by: Trix

Khas and Rita were turning on to the road that lead to Daniel’s when his father’s voice came over her CB. “Hey Mr. Embers.”

“Howdy Khas,” Aaron Embers said. “Where are ya?”

“About a mile away from your house. Somethin’ wrong?”

“No, no. It’s just that ya might wanna turn around. Danny’s on his way to town to pick up a part fer the tractor.”

Khas looked at Rita and laughed. “Thanks, Mr. Embers.”

“No problem,” Aaron said. You could sense his smile in his voice. “See ya soon, girls.”

“Sure thing,” they both said.

Khas turned Drifter around and headed into town to find Daniel. Unfortunately, not long after they got back on the road, Rosco popped up behind Drifter. She shook her head, “What the heck did we do now, R.J.?”

Rita shrugged. “I don’t know. We ain’t speeding.” Then she added, “Pull over anyway. See what he wants.”

“I know what he wants,” Khas said as she pulled over, “to put me in jail for living with the Dukes.”

“Bad, KB, bad,” Rita teased.

Khas smiled. “Hey, you’re guilty by association.”

“Dang proud of it, too.”

Khas laughed with Rita. Rosco came up to her rolled down window and said, “You girls need ta come with me.”

“For what, Rosco?” Khas asked. “I wasn’t speeding or steeling.”

“Oh, you…I oughta…” he started then said, “You ran a stop sign back there.”

“There ain’t no stop sign back there, Rosco,” Khas said.

Rita added, “You’re upsetting her Rosco. Hear that accent?”

“Well I’m the Sheriff and I say there was a sign back there. Now git outta the car and get into mine.”

“I ain’t leavin’…” Khas started.

“I’ll tell Cooter to come git it when we’re in the car. Now, move it!”

Khas and Rita got out of Drifter, reluctantly, mumbling under their breaths. They got into the Sheriff’s car and Rita said, “This is stupid Rosco.”

“Hey!” he said. “Be careful you…”

The two young women rolled their eyes as Rosco told Cooter to come pick up Drifter. As he talked Khas called from the back seat, “Get Luke and Bo, Cooter!”

“You…kit jit! Bye Cooter.”

Khas and Rita just smiled as they took off to the town jail, or they thought they were going to jail. Two miles up the road Rosco pulled off the main road and on to a dirt road. Khas and Rita looked at each other.

Rita mouthed, “Where’re we going?”

Khas shrugged and mouthed back, “I don’t know.”

“Where’re we going, Rosco?” Rita asked.

“Somewhere Boss said to take you,” Rosco heard his slip of tongue and said, “Oh…darn it!”

“Rosco!” the two girls said in unison. Khas finished, “Where are you taking us?”

“Hush!” was all he said.

Khas sat back against the seat and shook her head. Rita said, “Easy Khas.”

Balladeer: Meanwhile, Bo and Luke met up with Cooter at Khas’s car.

“Did he say why he was bringin’em in, Cooter?” Luke asked.

“Nope,” Cooter answered. “Just said to pick up the car.”

Bo said, concerned, “This doesn’t sound right, Luke.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t. What exactly did he say to ya Cooter?”

Cooter finished hooking Drifter to his truck and said, “He said to pick up Drifter, here. And then I heard Khas say ‘Get Bo and Luke Cooter’.”

Luke and Bo looked at each other. Luke said, “Somethin’ ain’t right here.”

“Think Boss is in on this?” Bo asked.

“I bet he is. And I bet that Rosco ain’t takin’ Rita and Khas to the town jail.”

“What do you mean, Luke?” Cooter asked.

“I mean, if Boss is behind it means that there’s a crook, or crooks, hiding in the background.”

“And they want Khas fer somethin’?” Bo said.

Luke nodded.

“Who’d wanna hurt Khas?!” Cooter asked.

“I don’t know.” Luke shook his head.

“Well lets go find her!” Bo exclaimed as he jumped into the General Lee.

Luke turned to Cooter and said, “Git Drifter to the house Cooter. Tell Uncle Jesse Khas and Rita are missing and we’re lookin’ for’em.”

“It’s done Luke.”

“Thanks Cooter,” Bo said. “And keep an eye out.”

“Will do. Good luck.”

Balladeer: This is gonna be a long day, folks. A long day indeed.

 

Rosco moved the girls into an abandoned barn where Boss Hogg, Huby and Dwayne were waiting inside. Khas recognized them right away. So did Rita.

“Khas, didn’t you beat that guy in the race last year?”

Khas nodded, looking at Huby. “This revenge or somethin’?”

Huby smiled an unpleasant smile. “Jus’ lookin’ fer a rematch.”

“Oh yeah? And what makes you think I’ll give you one Huby? Why should I?”

Huby’s smile faded and anger filled his face. Dwayne stopped him from moving forward and said, “’Cause, if you don’t, we’re gonna make you pay.”

Khas raised her eyebrow at them. “Rita has nothing to do with this, let her go.”

“No,” Huby said. “She’s a part of it now. She stays. Tie’em up Dwayne.”

Dwayne tied their hands together with ropes and pushed them into a sitting position on a bale of hay. “Sit and stay quiet.”

Rosco watched them push the girls and said, “There’s no need to do that boys…”

“Ain’t it time for you to leave yet, Sheriff?” Huby asked.

“Oh, um, I think it is. Just don’t hurt them girls.”

“Lets leave Rosco! We gotten catch them Duke boys,” Boss said as he pushed Rosco out into the open towards the car. “We’ll see you boys later.”

The two men just looked at him as he left. Then turned their attention to Khas and Rita. Huby said, “Just a rematch through Dalton. That’s all I want.”

“This was not the way to go about getting a rematch with me,” Khas said

“Oh,” Dwayne smiled. “A scared Yankee?”

Rita knew what Khas was about to say and jumped in before she could. “She was born the south ya know. She’s only half Yankee.”

The corners of Khas’ mouth twitched with a smile. Huby practically shouted,

“You, don’t talk.”

“Hey,” Khas said, “there ain’t no need to shout at her.”

Balladeer: Ya know, she really does slip into a accent when she’s mad.

Huby glared at her. “You can just keep quiet too. We’re just gonna wait for the Sheriff to git yer car up here and then we’re gonna race.”

“And how, do tell, is this race going to be fair?” Rita asked.

“You and Dwayne are staying at the start and finish line. Jus’ me and Dalton’ll be in the cars.”

“Why don’t you drive me to my car and I’ll race you?”

Huby shook his head. “Nope. We do it my way. And I’m gonna beat you this time. No woman makes me look stupid in front of people. No woman.”

Khas kept her mouth shut about the stupid part, much to Rita’s relief. Bu Rita had to ask, “Where’re you plannin’ on racin’?”

“We start at the town line and go five miles and back. On the back roads.”

“Town line?” Khas started to ask why but it suddenly dawned on her why. “Bo and Luke can’t stop us if we’re not in Hazzard.”

“Bingo,” Huby said, and laughed.

Balladeer: Meanwhile, Luke and Bo had gone back to the Duke farm to meet up with Uncle Jesse and Daisy.

 

“I got hold of Violet and she’s lookin’ out for’em,” Daisy said. “So is Danny.”

“Good,” Luke said. “Between us and them we should find’me in no time.”

Bo said, “I just can’t figure out who would want to take Khas and Rita. They wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Uncle Jesse said, “I know that those girls are innocent of whatever JD’s trying to pin on’em.”

Luke had a thought. “But, what if Rosco was just droppin’em off with whoever wanted to take’em. And Boss made a deal with the whoever they are to get us?”

“That’s good Luke,” Daisy said. “But it still doesn’t tell us who they are.”

“Well,” Bo said, “’sides Rosco who could they have annoyed enough?”

Uncle Jesse said, “Last year, after the race Khas won, the look on Huby’s face wasn’t pleasant. Maybe he wants a rematch.”

“That’d make perfect sense!” Daisy said. “And if Bo and Luke go chasin’ after’em, it would be the perfect excuse for Rosco to throw’em both in jail.”

“We gotta find them girls!” Bo announced as he slid into the General Lee. “Lets go Luke,” he said as Luke made his way into the car. A little too slow for Bo’s liking.

“Keep away from Rosco and JD, boys,” Jesse said.

“We’ll try,” Luke said. “We’ll be in touch.”

Luke and Bo had searched everywhere they knew to look and didn’t find anything. And neither had anyone else. “This is frustratin’ Luke!”

“I know Bo, just keep calm. Somethin’s bound to come up sooner or later.”

And just as he said that, Cooter came over their CB. “This is Crazy Cooter comin’ at ya. We got a slight problem here fellas. Come back.”

“What kind of problem, Cooter?” Bo asked.

“Rosco just confiscated Drifter. All legal-like.”

“Where’s he takin’ it?”

“Don’t know. Looked like he was driving towards the end of town.”

“Thanks Cooter, we’ll git back to ya,” Bo said. “Lets go!”

“Step on it.”

Balladeer: How do you think Boss’s gonna feel when he finds out that them Dukes ain’t in jail yet?

 

“What do you mean they ain’t in jail yet, Rosco!” JD Hogg shouted over the CB, at the Boar’s Nest, at Rosco. “That was the whole point of the deal with those two fellas!”

“Sorry Boss, I’m getting’ the car to them at the edge of town…”

“Rosco that’s perfect!” Boss interrupted him. “If them boys cross the town line, we can revoke their parole!”

“Boss?”

“Just drop off the car you nit wit!”

“Yessir! I’m goin’ Boss.”

Back at the barn Huby and Dwayne had thrown Khas and Rita into their blue Buick and headed towards the town line. Khas knew she’d have to race him…again.

Trouble was, if this was how he reacted when he lost to a woman once, how would he react when he lost for a second time?

Balladeer: Now, who do you think those two drove by when they were drivin’ them girls outta town? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you young Daniel Embers and Violet Chase.

 

“Danny, that was Khas and Rita!” Violet suddenly shouted.

Daniel Embers, who was called Danny, turned his wheat blond head as he stomped on the brakes and turned the truck around. He picked up his CB and said, “This is Buckin’ D, Bo and Luke Duke y’all got yer ears on?”

“This is Luke, what’s up Danny?”

“I just drove past a blue Buick with Khas and Rita in the back seat.”

Bo and Luke looked at each other in relief. “You see where they were headed?”

Luke asked.

“Towards the town line.”

“Could you follow them Danny?” Luke said. “Until we catch up.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“Thanks. We’ll see ya in a few.”

Danny shook his head, laughing, “Not one single day passes without a car chase in this town.”

It didn’t take him long to catch up to the blue Buick. And it didn’t take long for

Bo and Luke to sneak up his back door either. He slowed down to let them take the lead, but as soon as he did he noticed Rosco, with Cooter behind him, slip in behind him. “Hey guys, Rosco’s here. And Cooter’s behind him with Drifter.”

“Thanks Danny,” Luke said. He turned to Bo and said, “Guess we’re about to find out what exactly’s going on.”

“Guess so,” Bo said, seconds before he slammed on the breaks. Which almost caused Danny to ram their back bumper.

“Bo Duke!”

“It’s the town line, Luke! And Rosco’s behind us!”

“Oh,” Luke said. “Good point. But, hey, the Buick stopped too.”

“On the wrong side of the line, Luke.”

Bo and Luke got out of the General Lee as soon as Rosco and Cooter passed them. Danny and Violet came to stand beside them. “This could be a problem,” Violet said.

“Yep,” Luke sighed. “It could.”

Balladeer: And here we go, off to the races.

 

Huby and Dwayne let Khas and Rita out of the back seat. Their hands still bound by rope.

Bo called, “You ladies all right?”

They both nodded. Rita answered for both of them, “We’re fine guys.”

“Well, that’s good news,” Luke said.

As Huby stood in front Khas she said, “I can’t drive with my hands tied. The car is a standard.”

“Don’t get smart,” Huby said. “Give me your hands.”

She did and he cut the ropes. “Now her.”

“No…”

“Do it, or I don’t race.”

Huby glared at her but did as she asked. Dwayne stood between the two parked cars that were about to race. Drifter against the Buick. The same car she’d beaten him in once. This was going to be easy, if he didn’t play dirty. Her bet was that was what he was planning on doing.

She walked over to Drifter and Cooter gave her the keys. “You okay?”

“Fine Cooter. How’s he?”

“Good. More than good enough to beat his Buick,” Cooter smiled. “Have fun.”

Khas smiled back. “I’ll try.”

A few minutes later, the race was under way. Rita had to stay next to Dwayne and Rosco on their side of the town line. Bo, Luke, Cooter, Danny and Violet on the other side.

“She’ll beat that car easy,” Bo said.

“Yeah,” Danny said. “If he don’t play dirty.”

“Good point,” Luke said. “By the way Danny, are you takin’ her to the prom?”

Danny looked shocked. Violet and Bo laughed. “I, well, uh…yes I am.”

Luke smiled. “You realize if you hurt her, you’ll have the Dukes to deal with?”

Danny nodded. “It’s the prom Luke. And I wouldn’t hurt Khas for anything.”

“I know, just warnin’ ya,” Luke said.

Danny grinned and said, “Wonder what Khas is gonna say about this little chat?”

“We plan on havin’ one with her too,” Bo grinned widely. “Ya know, about boys.”

Rita knew what they were talking about and tried not to laugh as Dwayne stood beside her. Poor Khas, she thought.

Meanwhile, to Khas’s surprise, Huby was racin’ fair. Maybe he had too much pride to cheat at racing. Maybe it was the only thing he does honest, she thought as she drove through the back roads.

They were neck and neck when they approached the finish line. Khas hadn’t been going as fast as Drifter could go, she waited until the last minute to mat the pedal. And, of course, she won. Again.

When she got out of the car, Huby looked at her. He had the same look as the first time, except without the malice. He walked over to her. He held his hand out and said, “You win, Dalton.”

“What?”

“You win. You’re honestly better than me.”

Khas shook his hand, shocked. As was everyone else around her. “Lets go, Dwayne.”

“Huby…”

“Lets go, Dwayne,” he looked at his brother with anger. “She won.”

As they drove away, Rita walked over to Khas, “Who’d a thought?”

“Not me.”

They walked over the line to Bo and Luke. Who gave her a hug. Luke said, “Well, looks like you won.”

“Yeah. Funny though. He didn’t cheat to beat me.”

“Men are that way,” Violet smiled. “Ya know, strange species.”

Everyone smiled.

“Khas,” Rosco said as he reached her. “Here’s the papers to your car. He’s yours again. And I’m sorry.”

As he got into his car she said, “Hey Rosco! It’s okay. Not your fault you hang out with a crook.”

“Huh?” Rosco looked confused for a moment, making everyone smile. “Oh, you mean Boss. You be careful missy or I’ll take ya in for bad-talkin’ a lawmen!” And he drove off.

“Well,” Khas sighed. “I’m hungry.”

Danny laughed. “Then lets go eat.”

“Everyone to the farm,” Luke grinned.

As Khas opened the door to the drivers side and Bo was halfway through the General’s window, he said, “And Khas.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t forget about the prom talk!”

“Oh lord!” she said as she got into Drifter. “Ya had open your mouth, RJ?”

Through her laughter Rita managed to say, “Sorry KB.”

“Yeah right.”

Balladeer: Everyone ate dinner at the Duke farm. And to prove to Rosco that she really wasn’t mad at him she dragged him to dinner too. Boss just ate more after Rosco told him what happened with Dwayne and Huby. Oh, and that talk Bo and Luke promised Khas, ended up with Jesse chasin’em with the dishtowel.

What can I say folks? This is Hazzard, stranger things have happened.