Chapter Three--Sleep Of Death
Lucy sped after Bo, but it wasn't long before she lost him. She slammed her fist down on the steering wheel. "Dang it." She yelled, feeling tears of fear and frustration well up in her eyes and she had to fight to hold them back. She reached out and grabbed the CB mic off the radio. "Breaker, Breaker, anyone at home on the Hazzard Net? This here is Bo Peep. Uncle Jesse, Daisy, Cooter, y'all got your ears on? C'mon back." She cried, her voice quivering.
Daisy was driving out to Hazzard Pond when she heard Lucy's call on her radio in the jeep and reached out grabbing the mic off the radio and raised it to her lips. "This here's Daisy, darlin'. What's your 10-20?" She asked. "Daisy I lost Bo and I'm afraid somethin bad is gonna happen to em." Lucy cried. "Just hold on honey, meet me out at the pond and maybe they'll still be there and if not maybe we'll find some kinda clue to let us know where they are." Daisy replied, trying to her friend.
"10-4, Daisy." Lucy replied and then placed the mic back on the radio and pressed her foot down on the gas, the General speeding up with a loud roar. "Please be alright, Bo." She muttered to herself feeling the tears continue to prick at her eyes, trying to make their way down her cheeks but she continued to stubbornly hold them back.
Sam and Tex stood out at Hazzard Pond staring down at the unconcious Duke boy on the ground. "Let's get em tied, gagged and blinfolded and get em outta here afore someone comes along and sees what we're doing." Sam said. Tex nodded and went to their car and pulled out some rope, a gag and a blindfold. He knelt down and tied Bo's hands and feet and then gagged and blindfolded him.
"Let's get em in that truck and then put the other one in there too and take em to that old abandoned shck we found." Tex suggested, as he got to his feet and looked at his friend. Sam nodded and leaned down, lifting Bo and slinging him over his shoulder, carrying him to the truck and placing him in the back. Then he turned to Tex and they both walked over to the car to get Luke. Once they had the trunk open and Tex pulled him out he realized Luke wasn't breathing.
"Hey Sam, he ain't breathing." He said and then laid Luke down on the ground and leaned over him, feeling for a pulse on the boy's neck. Sam pushed him aside and leaned over Luke himself. "We ain't gonna let him die yet." He said and then started giving Luke mouth to mouth resucitation. He checked Luke's pulse again and then grinned at Tex. "He's breathing again, now let's get em to the truck and give em the valium and get outta here before someone comes." He said.
Tex helped him carry Luke over to the truck and put him in the back with Bo and then Tex took two needles out of his pocket and climbed into the back of the truck and placed a needle in each boy's neck, getting rid of the drug in the needle. Suddenly Luke coughed and choked and then threw up in the truck bed. Both men looked disgusted but didn't say anything. When Tex stood up he grinned at Sam. "I'll drive this here truck and you drive the car." He said. Sam nodded and they seperated both going to the vehicle he was gonna drive.
When they reached the old abandoned shack they hauled the boy's in and placed them in a far corner out of sight of the door in case someone were to wander inside. Then they backed away and studied the boys for a moment. "Well they ain't gonna be waking up fer awhile, so let's go tell the boss that we have em and then spread the word around Hazzard that they're dead." Sam said.
Tex nodded and they walked out to their car and headed for the racetrack where they knew they'd find Shawn waiting for their report on whether they got the Duke boys or not.
When they reached the racetrack and went into Shawn's office he raised his eyebrows when he saw them. "Well?" He asked. "We got em Shawn, they're tied up in an old deserted shack we found." Sam said, with a grin. Shawn stood up and walked around his desk. "Now can these boy's identify the two of ya?" He asked. Both men shook their heads. "Both of em are out cold and they ain't gonna be wakin' up fer awhile." Tex said.
Shawn nodded. "Well gentlemen, you did good, now why don't y'all go to Hazzard and spread the word that them two is dead." He said with a smile. Sam and Tex nodded and then headed out the door to their car and got in, heading toawrds Hazzard.
When they got to Boar's Nest they spotted the General Lee parked outside and got out of the car, walking inside and over to a table. They spotted a pretty blond seated at another table with a petite readhead. "That looks like the Duke boys girlfriends." Tex said, noticing how upset they looked. Sam nodded and got to his feet heading over to the girl's table. "Excuse me Ma'am." He said. The blond looked up at him and raised her eyebrows.
"Can I help y'all?" She asked, a slight smile spreading across her face though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes Ma'am, do ya'll know the Duke boys?" He asked. The girl shot to her feet. "Yes, I'm Bo Duke's girlfriend." She said. Sam looked at her sadly. "I hate to be the one to tell you this ma'am but there was an accident and they drowned." He said. The girl dropped back down into her chair, the sparkle leaving her eyes.
Sam almost hated doing that to her. "Ma'am is there anything I can do?" He asked, watching her carefully. The girl slowly shook her head as the redhead with her burst into tears and the whole restarant grew silent. Sam turned and walked back to the table, motioning for Tex to get up and follow him out the door. No one seemed to notice them leave, as everyone was so stunned about the Duke boys passing.
Lucy sat at the table staring at some unseen thing across the room until Daisy came over and took her hands in hers. "Lucy, Darlin' I'm so sorry." She said, tears in her eyes. Lucy finally lifted her gaze and met Daisy's her expression damaged and her eyes dull. "They can't be dead." She said softly and then yanked her hands free from Daisy's grasp and jumped to her feet, racing out the door, and a moment later Daisy and Amy Jo heard the General roar to life and speed out of the parking lot.
Lucy fought back the tears that were starting to spill down her cheeks. She couldn't believe that Bo was dead, didn't want to though she knew that she needed to face reality and realize that Bo might actually be dead. She finally swung the General over to the side of the road and leaned forward resting her head against the steering wheel and burst into sobs. Her shoulders shook as she cried, releasing the fear, anger and pain that she was feeling.
When she finally calmed down she wiped her eyes and pulled back onto the road, heading for The Duke farm.
When Sam and Tex got back to the shack they went in to check on the boys. Bo groaned and his eyes started to flutter. Sam reached down and knocked him over the head, causing him to go limp again. Luke remained still though they noticed the gag had fallen out and reached down and placed it back in his mouth.
When Lucy got out to the Duke farm she ran into the house and straight into Jesse Duke's arms and burst into tears again. Jesse held her close, stroking her long blond hair as she sobbed. "It'll be okay, sweetheart." He said. Lucy pulled back away from him and stared at him. "Uncle Jesse I just lost Bo and you're tellin' me that everythin's gonna be okay." She pratically screamed. "It ain't it ain't." She sobbed, and then turned and ran out the door and out to the pasture where her mare was grazing with Maudine, Uncle Jesse's mule.
She released a sharp piercing whistle and heard thundering hoofbeats and a loud whinny in response as the horse thundered into view and slid to a stop at the gate. Lucy reached out and rubbed her nose and then climbed up over the gate and put the bridle she held in her hand on the mare's head. "C'mon Midnight, you and I are gonna go for a ride." She said and then, grabbed a hunk of mane and swung herself on board and then turned Midnight towards the fence.
"Ya." She yelled and crouched over the mare's neck, urging her forward. Midnight broke into a gallop and headed towards the fence and then jumped, landing gracefully on the other side. Lucy vaguely heard Daisy call her name but was too upset to turn back at the moment.
Daisy watched as horse and rider thundered out of the yard and considered going after them but knew it would take too much time to find a horse to borrow and by that time Lucy would be long gone.
Uncle Jesse met her at the door. "Is she gonna be okay Uncle Jesse?" Daisy asked, studying her Uncle with tears in her eyes. Jesse Duke nodded. "She'll get through this, just give er time Daisy." He said.
Balladeer: Well folks this don't look good fer Bo n' Luke...How's anyone gonna find em if everyone thinks they's dead? Stick around ya hear, this ain't over yet.