Zero Hour in Hazzard County

Chapter Eleven

After Lee Benson left with Bo, both Burke and Perry rushed out of the distillery in order to go after them, only to find that the convict who double crossed them had shot out the tires to their vehicle before taking off in a hurry. Their plan to trade the youngest Duke cousin in exchange for the money they ransomed him for was finished, even if they could manage to fix the tires well enough to get them to where they could steal another one.

Burke slammed his foot against the rear left side tire on their car, then cried out angrily, "I told you we never should have trusted him, Perry! Now, because we did, we lost our leverage over them Dukes. What are we supposed to do now?"

While his partner carried on, Mr. Perry thought and then came up with another idea, as he answered, "We're just going to have to catch ourselves another hostage, namely Boss Hogg. He isn't worth as much to them Dukes, or most of Hazzard, but I have a feeling that them folk, or least that wife of his and the Dukes, will pay two million for his safe return. Besides, it's because of Hogg that we went to prison in the first place."

"We were supposed to get four million," Burke replied coldly. "And the rest of the Dukes will be far more concerned with getting Bo back, not worried about that pig. What makes you so sure that kidnapping Hogg will work?"

"I'm not so sure, but we don't have a choice," Perry responded. "Are you with me, or is it about time that we part ways, Mr. Burke?"

The man didn't seem to like the idea, but he nodded in agreement and answered, "I want that money, even if it is two million short. And if Hogg dies, then that'd be even better."

Mr. Perry smiled and then replied, "Good. Now, it's getting late, too late to go out to catch that fat man now. We'll head over there tomorrow, shortly before we're supposed to meet up with the Duke. Until then, we stick to our original plan, as if we still are holding Bo Duke hostage, especially when we make the call tomorrow when we discuss the meeting place. We'll get that money and maybe even a little retribution after all."

Down at the old mill…

The Dukes, Cooter, Rosco, and the rest of Boss Hogg's men working the counterfeit ring worked all through the night and finally finished making enough fake money to fool the hostage takers just about ten o'clock the next morning. Boss had left well before midnight to go home to sleep through the night. As everyone knew, the greedy little man didn't do much in the way of menial labor, only delved it out to others and supervised it for so long, even if his operation was being run by none other than the Duke clan themselves.

"We got it done," Luke stated as he let out a sigh of relief. "And it looks pretty darn good. Good job, you all, and thank you."

"Yeah, thank you all so much," Daisy added quickly as Uncle Jesse nodded his thanks. "If it weren't for you… well who knows what's gonna happen now, but we've got a good chance at rescuing Bo."

Jesse finally responded, "We Dukes owe you all a debt of gratitude and you can guarantee that we'll never forget it."

Luke worked alongside Daisy as the two of them finished stuffing Boss' suitcase with the bills, leaving room for the real money that they were about to leave to collect from Boss at the Boars Nest just before their meet up with their cousin's kidnappers, not knowing yet that Bo had been taken by an even crueler and more dangerous convict. Nor did anyone have a suspicion that Bo wasn't the only one in trouble.

Luke spoke again saying, "Let's git over to the Boars Nest. It's almost noon and I'd like to be there before Burke and Perry get there with Bo, in case them two try to cross us."