in his hands and unlocked the metal bands freeing them. He looked at in warning and said, “now, Miss Duke, behave or I will let my friend here finish what he had in mind to do to you.” To Bronco Will ordered, “Now leave the poor girl alone, Bronco. We don’t need any accidents now at a we lost Caitlin last time.”

Daisy tried to be brave even though she understood just how much danger she was and how much of a leash Will kept on Bronco. She was treading on very thin ice but she hoped to stall enough to get Enos and Luke a chance to get to Bo and Caitlin first. She slowly started the engine and then sat back waiting for Will to get her directions. Will dismissed Daisy’s subtle act of defiance and instructed, “Drive, Miss Duke, point the way as we go.” Daisy swallowed her fear and took off out of the parking lot.

Enos had been watching the BoarsNest all afternoon. He was troubled to see Daisy driving Will’s jeep. Enos freed Boss Hogg. Both were afraid to contact help by CB so they quickly sped over to see Uncle Jesse who was waiting for word from Boss Hogg since his search of the county for Bo and Caitlin had proved fruitless. Enos asked, “Jesse, you’ve got to get a hold of Luke now. Tell him to go to Caitlin’s place now Will and his men are getting ready to trap Caitlin and Bo on the south side of her property. They’ve got Daisy with them.”

Jesse informed, “Luke knows. He and Rosco have been pretending to chase each other while searching for Bo and Caitlin. I just wish we knew which pond Bo took her to.”

Boss informed, “never mind the pond. Heard that Bronco say that they found Caitlin and Bo. They are on their way back to Caitlin’s place.”

Uncle Jesse picked up his CB and said into the microphone, “Luke, picked up I’ve got news.”

Luke and Rosco had been busy all afternoon looking for Caitlin and Bo right after move that this strange phone call from Daisy. Luke picked up his CB and answered, “Rosco listen up. Uncle Jesse what have you heard?”

Uncle Jesse relayed the information that Boss Hogg and Enos had to Luke. Luke listened as he watched a Jeep coming toward him.

In the jeep, Daisy saw Luke coming from the distance that she was not alone. Will warned, “sweet Daisy, I know that your cousin. If you want to see him live you won’t do anything stupid.”

Daisy laughed, “Don’t worry sugar, you’ll draw attention to us all by yourself.” Daisy beat the horn of the jeep like she would do on any other occasion to greet Luke. She waved and smiled “was that all right? Mr. Sharp?” Both Will and Bronco let their weapons be obvious to Luke as they passed the viper and Rosco behind. Luke and Rosco each did a 180 on the road only to park in fear of Daisy’s life.

A few minutes later Daisy made a sharp turn down Caitlin’s driveway. Upon Will’s instructions, Daisy skidded the jeep to halt behind the General Lee. Will and Bronco jumped out of the jeep on each side of the general and use their weapons to shoot up the tires. Plumes of white smoke and the sound of air hissing filled the air. Daisy sat with her hands covering her ears and trying not to scream. Bronco jumped into the seats behind her and ordered, “Drive towards the wooded area on the south side of her property.”

Daisy sat still for a second and offered hopefully, “I was thinking since you really don’t need me now and I can’t go anywhere can I just stay here?”

Will sat back in the passenger seat and patted Daisy’s hand, “You just sit tight sweet Daisy, the end is almost here.”

Daisy sighed, “That is what I’m afraid of, sugar.” She slowly drove towards the woods.

After Bo had trapped Caitlin in his arms while riding Aidan, they had not made any serious effort to get back to Caitlin’s land. Instead, they had left the path and dismounted to play amid the trees. Caitlin now waited quietly resting against a tree trying to hear where Bo was. She could not help but laugh as he came up behind her and hugged her and the tree attacking her neck with kisses. Bo lifted Caitlin up high off the ground until she was giggling madly. Then as she slid down him, her arms went about his neck and their lips met in passionate kisses. The noise of Aidan stomping the ground nervously caught the couple’s attention. Brianna had also become suddenly jittery. Caitlin took the horse’s display as an indication that they were tired and wanting to go home. Caitlin looked at her watch and gasped at the time, “Bo, do you realize what time it is? We need to go back. It is close to four in the afternoon. Luke is bound be back by now.”

Bo shrugged, “So.”

Caitlin smiled, “So! Aren’t you forgetting something? I’m supposed to be making dinner for your family tonight.”

Bo nibbled on her ear in persuasion, “We can stay a little longer. If Luke needs us, he knows how to find us. And as for dinner there’s still plenty left from last night.”

Caitlin looked over at the horses and tried to protest but Bo had guided her to lay under him on the ground. He had caught his Rose and wanted an uninterrupted taste of her petals again. Caitlin looked into his eyes from her position on the soft cooled grass. The look in Bo’s eyes sent waves of pleasure down to her toes and she laughed, “I think Luke can handle things by himself for little while longer.” She felt Bo trying not to crush her into the ground, but she wanted to feel his weight against her and pulled him into her lips igniting a fire her own. Bo began a trail of tickling kisses along her neck as she breathed, “I could stay like this forever with you.”

The noise of Brianna stomping the ground and snorting angrily caught Caitlin’s attention. She then saw Aidan react similarly and knew something was wrong. Reluctantly, Caitlin brushed the hair of Bo’s eyes and said, “Come on we need to check the horses.” Bo stood first and then helped Caitlin to her feet. They took turns brushing the dirt and leaves and grass off each other, Bo tenderly removing pine needles and sticks from Caitlin’s curls. Caitlin brushed her skirt as she walked towards Brianna and watched Bo checking on Aidan. A movement in the trees beyond caught Caitlin’s attention and she saw Jack smiling at her in warning. Caitlin’s mind flooded with the danger that was coming toward them. The noise of the jeep caused her to turn towards the field. To her horror Caitlin saw William Sharp rising out of the passenger seat of the jeep that was racing at them full speed. Instantly Caitlin’s body and mind were consumed in fear as memories of the last time she had seen the look Will was giving her. She looked back in time to see Jack climbing down from the tree to come toward. She screamed, “Bo! We gotta get outta here! Jack is… I just saw Will!”

But Bo had already seen the danger to and was already astride Aidan. He rode over to Caitlin offering her protection as she mounted Brianna. Bo held onto Caitlin’s hand and reassured “Don’t panic! I want you to go ahead of me back to the pond and out to the road to find help. I’m going to do what I can to block the path.”

But Caitlin did not want to be separated from Bo she feared that would be the last time she saw him alive. Her tears ran down her face as she begged, “Don’t leave me, Bo! Please let’s stay together!”

Bo squeezed Caitlin fingers in gentle reassurance and kissed her tenderly. He swore, “I will be right behind you, I promise. Now go!” Bo smacked Brianna’s rear sending the horse into a gallop toward the path. He did not hesitate to urge Aidan to follow her. As Caitlin approached the entrance to the narrow path, Jack used his motorcycle to block her, which forced Caitlin to pull Brianna up short and turn the other way. Bo was forced to follow suit. Caitlin looked at Bo and felt his strength becoming her own, infusing her with a desire to fight. She pointed at another path along the line of trees but as Bo and she approached Rick emerged with a motorcycle of his own blocking that way. Both Brianna and Aidan rose on hind legs forcing Bo and Caitlin to hold on and regain control.

In the open field, Will directed his men with his CB radio in his hand. Bronco rose up in the back of the jeep aiming his gun at Bo’s head. Caitlin saw this and screamed, urging Brianna to block Bo from Bronco’s aim. Caitlin knew beyond the shadow of doubt that Will did not come to kill her. Her estimation was right as she watched Will stop Bronco’s attempts to shoot. To tighten the trap Will grabbed the wheel from Daisy forcing her to slam on the brakes as they made a sharp turn to block the path of the open field. Caitlin and Bo came together in the center of the circle Will was creating. Caitlin said to Bo, her heart racing and lungs out of breath, “He’s trying to corral us, what do we do now?”

Bo indicated the still open side of the field until Ray and Scott blocked it with the BMW. Bo declared, “This ain’t over yet! Let’s jump the ones on the motorcycle.”

Caitlin looked at Jack her fear of him evident. She knew he would take pleasure in shooting Brianna to prevent Caitlin from escaping. Caitlin said, “It’ll have to be quick and unexpected. I’m ready!”

Bo kissed her and said, “Meet you in the trees!” The pair split off into different directions Bo racing toward Rick and Caitlin toward Jack. Caitlin saw Jack aiming his shotgun right at Brianna chest. Caitlin lowered her body so that she was one with the horse; urged Brianna into the air and over Jack and his motorcycle into the path beyond. Caitlin and Brie landed safely within the protection of the trees. To her relief, Bo joined her a second later. A gunshot in the air forced Caitlin’s attention back to the open field and Will sitting in the jeep. It was then that Caitlin saw Daisy in the driver’s seat. The distress and resignation on Caitlin’s face caused Bo’s eyes to follow where Caitlin was looking. He knew they would have to surrender. Caitlin said caustically, “At least now I know why Jack didn’t try to shoot Brianna. Will always as an ace up his sleeve.”

Bo replied, “Daisy will be all right. We don’t have to surrender not just yet.”

Caitlin caressed Bo’s cheek. She said, “I don’t want you to surrender Bo. I want you to get out of here. Will has come for me. Please run I can’t watch him hurt you. But I also can’t let Daisy be hurt either so I’m gonna do whatever Will wants me to do.”

Bo crushed Caitlin against him and fiercely protested, “No you can’t go to him! We both know what he will do to you! So either I go with you for you go with me. But we are going to fight Will together! If he’s escaped from jail he is obviously desperate, Caitlin.”

Caitlin said, “Which means he will not hesitate to kill Daisy or you!”

Bo responded, “then we die together My Caiti Girl!” Bo kissed her passionately letting her know that she had no choice but to let him stay with her.

Slowly Caitlin and Bo emerged from the trees with their hands held up in surrender. As they re-entered the circle Will had created, the noose was tightened. Brianna and Aidan did not like the noise of the motorcycles or the cars trapping them and Bo and Caitlin had to exert extra control to keep them calm. Daisy was forced to move the jeep closer to the horses as Bronco stood up in the back and ordered, “Mr. Duke, dismount that horse slowly. You don’t want your pretty cousin here to suffer!”

Jack lit up a cigarette as he came toward Brianna and laid a hand on Caitlin’s leg. He smiled at the Caitlin’s eyes as he instructed, “Hello, Miss Caitlin. Would you like help from this beautiful beast of yours?”

Caitlin watched Jack’s cigarette dangling from his fingers near her ankle. She knew what he wanted to do with it but she bravely spat, “How did you get out your cage this time?” Caitlin looked over at Will and demanded, “I don’t know how you escaped, Will Sharp, but call off your dogs and get off my land now. I’m sure Jim Brooks already has his agents chasing after you.”

Will calmly lit up a cigar and then he retrieved an envelope from his jacket pocket and a stack of yellow envelopes from between the seats of the jeep. He tossed the stack at Jack and ordered, “My Darling Caitlin, I have some disappointing news for you. That little demonstration of my men and I being arrested was all a play put on in your honor. My men and I needed a rest and so did you my sweet until arrangements could be made for us to leave the country together on our honeymoon.” Will watched Jack give Caitlin the pile of telegrams that she thought she had been sending to New York. His laughing eyes met her accusing ones as he continued, ” I believe you should read the top envelope first. I tried to be lenient with you my darling, letting you play with your little boy here. I didn’t expect you to betray me by becoming engaged to him. ”

Caitlin tore open the top envelope and quickly read its contents. Suddenly Caitlin’s world was crashing around her again. The sound of the gunshot that ripped through her father’s body rang in her mind as if she had been there to witness it. Sighing in resignation, Caitlin held the envelopes against your chest and while keeping her eyes away from Bo, she surrendered, “You Win, Will, I will do what you want. Just please let Bo and Daisy go. They aren’t worth anything to you.”

Bo argued, trying to get Caitlin’s eyes to look at him, “What are you doing, Caitlin. Don’t give up just yet.”

Caitlin handed him the telegram that had upset her, her helpless eyes reaching out to him. She wanted feel his arms around her and as his eyes read the message she tried to reach out for his hand in search of security. Bo read:

Caitlin you are in danger… stop. Your father was shot…stop. He is in the hospital and the doctors are not sure how soon he will be out of danger…stop. I will be flying out to Atlanta and will arrive in Hazzard by Sunday to bring you home…stop. Beware of Sharp and his men. I will tell you more when I see you…stop. They are running scared, my Caiti girl. We have the evidence we need and that’s why your father was attacked…stop. Your favorite Uncle.

In red ink on the bottom of the telegram, Will had written a warning:
Cooperate My Rose or I will see to it your father never leaves the hospital alive. I will make you surrender to me with your boyfriend as our audience. Then, this time, I will make you watch the destruction of my rival. Yes, My Darling, You will watch him die.

Bo read the words again and looked to see his beautiful brave Caitlin disappearing into the frightened and grief stricken woman that he had held the morning she had revealed to him her story. He tried to reach across from Aidan to Brianna to hold Caitlin and comfort her, but Scott and Rick prevented him from doing so. Scott had grabbed hold of Aidan’s bridal as Rick walked between Brianna and Aidan using his rifle to smack Bo’s arms away from Caitlin. Bo was forced to fight for control of Aidan and not be thrown to the ground. Caitlin reached for Bo yelling at Rick to stop and begging Will to let Bo go. Bronco jumped down the jeep to take care of the disruption. When it was quiet again, three of Will’s men stood between Bo and Caitlin. Bronco growled at Bo, “Come on, pretty boy, give me a reason!” Bronco took hold of Brianna’s bridle and brought Caitlin closer to the jeep. He offered his hand to Caitlin, “Climb down, MISS Rose.”

From his position in the jeep, Will watched his men in complete satisfaction. Will’s eyes traveled the scene between Bronco and Caitlin to where Bo sat a stride Aidan. Will noticed that all the attention was now focused on getting Caitlin down from Brianna and watching to see if Bronco made the wrong move toward her. Bo Duke also watched, but his intention was to find a way to rescue them. To get everyone’s attention, Will tapped the horn to the jeep just as Caitlin was about to dismount. Will ordered, “Not so fast. Mr. Duke you dismount first. I am not your clumsy sheriff. And just to make absolutely sure you don’t try anything…” William pushed Daisy out of the jeep following close behind her. William nodded his head at Ray and instructed, “Keep Miss Duke with you, my friend, if her cousin so much as breathes the wrong way break her arm.”

With a cruel eagerness to please his boss, Ray joined Will by Daisy and then wrapped himself around her bending one of her arms into her back to keep her still. The pain she felt blazed across the Daisy’s eyes but she fought to stay calm and quiet. Bo’s heart lurched into his throat as his brain came to terms with the danger of the scene before him. Will’s demand backfired, since Bo was only too pleased to cooperate. Bo did realize, however, that he would have to surrender until Daisy was unharmed. He knew Caitlin would be vulnerable and not willing to fight or escape as long as she perceived Will to have the upper hand.

In defiance, Bo nearly jumped from Aidan’s back and proceeded to push Bronco a way from Brianna. William kept Bronco and Ray from retaliating then nodded to Jack who quickly took pictures of Bo pulling Caitlin from her saddle. Bo took the opportunity to caress Caitlin’s cheek trying to comfort her, envelope her in his love. The devastation of Caitlin’s world touched Bo as their eyes locked together. Before he could touch her again Jack pushed Bo back a few paces. Jack forced a long length of rough rope in Bo’s hands; as Will instructed, “Mr. Duke, make sure our lover’s hands are secured behind her back. And please do a good job for the camera here,” Jack turned Caitlin around and shoved her backward into Bo. Scott held a video camera while Rick continued to take pictures with Jack’s camera.

Bo fought to control his temper. It was going to be a long and dangerous night for the both of them. He died a little inside as the brave Caitlin meekly placed her hands behind her back without so much as looking at him. He knew she was afraid; afraid to fight; afraid to cry; afraid of what was to come once the couple was alone with these hoodlums. Now recalling the horror stories that Caitlin had told him and the many times she had reached out to him in panic from a nightmare, Bo knew Will’s men would be out for blood especially Bronco. Bo fiercely held Caitlin in a tight embrace letting her know that he wanted to protect her, that if she could just hold on everything was going to be all right. Together they would get through this. He whispered to her “my Caiti girl, I love you. Don’t let this monster get to you.” He kissed her cheek and then drew the rope as gently as possible around her wrists looping it around several times and pulling until he saw her eyes wince in discomfort.

Jack and Will separated Bo from Caitlin. Jack pushed Caitlin over to where Daisy and Ray stood. Upon Jack’s nod, Ray pushed Daisy to her knees on the ground. Jack did the same to Caitlin standing over her. He pointed her eyes back in the direction of where Bo stood in the middle of the circle made up of Scott, Rick, Bronco, and Will. He laughed in her ear, “Will has a present for your fiancée. Now watch him get it.”

Bo stood tall ready for anything that Will had planned. The two women in his life were being held on their knees well within his sight to keep him from fighting back. Bo scolded, “Get this over with, Sharp. You have won for now!”

Will stepped forward as if he was just going to speak to Bo but quick as a flash his fist tried to break through the hard muscles of Bo’s chest. “It will be over when I say it’s over, Pretty Boy. Now, Never Steal from my Rose garden Again!” Each word emphasized with another blow to Bo’s mid section; Scott and Rick held his arms to prevent him from fighting or falling down too soon. Will stood back and smiled at Bronco. Bronco joined his fists together and pounded on Bo’s neck. Bo was forced to his knees trying to catch his breath. Watching in satisfaction, Will ordered, “Get him ready to go and make sure he can’t poison my rose.”

Bronco took the pair of handcuffs that had bound at Daisy only moments before and tightened them a round Bo’s wrists. Laughing, Bronco removed the red bandana from Bo’s pocket and used it to gag Bo from speaking anymore. Bronco teased, “very handy country boy. Just think tonight that bandana may spare you from hearing Caitlin’s screams as Will takes her to his bed again.” All three of Bo’s tormentors laughed as he struggled to tell them off.

Rick suggested “Bronco, do you think we should let this one watch before we kill him?”

Scott laughed, “yeah! Give him one last thrill.”

Bronco jeered, “I have an even better idea…he can watch Will with Our Rose…then me get to taste Daisy…”

Rick smirked, “And what a delectable flower she is.”

Bronco had signaled Ray who still held Daisy on her knees. Bronco made sure the way was clear for Bo to see his cousin as he said, “If I am not mistaken…Ray is about to take his turn with the girl right…now.” Bo and Caitlin were forced to watch Ray stroking Daisy’s hair and kneeling down next to her…his hands beginning to explore her body freely. With every touch…Bo had to be pressed hard back to his knees while Bronco took pleasure in being able to smack Bo around.

From her position on the ground, Caitlin felt herself becoming hysterical. The cruelty before her was mixing with images, memories of past cruelties…the battered face of her beloved Drew being dragged away from her…the laughing, lustful eyes of two men who shared her for a very long night while the third took delight in making her every waking moment and then her nightmares a living, breathing hell. Will was coming at her and Caitlin could see his amusement and triumph in his smile. She refused to look up at him as he drew closer. She wanted nothing more than to kill him…wipe that smug, arrogant look off his face.

Bronco had seen Will approaching Caitlin. He pushed Scott out of Bo’s line of vision. Chaos erupted as Bo lost his temper. He used his back and shoulders to knock Bronco backwards to the ground. Bo attempted to stand, to rescue Caitlin.

Caitlin looked past Will at that moment and watch Bronco remove his revolver from its holster as he scrambled back to a standing position. Bronco kicked Bo off his knees and on to his side. But as he raised the barrel of the gun to Bo’s head, Caitlin screamed…her voice loud and grating and tear filled. She smashed her head backwards into Jack’s groin and then…like a bull, she rose up onto her feet while charging forward…pushing Will into the dirt. Around her Daisy was shouting for her to stop and for them to leave Bo alone. Jack was trying to reach out for her hair, while Will caught himself before landing face first in the grass.

Bo shut his eyes in the only defense he had against Bronco’s gun. To his shock and that of Bronco’s, he opened his eyes to find Caitlin’s body thrown over his. She yelled at the top of her lungs…her strong soprano voice carrying over the wind, “S…T…O…P…!” It was as if she were coming out of one nightmare only to enter another one…but instead of wilting into nothing…she found courage to fight back again…even in a small way to protect her beloved Bo Duke.

Around her everything stopped. The birds in the sky had quieted, and the trees were so still it was as if they were listening. Will’s men, Bo, and Will turned their attentions to Caitlin in shock. Will marched over the couple and Bronco. Bronco demanded, “Will, let me kill him now!”

Caitlin again screamed, “NO…O…O!” Will tried to pull Caitlin away from Bo, but she made her self go limp and too heavy to be moved. She looked up at him and demanded unflinchingly, “To kill him, you’ll have to kill me first! Then you get no money…You certainly can’t marry me! Nothing! And you may think killing him will subdue me to submission to you like the last time…but don’t count on it.” She was not begging, pleading, or promising to cooperate. Her threat reached Bronco, Jack, and Will. Because her words were making a difference, she added, “If Bo loses his life at any one of your hands, I will be the one to end yours!”

Will held Bronco back from trying to strike Caitlin. The last thing Will needed was for Caitlin to get really hurt this time. He wanted her in his bed that evening not lying bleeding and violent tied up in a corner. Jack intervened, “Bronco, put your gun away.” Jack came forward dragging Daisy with him and shoved her between Caitlin and Bo. He ordered, “Say your good-byes quickly. We have a schedule to keep!” Jack pulled Will and Bronco aside to help calm the situation. Caitlin was not performing the way any of them thought she would. But the men knew they still had the upper hand. As Jack and Will calmed Bronco down, they watched Daisy helping both Caitlin and then Bo to stand.

Daisy wanted so much to remove the tight cloth from Bo’s mouth. She hugged Caitlin and then Bo, “Hold on! Help is coming soon! I promise. I am so proud of you, Caiti. You saved Bo’s life!”

Caitlin allowed her tears freedom…leaning against both Bo and Daisy. Caitlin whispered to Daisy, watching to make sure she was not caught, “You have got to get a telegram to my mother or my uncle, Daisy. You’ve got to find Jim Brooks in the Atlanta office of FBI. He has several agents there who were standing by should I need anything. Go in the barn, Daisy…Look in the last stall…you’ll need a shovel. Give everything you find there to Jim Brooks…his picture is in my car so you can recognize him. You all have got to tell them about Bo and that he is my fiancé. Not responsible for this kidnapping!”

Daisy nodded as Caitlin added, “And take care of my babies, Daisy, Please. They are…”

Will needed to take back control…put Caitlin back in submission to him. He pulled Daisy away from Bo, making sure she didn’t get to hug Caitlin again. “It’s time, Miss Duke. You are to stay with these horses until my men and I are gone…do not try to follow…I suggest you go find your cousin. Give this to your Uncle Jesse. Do it quickly…Bo’s life is the price!”

Daisy held the envelop against her and nodded her understanding. She then watch Will take Caitlin away from Bo and escort her himself to the jeep. He sat her in the front passenger seat, made she was safely seat-belted/restrained to the seat. Then he grabbed a hand full of her hair and met her lips in a demanding, bruising kiss before taking the seat behind her. He promised, “We are going to have a such a good time tonight, My Rose.”

Caitlin could not turn around to look at Bo…who was being forced to sit next to Will in the back of the jeep and seat belted in also. She knew that every time Will touched her caused great pain to Bo. That was building something in her that was telling her to fight back. That she was not the scared new bride that Will had tormented years before. She was different…more sure of herself…not going to let anyone push her around again. She was drawing into the most basic needs to survive…the first one of safety and life, which would give her the courage to kill if she had to.

Bronco quickly made himself comfortable behind the wheel of the jeep while Will instructed the rest of his men to follow them and meet them at their hiding place. He ordered them to take different routes so as not to be caught all at the same time. The jeep sped across Caitlin’s property crashing through a section of fence out to the main road with Will’s buddies scattering to the far reaches Hazzard County and beyond.

As soon as they were gone, Daisy mounted Aidan, took Brianna’s reigns in her hands, and cantered off towards Caitlin’s house and barn where she knew she would find her family and friends. Coming up fast towards her was Luke in Caitlin’s Viper and Rosco. The two cars sprayed dirt into the air as their brakes were slammed to avoid colliding with the horses and each other. Daisy jumped off Aidan’s back and into Luke’s arms before he had even had a chance to close the car’s door. She was shaking, her voice coming in sobbing gasps as she wept, “Thank God you’re here, Luke! Will has Caitlin and Bo…”

Luke squeezed his cousin tightly helping her to calm down, to ease her panic. Rosco joined them to find out what happened. Daisy let go of Luke and reported the events that led to Bo and Caitlin being taken away. As Daisy spoke Luke’s temper ignited, the evidence in the clenching of his cheek. Daisy ended with, “I know Sharp is going to kill them!”

Jesse’s voice came over the CB radio in Caitlin’s car. Luke was harsh in his response as he confirmed to Jesse that Will got to the couple first but that Daisy was safe. Jesse told Luke to bring Daisy and the horses back to Caitlin’s. He, Boss Hogg, Cooter, and Enos were already there. Luke acknowledged and assisted Daisy up to Aidan’s back. Daisy cantered ahead with Luke and Rosco following slowly behind her.

They reached the driveway in front of Caitlin’s house to find it filled with cars…including The General, which was getting new tires courtesy of Cooter and Enos. Daisy dismounted next to Enos and demanded, “What was in that telegram that Will gave Caitlin?”

Enos wiped his dirty hands on a handkerchief from his pocket as his face became very sad and worried. He explained, “Caitlin’s father was shot a few days ago. It is very bad, Daisy, Her uncle Charles is on his way here. He’s already called from Atlanta and will be here soon. He’s expected to be able to take her home. Her father desperately needs surgery, but he won’t let them operate until he sees that Caitlin is safe and sound in New York.”

Daisy asked, “All that was on the telegram!”

Enos shook his head, “no.” He continued, “I just talked to Mr. Rose. He should be here by morning and wants to arrange for Caitlin’s things to be stored. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that Caitlin and Bo were in trouble…he didn’t seem to know anything about Bo…’xcept he did ask me who the blonde fellow was that Caitlin was kissing after the horse race. He saw their picture in a newspaper in Atlanta. He was very surprised by the caption that said Bo was her fiancé.”

Daisy pushed, “But that isn’t what I asked you, Enos! What was in that telegram! Will gave it to Caitlin and she fell apart…she didn’t fight him…or anything…” Daisy then recounted for Enos, Uncle Jesse, and the others what she had told Luke and Rosco.

When she finished, Luke grabbed a tire iron from the ground and threw as far as he could to the open field. He could see a picture of Caitlin lying atop his cousin to protect him. That Bo was that helpless enraged Luke. Daisy looked back at Enos and repeated, “So what was in that telegram?”

Enos shrugged, “Just what I told you…and that…wait, I brought a copy with me after Will took the first one.”

Enos produced the telegram and handed it to Daisy. She was surrounded with Luke and Jesse reading over her shoulder:
Caitlin you are in danger… stop. Your father was shot…stop. He is in the hospital and the doctors aren’t sure how soon he will be out of danger…stop. I will be flying out to Atlanta and will arrive in Hazzard by Sunday to bring you home…stop. Beware of Sharp and his men. I will tell you more when I see you…stop. They are running scared, my Caiti girl. We have the evidence we need and that’s why your father was attacked…stop. Your favorite Uncle.
Jesse sighed, “that poor girl. She’s got to be so scared!”

Daisy remarked, “That is mild to what I saw her become, Uncle Jesse.”

Jesse surmised confidently, “That I’m glad my Bo is with her. He’ll get her to be strong and fight again.”

Luke wondered, “I bet they are planning to frame Bo for the kidnapping.”

Boss Hogg supplied, “That’s why they took the pictures.”

Cooter interjected, “Then we gotta find ’em or they’re good as dead once that ransom money is paid.”

Daisy snapped her fingers, “I’ve got to get a telegram to that FBI agent. Caitlin made me promise to give him a box she has hidden in the barn.”

Enos said, “Brooks is waiting for us at the courthouse. I don’t know how he knew to come…but he came in just before I came back to the Boar’s Nest to get Daisy…only you were already with Will…I am sorry, Daisy.”

Daisy hugged Enos. Jesse looked at Boss Hogg and asked, “Did you call that agent, JD?”

Boss Hogg gruffly replied, “Gotta get some money out of this some how! That girl is going to bring me one hell of a reward.” But Jesse knew the real reason Boss Hogg had helped out and they were going to be allies for the climax of this adventure.

Luke offered, “Let’s get to that guy. There’s still a lot of daylight left. It’s the one advantage we have. Bo and I know this whole territory. I’ll bet if there’s a way for him to get Caitlin away from Will and his men, He’ll take it.”

Jesse agreed, “If they do escape they may even make it back here. There is no telling where that fox has chosen to hide them at.”

Daisy informed, “I need to get Aidan and Brie settled down for the night. I’d hate for Caitlin to find them hurt too. She loves them so much.” She took Aidan’s and Brianna’s bridles and escorted them to the barn.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Luke gritted, “I’m gonna smear that Ray into the dirt for what he did to Daisy!”

Jesse laid a comforting hand on Luke’s shoulder. He said, “Just be thankful she’s not hurt, Luke. She doesn’t need to see you becoming unglued…she’s already having a hard time dealing with this…she’s become very close to Caitlin.”

Luke sighed in rye amusement, “Seems we’ve all become attached to her.” His eyes fell on the viper and the box of groceries she’d sent him to get as payment for their bet. Needing something to do, Luke retrieved the box including the gift bag Caitlin had arranged for him from the back seat. His intent was to bring it into the house and put it away for Caitlin. But Daisy’s voice calling to him sent him and Uncle Jesse running into the barn.

Entering the barn, they found Daisy trying to pull several bags of feed from behind an empty stall in the back. Quickly, Luke and Jesse replaced Daisy as she explained what she was looking for. Jesse’s shovel hit something hard, metal scraping metal filling the air. Luke got down and pulled out a large steel lock box. Daisy found the combination lock just Caitlin had described it. She closed her eyes to hear Caitlin’s voice whispering the combination to her just before Will took her away. The box opened on first try as if an angel was there to make sure Daisy got it right. Jesse and Luke began removing the contents which turned out to be two videos and one audio cassette; several journals and notepads including the book Will had found; and several computer diskettes and printouts of documents, none of which made sense to Luke, Jesse, or Daisy. Luke asked, “What do you want with this stuff?”

“Take it to the courthouse. Caitlin made me swear to give it to that Brooks fella.” Luke and Daisy rose up off the ground while Jesse held on to the box with its treasure. Jesse stepped backward into a box filled with mason jars of clear liquid. Daisy helped prevent Jesse from falling. Then she stooped and picked up one of the jars. She looked at Luke the question, “What is this?” plain on her face as she began to unscrew the jar’s top. The lid wasn’t even completely off when Daisy’s nostrils were filled with a familiar scent. Her eyes grew large and she held the jar out for Uncle Jesse. She asked, “Here…smell this!”

Luke shrugged, “Don’t worry about that. Bo and I put those there and covered it up.” Luke then noticed another box containing the pieces to a still.

Jesse handed Luke the metal box and took the opened jar from Daisy. The aroma gave a delectable feast to Jesse’s nose. He could not resist and took a swallow. Luke laughed at the pleasured shock on Jesse’s face. Jesse wondered, “Where did she get this?”

Luke explained, “She said she and her uncle made it. Called it O’Toole Whiskey – best booze this side of the Atlantic.” Luke rolled his eyes again as the description Caitlin had used. He then added, after looking at the box that he and Bo had not had anything to do with putting in the barn and said, “Seeing that,” he pointed, “I’m now inclined to believe her. And she promised she wouldn’t make any here!”

Jesse tightened the lid on the jar and said, “Let’s put this back and take the box with us. Luke, make sure everything is secured, but leave the barn unlocked so Bo and Caitlin have a place to hide. Daisy, I want you to get that box of groceries from Caitlin’s car and see they are put away.”

Luke tossed the keys to Daisy just before she agreed to Jesse’s request and left. She left. Luke and Jesse each approached one of the horses…Luke took Brianna and Jesse began to unsaddle Aidan. Luke removed Brianna’s storing it on the railing. He tried to rub Brianna down, but she was restless and anxious. She used her great head to push a bag of feed off the rail nearest to her sending oats everywhere. Luke grabbed for her bridle, but Jesse admonished, “Go easy, Luke.” Brianna surprised them both by rising up making Luke let go of her bridle. She bolted from the barn; Luke and Jesse watching her head back towards the area where Bo and Caitlin had been taken. Luke almost ran after her, but Jesse held him back saying that Brianna needed to be out…that she’d find her way back.

A few minutes later Caitlin’s home was deserted. Her new family in search of the man who they believed would rescue them all from Will. They had no idea what troubles were coming to them the rest of the night.

by Debbie (Ldydebpv31)

Fandom: Dukes of Hazzard FanFic and Yahoo! Groups: DukesFanFic
Rating: PG-13
Status: NEW
Archive: Please Archive
FEEDBACK: Both Positive and Negative are welcome and appreciated
Series/Sequel: Chapter Nine

Disclaimers: This is a complete work of fiction written just for fun. No intended Copyright infringement.

Notes: This is a rather long text and will take several posts to send all of it. I thank any and all who take the time to read my work. To Those who chose to honor me with their comments/critique’s I offer my sincerest gratitude.

Warnings: The Story has some of the usual car chases, fist fights, etc., but there is also a little sexual content and suggestions of sexual violence but not very graphic. You be the Judge.

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CHAPTER NINE

Between training Aidan, keeping her property maintenance, and exploring new bases of her relationship with Bo, the week before the race went by very quickly for Caitlin. She had even managed to lose a car race against Bo when he showed her where he was a stock car racer. She had lost in her Viper of all things. But her revenge was sweet.

It was the day before the race and they had decided not to practice Aidan and let him wander about Rose Ranch for the day with Brie for company. Caitlin met Bo and Luke at The Boars Nest for lunch and to visit with Daisy. She and Daisy had gone to Atlanta to get Caitlin her racing silks and other things they had a ball shopping for. Cooter, Enos, and even Rosco had joined them for beers. Since the night of Boss’s toast to Bo and Caitlin, he had left Daisy instructions that if Caitlin wanted a glass of whiskey that she was to have his best…at a price of course. The mood was light and Luke nettled her about losing to Bo in her Viper. Bo did not jump to her defense and she was irritated with him. She wanted a little revenge.

Caitlin innocently asked who the better driver was…Bo or Luke. Her remark had gotten the response she was looking for…they each announced that they were the better of the two. Then Daisy and Rosco pronounced Luke the better driver; Cooter and Enos said that Bo was. By the time they were finished an argument had started. This allowed Caitlin to offer her solution. She said, “Let’s go find out. Bo you take my viper, Luke you take The General.”

Luke refused, “No, I’ll take the Viper and Bo takes The General!”

Caitlin asked, “Does it matter. They are both fast cars…though because of my inexperience I could not push my baby to her best potential.”

Luke replied, “That’s why I want it, Caitlin.”

Caitlin looked at Bo and said, “Well, is it a race?”

Several other voices around them edged them on. Daisy laughing, sensing exactly what Caitlin was going to do. Bo wanted to race his cousin…wanted to race using Caitlin’s Viper. But from her pleading expression, he decided he could wait another day to experience its power. He had one brief thought…he wondered at Caitlin’s remark about her inexperience using The Vipers for its speed. He had seen her drive, had been in the car along side her. The only reason he had beaten her that day was because she didn’t know the track as well as he did. And he knew she was practicing, planning to race him again. He loved that competitive spirit she had, that need to win…to do her best and get better. He saw the challenge in Luke’s face and the taunt on Caitlin’s and agreed, “Let’s do it!”

Caitlin looked at Luke and said, “One condition, I get to ride with Bo and the winner has to race me! And then if you beat me, I will have to forfeit what ever price you ask me to pay.” That remark brought out an applause and “go get her” from those around them.

Bo and Luke looked at each other and then shook hands in agreement. Within a few minutes, they had all relocated to the stockcar track. Bo and Caitlin sat side by side in The General and Luke in The Viper. Enos called out the start and the race was on. Caitlin held on…the adrenaline of the speed under her arousing her senses. It was a like a drug and her whole body tingled. Bo and Luke stayed even with each other around the first turn of the track and stay that way through two laps. Caitlin had hoped that Luke would beat his cousin. But they seemed to be very evenly matched. On any other day, Caitlin would have relished Bo’s expertise at the wheel. But she needed to help Luke. Knowing that Bo was not paying attention to her, Caitlin inched closer to him, her hand caressing the gearshift. A smile touched the corners of her mouth as Bo’s focus slightly swayed as his eyes dipped to watch her movements for a fraction of a second.

Bo smiled and teased, “My Caiti-Girl, you need to find some place else to put your hand, Darlin. Or I’m gonna lose!”

Caitlin nodded, “Oh, OK.” She retrieved her hand and waited for him to ignore her again.

Bo returned his attention to the track. But he could not concentrate; the lower half of his body was becoming alive with familiar sensations. Fingers were loosening his shirt and then a hand rested on his upper thigh. He looked at Caitlin and she smiled seductively, “For Good Luck!”

From the Viper, Luke watched Bo drop back for a brief instant, but not long enough to let Luke get ahead of him. Luke downshifted to get more speed from the Viper and was rewarded with another increase…he was pushing 120mph…Bo again matching him. Luke laughed to himself wondering how he had gotten into this race. He knew full well that he and Bo were evenly matched in their racing skills…Bo a little better when push came to shove. Luke knew he had the edge only because of the newer more powerful engine of the Viper and his ability to harness it.

Bo had a problem. He wanted to beat his cousin to race against Caitlin again. He knew exactly what price he would demand once he crossed the finish line ahead of her. But she was making his ability to concentrate rough. He like the feeling of her hand resting on his thigh and resumed his involvement in the race. They had just entered the last lap and had crossed the first turn. He nudged ahead of Luke, staying to inside of the track. Again his concentration was blown.

Caitlin pressed herself into Bo’s side at just the right calculated moment. She let her hand travel further across his thigh while breathing kisses to his neck. He looked at her and she gave him a look he had come to desire in the past few days. He knew what she wanted. He suddenly gave up the race, The General slowing to a halt with his foot on the break. Bo threw the gearshift into park and fiercely pulled Caitlin against him. His mouth found hers while her hands roamed over him. The noise of a horn and a gunshot was heard outside The General announcing that Luke had crossed the finish line and won. Bo eased up on Caitlin and looked deep into her eyes. He stated, “You wanted me to lose, didn’t you.”

Caitlin’s teasing eyes danced before him, “How could you tell.” Then she threw herself back into kisses, pressing against him as hard and as much as she could. Loud footsteps and voices coming toward them interrupted their embrace. Luke looked into the General and challenged, “So, Miss Rose, you ready to race the best Duke Racer!”

Caitlin replied in mock sweetness, “I was…but now I guess I’ll have to race you.”

She asked, “Do you want the Viper again? Or me?”

Luke asked, “You’d race the General! But…” He saw the teasing, challenge in her eyes, and said, “Let’s go come on, Bo. No giving her pointers. I know exactly what your Rose is going to do for me when this is over!”

Caitlin said, “Pray tell is that?”

Luke said, “Oh, just some of that chicken Bo keeps bragging about…and maybe taking your Viper for a long drive to see a friend of mine.”

Caitlin smiled, “Is she pretty?”

Luke smiled but didn’t answer.

Caitlin returned, “Ok, Mr. Duke, but If I beat you that this Saturday after the race you have to run some errands for me and let Bo and I have the day to ourselves! I need a whole list of supplies. Oh and you have to tell everyone at The Boars Nest that I kicked ass on this track.”

Luke agreed, “Deal!” He now understood why they were racing. His remark…she wanted revenge. Well he planned to have the last laugh.

Bo watched his cousin and his fiancée shake hands. He wanted to warn Luke about Caitlin’s skill, but Caitlin would kill him. He stood helpless thinking, “Luke, you screwed with the wrong woman! Have fun with those errands on Saturday.”

Again, Luke entered the driver’s side of the Viper and Bo helped Caitlin back into the General and got her buckled in and a helmet on this time. Bo was about to give Caitlin some advice about the race. Caitlin shook him off and asked him to just let her go. Bo took it upon himself to start the race. Before the word go died on his lips, the viper, and the general flew past him in their second race against each other. Bo hurried off to the sidelines where Enos, Cooter, and Daisy watched the race.

Luke and Caitlin drove side by side around the racetrack staying tied. As they rounded the last turn of the last lap, Caitlin downshifted and pushed the gas pedal to the floor until she heard the engine go into overdrive. This pushed the general just a hair ahead of her Viper and Luke. Luke tried desperately to catch up but the site of Enos standing at the finish line let Luke know that he had been beaten.

A few minutes later, Luke and Caitlin were surrounded by their friends. Caitlin was being congratulated while Luke was being consoled and teased. Luke hugged Caitlin and said, “I should have known. Did good my sister.” Luke repeated the day’s events to the crowd at the boar’s nest and saluted Caitlin in her win against him. Everyone spent the rest of the night in good humor and pleasant thoughts for the next day’s events.

The day of the race arrived. The excitement of the event touched all involved. Caitlin had banished Bo to sit in the stands with uncle Jesse and Daisy. She had asked Luke and boss Hogg’s trainer to assist her in getting ready for the race that day. Bo had become over protective and anxious as the time drew closer to the start of the race. His nervousness was infecting not only Caitlin, but also Aidan as well causing the horse to misbehave and become defiant. Luke waited for Caitlin to finish dressing in her racing gear and then escorted her over to be weighed.
Meanwhile Boss Hogg found the one person he was hoping would not show up parking outside. Will sharp led his men through the courthouse into boss hogs office. Will sat down in Boss’s chair behind his desk and said, “Mr. Hogg, it’s time. I need you to arrange to have those Duke’s arrested so that I can take my property back.”

Before Boss could respond, Rosco came into his office carrying a special envelope. He said, “Boss, I need to get over to the race track. I got this here telegram from Miss Rose.”

Boss Hogg asked, “Can’t it wait. She is racing soon. I got too much money on her for something to go wrong now.”

Rosco said, “But sir it says here it’s an emergency.”

Boss Hogg dismissed Rosco, “just save it until after the race. Do you hear me!”

Will nodded at Bronco, who stepped in front of Rosco preventing him from leaving the office. Will inquired, “Sheriff, may I ask what the emergency is?”

Rosco sighed in sympathy, “seems her father’s met with an accident.”

Boss Hogg said, “I know, I know what it says. We got one earlier this morning.”

Will smiled, “yes I know that, Mr. Rose was shot.” Looking at both Rosco and boss Hogg in warning, will continued, “Because that’s what happens to people who get in my father’s way. And Mr. Hogg it also happens to people who get in my way. Now what does the rest of the telegram say?”

Rosco swallowed his fear, “well ummm… it says because she didn’t answer the first telegram her uncle of coming to get her and should be here in a few days. He wants to take her home. Boss they what you to arrange to have someone take care of Miss Rose’s property and horses until a range of can be made when things have settled down.”

Will looked at bronco and Jack and smiled evilly, “we’ve got her gentleman. Mr. Hogg this is our chance.”

Boss asked, “What are you talking about?”

Will looked at boss sternly, “you do remember our deal?”

Boss replied gruffly, “Yeah I remember held up my end of the bargain. You and your boys got to hide out for awhile, make plans to get out of the country like you promised; will I helped you escape, let you have run of my western union, now it’s time for you leave.”

Will asked, “What about the other part Mr. Hogg. Don’t you want your cut of the ransom when we get it?”

Boss returned, “No I don’t. I don’t believe we should bother the little lady any more. And I already got twice what you paid me anyway through her and that horse of hers.”

Will stood up letting his height intimidate Boss Hogg. Jack and bronco cornered Rosco just inside the office. Will explained, of threatening tone very evident in his voice, “I don’t think you understand Mr. Hogg, I don’t like people who double cross me. That let me explain something to you. I am going to take Caitlin. You can help me and are rewarded or my men and I will do it on our own. And you my friend will have the same fate as other that have disappointed me.” Will took a piece of paper and have from boss’s desk. He wrote a figure of numbers on it and gave it to boss to read. He explained, “Mr. Hogg, my friend, to see those numbers? This one,” he pointed to the top figure, “ease the amount Caitlin inherits it her father dies. Do you think she will pay her own ransom? Now do you see this figure,” he pointed his second figure, “is the ransom. Plenty for all of us to share. If you help me to strike now with her father in the hospital, her uncle will pay any amount to get her back.”

Boss countered, “why can’t spend no ransom money in prison. And I won’t be a party to you hurting the girl.”

Will smiled, “I see she has made an impression on you Mr. Hogg. But I don’t think you knew what the top figure means. So that may explain it to you. You know your problem of the Duke family and that mortgage you all on their farm? That mortgage won’t exist anymore once Bo marries Caitlin.”

That thought had never occurred to boss Hogg and he choked, “you mean the Duke family will be rich?” The thought was distasteful to boss Hogg unless that meant the Duke family moving out of Hazzard county for good. However, another thought of the possibilities and business opportunities for boss Hogg should the dukes and their rich bride stay in Hazzard made the idea more palatable.

Will knew he had touched on boss’s weakness. He suggested, “I don’t want to hurt the lady. I want to for myself Mr. Hogg. But if I can’t have her don’t you think it is fair that I get what she owes me. Wouldn’t you like a piece of the pie that Bo Duke is getting.”

An idea came to Jack Dannon. He cleared his throat and suggested, “Mr. Hogg we could make its of that Bo doesn’t get to marry his rose. You wanted to get Bo and Luke back into jail long time haven’t you? We could arrange for them to be blame while we get away with the ransom money.”

In the hall outside, Rosco saw Enos sit down at his desk near boss’s door. Rosco got Enos’s attention and Enos all the dangerous men surrounding boss and Rosco. Before anyone could notice that he was there, Enos made himself comfortable with his feet on his desk, and his hat over his face as if he were taking a nap. he heard will and the other men explaining to boss and Rosco how they were going to frame Bo and Luke for Caitlin’s kidnapping.. To his disappointment he heard boss Hogg laugh in agreement of the plan. Boss even joked that he finally found the perfect wedding gift for the happy couple. Boss Hogg then demanded, “but I don’t want nothing stopping that horse race. I’ve already that too much money for that girl to win. She has got to race.”

Will nodded, “you are right Mr. Hogg. One more day will not make a difference. Besides, I planned to wager on her myself. Remember I have actually seen her race before I know what she is capable of.”

Jack Dannon instructed, “sheriff, tomorrow I will call you with the signal for you to keep the dukes away from Caitlin’s ranch. I don’t think you all should know more.”

Rosco protested, “But what I can’t I won’t.”

Boss Hogg pushed past will and smacked Rosco’s arm, “yes you will Rosco P. Coltrane! You’ll do everything these men tell you.” Boss than sneered, “and do it right this time.”

Rosco was unsure. He didn’t like it the plan for the dangerous man boss Hogg had just made a deal with. Then Rosco saw boss face Will. Rosco noticed boss with his hand behind his back, his chubby fingers crossed and hidden in his sleeve. Rosco understood and he laughed excitedly, pretending to agree with the plan. Rosco promised to get those Duke boys out of the way.

With his business complete, will informed boss and Rosco that he would see them at the track later. He sternly advise them not to double cross him. He said that they were going to be watched by one of his men at all times. Will excused himself and was followed out of the building by bronco and Jack. Bronco asked as soon as they were of the building, “you don’t trust them do you will?”

Will sighed in frustration, “not at all. That’s why we’ve got to move the hideout. Bronco, have Scott get things together and take them to that place we found in the next county. We can’t have Sheriff Coltrane and Boss Hogg showing up to rescue by Caitlin and get the reward that her uncle Charles will obviously offer.” Smiling at his friends, “now let’s go see my rose fly on that horse of hers.”
Back inside the courthouse as soon as the coast was clear, Enos to jump and with through the papers on his desk. He pulled out a telegram he had received from an agent of the FBI named (insert name) and several “Wanted” posters with pictures of will and each of his friends. Enos hurried into Boss’s office and was about to show his information to them. He heard Rosco asking, “boss are you sure we should go through with this? I don’t want anyone to get hurt or worse.”

Enos presented the posters and telegram to boss Hogg and Rosco. He asked if he could arrest will and his men before they didn’t hurt someone. Boss Hogg calmed both Enos and Rosco down. He informed he did not intend to let will hurt anyone. He said he had a plan and went about telling it to them. He ended the conversation by saying, “until then both of you do exactly what will says.”

Couple of hours later, boss waited for the horse race to begin from his private booth near the finish line. With his binoculars, he saw will and his friends occupying another private booth high above the crowd. Will had his own set of binoculars and greeted boss Hogg with a wave of his hand. Boss made sure to return the greeting with a wave of his cigar. Boss Hogg turned his binoculars for the standing room only in front of the track. He could see Jesse Duke, Daisy, and Bo standing with Cooter near the center railing. It was obvious that Bo was agitated, as he gripped the railing and then pounded on its every few seconds. An announcement came over the loudspeaker letting them know it was time for the sixth race. The racing card for that day had listed twelve events. Caitlin was to be in race number eight. So far, she was not listed as the favorite to win being an unknown at the track. Boss Hogg hoped she would remain the long shot.

In the horse’s circle, Caitlin allowed herself to relax and joked around with Luke. It took the two of the to keep Aidan from getting too excited with all the other horses around. Caitlin again felt her wild hair trying to escape her racing helmet. From the bag that Luke carried, Caitlin retrieved a few more hairpins and proceeded to add them to her hair. She felt the familiar excitement of the race infecting her. She quickly did a few stretches as the sixth race began. Then the seventh race riders mounted their horses and were led toward the starting gate. Luke asked her if she was OK. Caitlin nodded to him and explained her nervousness. She thought of her father and uncle at that moment and wished they were there to see her. That brought a few tears to her eyes and Luke hugged her. One of the many organizers of the races rushed over to Luke and Caitlin and told him it was time.

Caitlin acknowledged the man and then allowed Luke to give her leg into her saddle. Caitlin fixed her legs into the stirrups. She patted Aidan’s neck and nuzzled near the horses ear. She cooed, “all right, Baby Aidan, let’s show ’em some of your black magic!” Aidan nodded his head and we need an agreement, the sound almost like a laugh of confidence.

The winner of the sixth race was being announced and the start of the seventh race began. Luke and boss Hogg’s trainer led Aidan and Caitlin down the path to the starting gate. The trio was careful not to let Aidan get too close to any of the other horses. Now the seventh race was over and it was time for the eighth race to begin. Caitlin thanked Luke and the other man for their help as they loaded her into the starting gate. Luke patted Aidan’s flank and added in excited encouragement, “let’s win this!”

From his secluded booth, Will had been having a good day. Three of the horses that he had bet on won. So far, that they had been a relaxing one and it included the company of several beautiful southern women draping themselves over he and his men. They were all enjoying several bottles of beer he. Will looked over to see bronco holding his own set of binoculars and looking out at the track.

Bronco felt Will’s eyes upon him. Bronco made sure he did not keep his binoculars focused only on Caitlin. Instead, he turned most of his attention to the read head known as Daisy standing near Bo. Bronco heard the calling for the eighth race to begin. Both he and will focus their binoculars on the starting gate. The race began, the horses exploding out of the gate and onto the track. Caitlin immediately took fourth in the running. They watched her set the pace she needed to keep until it was time to let Aidan have his lead to run. Overhead the announcer called out the places of each horse and other riders.

Boss Hogg’s racing box, he looked at the program before and saw the list of horses. Caitlin’s horse had been listed as “Aidan’s Magic” from The Rose Ranch, Hazzard County. The other names of the horses included were: Hunter’s Run, GenuineGennie, Winter’sHope, Adventure’s Smile, MasterScion, Van’sWyn, Delight’s Revenge, WyndyWendy, Tornado’sFury. There were ten in all. The first turn held Tornado’sFury in first, MasterScion in Second, and Winter’s Hope in third. Aidan’s magic held back in fifth place with Delight’s Revenge trying to pin her on the inside rail.

From his vantage point, Bo called out curses to the rider preventing his “Caiti-Girl” from coming away from the rail. He could not see her in the midst of the other horses. The pack flew past his viewpoint and the next time they came by would be the end of the race. As he watched the pack head to the next turn, he saw Aidan’s colors edging to the outside. The announcer had too and let the crowd know. Bo was shouting with echoes of Daisy, Jesse, and Cooter voices joining his.

Will called out instructions to Caitlin as if she could hear him. He applauded her move to the outside and said, “That-a-girl! When she moved into Third place. As the pack neared the final turn, Will spoke to the window, “Ok, Baby! Now…let him loose!”

Caitlin had fought to get away from the wall, the rider of Delight’s Revenge not making it easy. He kept nudging too close trying to spook Aidan. But Caitlin heard Aidan snort and knew it was time. She gave a nudge with her reigns looking for even the tiniest of openings. As soon as she found it, she moved to the outside. The moment she past the final turn, She shouted to Aidan, “Fly! Baby, It’s Magic Time!” Aidan and Caitlin again became one being, Aidan shot forward with a burst of speed.

Overhead the race was called. “Around the final turn comes Tornado’s Fury, Master Scion…. wait…Aidan’s Magic has moved to Third position…there he goes…Tornado’s Fury…Master…Aidan…now…Tornado…Aidan moving past MasterScion…. Scion trying to recover…but Aidan has set his sight on Tornado’s Fury. They are running neck and neck…Tornado’s Fury…Aidan’sMagic….Aidan’s Magic….wait….wait….

Boss Hogg watched Aidan and Tornado’s Fury cross the finish line together. The race could not be called until the video could be reviewed…it was a photo-finish. He hurried out of his booth toward the winner’s circle just in case.
A few minutes later, Bo raced toward the winners’ circle where he found news reporters surrounding Caitlin still astride Aidan. The photo finished had been called and she was the victor. She held a trophy; a garland of flowers had been placed around Aidan’s neck. Bo pushed past the reporters to find Luke helping to keep Aidan calm in the midst of the rush of the crowd. Aidan’s eyes were wide with distrust. But he remained in check as he still felt the relaxed way Caitlin sat in her saddle. A reporter asked if he could take her picture. He said he was from a major paper in Atlanta. Caitlin did not hesitate. She wanted her family to see that she was racing again and winning. Caitlin handed the trophy to Luke and pulled her racing helmet from her head. She caught her long braid as it fell and removed the hairpin keeping together. She shook out the braid until her hair fell over her shoulders in a mass of wavy curls. Taking the trophy back, she smiled at the photographer. Her smiled brighter just as he stepped the photograph and Bo had come forward at the same time.

Bo stepped past the reporter, reached for Caitlin’s waste, and helped her dismounted into his excited embrace. He held her in the air for a few seconds letting her hair to go his cheeks and the sound of her giggles bring music his ears. He twirled her round and congratulated her on having won the race. All of this was noted by the reporters and other well-wishers with delight.

From his vantage point, Will watched the ceremonies in the winner’s circle. He drank down the last drop of his beer and violently threw the bottle at one of the walls. He continued to watch the couple below him and his anticipation for the next day increased. He planned to force Caitlin to his will once again and after the ransom was paid, disappear with her. Even now his father is private plane was waiting for them in Atlanta. Will would be taking Caitlin to their new home on an island in the Caribbean.

A few hours later, the rose ranch was filled with people celebrating Caitlin’s victory. Caitlin had arranged a barbecue for all of her friends in Hazzard county. There were picnic tables set up with food and plenty of beer. Lights had been strung up in a circle around the trees and her porch and a local band played music for them to dance to. Caitlin and Bo were not the perfect host and hostess however, preferring to keep to themselves instead of visiting and conversing with their family and friends about the days events. At one point Caitlin squeezed Bo’s hand giving him a seductive smile, she picked up a couple of apples from a nearby table, and then made him watch her disappear into the barn. Bo had been in the middle of telling a friend how he had met Caitlin and could not get away to follow immediately.

Inside the barn, Caitlin was displaying affection and appreciation to Aidan for a nice day’s work. Caitlin rewarded Aidan was one of the apple she had brought him with her caressing the horses neck and cheek as he ate. Bo watched her unguarded movements from the entrance of the barn. She was wearing the same peasant skirt that she had worn the night of their first date. Her waist was wrapped with the black lace shawl the delicate fringe swaying against the skirt and around her ankles. Bo approached Caitlin and quietly gathered her into his embrace. They remained quietly in each other’s arms and joined the taste of each other’s lips. The music of the band reached their ears as they began a very romantic slow song. In the privacy of the barn, Caitlin danced with her Bo, her eyes never leaving his. No words were spoken except those coming silently through their eyes, lips, and touch. It was a dance to remember long after this night was over.

by Debbie (Ldydebpv31)

Fandom: Dukes of Hazzard FanFic and Yahoo! Groups: DukesFanFic
Rating: PG-13
Status: NEW
Archive: Please Archive
FEEDBACK: Both Positive and Negative are welcome and appreciated
Series/Sequel: Chapter Eight

Disclaimers: This is a complete work of fiction written just for fun. No intended Copyright infringement.

Notes: This is a rather long text and will take several posts to send all of it. I thank any and all who take the time to read my work. To Those who chose to honor me with their comments/critique’s I offer my sincerest gratitude.

Warnings: The Story has some of the usual car chases, fist fights, etc., but there is also a little sexual content and suggestions of sexual violence but not very graphic. You be the Judge.

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CHAPTER EIGHT

The next few weeks were like a dream to Caitlin. She felt so free and easy. Her strength and spirit to live life to its fullest returned in leaps and bounds. She adored Hazzard County and the Duke family who had welcomed her so warmly and lovingly. She reported on her new life through letters and telegrams as often as she could to her father and Uncle Charles. Her letters glowed with love and tales about Bo and his family. She wondered how soon they would need her to come home and when she should send Agent Brooks the evidence that she had. The only response she got was a quick telegram telling her to be patient and wait until they contacted her. They advised her that Will’s father was trying to obtain bail for his son and that it was safer for her to remain in Hazzard. That suited Caitlin well. She had no desire to return to New York very quickly. Instead, she enjoyed the happiness and peaceful atmosphere she had with Bo.

The first week after Will’s arrest Caitlin busied herself with putting together her new home and getting to know Bo. He was there every day helping her to move furniture, clean up the barn, and play. They developed a habit of just disappearing on horseback or in a car for a long ride over the countryside that usually included a romantic picnic. On one of those drives, they happened across an abandoned horseracing track. Caitlin then cleverly managed to convince Boss Hogg to tell her about local horse races that she could enter Aidan into.

With Bo and Luke’s help, Caitlin set about to prepare Aidan for the next race which unluckily was only two weeks away. On the second day of training Aidan, Daisy and Uncle Jesse joined the trio at the track. They found Luke by the fence surrounding the track. Uncle Jesse and Daisy look to see Bo and Caitlin arguing with each other. Caitlin sat on Aidan’s back, her legs tucked under her into racing saddle. Her long hair pulled into a French braid down her back, and covered with a horseman’s cap. She was dressed in black denim jeans, leather boots, a white linen blouse that billowed in the wind and around her wrists. Luke had an odd expression on his face and he was nodding in agreement every time it appeared that Bo spoke. Daisy asked, “What is wrong?”

Luke hit the fence in frustration and said, “That crazy lady wants to race Aidan herself. Bo’s trying to talk her out of it now.”

Uncle Jesse replied with concern, “She can’t do that. Not at the race she’s entered. Those boys will kill her.”

The trio watched Caitlin smack Bo’s hand away from her reigns and take off toward their side of the fence. She came to a halt and dismounted from Aidan’s back. She was spouting curses and calling Bo a male chauvinist pig. She was mumbling, “I’ve been racing all my life and he’s gonna tell me how dangerous it is.”

Caitlin was pulling off her gloves as Bo finally made it back over to the fence. He repeated his argument, “Why can’t we find a jockey to ride Aidan.”

Clinching her teeth and breathing angrily through her nose, Caitlin said, “There isn’t time. No time to let Aidan get to know someone new, no time to even find and pay the right jockey. I can’t even send home for one.” Caitlin was trying to understand. She realized Bo had never seen her race before. That realization gave her an idea. Turning to Luke, Caitlin asked, “Luke, I’ve seen you ride. Is there any way you could help me train Aidan by racing me around this track? That way I can prove I am safe and experienced enough to race.”

Daisy almost laughed at Caitlin’s frustration in dealing with her over protective family, she too had often butted heads with them. She spoke up cheerfully, “That sounds like a good idea to me.”

Luke protested, “But where are we going to get another horse like Aidan? We can’t use Brianna. No one else can ride her but you, Caitlin.”

Running up from behind a set of trees with Rosco in tow, Boss Hogg began shouting that he could help. He pushed his way past Luke and Uncle Jesse to the fence. He announced to Caitlin that he had a horse that he was training for future races. He said he would be glad to let Luke race against Aidan. Although the idea appealed to Caitlin, she wondered what Boss was up to and what it might cost her. She said as much to him. Boss Hogg grinned widely with his cigar stuck in his mouth and promised, “No charge. No charge. Just let me bet on Aidan. If he’s as good as you say, honey, you’re gonna make me a lot of money. Heh…Heh…Heh.”

Caitlin looked to Uncle Jesse for help. Jesse got Boss Hogg to look at him and said, “You won’t hold it against her if she loses? No plans to confiscate her horse? JD, that animal is her pride-‘n’-joy. This better not be some scam to take her horse or anything else away from her.”

“I swear, I swear.” Boss Hogg held up his hand as if he was swearing on the Bible.

Jesse spit in his hand and held it out for Boss Hogg, “Shake on it, JD.”

Caitlin watched the two men shake hands. However to insure the deal was ironclad, Caitlin walked over to the fence and demanded, “Thank you, Jesse, but I think Mr. Hogg needs to deal with me.”

Boss Hogg grumbled, “Geez, try to do lady a favor an’ have to go through all this trouble.” He reassured in an indignant voice, “Miss Rose, I have never gone back on my word after a spit shake.”

Smiling wickedly and knowingly, Caitlin challenged, “But Mr. Hogg your deal was with Jesse. How do I know that you won’t use that as the loophole? No, you need to deal with me.”

When Boss hesitated both Jesse and Caitlin knew the truth. Jesse scolded, “JD, you rotten, no good, cheatin’ chicken hawk.”

Caitlin spit into the palm of her hand and held it out for Boss Hogg. Boss knew he had been beaten but he still needed to train the horse he’d bought the year before that now was only costing him money. Underneath he knew he had a sure thing after having witnessed Caitlin training her horse on her own. He knew, even if Bo and Luke were too stupid to see her talent with animals that she was a good rider and could easily beat any of the local yokels that would be racing the next week. As rough and greedy as Boss could be, he was gaining respect and a liking for Caitlin Rose. Maintaining a challenging eye contact with the bit of sassy girl, JD spit into his hand and the two bargainers firmly shook each other’s hand. The deal was sealed.

Around them, Bo, Luke, and Daisy were astounded with what they had just witnessed. Bo shook his head in frustration knowing he had lost the argument. Luke and Daisy laughed as Bo gruffly pulled Caitlin to him and said, “You win!” He kissed her soundly and masterfully.

Caitlin turned to Luke and said, “It’s all settled, we’ll come here tomorrow and meet with Boss’s trainer and then get to work.” Turning to Daisy, Caitlin smiled and suggested, “Sugar, I’ve had enough of all this testosterone! Let’s go shopping.” Before the boys could protest, Caitlin and Daisy escaped to Caitlin’s Viper and drove off.
Bo and Luke were left to take care of bringing Aidan back to The Rose Barn and seeing to it that the horse was fed, brushed, water, and put down for the night. When that was accomplished, Luke and Bo drove back to the Duke farm. During the drive, Bo mulled over an idea in his head. The idea would not go away, sticking in his brain or his heart every minute of the day, every time he heard Caitlin’s voice, touched her skin, or simply thought of her smile. The rest of the afternoon ticked by as he waited for Daisy and Caitlin to return from their shopping trip. He recalled that over the last week the two women had grown close together almost like sisters finding that they have a lot in common. Daisy had discovered Caitlin’s favorite pastime – shopping. After a few trips together, it was apparent that love was being passed on to Daisy. There was even a plan to go to Atlanta over the weekend. Uncle Jesse had seen Bo’s restlessness and threw more chores at him to keep him busy. Intuition told Uncle Jesse that Bo was contemplating a very serious decision.

The chores were all finished. Luke and Jesse were busy setting the table for dinner. Bo came into the kitchen; took a deep breath gathering courage; and requested, “Uncle Jesse, Luke would y’all mind takin’ a little ride with me.”

Although Jesse already an idea where Bo wanted to go and what he was after, he asked, “Where?”

Luke asked, “Now? Caitlin’s going to be dropping off Daisy soon. Don’t you have a dinner date with Caitlin tonight?”

Bo replied, “I wanted to wait for Daisy. It’s important to me that we’re all together when I pick this out. But I need to do it before I see Caitlin.”

Luke wondered, “What do you have brewing in that brain of yours?”

Although Bo wanted it to be a surprise for everyone, he knew he needed to explain if he was going to get them to come along. He said, “If you must know, I want to take y’all into Capital City to get Caitlin an engagement ring.”

Luke was shocked but Jesse was not. Luke offered an argument, “You can’t ask her to marry you. You have only known each other for a week. And though Sharp and his men are in New York, there is no telling if they’re going to escape and come looking for, for revenge!”

Bo said, “I thought of all of that. I know that she’s still in some danger but as long as she is here and with me, she’s safe, I’m safe. I can protect her better.”

Jesse brought the point, “And when the trouble’s all through an’ she has to go back to New York; what will you do then?”

Bo replied, “I don’t know, Uncle Jesse. All I do know is I can’t live without her. I love her. I’d follow her all over the world just to be with her. And in my heart I know she feels the same way.”

Luke argued, “How can you be sure? You’ve said that about so many girls and look where you are.”

Bo was puzzled and stated his confusion at Luke’s objection, “I know you like Caitlin, Luke. What is wrong? Do you think she just put up with me to get rid of Sharp? Well just stop, she is too much of a lady to do that to someone. If you remember right we had to talk her out of running away several times because she didn’t want to hurt us or get us involved with Sharp.”

Jesse defused situation, “Bo, we are just concerned that’s all. I happen to know for a fact that she cares for you too.”

Daisy’s entrance into the kitchen interrupted the tense argument and she inquired as to what was wrong. Bo asked, “Is Caitlin gone?”

Daisy nodded, “She said she will meet you later.” Daisy laid the shopping bag on a chair and putting her hands on her hips demanded, “So what’s going on here?”

Bo hoped to have an ally in Daisy. He put his arms around her shoulders and informed, “I want to ask Caitlin to marry me. I was hoping y’all would go with me to pick out her engagement ring.”

Daisy’s only comment, “Are you sure, sugar?”

Bo nodded, “The surest I’ve been about any decision I’ve made so far. I adore her. She amazes me every day and I have a feeling she will be surprising me when we’re old and gray together.” He laughed.

Seeing the raw emotion on his cousin’s face, Luke knew Bo was serious. In reality, he was happy for his cousin, but was also aware of the possible danger they all still faced. He had spoken his objections out of concern for both Bo and Caitlin. His memory of the anger he felt and sadness he watched in Caitlin’s eyes as she related the story of her first husband’s death at the hands of Will Sharp and his men caused him to fear what would happen if she were put through that kind of trauma again. He spoke as much to Bo and his family, apologizing if it seemed as if he didn’t like Caitlin. He was actually excited to have such a beautiful woman for a sister-in-law and slightly jealous that Bo had captured her heart first.

Bo understood Luke’s motives and appreciated his concern for his and Caitlin’s welfare. With his support now assured and Daisy’s obvious approval, the only person left that really mattered to Bo was Uncle Jesse. Bo stood up tall and proud. He asked, “Do I have your blessing, Uncle Jesse?”

Closing the distance between himself and Bo, Uncle Jesse gave Bo a great big bear hug. He said, “You already knew that little girl would be welcome in our family. But we don’t have to go off to Capital City for you to get a ring.” Without another word, Jesse disappeared into his room leaving Bo, Luke, and Daisy to wait in the kitchen. When Jesse returned, he motioned his three “children” to have a seat a round the table. In his hand, he carried a very old metal box that had to be unlocked with a key. Quickly but gently, Jesse unlocked the box and opened it wide for the three cousins to see inside. There were three small ring boxes, each wrapped in white linen, set inside. After inspecting each one, Jesse lifted one out of the box and handed it to Bo. He explained, “In this box, Bo, are your parent’s wedding ring set.” Looking at both Luke and Daisy, Jesse added,

“There’s a set for each of you.”

Gingerly, Bo took the linen covered box and unwrapped it to find gray velvet underneath the linen cloth. Inside there were two sets of rings. One was an engagement combination wedding ring set that intertwined with each other. The other was the man’s wedding band. The set was made of gold. The engagement ring was very simple with a solitary diamond set inside strong gold prongs with what looked to be like a musical note surrounding the diamond and hooking into the wedding band. The size of the diamond astonished Bo. He had to know if the stone was real. Uncle Jesse laughed and said that it was. He explained to Bo that was the most expensive thing his brother had ever bought Bo’s mother. It was also the most dangerous thing he had ever gotten her. Jesse promised to tell that story some other time.

After thanking Uncle Jesse, Bo slipped the linen wrapped box into his pocket and went to have dinner with his favorite Rose. Within a few minutes, Bo found himself standing just outside Caitlin’s front door. Turning the handle and tapping on the glass of the window, he called out for Caitlin announcing that he was there. She came running into the kitchen very excited and stopped dead center to twirl a round in her clothes. She asked,

“Well, what do you think? Do like it?”

Yes, he thought, she did look appetizing in what he gathered was a new soft suede skirt. The skirt was a forest green in color and again as was her style hung loosely about her ankles and swirled when she walked. Her blouse pulled over her head and tied at the wrists causing the full loose sleeves to drape provocatively over her hands. The blouse was white linen almost sheer to the eyes with thin strips of satin decorating the sleeves just above her elbow and around the edges of the hem of the blouse. The neckline was broad and left her shoulders and upper chest bare to the eye. She had left her hair in the same French braid she had worn that afternoon. Bo tortured her with his silence as he appraised her looks. Then without a word, he pulled her into his arms and joined her in a passionate greeting. Caitlin pulled away from Bo and with a huge smile and a cheery voice, informed him, “I am so excited about tomorrow! I haven’t gotten to race Aidan in over two years.” She went to the refrigerator and quickly pulled out a bottle of sparkling wine. She continued to talk about being able to race Aidan while pouring each of them a glass of the golden sparkling liquid. She approached Bo with a glass in each hand but instead of giving him one; her smile widened as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again. “I love you!” she said as she handed him a glass. “A toast! To running with the wind!” Then she laughed.

Bo obliged to her with a toast then took the glasses out of their hands. He took Caitlin’s face in his strong hands and asked, “I have something I want to tell you. Can we go into living room and sit down?”

Looking into Bo’s face, Caitlin suddenly knew what he wanted to ask her. She was nervous and unsure. But she followed Bo as he led her into her living room and set her down on her couch. When he had finally sat beside her, he turned toward her holding out the linen covered ring box. As quick as he could, he enclosed her hands around the box and said, “I brought this for you.”

Caitlin looked up at him and smiled, “Bo? What…? Are you…? ”

Bo still held her hands and explained, “This is my mother’s engagement ring, Caitlin. Will you marry me?”

“Yes!”

Bo’s face fell, “Wait, don’t say no, just hear me out.”

Caitlin smiled. The answer that had come from her own mouth had shocked her too. Even though she was not sure only moments before, as she sat near him and felt her heart soaring with freedom, she knew the only place for her to be was in his arms for the rest of her life. It was funny that Bo thought she said no. She repeated, “Bo, I will marry you! I said yes!”

Bo laughed with her and happily crushed her in his big arms kissing her with all the love he felt in his heart. Taking the ring from the box, Bo slipped it onto Caitlin’s left hand; picked up one of the wine glasses from the table and toasted to her, “I love you, my Caiti-Girl.” Together they each took a sip from the same glass. The couple giggled at their corny behavior.

 

The next morning was very busy with preparations for the race between Caitlin and Luke. True to his word, Boss Hogg met the Dukes, Caitlin, and Rosco at the old racetrack. Aidan caught on to the excitement of his owner, had to be calmed down, and coaxed out of the horse trailer by Caitlin, Luke, and Bo. Boss Hogg watched and yelled instructions at his trainer who was unloading his horse, a beautiful bronze thoroughbred, down to the racetrack. Boss’s horse matched Aidan in size and gait. Caitlin quickly surmised that this horse was truly on opponent worthy of Aidan. Caitlin could feel herself already becoming attuned to Aidan in preparation for the race. Her adrenaline flowed and she was impatient to get started. The same could be said of the horse. Aidan stomped at the ground in excitement and impatience. Yet, he did not fight them as they led him over to the racetrack. Caitlin soothingly rubbed down the twitching muscles of Aidan’s strong bulk of a body.

Boss Hogg noticed with curiosity that Caitlin’s concentration was only interrupted when Bo was near her. The couple made loving eye contact with each other often as Caitlin cinched her saddle and Bo checked to make sure Aidan’s hooves were free of debris. Boss and Rosco joined Luke by Boss’s horse. Rosco smiled cheerfully at Caitlin and Bo and remarked, “Those two sure look like two peas in a pod.”

Luke remarked in return, “Yeah, that’s with love looks like.” Luke rolled his eyes as he laughed with Rosco.
It didn’t take long for Luke and Caitlin to get out onto the racetrack. Caitlin mounted Aidan’s back and then walked the animal for a few minutes to allow him to adjust to her weight. She stretched out, warming up both of their muscles by walking around in circles for a few minutes. In her head, she heard the instructions of her trainer long ago. Again she felt herself becoming one with the horse almost being able to read Aidan’s mind, anticipating what the animal was thinking and doing. She engrossed herself in petting Aidan’s mane and speaking words of love and encouragement into the horse’s ear. The horse responded in return with a nod of his head; a gentle rumble from his throat; and a light stomp of his foot on the ground. Caitlin felt Bo’s hand on her calf. She looked to see that Luke was ready to race and then back at Bo to see his love and pride for her written all over his face. She grinned, “Now, baby, let me show you what I can do.”

Caitlin and Luke nudged their horses next to each other in preparation to start the race. Boss’s horse trainer set off to the side with a stopwatch in one hand and a popgun in the other. Raising the gun in the air, he counted down from ten, fired a shot in the air, and clicked on a stopwatch to begin. When he looked, he saw that Caitlin and Aidan had shot past Luke leaving only a large cloud of yellow sand behind her. Luke however did not take long to catch up allowing the mount under him the freedom to run unhindered. Luke and Caitlin agreed the race would be a mile and a half long which was two and a half laps a round the oval track. In order to prepare Caitlin for the race she was about to enter, Luke was merciless in his attempts to slow her down. He made sure he got close enough to almost ride on top of her, to push her into the railing, and finally to nudge his horse up against Aidan. But Caitlin expertly defended or averted his every move. Then Luke even tried to talk to her as they rode side by side, but Caitlin was very engrossed in her mount and the race at hand.

Though she carried a riding crop in her hand, she never had to use it. Instead, Luke watched her squeeze her thighs just a little tighter against Aidan sides, which pushed them a head of Luke and his horse. Not about to give up, Luke put his concentration back into his horse and tried to catch up, to overtake Caitlin.

Bo watched the race with Boss Hogg and Rosco alongside him. When he saw Luke trying to pull some dirty tricks on Caitlin, Bo yelled at him to stop to no avail. He cheered loudly for both his cousin and Caitlin; but when he saw Caitlin finally pull away of Luke, he began “whoopin'” and “Hollering'” for joy. The whole race was over in a matter of minutes. Boss’s trainer double clicked the stopwatch and announced that Caitlin had run the race in a minute and a half. Caitlin jumped off Aidan and into Bo’s arms yelling happily her success and defeat of Luke. She relished, “God! That felt so fantastic! We were flying!”

Bo joined in her excitement with comments and encouragement of his own. Luke joined the group. Panting and out of breath, he shook his head in disbelief, “I can’t believe you did that. I mean I knew you said you had raced before but…”

Caitlin smiled in understanding, “You sure did impressed me, Luke. I had to really work to get ahead of you. Thank you for not going easy on me and pushing me along. Do you think you’d be willing to race with me every day until the big one?”

Both Caitlin and Luke looked at Boss Hogg and his trainer to see if they would cooperate. But Boss was already mentally tabulating the amount of the bet he planned to lay on Caitlin and her horse. He laughed greedily, “Not at all!”

 

Boss Hogg was feeling so good that he invited Caitlin and the Duke Boys back to the Boar’s Nest to celebrate. The bar was filled with many of Hazzard County’s local citizens and friends to the Duke Family. The jukebox played one country song after another enticing Bo and Caitlin to enjoy a dance or two. The laughter and merriment filled the entire room as Daisy made sure everyone’s beer-mug was kept full. To Caitlin’s delight, Boss Hogg decided to bring out a couple of bottles of his finest whiskey to share between himself, Caitlin, and Uncle Jesse. His action however would in the end cause Caitlin more grief. Upon entering his office in the back of the Boar’s Nest, Boss Hogg found a gentleman waiting for him. He was roughly dressed in black jeans, black T-shirt, and a dark leather jacket with leather gloves to match. The man introduced himself as Jack Dannon, a friend and employee of William Sharp. He advised Boss that he had intercepted another telegram from Caitlin to her Uncle and that Will needed to talk to Boss about it.

While Boss was setting out two bottles of whiskey from his private collection, Jack Dannon watched the scene in the bar through a small opening in the door. He watched Caitlin dancing with a tall blond young man. Her face was bright with her smile and flushed with the flame of new love. The jukebox began to play, “Feels So Right” by Alabama. As soon as the music slowed, Caitlin became one with her dance partner. She never took her eyes off him as he continued to stare deeply into hers. Her hand reached out to caress his cheek and Jack Dannon saw the ring on her finger twinkling in the dimly lit barroom. Jack Dannon pointed the ring out to Boss Hogg and demanded that Boss found out where Caitlin got the ring and what it was for. Jack Dannon already had an idea and knew the news would not make William Sharp very happy. Jack Dannon reminded Boss about the deal he had made with Will and about the money Boss would lose if he didn’t get the information they needed. Boss promised to come see Will later that evening with the supplies he’d ask for and the news he wanted.

Boss brought out the bottles of whiskey and motioned for Bo and Caitlin to join him. His efforts to get their attention were ignored. Boss looked at Uncle Jesse for help only to find Jesse laughing at him and at the couple dancing. Uncle Jesse replied, “Pour me some of that whiskey, JD, let’s start celebratin’ without them.”
Boss smiled, “Yep, Jesse, that little girl Bo’s got wrapped around him is something to celebrate especially the money she’s gonna make for me.”

The song ended finally and Bo held on to Caitlin as they walked over to the table. He nuzzled her ear causing her to laugh. Boss held out a glass of whiskey toward Caitlin’s left hand. He made sure to watch her reach for the glass and saw a ring he recognized immediately on her finger. He looked over at Uncle Jesse and said, “Jesse, is Miss Rose wearing what I think she’s wearing?” Uncle Jesse followed Boss’s stare and smiled at the ring. Upon confirmation, Boss Hogg had to stop himself from becoming anxious. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Will Sharp’s man spying on the room from the door of his office. Boss stood up out of his chair and smiled broadly at both Caitlin and Bo. He said with a fake gruffness in his voice, “Bo Duke, what’s the big idea giving your mama’s ring to this bit of a city girl.” Before Bo or anyone else could comment, Boss laughed heartedly. Then Boss pounded on the table for everyone’s attention. He called out, “Daisy, make sure everyone’s glass is full. I want to make an announcement.”

Bo and Caitlin looked at each other not sure what Boss was up too or if they were ready to tell everyone about their engagement. They both looked at Uncle Jesse for his take on the situation and found him smiling proudly. Daisy announced that everyone had a drink. Boss raised his glass and said, “I want you all to welcome the girl Bo Duke is going to marry.”

With the announcement out, instead of raising his glass in the toast, Bo raised Caitlin up into his arms for everyone to see. She giggled and was unable to drink down her whiskey. In the next few moments, she was passed from Luke to Cooter to Cletus to Uncle Jesse for great big welcoming hugs and kisses to her cheek until she found herself back in Bo’s arms. Enos approached but was pushed aside by Rosco who bear-hugged both Bo and Caitlin together. He laughed at the couple and then complained about having one more Duke to chase for speeding. Enos again tried to approach and Caitlin pressed a kiss to his cheek in thanks for his welcoming her. The rest of the evening was spent accepting sentiments of congratulations from the people of Hazzard County. Caitlin felt very accepted and warmly welcomed into Bo’s world. She hoped that the same would be done for Bo when she took him to New York. Boss Hogg returned to his office to find it empty. A note had been left for him instructing that he was to come see Will the next day.

 

Deep in the secluded woods, a trail of smoke came from the chimney a large cabin. Will Sharp slowly strolled out onto the porch feeling relaxed and refreshed. He had spent the last two weeks fishing, hunting, and planning what to do about Caitlin. He had been reading the telegrams that his men had intercepted for him before sending them on to Caitlin’s Uncle. They were very careful to edit out any reference to their capture and the evidence she was holding to give them. They did the same to all telegrams coming to her. It was costing Will a lot of money to control the telegraph office. Mr. Hogg had forced him to send the usual person working at the office on a much needed vacation before Will could put one of his own people in their. Will had made sure that it was someone from within his father’s organization that Caitlin had never met. He knew his time was indeed running short. He had just intercepted a telegram telling Caitlin that the FBI were very close to finding her husband’s body. Will put all of that out of his mind. He knew Caitlin would not go anywhere and that he had time to deal with her when she wasn’t expecting it. His plan to convince her that they had been arrested was a good one. His men needed a vacation and the hideout that Mr. Hogg had provided at a very high price was well worth every dime. Will had even heard about Caitlin’s plan to enter the local horse race. He was going to attend and place a bet on Caitlin to win.

The noise of a motorcycle engine revving in the distance caught Will’s attention. He looked to see his friend Jack Dannon riding along the worn out road toward the cabin. Jack Dannon left his motorcycle standing nearby as he joined Will on the cabin’s porch. The two men shook hands and Will invited Jack to go fishing with him. Jack declined, “You may not want to go fishing when you’ve heard my news, Will.” Jack proceeded to tell Will about the events he’d witness the night before, including details about the very alive romance between Bo and Caitlin.

In a matter of seconds the restful feeling, Will had, evaporated. He screamed his rage to the thick woods surrounding him. He began calling for his men, Bronco being the first to answer him. Very gruffly Will ordered, “Bronco, get the boys together now!”

Bronco nodded agreement, “Sure, Will.” It didn’t take a genius to see that Will was angry about something and that any delay in following his orders would bring hell on the person who disobeyed him. Bronco hurried his partners together.

When his friends were all gathered around the porch, Will fumed, “Gentlemen, my Caitlin has ended our vacation. We will need to speed up the plan we’ve been putting together before she gets away from us again.” He held out a copy of the telegram Jack Dannon had just handed him and described, “Our FBI friend will be here any day to arrest us for real. So we will need to put all of our energy into putting the plan into action.” Will proceeded to give each of his men on assignment to follow.

At the Rose Barn, Caitlin opened the door to a beautiful morning sunshine. Unaware of the approaching danger, she stretched leisurely and yawned. She had another wonderful night’s sleep; dreaming of the time to come when she would no longer be waking up alone. Shaking her feeling of laziness from her mind and body, she left the door open to allow the warm spring breezes of the morning flow through her kitchen. She began her morning task of making coffee, getting breakfast ready for Bo and Luke, and then doing the dishes. Her eyes caressed lightly Bo’s engagement ring. But the chain she still wore around her neck beckoned her attention. She felt for, and then looked at the gold wedding ring set that she had shared with Drew at their wedding. She put Drew’s wedding band on the same finger as her new engagement ring and watched the two mingle together. She felt a quiet sadness, a tug at her heart.

She spoke to the ring, “I will always love you, my Poet Drew. You made me grow up. You turned a spoiled brat into a caring, giving woman. I know you are with me, watching from heaven, my love.” Her question of would he approve of Bo came again to her thoughts. As she lifted Drew’s ring from her finger and let it settle back against her neck, a feeling of peace replaced her sadness as she somehow felt his approval of her new relationship with Bo.

Her thoughts drifted more to Bo and the newfound love she was experiencing in new depths each day. Their love affair had been unmarred with argument until now. After leaving the Boar’s Nest, Bo had driven her home. She invited him for a glass of wine and had excused herself to freshen up. She had changed into her favorite mini-nightgown and matching robe. She returned to the kitchen to find Bo already setting out two glasses filled with wine on the floor next to the fireplace. But Caitlin knew that the conversation she needed to have with Bo could not take place in their favorite cuddle spot. She had picked up the wine glasses and led him back to the kitchen table. She had discussed the possibility of Bo going to New York with her to meet her family and friends. She tried to subtly prepare him with the probability of them having to live in New York part of the time. She mentioned off hand her coming inheritance and her position within her father’s company. The fact was that she would not only own it, but also have to run its day-to-day operations as CEO. She had been trying to feel him out on the situation and its possibilities. The conversation did not go very well. Bo had thought that because of her owning the Rose Barn and wanting to make a go of it as a stable, that she would want to live in Hazzard forever.

Caitlin did love Hazzard and her new home, but she missed her family’s sprawling country estate. She also loved the hustle and bustle of New York City. The brownstone she owned along Central Park had been unlived in for nearly two years. She had not been to a Broadway Opening or concert at the Metropolitan Opera House in too long of a time. She had friends she needed to get back in touch with, not to mention her family. The long walks with her beloved father, drinking and gambling with her Uncle Charles, arguing with her sister, and helping her mother plan one of the many parties were treasured parts of her life that she desired to do again.

She adored traveling and seeing the world. When she had been sent to her father’s family in Ireland after Drew’s death, she had been to traumatized and depressed to enjoy the richness of the land around her. She wanted to go again and thank her cousins and new friends for the care and love they showed her. She wanted to race Aidan in England, enter Brianna in horseshows all over the world. She also wanted to explore business opportunities for her father and get involved with helping the poor and needy of the world. With her father’s companies and contacts she could do that. She needed to get to know all of her father’s business acquaintances now before something happened to him and she was thrown to the wolves like Will Sharp and his Father. She had already proven to be a fair but shrewd business woman for her father while hiding out in Europe…though it allowed Will to find her, it prevented a whole factory from being shut down and a thousand people from losing their jobs.

Caitlin tried to get Bo excited about seeing and doing those things. She wanted him to experience them with her. She saw his look of amazement, pride, and then awkwardness towards her. She realized he did not fully understand all her life was about before she had driven into Hazzard. He had grown shy with her at that moment and uncertain of her love for him. Caitlin reassured him just how much she did love him. She kissed him with everything she was feeling. It then became her fear that Bo would decide they were too different to make it together and not want to be with her. In that moment, she had contemplated all she was planning, all she missed about her past life and realized that none of it would mean much if she did not have Bo there. She said as much to him and reassured him that she was willing to make a home with him anywhere he wanted to be. She ended the conversation by kissing him passionately.

Caitlin smiled at the memory. They had still been in the kitchen talking and had enjoyed a little too much wine. Within seconds of her being in his arms, she found herself lifted out of her chair and laid gently onto the tiled floor. They had not taken that step yet, but in that moment it felt so right and so wanted, that they could not deny each other any longer. There were no words anymore between them just the communication of touch, kiss, and body meeting body. Caitlin felt no hesitation; no bad memories interrupted her thoughts to push her away from Bo or the feelings he aroused in her. It was like becoming a new woman again. They continued loving each other into the early morning hours. Bo had even carried up to her room at one point and she didn’t even remember him leaving until she awoke with the sun. One side of her bed was now empty from where he had been only hours before.

In the morning light of reverie, Caitlin smiled. But in thinking about their conversation, Caitlin realized that although Bo had seen some of the country through the racing circuit, he was still a small town boy. He was insecure about venturing outside what he knew into the uncertainty of what he didn’t. She did understand that. From her experiences while being on the run for most of two years, she discovered that a lot of people outside of Hazzard County could be very mean and inhospitable.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of The General pulling into her driveway. Caitlin reached into the warm soapy water to wipe off several coffee cups with her sponge just as Bo and Luke came into the kitchen. Bo greeted Caitlin, coming to stand behind her, wrapping her within his embrace, and kissing on her neck. He breathed, “Good morning, Darlin” in her ear. He had pulled her wet hands out of the water and they dripped onto the floor.

Caitlin laughed and scolded, “Bo, I’m doing dishes here.”

Bo was too comfortable standing behind her and while apologizing for being in the way, he refused to move. Even after Caitlin threatened him with her soapy, wet hands, he just took her ear between his teeth and nibbled softly on it until he felt her stop fighting. Their banter would have gone on longer but Luke made himself comfortable at the table very loudly. Luke greeted, “Mornin’ Caitlin. How are you feeling today?” Luke knew that neither Bo nor Caitlin could have gotten much sleep. He had heard Bo trying to come home as quietly as possible but failing miserably at close to 3:00 AM. He exchanged teasing glances with Caitlin as she threw him a look that said, “Are we that obvious!” She felt her face become flushed.

Trying not to smile, Caitlin responded, “A little on the wonderful but exhausted side.” She turned around with her sponge in hand, only to bump into Bo meeting him lip to lip. Their eyes met and she teased, “Well this is so nice. I turn around and get swept up off my feet. Very very convenient.”

Bo answered her with a very long and tender kiss. When he finally let her go, Caitlin had to steady herself and remember to breathe. Feeling very light headed, Caitlin cleared her throat and repeated, “Good morning to you too, Luv. What in the world has gotten into you?” She escaped under his arm to go to the refrigerator for some milk. The couple kept exchanging teasing and provocative glances at each other. She offered coffee to both Luke and Bo. She was about to offer to put milk in but read the expiration date. She tested the milk by taking off the cap and sniffing the contents. It was indeed spoiled. She announced the problem and joked about needing to get some groceries while they were out running Aidan. With that, she handed out the coffee and said she would back in a few minutes. She disappeared upstairs into her bedroom to change.

Bo watched Caitlin leave wanting to follow her. From the moment he had come in the door that morning he ached to hold her. She had been wearing the same silk spaghetti strapped mini-skirted nightgown and matching robe that he had left her in only hours before. The material felt so good against his skin he couldn’t help but need to touch her, to feel it in his fingers again. Admittedly, if it had not been for Luke sitting at the table, Bo knew he and Caitlin would have ended up on the floor like they had done that night. Bo smiled at the memory of tasting Caitlin’s passionate nature. As the memories of her ordeal with Will Sharp faded into the distance, Caitlin opened herself up to him more and more. She didn’t jump or instantly freeze when he surprised her with a kiss or a hug. Bo mused into his coffee, “Isn’t she terrific!”

Luke teased, “Bo, you have been repeating yourself over and over again for the last two weeks and yes she is very terrific! You are very lucky, cousin.”

Before another word could be said Caitlin re-entered the kitchen now dressed in a simple pair of jeans, of black tank top, and a yellow blouse for a jacket. The sleeves of the blouse had been rolled to her elbows. Her hair had been drawn back and covered with a soft yellow bandana. She came into the kitchen and took out two apples from the refrigerator. She let the Duke Boys know that she would meet them outside. She asked Luke if he would get the horse trailer ready and then Bo to meet her in the barn as soon as possible. She smiled at him suggestively and then disappeared outside.

Bo quickly stood and announced, “I’m finished.” He looked at the full cup of coffee and then commented as he dumped it down the drain, “I think I’d rather have a drink of something else. Meet you outside, Luke.”

Luke laughed, “Just let me know when you’re done with your breakfast, Bo.”

Bo returned the laughter as he strolled out toward the barn. There he found Caitlin putting a bridal On Brianna. She was feeding the mare one of the apples and talking to the horse softly, lovingly. Caitlin saw him coming and smiled, “I wish I had the time to exercise Bri before taking Aidan to the track.”

Bo suggested, “There’s room in the trailer to take her with us and at least she can run free for little while.”

Caitlin smiled at the idea and they made it part of plan. Caitlin led Brianna over to the cross ties to the barn.After securing the horse Caitlin retrieved the horse brush from one of the shelves and began to rub down Bri’s back until she was sure the horse’s coat was shiny and clean. As soon as she was finished with a Brianna, she took her back to her stall while Bo brought Aidan over to the cross ties and then both he and Caitlin gave the horse a good rub down.

 

Later that morning, Luke, Caitlin, and now Bo raced each other. To Bo’s surprise and Caitlin’s delight, Brianna did not fight when Bo mounted her and coaxed her into an easy cantor across the track. When the practice was finished, Brianna even displayed some affection to Bo as he cooled her off and prepared her to be boarded back into the trailer. Bo commented on this and Caitlin smiled. She held her lip as she confessed that she had lined Bo’s pocket with sugar cubes to insure Brianna’s cooperation. Luke laughed that now he understood why the mare kept trying to rip Bo’s jeans from his body.

With their practice out of the way and the horses safely back at home; Bo wanted to get away from everyone. As had become their practice, Caitlin and Bo loaded a small picnic into her Viper and returned to the secluded pond. As they enjoyed their newfound passion for each other in the water and along the grassy field, a pair of eyes watched from a distance. He held a video camera to take back to his employer. His own jealous feelings coming out in quick releases of breath. Bronco had to watch what he did while keeping an eye on Caitlin. Will had instructed Jack to accompany Bronco until they were ready to strike. For the next several days, Bronco was forced to watch the couple play together, race the general against the Viper, ride the horses together both in practice for the upcoming race and for fun, and finally during their escapes to the pond; all the while stirring up the atmosphere to brew a very dark, dangerous approaching storm.

 

by Debbie (Ldydebpv31)

Fandom: Dukes of Hazzard FanFic and Yahoo! Groups: DukesFanFic
Rating: PG-13
Status: NEW
Archive: Please Archive
FEEDBACK: Both Positive and Negative are welcome and appreciated
Series/Sequel: Chapter Seven

Disclaimers: This is a complete work of fiction written just for fun. No intended Copyright infringement.

Notes: This is a rather long text and will take several posts to send all of it. I thank any and all who take the time to read my work. To Those who chose to honor me with their comments/critique’s I offer my sincerest gratitude.

Warnings: The Story has some of the usual car chases, fist fights, etc., but there is also a little sexual content and suggestions of sexual violence but not very graphic. You be the Judge.

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CHAPTER SEVEN

With the visit to meet Jesse accomplished, the ride back to Caitlin’s Farm allowed Bo and Caitlin to joke and relax. Caitlin commented, “I just love your Uncle. He reminds me of my grandfather in Ireland.” Bo kissed her hand as he drove down her driveway and parked near the house. As soon as the engine was in park, he pulled her from her seatbelt and locked her in his arms. Caitlin responded quickly, seeking the taste of his lips on her tongue and the feel of his hands digging into her hair. She looked at him lovingly, said, “Welcome to Rose Barn, Mr. Duke,” and continued to kiss him. Several loud noises from the barn broke up their embrace and Caitlin looked to see Luke coming toward them. She pushed herself away from Bo and straightened her shirt. Reluctantly the couple exited the Viper and greeted Luke. They kept an eye on each other hoping Luke had not caught them. They grinned and then Caitlin turned to Luke and asked, amusement heavy in her voice, “Everything all right? Hope you weren’t bored waiting for us.”

Luke shrugged, “It was quiet here. No return visits from that Sharp fella or his men. I kept myself busy though.”

Caitlin wondered how and then she took a good look around her. All the bales of hay were gone, stored in the barn she suspected. The pile of plywood that Luke had suggested that morning to use to repair her fence had gotten smaller. That little observation pushed her eyes back on Luke and she scolded gratefully, “You didn’t do all of this by yourself? Why didn’t you wait for us? Luke!”

Luke smiled, “Just thought I’d get a head start for you. Didn’t realize you two would be gone so long or how much I had done until now.”

Caitlin hugged Luke and kissed his cheek. She said, “Thank You, Luke. I am sorry we didn’t get back sooner.”

Bo jealously pulled Caitlin back to him. He explained good-naturedly, covering his “green-eyed monster” reaction, “Her errands took longer than she had planned. Then I took her to meet Uncle Jesse.”

Luke laughed, “So, Did Uncle Jesse bite?”

Caitlin laughed, “No, Luke, he was very pleasant. You were right when you told me not to be so nervous this morning.”

Bo asked, “Is there anything left to do?”

Luke replied, “Just the part near the road is left to be fixed.”

Caitlin offered, “If you wanna rest, Luke. Bo and I can handle taking care of that one.”

Luke replied, “No, I’ve been able to take a break. Got Aidan and Brie fed and watered. Aidan let me rub him down but Brie would have nothing to do with the brush.”

Caitlin laughed, “That’s my girl. Was she at least nice about it?”

“Do you mean did she bite me or throw me like…” Luke looked at Bo whose eyes sent darts in return. Luke teased, “No, she just kept moving away from me and whipping her tail at me like I was a fly she was swatting at.”

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