Brian Coltrane

It's true that anything is still possible, I just wasn't sure if this had gone too far and then went straight over the edge. There's opinion to be had from a certain party who hasn't weighed in on this yet. But for the rest of ya'll it sounds like The Show Must Go On, as long as it's not a Series Finale of sorts. And now I'll hush and await that certain party's thoughts.

( Moderator's Note: This thing took a turn for the worse and I was going to delete the thread. Before MaryAnne saw it. Seriously. We were trying to keep it lighthearted, but given the nature with this kind of potlock writing, things can go in any direction. And they did. ) ( I suppose it's appropriate, given the 'bad guy' stuff in this thread, that a couple characters are now mortally wounded, one from each side. None of this was planned, so it's kind of a poetic irony. ) ( In the "round robin" stories of years gone by, often the same thing would happen. Start out great, then...eventually a train wreck occurs where the story can go no further, or just dies off on it's own. ) (But, there was somebody wishing for a train wreck, early on in this thing. Roger, didja get your money's worth?) (Anyway, I was going to delete the thread, but people are still reading it. Maybe we will continue, or maybe in the interest of good taste we'll shelve it and pretend it never happened, and carry on with business from there as usual. )

*out cold, oblivious, injuries unknown.... having no idea that own life hangs in the balance with Garrett's.... both wounded men dependent now on the ability of Alex and Chet to work together under truce...* *..which is to say, ya'll, that the odds ain't that good...* ( We'll pause here to give a chance for others to catch up)

*having been plowed into by a horse, is in no condition to offer aid... or take blame. Lays still on the pavement, face down. What happens from here is up to Alex and Chet... if they can work together... or finish each other off....*

( that's a cheat - post disallowed. You've been shot. Chet pulled a risky, ill-thought move, that either wounded you or caused death. You decide..)

*as the horse charges and makes contact, the gun goes off....and it was aimed at Garrett* ( chet, you're an idiot...)

*gets out of Diablo and faces Garrett* ...but ah'll accept your surrender just the same. Right after this. *SLAP!* *gives Garrett a heavy backhanded smack in the face, sending his cigarette flying. Own demeanor suddenly becomes all business and deadly serious* Ah've had enuff of your struttin' and spewin', man. Git in the back seat of the car. We're goin' for a little ride. *with this, pulls gun from inner jacket pocket, showing that no further debate will be allowed on this point*

*hits the brakes as Garrett walks towards Diablo. Puts it in park and listens to Garrett's speech. Grins halfway through it* You're a man of few words, Garrett....

Ah always did have a talent for speechifyin'. *pulls Diablo away from the curb, crusing the town square and then taking the street towards the clinic. Checks the mirrors, having a funny feeling of being watched...*

Shut up and git in the car.

You miss mah point. You should really have that bump checked out... so I have the accidental opportunity to enjoy a classic love-on-the-lam scene with Doc. Or at least say howdy, and apologize in advance for the fact I might turn up missin' for the next 10 years.

Great. 'Cept I don't know where to find him. I ain't about to go trippin' over every moonshine still in this county tryin' to find his hillbilly butt. *looks at Alex again* Before we do anythang, you should git that bump checked out that Chet gave ya. Your eyes look a little crazed. More than normal.

Well, I ran too, but the stinker pulled a .45 on me. Didn't 'zactly give me motive to stick around.... *thinks about it* But then again, he coulda took us down easily, had that been his intention. I dunno what the hell he's up to.

*looks up* What good is that gonna do? I'll git locked up again, Chet's out heah loose, yer out heah loose....Garrett is...playing soccer in an all-girls interconference league or somethin', but the point is MaryAnne's mad and then ah'm locked up. *leans back in the driver's seat* At this rate, Chet's gonna end up with mah title permanently.

*looks flatly at Alex* She dont' want any carnage between us and the Degenerate Duke Duo. What she wants, is for me to shut up, sit down, and write mah stories. I don't blame her for gettin' mad. Hell, I was gonna behave and do it, but....what ah'm I supposta do when Chet walks in and start tinkerin' with the lock? Say, "Nevahmind, thanks anyway" and look like a.... pansy? *leans forward and rests forehead at the top of steering wheel* Ah've lost friends, ah've lost spies, mah enemies are skittish, and mah own law-enforcin' cousin won't waste the gas to chase me. This is a new low.

Damn. She's so mad she doesn't even wanna have a car chase. Man, a jailbreak and a car chase are supposta go hand in hand. I tried to have a car chase with Chet, but he gets on a friggin' horse. Ah tell ya, what's this town comin' to?!

Either she took pity on you and your scuffed up head, or....she's mad as hell and didn't wanna look at you anymore.

*rolls the window down, giving Alex an unexpected greeting by the way of....* Do you have any common sense at all?! Walkin' down the steps like you ain't got a care in the world?! Chet n' Garrett could be anywhere! And how the hell did you get out, anyway?

*having parked Diablo on the other side of the town square, sees Alex trotting down the courthouse steps. Starts Diablo up, letting the sound of the motor speak for own location. Keeps a distance from the courthouse, though, not taking the chance of driving up to it just yet*

* before MaryAnne had discovered Alex, a black Chevy was prowling the roads around the woodland where Chet had slipped away. There was no way to follow Chet directly, and circling the area had proved useless. Chet could hide out in there for some time, or simply gallop away in the opposite direction of the Chevy's path* *after time spent in fruitless search through half of Hazzard County, Diablo heads slowly back towards town. There's no clear idea what to do next; the one logical thought was to check on Alex and make sure he's okay.* *but at the sight of MaryAnne's patrol car sitting in front of the courthouse, feels a pang of dread* She aint' gonna understand this one... maybe ah better keep on drivin'...

( All I know, is MaryAnne is gonna have an unmitigated fit. No, I didn't get any writing done tonight on the bail stories, because..umm....well, ya see... GAH.) ( We'll carry on right here, unless we decide it's wiser to move it. I think I'd better git something legit done really dang soon tho'.)

*makes it to Diablo, the big Chevy parked along the front curb of the courthouse. Dives into the front seat and leans flat across it, opening the glovebox with a quick pound of the fist. Snatches up the gun from inside of it, and lays flat another moment, breathing hard, listening....* *...and hears, after a couple minutes, the unexpected sound of hoofbeats on the street. Sits up behind the wheel and fires up Diablo with a roar. Rolls down the window to be able to follow the sound of the galloping horse, driving with left hand, gun held at ready in the right...*

*hears the loud thunk as the gun handle hits Alex, seeing the blonde-haired man slump immediately. But there's no time to help him as the hard shove against the bars causes an instinctive reaction. Knowing full well Chet is armed and that standing still will get me the same treatment or worse, flys forward and runs for the short steps by the booking desk. Knows Chet has to step around Alex's body and that Alex, in a way, is still helping, his dead weight making it hard to push that door open too fast* *plants hands on the small iron railing by the stairs and vaults over them, landing on the main floor like a cat and running like hell upon landing. Bolts through the double doors of the booking room, hitting them hard enough to send them smacking into the walls. Only thought is to get away enough to get to own car, get to own weapon, cursing the fact it wasn't on me when all of this started...*

Six shots. Two of us. He can miss four times and still win. The bars are far enuff apart that I could stick mah arm through 'em. We're at point-blank range. *glancing over shoulder at Chet, while own back is still against the cell door, keeping it shut* If you don't mind, we'll just be a minute....

*charges fast towards Chet and hits him broadside, momentum shoving both Chet and Alex into the cell. Grabs the remains of the pie from Lizzy and serves it into Chet's face to distract him* *SPLAT* *and grabs Alex's arm and tugs him out. Slams the cell door shut and braces against it* QUICK! Somebody! Get the weldin' kit from Cooter's! HURRY!