Hi all - I'll spare you the long notes this time. To those who have been reading, thanks for sticking with me, and to those who have been reviewing - you guys are the best!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes of Hazzard nor any of the settings for this story. Although real events are contained herein, none of the characters are based on real people, either living or dead.
Chapter 14 – Another Unhappy Mission
True to her word, the young widow was ready to leave at the crack of dawn on the next morning. After a quick breakfast, the Dukes and their friend packed Tilly with their meager belongings, and turned Luke's one-person nest into a passenger vehicle once again. While Bo and Katie Jane arranged themselves into the back of the black Ford, Luke turned to the woman who'd been so helpful to them.
"Sarah," he began, not sure how to thank her for all that she'd done for them. Before he could come up with the words, the woman wolf-whistled, low.
"That's quite a car. Ain't seen one of those in a while," she said with a wink. "You sure you ain't got nothing 'special' in the trunk?"
Despite his desire to be serious, Luke had to chuckle. "Me an' Bo's definitely retired, Sarah. But our Uncle Jesse, he made prime stuff. You'da appreciated it."
"No doubt about that. You boys take care, and make sure that little lady gets home safe, you hear?"
"Sarah," Luke grabbed her elbow before she could walk away. "Thank you. For takin' care of Katie Jane, and us, but mostly for helpin' me find Bo."
"They're good kids, and you are, too, Luke," she answered, looking away from him.
"Sarah," the older Duke boy tried again, but the woman wouldn't face him. He wasn't sure how she'd take it, but if she wouldn't let him use words, he'd have to convey how he felt in another way. He pulled on the bony elbow that he still held in his hand until the older woman was in his arms.
"Sarah, I ain't sure we would have managed without you. You take care of yourself, you hear?" Luke was sure he heard a slight sniffle, but when he stepped back to look at her, the woman just smiled at him.
"You just git goin', Luke Duke. There's other people here needs me," the last words wavered, as if she was unsure about that.
"Yeah, they do, Sarah. They might not know it yet, but when they figure it out, you're not gonna get a minute's rest. So you go home and get some sleep now, because by this afternoon, you'll be so busy, you'll forget we was even here."
"Right," she answered turning away and starting back up the hill. Before she could get too far, Luke's voice stopped her one more time.
"You can always find me at General Delivery, Hazzard, Georgia," he said. "Where can I reach you at?"
"Oh, son," she answered, reverting to what she'd called him before she knew his name, "Oven Fork's tiny. My last name's Martin. General Delivery will get to me, just like it will to you."
Tennessee looked somehow different to Bo, now that he'd been through it once. On the way up, it had seemed foreign and even ugly. Now that he understood that some of the mountains were, in fact, ailing, thanks to strip mining, he felt more pity than repulsion. And those hills that had been spared looked more like home to him than anything had in nearly two weeks now.
He looked at the young girl who was asleep in his arms. They hadn't exactly been friends before this trip, though of course they'd gone to school together their whole lives. Now he felt an affection for her that surprised him. He knew she was hurting, and so was he. Though he realized that his older cousin had experiences which allowed him to relate to what Bo felt, the only one going through the exact same emotions was Katie Jane. That little fact created a bond between the two them that Bo had never felt for anyone outside of his family before.
Thoughts of his family made him raise his eyes to the rearview mirror, meeting Luke's lighter blue. As his cousin returned his concentration to the road, Bo glanced at his pocket watch.
"It's about ten of eleven, cuz," he supplied.
"All right, I'll find us a place. You might as well wake her up; we should eat."
"Right."
In a few moments, they were outside yet another gas station, crowded around the payphone. Luke checked the contents of Daisy's tip jar. He figured they had enough for a few phone calls and lunch as well. They ought to be back home by dinner time, so they could splurge.
He called the farm first, since his uncle and female cousin expected to hear from him at this time every morning. Apparently the second blast at the Scotia Mine had made as much news as the first, because the first thing their uncle said to him was, "Thank God, you boys is all right."
"We're fine, Jesse, and on our way home. With Katie Jane." He glanced over at his cousin and the girl, a couple of feet away from him, and huddled together.
"So, what we heard is true, then. No one survived."
"No, sir."
"You give that little girl our condolences, you hear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Now, Luke, you listen to me. You can't come home."
"What? Now hold on Jesse…"
"Boy! Listen to me. Boss is suspicious about where you boys is. He's got Rosco tryin' to catch you crossin' back into Hazzard. So you can't come back; not 'til we figure out how to get you past ol' Rosco."
Luke sighed. He'd been looking forward to being home, and trying to get everything back to normal. "Jesse, he can't block but one road at a time. You just figure out where he is, and we'll come in another way."
"It ain't that simple. He's got hisself a posse, lookin' for you. So you boys just stay away one more night while we work this out."
"Yes, sir," Luke said, meeting his cousin's eyes, and looking again at the young girl next to him. She was with child, he reminded himself.
As the operator interrupted them once again, Luke declined to add more coins. Their supply was going to have to last longer than he'd thought only moments before. He said a hasty good bye to his uncle, then turned to explain their situation to the other two members of his party.
"Pyow, pyow!" This was where Enos loved to come and be alone: the junkyard. He couldn't have explained it to his boss, and he'd never have to explain it to his friends. The former would never understand, and the latter understood instinctively. Though his friends would not exactly approve of his current activity.
For now, the mousy haired deputy was in heaven, though. Cars everywhere, and he did love fast cars. The one thing he missed about running moonshine for his father was driving with a certain recklessness that he could not afford now that he was a sworn officer of the law. But also, this was a place to act out his lifelong fantasies, the ones of being a crack-shot cop.
"Pyow!" He'd just used his finger to blow out the tires of that old mustang over there. "Pyow, pyow!" Two imaginary criminals ducked to the ground in surrender. "Pyow!" His boss would be so proud of him!
"Enos!" the radio of his cruiser interrupted him, and the very man he'd just imagined patting him on the back sounded somewhat annoyed with him. "Deputy Strate, what's your 20?"
"Right here, Sheriff Coltrane!" The deputy announced.
"Enos, you dipstick. How can I find you if I don't know where here is?"
The deputy giggled. "Oh, right Sheriff. I'm in the junkyard."
"Ijit! Well what are you doin' there? No, never mind. I need you to meet me at speed trap number three."
"10-4, Sheriff! Uh, number three, is that the one on Swamp Maple Road?"
"Enos! Gijit! Don't be sayin', gij, don't be tellin' everyone where our speed traps are!"
"Everybody knows already, Sheriff! I'm on my way," and with the energy of a man born to please, the deputy jumped into his patrol car and sped to the rendezvous.
For the second time in as many days, the white haired man and his niece had an unhappy mission. This time they had remained silent on the trip, both concentrating on what was coming. They knew that the Haines patriarch would have to be called home from work, but they couldn't delay until he got home, or both of Robby's brothers would be at work. So they'd gone ahead to see the family, worrying about how to break the news.
The Dukes had spent their energies the wrong way, however. When they got there, they found the family already in mourning. They'd seen the news, and later had received a very brief call from Katie Jane and Bo. It would only be a matter of time before other townsfolk would arrive here; the senior Haines' absence from work would lead to his shiftmates spreading the word as soon as they were dismissed for the day at three.
Jesse stayed as long as he could; with the boys away there was too much to do at the farm. And even Cooter had been slacking off in his help lately, saying there was a project at work that required more of his attention these days. So the white haired man slipped back to the farm, leaving Daisy to spend a few hours with the family she'd come to know quite well. He'd have to return for her by 2:30, to take her to work, but at least he'd manage to care for the animals in the meantime.
His main regret was that another day would pass before he could get back to the mill and see Ridge Owens. Although there was so much going on with his nephews and the Haines family, he still had certain other obligations to fulfill. Tomorrow, he promised himself, God willing and the creek didn't rise, he'd go and sit the mill owner down for a long discussion.
Her uncle gone, Daisy did her best to console the family. Mr. Haines was awfully quiet, and she worried about him, but his wife shooed her away.
"You and Ken go outside and get some fresh air," she suggested. I'll look after these two."
Sitting on the porch next to him, Daisy could only marvel how much this boy had grown in the two years since she'd dated him. He'd always been serious, but now he seemed terribly worldly and wise. She wasn't sure whether that was just the way he'd matured, or if the recent events in his family had brought this quality out. It was very attractive to her, but even as that thought passed through her mind, she chastised herself. They'd gotten close again, it was true. But this was no time to be getting romantic.
"I'm sorry," she said, for what felt like the millionth time.
"I know," Ken answered, but somehow this gave Daisy no relief. Not that she should be the one needing consolation here, she knew that. But her sorrow was more than just sympathy. It involved guilt. It was easier, in some ways, when both Bo and Robby were just missing. Now that one was found, and the other dead, Daisy realized that they no longer shared the exact same feelings. She put an arm around Ken's shoulders.
"I wish… things had turned out differently," she said lamely. Her friend just nodded, an act which made the tears that had been gathering in his eyes fall and leave wet stains on his jeans. Daisy's other arm reached around him and she pulled him close.