by: Sarah Stodola

 

Early evening found the Brandon team and friends huddled around their cars, waiting for word and wondering what they were going to do. Frank had placed himself in charge, a move Bo didn’t complain about at all. He was much more comfortable as one of the followers, rather than trying to be a leader.

They were getting nowhere fast. Frank and Henry were poring over the map spread across the General’s hood by the light of the setting sun, which by its very nature was growing dimmer and dimmer. The race drivers were sitting in a group over to the side. Bo had moved off by himself, standing in the desert and looking out across the sand and scrub. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and his lower lip was between his teeth thoughtfully as he watched the sunset.

They had traveled to Henry’s motel, the start of all this, and then spread out to search around casually for a while, careful not to go too far or attract too much attention, at least not more than the General and the NASCAR racers would attract anyway. It was a risk they were forced to take. But no one had found anything obvious, and they had all chosen to meet out here to compare notes.

Now the two oldest men were talking over a verbal tour of the area, the other drivers were chatting quietly amongst themselves, and Bo was thinking. He was starting to wonder if they were even looking in the right place. After all, back in Hazzard, just because somebody sold shine in town, it didn’t mean that their still was anywhere nearby. That would be a stupid move, and he had a feeling that these crooks weren’t stupid. No, their home base was probably some distance away. Not too far, though, definitely in or around this city since this was where Brandon had been captured. He’d been getting too close to somewhere or somebody. The searchers just didn’t know where to look. Bo had a feeling he was staring something right in the face and didn’t know it. Where would he set up shop if he was a crime boss, which this sounded like? After all, whenever something was this well-planned, usually somebody big was behind it. Growing up in Hazzard County and chasing crooks with Luke had taught him a lot.

Luke. He drew a deep breath, blinking before too-ready tears could come out. Luke had been captured too. Just like he’d… seen. The thought still scared him. He really hoped it never happened again, seeing a version of the future that way. But it had happened, and there was nothing he could do to change that. Luke had been taken away from him, and now he was fighting to get his older cousin back. He would get him back, too, he thought fiercely.

He had to.

“Bo,” came a quiet voice. He smiled without turning, just slightly, his train of thought gladly broken.

“Hi, Henry.” During the afternoon’s journeys, he’d really developed a genuine affection for the old ex-Southerner. Being around him felt almost like being home. It made him relax a little, something he greatly needed right now.

The white-haired man came up beside him, joining his stare at the sun. “You watch that too long an’ your eyes’ll hurt.”

Bo shrugged.

“Hey, kid, you okay?”

He pondered whether or not to answer. But finally he decided he had little choice, since he was pretty sure Henry wouldn’t give up. Sighing, he shrugged again. “I guess so. I just miss Luke.”

“Your cousin seemed like quite a guy, what little I talked with him.”

The teenager couldn’t help a smile. “Yeah. He’s special. We care about each other an awful lot. We live together, on an old farm.”

“And run moonshine?” When Bo turned to look at him, the other man’s eyes held the same twinkle that his voice had displayed. “You did mention something about that earlier.”

He smiled again. “Yeah. We’re pro runners.”

“What’s that mean, pro runners?”

Bo shrugged again. “We don’t make shine ourselves. Instead, we run it for other people and get paid.”

“Well, that’s a unique profession. Life must be… interesting.”

“Keeps you on your toes, that’s for sure.” He glanced back over his shoulder at the General Lee, the car’s orange coat glowing more reddish now with the sunset. “He’s our runner car.”

“The General Lee?”

“Yep. He’s so un-runner-like that revenuers don’t normally suspect him. We race him, too. He was actually built to be a racecar. Not exactly the kind they usually let on an official track, though,” he quirked a half-smile. “Luke…” His voice caught in his throat briefly, and he swallowed. “Luke likes to joke that the three of us are just a team of free-flyin’ rebels. We don’t fit with any system, really, of runnin’ or racin’ or much else.”

There was silence between the two for about half a minute, then Henry slid one arm around Bo’s shoulders and gave the startled eighteen-year-old a light hug. “I’m sure your cousin’s all right,” he said softly, almost grandfatherly. Bo was reminded of his Uncle Jesse, and found himself missing him, though the loss didn’t hurt him quite as much as he knew it did Luke. He had his cousin to look up to. “I could tell, he’s tough.”

Bo smiled and nodded, blinking back tears again. “Yeah. He was in the Marines.”

“Oh, really? Well then, that’s why. I could tell his body had been trained somehow, just from how he moved.”

The young blond nodded again. “Yeah. He’s a lot more coordinated than I am.”

“Well, give yourself time. You’re only, what? Sixteen, seventeen?”

“Eighteen.”

“Oh. Sorry. You seem younger.”

Bo shrugged. “It’s okay. I know.”

Just then, Candy came running over to tell them they were wanted back with the group. Bo and Henry wandered back to the General, where Frank was leaning on the hood and presiding over a little meeting. The senior driver looked up as Bo slid in beside him.

“You all right, kid?” he asked softly.

The blond teenager looked at him for a moment, then finally nodded. “I’ll be okay. Let’s just get everybody out from wherever they are as soon as possible.”

“Well, that seems to be provin’ a little bit difficult. You’re the ridge-runner; got any ideas?”

Bo hesitated, feeling eyes on him and glancing around to see every single one of their party looking at him. In the spotlight this way, he felt kind of uncomfortable. “One,” he replied. “I just think that the crooks are probably not based right around here, but farther off. It wouldn’t be too smart to provoke an attack near to your home base; it would be too easily found.”

“Ah.” Frank frowned slightly, then smiled. “Thank you, Bo. Well, just one more important matter before we head in for the night. What do we do if Caleb is involved in this, however much we all hope he isn’t? Any ideas, anyone?”

To everybody’s surprise, it was usually-quiet Jennifer who spoke up. “I think we shouldn’t judge the book by its cover… yet, anyway. Although evidence does seem to point to him being guilty. We should probably keep a wary eye out, but concentrate on our main goal for now.” At everyone’s startled glances, she smiled and said, “I read mystery novels too, you know.”

“I think we should grab him if we find him,” Ned Maren spoke up. “Then ask questions later.”

“However cruel it sounds, that likely is a good idea,” Henry nodded quietly. “Better safe and wrong than sorry and right.”

After a few seconds of serious silence, Frank nodded. “Okay. Henry here has offered us his motel to stay in, since he says this area can be dangerous at night.”

“The local wildlife, human and otherwise, will be startin’ to come out soon,” the old man broke in with a smile.

“Yes. Let’s go and try to get a good meal and night’s sleep. We’ll need it.” With a final visual scan over the group, the senior driver straightened and gestured. “To your cars, gentlemen and ladies.”

Bo headed for the driver’s side of the General Lee, while the others dispersed to their vehicles. He hesitated before getting in, though, looking out over the desert again. When he felt a presence at his elbow, he glanced over briefly, then away again.

“You okay?” came the soft question.

He sighed, and shrugged. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly, still not looking away from the scene in front of him. Finally, though, he glanced over and down to see green eyes looking a little worried. “I think so. I’m just worried about Luke.”

“He means a lot to you, doesn’t he?” Jennifer asked quietly.

Bo nodded. “More than anybody.”

She paused for a moment, but then smiled. “I guess that would be expected, seeing as you two grew up together and still live and work together. You’d have to be best friends to not be sick of each other.”

“Uh-huh. We are.” He turned and opened his arms, and she came into them for a hug. He sighed. “I don’t want to lose him.”

“I don’t think you will.” Jennifer pulled back to smile reassuringly at him. “He’s smart, right?”

“Yeah.”

She squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry.”

Bo found himself smiling, even despite his worry. “Thanks. You always know what to say, don’t you?” He hesitated before saying what he truly felt. But Jennifer wouldn’t laugh at him. He was sure of that. “Jenny, I know this ain’t the time or the place, but I just want you to know…”

“Know what?” she asked gently.

“I think I love you,” he whispered, suddenly feeling very, very shy.

“Oh, Bo…” Her laughter faded as she put her arms around his neck, reaching up for a kiss, which he willingly returned. They were interrupted by a call from Frank in almost the next second.

“Come on, you two! We’ve got places to go!”

Grinning at each other, the teenagers shrugged and headed for their respective vehicles, Bo feeling somehow quite a bit better than he had before.

 

*     *     *     *     *

 

“…And so you see, here I am. More wine?”

Luke shook his head, playing with his glass, which was still half-full. “No thank you. I guess… I’m just not used to it.”

“The alcohol or the taste?”

“The second, mostly.” He looked up to meet Major Izzac’s gaze. The crime boss had been treating him like a prince all evening. After a fancy meal with an elegant table setting, the man had led him to this little alcove where they sat in comfortable chairs facing each other, and had started the drinks and chat part of this get-together. Now, it wasn’t that Luke didn’t appreciate a little social time; it was just that all this was a bit much. He found himself wishing for the simple country music, lame jokes, and beer he shared with his friends back in Hazzard on Friday nights at the Boar’s Nest. Here it was a soft orchestra in the background, polite conversation, and expensive wine. Not his style.

But all this was rather obviously leading up to something, and he was incredibly curious what. Another offer, perhaps, to join this organization? If so, how to seem wary, uncertain, yet finally accept? It would fit right in with his own plans, that was for sure. If he could get Izzac to trust him, he and Brandon, with the other guys, wherever they were, could be out of here in a flash.

Therefore, it behooved him to be polite, no matter how uncomfortable he felt. “Thank you for dinner,” he said smoothly, a little amazed himself at how good an actor he could be if he set his mind to it. “I’m sure it’s much better than anything I could have had down in the cell block.”

Izzac laughed softly, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of the inner pocket of his coat. He held them out. “Like one?”

Luke shook his head, holding up one hand slightly. “No thank you. I don’t smoke.”

“Very well.” The Major pulled one out himself and lit it, tucking the pack back into its hidden place. He leaned back in his chair and blew a smoke ring toward the ceiling. “Yes, the food is definitely better than prisoners’ fare. You know, it could be yours on a permanent basis.” He looked the ex-Marine farmer up and down, a glint of what looked almost like eagerness in his eyes. He leaned forward again. “If, my young friend, you join me.”

So, this was it. Luke had no idea why Izzac wanted him so badly, but it did work out to his advantage, so he’d play along. He sat back in his own seat slowly, narrowing his eyes and letting his expression ‘slip’ just enough to let through a little uncertainty and the barest touch of greed. “Why? Why should I join you? I’ve got a home and life of my own, one I’m quite content with.”

The other man smiled thinly, knowingly. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Oh, but you are not content, my friend. I can see it in your eyes. You think you are. But this,” he gestured around, “has you thinking differently.”

Luke didn’t say a word, simply stared the older man directly in the eye, an act of purposeful insubordination. Izzac stared back, then slowly grinned, an expression that made Luke shiver inside.

“Oh, I like you,” he whispered. “Fiery, you are. Bold, proud. Yet I know that once you give allegiance, you’d obey orders to death. I could really use a man like that. You could be second only to myself, only answering to me. You could have wealth beyond your dreams, boy, live like a king.”

“And have the law always after me?” Luke said quietly, almost but not quite unemotionally.

Izzac waved a dismissive hand through the air, puffing lightly on his cigarette. “The law. This organization is far above the law, Sergeant Duke. They cannot even touch us. You would have nothing to fear, complete freedom, within certain boundaries, of course. I am sure you know the necessity of keeping order in a chain of command.”

“…Yes. I do know that.” He paused, just long enough to get the Major holding his breath. Then he stood, slowly, carefully, a premeditated move that showed off his absolute control of his strength and balance, a move calculated to gain at least a little of the man’s attention and respect. “I’ll have to think about it.”

Izzac’s face flashed triumph for a split second before he also stood, cordial and military as always. He nodded. “Yes. You do that, Sergeant. I’ll have a man show you back to your… room.”

Luke gave back a short, curt nod, before setting his unfinished wine glass down on the coffee table and turning to head for the double doors that set this suite apart from the rest of the building. He put his hand on the knob, and gave one last glance back over his shoulder. “I said I’ll think about it,” he repeated, leaving just enough doubt in his voice to assure that the fish did not become suspicious of the bait he was nibbling so eagerly around. Then he opened the door, met the guard outside, and followed him down the hall.

Despite the oppressive atmosphere of the gray walls, he found himself feeling almost as though he had just stepped into a fresh breeze. He took a deep breath unobtrusively, feeling a little of the tension drain out of his body as he walked. He wanted to get out of this place. He really wanted to get out of here, away from that man. He wanted it more than he’d wanted anything in quite a while. But he could stick this out, he had to. For Brandon, for the others. For everybody that this organization might go after if they weren’t stopped.

It was a matter of honor.

He nodded to the guard when they got back to his cell, and received only a cold look in return. Shrugging to himself, he walked through the door, hearing it close and lock behind him. Standing in the middle of the empty room, he took another deep breath and closed his eyes, consciously relaxing his body with his hands loose at his sides. Opening his eyes, he went over to the cot and sat down to remove his boots, his mind still going what felt like a hundred miles an hour. All of this playacting, this stress, was starting to get to him.

But he would hold on. He would.

“Besides, you ain’t even done,” he told himself out loud. He couldn’t get lost enough in this dangerous charade that he forgot that this wasn’t the end. Izzac and his group, he was pretty sure, weren’t even the ones really behind it all. The Major had made it quite clear at dinner that he was something of a mercenary. Money, big money, was what he cared about, and he would do anything for it. He obviously had no care for a NASCAR racing team; somebody else had to be hiring him. And Luke had to figure out who, or the others would still be in just as much danger.

He blew out a sigh, running a hand through his hair, and shook his head. This wasn’t going to be easy, now was it?

Forcing himself not to think about it anymore for now, he pondered instead whether to undress for bed or just stay in his daytime clothes. He finally chose the latter, since it would make an escape quicker if the chance arose. He pulled the single blanket over himself and folded the thin pillow in two so it would be a bit more useful, then sighed, closing his eyes and trying to imagine he was back home in Hazzard so that he could get some sleep. He’d need it, he was sure. But, it was hard when he didn’t feel a soft warm breeze blowing in an open window, when he wasn’t soothed to sleep by the simple, familiar, unwordable scent of the woods and fields, when he couldn’t hear soft, deep breathing from across the room.

That was the hardest of all. He hadn’t slept without Bo in the same room for years. He missed the pillow fights his younger cousin would inevitably start when he was hyped-up from the adrenaline rush of staying up too late. He missed his quiet humming as they got ready for bed. He even missed the way he wouldn’t stop talking when Luke just wanted to go to sleep.

Dang it all, he just plain missed Bo. He wondered how his little cousin was doing tonight, where he was, if he was okay. He wished he knew. If he was ever hurt…

Luke rolled over, fiercely punching his pillow and letting out an abrupt breath. Stop it, Duke. He’s fine. He’s got Frank and the others with him, and he’s just fine. Besides, he’s eighteen, he’s not really a kid anymore. And he’s tough when he has to be. So stop it.

Convincing himself wasn’t easy, but he was just gonna have to do it. And it took a while, but finally he managed to go to sleep.

 

*     *     *     *     *

 

Candy was up with the sun. She stretched and squirmed in her bed, then finally flipped over onto her stomach to look over at her roommate, Jennifer. She wasn’t awake yet, as wasn’t, the twelve-year-old was pretty sure, the rest of the team.

Oh, brother. She was up first. That could get boring. There was no TV to watch, as if Jennifer would let her anyway while she was trying to sleep. There wasn’t anything to read. So, what to do? She briefly pondered taking a shower, but made a face. She’d just get dirtier out there today anyway, so what was the point?

Finally she just sat up, arms around her knees, and let her mind wander. At least Bo and Luke normally woke up early. As a matter of fact, this up-with-the-sun bit she had learned from them. Even after her dad had returned to the team he’d had her staying with the Dukes, probably so he could take off any time he chose. And those farmboys could be a lot of fun. She giggled quietly as she recalled one morning. She’d woken up abruptly with a pillow flying into her face. Sputtering indignation, she had catapulted out of bed to see Bo sitting crosslegged on the boys’ bed, grinning and trying not to laugh. It had been an open invitation to throw that pillow right back, and she had. It had started a practical war, which had finally culminated in a very patient Luke pulling his tousled head out from under his own pillow and telling them, in a tone that was not very loud yet, to her surprise, made her obey instantly, to stop now, that they’d been at it long enough.

Candy grinned to herself. Yep, they were a lot of fun. She found herself hardly even thinking about missing the TV when they were around, especially Bo. He was always good to start some kind of game or another with, pretty much always ready to play. And she could understand now how he looked up to his older cousin; Luke had extended his protective shield, so to speak, over her as well, and now she could appreciate it. It was a shield of rules that the ones under it dared not break, and once in a while sharp words, yet an incredible strong gentleness that made her feel safe as well. She was starting to find herself looking up to him just as much as Bo did, ever since he’d risked his own life to protect the team back in that rest stop. She could still hardly believe that he’d done that. Yet he had, and now he was risking his life again to protect her father. Candy found herself actually really respecting him, something she had done very rarely for anyone outside her immediate family.

The room’s other occupant turned over and made a slight sound, and the twelve-year-old found herself giving Jennifer’s back a cold look. She didn’t like the driver much right now. She had been okay before the Dukes came to the team, though inclined to ignore kids, but Candy was no fool — she knew that Jennifer had been laying it on pretty thick when it came to Bo. Who was young enough, innocent in a way, to be taken in. She knew the girl driver did care about him, yet… The young Brandon sighed. She might as well admit it to herself — truth was, it all boiled down to jealousy. She wanted Bo’s attention, she admitted it freely, though not quite in the same way Jennifer wanted it. The blond farmboy was her friend, her playmate. But when he was around Jenny, he ignored her just like all the other adults.

Besides, when she’d grown up a little… maybe she’d like to be in the running for his attention, too.

Blushing to herself and shaking her head sharply, Candy jumped out of bed, tiptoeing past the occupied bed to brush the curtain aside just slightly, looking out. Nope, nobody else was up. Oh, brother again. But then she brightened slightly. Henry was up and moving around in the diner. Maybe she could talk to him.

Letting the curtain fall, she went back to her bed and hurriedly got her shoes on, the only dressing necessary since she had slept in her jeans and t-shirt. She hadn’t brought any other clothes with her, of course; nobody had. Her sneakers tied, she got up and tiptoed past Jennifer again to head out the door. The crisp dawn wind hit her hard, and she shivered, but she knew that once the sun was high, it would be unbearably hot. That was just the way the desert was. She closed the door behind her quietly, then ran across the gravel parking lot to the office/diner.

“Good morning,” she called as she came in.

Henry’s voice floated out of the storeroom. “Good mornin’ yourself, kiddo. You’re up early.”

“Normal for me,” came a third voice, and Candy jumped, startled, spinning around to see that Bo had come in behind her. He flashed her a quick smile, then headed for the three coffee pots in the back corner, digging around in a basket of packaged teas and such until he came up with a packet of cocoa, then checking the labels on each pot to find which was simple hot water. Candy, watching him, decided that that actually looked good considering the temperature outside and followed his lead.

“You don’t like coffee?” she asked conversationally.

Bo shook his head. “Not much. Luke does, and it smells good, but…” He made a face, than smiled at her again. “Mornin’, Candy.” She grinned a good morning back.

Henry came out of the back, flashing each of the youngsters a cheerful smile. “Ah, it’s so nice to have you kids running ’round here again. Since my own up and moved away, it’s been a mite lonesome.”

Bo smiled over the rim of his cup, which he was blowing steam off of, but didn’t say anything. Candy chose to put down her cup to go over and give their host a hug, which he returned, laughing a little. “Thanks, Henry,” she smiled up at him. “You know what? I like you.”

He chuckled again, softer this time. “I like you too, Candy.” He looked up, holding out one hand toward Bo. “Come ’ere.” The blond teenager looked a bit uncertain, but finally set his drink on the table and came over. Henry pulled him into the hug as well, where Bo relaxed so quickly, dropping his head onto the old man’s shoulder, that Candy had to wonder just how much he normally depended on touch. She knew he was always very quick to interact with her, and would often get as close as possible to Luke especially. It was like physical contact was something he couldn’t survive without, and she knew the other men on the team, the ones he was living with for now, weren’t real touchy. Henry just raised one eyebrow wordlessly and put one hand between the eighteen-year-old’s shoulder blades, pulling him close. Candy moved back, watching them curiously.

But after only a couple of seconds, Bo moved away, picking up his hot chocolate and leaning against the window-wall. “When do you think the others will get up?” he asked conversationally. It took a moment before Candy realized that he was talking to her.

“Umm,” she replied, “I’m not sure. There’re no late sleepers, but none of us normally get up at dawn.”

His dark blue eyes seemed to harden as he looked off into the distance. “Then I’m gonna change that.” Setting his cup down again, he took off out the door, heading for the rooms.

Henry shook his head, looking thoughtful. “That boy’s impatient,” he finally said. “But I can’t say as I really blame him.” He looked at the twelve-year-old girl then, and his wrinkled face broadened in a smile. “Come on, let’s help him.”

Amidst groans of complaint and the occasional startled shout from a couple of nervous souls, the threesome woke all the other drivers up. Bo rattled doors, Henry just opened them with his spare set of keys, and Candy went to go get Jennifer.

In less than an hour, including breakfast, they were on the road again.

 

*     *     *     *     *

 

Luke woke with the dawn too, although windowless as his cell was he didn’t know it until he looked at his watch. Sighing, he pondered whether or not to get up, then decided that he might as well. Swinging his legs out from under the blanket and sitting up, he yawned and shook himself into wakefulness.

He noticed the new furniture almost instantly — a basin set on a small table, a jug next to it, a washcloth, small towel, bar of soap, and safety razor… and a mirror. His gaze sharpening on the final object, he got out of bed to go see if it could be useful, if he could break it and gain a jagged shard for a weapon. But, no, he discovered. Izzac had been smarter than that. The mirror was nothing more than a polished, rounded-edged piece of metal, not even glass. In the jug, also unbreakable metal, he discovered, was water, and he splashed his face readily to help him to fully wake up, wiping at his eyes. He had never been too good at getting up early without the aid of a cup of coffee, but he didn’t have that kind of luxury here, and would just have to make do.

Pouring the remainder of the water into the basin, he pulled his shirt off, tossing it onto the bed, and used the washcloth and soap to scrub his upper body down as best he could. It wasn’t the full shower he would like, but it was better than nothing, and by the time he was done, he had to admit he felt a lot better. Slightly squinting into a dull mirror, he finished by quickly shaving, then used the small towel to wipe the water off his skin and headed back for the cot, vigorously rubbing his hair to dry it. Leaving the towel on the bed, he pulled his shirt back on, snapped it up and tucked it in, then sat down to pull on his boots, looking around again and wondering when somebody would show up.

About five minutes later, the door to his cell opened. Luke spun around to see a guard standing there with a gun leveled at his chest. He froze, but then Major Izzac appeared in the doorway behind the guard.

“Put it away now,” he instructed. The guard obeyed, holstering his weapon. Izzac half-smiled at his prisoner, nodding a greeting. “Good morning. I hope you slept well. I see you made use of my little gifts.”

“What’s with the gunman?” Luke asked, keeping his voice just low-toned enough to make the point that he didn’t appreciate it.

The Major waved a hand. “Oh, that. We had to make sure you weren’t laying in wait with something to harm me. I’m glad to see you have more sense than that.” He stepped back, gesturing down the hall. “Care to join me? We can discuss my little proposal over breakfast.”

Luke hesitated, but then nodded, after a moment his full facade slipping back into place. “I would be honored,” he said formally. He stepped forward. “But I have already decided my answer.”

“And that is?” The man’s eyes were almost glowing with hidden eagerness, though his face stayed completely calm.

“I accept. But only as long as you keep all your promises,” he said almost threateningly. Izzac laughed.

“Sergeant, I always keep my promises. I am pleased that you’ve chosen what is best, for both your livelihood and this organization. I will enjoy having you to work with. Come to breakfast. We’ll discuss your new duties.”

Luke nodded and brushed past the guard to stand next to his ‘new employer’. “Sounds good to me.”

It was an uphill battle to suppress a shiver when the Major’s hand rested briefly on his shoulder. Somehow he did, though, and followed him down the hall, hoping that he hadn’t just made a big mistake.

**

It was almost noon before he got a chance to go to see David Brandon again. This time, however, he unlocked and opened the door himself. Brandon’s head shot up, almost in fright, but when he saw his friend, he relaxed and grinned.

“Luke! Boy, am I glad to see you! They’re telling me you’re one of them now!”

“I am,” Luke replied emotionlessly. The older man’s eyes widened in shock, and he stepped farther into the room. The guard who’d been standing watch at the door shut it, and then the young farmer moved quickly across the room. “Easy there, David,” he said, smiling and holding out both hands. He saw the other man relax slightly. “The plan is working so far. Izzac thinks I’ve joined him. We spent all morning showing me around the complex. This place is mostly underground, and I’m not quite sure where we really are. But I did get some security codes that oughta help us bust out of here. I guess we just run from there.”

“Whew,” Brandon replied, relief in his face. “So, when do you think we can do it? And where do you think the other men are?”

“They’re in this area, I know that… but not what cells,” he apologized. “We’ll just have to figure that out as it comes.” He shot the door a quick glance. “Look, I can’t stay long; I doubt I’m completely out of the range of suspicion yet. I just wanted to let you know I’m all right.”

“Thank you,” Brandon nodded.

Without another word, as though he were done speaking to the prisoner, Luke spun on his heel and strode out, giving the guard a curt nod as he walked past. He really wasn’t enjoying this charade. But without it, he’d be where he’d been last night — nowhere. So he had to keep it up, had to keep Izzac’s confidence. There was no margin for error in this game. Every move had to be carefully calculated, or he might lose his very life. He had a feeling Izzac would not take well at all to being tricked. If he didn’t put on the best performance he ever had, all this would end in disaster, and he’d be seeing his Uncle Jesse again… and leaving Bo to fend for himself. Oh, no, he didn’t want to do that. He couldn’t.

Sighing, he brought his defensive mask back down into place as he knocked on the door to Izzac’s office.

“Come,” the answer came, and he turned the knob and walked in. The Major looked up from his desk as the younger man came in, and smiled tightly, putting down his pen. “Duke. I’m glad you’re here. Come here,” he beckoned.

Luke moved across the room to stand in front of the desk. “Yes?” he questioned.

Izzac leaned back in his chair and rested his elbows on the arms, steepling his fingers in front of him. His icy eyes were assessing, his manner aloof. “What do you think Brandon’s team will do to rescue him?”

The young farmer blinked in surprise before he could restrain himself. “What?”

The older man leaned forward in his seat. “They are coming to find him, and you. My contact, my… employer, has told me that. But we have lost contact now, and I need to know what you think they might do, where they might go. What sort of leads might they have to follow?”

Luke kept his emotions under control, but only with a fight. A bit of uncertainty and pain still leaked through into his expression. What should he do? If he lied, Izzac would find out and he would be dead. But if he told the truth… others could be hurt. Bo… His heart leapt into his throat at that thought.

Izzac noticed. His gaze sharpened. “What is the matter, Mr. Duke? Having second thoughts about whose side you’re on?”

“No,” Luke hurriedly shook his head. “No. It’s just that…” He took a deep breath, pulling himself back together. He hadn’t quite realized how much Bo had influenced him over the last several years; his emotions were much closer to the surface than they had been when he was in the service. Better to tell a small truth and explain his actions than to lie obviously. “My younger cousin will be with that group. He’s like a brother to me. I don’t want him hurt.”

“Ah. Bo.” The Major leaned back again with a tiny smile. At Luke’s startled expression, he gave him a lofty look. “Oh, don’t tell me you forgot how much information I have on you. I have just as much on your cousin. You are torn between your loyalty to me and your love for him, am I correct?”

Luke hesitated, then finally nodded. It was close enough to the truth.

“Perhaps I could make a deal with you. If you give me the information I desire, I will make certain that young Bo is brought here unharmed. If you two are as close as I’ve heard, perhaps you can convince him to join me as well. I hear great things about his skill behind a wheel.”

“And the others?” He had to ask, even if it jeopardized his charade.

“I am being paid to capture the team, not to kill them; my employer doesn’t want bloodshed. I cannot guarantee their complete safety, however; if they fight, they could be injured. But they will be alive.” Izzac smiled, a not-quite-cold expression that left Luke shivering inside. “See? You need not be so torn.”

“About Bo…” Luke carefully asked after a short pause. “Is that a promise? You will let me have custody of him?”

The Major nodded once. “You have my word.”

And just how much is that worth? Luke had to wonder. But he knew that any more protesting would have the crime lord getting suspicious, so he simply took one step backwards, and nodded respectfully. “Very well.” He had no choice. Izzac was too smart to be tricked. He would have to tell him as much as he knew… or at least almost as much. “Brandon’s team are a very smart group of men, but not experienced in the detective work they’re attempting. I suspect they will follow Brandon’s trail likely to where you captured us, then spread out and just start searching, probably by asking questions.”

“That simple a plan?” At Luke’s wry nod, the older man grew thoughtful. “Hmm. We are well away from that sector of the city. It will take them some time to find us, if they do at all.” He sat still a moment longer, then sprang to his feet, pacing across the office to a map of San Antonio. He tapped one corner of the city. “Here is where we picked you two up. Here,” he placed a finger in the extreme northwest, “is where we are. If we brought out troops here…” He circled an area in between, then turned slowly to look straight at Luke with a tiny smile on his lips. “We could very easily make them think that they have found us, when in reality we have found them.” Suddenly he clapped his hands together, making Luke jump in startlement. Here was not the cold dictator he had seen so far. Here was an excited boy with a new game. The farmer couldn’t help but wonder what kind of honest military man Izzac would make; he could tell that the man was a tactical genius even under these simple circumstances. The Major strode across the room and placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder, his eyes becoming serious once again. “This is a very simple maneuver, and it should work perfectly.” The hand tightened. “If you have not lied.”

The older Duke cousin fought down an inward shudder. “I have not lied. On my own life I swear this,” he said quietly.

Izzac stepped back. Slowly, he nodded. “Yes, Sergeant Duke,” he said very softly. “You are swearing on your own life indeed.”

Luke kept his expression still. But inside he felt very, very honestly scared.

 

*     *     *     *     *

 

The sun was setting again by the time the search party came back to home base, Henry’s motel. They had left with laughter and shouts of encouragement, but not a word was spoken among the men as they pulled into the parking lot one car at a time and got out to go eat the dinner their host had prepared.

Bo was the second one back not counting Henry and Candy, who had stayed at the motel; Jennifer had been the first. He turned the ignition key to off and sat in the sudden silence of the General Lee, feeling more than a little down.

This was the second day since Luke had left, a smile on his face and reassurances in his words. And he had disappeared that day, along with David Brandon, seemingly into thin air. Bo knew that the simple circular search pattern the team was employing wasn’t working. Nobody was admitting it, especially Frank or Henry, but the blond farmboy knew it. It would take weeks to thoroughly comb the city, and even then they would likely come up with nothing. He didn’t know what they should be doing, though. He didn’t know what they could. They were stuck.

Bo just sat there for some time, watching the other drivers heading for the diner. He was usually one of the first to go chase down food, but he couldn’t eat right now. His stomach was in a knot, his nerves on edge. Something was wrong, something was very wrong, and he could sense it. He wasn’t sure exactly what that sixth sense of his was trying to tell him, though. Even when Jennifer came over to ask him what was wrong, he just replied with a slight smile, and she left with a few quiet words of understanding and a smile of her own.

Finally he shook himself and slid out of the car, determined to act as though nothing were wrong. He walked to the diner and greeted the others there, accepting his plate of food. He sat down in the corner and forced himself to eat, though he didn’t finish it all. And then, making the excuse that he’d had too little sleep lately, he went off alone to his room. Curling up on his bed, he hugged his pillow to his chest and let himself cry, all his frustration and fear finally coming out in the quiet sobs. He felt incredibly alone, and very young and scared. He could act out to the other drivers that he was brave and proud and ready to take on the world, but inside he was coming apart.

“Lukas… Lukas…” Curled into a a ball, he whispered his cousin’s name over and over, as though calling for him to come and be with him. But Luke wasn’t there. He wouldn’t be there, either, unless the team found the crooks.

After a while, cheeks streaked with tears, the eighteen-year-old fell asleep.

**

He was standing in the dark. He didn’t have a clue of where he was, except that he had to be indoors because there was no breeze, no fresh air. He was alone, terribly alone, and when he called out to see if anybody else was there, only the echoes of his own voice replied. He found himself shivering, and took one step forward.

Then, suddenly, a crack appeared in the blackness, a door opening inward. He froze, not sure what would be coming. A friend? An enemy? An animal?

A figure came into view, a shadow against the light, and held out one hand. He’d been ready to run, but now he heard a soft, familiar voice. “Bo. Bo. It’s me.”

“Lukas!” he cried out, running toward the figure. But just before he reached his cousin, invisible hands suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the arms. He struggled, but he could not free himself. Finally, panting, he looked up at Luke, framed in the doorway’s light. “What’s going on?” he pleaded for an explanation.

A man suddenly appeared behind his older cousin, a gun in his hand. Not saying a word, he smiled coldly at the young captive. For some reason, his appearance imprinted itself into the teenager’s mind. He was dressed impeccably in a black uniform, and his eyes glinted a very icy blue; the same color as Luke’s, only frighteningly cold. The man seemed to study the new intruder, then suddenly spun on Luke, his pistol coming up. Bo yelled a frantic warning, but just then the blackness reasserted itself, and he couldn’t see a thing except for the gun barrel glinting, somehow without light, pointing a path straight towards the older Duke. Then the deafening sound of a gunshot reverberated throughout the room.

He screamed his cousin’s name, terrified that the stranger had killed him, but suddenly he was dragged backwards, through a gray tunnel. A picture flashed into his mind of what looked like an old railroad yard. Then everything went black.

 

Bo sat bolt upright on his bed, heart pounding like it would come out of his chest. His breath came short and fast, in terrified pants, and he could feel his clothes clinging to his body with sweat.

What had happened?! It was like that night when he’d run to hide in the bathroom, only now he knew it wasn’t just a dream. That other dream had come true, in a way; at least, the part about Luke being kidnapped. Forcing his heart and breathing rate to calm down enough so that his mind could work, Bo bit his lower lip and thought about it. The picture of the stranger in black with a gun aimed at his cousin’s head seemed indelibly imprinted into his head, as did the snapshot of an old abandoned railroad yard.

Now, what in the world did a railroad yard have to do with any of this? Unless…

Following a sudden hunch, Bo slid off the bed to his feet, walking across the motel room to flip on the light. He picked a map of the city up off the table and looked at it for a moment, feeling kind of nervous, then took a deep breath and unfolded the map.

Five minutes later, he raised his head, a strange mix of emotions running through him. He’d found a railroad yard, to the north of their current position. And something deep inside of him, something he didn’t understand, was prompting him that that was the place he had seen in his dream. Maybe it was a clue as to where Luke was. He wasn’t sure about that. But it seemed the only lead he had, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that his older cousin was in terrible danger.

It still frightened him, this knowing, but it nevertheless took maybe one second for him to make up his mind. Re-folding the map so that the route he wanted to take was on top, Bo flipped the light off and stepped out the door. The chill desert breeze caught him off guard, and he shivered, his damp shirt not making matters any better. But he didn’t have any other clothes to change into, so he just gritted his teeth and ran quietly across the parking lot, past the lighted diner where a few of the others, including his roommate, were still visible through the windows, to the General Lee. He slid into the orange Charger and put the key into the ignition, wincing at the half-roar the engine made as it started up. He glanced almost guiltily around, but no one came to see what the sound was, so he shifted into gear and pulled slowly and as quietly as he could out of the parking lot and into the street. Once in the clear, he gunned the gas, and the powercar leapt forward in what just might be a race for life.

Half an hour later, the blond teenager climbed very quietly over the top of a dirt hill… and froze. Below him, to his fascination yet horror, was the very same scene he had seen in his sleep. Swallowing convulsively and shivering, this time not from the cold, he hesitated a moment. Should he go down there and look around?

But then he saw a flicker of movement, and dropped to his stomach reflexively, training his eyes on the corner where he’d seen it. In a moment, a man paced out of the shadows around a building. From his stride, he looked like a guard. Biting his lip, Bo slid down the other side of the hill until only his eyes were peering above. He had no interest in becoming an open target, which he could easily be against the moonlit sky. He’d found it, all right. The feeling of absolute rightness convinced him that it was so. But now what to do? Definitely, he would have to go find the others. And nighttime would be the best time to attack. But…

He shook his head sharply at himself. No, going down there all by himself would be a suicide mission. He wanted to get Luke and the others out, not get himself shot. Carefully, he manuvered down the side of the hill until he was low enough to be able to stand up and run for the General Lee. He scrambled in and grabbed the CB, praying that Henry was still up and that the set he had in the diner was on.

“Breaker, breaker, this is Lone Wolf calling the Pack. Come back.” The temporary CB handles had been created yesterday, and he sure hoped the the guys remembered them. He waited for a moment, then called quietly, “C’mon, Pack, ya out there?”

Finally the reply came, Frank’s voice, he thought. “We hear you, Lone Wolf. What in heck do you think you’re doing, taking off like that?! We were gettin’ worried about you!”

Bo sighed. “I’m sorry for scaring you. But I found our people.”

There was absolute silence for several seconds, and Bo could imagine the men looking at each other in disbelief. He had to grin a little at the mental picture. Finally Frank spoke again. “Are you sure?”

“Sure as I can be,” he replied quietly. “I… I had another dream, Frank. I followed it.”

“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re weird, kid?” But there wasn’t really any negative tone to his voice, despite his unnerved words. “All right. Where are you?”

“At an abandoned railroad yard. One of the warehouses has some lights on inside.” Bo gave him directions, then paused. “Get the men here quick, Frank. Please.”

“All right. We’re on our way.”

“And be quiet,” he warned.

He could almost hear the exasperated expression. “Of course. Now, you just sit tight.”

“Okay. Over and out.” Bo set the CB mike back into its holder and sat back, nibbling on his lower lip thoughtfully. Finally he climbed back out through the General’s window and snuck back up the hill to eye the yard again. The place was dark except for the few lighted windows in the largest warehouse. The full moon illuminated everything enough for him to see, however. He scanned the area for guards, and spotted one… two… and a third. They were pretty much hiding in the shadows, but a trained woodsman’s eye could pick shadow out of shadow, and his Uncle Jesse had taught Luke and him, as well as their cousin Daisy, such skills.

Sighing, he settled in, lying flat on his stomach, to keep watch and wait for the team to show up. He wasn’t dumb enough to go running down there alone…

But then he saw something that wiped all thoughts of caution out of his mind. He sat straight up as a familiar, even from this distance, figure came out of a door and stood briefly under a yellow lamp before walking across the yard. Luke! He was free! Bo grinned; that was his cousin, all right! But then he frowned a little, puzzled. If Luke was making an escape, how come he wasn’t running? How come nobody had come after him? And how come he didn’t have Brandon and the others with him?

Nevertheless, he hesitated only for a few seconds before getting his feet under him and scrambling down the hillside, giving the lighted warehouse a wary glance. He was a little afraid that the guards might come and spot him, or Luke, but the men he’d seen earlier appeared to have disappeared. Perhaps they were on the other side of the building, on a patrol route. If that was so, they’d be back, and he’d better get down the hill and out of sight fast.

He rounded a line of old, rusty boxcars and peered around a corner. For a moment, he thought he’d lost Luke, but then he spotted him leaning against one of the cars, his hands in his pockets in a familiar lost-in-thought pose. Bo grinned and started down the line.

“Psst! Hey, Luke!” he whisper-called.

The reaction startled him. Luke spun almost faster than his eyes could follow, one hand snapping up with something that glinted in it. Bo froze at the sight of a small black pistol, and a trickle of dread started its way up from the pit of the stomach as he flattened himself against a boxcar and watched his cousin’s narrowed eyes glancing all around. What was wrong with him? “Who are you?” the older Duke finally answered, neither his stance nor the gun wavering a bit.

“It’s me!” Bo hurriedly called, suddenly frightened. He’d never heard that cold tone to Luke’s voice before. “It’s me, Bo! Don’t shoot, please!”

Luke froze, eyes widening. The pistol disappeared into a back pocket and he stalked toward where his younger cousin was peering out from under the arms he’d thrown up over his face. “Beauregard Duke!” he snapped, sounding furious. “What in heck are you doing here?!”

“I came to find you,” was all he could answer. He could almost feel the angry sparks in those eyes. “I’m sorry that you’re mad,” he said hurriedly, both before Luke could say anything more and before he lost his nerve, “but I had to come! I had a dream that showed me where you were. I wasn’t gonna come down off the hill, honest, but then I saw you and…” He trailed off, not sure what to say now.

Luke halted a few feet away, his body rigid with tension. But the sheer fury in his eyes had been replaced by great worry. “You shouldn’t have come down anyway. There are guards!”

“I know. I ran down when they were on the other side of the building; I’m not stupid. Why aren’t you running away?”

“Because I’m working undercover!” his older cousin growled, glancing around nervously. “And you’re gonna blow it!”

Bo swallowed, suddenly realizing his mistake. “…Oh…”

Luke sighed, and the tension in his body seemed to leave as abruptly as the breath in his lungs. He suddenly looked very tired, rather nerve-wracked, and a bit scared, though not for himself. He reached out one hand, and Bo ran into his arms without a moment’s hesitation, burying his face in his older cousin’s shoulder and letting tears of mixed relief and fear flow freely. Luke just held him, not saying a word, just being there, his support like always. It was a support he’d been greatly needing these past couple of days.

“I’m sorry I did somethin’ I wasn’t supposed to,” the eighteen-year-old finally whispered.

Luke just tightened the hug, then released him completely except for the hands left on his shoulders. Bo stepped back, wiping his eyes. “I’m not mad that you’re here, really. I’m just scared that you’ll get caught.” Then a strange look crossed his face, a sort of resigned expression, and he stepped back. “If they see you leave, it’ll ruin everything. So I only have one choice.”

“What’s that?” Bo asked, puzzled.

Deadpan, the older one replied, “I’m gonna have to capture you.”

“What?” He grinned, but then the expression slowly faded as he realized that Luke wasn’t kidding around. “Wha’d’ya mean?”

“I’m working as this group’s leader’s right-hand man right now. Bringing you in instead of letting you go might just reinforce his trust in me. He promised me that if you were caught, I would be responsible for you.” Slowly, he reached around into his back pocket and brought out the little gun. Leaving the safety on, he waved it in the general direction of the warehouse. With a slight, reassuringly gentle smile, he said, “Shall we go?”

Bo hesitated for a minute. But then he looked into his cousin’s eyes, and couldn’t deny the absolute trust he held for this man. Luke had a plan. He always did. He smiled back slightly and nodded. “Okay, Lukas.”

They headed back across the yard side-by-side. But even though he was walking into the very jaws of the enemy, Bo felt safe with his cousin, armed and protective, beside him.

**

Luke knocked on Izzac’s office door, sighing inwardly to himself. Why did Bo have to be the one who’d found him? He was glad to have his little cousin under his own personal protection, it was true, but at the same time he wished that Bo had stayed out of it. Of course, he wouldn’t have. He was a Duke, and Dukes flew into trouble without a second thought to defend each other. But still…

He could feel Bo fidgeting a little behind him now, and wished he would be still. He was nervous enough about this already. Finally the reply came to come, and he turned the knob, giving the two guards that had come along to watch the ‘prisoner’ a curt, dismissing nod. The two turned on their heels and marched away. Bo watched them go with an expression of visible distaste, but then, when Luke tapped his cousin on the shoulder, the young blond turned to follow him into Izzac’s lair.

The Major looked up as they came through the door. Luke held the small pistol loosely, making it quite clear that he wasn’t forcing Bo to come with him. He walked up to the desk and looked Izzac squarely in the eye for a couple of seconds before glancing back at his younger cousin.

“He was looking for me. I’m amazed he got this far, really. But I brought him to you.”

The Major stood, looking the teenage boy up and down. Bo shivered and took a half-step behind Luke. “So. This is your younger cousin Bo. Quite ingenious, so it seems, to have come this far on his own. You are here alone, aren’t you?” he suddenly sharpened his gaze on the younger Duke.

To his credit, Bo straightened and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Luke stepped slightly forward, bringing attention back to himself. “You do remember our deal?”

“Yes,” the Major finally replied, slowly, not looking away from the blond teenager. “I remember. You are responsible for him. But if he causes any trouble, you are both dead. Understand?” He flicked that icy gaze to Luke, who returned it.

“Certainly, Major.” He smiled tightly. “I understand.”

“And now that he is safe, you will not interfere in our mission.” It was a statement, almost a warning.

“No, sir.” There was nothing else to say.

Finally Izzac smiled. He came around the desk toward Bo. The eighteen-year-old flinched, but stood his ground, dark blue eyes defiant. The older man nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. “Do all your family have this spirit?”

Luke sighed. “They did, sir. But Bo and I are all that is left of the Duke clan.” Izzac knew all this already, he was sure; he was probably testing them. Luke had already warned Bo to tell only the truth.

“Indeed.” The Major held his pose for a couple more seconds, then suddenly turned away and stalked back to his seat behind the desk. He waved one hand curtly toward the door. “Go. You are both dismissed. Go back to your room and wait for my command.”

“Yes, sir.” Luke saluted and turned sharply away, catching Bo’s startled gaze and nodding toward the door. His younger cousin quickly followed him, looking eager to get away from Izzac.

The walk back to the small but relatively nice quarters that Luke had now been assigned was made in silence. But the moment he shut the door behind them, Bo turned to him with wide eyes. “Luke…”

“Shh,” he smiled. “I told you I was working under Major Izzac.”

“I just didn’t know he’d be so cold… or you!” Fright was being replaced by surprise. “Where’d you learn to act like that? You never have around me.”

Luke walked over to the single bed and sat down, patting the mattress beside him. Bo hesitated for only a second, then came over to settle beside him. “Of course I never have. I wouldn’t have any reason to, and to be honest, I don’t like to. But I had to learn how in the Marines; it was part of training, to be able to turn yourself off, away from the world and your emotions. It’s the only way you can be an effective soldier… especially when you’ve been taught all your life, like I was, to have a deep respect for life.”

“So this Izzac guy thinks he’s in the military?”

“He acts like it. He runs this whole place like an army. That’s why they’re so dangerous.”

Bo didn’t say anything for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled a little and turned to look him squarely in the eye. “You broke your promise, ya know.”

“What?” The younger boy was changing the subject, it was obvious, but to what?

“You promised that you’d be okay. When you left the track, remember?”

Luke blinked. “Wait a minute, there! I didn’t break any promises! I’m fine!”

“You were captured,” Bo pointed out. “You could have been hurt.”

“But I wasn’t!” he protested. “Look, if that’s your idea of…” He trailed off as he caught the tiny flicker of laughter deep inside his cousin’s eyes. “Oh, Bo,” he grumbled, smiling a little himself as he punched the teenager in the shoulder for teasing him. “That ain’t funny.”

Bo giggled. “Made you smile, though!” He hugged the dark-haired Duke quickly, then bounced back on the bed, settling crosslegged in the middle and gazing around at the room. Luke found himself following his younger cousin’s path of sight. There were no windows, so there were no curtains, but the bed was covered with a patterned spread, there was thick carpet on the floor, and the desk and two chairs were made out of good wood and were skillfully designed. “Lukas…” he finally said, “this makes me think of something.”

“What’s that?”

Dark blue eyes captured his very seriously. “Beauty, with deception and danger behind. Remember?”

Luke had to think for a moment before it came to him. “That dream again?”

“Yeah. I had another one tonight, Luke.”

“You said it led you here.”

“Yeah… But that ain’t all.” Bo visibly shivered, but then drew himself up again, his voice suddenly emotionless. “I saw that man, Izzac… and you. I saw him point a gun at you and fire it.”

The older Duke didn’t say a word for a long time. He didn’t want to believe it, didn’t like this strange new gift of his cousin’s. But Bo had been right before… Did this mean that Izzac planned on killing him when he was done with him? He wouldn’t put it past the man. Finally he nodded, sighing heavily and accepting it. “I believe it. He ain’t trustworthy, that’s for sure. I was praying that he’d keep the promise to let me have custody of you.” Then he smiled, tightly, and stood to pace the room, fingers tucked partway into his pockets. “There’s only one thing to do. We have to escape.”

“The whole team is coming here right now. I bet that’d be a good distraction.”

“Uh-huh,” Luke replied absently. “It would.” But then his eyes widened, and he spun around in his tracks, horrified. “The team is what?!”

Bo blinked. “I called them when I found this place,” he stated reasonably. “I wasn’t exactly plannin’ on comin’ in here all by myself, you know.”

“You told Izzac you were here alone!”

“I was… at the time. I was gonna wait for them to show up, but when I saw you, I guess my heart kinda ran away with my head.”

“Again,” Luke couldn’t resist the mild jibe.

The eighteen-year-old made a slight face. “Cute. But ya gotta admit, we could do a lot in here with them keepin’ everyone busy out there,” he aimed a thumb in the general direction of the outdoors.

The older cousin thought about that. Yeah, they could. Maybe even take out Izzac himself… “Maybe get the Major,” he spoke his thoughts out loud. “And the locked-up team down in the prison area. They come first, of course.”

“Course,” Bo agreed. “That’s why we’re here, to get them out. By the way, how’s Brandon doing?”

“He’s fine. Mad, but unhurt. I think-” He cut himself off abruptly, listening intently.

Bo frowned. “What?”

He held up one hand for silence, straining to hear it again. There… a scratch outside the door. His younger cousin heard it too this time, and, eyes wide, came running silently over to his side. “That,” Luke whispered softly. So, this was it. Sooner than he would have liked; they didn’t even have a working plan laid out yet. But they had little choice, it looked like. Quickly, he motioned Bo to stand on the other side of the door, and moved to grab the bedspread. Hefting it lightly like a hunting net in his hands, he tensed and waited. Bo caught his eyes and grinned, giving him a quick thumbs-up. Luke didn’t quite smile back, too intent on what he was about to do.

The door opened suddenly, and a black-clad guard stepped in, gun holstered and stride arrogantly casual. Luke wasted no time in tossing the bedspread up to cover the man’s head. His captive yelled briefly in startlement, and for the sake of necessity the young ex-Marine called on military skill to quickly dispatch the guard into unconsciousness. He turned at the sound of a scuffle to see Bo and another black-clad man locked in a hot-tempered battle. Running up, Luke yanked the guard around and swung at his jaw, sending him to the floor to join his partner. Letting out the breath he’d been holding, he looked back up, to see Bo scowling at him. “Why didn’t you let me have him?” the eighteen-year-old grumbled.

This was no time for arguments. Luke quirked a smile to try to dispell his younger cousin’s anger. “You can have the next one. I just wanted it to be fast.” He crouched to take the two guards’ guns, handing one to Bo as he straightened. “Try not to actually hit anybody with this thing, okay?”

The young blond swallowed, looking suddenly nervous. “…Yeah. I don’t want to.”

He really had been very brave lately. But that didn’t mean that he had, or would ever, for that matter, lose his reluctance to cause serious harm to another human being. Luke wasn’t eager to make him face a need to, either; that bright-eyed, gentle innocence didn’t need to be tainted with blood like his own had been in the war. Smiling, the older Duke squeezed his shoulder and stepped toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go. Try to look inconspicuous, okay?” He tucked the gun he was holding under his belt, and Bo followed his example after only a moment’s hesitation. Luke closed his eyes briefly, letting out a deep breath, and said a quick silent prayer that no lives would have to be lost by his hand this night. Then he straightened his spine and stepped confidently out the door with his cousin by his side, closing it behind them.

**

Frank stood off to the side, looking all around as the others checked out the empty General Lee. The team had come as quickly as they could, only to find their bold young leader missing. One more strike to add to the list against these guys.

He wasn’t really sure how they were going to go about this. The guards in the yard, he had seen during one quick glance over the hill, were well-armed. And the rescue party didn’t have a single gun among them. All they had was their wits, a bunch of eager fists, and a group of racecars. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about the girls. Jennifer and Candy had stayed behind at the motel, Candy for once not arguing the point.

Finally Frank turned and walked back to the General and the other cars parked around it. “Guys,” he said quietly, gaining his drivers and Henry’s attention. “We’re gonna have to work almost completely on stealth. We’re way out-numbered, and they have weapons. But we have our brains. Now, here’s what we’re going to do. Ned and Jake, you two get in a couple of the cars and drive right through those gates,” he gestured off to the side at the old entrance to the railroad yard, “at full race speed. I’ll leave the specifics to you, but we need you to distract the guards and anybody else you can. Just don’t get yourselves killed. Understand?”

The brothers looked at each other and grinned, then nodded. “Sure thing, boss,” Jake rubbed his hands together as if in anticipation.

“All right. The rest of us will come over that hill, fast and silent as you can. Try to stay in the shadows and not be seen. We’re a commando unit, not the front line.”

Various nods signaled the men’s understanding, and Frank stepped back. “Let’s do it. Marens, to your cars.”

The brothers ran to two of the blue-and-white racers and started the engines. Without another glance back, they opened the throttle on the full power of the NASCAR-rated vehicles and sped for the indicated gate at full speed. The nose of one hit the chain-link, and the old rusted padlock snapped. The pair raced through, straight into the lion’s den.

Frank smiled slightly at their bravery, then started at a run up the small hill, his men right behind him.

**

The two young Georgians had made it halfway to the prison area when a siren went off. It wasn’t a police siren, either. Bo watched as his older cousin tensed, and frowned. “What’s that?” he asked.

“Sounds kinda like an air raid siren. It can be used for attack warnings of any kind, though. I think your buddies are here.”

Bo glanced around, wishing that he could see out. But there were no windows where they were right now. “I hope they don’t get hurt.”

Luke put a hand on his shoulder and smiled slightly, almost gently but not quite. “They’ll have to take care of themselves, Bo. They have a job to do… so do we. Come on.” He started off again, and Bo ran after him. Soldiers in black started running down the halls, shouting as they were called to duty. A few even dashed right past the Dukes, ignoring the pair. Bo had to marvel; his cousin really had caught Major Izzac’s trust. But the Major himself couldn’t be trusted, he was deeply sure of that. It wasn’t even really a thought… just a feeling, a tightening in his gut and muscles when he’d faced the man. Almost a flight response. This knowing at least was nothing frightening and new. He’d had the ability to see through most people ever since he could remember. Luke had said it was because he still had the openness and sensitivity of a child, something most adults lost. Whatever the reason was, he knew Izzac couldn’t be trusted. Obviously Luke had suspected it, too.

They ran down one hall, and then another, taking flights of stairs downward whenever they found them. Finally Bo found himself in an area that looked like it was in a basement. The corridors, though well-lit, were narrow and made of rough concrete block. Metal doors were dotted here and there… until finally they came to a hallway with a whole row of them. The blond teenager glanced over at his cousin. “This it, Luke?”

“Looks like it…” The dark-haired Duke’s eyes were flicking around, and finally he set off again, this time at a fast walk. “If I remember right, this is the area where Brandon is being held. The other men are probably nearby.” He suddenly halted in front of a door, and Bo just barely backpedaled in time to keep from running into his back. He peered over Luke’s shoulder as he took out a small ring of strange-shaped keys and hunted through them. The older cousin found one he was apparently satisfied with, and placed it in a hole on the wall next to the door. He didn’t turn it, but a little light next to the hole glowed green. “Electronic,” Luke explained briefly, and took hold of the handle on the door.

It opened easily, and Luke stepped through. Instantly he was grabbed by someone beside the door, his head covered by a thin blanket in much the same way that the Dukes had thwarted the guards by their room. Bo yelled in anger and leapt for the struggling pair, striking out and landing a good blow with his fist to the man’s jaw. Then, catching the attacker around the middle, he knocked him to the floor where they rolled around, both trying but neither managing to get a really good punch in. Suddenly the man was dragged up and away, and Bo looked up, blinking, to see Luke holding… David Brandon?! by the shirt collar.

“Settle down, the both of ya,” the older cousin said, smiling wryly but amusedly. “You ain’t supposed to be enemies.”

Brandon shook his head hard, as if to drive dizziness away, and smiled wryly as he straightened his jacket. “This is getting to be a habit, young man. Tell me, what do you have against me?”

Bo scrambled to his feet, not sure whether or not to still be mad. “What’d you attack us for?” he demanded.

“I thought you were guards,” the older man said, looking embarrassed. “I was gonna stage a little jailbreak of my own.” Then he took a second look at the younger Duke, and his eyes widened. “What in heaven’s name are you doing here?!”

“Long story,” Luke broke in. “Your men are outside right now creating a distraction so that we can get you guys outta here. C’mon.” He disappeared back out the door, and the other two followed just in time for Bo to see him stabbing a key into another hole by another door. That room proved empty, and the next, but the next set each contained a man that looked rather put-out, but glad to see rescuers. Finally the whole group was standing in the middle of the hallway, most of them crowded around Brandon. Luke stood off to the side, gesturing for them to be quiet, as he cocked his head to listen. Bo strained his own ears, and frowned. All he heard were that siren, very faintly, and the occasional shout.

“What are we listening for?”

“Shh,” Luke ordered. He had a distant look in his eyes. Then he pointed. “The sound of sirens is louder that way. That means that’s the way to the outside. We have to take the shortest route out, because they’ll come down here to check their prisoners pretty soon.” Suddenly, as if to punctuate his words, their was a clatter of boot heels on metal stairs. The ex-Marine snapped into action, spinning and shoving the other men ahead of him. “Come on, run!”

The escapees fled, now hearing shouts from behind as the guards discovered their missing prisoners and took out after them. Luke was leading now, Bo close behind and the team men behind him. The eighteen-year-old could feel his heart pounding in his chest, not only with exertion but with honest terror. He was following his cousin’s lead blindly, completely lost in this catacombic maze. He could hear the guards behind them, and though neither side had spotted the other yet, it wouldn’t be long. He fought panic down fiercely and narrowed his mind to one purpose — run!

Suddenly Luke slid to a halt by a door, the whole pack piling up behind him. He didn’t even seem to notice, hurriedly searching for a key on that ring. Bo bit his lip and fought back a whimper, hearing voices come nearer and wondering if he’d ever see the light of day again, much less the green hills of home. But then Luke found the right key, and the door swung outward of its own accord. The fleeing prisoners ran through and up a flight of stairs without looking back, except for Bo. He hesitated on the stairs until Luke, the last one, yanked the key out of its hole and came through the door. It swung shut again, locking automatically, and his older cousin grabbed his arm and shoved him upward. Bo went. He almost slipped on the smooth stairs a couple of times, but the handrail saved him, and suddenly they were bursting out a normal, unlocked door to stand in fresh air. The sky was lightening in the east, the younger Duke noticed vaguely.

Breathing hard and fast, the whole group paused for a moment. Luke looked around, and Bo moved up close to him. “Where now?” he managed.

His older cousin looked at him for a moment, then smiled at the whole group. “We’re almost there,” he panted. “Come on. This way.”

He led them along the side of the building, close up against the wall. The noise was much louder out here, downright deafening. The siren was still going, as was the sound of roaring engines and squealing tires. Gunshots and shouts scattered through the chaos. Bo’s curiosity overcame his fear, and as the escapees halted at a corner, he peered around it. The teenager saw lights flooding the yard, and two blue-and-white painted racecars running circles around a group of soldiers, most of who were shooting at them. Bo winced, but the drivers of the cars were skilled, and though bullets ripped through metal, no one seemed hurt as of yet. Then his eye was caught by motion off to the side, around the old railroad cars where he’d first met up with Luke earlier. He grabbed Luke’s arm and pointed, and his older cousin suddenly relaxed.

“The team. Come on.” They skirted around every obstacle they could hide next to, finally making it over to where they’d seen the men skulking in the shadows. Frank came dashing out from the shelter of a tank car to grip his employer’s hand fervently, alternately greeting him and scolding like a mother hen. Bo smiled to himself as the other drivers came running out to greet their friends and teammates, and stood back, letting the men have their joyous reunion. He felt a sudden presence at his side more than saw it, and leaned against Luke’s shoulder, smiling over at him briefly. His older cousin smiled back, visibly relaxing now, though not completely. They still had to get back up that hill.

But then another sound split the pre-dawn air; shrill, piercing, a sound that the two young ridge-runners knew very well. So did Izzac’s men, obviously. The constant firing stopped, and for a second all was still but for the roars of the still-evading racecars. Then someone screamed, “Police!”, and the gunmen all started to scatter. More started running out of the main building, and others started up cars and sped for the exit. A few made it… but then the gateway was blocked by heavy-duty SWAT team vans, with howling, brightly-flashing police cars encircling the men left in mid-yard. One fool stood his ground, and lifting his rifle, shot at one of the cars. A headlight went out, the radiator started hissing steam, and the cop sprang out with his gun at the ready, eyes cold and hard.

Bo, Luke, and the others hid away from the possibility of being hit as a brief firefight between some of the more loyal of Izzac’s men and the law ensued. The young blond hid behind his older cousin, not looking at the battle. The sounds of gunshots and the occansional yell let him know more than he wanted to. Men were being hurt out there… maybe even killed. He’d never before come across something like this, and he bit his lip and swallowed hard to keep his stomach down at the pictures his imagination readily gave him.

After what seemed an eternity, but in reality was probably only around five or ten minutes, the firing stopped. The calls of the cops and the sweeping of lights was all that broke the early-morning stillness. Bo risked a glance out from behind Luke’s shoulder to see a group of SWAT men storm into the main building.

His older cousin tensed. “They’re going in…” he whispered. “They’re gonna have trouble with Izzac.”

Bo grabbed his arm. “Don’t you dare go in there!” he ordered, shocking himself with his fierceness in arguing against Luke, something he’d never really done before. His cousin looked startled too, but then to his surprise loosened his battle-ready muscles and smiled back over his shoulder at the younger boy. Neither said a word, but volumes passed through their eyes as light and dark blue met and held.

Brandon came up beside them, glancing out. “There’s gonna be trouble…” he muttered. As if to fulfill his prophecy, gunfire broke out again from inside the warehouse, windows shattering and shouts sounding.

Luke glanced around at his little band, then gestured. “Come on. Let’s go tell the police what’s been going on.”

They stepped out of hiding, Bo feeling suddenly very exposed, and across the yard. Men were shoving handcuffed soldiers into the black SWAT vans. There were a few forms lying on the ground, unidentifiable because they were covered with black cloth. The eighteen-year-old swallowed hard, hesitating, but then felt a strong, gentle hand on his shoulder.

“I know, Bo,” Luke said softly. “I know. War’s an awful thing, isn’t it?”

He nodded, then glanced over at his cousin thoughtfully. “You saw all this in Vietnam…”

“Worse, little cuz. Far, far worse.”

He turned and hugged Luke hard, wishing that it hadn’t had to be so. He could feel the tightness in his older cousin’s body, as if he was living in the remembrance of a nightmare. “I wish you didn’t.”

Luke drew a slow, shaky breath, hands pressing against the teenager’s back in a tight return hug before stepping back. “Me too, cousin. Me too.”

One of the police finally took notice of the scraggly group coming toward him, half of them dressed in NASCAR coveralls, and raised his rifle hesitantly. Luke held both hands up nonthreateningly and, after giving the others a ‘stay put’ glance, walked toward the policeman. He paused a few steps away as the rifle was pointed at his chest firmly. “Halt!” the man ordered.

“My name is Luke Duke,” he called out. “We were all prisoners here; we just escaped.”

The policeman hesitated, then lowered his gun. “Don’t move.” He reached for a portable radio and spoke into it. A voice squawked a reply, and he looked back at the younger man. “We picked up two men in racing cars. They said they were part of a plan to rescue some prisoners. Are you with them?”

“Yes,” Luke replied with only a moment’s hesitation. He wasn’t surprised that Bo and the others had bent a few road laws in getting them out; the NASCAR cars were fast but not exactly street-legal. “They’re with us.”

The man glanced behind him at the others. “We’ll have to take you in. You are unarmed?”

“No.” Very, very slowly, he reached behind him. The policeman raised his rifle again as Luke pulled out the gun he’d stolen from the guard. Something inside him told him not to give up the other one, the small pistol he’d been given by Izzac. He wasn’t sure why… but he was willing to listen to his instincts. “I have this.”

“Toss it over here. Slowly.”

Obeying, he then turned slightly to call over his shoulder. “Bo. The gun I gave you. Throw it away.”

His younger cousin carefully followed instructions, and the policeman gestured with the rifle. “All of you come over here, with your hands on your heads.”

Luke nodded slightly when Bo’s eyes met his in question, and the team, Brandon in the lead, obeyed and walked carefully over to the police car. When they arrived, the blond Duke moved close to his older cousin, looking a little unsure but trusting.

The policeman frisked them down quickly, keeping a wary eye also on Luke, who prayed that he wouldn’t be searched as well. Then, apparently satisfied, he lowered his gun and stepped back, still cautious out of training. “What exactly is going on here?” he asked. “We got a call about a gang skirmish, and find World War Three.”

Between Luke, Frank, Brandon, and Bo, with the occasional comment from somebody else, they managed to explain exactly what NASCAR racers were doing out on the roads, why they’d been there, and what had been going on. The man looked a little confused by the end, but he apparently believed them because he only told the group that’d they’d all have to come down to the police station to make their statements.

A slight scuffle off to the side caught Luke’s attention, and he glanced over. The only thing he could see at first were ice-blue eyes glaring coldly straight at him from across the yard. He swallowed and turned away from the handcuffed Major Izzac deliberately. The wave of cold anger he could almost feel wash across the distance between them made him very glad that Izzac was bound and held at gunpoint.

The policeman led the way out through the gates, toward the other cars belonging to the rescue party. He let most of the team go home, racecars and all, with a few tickets and a summons to the station later in the morning, and left Brandon, Frank, and the Dukes after gaining their promise that they wouldn’t leave yet. He needed them to make the first official statements. Luke sighed as he watched the man go, then glanced over at Bo again; the blond eighteen-year-old was sitting on the General Lee’s hood, looking surprisingly relaxed after what he’d just been through. He just barely hid a yawn, and his older cousin had to smile. He went over to settle down beside the teenager, putting a hand on his shoulder in gentle pride.

“You did good, Bo,” he said softly, out of earshot of the others. “I really am proud of you.”

The young blond grinned tiredly, eyes glowing with happiness but relief too. “I’m just glad it’s all over.”

Luke sighed. “It ain’t, really. Not until we find whoever was behind this whole mess.”

Bo’s expression fell. “More trouble? I’m so tired of this, Luke…” He leaned against his older cousin, yawning again. “I don’t wanna fight any more. I just wanna go to bed, and I don’t even care that the sun’s coming up.”

In his exhaustion and relief, his young side was showing through clearly, without any veneer to hide behind. Luke sighed again and put an arm around him, letting the younger boy use his shoulder for a temporary pillow. “I know. I feel the same way, little cousin.”

“So, you did it.”

At the nearby voice, both Dukes’ heads shot up. Luke glanced around quickly to see who the intruder was… and came face to face with the very person he’d been suspecting of being the source of the team’s problems. “Caleb!” he yelled, leaping up to grab the driver’s arms and pin them behind his back. Caleb shouted in surprise and anger, struggling to get away. But although he was muscular and strong, so was Luke, and the farmer’s grip held as the other men came running over.

“Caleb!” Frank yelled angrily. “What have you been doing?!”

He looked bewildered for a moment. “What..?”

“You’re a traitor, Caleb Haroldson!” the senior driver snapped, eyes blazing and fists clenched. “You-“

“Wait a minute there!” Caleb burst out, cutting Frank’s accusation off mid-word with an angry flare in his eyes. “What do you mean, traitor? I would never betray David and the team!”

Luke eyed him, then slowly let go. “What have you been doing all those times when nobody could find you?”

Straightening his clothes, the older man turned and shot him a withering look. “Like David, I knew that someone had to be a detective. I’ve just been a bit less noticable about it. I bet no one ever knew I had police training in my background, did you?”

The older Duke eyed the man in surprise, somehow believing him despite all evidence to the contrary. “You mean… you’ve been trying to flush out the real blackmailer?”

“Yes.” Caleb paused. “As a matter of fact, I’ve been working closely with the FBI these last few days. They’ve apparently been trying to get Izzac and his group for some time, and they approached me to help. Because I was one of the senior men on the team, they thought perhaps I could find some new clues from the inside. It seems that you Dukes, however, managed to do what I could not.”

Everyone stared at him in absolute surprise. “Well then,” Brandon finally spoke up, his voice much calmer than either Luke’s or Frank’s, “who is the one who did all this?”

“I don’t know,” Caleb admitted. “I really don’t. I never saw anybody act particularly suspicious, and I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t quite have all the skills necessary to play secret agent. I can’t figure it out. I’m not even sure that there is a traitor anymore. It might be a complete stranger that sicced these dogs on us.”

“No. You were right the first time.”

Luke froze at the voice. He felt Bo do the same beside him, and glanced over worriedly to see absolute shock on his cousin’s face. Slowly, he turned… to face Jennifer Garret.