Assault & Battery

[LittleRedVicki]

Getting down out of the tree, Vicki walked over to the front door of the Boar's Nest and peered inside the window. She gasped in shock to see both Bo & Luke were tied to chairs.

There she saw that there was a cut just above Luke's right eye, and Bo had a bruised jaw and his left eye was nearly swollen shut from the blows that he had suffered.

She also noticed that Bo's left shoulder was bloody, meaning that a bullet might have grazed his skin there.

She knew then that Bo & Luke were assaulted brutally by that crazed crook.

**I wonder if this is his way of getting even with me for putting him in jail a couple of months ago?** Vicki wondered as she peered inside the window...

[LittleRedVicki]

Taking a deep breath, Vicki peered inside the window again. She was worried about her friends and angry at the crook for what he did to them.

Her blue-gray eyes grew wide with worry until she noticed that Bo was staring back at her.

Despite the bruise on his jaw, Bo grinned slightly back at Vicki. "Hey, Luke! Take a look towards the front door! My guardian angel is here!" whispered Bo to Luke.

"I knew that Vicki would find us!" whispered Luke back to Bo as he stared at the redhead.

"Are you both okay?" whispered Vicki to both Bo & Luke. Despite the lowly dimmed room, Vicki could see the fear & anger in both her friends eyes.

Noticing that Jasper was walking back towards them, they only nodded to Vicki, telling her that they were both all right.

"I'll get y'all out of there, and arrest this creep as soon as I can!" said Vicki worriedly just loud enough to Bo & Luke but without Jasper hearing her just outside the door. Staring directly into Vicki's eyes, Bo yelled towards her, "Sweet Angel, I love you! Save Us!"

With her heart beating rapidly with fear & emotion, and knowing that Jasper heard Bo yelling for her, Vicki quickly ran around to the other side towards the woods. She was heading back to where her & Daisy's hiding place was...

[LittleRedVicki]

Meanwhile...

"Why did you have to do that for?" asked Jasper harshly as he backhanded Bo across the face hard with his hand.

Bo mumbled sarcastically as he was pulling at the tape & ropes that bound him to the chair. Pulling hard, Bo felt his left ankle break free of the tape. "I just thought that I saw my girlfriend out the window. So I started screaming for help to her."

"Don't open your mouth anymore, plowboy, or I'm going to give you a good reason to be yelling for help to your girlfriend!" said Jasper angrily as he walked away from them.

Luke whispered to Bo as Jasper was walking away from them. "Thanks a lot, Bo! You nearly gotten us killed, and nearly told him where Vicki was hiding."

Jasper opened the door an inch, looking around for Vicki. Noticing that no one was around, Jasper shut the door and locked it. "Because of your little outburst, plowboy. I might have to take drastic measures now," he said threateningly as he aimed the shotgun directly at Bo's & Luke's pounding hearts...

[LittleRedVicki]

Not wanting to wait on Rosco, Vicki had quietly opened the back door to Boss's office and stepped inside.

She had still held her gun steadily as she moved slowly towards the door.

*Now it's my chance to get even with him...* she thought as she quietly shut the back door to Boss's office behind her.

Hearing a door open in the outer office, Jasper took aim at the door. He wasn't looking at Bo or Luke, although the muzzle of the shotgun hadn't shifted very much.

Bo's eyes moved back and forth between Jasper and the door. He knew that he was waiting for Vicki to appear behind the door.

And since Bo knew that Jasper was waiting for Vicki to walk out in the bar, Bo's own gaze focused involuntarily on the door.

As soon as he realized what he was doing, he turned his head, looking up at the crook.

"Not exactly the way I planned for my revenge," Jasper said, smiling meanly at him then added, "But I think that your anticipation of your girlfriend's death is much better."

[LittleRedVicki]

Opening the door to the bar quietly, Vicki peered out into the bar.

Sighing loudly, Vicki noticed that Bo and Luke looked okay, despite what they had been through with that crook.

The sound was slight, but instantly recognizable to Bo & Luke as they peered towards the door to Boss's office.

They knew that Vicki had quietly opened the door to the bar, which despite everything, still made a discernable squeak as the door opened.

*Not Vicki...* Bo prayed, but he knew that it was her that opened the door.

Jasper wanted them to watch Vicki die slowly, but he had already passed up a couple of prime opportunities to make that happen.

The most obvious explanation was that he was planning to make her dying as prolonged and as painful as he possible could.

To be as cruel as he possible could, Jasper wanted Vicki to watch her 2 best friends die slowly and painfully.

*Anything would be preferable to that...* Bo thought as he watched the crook walk around the bar slowly, watching the back door for Vicki to walk through at any minute.

[LittleRedVicki]

Meanwhile...

At last, the sound of a patrol car finally came into view. Daisy sighed loudly as Rosco & Enos walked up to her.

"Daisy, are you all right?" asked Rosco as he watched Enos hugged her.

"I'm fine, but Vicki isn't. She went inside Boss's office nearly 10 minutes ago. I think that she is going after that crook!" said Daisy excitedly.

"That girl is always up to something, and most of the time, she gets herself & the boys into trouble!" muttered Rosco, rolling his eyes.

"Possum on a Gumbush! We've got to get her out of there now!" said Enos as he & Rosco started to walk towards the door to Boss's office

"Right, Enos. I don't want that god-daughter of mine getting shot by that crook!" said Rosco as they moved towards the door...

[LittleRedVicki]

Working his ankles free of the tape, Bo thought that he might try to prevent Jasper enough to save Vicki's life when she walked through that door.

Jasper took a half step to the side, peering towards the door. The opportunity for his distraction provided was probably the best shot that he could hope for, Bo decided.

"Bo! What are you doing?" asked Luke in a low tone as he glared at his cousin.

"I'm going to try to save Vicki's life when she walks through that door if I don't get shot first!" said Bo in a low tone as he watched Jasper walk towards him.

As Jasper walked towards him, Bo kicked up towards the shotgun that Jasper was holding. His foot didn't connect, though. More quickly than he would believe possible, Jasper jumped back, putting himself out of range.

Instantly, the muzzle of the shotgun steadied, again focused on the center of Bo's face.

Jasper didn't pull the trigger, however, unwilling to give up his plan for the perfect revenge. Apparently, he had nursed it too long to discard it unless he had to.

And beyond him, in Boss's office and outside, Bo knew that Jasper could hear someone moving around. Bo knew that his time was running out as Jasper's fist was coming straight at his jaw...

[LittleRedVicki]

"Bo! Look out!" yelled Luke as he watched the crook punched Bo in the face hard.

Bo had managed to jerk his head back and to the side, but Jasper's fist had connected solidly enough that the air had thinned out and darkened around him.

Bo fought to stay conscious. Combined with the efforts of the 1st blow to his jaw, and getting shot in the shoulder earlier, this one had seemed to create a kind of detachment from what was going on.

Bo still knew where he was. He could still see Jasper, but it was as if he were looking at him through the wrong end of a telescope.

Everything seemed distant and distorted. Even the urgency he'd felt only seconds ago seemed impossible to recapture.

Bo closed his eyes, trying to clear his head, as darkness begins to overcome him...

[LittleRedVicki]

Vicki's blue-grey eyes grew wide with anger as she watched through a crack in the door. She was so angry that she knew that she had to do something.

Taking the chance that she might get shot, Vicki burst into the bar from Boss's office, with her revolver aimed at Jasper.

"Drop it you creep! Do it now!" barked the redhead as she aimed her revolver at the crook.

Bo groaned as he opened his near-swollen shut eyes.

Vicki's voice. The one that he knew anywhere. And he did. He tried to find her, but when he moved his head, turning in the direction of that shout, the room swung in a lazy, sickening circle. Bile climbed up in his throat, thick & sour.

"Let's try this the other way around, little lady," said Jasper as he moved around behind Bo's & Luke's chairs. "You drop your gun, or I'll blow their heads off. Have you ever seen someone's head explode?"

"No way!" barked Vicki angrily as she cocked her revolver, and took careful aim at Jasper then added, "And I'm not about to this time either!"

[LittleRedVicki]

Hearing Vicki's angry voice, Bo moved his head enough to bring Vicki's face into focus. "Sweet Angel..." he muttered in a low tone.

All he could distinguish was her silhouette, which was angel-like and limned by the sunlight coming through the back door of Boss's office.

Bo nearly screamed out in pain suddenly as Jasper grabbed a hold of his hair and pulled, with the muzzle of his gun poking him at the back of his neck.

"If you do get a shot off, little lady, I'll still get one off too. I'll take them with me!" Jasper warned, pulling back the trigger.

"And I told you to drop the gun now!" barked Vicki as she pulled back the trigger of her revolver...

[LittleRedVicki]

Bo looked behind him at his captor, then at Vicki.

Since his vision had cleared or because she had shifted her position, he could see her face now. It was strained and white, but determined.

He was thinking that all Jasper had to do was to raise the gun at anytime and shoot the lady that he loved very much.

He was wondering why Jasper didn't want to shoot him, Luke, or Vicki at this moment.

Just killing them, even making him watch Vicki die slowly, would be anticlimactic to Bo. **Over too soon, and not nearly enough to savor her in my heart...** Bo thought as he stared at Vicki directly in the eyes.

Her eyes never left the killer. Not even when Bo was looking at her. And the weapon in her left hand had never wavered.

"It's your decision," Jasper said threateningly at Vicki, with his eyes firmly locked on hers as he moved the muzzle of the shotgun up towards Bo's temple. "You have 10 seconds left to make that decision."

[LittleRedVicki]

"Sweet Angel, I hope that you know what you're doing..." said Bo in a low tone, struggling with the tape around his hands as he was eyeing the redhead down.

"One..." Jasper began to count aloud as he circled Bo's & Luke's chairs.

"Remember what he put us all through, Vicki," said Luke as he helplessly looked at the redhead.

"I know..." said Vicki as she cocked her revolver as Jasper continued to count... "I know..." Her words were filled with such fury.

Bo had no idea what Vicki was saying. Apparently, neither did Jasper.

He knew that Vicki had wanted to put an end to everything that has happened to all of them.

"I'm up to five, little lady. You better be making your decision," Jasper said as he continued to count.

[LittleRedVicki]

Jasper continued to count. "Eight..." he said as a warning.

"Vicki! Do something!" yelled Bo, trying to break free of the bindings.

"No!" barked the redhead, as she eyed Jasper down.

Suddenly, something changed. Maybe because Bo knew her so well. Bo knew that Vicki had made her decision.

Something about her face or her body told him that she knew what she was going to do. He was terrified that it was the wrong decision.

Maybe Jasper knew too. He seemed to tense, his gun moving a fraction of an millimeter. Swinging towards Vicki??

In response to the possibility, Bo tried again to do what he had twice failed to do. He twisted, throwing himself to the side. He was attempting to slam his body into the crook's legs. Attempting anything to disrupt the shot... BANG!! BANG!!

[LittleRedVicki]

The room filled with the sound of gunfire, echoing loudly.

With the sound of the gun, Jasper staggered back, completely surprised as Rosco, Enos, Daisy, Jesse, and Sheriff Little burst into the bar.

"Possum on a Gumbush! Is Everyone all right?" exclaimed Enos.

"I don't know..." said Vicki a bit dazed as she approached Bo & Luke.

"Did you shoot that creep?" asked Sheriff Little as he walked over to Jasper, who was laying stunned on the floor. The crook kept muttering "I can't believe that she did that to me..."

"Vicki, did you shot him?" asked Rosco.

"I don't think so," said Vicki, dazedly then added, "Just scared him a little."

Noticing that Jasper was only stunned as Rosco, Enos, and Sheriff Little helped him to his feet, Vicki began to slice through the tape & rope that bounded Bo & Luke.

"Nice going, Vicki. I knew that you wouldn't shot him," said Bo, rubbing his aching wrists as Vicki helped him out of the chair. He closed his eyes against the sting of blood flowing back into his numbed fingers.

"You're one of a kind. Thanks, Vicki," said Luke, standing up out of the chair as he gave Vicki a hug.

"No problem, guys. I always watch out for my 2 best friends. Are you two okay? I know that creep hurt y'all earlier," said Vicki as she searched Bo's face.

"We're fine, Vicki," said Luke, smiling at the redhead as Daisy & Jesse hugged him.

"Yeah, I guess so," said Bo, flinching in pain as Vicki held him.

"I don't think so, but you will be soon sweetheart. There's Blood on your shoulder," said Vicki.

"I think that it's just a flesh wound, Vicki. I'll be fine," reassuring Bo.

"If ya say so, Bo," she said, looking at Bo's shoulder then added, "A fraction of an inch either way, and you might be going to a hospital right now."

"I guess that I had a fraction of an inch, sweetheart. Thanks," Bo said, acknowledging it.

"You know that I would do anything to take care of you or Luke," said Vicki, smiling at Bo as they walked towards where Rosco, Enos, and Sheriff Little was with Jasper.

"I would have done the same thing, sweetheart," said Bo, giving Vicki a quick kiss on the cheek then added, "In fact, I'll be doing it more in the future."

Watching from the doorway of the front door, Jasper muttered at the couple, "One day when you least expect it, I will get even with you."

************THE END************