Brian Coltrane

Mustering dignity as required for the occassion, Brian adjusts his jacket collar, holds his head high, and steps through the slightly open cell door. "One small step for man...one great leap for bad guys everywhere. KHEEHAAA!" He turns to MaryAnne, offers her a handshake. "No hard feelin's, cousin. It's been a long thirty days, but the law is the law....an' you an' I are still kin, even if we're on opposite sides once in awhile"

"Ah, shaddap. Y'all can't prove nothin' ." With a good-natured chuckle, Brian watches MaryAnne work at the hinges. "Anytime now, cousin...whatever ya do, don't strip the screws or somethin', or bust the screwdriver....Coltranes and tools don't mix too well, ya know."

"@#$&*%#," Brian muttered back witha grin. "I thought you'd string me along till I confessed to bein' the one who super-glued the drawers shut on the bookin' desk....but you didn't get it outta me. KHEE!"

"Awright, smarty cop....I'm callin' your bluff. Ah refuse to believe you'd do somethin' that crazy. You're the responsible one in the Coltrane clan! You wouldn't do nothin' to destroy county property...or a county prisoner, for that matter!"

Brian gave the box of gunpowder a long look. It was probably the equivilent of a few sticks of dynamite. His dark eyes then flicked to the unlit match in MaryAnne's fingers. "You wouldn't."

"This is a little more n' ah anticipated for obtainin' freedom! Mind ya, I want out, but I don't want off the planet !" Brian wraps both hands around the bars and goes eye to eye with MaryAnne. "But if your tryin' to rattle a confession outta me by threatin' to use dynamite on that cell door, you can just do your damn worst. 'Cause I ain't fallin' for it. No cop interrogation has ever broken me yet, and you n' your Hazzard firecrackers won't break me now! Hell, I dare ya!"

"GAAAAAAH!! Ain't that just a hair over the top, cousin?"

"I didn't realize Hazzard had a 'normal.' I've never seen anythin' constitutin' normal around here." After waiting a beat, seeks out MaryAnne, looking at her through the bars. "Hey, Deputy! Either Rosco ain't got his ears on, or he's decided to let me rot. How about we try calling in the Army Corps of Engineers?"

"It's good to see ya, Game Warden. How's Fang?" After looking around to make sure Fang didn't wander into the cell somehow, notices Hilery's cats. "Hello Kitty! And kitty, and kitty. You remember me, eh?" Gives each of the cats a friendly scratch behind the ears. "Got everything here except the Duke's mule, and I don't think that'd be a good idea. Khee!" Looks back to the assembled visitors through the bars. "So I miss anythin' in town? It's been quiet?"

Gives a nod and a smile to Val through the bars. Turns to speak to Hilery. "Yeah, I dug the comics, thank ya. Mighty kind. And I think me annoyin' the deputies went a long way towards gettin' outta here in 30 instead a' 60. Khee!" Takes a look at the clock on the wall... "Though if ol' Rosco don't show tonight, I'm gonna be in here until MaryAnne gets a wreckin' ball to tear the place down. Might never get out...in one piece..."

Seeing the expressions on the gathered faces, gives a mild smile. "Don't ya'll be too sorry for me. I'm a bad guy. Bad guys go to jail every once in awhile. Ya kinda get used to it." Takes a out a cigarette and lights up, exhaling a stream of smoke. "So what's new on the outside?"

"Thanks, ya'll. Heh." Gives a smile to Daney and Mac, and to anyone else in the vicinity. Holds on to bars in a loose grip, leaning forward lazily. "Good to see everybody. I've been havin' quite the vacation here. No work, just sittin' around readin' comic books, smokin' cigarettes, pacin' around in a circle...you outta try it! Ya don't know what yer missin'."

Mutters a comment as MaryAnne makes the radio call... "She's got a problem?? She should try it from this side of the iron..."

"MaryAnne, that was an almighty ruckus and ya damn near blew yer own head off. Not to mention the free coronary I got with purchase!" Crawls out from under bunk, eyes Mac and Daney. "And now this is turned into some kinda public spectacle. Mac, I appreciate yer offer, but I know MaryAnne. Hazzard law got me in here, Hazzard law is gonna halfta get me out. Lord knows how." Walks up to bars, watches smoke drift from MaryAnne's gun. Speaks to the Deputy. "I'm beginnin' to think the chipped beef served here nightly beats the lead slug you're tryin' to serve up. Any other bright ideas, blue-sleeves?"

"GAH! MaryAnne, if'n you ain't noticed, I ain't got too much room to hide!! Ya tryin' to get one of us killed?!" Seeing that MaryAnne is pulling the hammer back, abandons the debate and dives under the jail bunk. "You been on one patrol too many, I'm tellin 'ya...."

"@#&*%#& sonofa #@&%* an' #$%@#*@!!!" After taking a breath, looks through the bars, and says: "Awright. Let's not lose our heads heah. One lock, two Coltranes. This ain't no big deal, it's just a little dee-lay, we'll figure it out. Now yer keys ain't workin', and the lockpick ain't workin'. And I can tell ya, I tried stickin' a dinner fork in there the other night, and that didn't work. So we can rule out those things as e-ffective solutions."

"You have got to be kiddin' me. MaryAnne, if you don't git that door open inside a' ten seconds, I'm gonna holler for Amnesty International, and then I'm gonna file a complaint with the Civil Liberties Union, n' THEN I'm gonna cuss like hell." After watching MaryAnne fight with the lock another moment, takes a two-handed grip on the bars, lowers head, sighs....and then.... "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! This can't be happenin'!! This is cruel and unusual punishment!! Somebody call a locksmith!!"

"Man, it'll be good to get outta heah. 'Course I gotta admit, it's one of the better jails I been in...." *watches MaryAnne fumble with lock* "Uh...not that it's my place to tell you how to do yer job, Deputy...but you got the right key there?"

At MaryAnne's softly-spoken command, Brian gave a downcast nod and turned away. He knew Hilery would be alright in MaryAnne's capable care; his own presence, however, was unlikely to offer any comfort. Diablo's motor rumbled as the long black Chevy pulled away from the scene. Brian knew the instructed destination of the courthouse wasn't a random selection on MaryAnne's part. He was fully aware of what it implied. There were a number of different roads that he could take, a number of evasive options that briefly crossed his mind out of habit. But as he looked in his rear-view mirror and saw Hilery standing there, wiping tears... ...there was no thought of disobeying MaryAnne. None.

Back at the roadside where Hilery wept, Brian heard the pain in the young woman's heaving sobs, and it broke his heart. He knew that if he and Chet hadn’t fought, Hilery's friend would still be alive.... Slowly, Brian knelt down next to Hilery, and gently touched her shoulder. The thought that he was responsible for Chet's death, albiet indirectly, could not be driven from his mind. Brian had cost Hilery the one person in life she was closest to, he knew there was nothing, absolutely nothing, he would ever be able to do to make this right. Never, during his time in Hazzard, had he been involved in someone losing their life. He took pains to behave in this county; MaryAnne and Rosco had trusted him enough to give him a home here, a life away from the Atlanta Syndicate, away from his own past and the misdeeds in it…. ...and now, here at his feet, was the result of his battle with Chet. Brian remained the number one bad guy in Hazzard...but a life was lost, and the fact it was an accident did nothing to ease Hilery's tears.... ...and did nothing to ease the guilt in Brian's soul. "Hilery...." he choked out, trying to reach through her pain. "Hilery...c'mon...let's get you somewhere safe. Please calm down….we’re gonna help you….please don’t cry so hard….†Brian bowed his head, and his eyes shut as Hilery’s tears spent themselves. “...Forgive me...†he whispered inaudibly, and whether he was speaking to Hilery, or to MaryAnne, or both, was uncertain. Finally, he lifted his face to look at MaryAnne, dark eyes meeting blue…and in that moment, the weight of it all was too much, and he blinked back the moisture as it sprang to his eyes. His throat tightened and he tried to speak, but there was nothing to be said….nothing that would make Hilery feel better or bring Chet back. Most of all, there was nothing to ease the memory of that one, fleeting moment, where he had grasped Chet’s hand and felt the weak clench in return…and in that moment, two enemies, Duke and Coltrane, had gained peace…and with it, the first chance of friendship… …and as quickly as it had come, it was lost forever. His vision blurred, and Brian looked away.

Seeing this unfold, Brian gunned Diablo and then slammed the brakes, turning the wheel and sliding the long black Chevy behind Jumper, boxing in the Shelby between Diablo and Maverick. Dust billowed up and clouded over the three cars....

Brian felt his blood go cold at Hilery's grief, and he watched, shocked, as she tore from the town square. MaryAnne's full-throttle pursuit of Hilery was more than that of a concerned friend. She responded to Hilery's departure with the rapid reflexes of a cop trying to avoid another disaster... ...and it took Brian only a few seconds longer to realize that Hilery was upset enough to destroy herself unintentionally. If that happened, he would never forgive himself. His fight with Chet had already cost too much. After a sorrowful glance at Chet's lifeless body, Brian flicked his dark eyes to Daney, but she had already sensed the situation and seemed willing to stay by Chet's side. Brian gave her a quick nod, then ran like hell for Diablo, firing the black Chevy up with a tremendous roar, screeching from the curb to follow the path Hilery's mad flight had taken. Maverick's blue tail was a short distance ahead, and the reckless pace was pressed a notch higher as Diablo came closer to the two roaring vehicles. "Hilery, Chet wouldn't want this...." Brian muttered, his thoughts half a prayer, half a plea....

*Feels Chet's hand go slack and slip from grasp....* "Chet.....!" *as the last breath stills in the Duke's body....bows head a moment, giving a silent farewell.* *slowly stands up, backing away from the body, allowing others to vent their grief....* *....and reluctantly, raises dark eyes to look across Chet's body at MaryAnne...*

*Having watched Chet's run for escape, and having witnessed the fall, hurries over to where the Duke lies wounded...* "Aw, man...." *speaks quietly, sinks to ground on one knee to examine wound....sees Chet clutching the knife, which is imbedded deep in the Duke's own body; hears the painful breathing* *thinks about what was, and what might have been...and though there are no regrets between bad guys....a gesture is made....* *Reaches out, clasps Chet's right hand...the dark eyes of a Coltrane look to the pained eyes of a Duke....and there is no hatred.*

*high-shouldered stance does not relax, nor do the dark eyes change thier hard expression. The readiness for battle without quarter is evident in the clenched fists, the twitching nerves. * *Watching the enemy Duke back away, and hearing Chet's speech, does not release the black tunnel of trigger-vision, does not quell the adrenaline-fed fire in Coltrane blood.* *Instinct wars against intellect for several heartbeats. To purge a threat...to protect others...to repay ill deed....there were so many reasons to fight, and no reason to hold back. Only now, it would be beyond a fight. If it started again now....there would be only one conclusion.* *Finally, the response is spoken.* "You thought you'd gain somethin'....by takin' somethin' away from somebody else. Didn't you.....just like every amateur criminal that ends up bleedin' his life out in an alley for a stolen car stereo. You fool. You absolute fool...." *clenches fists, chest heaves* "You thought you'd make your mark by puttin' me down. You figured the shortest road to the big time lead right through me, DIDN'T YOU!!" *the raised voice carries through the town square.* "You can't make somethin' of yourself, by ruinin' somebody ELSE! DAMMIT MAN!! *pauses, breathing through teeth, flexing a fist* "You coulda had my friendship...but you weren't ready for it. You refused it. You about kicked me in the teeth for offerin’ it! So you leave here as my enemy, Chet Duke. Enjoy the dividends."