by: Essy Jane

The morning came and the drugs had worn off of Jesse. He held onto his head as he looked up at Jose. “You look like you’ve just had a hang over,” Jose laughed.

“I wish it was a hang over at least it wouldn’t feel this bad,” Jesse snapped back. He took a drink of his hot chocolate and rubbed his eyes.

“You were really out of it last night.”

“I was wasn’t I?”

“Something else is bugging you, what is it?”

“What if we had just stayed at the play? Would I still have been drugged?”

“Oh yeah, guarantee it. Look, we’re curious. It isn’t our fault, it’s in the Duke blood.”

“I guess so.” Jesse knew that there was something wrong with this picture…but then again any idiot would. He wondered how in the world someone like Jason would let them go. He knew that the boys would get out of that situation. It shouldn’t have been possible but it was with the Dukes.

Jose looked tired…maybe he was pondering too hard. He knew that Bo was hiding something from him. Bo had never hid anything from Jose before. It was like the man honoured the honesty thing. Everything he told was the truth unless desperate times called for those desperate measures. “What do you think he’s hiding?” Jose asked his cousin under his breath.

“I don’t know…I am only his son and he didn’t tell me. Doesn’t make me feel too great when he hides it even from me…I don’t understand it myself. He wouldn’t usually hide it,” Jesse mumbled back.

“If he’s holding it back from you it has got to be pretty bad. I know parents have a lot of their secrets that they don’t share. Bo isn’t like that though. I mean he never has been towards me. He always told me about anything. Now I am thinking if he wasn’t telling me it would it be big?”

“Well of course it would. This is my Dad we are talking about. He wouldn’t keep anything from us unless something went on and by golly I am sure it did.”

“Well I want to know now.”

“You need to have more patience Jose.”

“You don’t have any of that why in the world should I have it.”

“Good point…you’re supposed to keep me patient by you being patient.” Jose rolled his eyes and looked at his cousin. Jesse just smiled and giggled a little under his breath. “Well you have to admit that it was a good reason.”

“I don’t have to admit anything. Now, I want to hear what dad…I mean Bo has to say. I don’t want to wait anymore.” Now we see some of Bo’s attitude in Jose. It must be rubbing off. However, Jose still had more patience than Jesse. Jesse always ran off and did stuff he wasn’t supposed to. He would act without thinking and got into too much trouble. You wouldn’t see that in Bo anymore but it was possible.

Bo had made breakfast that morning. He didn’t make it often but when he did, everyone would scarf down his food. Bo was a much better cook than he made himself out to be. Maybe it was because Bo just didn’t want to cook all the time.

His Uncle did teach him how and that made Bo love to cook. He had many specialties for cooking. He made something good today. The boys’ mouths were watering over it. Big stack pancakes as he calls it. Jose looked at Bo with big eyes.

Bo knew that look all too well. That was the look he would give Uncle Jesse when he was keeping something. Bo knew that sooner or later he would have to tell. He had to think of how to do it. The event was hard to bring up. Thinking about Uncle Jesse lying in that hospital bed was the worst thought in the world. It wasn’t right nor would it ever be.

“Okay, when Luke and I were still at home, Rosco was a lonely sheriff. He didn’t make much money because the late Boss Hogg was cheap. Now, Rosco got an inheritance. He hired Jason Steele to get us out of Rosco’s hair,” Bo began.

“Why would he do that?” Jesse asked.

“He had the money and the means to do it. Boss was stingy and when he was the Boss of Hazzard, he would rather keep his money than spend it. Now that Jason Steele tried everything and we were all scared out of our wits. He was trying to catch us in the act of some crime he planned out himself. That would stick us in jail.”

“Because y’all were on probation?”

“Uh huh.”

“Man, smart man.”

“A little too smart. He played some pretty crafty tricks on us.”

“I bet.”

“Well, our Uncle Jesse didn’t want our safety to be jeopardized. He went out looking for him and got hurt. Boss Hogg became a deputy and to make things worse, we were caught steeling his car that was made up to look like the General Lee,” Bo began.

“That sounds harsh,” Jose commented.

“Oh tell me about it. With Uncle Jesse the way he was, I was scared beyond my wildest dreams,” Bo replied.

“If my Dad was like that…”

“I know boy, I would be plum scared too.”

“So what happened?”

“Well, Rosco’s inheritance turned out to not be what the man thought. All bets were off on how much Steele was being paid. To make a long story short, all became well but not after a second kidnapping.”

“Second kidnapping? What do you mean? He came back to Hazzard?”

“Uh huh, I didn’t even see it coming you know. I was his target.”

“Man, and I thought our lives were tough.”

“Anyway, he came back to reek his revenge on those who made a monkey out of him. He made my family think I was dead.”

“That’s worse than…than being dead.”

“It was…his girlfriend, Annie that got me discovered by Luke. That was hard on the whole family. Now he’s back again…probably for the revenge of Rosco by robbing his bank. Maybe still after me by getting to my family. I don’t know what to think. He’s dangerous boys…I mean dangerous.”

“We have got to catch him then…him and his goons.”

“Something about that doesn’t sound right. I mean, Jason Steele works alone.” Jesse lowered his head. He looked at Jose. “What is it boys?”

“It’s like a training course for bank robbers. They pay for him to teach them how to rob banks,” Jesse finally said. Bo looked like he was in the stupor of thought. He couldn’t believe that Steele would do something like that. Come to think of it, the revenge seemed off base too. Something about this whole thing was fishy.

Bo needed to do some research. Something to speak of the Jason Steele the boys was describing. Somehow they had to find the real person behind him. Something about him had to change for him to become this villain.

It wasn’t the same person almost. With the stories Jesse and Jose were telling about what he was saying and why he said it seemed totally different. Jason was a powerful man who worked hard for what he did. Bo knew that all too well. Now this guy seemed like all he wanted to do was steel…no pun intended.

The boys headed out to do some work that day. Jose decided to run the tractor since planting season was just around the corner. He would be working under Bo’s supervision. It wasn’t hard to work for Bo compared to Luke….well at least in Jose’s eyes. Bo seemed more relaxed than anything else. He loved to just work along with him. Jose was getting easier to work with. He had mellowed out a great deal. Now he wasn’t as wild as he once was.

Jo decided to go and do all the rest of the chores. She loved to work at her own pace. Jo Anna would go and take the horses out for a ride after she was done with everything. Something about it was amazing. She loved to just listen to the horse’s hooves clop on the ground ever so softly. It was like nothing in the world could touch her or hurt her. She loved being on her own but she still needed people whether she would recognize it or not.

Nancy-Lou wanted to spend time with Jesse so she took him along shopping. Telling her son would be the first step and then she would move on to her daughter and tell her about the baby. They were driving along in the General together. “So Jesse, how was babysitting the Henderson’s child last week?” Nancy-Lou asked.

“Well, he was a lot sweeter than a lot of newborns I baby-sit. I really like that kid I mean, he just coos away. Jo seems to hand me the easy jobs,” Jesse replied.

“How would you feel about having little brothers or sisters around?”

“That would be awesome!”

“Well I am pregnant.”

“Mom…you’re pregnant! That’s so wonderful. I can’t wait to have a kid around the Duke farm.”

“Honey, I am having twins…again.”

“Well that’s okay too.” Jesse was taking it way better than Nancy thought he would. Sometimes people are wrong about the things that could go on. However, as a mother Nancy had every right to be nervous of the thoughts of the public. “So, what kind of groceries are we picking up?”

“Well, I was thinking some beans and pork butt steaks for dinner…kind of to celebrate. We’ll then go and get your hair cut.”

“A hair cut?”

“Yes, my boy has to look good when he walks around town.”

“But I don’t like cutting my hair! Why doesn’t Jo have to cut her hair?”

“Jo Anna is a girl…you just happen to be a boy.” Jesse grumbled and looked at his mom. As she smiled, Jesse laughed. Her face could make the world smile.

“Can’t I skip out on the hair cut this time?”

“You’re lucky that I haven’t shaved your head.” Jesse gave his mom a cold stare and continued driving. He saw the chance to jump the General. Now he had to take it. The General flew higher and higher in the sky. The dirt trembled off the tires as if it was afraid of the landing. Jesse let out his usual Yahoo and landed on the ground.

“That was fun.”

“I know it was…you are too much like your father.”

“I am not! You’re just saying that. Look how calm and wise he is. I mean I could never add up to him. Dad is like the saint of all times. You can never compare me to him.”

“Your father was like…the biggest child you have ever seen. He used to start things before he took the time to think about it. Sometimes I wonder how that man became so calm.”

“How did you and Dad end up together?”

“Haven’t I told you this story?”

“About a million times but I love hearing it.”

“Well Bo and I were enemies…the biggest in all of history. He constantly was teasing me and bugging me. I just couldn’t stand him when I first moved to Hazzard.”

“Essy says all the best relationships start like that.”

“Well honey, I came back to get to know the man they called my father. I stayed with him and enjoyed myself.”

“Grandpa Davenport?”

“Yep and since those two were friends it was like seeing him everyday. Now we had another thing in common, Essy-Jane Tizdale…one of the best friends a girl could have. She thought we were perfect for each other. I thought she was out of her mind.”

“I would have too.”

“Well anyway, she wrote secret admirer note to each of us to meet at a warehouse and locked us in. That was it; we were in love from then on. Grandpa couldn’t separate us for nothing. Well, Bo asked for my hand in marriage to me and then asked permission from Grandpa.”

“He said no about three times but Bo was persistent. We were married and had two beautiful children. Grandma was a twin and Grandpa had twins on his side of the family so that’s what we had.”

“It’s a shame Jo had to be born.”

“Oh don’t start, you love your sister.”

“Yeah but don’t tell her that.”

“Why?”

“It’ll get to her head.” Nancy-Lou laughed. Jesse put on the breaks as he parked in front of the General store. He looked around to see if anyone had followed him. Jesse was still paranoid. He was afraid of even the smallest thing that could happen to his mom or himself. They walked in the store together.

Terry Sampson, Mr. Rhuebottom’s son-in-law, was running the store now. “Why hello Mrs. Duke, it is lovely seeing you around again. I love when you come to visit. You brought your son. Jesse, how would you like to earn $50?” Terry commented.

“I would like that just fine; Jose’s birthday is coming up soon. I have wanted to buy him something nice for a while now.” Bo thought about that watch that his cousin had been eyeing for the past week. It had everything that Jose could possibly want in a watch. Jesse worked quickly to load the shelves. Every shelf was loaded with precision and care. As the young Duke put the last can on, he looked at the job he had done. He had earned every penny.

“Thank you so much for the help. Your family has always helped my mine in time of need. You have supported my father-in-law when he was around here.”

“Well a friend should always lend a hand.” Terry smiled as Nancy finished paying for the groceries. They walked out together and many friends greeted them even as they walked to the barber shop. The Dukes were well respected in the County. When a person needed help they could always turn to the Duke family.

Jesse was taller than his mom and dad both. He loved to show that off especially with his father. Bo had a couple wrinkles on his face but none that were really noticeable. He didn’t look his age at all. People always used to mistake them for brothers or cousins…never father and son. Jesse loved having newcomers say that to them.

“Do I have to get a hair cut?” Jesse pouted as he looked at his mom.

“Its either that or you stand on your head. I mean you would make a better mop than the swifter mop I use at home,” Nancy-Lou replied. Jesse walked in the barber shop and sat down in the barber’s chair. He wasn’t known well by the barber. Jesse waited until his hair was covering over his eyes sometimes. It looked good because it was curly. Nancy just couldn’t stand the length anymore.

Both of her children hated cutting their hair. Jo’s was so long that it was down past her hips almost. Jesse’s was getting way past his ears. It was time for him to get it cut. He barely got any chopped off but it was enough to satisfy his mother. Now they were back on the road and driving home with all the groceries. There was a suspicious car coming behind them. Jesse didn’t see it at first because he was too busy singing to his favourite songs with Nancy-Lou.

As he finally noticed, Jesse stepped on the gas quickly. “What’s going on?” Nancy-Lou questioned. Jesse looked back and wondered if it was the two guys that they impersonated. Something about them looked familiar. “Jesse, talk to me baby, what’s going on?”

“They’re right behind us,” Jesse mumbled. Jesse tried jumping the General. He made a sharp turn off the road and kept driving. Nancy held on with both hands. She couldn’t believe how well her son was driving. The men started to catch up to the General. “It has to have a good engine. We’re doomed.”

“You can out run them.”

“You don’t understand these guys would smash any car to get to me. They want to show us who’s Boss. I don’t want you getting hurt because of that.”

“Well its only a ‘99 TOYOTA RAV 4. Just do your best son.” The car began hitting the General. Jesse tried to stay on the road as best as he could. Another blow to the General…and another…another still; well many happened until finally it was off the road. They crashed into a tree. Jesse looked out into the mist of it all. He tried to reach for his mother but a red haze clouded his head until he fainted.

Back at the Duke farm, everyone was hard at work. Jo just finished giving her horse a rub down. She loved to ride ginger. Jo looked around at the clouds above. She felt so small in this world. Now as the young woman walked in the house the phone rang. She ran into the house and lifted the receiver.

“It was no accident,” A voice said. The phone line went dead. Jo Anna wondered what they meant by it. It could have been some punk kids…in Hazzard though? Then again, anything was possible.

Jo sat down on the couch as the other two walked in. Jose was screaming. “You dropped the axe on my foot,” Jose mumbled.

“I knew my big toe was predicting trouble,” Bo replied. He seemed to get the same feelings Uncle Jesse got when things were wrong.

“Old people are so funny…I mean…well not that you’re old or anything.” Bo gave Jose a stern look and cracked into a grin. “I am so lucky I am around you instead of Dad. Jokes like that and I would have been tackled.” Bo remembered when Luke stopped doing that to him after he got back from the war. Luke must’ve turned back into that playful self he once was after the horrid attacks. He started trying to get closer with his family.

Bo took off Jose’s boot. It wasn’t all that deep. He would need a couple stitches in his foot. “You’re lucky, it ain’t that bad. Just a quick drive to the hospital and it should all be fixed up.” Bo got into his General Lee and started it up. Jose got in as well. They began to drive off together. Bo still had that feeling in his toe as he continued. “Something else is wrong…very wrong.” Bo parked the car and put a few dollars in the meter. Jose limped in refusing any help from anyone.

“Here we go, we’re almost there.”

“One of these days you’re going to ask for help but no one will give it to you. When that day comes around no one will be there to help you.” Jose looked up at Bo. He couldn’t be right…but then again most of the time he was right. How could he be right so many times? “Come on let me help you for once!” Jose grunted and continued walking into the emergency room. They introduced themselves and stated their emergency. Of course the nurse told them both to take a seat. Bo was called a little while later to fill out this form and that form.

Jose was left to sit alone for that amount of time. His foot stung like nothing he had ever felt before but of course Jose wouldn’t say anything about that. He would hide that to the end. Jose tapped his opposite foot. He looked down at his tattered boot and noticed a set of carefully stitched boots. Jose could recognize those boots. He looked at the freshly cut blonde hair and the large bandage that the owner of that hair was holding to his head.

“Jesse?” Jose questioned. Jesse looked up at his cousin. His eyes were filled with tears as he took a quivering breath. “Oh no…what’s wrong? Where’s Nancy?”

“Mom…she’s in the emergency room. I don’t know how bad she is. We were pushed off the road and…I was unconscious when they found me. I woke up in the ambulance. As soon as they knew I had no damage to my spine they put me back in the waiting room,” Jesse mumbled.

“You don’t even…”

“No, I didn’t see her go in.” The doors opened and out came Nancy. She didn’t look too bad. Her arm was in a sling and she had a few bandages on her face. Bo walked over towards Jose and ended up bumping into his wife. At first he had a shocked look on his face.

“Bo, I am fine…don’t worry about me,” Nancy-Lou commented.

“Don’t worry? You have a sling on your arm,” Bo exclaimed.

“Honey, I sprained my arm and have a few cuts…plus a minor concussion. Nothing is damaged with the baby. If anything you should be worried about your son.” Bo turned and looked at Jesse. He ran to him.

“I am just bleeding all over the floor, nothing to be concerned about. I will be in soon,” Jesse mumbled. Jose looked at him and rolled his eyes. His cousin didn’t look so good to him. Jesse would need more stitches than Jose would need.

As they all came home hours later, Jo Anna listened to the tales of their day. She finally figured out what that phone message meant. How could they do that though? How could they knock her family off the road? They couldn’t worry about that now. Something about it would be just wrong.

“I didn’t know what he meant by that…he hung up,” Jo Anna explained.

“Well I don’t know what this man is planning but you know what? I want to take y’all out of the County,” Bo mumbled.

“Dad, you’re forgetting one thing, Jose and Jesse are both on probation.”

“One minor problem…I don’t want anyone else being hurt. I am going to take your mother and you to Chickasaw to live with Coy and Vance for a while. There’s no way either of you are getting hurt.”

“Dad, that’s not a solution and you know it. What are you going to move our whole family to Chickasaw? Then what? He’ll come after us again.” Bo thought about it carefully. He didn’t want the two women in his life to die off just like that. With Jason around they didn’t know what was going to happen. Something had to be done though. This Jason was beyond dangerous. He was not the way he should have been. Bo remembered him being much different. Jason wasn’t full of revenge… it just wasn’t like that. Something had to have changed him. But what would have changed him? A death or maybe something else…something more; it was hard to think about.

“You and your mother are going though…I will not let you stay here and become chow for some snake.” Jo Anna didn’t want to leave but she knew her father wasn’t leaving her much of a choice. She would be in Chickasaw within a matter of days.