by: MacSas

Daisy had tried desperately to make herself at home in the small cabin. Her first day had been spent airing out the single bedroom structure. She’d swept the wrap around porch at least three times. Dusted the floor rugs, mopped the wooden floors all through the cabin, opened every window, and even oiled the porch swing. Now three days into her hide out she was getting bored.

An absolute country girl at heart, she admired the scenery surrounding the cabin every day, had breakfast with every sunrise and waited out every sunset with coffee in hand. She’d fished in the nearby stream and walked the short tracks around the cabin. No one visited her, “just in case,” but she was constantly in contact with both Luke, at the farmhouse, and Martin, who spent his days at the Sheriffs office and nights at the farm. However, she was now beginning to wish she’d had the foresight to have packed more reading material than the two Tom Clancy novels she’d taken from Luke’s room. Music would have been perfect, but Martin worried that someone would hear it. And she was lucky it wasn’t cold; someone may see smoke from the stonework chimney if she lit the fire.

Now as she sat on the porch swing, watching a deer amble past the cabins small clearing, she wondered how much longer she would have to put her life on hold like this. Her superior had cleared her CSI caseload just so she could sit here and wait for Lex to make his next move. Uncle Jesse had been told by Luke to not go near the farm because they were waiting for Lex to make his next move. Bo was missing out on taking part in a Nascar race because they were waiting for Lex to make his next move. Everyone around her was waiting on Lex to make a move, and it angered her. It was bad enough that her life should be caught in a tornado spin, but those close to her were now being dragged into its down draft. One bad decision of hers was making life hell for just about everyone. How much longer was she going to have to pay for her foolish heart?

“It’s so unfair!” she yelled at the trees. “I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!”

She choked back a sob that threatened to erupt into a scream. Wallowing in self-pity had always been something that Luke had frowned on. He’d always told her to pick up her troubles and walk, everyone else had to. Dear Luke, she thought. What I wouldn’t do to have you here with me now. More brother than cousin, he always seemed to know just what to say, and never seemed to get frustrated over much. He had the kind of quiet strength and common sense to see him through any worry. And Daisy wished she had inherited more of those genes. All through her life she had been the pretty girl with the long legs and a smile to melt any mans heart. No one expected there to be much more to her, least of all a high intelligence. Despite having gone to Texas University and become a CSI, there were still those that couldn’t see past the “cute Hazzard kid” Her involvement with Lex may have just proved to them that she hadn’t really changed at all. She was still the same Daisy.

She shrugged off the self-pity she felt like wallowing in. Now wasn’t the time.

It was just after dawn when Daisy awoke to find someone standing beside the bed. At first she thought it was Martin, and smiled. However, when the dark shape leaned over and pinned her to the bed, she looked into the eyes of evil itself.

“Thought you could outsmart me, didn’t you?” Lex fumed, leaning his forearm heavily across her throat. “Well” he smiled, producing a butcher knife; “I get the last laugh now.”

Daisy screamed, even though no sound came out. It would’ve been futile anyway. No one would hear her. For Lex to be here, meant the QRT member on watch was probably dead. Lex was too smart to take a risk like this if someone was still patrolling the area.

Now, he gave her a light kiss on the forehead, and then put the knife to her throat. One of the last things Daisy would recall was how the early morning sunlight glinted off the sharp edge of the knife. And the look of absolute madness in the eyes of Lex as he ran the blade along her throat.

*   *   *   *

Almost an hour later, Boss Hogg pulled up to the front of the cabin in his sparkling white Cadillac. He took a large basket and a suitcase from the back seat and made his way to the front door. Martin and Clark had agreed to allow Boss to deliver more food to Daisy. Their hope was that if Lex were watching the cabin, he’d think Boss was simply planning on staying awhile, hence the suitcase.

He unlocked the door and walked into the spacious kitchen area, noting how clean Daisy had made it look. Even the appliances shone. At the back of the kitchen, there was a doorway that led to the hall. Boss placed the basket on the wooden table and now headed for that door. In the hallway, to his left, was the bathroom. A quick glance told him that Daisy had cleaned every nook and cranny in there too. To his right was a door that led to the lounge area, and at the end of the hall was the large bedroom with it’s own ensuite. Even in a hideout Boss loved his comforts! As he approached the bedroom area he called out to Daisy.

“I bought some food Daisy. Lulu even baked you one of her not so famous low calorie, low sugar, low fat chocolate cakes. It all equals low taste if you ask me.” He laughed.

As he reached the bedroom door, it occurred to him that there were no signs that Daisy had even gotten out of bed yet. Even more odd, there were red splotches on the hallway floor. They went from the bedroom to the doorway leading to the lounge. Boss knocked on the bedroom door.

“Daisy? It’s Boss. Are you alright gal?”

Still no answer. He slowly opened the door. The room was in darkness. He flicked on the overhead light and froze. The bed was rumpled; there were a lot more red splotches on the sheets and the floor. The entire room was a disaster site. The dresser in the corner had been toppled over. A chair in the other corner was on its side; the bedside lamp had been thrown across the room.

An uneasy feeling settled over Boss. He looked at the red splotches again, this time seeing them for what they really were. “Oh no, oh no,” he whispered over and over as he followed the trail from the bedroom to the lounge. The damage in here was even worse. Nothing was in its right place. The couch in front of the fireplace had been slid across the floor, pictures were askew, and two more lamps were lying shattered near the fireplace. The poker from the fire set was lying near a corner chair. And there was much more blood. To Boss it looked like a major fight had occurred. “Oh Daisy, I hope you fought as hard as this room thinks you did.”

In the middle of the room the stonework fireplace served as a centrepiece. A doorway to it’s right led to a small den. Boss now moved to that area, and finally found Daisy, lying half under the desk, covered in blood and bruises.

“Oh my goodness!” Boss yelled, rushing to her side.

The lower part of her throat ad been cut. She had lacerations to her arms, torso and legs. Both her eyes were blackened. There were bruises on her upper arms, and what seemed to be a stab wound to her right side.

“Daisy, honey” Boss said as he crouched beside her, unsure whether to touch her or not. “Can you hear me?”

“Mmmm….” Came the soft reply.

“Stay with me. I’ll get some towels for your throat and side, then call for help, ok?”

“Hmm…mmph.”

Her eyes opened slightly as Boss left the room.

“Mar…ty.”

Boss returned with the towels. “What was that love?”

“Hh.urtss.”

Boss gulped, not in the least surprised. “Well, you’ve had quite a time.” He placed one towel around her neck and held the other to her side. He leaned over to the CB on the desk and grabbed the handset.

What the hell do I say? he suddenly thought. The channel was monitored not only by Martin, Clark and Roscoe, but also by Bo and Luke. There was no way he was going to be able to word this without causing a panic. He took Daisy’s hand in his, in an effort to give and receive strength. Taking a deep breath he pressed the button to talk.

“This is J.D. Hogg calling Lieutenant Martin Kent, come back.”

“Marty,” Daisy whispered.

Boss squeezed her hand. “He’s coming honey, just hang in there.”

“Boss, this here’s Luke. Martin’s away from the house at the moment, can I pass on a message?”

Oh great, Boss thought. This just got better and better. How did he tell Luke Daisy was lying in a pool of blood?

“Ah, Luke.” he stopped to clear his throat, after his voice croaked.

Luke now sounded worried. “Boss, what’s going on?”

“Luke,” Boss started again, stronger voiced now. “Send a medic out to the cabin. I found Daisy on the floor. She’s in a real bad way. I’m sorry Luke”

Silence.

“Medic is on the way” came the reply, from Clark this time.

Boss put the handset down and took Daisy in his arms. If these were going to be her last moments on earth, he wanted her to know she wasn’t alone.

“Luke” she whispered, snuggling into Boss’ embrace.

“It’s Boss, honey,” Boss told her.

“Luke…tell…Luke”

“Tell him what?”

“Tell him…” she stopped to cough up blood. “Tell him…sorry. I sorry not fight…fight harder. I sorry. Tell him…tell Luke…”

Boss recalled the chaos that had greeted him upon entering the cabin, and wondered how much harder she thought she could have fought.