by: BearCub648 (Julie Billings)

The boys pulled up to the old still site before Enos could get there. They stashed the car and went out towards the road so Enos could find them. Luke squatted down, seemingly intent on studying the red Georgia clay, but that was far from the truth. He then stood up and went back to the General to retrieve the papers. Cooter had almost lost his life for those papers. He wasn’t going to chance leaving them unguarded. Besides, he had reading to do.

Enos pulled up within a few minutes. He wasn’t always the brightest, but he could certainly tell when something was desparately wrong. The glumness he saw on the boys faces told the story well. He had heard a tidbit of conversation between Boss Hogg and Rosco earlier. It gave him the general idea that a lot of people in the community were stirred up about something.

“Enos, do you know anything about the Enviro Firm?” Luke questioned.

He replied, “Not a whole lot Luke. I did hear Mr. Hogg and Sheriff Rosco talking about something to do with some sort of deposits.”

Luke and Bo quickly explained how the whole day had gone from the very beginning.

“Enos,” Luke said. “I think you should find Rosco and get him to help us. The more help we have, the better off we’ll be. I think we should split up. You and Rosco should go stake out some of these farms. Take some of these holding forms in case those environmental freaks show up. Several of these guys are old Ridge Runners. Deliver the paperwork to them. They can handle it from there with a shotgun until the EPA gets here.”

Enos nodded. “Alright, Luke, Bo. I’m out of here. I sure hope Cooter is alright.”

Bo said, “Yeah. We’ve gotta get these guys for Cooter.”

Enos returned his hat to head, stumbling over a stick on the way to his vehicle. The boys dashed back to the General’s hiding spot and took off for the cabin intent on finding the missing pieces of the puzzle.

Meanwhile, Daisy cradled Cooter in her arms as Uncle Jesse drove them to the hospital. Daisy kept talking to him although he was unresponsive. What were they going to do? She said a silent prayer for Cooter and everyone else in Hazzard.
“Mr. Hogg, sir, have you heard of Enviro Firm?” Enos asked after bursting into Boss’ office.

J.D. Hogg removed his cigar from his mouth and turned to look at his deputy. “Why? Who wants to know?” he frowned.

Enos stuttered, “Sir, Cooter Davenport went to Atlanta to get papers to serve against them.”

“What?!” J.D. stood up and repeated it in Enos’ face. “What did you say about Cooter?”

“They are trying to take some farms, including the Duke farm. He talked to Skip Lawson. The Georgia EPA is coming as soon as they can. The papers are to hold Enviro Firm until the EPA comes to do a site assessment,” Enos remarked.

“Dang it! Enos, you will not serve those papers! I am your boss. I pay your salary. Therefore, I forbid you to do any such thing. Do you understand?”

“Sir,” he replied “it is my bound duty to uphold the law, especially when a friend gets hurt. Cooter is on his way to the hospital right now, Mr. Hogg, sir.”

J.D. Hogg was stunned. He never dreamed it would come to this. He thought it was an easy deal, especially for only keeping his nose out. He never intended any bodily harm to anyone, even the Dukes and Cooter. What had gone wrong?

“How is he, Enos? Is he hurt bad?” Hogg demanded.

“They don’t know sir. Luke was sure he had a busted leg, but Cooter couldn’t tell him anything because he was unconscious.”

Boss Hogg flinched. He then picked up his white Stetson, plopped it on his head, and said with regret in his voice, “Get Rosco to help you. I am going to the hospital.”

Enos nodded. He quickly made his way back to his patrol car and got on the horn to Rosco.

“This is Deputy Enos Strate calling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. Sheriff, we have a problem.”

“What is it this time dipstick?” the voice returned. “I am setting at the Possum Run speed trap waiting for those Dukes.”

“Sheriff, the Enviro Firm shot at Cooter and caused him to get in a bad accident. He went to Altanta to get papers and have the EPA stop them from taking the farms. Bo and Luke got the papers, but they need our help to stop the Enviro Firm,” said Enos.

“Jit! You dipstick! Why didn’t you tell me? I meet you at Four Meadows,” said Rosco, who was having a hard time understanding Enos’ excited babbling. He understood enough to know that it was serious.

“Yes, sir,” Enos replied.
Bo was tearing down the road heading toward Smoky Hollow to the Enviro Firm hideout. Luke was determined to get his hands on the proposal somehow and find out what they were planning to do.

“We’d better stash the General and hike it Bo.”

“Luke, I can’t wait to get my hands on them!” Bo grumbled. “I want to make them eat those holding papers.”

They drove the General Lee into the woods a few hundred feet before Smoky Hollow. Removing their bows, complete with dynamite arrows, they began their ascent up the hill. It took them roughly ten minutes at a good pace to climb up to the cabin.

“Well, there aren’t any cars here. Should we make ourselves at home?” Bo whispered.

Luke returned, “Not yet. Someone could be in there. We have to make sure. He crawled towards the road, picking up a couple small pieces of gravel. He went back and handed a few to Bo. Then he tossed them at the windows.

Luke’s first two shots missed, but the third struck solid. No one came out. Bo tossed his, hitting the window several more times. “Must not be home,” he said looking at Luke.

“We still need to be cautious,” was Luke’s answer.

The boys slipped across the road and leaned up against the wall on each side of the door. “Whose turn is it his time?” Bo whispered. Luke just shruggled and kicked the door open as he and Bo slid around to the side. Nobody came out. Bo peered in the window and said, “Well, Lukas, we could have just walked right in. Let’s go.”

They went in and began digging through all of the papers sitting in a box on the floor. “These guys ain’t too smart,” Luke said. “I figured they would have figured out that someone was in here the last time.”

“Not everyone is as smart as us,” Bo laughed.
Luke just shot him a strange glance and went on digging.

Bo sighed and began looking through another box under the table.

Both boys looked up at the sound of an impending car. “Uh-oh. Now what!” Bo muttered.

“We’d better move it out, they’re coming fast,” Luke said. “Bring those papers over here.”

Luke produced a burlap sack that he had stashed in his back pocket. They dumped the papers in it and dashed out the door just as the white sedan rounded the bend.

“It’s the Duke boys!” screamed Martha. “Get them Larry!”

He gassed the car heading straight for the boys.

Bo and Luke dived to separate sides of the road. Bo leaped a log and headed off through the trees as Luke dashed through some pines the opposite way.

The white sedan careened to a stop and the environmental baddies got out to pursue the intruders.

“I’ll get blondie. You go after the other one with the sack,” Martha commanded. “Use your gun to wing them if you have to. The shipments should be here soon. We can’t have anything bust up this deal!”

Larry dashed through the woods after Luke. Luke could hear his thunderous steps and crashing behind him. Luke headed toward the General knowing that Bo would try to get there too, so they could make an escape. His boot came down hard on a slippery rock and his legs went out from under him. The sack flew out of his hands as the breath whooshed out of his lungs. The footsteps drew nearer.

Luke couldn’t get his breath and there was a sharp pain in his hip. He did mange to roll over next to the log and prayed that Larry would pass him by.

Meanwhile, Bo was getting farther and farther away from the General. Martha was a much better tracker than Larry. She was hanging close to Bo. Her two shots had missed Bo, but it was enough to make him wonder if he would ever see his family again. As he ran through the woods, he prayed for God to protect them all.
J.D. Hogg walked into the waiting room at Hazzard Hospital. He saw Daisy and Jessie immediately and headed right over.

“How is Cooter?” he asked as he removed his hat.

“We don’t know yet J.D.,” Jesse replied.

“I never meant for anyone to get hurt,” Boss lamented.

“What’s going on J.D.? Can you tell us now? Cooter has been hurt trying to get help the farmers. My boys are out risking their lives for Hazzard and I can’t even get you to tell me what is going on!”

Boss replied, “Jesse, if I knew exactly what they were planning, I would tell you … Ridge Runner’s honor! They paid me well to keep my nose out. I started to get phone calls, but I claimed to know nothing. I never expected it to come to this.”

The angry expression on Jesse’s face softened and he gave his old friend a pitiful look.

Daisy, who was curled into a ball in her chair looked up and uncoiled as the doctor came out. It had been over two hours, but it had seemed like days.

“How is he?” she asked immediately.

All eyes trained on the doctor’s face. “We just finished surgery on his ankle. It was a pretty bad break, requiring pins. We stitched up the gash on his head. He also appears to have bruised ribs and a concussion. The sooner he wakes up, the better. Y’all can go back to his room in about 15 minutes and see him.”

At rare times in his life, J.D. Hogg let guilty feelings have the best of him. He muttered, just loud enough that Jesse and Daisy heard it, “I guess I ought to offer to pay his medical bill. That’s the least I could do.”

They headed back to Cooter’s room. He was still out, his head swathed in white bandages and leg propped up. Daisy sat down beside him and took his hand. A fire was burning in Uncle Jesse’s eyes, while Boss Hogg still looked guilty.

“Uncle Jesse, I will stay with Cooter if you and Boss want to go try and help the boys.”

Jesse returned, “First thing I am going to do is go home and get my shot gun.”

And Boss said, “I am going to go make some phone calls and see if we can get some reinforcements in here to help apprehend these guys.”

Little did they know, there were more bad guys on the way to Hazzard.
Larry’s footsteps were drawing closer to where Luke was laying. He tried to stay still, but it was hard since he was still gasping for breath. The leaves rustled and Larry flew right by. He listened to the footsteps fade as Larry continued down the hill. He raised up, pulling in a small ragged breath and limped in another direction away from Larry.

Bo had come to the creek near the bottom. The water was low so he ran up the creek bed toward the General. Rounding a bend, he squatted and hid in a small overhang until he was sure it was safe to move. Minutes seemed like hours to the younger Duke. He was sure Luke would be to the General by now.

Luke picked up the bag out of the bush where it had fallen and circled around through the woods, his breathing still ragged and raspy. He was sure he bruised his hip in that fall. He hobbled towards the General catching a glimpse of orange through the trees. He breathed a sigh of relief when he came up beside the rebel flag. He didn’t have long to be relieved as he heard the click of a trigger pulling back behind him.

“Ah-hah! I got you now Duke!” Larry sneered. “You give me that sack and put your hands up in the air.”

Luke slowly turned to face his captor. He was hurt and mad. The fire burned in his eyes, but withholding the lashing temper he tossed the bag at Larry’s feet. Larry scooted towards the sack, his gun still trained on Luke. As he bent to pick up the sack, he was tackled by a tall blonde Duke.

Larry and his gun went flying as Bo toppled them to the ground. Luke scooped up the sack and threw it in the window of the General. Luke then picked up the gun and gave it a heave into the woods as Larry and Bo rolled on the ground.

Larry rolled on top of Bo and socked him in the face. Bo returned with a hard right. Then he rolled, shoving Larry off of him with his cowboy boots. Larry tackled Bo before he could get to his feet. Bo drove his knee up into the bigger man’s stomach. Larry gasped as the air flew out and rolled to the side. Bo got up and Larry lunged at him with lightning speed. The big oaf just didn’t give up! Time froze as Bo couldn’t get his arms up in time to block the onslaught. At almost the same instant, he heard a thud and Larry crumpled to the ground. Luke, his breath ragged, was clutching a big stick.

“Thanks, Luke,” Bo said as he wiped his face with his sleeve.

Luke grinned, “I should be thanking you. He might have shot me if you hadn’t come.”

“Yeah.” Bo sobered. “Let’s get out of here before Martha gets here.”

Larry was already groaning and trying to get up. Just as Bo turned the key, the mirror on Luke’s side shattered. Martha had appeared out of seeming nowhere.

“Dang it!” Bo shouted pounding the steering wheel with his fist.

“Gun it! She’ll move!” Luke ordered.

Bo jammed it in reverse and put the hammer down. Dirt flew as the car headed straight for her. She fired off another shot before diving for cover. Bo slammed on the brakes and spun around heading out of the woods.

“Watch that tree!” Luke commanded as the mirror on Bo’s side flew off.

Another shot fired and a loud pop came from a rear tire. The General slid into a tree mashing the door on Bo’s side. “Shepherd! If you’re out there, pick us up at the bottom of Smoky Hollow.” Luke said on the CB. He got out quickly with the sack of papers and followed Bo, who was already running down the mountain.

They could hear Martha, and possibly Larry coming. Bo thought that Luke was right behind him, but he turned seeing that his cousin was limping slowly and falling further behind. Bo stopped. “Luke, what the heck happened?”

“Bo, you take this sack and get off the mountain as fast as you can. I’ll make it, but the important thing is to get those papers to a safe place and find out what is going on. Hurry!” he said as he handed Bo the papers.

”I ain’t leaving you,” Bo said.

“I can take care of myself. I’ve been through worse in the war. Go on. I’ll try and keep up, but if I can’t, keep going and find Uncle Jesse. I can outfox these guys.”

Bo sighed, knowing that further discussion would be wasting precious time, “All right Lukas. Be careful. I love you.”

Meanwhile, Uncle Jesse and Boss had heard the message. “Go on, J.D. Get this white oversized vehicle rolling!” Boss didn’t argue. He began driving in true Ridge Runner form.

As Bo continued down the mountain, he kept looking back at Luke. He had thought his cousin looked a little pale. The gap between them was growing and Luke would soon be out of site.

Martha had sent Larry down the mountain after the boys while she went back to get the car to try and beat them to the bottom.

Bo made it to the road just as Boss’ Cadillac drew up. “What’s wrong? Where’s Luke?” Jesse demanded.

“Boss, pull off in those bushes,” Bo commanded. Boss almost told them that he didn’t take orders from a Duke, but then he remembered the seriousness of the situation. Boss pulled in as Bo directed. Bo went back out on the road to make sure that Boss’ car would not be seen.

He handed Uncle Jesse the sack and told him quickly that he and Luke had been caught taking those papers. “Luke should be coming. I am going back up after him. If they come after you, get out of here,” Bo ordered.

“Those kids!” Jesse muttered.
Rosco and Enos met at Four Meadows in almost usual style. Enos managed to stop inches behind Rosco. No time for crashes today. He could see his superior officer shaking his fist at him through the window.

He bounced out the car and over to Rosco. “Here ya go Sheriff,” he said plopping the papers down into Rosco’s lap through the car door.

“Jit! And what exactly are these papers and what am I supposed to do with them?” Rosco asked. “And what is going on with Cooter and the Duke boys?”

“Bo and Luke want us to give these out to all the farmers and then help them retain their land. Cooter got these holding papers from Skip Lawson in Altanta. The Georgia EPA is all tied up with some sort of environmental nightmare in Crayfish Creek. They are coming as soon as they can get things cleaned up there. We’re on our own until then,” Enos stated.

Rosco sighed, “Enos, how are these papers going to help?”

Enos scratched his head. “I ain’t rightly sure Sheriff, but I know I am going to try my best to help the farmers.”

“Oh,” Rosco said shortly as he scrutinized the papers. He didn’t know what they said, but it looked very important.

Enos said, “With your permission, sir, I’d like to try and get Cletus to come back from vacation.”

“That meadowmuffin! I knew I shouldn’t have let him go,” Rosco muttered. “Yes, Enos. Go ahead. I’ll handle matters here.”

If Rosco only knew the enormity of what was going down, he wouldn’t have had an once of confidence.
In the void, he saw giant earth-movers pulling big yellow containers around on land that once was several farms. He tried reaching out. He wanted to help, but the vision was blurred. Everything seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace and he just couldn’t do anything. He attempted to call out. His body jerked and then he felt pain. A soft voice was talking to him gently saying comforting things. But what were they? He couldn’t understand. The void was sucking him back into the midst of darkness.
Bo headed back up the mountain towards Luke. When Bo reached him, he said, “Lean on me and we can get down to Uncle Jesse and Boss faster.”

“They’re here? Already?” Luke looked relieved.

With Bo’s help, they moved quickly and were almost to the road when they heard an approaching car.

The boys crouched down, Luke grunting as he did so. The car was moving slowly as though looking for something. As soon as it came into view, the boys knew it was the white sedan. They remained still, praying that the car would pass by.

Meanwhile, in the car, Martha was furious. “They have to bee here somewhere. We’ll just have to move the time up for the delivery. I will not have a bunch of country bumpkins ruining my plans!” Larry cringled at the sound in her voice. She scared him when she was like this. He was afraid that she was going to snap one day. She continued looking for any signs of the Dukes, gun waving through the air targeting various bushes that would be potential hiding places. She didn’t fire though which made Bo and Luke were very relieved.

“Unfortunately, those boys know the woods. That’s where they hold their ace. But that is the only place that they will hold the high card!” She slammed her black book down on the floor making Larry jump again.

She gave him a disgusted look muttering something about men with no backbone and then said, “Well, let’s go put a call in. We can get this operation going early. I can find the power to make the Dukes wish they’d left the country.”

Bo sighed deeply as he saw the car speed up and head out of sight. “Whew!” he said.

“Don’t be so relieved cuz,” Luke replied. “They took outta here awful fast. Something’s up. Let’s get Boss and Uncle Jesse to take us to Cooter’s. We can get his truck and get the General.”

Bo trotted across the road with Luke limping behind him.

“What in tarnation happened to you?” Uncle Jesse demanded when he saw Luke’s stride. Bo just shrugged.

“I slipped on a rock and landed on my hip.” Luke said shortly. “We need to get to Cooter’s and get his tow truck so we can get the General unstuck.”

Jesse looked at his nephew and said, “Why don’t you stop and see Doc Applebee?”

“No time. I’m fine, Uncle Jesse.”

Luke sat silently staring at the floor in the back seat of Boss’ Cadillac. The older man could see that Luke was formulating a plan, in typical fashion. He suddenly opened up the sack and began going though the papers. “Oh no … this is bad,” he said as he pulled one out.

***

The curtain seemed to be lifting. Cooter could hear a soft voice and he felt the touch of a gentle hand. It all seemed so familiar. Why was this so hard? The voice continued to pull at him, getting louder and louder. He was finally able to pry his eyes open and see the face. She looked awfully familiar.

Tears began to flow from Daisy’s eyes. “Cooter, you had us all scared. We didn’t know if you were going to make it.” She laid her head against his arm.

It all rushed back to him. The pursuit, his car, the pain, the Duke family … what had happened exactly? He was still too groggy to figure it out. He smiled at Daisy, still pulling out of the haze, and said quietly, “I might be crazy, but I ain’t dead!”

“Oh Cooter!” Daisy laughed as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Martha hung up the phone. She smiled, which was something Larry rarely saw. “The first shipment should be here by midnight as well as a few other surprises. Hawk and Conn will be coming.”

Larry replied, “I almost feel sorry for those Dukes.”

Martha gave him a strange look.

“I said almost,” he shot back.

Hawk and Conn Miller were twin brothers, notorious outlaws, and devious thieves. They were huge. Both had been thrown out of professional football for breaking bones and rules. They had then turned to bounty men of a sort, helping out as professional criminals when needed.

“How soon will they be here?” Larry asked.

Martha grinned, “How about midnight tonight?

Larry grinned back at her.

The Enviro Firm wasn’t real worried about the Dukes having those papers. After all, what did country folks know?

“What is it Luke?” Bo asked.

Luke looked up, “It looks like they plan to have a chemical factory and trading zone right here in Hazzard. They will be providing chemicals for trade to the whole world if their plan goes through. The problem is in the fact that most of these chemicals are highly corrosive and acidic. One wrong move could spell disaster for miles. They must have a pretty big market for these somewhere.”

He continued, “The way I see it, these guys are criminals. They’ve shown us that. They’re out for blood. Chances are they aren’t too worried about how they run their operation or how the chemicals are stored and handled. We’re gonna have a real mess on our hands if we don’t get this thing stopped.

Boss Hogg feared retribution. He was caught in the middle of yet another deal gone bad. He knew that the retribution would be the price he had to pay for betraying his friends. Right now, the Dukes were his best hope. He pushed the accelerator down some more as he headed for Cooter’s.