Disclaimer: I do not own Dukes of Hazzard or anything else that anybody could sue me for. I own nothing.
Keystone Angels
General Lee rounded the corner, sending up a flare of dust and little leaves in its wake. "Easy, Luke! You keep taking those corners like you are I ain't gonna be the only one with health problems…"
"You ain't got no health problems."
Bo was sore about the whole thing, not only was he not sleeping, not eating, but now his cousin wouldn't let him take pleasure in the only thing he was good at in the world. He leaned back, trying to relax. On top of everything he was terrified of what the doctors would say. What if it was something big like cancer or something?
At least he'd have time to say goodbye to his family…
"Bo," His cousin said, "We may have a problem." Luke jerked the General into a sideways skid to keep from running into what he'd just mentioned.
"What is it?" Bo asked alertly, ready to take his mind off his condition. It was a blockade. A blockade of rocks strewn out on the road. "Aw heck, Luke you can-" He stopped , but his attention was suddenly drawn to the rear view mirror; men in dark purple robes standing behind them, blocking their exits. "We have a bigger problem…"
Luke saw them, "Who are they?"
Bo suddenly felt cold, about them triggered an emotion inside him; like he didn't know these people but there was already a surging fear of them running through his spine, "I don't know…" He semi-lied. They climbed half out of the General to get a better look.
They pulled crossbows from behind their robes. Luke put the car into reverse, "Bo get down!" Bo didn't have time to react when his cousin spoke, he toppled backwards, onto the hard dirt road. He scrambled to his feet just as a robed man aimed a crossbow at him. Scared for his life, he dove onto the windshield, the arrow just missing him as he shot into the driver's window. Before Luke could fight it, Bo pushed him aside and shot the General into reverse. If these psychos didn't get out of his way it was their own damned fault. They dove out of the way, letting the General shoot past them. But they weren't done, while Bo was getting ready for a 180 one of them aimed and shot out his front tire.
Bo lost control, going over the very same edge on the turn he'd warned Luke about. Going down the steep hill, it came to a jolting rest at the bottom, both Bo and Luke shaken. They crawled out of the General just as another reign of arrows came down on them. Bo ducked and dove under the General for cover. He didn't know how Luke was doing. His head was whirring, he only had a short time before they got down the hill and before their shots would be point blank. If he didn't think of something within the next couple seconds he was a dead man.
Aside from the fact, they were shooting at him. Bo had no idea how he knew that even as he saw the man's boots appear next to his face.
VVVVV
Boss was sitting in his office sucking on a cigar when they came through the door. Breaking the lock like a couple of SWAT members. He jumped back as Cassandra came through as well, "You!" He yelled, "What is this! You and I had an agreement!"
"Agreement? Hogg? Really…" She smiled, that slick smile, "It's nothing personal against you or the people of this fine county. But a darkness lurks among you. It has for years and frankly you've had no idea. You know the suicide? The Duke boy?"
"What are you talkin' about!" Boss said, not answering her question.
She carried on, ignoring the outburst, "He harbors the spirit of the Dark One. And Hazzard harbors our enemies. We will crush all our enemies with one blow."
Boss remained silent for a moment, "What do you want with the Duke boy?"
Cassandra smiled, a sweet smile really, and in a twisted way innocent, "What we've always done to Heretics..."
VVVVV
Luke jumped out from behind the tree, and hit the first man square in the chest, knocking him flat to the ground. The second and third were on him but Bo was out from under their car and tackled one of them into a tree, where he proceeded to punch him hard in the stomach and then the face.
Luke handled his attacker with similar grace. "Come on," he said, "We gotta get the General back on road. I'd bet good money more of them are coming"
Bo nodded, "Yeah…"
It pained Luke to see his cousin standing there like that, close to tears. He was so worried about his mental state and now he had these men in robes to worry about. God…who were they?
"Uh, hey Bo, I'll try to fix that tire, you get Daisy on the CB and tell her what happened." He needed Bo to keep his mind off what had just happened.
"This is Lost Sheep calling Bo Peep, over?"
The scared sound of Daisy's voice on the radio caught Luke's attention, "Bo, Luke, men in robes came here. They got Uncle Jesse, and they almost got me."
Bo went pale, "Well, are you alright."
"I'm fine, don't worry about me, I was watching them from a hill not too long ago, I think they're taking him into town. I've passed convoys of these people, looks like they're trying to gather everyone up in town."
Bo nodded, "Daisy, stay on that hill Luke and I'll be there soon as we can manage."
"Over and out."
VVVVV
When they first drove in and saw her appearance they were shocked. The shoulder of her white blouse had a nasty blood spot on it, she was barefoot too. "Daisy," Luke said softly, "I thought you said you were alright."
"I am alright, Luke, I got gauze on it soon as I could manage and called you."
"Well," Bo began, "We're just glad-" He cut off, and dropped to his knees.
"Bo!" Luke shouted, clutching his cousin's shoulders.
Bo looked at him in terror, "...It's so cold."
"Bo!" The next thing Luke knew, Bo was laying limp in his arms.
VVVVV
Bo was in a dark room. His hands bound by shackles tied to walls on either side of him. He felt whiplashes in his back; how did those get there. Suddenly, someone turned on a light, someone in a full suit of chain mail armor. Bo knew where he was, he was back where he'd seen them burn that girl. Or him as the case turned out… Suddenly a harsh voice cried out midst the remaining darkness, "Confess, witch!"
He looked up, straining to see who was speaking, "Who are you!" He called. All this earned him was a smack in the face with something hard. Not a fist, more like a baseball bat. His head swam as his back right molar fell onto the ground. He only heard the chinking sounds of the tooth against the rock and the blood in his mouth. For a heartbeat he lost all motor control and was unable to stand on his own. The shackles were the only thing that kept him from falling completely.
A woman stepped into the light. No that wasn't right, it was the same girl who he'd seen burn on the stake. "I asked you to confess," She said coldly.
"I didn't do nothin'." He replied, this only earned him another smack.
She dropped down in front of him, and put her hands on either side of his face, she smiled then. A long, sad smile, "You've done something…" She whispered, her lush lips inches from his ear, "Even when you haven't!" The woman said harshly, then from where she touched him, that freezing sensation grew and grew. Her hands clasped his shoulder blades. Bo's chest and neck soon became so paralyzed with icy chill he couldn't even scream. She kissed his cheek and arms, wherever she touched him the cold senstion started and grew. He shivered, it was all he could do.
She stepped back, "It was warm at first, then hot, then unbearable…but after unbearable it was so incredibly cold…"
VVVVV
Bo snapped awake, he was in Daisy's arms. She was warm…god she was so warm. He welcomed the warmth and tried to catch his breath, but he was freezing. Shivering so fiercely even the three blankets they'd packed on him and the warmth of the fire was doing little good. "Bo," She whispered, "you were shivering. Cold to the touch."
Luke was sitting across from them, "It don't make sense, first you wake up screaming because you're burning. Then you're so cold you can't even scream…"
Bo licked his chapped lips, sending jolts of stinging sensation up his lips. Who cared, at least it was a sign he was alive. "What's the deal?"
Daisy shrugged, "Looks to me like they're gathering up everyone in town at the school. Everywhere within a 30 mile radius of town was either blocked. Phone lines were cut. The works."
"They were obviously planning this for some time." Luke murmured, "We got no food, no water source nearby. We got transportation, but the only places that do have those things are surrounded by those thugs."
"Even worse," Daisy said, "Those creeps are all over the place in these black jeeps, it's how they get around so quick."
"Have…have they hurt anybody?" Bo asked.
"I'm the only casualty I know of."
Bo leaned back, "Luke…Daisy?"
"What?" His cousins said in unison.
"There's a girl in my dreams, I don't' know her name. First dream I heard her screaming, second she was the one on the stake, and in this dream, she was torturing me like an inquisitioner or something…telling me to confess to witchcraft."
Luke put his head in his hands, and Bo stared up not really seeing anything, just looking and thinking. Was this girl a ghost? He of course had never really believed in them but he'd heard stories, demonic possessions, ghosts telling people to do things. Was that what she was? Some kind of a ghost? She seemed vengeful enough for it. Not only that, but Bo would be good money that his visions had something to do with those cultists showing up.
VVVVV
The Dukes were all to busy contemplating their next move that they didn't see the glint of black eyes beyond the firelight. Of jet black feather. Nor were they aware that through this creature someone was watching them.
VVVVV Chapter end
AN: If you think it's a little weak on the horror I promised in the genre, don't worry. Your ain't seen nothing yet.