Kristy_DUke

CHAPTER SEVEN Sweat races down my clammy face as I sit silently at my desk looking down at the local newspaper today. Not sweat of heat, but of nerves of what is to come, of the near future. I sigh wearily at the sight of the FBI on the front cover as I read thoroughly over it before I place it back on my desk in disgust. Like publicitiy will help matters, but make them worse and with Hogg's appointment with Drake in mere minutes, I might as well as be signing my will. "Sheriff," my loyal deputy rings out from his desk to make me jump a foot in my chair. "Ding dang it Enos!" I yell out trying to cover up my embarrassment of my surprise, "Don't you ever warn people before doing stuff?" "Sorry sir," Enos sighs, "I was just wonderin' if you are OK? I mean you have been out more th an in lately and now you look way out of it...almost as if you are very scared of something. Perhaps I could help you?" "There is nothing that can help me now...might as well as count me as dead," I sigh throwing the paper at him that admits I have been working with the FBI, " a whole fleet of army couldn't save the mess I got myself into. . .I just, well I just had to do the right thing." "I knew you were a good guy Sheriff," the humble deputy says smiling up at me before fear streaks his face as he suddenly realizes what this means. "Yeah perhaps a little too late though. Drake is on his way here and Hogg ain't lettin' me go no wheres," I sigh thinking of ways to escape, "Drake ain't gonna forgive me, but make me pay one way or the other. Just like he did Jesse." "Jesse?" his voice squeaks. "Yeah Jesse Duke. A week before his death he had called me, saying how he saw Drake himself kill a man in cold flesh; one of his own men...then beat a child afterwards," I pause as guilt rushes through me, "he called and told me the truth, I knew it was the truth, and I did nothing. You know why I did nothing? Because I was chicken! Too loyal to Hogg and chicken of his partner. And because I was chicken Jesse was killed and perhaps now Bo...though killing Jesse was killing apart of Bo. He hasn't even started to recover and it's been a year...he may never recover but live in mourning and sorrow if he makes it through this. Just because of me!" "Yeah, but what counts sheriff, is that you are now doing the right thing," he sighs stepping up to me to hand me the paper. "Well it won't matter much now," I grunt, "Drake don't want no witnesses and that is why all this has gone on...hey one good thing may come about this." He looks at me questionably before saying, "What's that?" "Hazzard may actually be appointed with a loyal and trust worthy sheriff....you," I say. "Me?" he squeaks, "No not me, I could never be sheriff of this town or any town. Think positive Sheriff, Frank and his men are searching and working hard to get this man." "Not fast enough," I sigh and with that the front door to the sheriff station is thrown open and Drake in tight dark blue jeans, black leather cowboy boots, a tight blue flannel shirt and a white cowboy hat walks in. His jet black hair hangs slightly noticeably under his hat, chills of fear races up and down my back as he glares at me with his dark evil eyes. "Rosco!" he snaps signalling me to follow. I sigh silently as I get praying to myself that this will go by quickly and painless. Slowly I follow him into Hogg's smokey office where we both take a seat across from Hogg's desk where he sits behind. "Look Drake," Hogg starts off, "we all know why you are here," Hogg glares angrily at me with his dark brown eyes, "but I had nothing to do with this dimwitted sheriff of my talking to the FBI. Really I didn't, you have to believe -" "I don't have to believe anything!" he snaps at us and we both jump at his harsh tone of voice, "We had an agreement Hogg...no officials no FBI and no cops other than your hick sheriff! ANd now...now the FBI is searching everywhere. For what? For me. Why? Because dumbo over there ratted us out!" "Well if you hadn't killed Jesse Duke they wouldn't be here now would they?" I ask scarcastically no longer able to stop myself, "Nor if you hadn't kidnapped Bo Duke they wouldnt' have to be here! Let him go Drake...alive and well. I will tell them to go, but not until then!" "That'll never happen!" he yells jumping to his feet. I gasp as he clenches tightly onto my uniform shirt and I yell out in pain as he thrashes me into the wall, "he knows way too much to be sent free and now so do you. I trusted you and now...well you both are gonna say good-bye!" "No wait!" Hogg yells jumping to his feet, "I had no plan in this or with the FBI...it was him!" Hogg goes silent for a moment in thought, "You killed Jesse didn't you? Rosco was right?" "Of course I did," he smiles, "Nice and easy...soon it'll be Bo! I'll make sure to send pictures along this time." "You jackass! I tol' you no one gets hurt or killed for that matter!" Hogg yells momentarily forgetting who Drake is for Drake to pull out a large black hand held gun to aim it at him and then at me. "Wait, can't we work on something? Don't kill me...or Rosco! He may be dimwitted at times, but he's the best I got!" "Too late for that Hogg, you both double crossed me and thanks to you him the FBI are all over the place, looking for me!" he yells back handing me across the face with the butt of the gun before shoving it harshly against the side of my head and I wince in pain and fear, "Say good bye to your buddy Rosco here, Hogg!" Drake laughs as my heart races wildly within me at the thought of the next second may hold. "Drake, please don't do this," Hogg pleas him, "I'll pay you, you name the price...just don't kill me or him." "Why do that?" Drake laughs, "When I can kill you both and then take the money....well I'll have to finish the deputy out there as well, but it all works out. Y'all are dead and I get the money. Say good bye Rosco!" I fight back tears of pain and great fear as I shove my eyes tightly close as if it would protect me from anything. Gulping I slightly feel his finger move upon the trigger just as I hear the door besides me being thrown open. Forcing my eyes open I sigh in relief to see Luke Duke and Cooter standing there with Frank Mills and a couple of his men. I fight to squirm as his finger inches closer to squeezing it before Luke tackles him roughly to the ground for the bullet to fly off the roof, throwing plaster around the floor. For a while, I numbly watch Luke beat Drake continuesly, showing the anger that he has trapped within for several months due to the loss of his uncle and now perhaps Bo. "Where's Bo?" Luke finally asks letting go of him while holding him on hte floor with his weight. "Dead...you'll never find him," he laughs as blood spills out of his mouth, "you shoulda been there Luke, you would have loved to see how we slowly tortured him to death...beat him to death really, with all sorty of things. Shoulda seen all the blood he lost and the pain in his eyes as he yelled his last yell and breathed his last breathe. We should have video taped it so you could have seen it over and over, as much as you wish." With that Luke angrily punches him over and over with great force as tears roll freely down his cheeks while Cooter stands above watching with Frank and his two men. "OK Luke," Frank finally says bending down to grab Drake, "That's enough, we got him." With that Cooter forces Luke off of Drake while Frank forces Drake to his feet. I gasp out in surprise as Drake elbows Frank in the chest before punching him to the ground and sending a couple of kicks to the two men. "Rosco! Get him!" Hogg yells, his eyes still full of rage toward either me or Drake. Fear continues to grab a hold of me as I begin to go after him only for him to grab his gun and aim it at me. "I wouldn't think of doing anything, sheriff," he grins before running out of the room where he shoves Enos down on his way to the door. "Dan and Eric, I want you to chase him as far as you can get," Frank orders, "I will ride with Luke and Cooter. Rosco, you stay in town and keep us posted." "On what?" I ask as the two of his men disappear. "On anything that goes down, " Frank says in a rush, "If we find his hide out and need you, we will call you." "Ten four," I say reluctantly as Luke pats me on the back before they leave as well to leave me a lone with Hogg. "I should have listened," Hogg finally says to break the silence, "I shoulda knew it was him...who else woulda done that? I kept telling myself perhaps it was one of his men that did it, against his orders. I fooled myself into believing Drake and for what? Money and greed. Now Hazzard is in danger, Jesse dead and perhaps Bo. Oh Rosco, what have I done?" "You played with fire and you got burned," I respond, "everyone got burned. Next time you will learn...if there is a next time." He glares at me before sitting back down in his swivel chair while grabbing a cigar to light. "Everyone burned due to me? I can't believe he is capable of...yes I can believe he is capable, I just didn't want to believe he was. I mean, he had good money and good business -" "Greedy and illegal business may I add," he glares at me angrily. "Did I ask for your opinion? If you hadn't gone to the FBI behind my back, we wouldn't -" "You wouldn't go in with me and you know it Hogg," I respond, "so don't be giving me that it is my fault for the article! I had to do the right thing and the right thing for the county was to go for help before any more harm was done!" "I just didn't want to believe who he was...how wrong could I be?" he asks himself out loud, "Damn it."

~LUKE DUKE~ My mind races from thought to thought as I stare silently out of The General's clean windshield in a half trance. I gasp in pain as I turn to look out through the passenger side window to find Cooter slowly tredging along from his old shack like garage. "You know I am beginning to regret doing that favor for you," he comments as he forces himself through the passenger's open window. "What? You too is willing to sit by and wait for Bo's dead body to show up somewhere?" I ask harshly feeling the pain tremble down my body, "Well, I for one refuse to sit and do nothing while they torture him! You are either with me or not with me...you better make up your mind now Cooter, for I ain't turning back! And for your information, if you hadn't helped me escape out of the damn hospital, I would have found my own way out!" Besides me, I hear him take a long sigh to calm himself down before saying, "I know you would have, that is why I did help you before you tried doing something stupid to get out of there. You aren't doing Bo no good if you wind up dead...or hurt for that matter!" for a moment he goes silent as he glances out his window at the hills that lies off in the distance, looking as if it were lost in the light white fluffy clouds. "What's your plan, Luke? Of finding Bo? Or of rescuing him for that matter?! The feds are being this caustious for a reason and that reason being is that Drake is DANGEROUS!" "Another reason to move in and save my cousin," I snap as horrid pictures float in my mind of all that he could be doing to him to force my anger to escalate within me, "and as of now, I don't know what to do or where to start; but I will think of something if it is the last thing I do." "It could be the last thing you...we do," Cooter comments sourly besides me, "YOu know if Hogg would just go to being honest and stop trusting people he don't know to do his evil works, we would never be faced with situations like this!" "Well that just wouldn't be Hogg if he didn't do such things, " I comment abuot the local commissioner, "Where all has the feds been looking for clues?" "Uh around here is all I know, they got men in surrounding counties as well, but by the look of things he's still in Hazzard," Cooter responds, "so it is pretty much limited, but a matter of finding it." "They looked throughout Hazzard already and no clue of finding them? Where was his last hide out?" I ask seriously. "Uh that old shack farm house and barn that use to belong to Felix Ferrera and to his wife Lucy before Lucy died and thier kids placed Felix in the nursing home in town," Cooter informs me, "On Cottonmill Road." "Well that is the first place we'll check," I smile at him. "Frank and his boys already check, they found nothin'," Cooter chimes in as the chilly spring air brushes against my skin to send chills racing up and down my body. "Frank and his boys are city boys, there just might be more than what meets the eye," I wink at him, "besides it is just a place to start at." We ride to the old Ferrera place in silence as my mind races from thought to though in hope that we find Bo alive. My chest swells within me at the thought of loosing him to the same men that killed our uncle and I sigh thinking of a future without him, once more. "Here we are," Cooter breaks the silence as I parck the General on the road ahead of thier dirt drive way. "Yep...keep an eye out for anything," I say as we both climb out of the car's open windows. "Yes sir Mr. Luke," Cooter laughs jokingly as we walk through the muddy grass that leads up to the wooden farm house that was once painted white. I sigh remembering how it was before I left for war, how peaceful it seemed here on thier farm and so friendly. "Knock it off, let's go," I scorn him as we walk up to the old wooden porch together before he walks in, leaving me outside. Silently I glance around before noticing thick tire tracks in the dirt drive way, slowly I walk painfully to the two large tracks. "Cooter!" I finally yell out to send him running out, "Look at these tracks." "Yeah so...they probably already checked them out," Cooter states, "prolly some four by four truck." "That too," I smile cleverly, "but look closer to the mud to the substance on the first layer of the tracks." For a while we both feel the mud silently before Cooter gasps in shock. "That's right...swamp mud," I state, "I bet the feds didn't take that in when checking it out. Which means, thier hide out, their new one, is in or near the swamp!" "Holy cow!" Cooter gasps, "How the -" "I don't know, but that is our next stop...or our next place to look at least," I sigh standing up. "Not without calling the FBI, Luke," Cooter says standing up besides me, "This gang, Drake they are serious. I don't care how much you will do to save your cousin, you won't do it by getting yourself killed and that is exactly what will happen if you go into this alone with nothing to protect yourselves. Or ourselves with." "Relax Cooter, I got dynomite bow and arrows in the trunk," I sigh walking back to the car, "but I will call the FBI and Frank...we may need some help. I ain't dumb ya know." "I know," he sighs, "but I also know that you are willing to do about anything to save Bo."

Garrett smiles friendly at the the young woman before noticing the anger shooting from LB's light brown eyes and t he spacey look in Kristy's soft greenish brown eyes. "What's going on here?" Garrett asks sarcasticly glaring at Cooter who remains silent, "Y'all get in a fight or something? Over what?" "No we didn't get into a fight Garrett, but I bet you would like that," Kristy snaps glaring up at him. Stepping back Garrett says, "Well, in fact, I wouldn't like it." "That's how come you always nit picking at everything we do together...you don't like him. . .or perhaps that we are together and that you are single!" Kristy glares at him taking a deep breath. "Relax hon," LB sighs stepping forward to rub her back, "we'll get this taken care of." "What taken care of?" Garrett asks grabbing a bottle of beer from the refridgarator. "She overheard some punks in Hogg's office saying something that she wasn't suppose to hear," LB says with his voice coated thickly with anger, "chased her out til my cousin helped her out...guess she is worth somethin' after all." "Hey!" Hil yells from her seat, "They's big guys too, with guns and anger and hatred coating thier dark eyes." "Hogg has now sooped to a new level!" Garrett says, anger filling his smokey grayish blue eyes.

Thank-you Essy, and everyone for the kind words that you have written on this board. You all are very special people and I am very lucky and grateful to know you all. You all have been there when I need you the most...You all have made my time in Hazzard very worthwhile...somewhere I enjoy to be. Y'all are very amazing people with such talent...I love to read you all's work of fiction, to see the world that you see and create for the Dukes that we all love and cherish so much. I am sorry to any of you if a fic has gone by that I didn't email to comment about...I try... I really do, but sometimes I get busy and forget to do so. You all have a great amount of talent and I thank everyone of you for sharing it with everyone...I have also have enjoyed getting to know the characters you have created...each one took a lot of creativity and hard work to put together; though most of all I have enjoyed getting to know you all as I have. You all are really special and great friends and I thank-you all for all that you have done for me...thank-you for listening to me talk about anything or nothing at all (sometimes un Duke related!) and for being there!...I owe you all a big time for putting up with me the past ten months or so when things have been tough on me...online and off line. For putting up with my complaining and my frusteration with my writing...eh I should say with my fight to write against this writer's block. Perhaps one day I will be able to write again...preferably sometime soon. Thanks for being who you all...you are very special and very kind and make Hazzard the way it is.

Good thinkin' Essy.

Great Idea Essy I have the same birthday as George Clooney...a great guy to share the special day with! Our birthday is May 6...but of course, George is a few years older than I

**Closes eyes to try to picture Brian Coltrane driving the sheriff's car to chase the Duke boys only to abruptly open them in disbelief at picturing such a night marish picture as to seeing Brian in the sheriff's car!** Khee khee...just jokin', though it would be interesting to watch! Khee. As I said before my answers and results were predictably stuck with my ideal car being the General Lee! I'd love to drive that car...now all I got to do is convince the boys to let me drive it and we'd all be happy.

Khee khee...my ideal car is The General Lee!

You are welcome.

That was great Essy...very touching and so true. It shows the talent you hold. Never give up. Thank-you! You are a great friend too!

~FRANK MILLS~ Silently, I stare out of the small window that lies in the back wall of the wooden cottage type building my men and I have been occupying for the past few weeks. My mind runs numbly from thought to thought of what had brought us here and all that we have ran into, all that we have learned up to this point. I stare off into the thick dense forest that lines up a few feet behind the building as small flakes of snow slowly make thier way to the frozen ground. My mind concentrates stubbornly upon the young Duke boy and upon Drake who we had been looking for, for so long now. Anger and fear rush through me at the horrorfying thoughts that invade my imagination of all that Drake could be doing to the young Duke boy; anger and fear that I had never allowed myself to feel in any other case, for either victim or the enemy. Why now? What makes Bo any more different than the other victims I have come along in the past, that I had been assigned to thier case? Abruptly I am jolted from my thoughts, from my grave anger and fear by the annoying ring of my cell phone. Quickly, I pick it up and answer it on the third ring. "Sergeant Mills," I say coldly into the phone. "He's gone," I recognize the heavy male's voice as being the guard I assigned to the older cousin, Luke's room. "He's gone?" I half snarl into the phone feeling my emotions ring through me, "How can he be gone? How could they get to him with you there gaurding the door?! Look -" "Settle down sergeant," the man half way laughs on the other line. "Settle down? How do you expect me to settle down when we have a dangerous murderer on our hands killing off innocent civilians!" I yell into the cell phone. "They didn't get him sergeant, what I mean is Drake nor his men grabbed or killed Luke; at least not right now that is," he sighs on the other end, "that mechanic in town, the family friend, uh can't remember his name at the moment-" "Cooter?" I question. "Yeah that's him," he answers and I imagine a large smirk on his face, "anyways he came in, well he was here with you. But he came out and talked to me, a real nice guy. You know?" "Sure why not," I answer impatiently, "just get to the point officer!" "Yes sir...well anyways, he offered to buy my lunch, and well, I was hungry," he answers, "I tried to tell him no, but couldn't. So I followed him to the cafe and he bought my lunch for me. When I brough my lunch and drink up to the room, Luke was gone. He left a note saying he can't lie in the hospital while his cousin is in danger." "Damn it!" I yell, "You were suppose to keep heads on him! You know what will happen if he finds Drake before us...if he goes snooping around!" "Well he says, that we can either work with him or he will search by himself," the young officer says, clearly shook by my yelling, "Look sergeant, I already searched the grounds and had people looking too. He's gone and so is the Cooter guy." "Damn it!" I yell again looking out into the woods to find a squirrel running from one tree to another, "Darryl, I want you here now! I told you to guard his room and you failed at doing so! This is a dangerous case and only the best is allowed on it...and the best don't follow thier stomaches, but by orders!" "Look sergeant-" "Get here NOW!" I yell hanging up to find everyone looking at me in disbelief before going back to what they are doing. "He's gone?" asks Sergeant Treyton Beiker who works partially with me and partially on his own, "Luke slipped out?" "Yeah," I sigh wearily, "Darryl allowed Cooter to talk him away from the room so the Duke could walk right out of the hospital without anyone stopping him. You believe that? Now Luke is on his own mission to help save his cousin...says we can either work with him or he will work on his own." "Well with that option open," Treyton sighs running his muscular hand through his light brown hair, "I say we work with him, we can use all the help we can use." "Yeah I know," I sigh watching the squirrel run up the tree, "but we can't endanger him either, which would be doing if we worked with him." "He'd be endanger working by himself, moreso if you ask me. At least if he works with us, then we can look out for him as well," Treyton shrugs looking at me in concern, "besides we can use his talent, the boy is an retired Marine man with war experience...had word with his higher up officer and he had only the best to say about him. The guy has talent and we can use his talent and his smarts...one of the toughest and smartest his captain had seen and worked for. Got wounded and returned home after seven and a half years of service." I nod in agreement, knowing he is right. "Well I guess that is what we have to do, work with Luke," I sigh thinking of what this will lead to, "Drake needs to be stopped, and now!" "I know that Frank, we all know that," Treyton falls silent for a long moment and I glance over at him to find him watching me, "I can't believe what I am witnessing here, Frank. You actually have feelings for the family of this case, for the victims. You of all people never allowed anyone or anything of a case get to you, get personal or close to you. And now...why?" I look at him, not knowing if I should try to cover it up or to tell the truth. "I don't know, Trey," I sigh tiredly, "I really don't know why...I fear loosing the young Duke boy, angry at Drake for kidnapping and hurting him. I don't know what it is with this case...perhaps I am getting old and mushy." "You?" he grins, "You old and mushy? Never. We all have our casese we fall close to and let our emotions take over, this is just your case." "Well I don't like it none," I answer. "None of us do, for falling close to the victims only bring pain and heart ache, but it happens no matter how hard you fight it," Trey answers seriously, "I had my own cases I fell close to and the emotions just took over me, several cases." He goes silently in thought for a long moment, "And Frank, we'll get Drake and stop him and his men if it is the last thing we do. We all are in this with you Frank, it's not just you who want to yank the Duke boy out of this alive and we will try our damnest to do so."

Luke Duke The room grows silent as Frank Mills slowly closes the door behind him as he exits my room with a couple of his men. My mind races of all that Frank had to tell us to create anger and fear boiling within me. Slowly I glance over at Cooter who stands at the right side of my bed to find him glaring down at the linoleum flooring with anger flooding his dark brown eyes. "Cooter, I need you to do me a favor," I finally speak up and he glares at me, "a huge favor." "What's that?" he questions, his voice thick with fear. "I need you to help me escape out of this place," I answer. "Oh no, I can't do that," he says in a dreadful voice, "I can't do that Luke, no matter how much I want to help you. That gaurd out there, I can't get past him and he sure won't let you walk out of here. I'm sorry." "Just distract the guy and I do the rest myself," I answer grabbing some of my own stubborness. "I'm sorry, Luke," Cooter says looking around as if he may grab some answers out of the air. "Yeah I bet you are!" I yell feeling my temper fling as my mind races in thoughts of Bo, "If you won't help me, Cooter, I will find my own way out of here! I will be damned if I lie here and allow them to put my cousin in risk as thier plan will! I don't care, what it takes, I will get out of here to save my cousin, my best friend! And if. . .if it's too late, well somebody better be there to stop me from doing something I may later regret!" "Luke-" Cooter starts to say. "Look, I know Drake's dangerous and so is his men...the dang FBI keep rubbing it in our faces, that is even better reason to help Bo. I ain't about to lie here and do nothing to help my cousin...no, I will get out of here and I will search for my cousin, even if it is by myself," I continue to allow my temper to have a hold of me, "The FBI can either help me and we can work together, or I will work by myself; but I can't and I refuse to lie here thinking of what they are doing to my cousin while feeling guilt, fear, and anger. I will save him if it is the last thing I do, Cooter, with your help or without your help. What about it?" "I'm in," he sighs uncomfortably, "but I am uncomfortable with going against the FBI and what they say, especially since we know they are dangerous." "Well what is the FBI doing that is so great?" I ask impatiently, "Look, I know they are doing what they think is the best plan, but there has to be something else that we can do and we will do it." Silently he nods as he looks at the machine then back to me. "What do you want me to do?" Cooter asks. "I want you to go out there and distract him, take him down stairs or something to give me time to change and slip out of here," I sigh, "I am none to happy about this myself, but it is something we got to do...look, I'll leave a note telling him what we are doing. That'll get Frank unhappy, but oh well." "I'll try," Cooter sighs heading to the door. For a long moment I lie staring at the cieling listening to Cooter talk to the FBI agent that sits outside my door, praying that I will find a way out of here. Listening to them talk back and forth I grab a pen and paper that lies on the night stand and quickly write something down. Slowly I let a long breath out as I hear the agent's chair squeak as he gets up and begins to follow Cooter down the hall. Quickly I yank the tube out of my nose and the IVs out of my arms feeling my breathing grow shallow without the tube. I sigh impatiently as I climb out of bed and rush to the closet to get some clothes Cooter had brought me and quickly put them on. After a moment, I find myself dressed and standing nervously by the closed door before I force myself out into the brightly lit hall. Quickly I rush over to the silver doored elevators and push the down button. Waiting for the doors to open I nervously look down the halls until it opens and I walk into the large elevators to be swallowed by the thick doors slamming shut. Riding down, my mind quickly races in thoughts of our next move, on what to do to save my cousin before they kill him.

~BO DUKE~ Slowly I awaken to my whole body throbbing in intense pain to find myself lying in a tight ball upon the old torn cot that lies in the right corner of the cold dirty room. Tears still sting my eyes as I stare at the dirty wall only a few inches ahead of me while Jesse silently talks to the little boy and the chair the gaurd sits on squeaks with his movement. My mind wanders thought to thought of the past year or so to force fear swarming through my body. I sob back more tears as I think of the cruel beating I had recieved before I had blacked out from Drake, a beating I had recieved after refusing to go with him. If only I had cooperated... "Bo," Jesse sighs walking up to me, "how you feel?" "Leave me alone," I sigh wishing I could disappear as my mind switches from the beating I had recieved from a bat to Luke getting shot. If I hadn't ran from him after that fight we had, I wouldn't have seen what I saw and Luke wouldn't have gotten shot. What if he is seriously hurt? What if he is dead? Daisy could be attending a funeral right now or soon if they killed him...killed him to get to me. If only... Jesse sighs loudly behind me as the child climbs onto my bed and I feel both pairs of eyes upon me.

Kristy smiles seeing the tall lanky and thin Davenports standing in front of the closed doors. His crazy brown eyes are enlargen in bewilderment at the sight of young woman that she just meant. "LB," Kristy smiles walking up to him and he hugs her tightly, kissing her thick strawberry blond hair, "your home early today." "Yeah figured why not," he grins, "what she doing here...uh I mean Hilery." "She drove me home," Kristy says growing silent for a long moment at knowing LB's over protectiveness for her, "Uh, LB, I over heard something at work today that I wasn't meant to hear, and well I got chased out by Hogg's new thieves. Hilery is the one that saved me. Silver Bullet is still parked at work." "That . . .that over grown marshmellow!" LB yells, his temper flairing in his eyes. "Calm down, LB. I am fine," Kristy sighs knowing this would be his reaction, "I really am, just settle down. I just need for someone to retrieve my truck for me." "Yeah, but think of what could have-" "But didn't happen," Kristy gently reminds him leading him into the living room, "What are you hungry for?"

~ROSCO COLTRANE~ I sigh tiredly as I stare silently down at a couple of reports that lies ahead of me upon my old scarred and scratched desk. My mind wanders through the past year and all that it has brought upon Hazzard due to Hogg's dirty greed for money. I pray silently that Drake will be caught soon and to be put away in order to keep harm from Hazzard, any more than what he has already committed. If only I had the courage to stop him when he had entered Hazzard, Jesse wouldn't be dead right now and Bo as hurt as he is. If only I had stopped Hogg in his deals with him, it all wouldn't have gotten this far. But of course, like normal, I was too chicken to stop Drake from doing anything and instead just listened to his plans and gullably tried to believe him when he promised no one would get hurt or worse. I glare up from my paper work as the office door is thrown open and I sigh in relief at seeing Frank Mills standing there with another man of his. Frank's thick creamy blue eyes stares coldly at me for a long moment as his thick muscular arms lies crossed over his thick chest. "Oh Frank," I sigh hoping that he brings good news, "I thought we would meet somewhere to talk, anywhere but here! If Hogg-" "I don't need your grief sheriff!" he snaps at me before glaring at the other man that stands a couple of inches taller than him with a dark brown complexion and intense dark brown eyes. "No one saw us and even if they did, I am beyond the point of caring! We need to talk, now you decide where!" I look at him in confusement before I find the courage to speak, "Uh we could go across the street to that garage, ol' Coot has an office up there that is barely in use." "Well, let's go," Frank says and I stiffly stand up as Hogg steps out of his office. "Where you going Rosco?" Hogg orders tiredly. "Out for patrol," I answer wearily before I walk out and closing the door behind me. Following the two FBI agents down the long brightly lit hall my mind races in anxiety as I wonder what all this could be about. Walking out into the cold winter day I glare around before following them across the vacant stree to Cooter's garage where I find him working silently upon a farmer's old truck. "Hey Cooter," I greet him. "Oh hi Rosco," he smile stiffly at me as he takes in Frank and his man seriously before looking at me, "What can I do for y'all?" "We need to a quiet place to talk, could we by chance use that office there?" I ask pointing to the windowless and closed in office that lies up the wooden stairs, "Is it empty?" For a long moment he glares at the three of us with questioning eye before he puts down his tool. "Look these boys the FBI that's been asking around 'bout Bo and Luke?" "Yeah so what's yer point Cooter?!" I snap at him. "Look them Dukes are like family to me and if this deals with them, I want to be in it! You can use my empty office, but I want to come along if you use it," Cooter inquires, "I may not be no FBI agent or officer of the law, but I want to help put them jackasses where they belong!" I look at Frank who glares angrily at Cooter who stands unbudgingly against the old Ford truck. Slowly Frank nods at him and we all follow Cooter up the old wobbly stiars to where he opens the old office to find it to be occupied by an old wooden desk to our right with an old wooden chair, an holey green couch lies against the right wall while in the left corner stands a small refridgarator by a small wobbly table that holds cups and a coffee machine. Quickly, Frank takes the chair behind the desk while the officer sits down upon the couch and I hesitantly sit next to him while Cooter choses to stand. "What's this about, Frank?" I order after a moment of silence. "Well to our new comer," Frank answers testily, "I am Sergeant FBI agent Frank Mills who is in charge of this opperation, this is one of my men, FBI agent Jackson Jebel; one of my best...though we only have the best down here in Hazzard at the momen." "Very comforting," I answer sarcasticly, "especially when we have a killer running freely around my country. Now what is this urgent meeting about, Mills?" "Settle down Coltrane, your snapping attitude won't help matters any," he resorts glaring at me with his cold and hard eyes as he rolls up the sleeves half way to his elbows to his sky blue whool sweater, "Bo was to be released from the hospital yesterday, right?" "And he didn't?" Cooter cuts in worriedly. "Yes he was released, but upon exitting the hospital Luke was shot in the chest in order for the gun men to get to Bo," Frank says matter of factly, "Bo ran and hid, but they seemed to find Bo in the caves where there was signs of a struggle before the bad guys won enough to kidnap Bo." "Kidnapped?" I chirp in, "That don't make no sense what so ever after trying to kill him only weeks ago." "Nothing with Drake makes sense to anyone but him I guess," Frank sighs rubbing his eyes, "we are desperately trying to find thier hideout before it is too late seeing how the destination of thier hideout you gave us before now lies vacant." "Damn," I say silently. "How's Luke?" Cooter speaks up from his post. "They think he will be fine, just missed his heart and his surgery to get the bullet out went well," Frank answers, "When we find his hideout, we will have to move in quickly in order to get Drake out and arrested before he is able to hurt anyone else." "But won't he spook? Perhaps killing Bo?" I ask frantically.' "That is always a risk, but he could be dead now, there is no telling," Frank answers, "Do you know anywhere else he could be?" I shrug hopelessly as I am filled with fear for the Duke Boys as I silently think of how Bo must be feeling. "I don't know," I sigh. "That is what I figured," Frank responds looking around the room, "I have men looking and searching Hazzard as we speak and once we find it, we are moving in. I'm sorry." I gulp in fear before my anger kicks in, anger towards myself for not stopping Hogg from working with such an violent person to anger toward Hogg for bringing him into Hazzard to work with him. "Damn it!" Cooter yells glaring at Frank, "You ain't the best of nothing! How can you call yourselves the best if that is the best you can do?! Bo is like a brother to me and you are just gonna let him be shot to shreds just to get your men? As if the Dukes haven't been through enough as it is, just let the youngest get shot to death without a second thought!" "Look we are trying our best, Cooter," Frank sighs, " We will try not to risk him, but there is always a risk unless we can make him escape before hand. Which is most likely won't happen." "Trying your best? Not when it will get Bo shot to death, you know what that will do to Luke?" Cooter yells, "Probably not and most likely don't care about that either!" Frank sighs at seeing the mechanic's anger flare in his brown eyes before glaring around the room. "Look, it won't help to get upset at us, especially not now Cooter! We don't even know where they're hiding and by the time we do, he may already be dead," Frank answers cooly, "Drake won't stop at anything which means he'll kill anyone at anytime for anything or nothing at all. He needs to be stopped." "Yeah, but Bo don't need to go down with him!" Cooter yells. "He may already be dead!" Frank yells in his face, "Look, we'll let you know Cooter, but you are not to move in this matter any...this takes a professional touch or else you may be his next victim." "If you say so," Cooter shrugs angrily moving the door. "Where you going?" Frank snaps at him. "To see Luke, is that illegal?" Cooter snaps sarcastically before slamming the door shut behind him.

Kristy smiled appreciatively at the driver before returning her glare out her side window to watch a black sports car on thier heels. Wearily she sighs as she thinks of all that she had heard while returning for her keys. Hogg has always been rotten with greed, but this has gone too far, robbing the bank to point the finger at her brother and cousin. It won't be the first time, but these guys he is now working for is known gun men who rob banks across Georgia, and whom is not afraid to use thier guns. She sighs in worry at the thought of anyone getting hurt due to Hogg's greed, especially her younger brother and cousin. "Thanks," Kristy says again, "they probably would have caught me by now in my ol' truck." "Hey it's no problem," the young lady smiled back at her, "I enjoy some car chases once in a while. That Hogg can sure get annoying, can't he?" "Tell me about it," Kristy answers as Hilery peals herself out from under the cement road and onto a dusty dirt country road. Silence returns into the front seat of the car before Kristy looks forward to see a wide creek come into view as Hilery takes her car off the road. "What are you doing?" she asks nervously thinking of her brother and cousin's favorite tricks. "Gonna jump it," the young lady smiles wildly at Kristy who frowns worriedly at hte thought of having to jump another creek with someone she just meant, "hey relax, it was that brother and that cousin of yours that taught me how to do it. It'll be fine. This way we are sure to loose them." "Yeah, hopefully," Kristy mutters as she holds onto the dashboard tightly as the car is thrown air born for a long moment. Kristy sighs thankfully as the car lands harshly on the ohter side of the creek. "See? That wasn't bad," Hil laughs as Hil and Kristy simutanously glares back into their rear view mirror to find the men slamming on their breaks only to fall nose first into the creek. Hilery busts out laughing besides Kristy as two grown men climb out of their sports car and hope on top of thier car to avoid the cold water.

**CHAPTER SIX** I awaken to pain swarming throughout my stiff and aching body as I hear the gaurd's sharp and threatening voice ring out besides me. I sigh tiredly as my mind races through me of the long amount of time I have been locked within these horrid walls. Anger flows through me like a raging river as I think of my boys back now, I was certian that they'd have at least attempted to come to my rescue. Way over a year now and no sign of them or no hearing of them trying to break in to save me. What could be taking them so long? Do they no longer care for thier Uncle? Mind them, the uncle that had taken care of them since they were babies. What could be taking them so long? Perhaps they all have enjoyed their freedom over the farm they chose to forget me. "Damn you," I mutter toward myself in anger at myself for allowing myself to fall into paranoia over my nephews and neices in knowledge they would never do t hat to me, they do care for me. But where are they? Why aren't they trying to save me? Did they kill them throughout the year? No, please no, not them. Silently I stare at the old dusty wooden wall as I pray for my family that lies in the freedom of these ugly walls that I stare at day in and day out. Suddenly a loud cry rings out on the opposite side of the room followed by harsh wheezing. "Hey...give...me that!" opposes the wheezy breathing person across the room. But who? My thoughts rush to my youngest nephew who suffers greatly from asthma. "That's mi. . .mine!" "Not any more it isn't!" I hear the gaurd laughs before a loud slap echos off the thin walls. Slowly and stiffly I force myself to sit up upon the thin and torn cot that I had fallen asleep upon a while ago. Silently I take in Bryceton who remains wobbly in the corner instead of by my side as he normally sits. I sigh as I think of the harsh life he has been given, only knowing pain and hatred the five years of his life. I gasp in surprise as I see my youngest blond haired nephew sitting on the wall across from the bed, his head staring silently at the ground. My heart aches at seeing the thick cast upon his hand up to under his elbow, his face bruised and cut up. My imagination plays wildly within me at all that he could have wen through as I watch his chest heaving in and out in his struggle for air and I notice that the gaurd has pocketed his inhaler. Softly I take a deep breath as I slowly climb off the bed and walk over to where he sits and kneel silently besides him. "Bo," I whisper my surprise and I feel Bryceton's soft green eyes in wonderment upon us. Slowly, Bo forces his head up to look at me and I notice the tears that streak down his bruised face. His baby blue eyes brighten up in joy at seeing me, through his joy and excitement at seeing me, I see the great pain and fear that he is filled with. "Uncle Jesse!" he exclaims jumping up to hug me and I hear him gasp in pain. Slowly he lets go before sitting back down upon the dusty dirt floor. "I'm sorry." "For what?" I ask as I ache to know what they did to him. He shrugs as he lets the silence build between us. "For not knowing," he finally responds. "Not knowing what?" I finally ask as I realize he wasn't going to go on, "Please tell me, explain to me." He looks at me with uncertianity in his eyes before glaring angrily at the gaurd before looking back at me. "For not knowing you was...well here," he shrugs, "we thought. . .we thought you were dead. I mean I went home to check on you when you didn't answer Daisy's calls, well cause, Luke tol' me to. And you was, " he pauses as tears build up to roll down his cheeks, "well someone dressed to be you, was shot dead in the living room. There was a funeral and all for you." "It's OK," I sigh comforting him as I draw him in a hug as he dries his face of his cheeks of his tears. Slowly I let go of him to take him in for a long moment, "It's not your fault, nor Luke's. No need for an apology Bo." "Maybe," Bo shrugs as he looks over at Bryceton. "Hey Bryce," I call out motioning him over and he slowly gets up to walk over to us, "this is one that I tol' you about, my nephew Bo. Bo this is Bryceton." With that the small and frail boy throws his arms around Bo silently and Bo glances questionably at me before huggin him back. Slowly the boy lets go to sit next to Bo, glaring oddly around. "Bryceton is an autistic five year old boy," I finally inform Bo, "sweetest thing, too bad he has to be here, to live with this!" Bo nods in understandment as his unknown story seems to play invisable to me in his head. I sigh wishing I could read his thoughts as more tears run down his face as his body visibly shake either out of pain or fear. "He cryin'?" Bryce says slowly and I am surprised to hear him talk, knowing how long it had taken him to get use to me to even say a word. Bo glares at him as Bryce trails Bo's tears with his index finger before he gently pushes Bryce's thin arm away. "Yeah he's crying a bit," I answer as I put Bryce in my lap before Bo wipes them away himself, "You wanna talk about it? About what all happened?" He looks at me then accusingly at the gaurd that sits there smiling evilly at Bo and my anger grows within me. "They shot Luke to get to me," Bo finally speaks up, "after I was released from the hospital, they shot him," he pauses again, "and Luke made me run and hide from them...guess not fast enough; again." His fear and worry runs into me as I stare at his trembling body as he stares at the floor, his flashbacks seem to be flooding his eyes. "Look, Luke's tough," I try to comfort him with failure,"he'll make it out of it before you know it, just have confidences in him." "Yeah maybe," he sighs silently as he visibly fights to stay awake as Bryceton slowly gets up from my lap. Toghether we watch as he goes to a small chest and takes out a large light brown teddy bear that is visibly soft and fluffy. "You can hug this, Bo," Bryceton smiles at him, "he helps me when I'm sad, doesn't it work, Uncle Jesse?" Bo glares up at me at Bryceton calling me his uncle before taking the bear for a short moment before giving it back. "No thanks, you have it," Bo responds as silence returns to the room.

~BO DUKE~ I slowly awaken to my head harshly throbbing in unbearable pain to find myself tightly tied to an old rusty metal chair by a large thick metal chain. Pain rushes through me with fear as the room spins quickly around me as I am over whelmed by the smell of a fresh fire near by with burnt wood. Slowly, the thick fog that had invaded my eyes clears to find myself sitting in an old dusty and dirty cabin, in the far corner from the door. Through the open and dirty windows, I notice a few snow flakes melting from the darkening gray sky above. "You've awaken, I see," a gruff voice rings out and I look ahead to find a tall man wearing tight dark blue jeans, a blue flannel shirt under a dark blue denim coat, and a dirty white cowboy hat. His dark almost black brown eyes glares at me as if he is staring through me as I notice the black hair under his hat. "I'm Drake, but you can call me Master!" Suddenly he pauses to laugh with hysteria, "So you the Duke boy that has been giving me so much trouble? Well, you'll be sorry that you messed with ol' Drake Shelbon, cause you will finally know what ol' Drake is all about!" He laughs once again as he back hands me across the face and I yell out in pain as a couple more men walk in carrying more wood. "Brrr," one man blows out, "it sure is cold out there, can't wait for all this snow to stop fallin'." "Oh our fiesty little prisoner has now awaken," the other smiles and I recognize them as being the me that had attacked me in the cave, "What your plans for him, Drake?" "Yeah, why not just kill him and get him over with?" the other man chimes in. Quickly he glares around at them to silence them up and they both move toward the lively fire place that lies on the opposite wall of me. "I'll tell you why I don't go up and kill him, I have plans for him, that's why!" he yells once again back handing me across the face, "he seems fun to torture that's why, I torture him, I torture his whole family by just one person! This oughta be fun...huh Bo? Besides, this'll give my boy Bryceton someone to play with." "I thought you gave him the old man to satisfy him with," Bren says after stacking his pile. "Now he will have someone with his IQ to watch over him, that damn boy can't be related to me!" Drake says and for a long moment more anger flairs in his dark brown eyes, "I'd rather die painfully than to have a son like him, there is no way I am related to a retard!" With that he begins hitting me continuesly to my chest, stomach and face with anger and pain before the man they call Raze pulls him off. "Drake, it is over and done with," he sighs, "this stuff happens everyday." "Not to my Lana! He killed her!" he yells brushing the man's thick muscular hand off of him, "That retard killed her!" "She gave birth, it's a risk," Bren cuts in. "I don't care! I am without Lana and stuck with . . .with that retard!" Drake yells hitting me harshly, "And you will watch him while you suffer greatly for my loss! Have fun, Bo!" I look silently at him as he back hands me with his thick hand before wiping his dark eyes that seemed to have cried no tears before. "What about the old man?" Bren speaks up as they both crowd over me, "You can't put them together, I mean -" "Shut up Bren! I can do as I wish and they both will have to be in that room together, that way they can watch eachother suffer!" with that Drake yells out with laughter before hitting me once again, "I want you to untie him and throw him in there...and don't FORGET to lock the door tightly. Raze, you will gaurd the room inside, until it is Bren's turn." "Yes sir," they say together. "Get to it...I'll be taking my nap," Drake says walking to the old cot that lies a few feet away and Raze unlocks the lock to the thick chain and I fight to get up only to be thrown to the ground by a harsh blow to the back of my neck by Bren. "Let's go!" Raze yells as they jerk me to my feet to once again send pain racing up and down my body. My body trembles in great fear and harsh pain as they force me to the door that had sat a few feet a head of my chair I had been chained to. My heart races quickly as I watch Bren fumble with the two locks before he pockets the key chain and opens the door. My heart stops quickly as I see a tall figure upon the small bed wearing faded blue jean overalls and a tan undershirt lying asleep on the bed with graying thin hair, with a beard and a mustach. Next to the old and torn cot a heavy and tall man sat upon an old metal chair with his arms folded glares up at us with his black eyes that matches his complexion. "Ah you got his boy," he smiles. "Yeah and I get to take over for you," Raze cuts in and the large man slowly stands up as both Raze and Bren throws me harshly upon the dirty wooden floor and I grunt in great pain as I yank my broken casted arm out from under me. Breathing once again comes difficult for me as my lungs explode in pain as I force myself to sit up to find a scrawny thin kid in raggy type clothes sits in the far corner hugging his thin knees. The kid looks to be around five or six with shaggy light brown hair and light green eyes that is casted toward the floor. Quickly I glare up at Raze as the door is thrown shut and the locks are quickly put into place as Raze sits down in his chair with his gun in plain sight of reach. Slowly I force myself to look up at the bed and my heart stops achingly at the sight of my uncle lying there. "But. . .but he's-" "You wrong again! Ha," Raze laughs, "that wasn't your uncle on the ground, but one of our men dressed to be your uncle, while we kidnapped the old man to keep watch over Drake's boy there, Bryceton." The boy looks up at Raze with hurtful eyes at the sound of his name before resting his head back down on his sharp knees. My heart races now within me as I force myself to look at my uncle to find his right eye bruised with a cut on his right temple and anger flairs within me at the thought of them injuring my uncle.

~LUKE DUKE~ Slowly, I awaken to the irratating beeping of the heart monitor and to the slow drippings of the IV bags that echo off the thick hollow hospital walls. I sigh in relief to to the hear Bo's heart monitor beeping back to regular, to the way it should be; before my eyes slowly begin to clear from the bluriness enough to find myself lying in the hospital bed hooked up to three IVs and an air tube in my nose. I sigh wearily as I slowly remember all that had happened to feel the pain shooting through my right chest where I had been shot at. Staring at the blank wall ahead of me, I am filled with fear and anger, not for myself but for Bo. I pray for his safety in hope that he will be able to escape the danger that he was put once back in. "Luke," I hear a muffled voice besides me and I stiffly turn to find Daisy sitting next to me, tears run down her tan face before she quickly brushes them away. "How are you feelin'?" "Don't worry about me! Where's Bo? Did you find him?" I snap at her, "You were suppose to go find Bo after all this submerged and all!" "Don't yell at me Luke...don't you think I am just as worried about him as you are?" she snaps back at me as she slowly stands up to pace the floor, "I called Frank ahead of time and he tol' me to stay here with you while he and his men went searching for Bo and for the shooters." I sigh impatiently as I watch her glare out the window of my room as my mind rushes rapidly within me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you," I apologize, "I know you are worried too." "Sergeant Mills will find him, he's an expert on this kinda stuff anyways, not you nor me," Daisy says continueing to glare out the window, "I told them to check the caves where he hid last time...hopefully Bo wouldn't return there, they gotta know he hid htere last time by now." She pauses longly to look out the window before turning to face me, "How you feel?" "As I said, don't worry about me, I'll be fine," I sigh, "it hurts a bit, kinda like being stabbed when I was at war, but I lived through that, and I will live through this. I will be much better when I can see Bo here and that he is OK. He already is in a lot of pain with his arm and all, he went through a lot already...he surely don't need this." Silence fills the room as a medium sized thin doctor with thinning reddish brown hair walks in with a nurse. "Ah I see you have awaken," he smiles looking at my chart, "I will be your doctor, Dr. Chatern and will be taking of you while your stay here. I am glad to see your surgery went well to remove that bullet...that was a nasty shot...twenty-three stitches and some torn muscle. You're lucky, it had just missed your heart by like a half inch or less." "I don't feel so lucky," I sigh. "You'll be out of here before you know it," he smiles as he finishes checking everything, "I'll be on the floor if you need me." I sigh silently as they leave only to be replaced by Frank Mills and another man that I presume is another FBI agent he had brought along. For a long moment he glares at me coldly with his creamy blue eyes before he turns to Daisy. "Where is he sergeant?" I break the silence, "Did you find Bo? Is he OK?" Once again he glares at me as he bites his lower lip and traces his scar with his left hand. "We have reason to believe that he has been kidnapped by whoever had shot you," Frank finally says holding me in his cold eyes, "is this Bo's?" With that he lies a black leather pocket knife case with a pocket knife entrapped inside. "That's Bo's," I answer finally to break the silence as my heart stops in fear in what all this means. "We figured as much," he sighs grimly putting it back into a bag and hands it to his agent, "We found in a cave a couple of miles from here. By the looks of the cave, it seems there had been a struggle there, looking to be between three people, but could be more, and less. It was hard to tell. We also found a small amount of blood right outside of the cave that looks to be Bo's. We still have men out look around the cave and searching the caves more, but we believe that they have kidnapped him and bringing him to thier hide out where ever that is at." The room is filled with silence once again as I stare at him full of shock and fear for my cousin before I turn to Daisy to find fresh tears streaking her cheeks. "Well the whole reason for him being kidnapped is to prevent him from speaking of what he saw or whatever reason they have? Then wouldn't it be easier for them to just kill him?" "I know, I don't know what they are up to, but who knows when it comes to Drake. Perphaps ransom?" he shrugs, "I hope you don't mind, we have someone out at your farm to answer the phone to see if he will be callin' there for ransom. We will get him back and stop Drake, I can promise you that." Suddenly Bo's adolecent voice is crying out in my head, yelling at me that I can't promise returning home safely as he had when I had left for war so many years ago. "No sergeant," I sigh feeling Bo's pain and fear he had felt back then, "you can't make no such promises as the one you just made. Drake could be killing him right now and perhaps leaving Hazzard for his own safety afterwards. The truth is, neither your and your men, nor us, know what Drake plans to do. So, until you got Bo back safely, I suggest not making such promises." For a long moment he glares at me before nodding in agreement. "This is FBI Agent Paul Leiks, he will be serving protection of this room," Franks says seriously, "Daisy, if you need to go, he will call for another one gaurd. Drake is dangerous and will be dealt with caution, so til this is done and over with, both of you will be protected."

NAME: Garrett James Duke AGE: 21 HEIGHT: 6'3" Weight: 195

~BO DUKE Darkness quickly swallows me whole as I disappear into the icy cold caves in hope of escaping the men that had been chasing closely behind me. My heart races within me in fear and pain as my lungs go aflair in pain as my breathing comes out forceful and wheezy in an upcoming asthma attack. Fighting off coughing until I am sure they are out of hearing distance my mind races quickly within me of my cousin lying on the cement ground, clenching tightly onto my hand. I sigh thinking of the fear that shone brightly in his bright inellegent blue eyes, fear that he had fought to hid from me as he had in the past, though this time unsucceeding. Anger races through me at the clear sight of my cousin in my mind, anger at the men that has been after me the past few weeks, not for me, but for Luke. My mind races within me, full of images of Luke getting shot and falling upon the cold pavement as I slowly realize that they had shot Luke to get to me, only meaning they are willing to do anything to get to me, and to kill me as they had Uncle Jesse. Tears quickly build up in my eyes as chills race up and down my body as fear streaks through my body. Silently I hug my knees closesly into my chest as tears protrude from my eyes to race down my frozen cheeks as my mind is full of clear images of Luke and the thick red puddle of blood he had already lost due to the shooters. A sharp stab of fear pierces through me as I am startled by the heavy foot fall of the men running reaching the caves or near by the caves to echo off the rocy cliff wall. Thier breathing is ragged and rough as one man says something beyond hearable to me, to the other man. My mind races in fear as I silently pray that they won't find me, that the caves will hide me once again as they had that horrid day so many weeks ago. 'If only they had killed me then, I would no longer have to run from such evil men, and to live my life in fear,' runs rapidly through my head with my uncle's caring voice lecturing me that 'Dukes never run nor hide from their problems, but face them and deal with them as Dukes would.' Suddenly dark shadows cast over the mouth of the cave as I silently watch in fear, hoping to see them race quickly by. "Let's check the caves...and see if he is stupid enough to hide in the same place twice," a thick voice echos off the icy cold rocy walls of the cave. I feel my body shaking uncontrollably as I sit crumpled up in a dark black and icy cold corner of the cave, shaking from fear instead of the cold that has numbed me. My lungs are set afire in pain as I fight for air as two large and muscular men appear at the entrance of the lighted end of the cave to send my mind racing in what is about to happen and in fear. Unable to fight back any more coughing, I harshly begin to cough chronically before I fish my inhaler out to use it. "He's here," says the thick voice once again. "He sure is...must be pretty dumb to hide in the same cave as before," the other laughs as they climb closer to where I sit, "you might as well come out, Bo, for there is no use this time. You're coming with us!" They both laugh, thier evil laugher echos off the cave's walls hurting my ears as tears of pain and fear swell in my eyes again. I pray franticly in hope of finding a way out, in hope of being saved, but in knowledge that it is too late. They have found me and will do what they wish to me. After a long moment of listening to thier boots hit the rocky floor a dark large shadow quickly lingers over me and I slowly look up to find a tall muscular man standing over me with thick dark brown hair and a thin goatee. "I found him, Raze," his thick southern accented voice rings out as I hold onto my injured arm as the pain pounds lively within. I yell out in pain as he shoves me over and kicks me continuesly in the ribs and face. "Brendon!" the man he had called Raze says as he appraches him and I dare a glance up at him to find him taller than Brendon by an inch and more muscular. Tattoos flare up and down his uncovered right arm with a couple on his left as he wears a tight white tank top with black leather pants. His dark black hair lies neatly in a crew cut, just like Luke's when he had first come with sharp stubbles upon his tan face from a couple days of unshaving. "Drake gave us both sharp orders NOT to kick him around or to kill him! We are to take him to him and that is it!" "Like he cares if he has a few more bruises on him," Brendon snears back at him over me as he kicks me once more before hte other man jerks me to my feet. "Let me go!" I yell at them as I fight the handle he holds on the back of my collar. Luke's face, his eyes full of fear and pain, shine in my eyes and I once again angered at them for what they did to my cousin. For a short moment, anger controls me over the fear that lies intensly within. "You jackasses shot my cousin!" I yell jumping on Rex's black boots with the heel of my cowboy boot as hard as I can. As he crumples up in pain I quickly knee him in the head for him to let go of me to fall upon the hard cold ground. Fear sneaks back into me as I see Brendon's muscular fist coming at me before I quickly dunk and elbow him in the ribs and then to the head. Quickly I begin to run as pain streaks throughout my weak body and once again in my lungs as I hear them getting up behind me. I yell out in surprise and in pain as they both jump me from behind to force me harshly to the ground. "You ain't goin' nowhere Duke, nowehre other to our hideout...where you will do as instructed or your cousin WILL be finished off to prove that little bullet we put in him was nothing compared to the concequences of you not listening!" one of the men yell in my ear as the other gets off. "OK Bren, give it to me." "Give you what?" the man that had gotten up asks niavely as Raze continues to painfully hold me down. "The seditive Drake gave us for him!" Raze snaps at him and fear clouds my mind even more as he takes an arm off of me to take the needle from Bren's tattoed hand. I yelp in pain as I feel the sharp need edge it's way through my elbow before draining and getting jerked out. "There ya go, Bo, now you won't have a chance to fight us!" They both begin to laugh, though right next to me, they both sound distant as I slowly fight off the blackness that slowly moves in on me. I sigh in fear thinking of what I will be waking up to before I am engulfed in unconciousness' darkness.

Woo hoo! That was fun Brian, thanks! "I am sure Duke Material!" with all but two of my answers turning out to be B! YAHAA 8)

~LUKE DUKE~ Tiredly I stare into the reflective silver doors of the closed elevator as it slowly inches it's way down to the first floor. My mind wonders wildly within of what the next few days will hold for us to the past few days that lays scarefully behind us. I sigh thankfully for what has been done, already done, with dread mixed in it in fear of what may lay ahead. Slowly I glance over at Daisy as she places a hand on my shoulder and she smiles comfortly at me before rubbing Bo's shoulder who only tiredly moves away from her touch. "Damn it Bo," I say under my breath in frusteration at the attitude he is holding toward anyone and everyone. Through the reflection of the doors I notice the dull angry tone look in his eyes, one of warning of him falling back into his shell once again. I sigh thankfully as the floor comes to a halt and the doors squeakily and slowly open ahead of us where we exit into a large brightly lit hall way. "Zip your coat up Bo," I finally say as we come in sight of the double glass doors to the cold and windy outside. I watch momentarily as he slowly zips up his coat, more like a zombie than my cousin. Slowly we walk toward the double glass doors before Daisy opens the doors up widely for us. Glancing down at Bo for a short moment I wheel him out into the cold late fall weather where I wheel him down the cement slope. Stopping on the sidewalk before the dusty road I glance casually back to Daisy who walks slowly and carefully down the frosted cement stairs. Watching her take the railing in care I jump in shock as a piercing pain etches it's way through my upper chest to cripple me down to the hard and cold cement ground. Pain streaks down from my upper right chest and fear strikes me harshly as I look down to find a bullet hole etched into my denim jacket with my thick red blood quickly oozing out of the hole. "Luke!" I hear my youngest cousin's voice shout out in fear, sounding distant as he sheds himself of the wheel chair to kneel down besides me. Weakness joins the throbbing pain that streaks through my chest as flashbacks of war flashes within me, the gun shots echo in my head as old stale gun powder reeks in my nose. "Luke!" Bo shouts with more fear, concern and worry like he never allowed himself to feel since Jesse's murder. "Bo," I say silently to hear myself wheezing in pain as I touch his yet bruised face softly as I suddenly realize that this is real, that I have been shot by some man with a silencer. Slowly I rise my head to cause more pain to streak through me as I glance around for a shooter, to not find any as Daisy forces my head down before running back inside for help. Looking back at Bo who's shell has been discarded for great fear, pain, and sadness of his own. "You hafta listen to me Bo...do as I tell you to do. I know you won't want to do it, but you have to do it." "What is it?" he asks as more blood spurts out of the hole to stain Bo's shirt that we brought for him. "You hafta run...run as far and as fast as you can until you find a great hiding place," I wheeze as breathing becomes hard and painful and I wonder if this is how Bo feels each time he has an asthma attack, "I can assure you...this bullet was meatn for you, not me and if you don't run, you'll get one yerself." "I can't...ca...can't..."he fights his own battle for air, "leave...you." "Yes you can and you will, you have to," I tell him as blackness slowly comes into me and I fight hard against it, "you have to Bo, that is the only way of your survial...I'll be fine. I'll send Daisy after you within a couple of hours. But you have to run...as far and as fast as you can make it. Find a great hiding place and stay there until Daisy finds you! Please Bo...do this, do as I tell you to do. I don't want to loose you as I about did. If not for you, do it for me. Run for me. You understand what I am saying Bo?" "That if I don't go, they'll kill me too," he says softly. "Exactly...I'll be fine, trust me, I'll be fine. But you have to go before they do any more pain, more damage to you," I say in panic as I hear a few foot steps hurriedly walking to me, "Run Bo...Run now!" "I love you Lukas," Bo says holding my icy cold hand, "You have to be ok! You gotta be! I'll run, not for me, but for you. Bye for now cuz!" Tears streaks his face as he slowly gets up as he lets go of my hand to begin running just as another shot rings out and I pray that it had missed Bo as pure evil darkness overcomes me.

CHAPTER FIVE Tiredly I glare out the small hospital window as the dark dreary sky swallow out the remaining sun that had remained only a few moments ago. I sigh wearily listening to my doctor talk quietly to Luke and Daisy off in the corner of my room. Watching the thick area of trees across the dirt road my mind races from thought to thought of the past, from seeing Jesse on the old wooden floor to where I sit now waiting for my cousin's to take me homel. My heart pounds harshly within me tightly with great anxiety and panic of the past to what the future may hold due to my stupidity I had held three weeks ago. Three long weeks in the hospital that seemed to last an enernity of lying hooked up monitors and IVs and of everyone looking over me in pity, just as they have been the past year or so. I hate thier pity them looking down at me just because they feel sorry for me when I am fine, or will be fine, well hopefully will be fine whenever I can move on with my life as Luke seems to want me to do. But how can I do that when Jesse was violently murdered as he was and the murderer remains free, unpunished of his evil deed? Thinking of the past, of seeing Jesse lying on the floor covered in his own thick blood, and of the man or men that has gotten away with such a hateful crime, anger floods through me. How could anyone want to kill such a great man as Uncle Jesse? And why would anyone want to kill my uncle? Jesse would never do anything to deserve such a thing and yet someone had went in and killed him as if he were just a piece of meat or something, looking as if no second thought had come to whoever pulled the trigger. Anger floods through me with my emotional pain and sorrow to who ever killed my uncle, for the cops for not stopping the jackasses that had pulled the trigger. Tears once again enter my eyes, tears of my pain mixed with the anger toward the men who did this to Jesse, not for me, but for Jesse. "Luke, I am going to schedule him for an appointment in three days, let's see," my doctor pauses behind me, "that'll be Friday. How about at eight in the morning?" "That's fine," Luke says confidently, "couldn't Doc. Appleby-" "He could, but I prefer to check him out the first few times," my doctor's harsh voice says in response, "it is mandatory here for thier hospital's doctor check them in the first two or three times before handing them over to thier regular physician." "OK, I was just wondering," Luke says behind me, "Friday at eight then." "Yeah unless something major comes up, don't be afraid to bring him back," he responds, "he should be fine." "OK thanks doctor," Luke says behind me and I can hear Daisy sob back some tears of her fear, "you ready to go home, Bo?" Anger flows through me at feeling the tears roll down my cheeks, in embarassment at the thought of what Luke would think if he knew I was crying like a baby. He never cries, the only time I saw him with tears was last week or so when I was dying. 'Damn it' I think angrily towards myself as I quickly wipe my face harshly with my hand. I glare at my casted right arm as I rest it upon my lap as I sit in the hospital's wheel chair, thinking of the events once again. "Of course I'm ready," I force out, though refusing to move myself. "Let's go then," Luke says in a half cheery voice behind me as he wheels me around to face the door and the doctor who grins thinly at me. "Tell Luke or Daisy here whenever something hurts," he demands. "No duh," I answer sarcasticly, "I don't see why I hafta be wheeled outta here, I can walk on my own." "It's mandatory," the doctor responds. "What's not mandatory?" I snarl at him, "Breathing?" "Bo! Enough!" Luke yells from behind me as he wheels me out into the brightly lit hall way, "Thanks doctor, see you in a few."

CHAPTER FIVE Tiredly I glare out the small hospital window as the dark dreary sky swallow out the remaining sun that had remained only a few moments ago. I sigh wearily listening to my doctor talk quietly to Luke and Daisy off in the corner of my room. Watching the thick area of trees across the dirt road my mind races from thought to thought of the past, from seeing Jesse on the old wooden floor to where I sit now waiting for my cousin's to take me homel. My heart pounds harshly within me tightly with great anxiety and panic of the past to what the future may hold due to my stupidity I had held three weeks ago. Three long weeks in the hospital that seemed to last an enernity of lying hooked up monitors and IVs and of everyone looking over me in pity, just as they have been the past year or so. I hate thier pity them looking down at me just because they feel sorry for me when I am fine, or will be fine, well hopefully will be fine whenever I can move on with my life as Luke seems to want me to do. But how can I do that when Jesse was violently murdered as he was and the murderer remains free, unpunished of his evil deed? Thinking of the past, of seeing Jesse lying on the floor covered in his own thick blood, and of the man or men that has gotten away with such a hateful crime, anger floods through me. How could anyone want to kill such a great man as Uncle Jesse? And why would anyone want to kill my uncle? Jesse would never do anything to deserve such a thing and yet someone had went in and killed him as if he were just a piece of meat or something, looking as if no second thought had come to whoever pulled the trigger. Anger floods through me with my emotional pain and sorrow to who ever killed my uncle, for the cops for not stopping the jackasses that had pulled the trigger. Tears once again enter my eyes, tears of my pain mixed with the anger toward the men who did this to Jesse, not for me, but for Jesse. "Luke, I am going to schedule him for an appointment in three days, let's see," my doctor pauses behind me, "that'll be Friday. How about at eight in the morning?" "That's fine," Luke says confidently, "couldn't Doc. Appleby-" "He could, but I prefer to check him out the first few times," my doctor's harsh voice says in response, "it is mandatory here for thier hospital's doctor check them in the first two or three times before handing them over to thier regular physician." "OK, I was just wondering," Luke says behind me, "Friday at eight then." "Yeah unless something major comes up, don't be afraid to bring him back," he responds, "he should be fine." "OK thanks doctor," Luke says behind me and I can hear Daisy sob back some tears of her fear, "you ready to go home, Bo?" Anger flows through me at feeling the tears roll down my cheeks, in embarassment at the thought of what Luke would think if he knew I was crying like a baby. He never cries, the only time I saw him with tears was last week or so when I was dying. 'Damn it' I think angrily towards myself as I quickly wipe my face harshly with my hand. I glare at my casted right arm as I rest it upon my lap as I sit in the hospital's wheel chair, thinking of the events once again. "Of course I'm ready," I force out, though refusing to move myself. "Let's go then," Luke says in a half cheery voice behind me as he wheels me around to face the door and the doctor who grins thinly at me. "Tell Luke or Daisy here whenever something hurts," he demands. "No duh," I answer sarcasticly, "I don't see why I hafta be wheeled outta here, I can walk on my own." "It's mandatory," the doctor responds. "What's not mandatory?" I snarl at him, "Breathing?" "Bo! Enough!" Luke yells from behind me as he wheels me out into the brightly lit hall way, "Thanks doctor, see you in a few."