By BearCub648 (Julie Billings)

Disclaimer: I am a writer/photographer for a newspaper so I don’t get much free time to write on my own. That is why it has taken me forever to get this much of the story out. Please be patient with me. I’ll try to keep adding as often as I can. I hope you enjoy the story!

It had been a rough day for some of the Hazzard folk. A group of supposed environmental specialists had been hounding them all about selling their land and getting out of Hazzard. According to them, Hazzard really was hazardous. At first, they were not pushing but just suggesting to certain farmers that they leave. But they were growing more hostile by the day. The main piece of land that they seemed to want desperately was the Duke farm.

***

Bo Duke poked his head out from under the hood of the General Lee.

“You know Luke, I think we done more than we can handle. Probably ought to call Cooter.”

“Yes, I was beginning to think that way myself,” the older cousin replied. “I don’t think we are going to be much help to the General at this point. He’s too plugged up to move.”

Uncle Jesse was busy plowing his garden with Maw Dean the mule. Daisy was doing the laundry.

“I sure wish you boys would learn not to get so dirty. It took forever to get these stains out.”

“It just comes with the territory, Daisy. Ain’t no fun if you can’t get dirty,” shot Bo.

Luke headed in to give Cooter a call on the CB. Nothing seemed to be going right these last few days. All they needed now was some trumped-up scheme of Boss Hogg’s to make the day complete. What came next was even worse.

He stepped back outside to see the rest of his family eyeballing a white sedan that had just pulled up in front of the house. A man got out and presented the Dukes with a paper.

“You must be off of this land in 48 hours as per Enviro Firm. You will be given a lump sum at a later time to compensate your loss.”

The man turned to go, but an enraged Uncle Jesse made him hesitate.

“You can’t just come waltzin’ in here and throw us off our land. That just ain’t legal!”

“Say what you want old man,” the man replied haughtily. “Can’t you understand? Living here with the environment the way it is…well, it could be hazardous to your health.” He then slammed his car door and took off.

“What do you suppose that was all about?” Bo said incredulously. He couldn’t believe his ears.

They had gotten a letter about some kind of environmental problem in the area, but it never said anything about moving. The Dukes had pretty much ignored it just like others in the community who got the letter. They might have figured on some kind of environmental cleanup, but most of them wouldn’t have even thought of that. What kind of problems could a little place like Hazzard have? It was just too absurd to think of that. Of course, there was that one time when those men were going to dump toxic waste on some land that they purchased from J.D. Hogg; but, the Dukes and Cooter were able to stop it in time. Once J.D. found out what the land was going to be used for he actually helped the Dukes along with Rosco and Enos.
The confusion that the three younger Dukes felt quickly faded when Uncle Jesse spoke.

“I am going to get to the bottom of this and I am starting with J. D. Hogg!” Jesse snorted. He went in the house to get his cap. When he came back out he asked, “Is anyone going with me?”

They crammed into the pickup for the trip to town in ensuing silence. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts and worries about what might happen. They pulled up in front of the courthouse and noted that both Rosco and Enos were out, probably setting up phony speed traps. But County Commissioner J. D. Hogg was in, since his big Cadillac was pulled up in front. The four Dukes marched right into his office.

“J. D., I want to know what kind of hogwash you are trying to pull this time. What do you want to do with our farm now?” Uncle Jesse demanded hotly.

J. D. Hogg frowned and with his cigar still between his lips, said, “I know nothing other than the land is contaminated and you all will have to move, along with several others.”

“I want proof J.D. and until I have it we are not budging!” Uncle Jesse retorted angrily.
“We’ve never had any problems with our land.”

“Well, if you want to stay on your environmentally contaminated farm while it is cleaned up, be my guest. The cleanup requires everything contaminated to be removed. I’ll spell in out in English for you Jesse. Your farm has to go. But I have nothing to do with this. You’ll have to talk to the Enviro Firm to find out details,” J.D. snapped.

“Come on kids.” Uncle Jesse spouted. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. We’ll go somewhere else for information.”

The Dukes headed across the street to see their friend Cooter at his garage and to see if he knew anything about the things that were going on. As they approached, Cooter could read the glumness in their faces.

“What’s wrong, y’all? I ain’t seen that many sad faces since Boss tried to take your farm,” Cooter said.

“Well, that’s just about the truth!” Daisy exclaimed
.
“Except this time its some dang environmental group!” Bo chimed in hotly. “They claim that our land is contaminated and we have to move.”

“I haven’t heard anything nor really seen anything suspicious, but I’ll get a hold of a buddy of mine down in Atlanta. He works for some sort of environmental consulting firm and we’ll get him to check some of this out for you. Y’all can stay with me if you need a place.”

“Thanks Cooter. We don’t know what we’d do without you,” Daisy smiled.

“I am going to do some researching of my own.” Uncle Jesse said. “Things just ain’t right here. I smell a rat.”

Then Luke spoke up. “Let’s split up and meet back at the farm in a few hours. We have to find something with all of us out there searching. Cooter, can we borrow your car for a little while until you get the General fixed?”

“Sure. She isn’t tuned quite as well as I want her, but you’ll be alright. Holler if y’all need anything else,” Cooter replied.

“We’ll do and thanks!” Bo hollered as they got into the car.

Cooter shook his head. In their haste, no one had told him there was anything wrong with the General. He looked towards Jesse and Daisy as the got in the truck. “Hey, is the General out to the farm or where?”

“Yep,” Uncle Jesse replied. Daisy continued, “They were trying to fix it themselves, but they couldn’t quite get it.”

“I’ll get out there and get right on it as soon as I can,” Cooter responded.

Bo and Luke headed out of town and towards the back roads. They certainly didn’t spare the horses. Time was short and the odds were against them at the moment.

Bo sighed and said, “These people have got to have a place somewhere. The problem is that there are just so many places and no clue of were to start.”

“I know,” replied Luke. “Dang all the luck! They could be about anywhere. Let’s head up into the hills. There are an environmental group supposedly. I bet the hideout is out in the woods somewhere.”

They decided to begin checking all of the hunting cabins one by one. It was going to be difficult. Hazzard county is loaded full of old hunting cabins and moonshine stills. There was no other logical hiding place. It would have to be a well-hidden, little thought of location. Still time was too short to be able to hit all of the cabins. The car had headed south upon leaving the farm. Luke was guessing that the man was heading back to home base. They would start with the south cabins.

After 2 long hours of searching, they were beginning to give up hope when Luke said, “Bo, ain’t that the white sedan that was out to the farm today?”

“You know Lukas, I believe you are right. We got them now!”

Bo waited until the sedan went around the corner out of sight and did a U-turn so he could head back behind them.

“Don’t get too close Bo. They’ll know that we’re trailin’ them.”

“This car of Cooter’s will be really fast once he gets it all done,” Bo commented.

Luke returned with “Bo! You’re going too fast with it now.”

Sure enough the white sedan suddenly increased its acceleration. Luke gave Bo an irritated glance.

“Well, what are ya waiting for? They’re running now,” Luke shot. “You might has well try this car out some!”

“It’d be a lot more fun if all of these farms weren’t on the line.”

The sedan sudden shot off onto one of the dirt roads. The Enviro Firm, was too shortsighted to realize how well the Dukes knew the back roads. Bo kept right up to them until the all too familiar sound of sirens and the flashing of lights came behind them.

“Great! Just what we need! Rosco!” Bo groaned.

The white sedan flew off on yet another dirt road.

Martha and Larry Mulberry were a criminal couple who had spend their time in prison studying environmental regulations. Hazzard had seemed like the perfect place at first, but now it was turning into a nightmare.

Martha screamed at Larry about his driving or lack thereof, “You are getting them too close to headquarters. You’d better double back.”

Martha was the brains of the outfit. Larry’s size made up for his lack of intelligence though.

Larry gave it the gas and made a huge U-turn in the next clearing heading straight for the Dukes.

“Bo! Look out!”

The Chevelle veared off into the bushes. Bo slammed on the brakes just in time for Rosco to slam on his brakes behind them narrowly missing Cooter’s car. However, he had them blocked and the white sedan was getting away.

Rosco got out and went over to the window.

“All right you Dukes, outta the car. Khee khee! I got ya now,” Rosco said smiling with his ticket book in hand.

“Rosco, let us go! Those guys are getting away,” Bo complained.

“Oh tiddily tuddily,” Rosco snorted. “You Dukes are just making excuses so you can get out of a ticket, but its not gonna work this time.”

Luke sighed and said, “What did we do now Rosco?”

“I am giving you a ticket for wreckless operation and speeding. I ought to just drag you down to jail. I am gonna let you go with just a ticket this time because I know Jesse and Daisy need you to help pack.”

With that Rosco handed them a ticket and said, “See ya boys! I won’t be so easy on ya, once you get moved.”

“That burns me up,” Bo muttered as he started the car up again.

“Those people in that white sedan sure were in a hurry to get out of this area. Bo, how many roads are there off of this one?” Luke asked.

“Well, only two that I know of. And if I am remembering correctly, there are several cabins around those two roads.” Bo answered.

Luke exclaimed, “That’s it! I think that they were trying to lead us back out because we chased them too close to their hideout.”

”Well, what are we waiting for cuz? Let’s get searching!”

Bo backed out of the bushes and they headed south towards the Smoky Hollow. It was a road that nobody traveled on much because of the smoke. It led up to the top of a mountain that was engulfed in a haze most of the time. Back in the moonshine days, there were many stills up there adding to the smoky effect. It wasn’t easy to catch or find people up on the mountain.

Luke’s logic lead him to believe that they were up on this mountain somewhere. The problem would be locating the cabins that were on the hill. If his memory was correct there were about 6 of them near the top.

“Bo, I see a good place to stash the car. We’d better stop here. There may not be any good places and we certainly don’t want them to know we are here.”

“All right,” Bo responded.

The boys parked in a well-wooded area behind some trees.

They slowly made their way up the mountain, careful not to make a lot of noise. The first cabin came into view and they approached it with caution. Nothing outside indicated that this cabin was occupied. Bo slid up beside the window and peeked in.

“Nobody home. Strike one,” Bo sighed.

He shoved open the door. This cabin hadn’t been used in a while.

Bo sighed and quietly spoke, “Well, let’s hope that the next one will be it. Every minute is precious. We have to save the farm!”

They made their way further up the hill. It took a while to find the second cabin. It was empty too.

Strike three would not be necessary. The next cabin came into view. Luke’s keen senses and military training gave him the edge.

“Bo! Stop!” Luke whispered, “Someone has been here.”

The younger cousin just stared at Luke. This cabin looked like the last two. What was it about this one that Luke could tell?

“Look,” Luke pointed out. “See the windows? Notice there are a few places where they are not dusty. Someone has been looking out.”

Bo just shook his head. His cousin always noticed the tiniest details.

“Are they still here?” Bo asked.

Luke replied slowly, “No, I don’t think so, but we still need to be careful.”

The boys crept close to the window and peered in ever so carefully.

“Good. Nobody home. Let’s get hunting.”

They entered into the building and began searching through the two boxes that were hidden under the desk.

“Luke…?” Bo drawled while staring at a paper he had found.

Luke came over to see what Bo was so astonished by. It was a map showing all the farms that were “contaminated”. There was a little disclaimer on the bottom that said “For future use of this land see section 6 of the Enviro Firm proposal.”

“Luke, look at how much land this covers. I didn’t realize that this much acreage was affected.”

“We have got to find that proposal. I think that is the key to finding out what is going on and stopping it,” Luke replied. “A lot of these farms belong to old timers who ran shine with Uncle Jesse. We owe it to them to get to the bottom of this.”

After searching the few things in the cabin, the proposal was not to be found anywhere.

“Well, at least we know where their hideout is,” Bo sighed as they made their way back to Cooter’s car.

“We’d better go see if anyone else has found anything. We really need to find that proposal,” Luke sighed.

“Those Dukes are too nosy. We need to slow them down a bit,” Larry complained.

Martha was grinning as she replied, “Their water will make them sick. They won’t be able to move or mess up our plans. It should also help to convince them that their farm is contaminated.

She poured something from a small test tube into the Dukes well. Then they took off to return to their hideout and make more phone calls.

Meanwhile, Uncle Jesse wasn’t having much luck either. He had been through most of the recent Hazzard Gazettes and hadn’t found anything relating to this “environmental hazard” in Hazzard. His suspicions of a hoax were growing stronger every paper he looked through. There wasn’t anything environmentally hazardous in Hazzard from this news.

Daisy had been searching using Dixie’s four wheel drive capabilites. She checked all of the land that supposedly was being claimed due to environmental hazards. She had explored several cabins herself even though Bo, Luke, and Uncle Jesse had all told her she shouldn’t. Her efforts were fruitless. There wasn’t any evidence of anything at any of the cabins she had checked.

Daisy pulled in at the farm to see if anyone was back. She hadn’t had any luck and was hoping that the others had. She would just have to wait and see. Daisy suddenly realized how thirsty she had become. So she decided to have a glass of water.

She sat down with the mail and began looking it over. For some reason, she began feeling really lightheaded. Her head throbbed and she felt sick to her stomach.

Whatever that stuff was, it was working fast.

Daisy got up and slowly made her way to her room to lay down.

Bo, Luke, and Jesse all pulled in about the same time.

“Any luck, Uncle Jesse?” Bo asked.

“Well, I didn’t find anything. But that leads me to believe wholeheartedly that this is a scam,” Uncle Jesse replied. “Where’s Daisy?”

Luke walked back to her room calling her name. When opened the door saw how pale she was he quickly asked, “Daisy, what happened? Are you alright?” He sat down beside her on the bed. Uncle Jesse and Bo came in then.

“I don’t know Luke. I am feeling pretty sick.”

Bo went back out to the kitchen. He was feeling rather thirsty himself. He noted that the water didn’t look quite as clear as it should. But he drank it anyways. A minute later, he realized his mistake. He laid down on the couch. The room was spinning and he felt as if he might lose his insides any minute. Luke and Uncle Jesse were still back with Daisy.

“Luke? Uncle Jesse? Ask Daisy if she drank any water,” Bo moaned from the couch.

Luke walked out into the room and saw how pale Bo was. This was getting serious.

“Bo, what’s wrong?” Uncle Jesse had emerged from the bedroom.

“All of a sudden, I just feel sick. I just had a glass of water.” Bo sighed closing his eyes.

Luke went back and questioned Daisy.

“Bo, she did have water. She started getting sick right after she drank it. That’s gotta be it. But we never had any problems before.”

“I’m calling Doc Appleby right now!” Uncle Jesse said.

“Our water didn’t even make us sick, not even this morning. Could it be that our place really is contaminated? The question is how,” Luke said. “Wow. Whatever it is moves quickly.”

Inside his head, there were a million things racing. He wished he had found some kind of paper that told him what they might be dealing with. He was ready to go out and snoop around the well, but not without Bo. He feared leaving Uncle Jesse alone with Daisy and Bo sick. They didn’t have much time and they certainly didn’t need this more problems to complicate things. He made his way to the closet and got his bow and arrows. Uncle Jesse looked at him questioningly.

“I am going out to check out the well. Someone has to get to the bottom of this.”

Jesse looked very old at that moment. It was one of those times when he let his softer side show. He only nodded and Luke turned to go out the door.

Luke felt alone without Bo at his side. He made his way back through the woods. This land was familiar. He, Bo, and Daisy had explored every bit of it over and over as children. Luke knew every nook and cranny. He decided to start at the well and then begin checking the perimeter around it. Upon coming to the well, he shoved the rock off of the cover and lifted the cover. A pungent stench rose out of the well. It certainly smelled contaminated. He put the cover back on and continued to look for any clues as to what might be in the well. He must have searched for well over an hour, but it finally paid off. He discovered some work boot footprints in a muddy area about 500 feet from the well. Someone had come from the back forty to get there. Nobody he knew had boots like that.

When he got back, Uncle Jesse was anxiously waiting. Luke read the worry in the old man’s eyes before he spoke.

“I was getting worried about you Luke. You’d been gone a long time.”

Luke replied, “I’m okay Uncle Jesse. How are Bo and Daisy?”

“Doc was here and he gave them some medicine to neutralize whatever that stuff is. He said if they aren’t feeling better in about thirty minutes we need to take them to the hospital. Doc went to get some more medicine and he is coming back,” Jesse said. “Oh, Cooter was here again. He got the General running as good as usual. He took the Chevelle back to town. His buddy is getting paperwork so we can put a hold on those rascals until we figure something else out. He said he’d go get it as soon as its ready.”

“Good. I hope it isn’t too late when he gets it done though,” Luke sighed.

“They’re doing the best they can and that’s all we can ask,” Jesse replied.
Cooter had made quick trip out to the Duke farm, diagnosed the General’s problem, and had him purring like a kitten. He then headed straight back into town intent on keeping an eye on the courthouse and Boss. Usually he could concentrate on his work, but he was having a hard time today.

He had put in a call to his friend in Atlanta earlier right after the Dukes had left. He couldn’t help thinking of how hard it would be on the Dukes to lose their farm. He wished he could do more to help.

The phone ringing jarred him out of his thoughts. He picked it up and answered with “Hazzard County Garage.”

“Hey Cooter, this is Skip. You and your friends are right. There is no such environmental firm listed in this state. They could have come from another state, but that is highly unlikely. I have the paperwork for you that will put a hold on their actions until the Georgia EPA can get out do a site assessment on everyone one of those farms. You may need local law officers to enforce it.”

“Aw-right Skip! Thanks so much! This will mean so much to all the farmers and this community.”

“Cooter, you can come get those this now. They will be ready for you when you get here.”

“I’m down and gone!” Cooter drawled forgetting that he was on the phone, not the CB.

Cooter hung up the phone and closed up shop. He hadn’t quite finished tuning the Chevelle to perfection. Though it would be much faster to get to Atlanta and back in it instead of his truck. Besides, he hadn’t really had the opportunity to see what she’d do.

“Breaker, breaker. Might be crazy, but I ain’t dumb. Crazy Cooter comin’ attacha. Any you Dukes home on the Hazzard Net?”

“Hey Cooter, this is Luke,” a somewhat tired voice replied.

“My buddy from Altanta called and he’s got the papers to put a hold on these rascals. I’m leavin’ to get them right now. Look, he said that we may need the law to enforce this.”

Luke snorted at Cooter’s statement.

Cooter continued, “Those were my thoughts, but I am sure we can count on Enos to help us. You’d better give him a call and see if he can meet us at the farm when I get back. That way he can serve the papers.”

“Okay Cooter. Much obliged. Daisy and Bo are really sick. Something is very suspicious here.”

“I’m headin’ to Altanta right now. Tell Daisy and Bo to get better. I’ll be prayin’ for them all the way.”

Cooter closed the doors, got in the Chevelle, and left for Altanta.

His heart was very heavy for the Duke family. He didn’t really have any kinfolk and the Dukes had filled that void. He would do anything he could to keep the Dukes from being hurt even if it came down to his own life. They had done so much for him over the years and he was grateful for every bit of it.

Cooter did manage to make it to Atlanta with a record time. He was in and out of Skip’s office in 5 minutes flat and back on the road.

Things seem pretty smooth right now, but then you have to remember that this is Hazzard.
Unfortunately, Cooter’s trip had not gone unnoticed. The Enviro Firm had been noticing the mechanic’s presence in the lives of the Duke clan. They had happened to be going through Hazzard Square when they saw him hurriedly close up shop and peel out in the Chevelle.

Splitting up, Larry had trailed him to the office in Altanta while Martha was busy pulling some more deals together. Cooter’s car had beat Larry there by a good three minutes. As soon as Larry saw where Cooter was, he headed back to get Martha at the meeting place.

“All right, Larry. We will wait here until he comes. We have to stop him. He cannot get back to Hazzard with those papers. Try not to hurt him too much. We don’t want anything messing up the potential here, okay?”

Larry sighed and nodded. He really got tired of Martha’s mouth but he knew she was right. She was the brains and he was the brawn.

A few moments later, they heard the sound of a powerful car coming. Larry started the engine and prepared for pursuit. As soon as Cooter flew past, he put the hammer down and took out after him.

“Uh-oh. I’m in more trouble than a cat without whiskers,” Cooter muttered under his breath when he saw the white sedan spin out of the bushes and began gaining on him.

Cooter was confident in his car but he was a little nervous since this was the first he had ever really aired her out. He didn’t realize that Bo had done so already. But that shouldn’t be a surprise!

The evasive moves that worked on a lot of drivers were not working on Larry. He was hanging right in there. They weren’t gaining on Cooter, but he wasn’t losing them either. As long as he could get rid of them before he got to Hazzard and keep the papers from getting into their hands, he would be fine.

Cooter hit a straight stretch and put the hammer to the floor. He was flat-out getting it down the highway as he crossed the Hazzard County line with all the papers that he needed to restore the farms to their rightful owners. Those dang environmental baddies were still hot on his tail. He would have never escaped in his tow truck, but now he was starting to worry because the Chevelle seemed to be sputtering a little. He just hoped it would not fail him in this hour of need.

He took a side road off of the highway and headed into the hills. “Maybe I can lose them here,” he thought.

They were becoming angry at being so well outdriven by a “country hick”. Martha’s hot temper got the best of her as she pulled her gun and said to Larry, “We’re gonna stop this plowboy in his tracks.”

“Well, we don’t want any murder charges to ruin our plans,” Larry replied. He knew that Martha already knew this, but her temper sometimes caused her rationale to go away. She just glared at him and he decided had better not say anymore.

She stuck her gun out the window and fired off a shot.

Cooter flinched as the back window of the Chevelle shattered throwing glass on him. He decided he’d better give the boys a holler. This was too much for him to handle alone. He had always been willing to help anyone out, but hated to ask for help himself. The Dukes had enough to worry about without bailing him out of this. But he needed the Dukes to cause a distraction so he could get away. Nobody could set up a distraction like that family! Then they could meet and discuss further action.

“Hey, this is Crazy C. If any of y’all Dukes are home, PLEASE answer!”

Daisy was the first to answer, hearing the desperation in his voice. “Oh Cooter, what’s wrong honey?”

“I got the papers but they are sticking to my tail like a bee to honey.” Just then a bullet whizzed by. “I need a distraction, road block, anything!”

Then they heard a loud sound like an explosion and nothing more.

“Cooter, Cooter! Are you alright?” Daisy called into the CB mic desparately.

Nobody answered back.

“Come on Luke! We gotta go.”

Bo had risen quickly from the couch. He was a little dizzy, but Cooter needed them.

“Cooter, this is Luke. Where are you?”

This was followed only by silence. The boys glanced at each other and then dashed to the General. Jesse and Daisy were right behind them. Luke felt his stomach sinking and hoped that it was only nerves. But in his heart, he feared he was wrong.

Cooter had just started around a switchback turn when the bullet struck his right front tire and the car pulled hard to the side. He dropped the mic and tried to pull out of it. But the big Chevelle just flew off the road and went airborne over the side. The car flew through the air, landed and rolled several times. Then it burst into flames.

Larry and Martha stopped at the spot where Cooter went off.

“Now what are we going to do?” Larry cried. “We’re gonna be up for murder charges.”

“We wait and see what happens. He could have jumped you know. We have to make sure that whatever paperwork he picked up in Atlanta is destroyed. Listen, someone is coming.” Martha said.

Cooter’s CB signal had come through loud and clear so the boys knew he wasn’t far off. They also figured that there were only a couple of roads he could have been on. The General was headed down the highway when Bo spotted the smoke.

“Luke?”

“Yeah, I know. CB Uncle Jesse and Daisy. I have a bad feeling about this. Tell them to get here quick.”

Luke didn’t waste anytime getting up the mountain. He brought the General to a grinding halt and what he and Bo saw made them sick. The Chevelle was on its side burning. The boys lept from the car and ran down the side of the mountain.

Luke shouted, “He could have jumped. We’ve got to look.” He did not want his cousin to know how upset he was on the inside. The boys began combing the area. They were so desperate to find Cooter that they weren’t even aware they were being watched.

“We’ll soon know whether he is alive and if he has the papers,” Martha said confidently.

Cooter could hear voices calling his name, but he was unable to respond or open his eyes.
He had reacted quickly enough to grab the papers, open the door, and leap from the vehicle before it struck the ground. As he fell to the ground, his foot caught on a log twisting underneath of him. He didn’t have much time to feel the pain because in his collapse he also struck his head. He rolled a little further into the bushes papers still tucked underneath his arm. He wished he could pull out of the state he was in and respond to those familiar voices. He attempted to move his leg, but the pain that it caused made him slip back into the blackness.

The boys were frantically looking everywhere. Bo looked as if he’d be hysterical any minute. Luke felt that way inside, but could only continue the most logical search. They heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. Uncle Jesse and Daisy both pulled up at the same time.

“Oh no! Not this!” A still weak Daisy cried out, laying her head on Uncle Jesse’s shoulder.

“Come on, Daisy! We have to help the boys look.”

All of a sudden Bo shouted, “I found him! Cooter, can you hear me? Are you hurt bad?”

Luke rushed over and bent down beside Cooter on the other side. There was blood oozing from a gash on his head and his leg was twisted very funny.

Daisy immediately took Luke’s hankerchief and wiped the blood away from the wound.

A soft groan came from Cooter. He attempted to open his eyes and he saw the eyes of the four members of the Duke clan he loved like they were his blood kin. He read their concern and managed a small grin. They could tell that they were talking to him, but it sounded so far away. He feared that he was slipping back into the void that he had just come from. He had to tell the Dukes about the papers. The farms could be saved. He closed his eyes trying to ward off the void.

“Cooter, are you hurt bad?” Bo asked frantically.

Cooter tried to answer, but all he could get out was another painful groan.

“Here Daisy.” Luke said removing his shirt. “Take this down to the creek and get it wet. Try to pick a shady spot where the water is nice and cold.”

Daisy obeyed and ran down the hill. When she returned with the shirt, Luke rolled it and laid it across Cooter’s forehead. Uncle Jesse twisted his cap in his hands, his face pained and worried in an unusal silence.

“Bo, go up and bring Dixie down here. We need to get Cooter to the hospital.”

“Yes, sir!” Bo ran up the hill.

The cold water was soothing and Cooter managed to pull himself out of the blackness enough to say, “The papers…”

“Its alright, sugar. We’ll find another way,” Daisy soothed.

Cooter moaned, “No. Papers. I jumped. Brought them with me. Over there somewhere.”

He closed his eyes unable to focus anymore. The blackness was coming.

“Cooter, where are you hurt?” Luke asked.

“Ankle busted, I think.” Cooter managed before slipping back into the blackness.

Bo pulled up with Dixie. Daisy got in the back and they laid Cooter in her arms so she could support him while they got him out of the ravine.

Dixie climbed the hill with relative ease. Bo was being as careful as he could not to jar Cooter.

Luke’s face was masked as he said, “You all, go on… I am going to look for those papers. I’ll come as soon as I can.”

Uncle Jesse spoke before Bo could ask. “Bo, you stay and help Luke. I’ll drive Cooter to the hospital.”

Bo climbed out of Dixie and headed down to help Luke with the search. He looked at the remains of the Chevelle sadly. It was a total loss. Cooter would have to start over and he knew their friend had put a lot of money and time into that car. Things only seemed to be getting worse.

Cooter felt pain shooting through his body ever bump Dixie went over. He still couldn’t open his eyes or respond. Only a soft groan made its way out occasionally.

The boys didn’t have to search for the papers for long. Luke found the folder underneath the bushes. It was still clipped shut. “Bo, come here.” He unclipped it and began looking at the documents inside. Bo came and looked over his shoulder.

“Well, let’s get these to Enos and get some reinforcements. Then we’ll go to the hospital to check on Cooter.”

As they made their way back up to the General, Luke happened to catch the glint of a light from up on the hill. He instinctively tensed and went for Bo. “Bo, get over in the trees! Quick!” he hissed.

Bo looked and quickly obeyed. He had seen the direction that Luke was staring and now saw the light too.

“Somebody is up there. Its probably the same people who served us the paper, and gunned down Cooter.” Luke whispered.

“Well…Let’s go get them!” replied Bo with fire in his eyes.

“Bo, it isn’t that simple!” Luke seemed exasperated with his younger cousin. “We have to get these papers served first and save the farms. We can go after them once we know things are put on hold.”

“Aww, Luke! Dang it! I know that. Its just that I want to clean those guys up for hurting Cooter.”

Luke replied, “I know, Bo! I want them just as bad as you. Right now, we need to try and get to the General without getting shot. We still don’t know what their plans are. We have got to find that proposal!”

They continued through the trees and made their way over to the car.
Martha was losing patience. “Where did those Duke boys go?” she hissed at Larry.

She was quickly answered by the sound of the General firing up and taking off in the usual manner.

“Come, on! They’re getting away!” she shouted.

She and Larry dashed to their car and took out after the boys. Luke and Bo were headed down the mountain.

“Man, that guy is a good driver,” Bo mumbled glancing in the mirror.

No sooner than the words had left his mouth, the mirror on Bo’s side shattered.

The boys ducked and Luke put the hammer down, determined not to have the same fate as Cooter. Luke navigated the curves expertly. They got off the mountain quickly and headed on to the main road. Tires squealed and as the chase tore down the highway.

“Hey Bo, is the bridge still out down the road?”

“Yeah, I believe so.”

“Well, we’re just gonna have to see if these turkeys know how to fly,” Luke said with fire in his eyes.

Bo looked a little uncertain, “What if they can fly too?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” was Luke’s only reply.

The chase proceeded on down the road. Luke took a detour to get to the jump in hopes of losing them. His idea was working somewhat. They were falling behind since it was a very curvy road. The boys knowledge of the roads was helping them afterall.

Luke slid back onto the main road. The General plowed right through the “Road Closed” sign and took the dip launching into the air. He flew over the river like it was a small stream. Landing safely on the other side, Bo glanced back just in time to see the white sedan skid to a stop.

“Whew! Finally! Luke, I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to lose them,” Bo commented as he slapped his cousin on the back.

“One thing’s for sure Bo, there has to be more to this than hazardous materials. If they really were concerned about us, they wouldn’t be trying to hurt us. Well, let’s go find Enos.”
J. D. Hogg was losing his appetite. This was a big problem for him. He loved to eat and rarely ever lost his appetite. All afternoon he had been thinking of the farmers and for some reason he couldn’t eat anymore. When the Enviro Firm had promised him a cut if he let them get into the deeds and titles at the courthouse to do some research, he was more than happy to oblige. They had paid him for that. If he stayed out, he would be getting more money when the Enviro Firm got what they wanted, but he was feeling guilty. Owning up to guilt was rare for J. D. Hogg, but when old Ridge Runners began calling him it was a different matter.
Meanwhile, Bo and Luke were intent on hunting down Enos.

“This is Luke Duke calling Deputy Enos Strate. Enos, do you read me?”

Both boys breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the familiar, “Hey Luke, hey Bo. What’s on your mind?”

“A lot Enos, a lot. Could you meet us? We need to talk.”

“Sure, Luke. Where and when?”

“Skunk Hollow,” was Luke’s reply “as soon as you can get there.”

“Okay, y’all. I’ll be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, or is that three…” the voice trailed off.

Luke gassed the General and they took off.

“What if they follow us?” Bo asked.

“We’ll just meet at Skunk Hollow and then go somewhere else. I don’t think they’ll know where Skunk Hollow is, but we can’t take that chance.”

Bo just looked at Luke and sighed, his gaze returning back out the window.

The ride to Skunk Hollow was a relatively short one thankfully.

Part Two