Brian Coltrane

*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."

*freshly freed from handcuffs, pauses to rub wrists* "Mighty neighborly of ya to take those things off, Chet. But that tender gesture don’t change things.†*adjusts jacket collar, gives a dark-eyed glare* "I've tried callin' it a draw. I've tried makin' peace. I'm not kiddin' about bustin' your posterior, either, if it's the only way you're gonna see the light.†*steps back, takes a stance* "I know why I got into this fight, but I can't figure what the hell you wanted out of this. I THOUGHT I knew what you wanted…I was wrong. All I can do now is guess your true motive." *voice drops low* "If you're fightin' me because you want to prove that you're the badder bad guy, or that you're the bigger jerk, or the crown prince of outlaws...." *waves fingertips in a “come and get it†gesture * "… you'll have to finish this thing, Chet Duke, and finish me along with it. Then, you’ll be on top….until someone bigger, meaner, and uglier than you comes through town! Who knows…maybe by then you’ll have some people here that you care about…and you’ll figure out that you’d do anythin’ to protect the place you call home, and the people you call kin, and the friends you’ve got. Yeah, just when you think you’ve got it all….somebody’s gonna give you a challenge you have to answer. And if a cop hasn’t already taken you down…somebody like your own kind WILL.†*snarls through teeth* “But right now, I’m in your way, man. I’m the only thing standin’ between you and your next step to hell.â€

*taunts after Chet* "BAAAAWK BAWK BAWK BAWWWWWK!! Chicken!!" "You got no honor, and you hit like Daisy Duke! If I ever so much as see your crosseyed, ugly mug in this county again, I'll use your hide for campin' tent, your hat to water horses with, and your boots for a spitoon! Mah only reee-gret would be that you could only beg for mercy so many times before I got sick of hearin' it! " *takes a deep breath and hollers out one more thing* "You know what, you don't even ENJOY your fights! You're just out for bloody knuckles, man, and you got about as much wit as a bowl of oatmeal! Well, keep the hammer down, and keep your eyes in the mirror! 'Cause one day, I'm gonna be on your back door so hard, you won't hear the knock!!" *exhausts lungs, stops triade to breathe* "Khee....damn, I hope somebody caught all that on tape. Heh heh...."

"You can run, Chet Duke, but you can't hide! And I suggest you run, you @#%&*#@!!!!!"

"....gah....that was...dirty...even for a Duke." *slowly stands up, looking at Chet with dark, serious eyes* "I do enjoy a good fight...but I ain't gonna put you down for no damn good reason. When I said we could have been friends, Chet Duke, I meant it. But now....." *shakes head* "I gave you plenty chances to save face here, and you haven't taken any of 'em. So I got no reason to believe you'll ever be satisified by anythin' less than my end. And if you accomplish that, you might go after somebody I care about....like MaryAnne, or Min, or Daney, or anybody in town here who has dared to 'get in the way.' " *takes a step closer, and the dark eyes hold open the gates of Hell. "I got two ways I can deal with you now. I could kill you as you stand without too much effort, Chet....I've been givin' you room to grow but you don't want it. So it comes down to this." *right hand flashes to inside jacket pocket , withdrawing a pair of handcuffs* "I'm makin' a citizen's arrest. You hit me first, and that's assault, you polecat. Epecially when ya throw my olive branch back in my face. You ain't gettin' another one." *opens handcuffs* "You have the right to remain silent. Anythin' you do may be held against ya in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney...."

*At the touch of the boot, there is no immediate reaction. It's not until Chet is done speaking that the black-clad Coltrane suddenly rolls completely to side, reaches out with both hands to snag Chet's leg, and bodily hauls him down to hit the earth.* "KHEEHAAAAAA! Happy landings, Chet! Just when you were gettin' smug. KHEEHAHA!" *springs to feet and scrambles back, holding out palms, still chuckling* "Awright, I could have stood over ya with a boot aimed at your adam's apple, but I think we've proved enough to each other. Wanna call it even while we can both walk?"

*No movement comes from the inert Coltrane; there is no reaction to Chet's moves*

"GAH! You @#&*...." *With the last punch to the ribs, the air seems to leave the black-clad Coltrane, and his body jerks with the spike of pain that bolts through him.* *There is no movement, except the slow, rolling tilt of the head to the side, a lock of brown hair falling over the temple. The dark eyes seem to lose focus, and they close shut.*

*Absorbs the blow to the ribs with a pained grunt, and does not dodge the sharp blow to the face. Instead, lashes out with left arm, grabs Chet's right forearm, twisting it and hauling Chet forward with a mighty tug. As Chet is jerked forward, unleashes a heavy, right cross across the Duke's jaw. There is no time for the Duke to react as a second punch is hammered into his gut.* *With this statement made, releases Chet and shoves him away forcefully, dancing back from the Duke's reach.* "You've...been practicin'...." *speaks between clenched teeth, sucking in oxygen* "But I ain't lived this long by accident. Get the hell out of here...before I do sometin' I regret."

*grits teeth* "Duke....you got a lot to learn...." *Cannot move much due to headlock. Struggles to move forward, but is held fast. That leaves one, risky option.* *Suddenly propels legs backwards, driving body back into Chet. Hooks one leg behind Chet's ankle, sweeps it forward and out from under the surprised Duke, shoving own body backwards at the same time.* *175 lbs. of Coltrane lands backwards on top of Chet Duke, who hits the ground hard.*

*rolls away, scrambles to feet, gives a hard cough before speaking* "No man....I coulda landed that elbow somewhere else! But considerin' there's genteel folk in this town....I cut you a break." *coughs again, pacing unsteadily* "You satisfied yet? Nobody needs stiches, so we'd probably both get off the hook with a fine and a day's community service."

*head snaps back with the blow, takes a couple of fast steps backwards, catching balance. Resumes circling, pacing faster, dark eyes glaring* "Naw, you ain't like any Duke I evah met. Dukes fight for a cause. You fight for the hell of it. " *pushes up sleeves on black jacket* "You been sayin' how you were gonna get me for a long time. You been walkin' on my shadow for months. And I'll only look over my shoulder so many times, before I decide that some threats can't be ignored anymore. We could have been friends, man....but hell....have it your way." *with that, suddenly pivots in place, spins body around, and lashes out with a leg sweep to knock Chet's feet out from under him. As Chet goes down, the attack is followed through with a fast drop with one aimed elbow, which is planted directly in Chet's abdomen, driving the air out of him.* *Keeps elbow in Chet's gut* "That could have been worse, but I'm just tryin' to get your attention. Ready to call it even, Duke?"

"Nah, you called this venue, and I'm stickin' with it. Right here in the middle of town is fine with me. Besides, we fought in the Boar's Nest once before, and I kicked yer posterior." *continues slowly circling opponent* "You realize, of course, that the winner of this thing is probably gonna get thirty days or more. The loser might get a nice floral arrangement. "

*looks around town square* "Dammit, Chet. You want to fight right in front of the Hazzard County Sheriff's Department? Why don't you wear a big sign on yer back that says "bust me" ? Be just as effective. Save you a black eye, too. " *squares shoulders, letting black jacket hang open. Paces around Chet, keeping both dark eyes fixed on the enemy Duke.* "What's with you, anyway? Most Dukes are happy to milk goats and husk corn. Weren't you any good at that ?"

Chet, you crosseyed tomcat, I ain't got nothin' to prove to the likes of you. But I don't back down from a challenge from nobody. Especially a Duke.

As soon as MacGyver was back on solid ground, Brian let out a long breath. "Whew! For a minute there, I had the sinkin' feeling we were gonna be in over our heads." Brian turned to thank the Duke and Coltrane combo that had arrived on the scene in the nick of time. He smiled at Daney and MaryAnne. "I'll give Hazzard County this much. Everybody's got good timin'! My thanks to ya both. Without y'all, we woulda been sunk."

Brian gave MacGyver a mistrustful glance. "What the hell, you magically show up in the middle of the woods holdin' an umbrella, like Mary @#%&* Poppins. And after what your evil twin put me through in the past, and considerin' how I ended UP in the middle of this overgrown swamp, courtesy of two Duke females and a roll of duct tape... " The cold rain continued to pelt down as Brian regarded Mac. Despite everything, this was the only ticket back to town, and it made no sense to refuse the offer. Anything beat wandering around in the wilderness for days on end. "All that bein' said, yes I would like a ride back to civilization. But I'll settle for Hazzard. You headin' that way?"

"Hey, *I* wasn't the one who blew up the @#&! Boar's Nest!!" Brian watched the car speed off, chucking a rock at it half-heartedly. For the life of him, he would never figure out Duke females as long as he lived. First they come to his aid, then they offer lectures on social conciousness, and finally, all else failing, they kidnap him and take him on a one-way trip to God's forsaken country, otherwise known as the Hazzard County woods and swamp district. "Gah. I have no idea where the hell I am...last I knew, I was havin' a beer at the Boar's Nest, Chet attacks me, so I vow the typical revenge such an occassion calls for...and now, everythin's literally blown up and I'm freakin' lost." With a sharp sigh, Brian put his hands in his jacket pockets and walked down the narrow dirt road. The thick woods that surrounded him gave no hint of what direction to take, and trusting to Coltrane luck was all he could do. "Ya know," Brian spoke to himself aloud, "There's only thing that could make this worse...."

"Friends and families? What the hell, Daney, you about to sell a telephone callin' plan?" Brian walked over and yanked the darts out from the dart board. "Some things never change. It's nice that y'all want peace, but there's only so many sneak attacks a man can put up with, and mah number on that is pree-cisely zero." *whips darts one at a time to imbed them into the wall behind the bar, lining them up in a neat row, the darts punctuating the words...* "I'm....gonna....skin...Chet...Duke...ALIVE!" This being said, Brian walked towards the front door, and added, "That ugly cuss has crossed me for the last time."

Take what road you need to take, Vicki. Remember, tho', for every road that leads out of Hazzard, there's another one that leads back. Good luck, Red. Brian

*draws a breath of smoke, speaks without looking at Daney* "Hilery didn't do nothin' wrong. I'm a bad guy...this kinda thing is always gonna happen to me. Somebody is always gonna remember that I ain't supposta be trusted...." *taps cigarette into ashtray* "Every now n' then I fool myself, that's all."

*finishes washing hair in kitchen sink, accepts towel from MaryAnne* "Damned if my fatal charm didn't overpower somebody again. " *fluffs hair with towel, finger combs it into place, one lock of bangs falling over temple* "Good thing I didn't ask Kristy to the barn dance. Sheesh, it ain't like all these backwater romances are published in the Sunday paper! I tell ya cousin, city life was a lot less complicated in some respects..." *walks out of Boar's Nest kitchen, and pointedly ignores the giggling. Takes a seat at the end of the bar and lights a cigarette, keeping cool....* *...but burning inside.*

*gives a sideways grin at MaryAnne* "Uh huh. I'm a fearsome image, sittin' here with this rootbeer float." *stirs it around with a drinking straw, taking a noisy slurp* "I ain't been scarin' Kristy away, either. And my enemies have left town...so here I am, behavin' myself." *looks over at Kristy and winks*

While all this was going on, Brian was enjoying a cold beer and the sight of the local scenery at the Boar's Nest. Daisy and her friend Maybell were playing a game of pinball, and they were laughing and shrieking at the machine as it once again, cut the silver ball straight down the middle to be untouched by the flippers. He was considering walking over there and giving the girls some pointers, but the the wary eyes of Bo and Luke were watching him. Brian grinned into his beer. He usually didn't fight with the Duke boys when MaryAnne had night patrol. No, he saved the fights for the nights MaryAnne was waitressing here. It was sort of a tradition. He pondered that thought a moment. There was a day once, long ago, where he had walked into the Boar's Nest and felt out of place in it, the feel of the Boar's Nest so different from that of his old hangout in Atlanta. But now he felt a part of it, and the town had more or less gotten used to him. Though to be sure, there were a few folks who probably wouldn't mind seeing his permanent exit, with his black jacket nailed to the wall as a hunting trophy. Brian chuckled to himself at the thought. Personally, the idea of Luke's blue plaid shirt, or Bo's trademark yellow, being nailed up on the wall as a public scorecard would be pretty damn funny. "Khee!" But there was no malice in Brian's heart with the Dukes; only the ongoing rivalary which was a part of Duke and Coltrane nature. It was with a spirit of geniune helpfullness that Brian got up from his table and walked over to Daisy and Maybell by the pinball machine. They had run out of quarters, and it was too early in the night for the fun to stop. "Allow me," he said to them, producing his car keys from his pocket. He jammed a key into the pinball machine's quarter slot and jiggled it, and the machine dinged to life, fresh for another game. "Khee! There ya go!" Daisy gave a little gasp at the sneaky trick; Brian's tactics would have been better appreciated with the gift of an honest quarter. Maybell, however, was looking at Brian with open admiration. She was, after all, a Hogg, and appreciated talent like that. Such was the idle occupation of Brian's time, that he had no idea what was happening to the rest of Hazzard at that moment. He had no idea that an enemy was at work against people he'd come to know as friends... (character note: will be out of town until late Monday night - MaryAnne has authority to speak for me in the meantime. See ya then!)