by: MacSas

Roscoe pulled up to the Duke farmhouse.

“Here we are” he told Boss. “That vehicle there must belong to the Mounties.”

“Well, let’s see what’s going on” Boss said.

“Attention in the farmhouse!” Roscoe called as he climbed the porch stairs.

“Who is that?” asked Martin, turning to the kitchen door at the sound of the knock that followed Roscoe’s announcement.

“That,” smiled Bo “is Hazzard Counties finest.”

“Finest what?” asked Clark.

“We’re still awaiting the DNA results” Bo laughed.

Luke opened the door to Roscoe, who stumbled in, knocking on air. Martin and Clark looked at each other in disbelief.

“Things are done a little different here I guess” Clark murmured.

“Roscoe, Boss” Luke greeted in mock pleasure. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“Well,” Boss said, “I’ve come to make sure that Roscoe follows up on Daisy’s phone call about that desperate criminal.”

“Of course you have” Luke murmured. “Well, you’d better come in then.”

“Bo, Daisy,” Boss smiled, tipping his white Stetson. He turned his attention to the Mounties. “And who might these two young men be?”

Luke gave a knowing smile. “This is Lieutenant Martin Kent and Sergeant Clark Jannetty from Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police?”

While Boss huffed at being talked to as if he were dim, in the background Roscoe snickered. “Mounted Police huh?” he asked. “Where’d you boys park your horses?”

“Like we haven’t heard that one before,” Clark mumbled as Roscoe laughed at his own joke.

Luke sighed. “I’m sure that Roscoe told you about their being here” he told Boss.

“No, Luke, I can’t say I recall he did.”

Roscoe now frowned. “Boss I did tell you.”

Boss gave a short laugh. “No, you didn’t”

“Boss…”

Roscoe was silenced by a swift stomp to his toe by Boss’ heeled boot.

“Mercy, it must have slipped your mind,” he told the wincing Sheriff.

“You mean just like your heel missed my toe then?”

“Roscoe” Boss whispered through clenched teeth.

Clark and Martin quietly observed the exchange between the County Commissioner and his Sheriff.

“Wouldn’t you like to see the job requirement sheet for his position?” Clark whispered to Martin.

Martin, watching Boss and Roscoe battle over who said what, answered, “Which one?”

As Roscoe took a more detailed report on Lex’s movements, Martin turned to Bo. “I really thought Daisy was exaggerating when she described your police force here.”

“Well,” Clark shrugged, “how bad can they really be?”

Bo stifled an outright hoot of laughter. “Boys, you ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Martin shook his head in amusement.

“Hey guys,” Luke motioned to the Mounties. “Boss has news that may concern Lex.”

“Really?” Martin asked, approaching the large man in the white suit.

“Well, you see, there is a certain business venture that’s located at the foot of Eagle Point”

“Business venture?” Clark asked.

“Moonshine still site number 2” Roscoe said.

“Duh, duh” Boss huffed. “What the Sheriff means is that this still site was confiscated in an illegal whiskey raid.”

“Boss, that still site belongs to you.” Roscoe put in.

Boss sighed. “What would I do without you Roscoe?”

Ignoring Roscoe’s beaming face, Boss continued. “That site has an alarm set up at the entrance. Someone tripped the alarm. No one has been there since Bo decided to take a little target practise at the still itself”

Bo snorted. “That much you deserved”

“Now’s not the time” Luke told Bo.

“Anyway,” Boss sighed. “I figured…”

“I came up with the idea” Roscoe interrupted.

“Will you please,” Boss fumed.

“Well, I did” Roscoe pouted.

“It’s like watching Keystone Cops,” Clark whispered to Martin.

“Carry on Commissioner Hogg” Martin encouraged.

“Commissioner Hogg, huh?” Boss beamed. “My, my, aren’t you boys polite”

“Boss, move along” Luke interjected.

“Fine, well, now, when Daisy called the Sheriff here about that desperado he didn’t take it too seriously at first…”

“You didn’t” Roscoe muttered.

“…How-some-ever” Boss continued, shooting Roscoe a lethal look. “I figured that with that alarm going off, it had to be that guy hiding out up there. So we came out here to tell you that maybe you should take a look out there.”

“Yeah” Roscoe finished.

Both looked expectantly at the Mounties. There was a brief silence before Martin realised the story must be over. Glancing at Clark, he asked Boss, “That’s it?”

“Well, yeah” Boss replied as if it were as simple as A B C.

Martin looked over at Daisy. “Things sure aren’t simple round these parts are they?”

Daisy laughed. “You know how the quickest way to a point is the most direct route? Well Boss here prefers to take in the scenery”

Boss huffed again while Roscoe looked as confused as ever. “I don’t know whether to be insulted or complimented,” he said to Boss.

“Well that’s normal for you” Boss replied.

Clark suddenly burst out laughing. “You have got to be kidding. You two actually look after the county?”

“Yes” came the joint reply.

“And you manage this by yourselves?”

“Yes!”

“I’ll be dammed” Clark laughed. “I’ve never seen anything like it”

“Now look here, Mr. Fancy Cop…” Boss fumed.

“Drop it Boss” Luke said. “There’s no point in trying to out match these two.”

“Well, I got a badge that says I can” Roscoe said.

“Like this one?” Clark presented his shiny gold shield in its brown leather case.

“Well, um…Boss how come I don’t have one of those case things?”

“Cause you don’t need one” Boss sighed.

“Well, I’d sure like one. Those look cool”

“Roscoe” Boss uttered, with fists clenched.

Martin turned to Clark with a frown. “Stop trying to goad the Sheriff will you?”

Both Clark and Roscoe glared at each other from across the room.

“What do we do now?” Luke asked.

“I think the first thing we need to do is get Daisy out of here.” Martin sighed.

“What?” Daisy protested.

“It’s for the best, Doll. Lex knows you’re here and he’s obviously not in a hurry to leave the county.”

“He’s right, sweetie” Luke added. “Lex knows the heat is on. He knows there are people who know he’s here and why he’s here. Why would Lex risk hanging around if he wasn’t waiting to get to you?”

Daisy sighed. “Fine, where do I go?”

“Well,” Boss spoke up, “I have a safe house out by Cripple Creek. It’s not been used in a while and will probably need a bit of a clean up. It’s isolated, but not out in the open. Not out in the open. You wouldn’t know where it was unless you knew where to look for it. It’s not the kind of place you just stumble upon”

“Ok, sounds good” Martin said. “Clark, get in touch with the QRT and have them take a look at the place, let us know if it’ll be ideal.”

“Sure” Clark said, collecting his walkie-talkie. While he discussed directions to the house with Boss, Luke told Bo to help Daisy pack a bag for the trip. He then approached Martin, who was looking over a map, locating the site of the Moonshine still site. “I know the area like the back of my hand” he told Martin. “Want me and Bo to take a look out there?”

“Ok” Martin agreed. “But be careful. Lex could still be around there.”

“No problem” Luke smiled. “We’ll just take a look from a safe distance. He won’t know we’re there”

“While your doing that, I’ll have Commissioner Hogg and the Sheriff go back to town and put feelers out. Maybe they can pick up on Lex’s movements. Clark and I will take Daisy to the safe house once the QRT give it the all clear.”

Daisy entered the kitchen with a backpack. She gave Luke a tired smile.

“Ok” Martin addressed the group. “You all know what your to do. The main thing is to not be too noticeable, we don’t want to alert Lex in anyway.”

“No” Roscoe added “We don’t want to get me hurt either.”

“Ok, let’s go” Martin instructed.

As the group filed out the kitchen door, Luke turned to Daisy. He couldn’t say why, but he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him want to take a long look at his cousin. Almost as if he needed to commit her to memory. He’d had the same feeling in Nam, right before his Platoon had been ambushed at Khe Sahn. The whole mission had been a disaster, and Luke’s gut had warned him so.

“Keep your wits about you and your head down,” he told her now, smiling down at her.

“No problem” she smiled.

“I love you,” he whispered, hugging her hard.

“Back at ya” she returned.

“Come on Bo” Luke called.

“Take care” Bo said, giving Daisy a quick hug as he passed by.

“You too” she replied.

“Now Daisy,” Boss said, handing her a silver key. “Here’s the key to the cabin. There’s plenty of hot water, and the food should last a couple of days. Maybe Mr. Kent can arrange for a delivery of extra food if you need it. You’ll need to air the place out a bit, but otherwise there should be no problems.”

“Thanks Boss”

“Your welcome, honey” He turned to Roscoe. “Let’s go, fool”

Roscoe humphed. “Fool you” he murmured.

Daisy smiled at the banter between the two.

“Those two are like an old married couple,” Martin observed, as the pair left.

“How do you know they’re not?” Daisy joked.

“Because that would just be weird – even for Hazzard County”

Daisy laughed out loud.

“Ok,” Clark announced, entering the kitchen. “QRT have given the all clear. We can leave anytime”

“No time like now” Martin said, taking Daisy’s backpack.

“Will you guys be staying with me?” she asked.

“Ah, no” Martin said as they got in the car. “We thought it’d be best if one of the QRT guys is watching over the place from a distance. They’ll rotate in shifts so there will always e someone out there. Clark and I will return to town and help Mr.Hogg and the Sheriff search other areas Lex could be”

“Ok,” Daisy said. “But I’d feel better if you guys were with me”

“We can’t risk that,” Clark answered as he started the car. “If Lex sees us in town with Hogg and the Sheriff, hopefully he’ll be convinced that we think he’s on the run. Hopefully, he’ll assume that you’re still at the farmhouse, which is why I’ve asked your cousins not to leave the farm for a few days. Hopefully, Lex will think that they’re protecting you there. Hopefully, he’ll think that he can move without concern”

“Hopefully” Daisy laughed.

“In a word” Clark winked, putting the car in gear.

As the trio drove off they didn’t notice the observant eyes of a madman watching them from a hidden vantage point near the farm.