Zero Hour in Hazzard County

Chapter Three

Later that evening, when Luke and Bo returned home, the boys finished up the rest of the chores that needed tending on their farm, then washed up and sat down at the table with Daisy and their Uncle Jesse for supper. After working all day and feeling exhausted from the hard work, the package addressed to their uncle was forgotten, at least for a while.

They were all getting ready to go to bed for the night when Luke suddenly remembered and asked curiously, "What was in that package that came for you today, Uncle Jesse?"

Bo looked between his cousin and uncle as he quickly added, "Oh yeah, I completely forgot about it. Did you order that tractor part already?"

"Not yet I ain't," Jesse replied in a huff. "You two know we can't afford that part yet. No, what came today was something given to me by someone very dear to me some time ago, something I thought lost."

"Well, what is it?" Bo asked when the old man didn't continue.

Uncle Jesse broke from his reverie and then answered, "I might just tell you three about it one day, but for now, I think I'm just goin' to go on to bed. I'll see you all bright and early. Good night."

The three cousins' guardian walked away and closed the door to his bedroom, then Bo turned to the others as he asked, "What do you suppose that was about?"

"I don't know, but he sure looked mighty sad just then," Luke responded worryingly, then shrugged and turned back to Bo and Daisy. "I'm sure he'll be back to his old self in the morning after a good night's sleep. Come on, I'm sure if it's something we should be worried about, Uncle Jesse would have told us. Everything's just fine. Let's git to bed. Four o'clock comes mighty early."

"You're telling me," Daisy replied as she turned and walked to her room as well. "A girl's got to get her beauty sleep. Good night boys."

The next morning…

Rosco's first deputy, Enos Strate, walked up the front porch outside of Boss Hogg's large home and rang the bell. After waiting for a few moments, the sheriff opened the door and invited the younger man inside, though wasn't too pleased to see the man he had a habit of calling a dipstick.

Enos spoke up cheerfully saying, "Good morning, Sheriff! I thought I'd come by and offer you a lift to work, seeing as your car and Cletus' car were both totaled yesterday. I don't think Mr. Hogg will be willing to offer you a lift in his own car."

Boss walked into the room carrying a plate of pancakes his wife had made for him, then set it down on the coffee table within the living room as he answered, "You got that right. It's so good of you to come Enos. Today you git to drive this dimwit brother in law of mine around no matter where he goes. Is that clear?"

"Yeah, I got it, Mr. Hogg," Enos responded, though he didn't sound too keen of the idea, not that it bothered Boss any. "That's why I'm here. I thought you might need me."

"I don't need you," the little man in white replied in between bites as Lulu walked in and placed down another plate full in front of him as she nodded a greeting to the young deputy, then started to walk back toward the kitchen. "But Rosco does. Now git out of here and allow me to enjoy my breakfast in peace."

Calling out from the other room, Lulu interrupted, "My brother and Enos ain't going anywhere until they're well and truly fed, just like you, and I don't want to hear one but from you, Jefferson."

J.D. scowled and then finally answered, "Fine, but they better hurry up. Them Dukes… I mean, crime don't wait for no one."

"Uh Boss, the telephone is ringing," Rosco stated quickly upon hearing the first ring, then finally had to pick it up himself when Boss seemed to ignore him as he continued eating. "This is Rosco P. Coltrane speaking. Who is this?"

"Put the fat man on, Sheriff," a gruff voice responded back coldly, the voice sounding familiar, though Rosco couldn't place it. "We have some business to discuss."

Rosco stuttered as he replied, "Listen, you… you… whoever you are. Boss Hogg isn't in his office right now. If you want to talk with 'im, you've got to come in and may… maybe he'll agree to see you."

The man on the other end of the line answered back angrily, "Listen, I don't care if he's not in right now! Put 'im on now, or my friend and I will come over there and kill you both and whoever else yer with right now. Do it!"

"Give it to me," Boss responded impatiently as he reached out for the phone, frustrated that his first big meal of the day was disrupted. "Yeah, this is Jefferson Davis Hogg. Who is this?"

"It's Mr. Perry, you know, yer old pal you once hired to do a train robbery job for you?" the man replied smugly. "Mr. Burke is here too. We've got a proposition for you."

Boss' eyes went wide as he cried out, "Perry! Why you… how'd you git out of the slammer?"

Perry answered, "We had a little help, but that doesn't matter right now. Are you ready to listen?"

"Whatever you want, my answer's no," Hogg responded coolly.

"What I want is the money you assured us we would receive for the robbery, as well as two million more for your part in the betrayal that got us all sent to prison for several months," the man continued his threat. "And we want it all by noon tomorrow. If you don't pay up, them Duke boys you protected are going to die, as they should have done back then. I hope I am making myself very clear this time, Hogg."

Boss tried to object as he replied, "Uh, uh! You can't do that! You can't hurt the Dukes… You won't be able to…"

Burke grabbed the phone as he cut the fat man off and said, "We have our sights on Bo and Luke Duke right now, right here at their nice little farm. If you don't want to see any harm to come to them, or the rest of the Duke family, then I suggest you git us that four million dollars as soon as possible."

"Don't try to test us, Hogg, or try to warn them boys that we're lookin' to git them back for the roles they played too, or else…" Perry warned coldly.

"Or else what?" the little man asked nervously.

Perry answered, "Or else them Duke boys aren't the only ones who are gonna die. We're going to take one of 'em hostage very soon now, just for a little insurance. Now, we know the rest of the Dukes will fight to get the man we take back, but if you try anything we don't like, yer dead. Do you hear me?"

Boss Hogg scowled and wailed in attempt to protest, then finally responded miserably, "Yeah, yeah, I hear you. You have my word. I won't try nuttin'. Oh… Dag gone it!"