by: Kristy Duke

Levi Dunning’s dark brown eyes steadily scans through the smokey haze of the crowded bar while his mind slowly turns from thought to thought. ‘Damn, where is he?’ Impatience and frustration intertwines within his broad muscular framed body as he silently looks from face to face of the people that crowd around him in the hick bar. Once again, he glances down at his expensively gold watch to find that the man he is looking for is now a half hour late to steadily increase his frustration. Glancing back up at the people that surrounds him, he takes everything in with a trained eye while his thoughts return to the plan they had created; it had to work. A small smile crawls across his chiseled face as he can’t hide the excitement that begins to spread through him with his thoughts of the plans, the plans that will change the future for everyone in the hick town.

Taking a deep breath, Levi slowly slips back down into his old wooden chair and grabs onto his condensed beer mug and as he brings it up to take another drink from his watered down beer, a small beefy hand lands upon his broad shoulder. Surprise fuels the anger within him as beer melts down the condensed cup and onto his muscular hand that grabs tightly onto the glass handle and he forcefully sets the mug down onto the old torn table clothed table. “Lookin’ for someone?” a deep southern voice comes from behind him as the hand seems to sink into his shoulder. A long moment passes by as Levi fights to control his raging emotions before he glances back to find it to be a short round man dressed in an expensive three piece white suit with a matching Stetson hat. Under his hat was the mans thickly dark gray eye brows above a pair of piercing brown eyes and a thick cigar stuck within the man’s cocky smiling mouth, the cigar clinging desperately between the man’s thick beefy index and middle finger. “Sorry I’m so late,” the man takes his hand off of Levi’s shoulder to pull out an gold pocket watch, “I got hung up at the office.”

“Look Hogg,” Levi’s deep voice brings the attention from a few people that surround his small table before he lower’s his voice, “I’m in no moods for any of your games or for your damn lateness. We agreed upon a time and a date…I was here!”

“Hey take it easy,” the local commissioner raises his hands in surrender before waving his hand with the cigar towards the closed door that rests in the back of the bar, a cloud of smoke follows the cigar’s path, “let’s take this to the office.”

Levi silently nods as he slowly arises from his wooden chair to once again scan the crowd through trained watchful eyes before coming across his attractive brunette waitress who wipes down the bar. “Are you comin’?” Hogg’s voice brings him back from his personal thoughts and he slowly follows the trail Hogg leaves behind him. “As I said, I’m sorry I was late. . .it wasn’t planned,” Hogg was saying as he unlocks the ugly brown door and it swings open before stepping in, “I had to give orders to my sheriff and for some unknown reason, he had difficulties understanding what they were.”

“So you’ve said,” Dunning answers with an irritated voice as he scans the large office room, glaring at the well manicured pool table and the green carpeting. A large trophy fish proudly hangs above the pool table upon the left wall while a stuffed small wild cat rests upon the back wall along with several different picture lie scattered across the ugly decorated walls. “Caggers and Randly had prior arrangements so they are unable to attend your so called meeting…but the last I knew, when you schedule a damn meeting, you arrive on time!”

“Ok, ok,” Hogg sighs as he climbs upon the large barber chair that lies on the right half of the room, a few feet the pool table and a foot or so in front of a polished oak desk while an swivel chair sits besides the barber chair, shoved under the desk, “Next time I’ll be early, how’s that? Just relax. You wanna another drink? I’ll buy.”

Levi stares coldly at the crooked commissioner for a long moment before slowly nodding in agreement, more so for the moment to think things through than for the drink. “Well if you’re buying,” a small smile flashes upon Levi’s tan face, “then sure…I’ll have another drink.”

Hogg snorts something undistinguishable before leaning over and pressing down a metal button to a speaker before saying, “Daisy.”

“Yes Boss?” a soft southern voice comes across the CB.

“I’ll need two beers in my office,” Hogg responds while sucking upon his cigar before finishing, “as soon as you can get it here.”

“Yes Boss,” the woman answers before silence comes across the speakers and Hogg turns his chair to face his company once again before shoving the lighted end of his small fat cigar roughly into his black plastic ash tray on the desk. Glaring at the dark haired muscular man that stands in the entry way, his mind races within him of his latest scheme to get rid of the Dukes and earn money while doing so. Despite the excitement that rushes within him at the thought of gaining money and losing the Dukes, doubt and wariness creeps steadily within him.

“Why don’t you have a seat, Levi?” Boss finally speaks up motioning to the wooden booth that rests upon the far wall and back at the swivel chair that rests besides him, “We’re in no hurry, are we?”

Levi takes a deep long breath before slowly nodding while he walks over to the wooden booth table, wanting as much distance between him and the fat man as much as possible. “Perhaps not,” Levi answers as the door is quickly opened and his brunette waitress walks in holding onto two mugs full of beer.

“Here you go Boss,” a wary smile crosses the attractive woman’s tan face as she hands the commissioner his beer first and Hogg motions for the other one to be given to Levi.

“Thank-you ma’am,” Levi grins at the waitress Hogg had called Daisy hands Levi his drink and he instantly takes a long drink from his beer.

“That’ll be all,” Hogg quickly dismisses the waitress who silently nods before eyeing Levi one last time before leaving the roomy office, closing the door behind her. “So why isn’t Caggers and Randly here?”

“As I said, they had other and prior appointments to attend to,” Levi sighs with frustration as he rushes his muscular hand through his thick black hair before glaring up at the commissioner, “don’t you worry none…they’ll be here when you need them to be.”

Silence once again begins to accumulate within the humid office while Hogg grabs a new cigar and silently lights it with a match. “Didn’t think I needed to worry,” Hogg slowly speaks up slowly sizing up his new business partner, fighting to decide if it was a wise choice to chose them. He sighs heavily while coming across a disturbing thought, it’s too late for doubts. “I just had to make sure.”

“Of course,” Levi silently nods as he stares coldly at Hogg for a long moment before dragging out a hard box of Marlboro Cigarettes out of the chest pocket of his skin tight black t-shirt. Allowing his thoughts to process within him, Levi stares blankly at his creamy yellow lighter for a long moment before he slowly lights his cigarette. Watching the red ashes light up and a thin trail of smoke climbs within the smokey room, Levi silently shoves his lighter back into the hard box that is only half full of cigarettes. “In our business…it is best to be sure.”

“Ah,” Hogg’s bushy eye brows arch up while he puffs upon his fat cigar while nodding in agreement, “a good rule to live by as well.”

Breathing the smoke in deeply from the butt of his cigarette, Levi nods while taking another long look around Hogg’s office before his dark eyes rests upon the overweight commissioner dressed in white. Taking in his new boss with watchful and alert eyes, he allows his mind to wonder through the plans he has through Hogg and the alternative set of plans he has with his friends. “So Hogg,” Levi breaks the silence as he shoves the ashes from his cigarette into the ash tray before taking another drag upon his half smoked cigarette, “how’s this plan of yours working out? Caggers is getting impatient with all this waiting. You promised the shop would be up and running two days ago.”

“I know, I know,” Hogg puts his beefy hands up in surrender, “that is why I called for this meeting. My men have been working day and night in order to clean it all up and to put the supplies where they should be as well as to make a sign. The sign is already hanging upon the building announcing your arrival and they already have a few shelves packed and priced,” Hogg smiles boldly at the tall muscular man that eyes him with cold dark eyes, “it is just the minimal things that need to be done…I told them I would give them until Wednesday to finish up and that you would move in on Thursday. That way we can move on in our plans.”

“Caggers isn’t going to be too happy to hear about more delay Hogg, he is already ready to advance in our plans,” Levi takes a long drink of his watered down beer, “but it don’t sound like he has much choice…neither of us does.” Levi takes a long drink once again as he stares over the fat man’s white shoulder in a half daze before returning his hardened eyes upon Hogg, ” You have any drivers yet to make the run?”

“Not yet,” Hogg abruptly answers glaring at his new business associate, “I’ll get my driver when the time is right…which will be in a couple of days. I may need a little help from you or one of your guys to blackmail the men I have picked out to drive. . .I’ll let you know tomorrow if I need your help.”

“Sure Hogg,” Levi speaks up as he smashes out the rest of his cigarette within the scarred black plastic ash tray that sits upon the restaurant style booth table before turning back to Boss Hogg, “you know where to find us if you need our help. Just remember, we are ready to run as of now! You get your men up and moving or we’ll be forced to take the matter in our own hands!” Levi abruptly arises from his seat while drinking the rest of the beer in a large gulp before walking towards Hogg to stand threatenly over him.

“No need for threats, Levi,” Hogg’s dark eyes narrow in fear as sweat breaks lose from under his white Stetson to streak down his cheeks, “just allow my men til Thursday to finish up and you can be in on Thursday. Just give me til Thursday and we’ll be set.”

“Thursday Hogg,” Levi threatens as he moves towards the door, “Thursday or else you’ll be out of the plan…me and my men can take it from here if you aren’t going to cooperate.”

“It’ll be done by Thursday morning,” Hogg fights for control as he answers.

“OK Thursday,” Levi nods as he opens the door and the roar of the crowded bar and from the juke box roars into the silent room. Levi looks back before closing the door, “Thanks for the drink, Hogg.”

 

 

***GARRETT DUKE***

 

Taking a last drink from my watered down beer, I glare coldly at the people that surrounds the long table. “Y’all are a waste of time. . .my time!” I snap as I angrily slam the glass harshly down upon the aged table to send a series of cracks racing across the thick glass. Brushing off a few pebbles of glass from my hand, I glance across the table at Ethan who watches me with un-certainty in his gray-green eyes. “C’mon Ethan, let’s go; unless you’d rather hitch a ride into town from one of these losers.”

An eery silence follows my statement as I continue to watch Ethan, seeking an answer, while I yank my hard box of Marlboro Lights from the inside pocket of my racing coat. “I’ll . . .I’ll go with you, I guess,” Ethan glances around the table in discomfort before he slowly stands up.

“Fine with me,” a thin smile spreads across my face as I angrily light my cigarette with my cheap lighter. Replacing my cigarette box and lighter back into my inside pocket, I blow a heavy breath of smoke towards Bo who sits at the end of the table. Anger and pain flare within his watered eyes as he suddenly begins to cough wheezily and forcefully.

“You dumb jackass!” Luke angrily stands up to send his chair back a few feet. He glances over to Bo protectively, who desperately grabs his inhaler out of his pocket, before taking a threatening step closer to me.

“Hey, hey,” I hold my hands back in a surrendering motion, “we’re gone. Just tryin’ to prove a point here. There is no way you can come into a bar without smoke, so if y’all afraid of a little smokey, maybe you shouldn’t come.”

Anger continues to flash within his bright blue e yes as he takes another step closer to me. “You know damn well that once you light up, he’s going to have an reaction!” he yells before glancing back at Bo who continues to cough and then glares back at me, “that’s why we sat back in the ‘no smoking’ corner. He was fin ’til you lit up a few minutes ago!”

“And y’all knew I smoked!” I snap back at him before blowing a cloud of smoke into his face.

His anger intensifies as he abruptly rushes towards me to harshly grab onto my gray long sleeve shirt, under my coat, before I can react. I fight to hide the small worm of fear and surprise that begins to grow within me as he slams me harshly against the back wall. Pain ripples down my back and through my neck to my head that roughly slams into the wall. Tears of pain cloud my vision as I glare down at my half smoked cigarette that I had dropped. “You don’t feel so tough now, do you?” he yells at me, while continuing to pin me against the wall, “Next time you decide to pick on Bo, you’ll be aware that you’ll have me to deal with!”

My vision slowly clears and I glare coldly at him as I throw my hands upon his wrists, fighting to claw myself free. “Do I look like I care? Does it look like I’m afraid of you? Because I am not afraid of you or anyone in this town! You are nothing!” I snarl at him as Cooter and Ethan surrounds us. I watch Ethan step out my cigarette before glaring back at Luke. “Now let me go!”

“C’mon Luke,” Cooter places a friendly hand upon Luke’s tense shoulder, “you said what you needed to be said. . .Bo’s fine.”

Luke glares harshly at me before glancing over at Bo who remains sitting at the table, his coughing residing into wheezing. Looking back at me, he reluctantly lets go of my shirt before saying, “Leave him alone!”

“Let’s go Garre,” Ethan steps closer to me, pleading me with his intense green eyes to leave.

I silently nod as I glare coldly at Luke before walking past Luke, harshly running into his shoulder and arm on my way past. “Damn idiots,” I angrily say, loud enough to be heard.

An awkward silence abruptly filters across the smokey bar as I feel everyone’s eyes planted upon Ethan and I. “Nice going Garrett,” Ethan sighs besides me as he sends a shaky hand through his curly copper brown hair, “Luke has a point to be mad as does everyone at that table. What you think Kristy is gonna say when she hears about this?”

I shoot Ethan an angered look as I pull another cigarette out of my box. “If I wanted your opinion, I’d have asked for it,” I harshly respond as I watch the end of my cigarette light up within a puff, “and Kristy will get over it. I’m damn tired of being compared to Bo, tired of being criticized and watched over.”

I glance back over at Ethan as we begin to walk past the long bar to find Ethan staring silently at his boots. A couple of feet away, Daisy stands behind the bar, glaring disapprovingly at me. “Look, I didn’t mean to upset you, Ethan, or to place you in an awkward place,” I sigh heavily as we slowly reach the old, splintered door that sends chilly air rushing into the warm bar, “and if you’d rather go with them or anyone, you can.”

Stopping at the closed door, he stares decisively at me for a long moment before responding, “No, I tol’ you that I am with you. As long as the ride is still offered, I’ll take it, I just didn’t appreciate your stunt back there.”

“Ok c’mon,” I offer him a thin smile before I roughly throw open the door to be greeted by a rough, icy cold wind. A starless blanket of thick darkness covers the chilly winter night as we slowly step out onto the dirt parking lot. A couple of dull street lamps are spread across the parking lot to send shadowy figures of vehicles across the lot. “This way,” I nod to our left and we begin to walk along the bumpers of parked cars and trucks.

Silence drifts between us for a long moment as we glance through the parked vehicles. A deep sense of pride washes through me upon reaching the bumper of my 1970 Mustang Mach I. A set of men’s whispering from somewhere close comes to a quick halt as we stop at my car’s bumper to step out my dying cigarette. “When are you going to let me drive Spittin’ Cobra?” Ethan asks as he takes a couple of steps alongside the passenger side of the car, “I think tonight would be a great time for me to drive it.”

“You think, do you?” Well you better -” I slowly cut myself off as I walk alongside my car, only to find a large dark shadow sitting behind the steering wheel. A mixture of fear and anger begins to grow within me at the sight of someone sitting boldly in my car, my hood stands open to block the view through the windshield. “I don’t know who you think you are,” I angrily hiss as I throw open the drivers door and the large figure abruptly turns from my dash board to glare up at me, “but you need to get the hell out of my car! Now!”

Through the haze of the dome light, I take in the intruder’s hardened green eyes, handsomely chiseled face, and thick black hair. “No offense,” the man waves his hands at me before he slowly stands up, standing an inch or two taller than I, “Trent and I were only checking out your ride. Impressive, if I do say so myself.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion!” I snap angrily at him as a large figure moves out from under my hood and I glare from man to man before glaring harshly at the man in front of me, “You were in my car!”

“You did a lot of work on the car,” the man that he called Trent says while leaning against the side of me car, resting a muscular hand upon the open hood, eyeing Ethan who cautiously takes a few steps closer, “you must be a hell of a mechanic.”

“That ain’t the damn point! You were in my car! You have no right to be in my car or even touch my car!” I continue to yell at the man in front of me, my temper flushing through me, “Get away from my car!”

The two man exchanges looks for a short moment before the man in front of me glares daringly at me. “Well,” he starts off as he places his muscular hands deeply within the pockets of his black leather coat, “We was wondering how much you would sell it to us for.”

I glare in disbelief at him for a long moment before commenting, “It’s not for sale, now move it!”

“I don’t think you understand,” the leader of the two quickly responds, “Trent and I have some serious money that we could give you for your car.”

“I don’t care…it’s not for sale!” I stubbornly answer as I try to move around him to open the door only for him to step in the way, “Move it!”

He grins ornery at me for a long moment before saying, “Trent show him the money.”

“I’m not interested in seeing you’re damn money, because I’m not selling my car! Now get out of my way!” I angrily yell only for him to smirk at me while motioning me to watch Trent fanning the money. “Very nice, but I’m still not selling my car,” I silently glance over the man’s broad shoulder at Ethan who slowly nods before walking alongside the car, while watching Trent. “Now move it!”

“We didn’t ask if you were interested in selling your car,” he shrugs before glancing over at Trent who takes another step closer to me, “rather we asked how much you’re selling it for. . . because you are selling it to me.”

“Yeah? Well think again,” I grin coldly at him as I tightly grab onto his coat and harshly shove him against the rusted blue truck that is parked besides me. Shock enters his dark eyes for a brief moment before he throws his hands upon mine, scratching me in attempt to be let go of. A dark shadow moving to my left catches my attention as Ethan attacks Trent, to stop him from helping his friend.

 

 

Pain harshly spreads across my trembling body as I am helplessly thrown against the blue entrance door of The Boar’s Nest. I yell out in pain and surprise as glass and large wooden splinters explodes around me as the door concaves against my pressure. Silence abruptly explodes through the smokey bar as I painfully fall against the broken door and onto the floor.

I slowly roll over to get up on my hands and knees despite the pain that screams at me as the leader quickly approaches me. “Maybe next time you’ll take my offer seriously,” he grunts as he kicks me in the chest and I fall back onto the floor. Sensing another kick, I quickly roll away to grab onto the cold wall to help me up onto my feet.

“It’s not for sale!” I hiss angrily at him as I abruptly block his punch by grabbing harshly onto his muscular wrist and I quickly yank his arm quickly and tightly behind his back. Throwing him face first into the thin wooden walls, I notice thin long splinters and thick broken pieces of glass lining the back of my right hand, sending thick streaks of blood trailing down my wrist. “Maybe you’ll learn not to mess with me,” I grunt as I tightly hold him against the wall, continuing to yank at his arm behind his back, “Where’s Etha-”

“Back here, plowboy!” a thick angry voice yells out from behind me and I slowly glance over my shoulder to find Trent holding Ethan tightly around the neck with his left elbow while his right hand holds a silver hand gun tightly to Ethan’s right temple. Fear radiates within Ethan’s gray-green eyes as blood slowly oozes from a small cut upon his right upper forehead, “You let him go or everyone here is going to have to watch your buddy here die violently.”

I swallow silently as I take in Ethan’s beaten body and up at Trent who motions with the gun of his intent before glancing back at the leader who stares silently at the thin wooden wall. “Take it easy Trent,” I calmly respond as I yank the leader back by yanking his arm around. A sliver of relief prematurely enters Trent’s blue eyes, I harshly throw the leader’s muscular body into Trent and Ethan to send Trent, the leader, and Ethan falling onto the floor.

Noticing that he’s free of Trent’s grip and out from under his gun, Ethan quickly rolls away to get back onto his feet before the two strangers are able to catch him. “Thanks, Garrett,” he sighs in relief as he eyes the two strangers standing up, “You OK?”

“I’ll be fine,” I grunt as I eye the floor, searching for the gun that had held Ethan captive to come up empty, “Where’s the gun?”

“I. . .I,” Ethan stammers as he glances around the floor, “I don’t know, it slid over there by the door.”

I glance to where he is pointing in time to find another person unrecognizable picks up something shiny that reflects the dim lights of the bar. “That’s right plowboy,” the leader grins to bring my attention back to him only to get punched harshly across the face and I fall back a couple of steps before catching my balance once again. “No more gun,” his smile widens as he goes to throw another powerful punch only for me to quickly block it and back hand him across the face.

“Freeze!” a familiar voice rings through the silent bar as the leader harshly sends a side kick harshly into my chest and I collapse back onto the dusty wooden floor. Pain and anger flood through me as I struggle to catch the breath he had knocked out of me and I silently wonder if this is how Bo felt when I had blown my smoke into his face. A moment of guilt rushes through me as I weakly climb back onto my feet with Ethan’s help only to block another powerful punch from the leader. Glaring angrily at the tall muscular leader, I quickly duck another punch to throw a punch harshly into his nose, his nose breaking under the pressure of my fist. “I said, freeze!” the sheriff’s voice grows agitated and closer as I quickly take a step back to watch thick blood flowing from the stranger’s nose.

“My nose!” the man yells as he instinctively throws his hands up to his nose and thick blood gushes from in between his fingers before Trent offers him his handkerchief and he quickly pinches his nose with it. After a moment of watching the white handkerchief turning red with blood, I slowly turn around to find the aging sheriff making his way through the crowd and to us. Surprise and anger shine in Sheriff Coltrane’s bright blue eyes as he looks up to see the stranger’s bloody nose before eyeing me with accusatory eyes. “He broke my nose!” the leader whines as tears clouds his dark eyes.

“Garrett Duke and Ethaniel McKleen!” Rosco yells as he takes an accusatory step closer to us, his eyes hardened with anger, “You mind explaining the situation here?!”

I silently glance over at Ethan who stares questionably back at me before taking a step back against the wall, his hand goes up to the cut upon his forehead. “They started it sheriff,” I turn back to point at them, realizing how childish it must sound, “Ethan and I were going to leave when we found him,” I point back at the leader, “sitting behind the wheel of my car while his buddy there looked under my hood! I wouldn’t be surprised if they stole -”

“We didn’t steal nothing!” Trent angrily yells while taking a threatening step closer to where I stand.

“Well for all I know, they were planning on stealing my car!” I yell back at him while staring harshly at him before turning to Rosco, “Then they had the nerve to ask me to sell MY car to them! When I refused to sell them MY car, they refused to let me into my car!”

Rosco stares harshly at me for a long moment before glancing over at the two strangers for a moment as the bar momentarily fades into silence. “OK Duke,” the sheriff interrupts the brief silence as he glares back at me, “Who started the fight? Who threw the first punch?”

“I’ll tell you who, sheriff,” the leader says through his blood covered handkerchief while pointing a bloody finger at me, “he did . . . they did! He broke my nose!”

“Well then Garrett Duke and Ethaniel McKleen,” Rosco pauses as he glances across the bar before motioning Deputy Enos Strate to come over. Turning his attention back at Ethan and I, he continues, “I am going to have to arrest you for fighting and for breaking public property. If these two kind citizens wish to press charges for assault -”

“We want to press charges!” the leader snaps angrily while glaring accusingly at me, “He broke my nose!”

“OK,” Rosco nods understandingly as his deputy approaches us, “and for assault. Enos, I want you to arrest these two criminals and lock ’em up tight in a cell at the station. Don’t forget to read them their rights and follow all the steps.”

“Yes sir,” Enos obediently takes Rosco’s handcuffs from him before he slowly turns to Ethan where he nicely asks him to turn around. I watch in disbelief as Enos slowly wraps the metal around Ethan’s wrists before he turns to me. “Turn around Garrett,” Enos whispers and I slowly do as I am told to do, placing my hands behind my back.

“Kind citizens?!” I harshly ask while glaring over at the sheriff before glancing across the silent bar to find Bo, Luke, LB, and Cooter still at their table, watching. “They were going to steal my car! If that isn’t bad enough, he -” I point to Trent, “Trent held Ethan at gun point!”

“At gun point?” Rosco asks as more surprise enters his bright blue eyes as he turns to the two strangers, “Show me the gun.”

“I ain’t got not gun!” Trent grunts, glaring threatenly at me.

“That’s because you threw it over there and he -” I start to motion towards the man that had picked up the gun to find him not to be there any more, “and someone else picked it up for you!”

Rosco makes a motion to look where I look before glaring back at me, “I don’t see anyone that has a gun or see a gun in general. I think you’re making things up, Garrett Duke!”

“You can ask anyone in this bar,” I begin, glaring coldly at the sheriff, “other than them two, and they will back us up. They held Ethan at gun point until I knocked it out of their hands and someone picked it up for them!”

Rosco glares at me for a moment before glancing around the bar that remains in silence for a long moment before Jon Lebret speaks up, “He held him at gun point sheriff, I was here the whole time. They threw Garrett through the door and then that there guy forced Ethan through the door way with a gun to his head.”

“Where’s the gun, then Jon?” Rosco demands and Jon glances around, his green eyes glancing from person to person, “That’s what I thought. No gun, no evidence. It leaves their word against theirs!” Rosco turns away from Jon who shrugs at me as if saying he tried, I force a smile of gratitude for his attempt. Turning back to us with angered blue eyes, Rosco orders Enos, “Read them their rights, Enos!”

Turning me around to face him and Ethan, Enos slowly fishes a small note card out of his blue uniform chest pocket. “You have the right to . . .” he reluctantly reads off of the card.

A short moment of silence floats across the bar as Enos puts the card back into his pocket while everyone watches in anticipation of what will happen. “I find all this uncalled for,” the leader snaps through the silence, blood now flowing throw the blood stained handkerchief, “all I wanted to know was how much his car was on sale for and he attacks me!”

“You jackass!” I yell angrily at him before spitting on him, “You liar! My car isn’t on sale and you -”

“Enos!” Rosco yells as annoyance creeps across his face, “Please take the prisoners to jail and book ’em.”

Enos slowly nods before jerking us forward by the chains of the handcuffs, leading us out into the dark, cold night.

***LUKE DUKE***

 

 

Anger continues to accelerate within me as I silently watch the local deputy quickly escorting Garrett and Ethan through the broken down door and out into the cold wintry night. My mind numbly rushes through the last half hour’s events, rotating around the fight I had with Garrett to be quickly followed by Garrett being thrown against the weak door. “Wonder what Hogg has cookin’ this time,” Cooter silently says under his breath to slice into the thick silence that had surrounded our table, “I mean this whole incident smells of Hogg…why else would Rosco totally dismiss the gun?”

“I don’t think Rosco was expecting the gun,” LB quickly responds to draw my attention and he shrugs nonchalantly, “well to me, he seemed to expect something, how he sat back in the corner all by himself…kinda just watching and waiting.”

I nod silently as I slowly take it all in before glancing around the crowded bar as people start to commerce amongst themselves while the jukebox begins to play a Toby Keith song. Glancing back at Bo, my thoughts melt into worry as I watch his thin chest heaving heavily in and out in his struggle for air. Glancing back at LB and Cooter, I slowly respond, “Yeah it sorta had that feel to it, but then again, this is Hazzard, time will only tell.”

“That’s for sure,” Cooter smiles before his attention is drawn to Bo and his eyes dim into his own concern, “probably sooner rather than later too. What caught me is odd, is that it took him awhile before he responded…from Garrett getting thrown into the door from him breaking the guy’s nose…I don’t think that was expected either.”

“Of course not…no one would agree to start a fight if they knew their nose was to be broken by the end of the fight,” LB shrugs once again before taking another drink from his beer, “especially to someone whose looks seem important to him.”

Silence quickly surrounds our table as what LB had just said seems to linger thickly above, allowing everyone to digest the truth of it. “A set up…Hazzard style,” Cooter grins interrupting the silence once again as he glances around to eye the stranger who sits at the bar with his friend, holding his broken nose in a wad of tissue, “can’t say I feel too bad for either party…after all Garrett had done.” Cooter shrugs, turning his attention to Bo, “Though I guess I feel bad for Ethan, he kinda just got drug into it all.”

I fight to hide the anger that continues to radiate within me towards Garrett, of what he had done to Bo and for his behavior towards everyone. “Perhaps this’ll cool ’em down,” I finally answer while listening to Bo’s wheezy breathing before I turn to worriedly take him in again. A brief moment passes before he glances over at me to catch me watching only to send my worry growing within me at seeing harsh pain and fear radiating in his baby blue eyes. “C’mon Bo,” I break the silence as I stiffly stand up to grab my denim coat from the back of my chair, “I think it’s time to get you home.”

He silently nods before he weakly pulls himself up to his feet to pull his own coat from the back of his wooden chair before he glances across the table. “Y’all take care of yourselves,” Cooter waves at us, “the law is usually after you instead of Garrett … they onto Garrett, only means they are a step or two behind you.”

“That’s a ten four, Cooter,” I nod at them both before putting a protective arm around Bo’s shoulders before beginning to walk through the smokey bar to the open door way.

 

 

*****

 

 

Anger flairs thickly within his dark brown eyes as he stares harshly over his half smoked cigar at the two strangers that had started the fight last night. “What’s this I hear that you held Ethan at gun point?!” Hogg stares demandingly at the shorter of the two men who silently bites his lower lip while staring at the wooden floor like a whipped puppy, “I’m talking to you! When I talk, you listen…when I ask, you answer! What’s this I hear, Trent?!”

“Look Mr. Hogg,” he finally looks up at the fat round man that sits behind the desk and over to his left where the mumbling sheriff stands, a proud look upon his face before glaring back at Hogg, “the one we was after…Garrett? Well he had Levi there against the wall pretty hard and I didn’t know what to do, so I did what came natural.”

“Came natural?” Hogg squints at the criminal in disbelief as his anger seems to escalate within his small, fat body; all of it dictated towards Trent, “That’s not what I hired you for…neither one of you! What I tell you? No guns…no weapons, and most of all, no one gets hurt!”

“They didn’t get hurt,” Levi finally says as he brings a muscular hand up to his tender nose, “I did! He broke my damn nose!”

“So I see,” Hogg snorts before harshly smashing his cigar out in a metal ash tray before glaring up at them, “you also said, that you could defend yourselves…that you were good fighters. Well after last night, I can see that neither one of you are good fighters not alone unable to defend yourselves! We had an agreement…and you broke it!” He points a fat finger at Trent.

“Where to now, Hogg?” Levi finally asks after a brief moment of silence, “I am sure Trent won’t pull what he did last night again…we all have an understanding. Perhaps in the heat of things, he forgot.”

“Great, he forgot,” Hogg’s southern accent is filled with sarcasm as he rolls his large brown eyes, “so next time you all are in a confrontation, you may just go off and kill someone just because you forgot?! I don’t think so!” Hogg suddenly sits up straight in his chair to make everyone jump, “I gave you two orders…no weapons! End of story…not only did you run a risk of someone getting hurt, you also ran the risk of allowing Garrett to get away! You’re lucky my sheriff here was able to think of something to hold the charge onto!”

“Look Hogg,” Levi’s voice is filled with impatience, “we did our job, we got your man and the only person that got hurt, was me! Where’s the money?”

“The money? You’ll see it after your next job is done,” Hogg snorts, “you won’t get it all of course, because you failed at following my rules…but you’ll get three fourths of what you had coming.”

An awkward silence floats across the smokey bar as anger floats amongst the two strangers at the thought of a pay decrease. “We did your job!” Levi yells, this time Hogg jumps as both men take a threatening step closer to his desk, “Trent messed up…they didn’t get hurt!”

“As I said, we don’t forget things like that here in Hazzard,” Hogg glances up at the two men, struggling to show the men who is in charge, “I may not care for the Dukes, their family or what the stand for, but I will not have you or your men pulling out guns in my county! At them or at anyone! No one will get hurt in my county! You hear me?!”

“Yes sir,” both men say silently as they glance down momentarily before Levi slowly walks over to the small window that over looks Main Street. The late dawn’s sky slowly shifts into an hazy gray sky as small droplets of rain melt through the haze and down onto the dry earth below. Glaring past the rain, Levi watches an old beat up truck slowly pulling into the parking lot of the small wooden garage across the street; after a moment, a grease stained outfitted man steps out to run to the locked garage door. Levi watches the man slowly throw the wooden door open only to disappear within, a moment later the closed sign upon the walk-in door changes to open. “Who owns the garage, across the street?” Levi breaks the silence, “He was sittin’ with them last night.”

“Of course he was,” Boss’ reply is short and still filled with anger, “that’s Cooter Davenport…a family friend of the Dukes. Why?”

“Just wonderin’,” Levi shrugs as he takes a step away from the window to stand back in front of Hogg, “OK Hogg, we messed up and we’ll take your pay next time, but this will be the last time! We did our job!”

“I’m glad you’ll take it, because it’s that or nothing,” Hogg replies with confidence in his voice, “and if there is a next time of what happened last night, you’ll be out the door without any pay! You understand? I have my shop, I can find others like you who will do the job…do the job my way.”

“We understand, sir,” Trent speaks up.

“Glad to hear that,” a confident smile spreads across Hogg’s chubby face, “now onto business. My sheriff here is going to go down and retrieve Garrett and Ethan, when they get up here we are gonna make the deal. You ready?”

“Yes sir,” both men nod soberly despite the giddiness of their plans that erupt within them.

“OK Rosco,” Hogg motions towards the door, “go get ’em.”

A puzzled look crosses the sheriff’s face as he brings his attention from the closed window to his boss as he fights to remember what they were talking about. “Get who, Boss?” he asks, fearing his boss’s reply.

“Garrett and Ethan, you numbskull!” Boss yells pointing violently towards the door, “Who else?”

“Yes sir,” Rosco nods as he silently makes his way towards the door as he thinks of the arrest he had made last night, of Hogg’s future plans.

***ETHAN MCKLEEN***

 

Exhaustion rushes roughly through me as I rest silently upon the old torn cot that is hooked heavily upon the metal bars of the left cell of the two cells that line the back downstairs wall. Anger washes in and out through the thick haze that seems to fill me, anger directed at the local law for being so blind. How could they arrest us? Garrett may have thrown the first punch and may have broken the guy’s nose, but doesn’t he have the right to defend his vehicle? He asked the guy nicely and he still refused to move, what else was Garrett expected to do? They hold me at gun point and yet, it is us who gets arrested?

“Damn it,” I slowly mutter to break the silence that had formed between us as I glance up at Garrett who sits on the cold cement floor, nearest to the barred locked door, “I may be somewhat new here, but how is it, that we are arrested? I mean…after all they did?”

“Only in Hazzard,” Garrett shakes his head in disgust as he glances up towards the small barred in window that rests at ground level as a soft pitter-patter begins to cling somewhere near. “Starting to rain,” Garrett responds in explanation before turning his attention back at me, “I haven’t been here much longer than you, but after seeing them after Bo and Luke so much, I guess I should have expected it. Me being a Duke and all,” he sighs heavily as his eyes seem to fade somewhere else before coming back to me, “I guess this will teach me to back them up more often…after what I did to them, they surely won’t be knocking on the door with bail; neither will Kristy.”

“That’s for sure,” I grunt and he looks up at me with surprise that I agreed with him, “sorry, but after all you did to them, I wouldn’t either.”

Garrett silently nods while looking down at his black work boots before looking up at me before saying, “Yeah, I guess I wouldn’t either.”

Once again, silence begins to grow between us as Garrett glances over my shoulder to stare into the rain that continues to race down upon the dry ground and I glance down at my own boots, thinking of the last few hours. Somewhere upstairs a door squeaks open only to be snapped tightly shut, heavy footsteps echoes upon the ceiling; growing closer. I sigh heavily as the footsteps grow louder upon the hollow stairs that lead downstairs, where we sit.

“Rise and shine, jail birds,” Rosco’s cheerful voice abruptly slices through the silence that had began to grow between Garrett and I. Simultaneously, Garrett and I both look up at the stair way to find Rosco’s shadow upon the far white wall before Rosco comes into view. “Khee. . .khee, I love it! I finally caught myself a Duke, not the ones I was hoping for, but a Duke non the less.”

“You’re barking up the wrong tree, Rosco,” Garrett snaps harshly at the local sheriff who takes a step back as he glares back at Garrett who stares coldly at the sheriff. A moment passes before Rosco slowly gains his posture to step up to the locked barred door, eyeing Garrett cautiously and at me.

“That’s enough out of you boy,” Rosco’s bright blue eyes harden as he stares at Garrett who sits un-movingly on the floor, staring ahead and away from Rosco, “OK Duke, I want you to stand up where you are…and Ethan, I want you to join Garrett by the wall.” I slowly nod as I stiffly stand from sitting upon the old cot where I had sat since being locked within the small jail cell; the metal door clinging shut behind us continues to echo within me. “Very good Ethan,” Rosco eyes Garrett who remains sitting upon the floor in a relaxed position, “get up Garrett! Now!”

Garrett slowly eyes the sheriff with hardened icy gray-blue eyes before he slowly inches himself back upon his feet before demanding, “Where’s our phone call?! We are entitled to a phone call!”

“Relax Duke, you’ll get it as soon as we finish our visit with the commissioner,” Rosco answers almost giddily, “Boss wants to talk to you first.”

“Well maybe I don’t want to talk with him,” Garrett snaps as Rosco hesitantly opens the metal door, continuing to eye Garrett with caution as he takes out a couple of handcuffs from his belt, “or you for that matter.”

“Too bad for you…prisoners don’t get much choice here, if you haven’t noticed. Now I want you both to turn around and face the wall, placing your hands behind your back,” I glance over at Garrett for a moment before I slowly do as I am told to do and I wince as the cuffs are locked tightly around my wrists. “Your turn, Garrett, turn around.” As Garrett refuses to move, Rosco grabs tightly onto Garrett’s coat to force him around, yanking his arms tightly around his back before locking his muscular wrists within a spare set of cuffs. “OK boys, lets go.”

Silence once again fills the basement as Rosco yanks harshly upon the chains of our handcuffs, yanking us forward towards the narrow stairs. Slowly walking up the stairs before Garrett and Rosco, my mind races quickly within me as I silently wonder what this is all about; what the commissioner really wants. “Run for it,” Garrett whispers in my ear, “we get lose, we could find someone to cut the cuffs…would really throw the sheriff off if you started it.”

“Hush it!” Rosco growls from behind us, shoving us forward faster, “Quicken your pace…Boss is a busy man, he doesn’t have all day for a pair of losers as you two!”

Taking a deep breath I slowly walk up the last couple of steps to be in the spacious sheriff’s station before Rosco yanks our cuffs to the right where Hogg’s office lies with the door closed. Reaching the door, Rosco orders, “Open it, nice and easy now.” Nodding, I slowly do as I am told to do and as we are ushered into the commissioner’s office, we are greeted by Hogg’s round figure behind his desk and the two strangers we had fought with last night standing at the edges of the old desk.

“There is no way that I am going to be in the same room as them,” Garrett grunts before spitting angrily at the most threatening of the two men, the one with the broken nose. The man Garrett had fought stands to Hogg’s left side of his desk with a white bandage spread across the middle of his nose.

“You have no choice!” Rosco yells, pulling back Garrett’s handcuffs angrily, “You will listen to what they have to say!”

Silence slowly fills the smokey room as the two strangers stare coldly at us while Hogg cautiously takes us in as he lights up a fat cigar. “Well sheriff, where’s your manners? Why don’t you un-cuff these two here men and let them have a seat?” Hogg smiles at Garrett and I.

“But Boss,” Rosco pleas from behind us, “these two here criminals are known to be dangerous…I mean after all they -”

“Un-cuff them Rosco,” Boss sucks upon his cigar as Rosco hesitantly unlocks my handcuffs before un-cuffing Garrett, “now gentlemen, why don’t you take a seat.”

I slowly nod before stepping in front of Garrett to sit in the right wooden chair and Garrett slowly follows me to sit next to me. “What you want, Boss?” Garrett hisses as he eyes the strangers coldly before eyeing Hogg.

“First of all, I want to apologize for the incident last night,” Hogg continues to smile at us, his dark brown eyes seems to glow under his white hat, “apologize for the behavior of my two here business associates. They really didn’t mean any harm to you or to anyone, they were just admiring your car, Garrett.”

“He was in my car!” Garrett snaps glaring up at the leader of the two before glancing back at Hogg.

“As I said, I apologize for their behavior,” Hogg shrugs while looking up at his two associates, “they have both agreed that it won’t happen again, will it boys?”

“No sir,” both men slowly speak up, their hardened eyes planted upon us.

“Glad to hear that,” Garrett once again grunts besides me, sitting up straight in his chair, “can we go now?”

Hogg lets a small laugh escape through a breath of smoke before it disappears before saying, “Now I can’t just let you go…no matter if that is what I want or not. After all you broke public property and broke Levi’s nose there…they’re the ones that are pressing charges…but there is a chance that you two could change that.”

“How so?” I ask, making myself noticeable in the room.

“Glad you asked, Ethan,” Hogg smiles approvingly at me as he sits up in his chair to glance down at some paper work that lies in front of him before glancing up at us, “you see, me and my boys have run into a small problem. A problem that we think you two could help us with.” Hogg pauses for a short moment before adding, “You may have noticed a new business being put up down the road there…’Hazzard Sports Store and More’ is the name of our new store. It’ll sell anything from baseball cards to sports equipment to hunting gear.”

Garrett sighs with impatience as Hogg goes silent as he harshly stubs out his cigar in a metal ash tray. “So what’s your problem, Hogg?!”

“Well,” Hogg drawls, “our problem is with delivery. I mean we’ll use the same delivery truck that the rest of Hazzard uses, but the problem is, is that our old driver quit last month. As of now, Hazzard doesn’t have a delivery truck as it use to have…it has a couple of commercial trucks that stop by with food and all, but none of my personal trucks that is scheduled to deliver everything else.

“Well I only have one truck at the moment so I only really need one of you…but two will work. One can drive while the other rides shot gun,” Hogg nods proudly of himself as he glances from his two men to us, “Levi and Trent here will be part managers of the store while a couple other people will run cashiers and help stock.”

“That’s nice,” Garrett gives Hogg a sarcastic smile, “but where does that leave Ethan and me?”

“Well Levi and Trent here,” he points at the two men with a chubby finger, “says they are willing to drop the charges of assault…as will the law of Hazzard, if you apply for the position.”

“You’re saying that if we agree to be your drivers,” Garrett asks, his voice thick with anger, “we’ll be sent free? Just like that?”

“Just like that boys, really quite simple if you ask me,” Hogg nods in agreement, “just need your name on paper and all that proper stuff. I’d give you your schedules and the addresses of pick ups and deliveries. It won’t be just for the sports store, but for other stores across Hazzard or for my own personal desires…after all it is my truck.”

Silence once again fills the room as I glance down at the wooden floor as all that has been said runs through me, thinking of the possibilities. “What about pay?” Garrett breaks the silence.

“You both would start out at, ” Hogg glances down at his paper before looking back at Garrett, “seven dollars an hour…that’s as high as it gets, boys. You drive a semi before? Either one of you?”

“No sir,” we both say.

“Well it’ll be easy to learn,” Hogg continues to smile, “what do you say, boys?”

“I say, I am not going to work for him!” Garrett yells back as he points at the guy who he broke his nose before pointing at Trent, “Or him for that matter!”

“You won’t be working for them, but for me. The only chance you’ll be given to work with him would be during deliveries if they are working then…otherwise it’ll be me who you deal with,” Hogg answers as he pulls another cigar from a door and silently lights it, “What’s it gonna be, boys? I need to know soon in order to get the ball rolling…you don’t sign up, you’re gonna get your phone call and then led back down to your cell downstairs.”

“What do you think, Ethan?” Garrett asks as he turns to me.

“It is up to you,” I shrug silently as I glance around the room before looking at Garrett, “I’d be willing to do it…gotta be better than jail. But if you’re not gonna do it, then -”

“We’ll drive your truck,” Garrett interrupts me to turn his attention back to Boss, “but I am not going to play any of your games! I want everything to be honest and correct…once it’s not, Ethan and I are out of here. Understood?”

“Of course,” Hogg nods as he grabs two official sheets out to set them at the edge of his desk with a pen on each piece of paper, “I just need you both to fill out the information and your signature…just so I have the facts.”

“Yes sir,” I silently say as we slowly stand from our chairs to walk over to Hogg’s desk where I take his expensive pen before I slowly fill out the answers of his application.