Before I begin the next chapter, I want to take a moment to thank all of you who have contributed reviews so far. I hope you've had as much fun reading my story as I have had writing it. And if you have not contributed a review yet, please do so! When I get involved in my stories, they become a passion until they are completed and I thrive on all of the reviews I receive. If you've got a punch to throw concerning the story, throw it, because I can't improve if I am blind to an area that could use improvement. And so, the story continues……………….
"Mister, the keys are in the car. Now If you're just looking for a quick way out of town or some money I'd be happy to…."
"Don't need no ride." The man replied, fidgeting nervously. He motioned to the wall where a coil of rope hung and then to Bo. "Now you get that rope and start tyin' him up- and do a good job too, or else you'll have his blood on your hands."
Luke reluctantly pulled the rope down and tied up Bo, first his feet, then his hands. He was angered by the fact that he was being forced to tie up his cousin rather than check on him. As Luke labored to roll him over, he quickly discovered that Bo's thin nature gave no indication to his stout weight.
"Now sit down next to him." The man ordered.
Luke did as he was told. The man threw him some more rope.
"Now tie up your feet, and no funny business."
Luke tied his feet as simply as possible in a way that he thought would still please the gunman. The gunman leaned down and checked the work before binding Luke's hands himself. Satisfied at last, he fished their pockets for their knives and their wallets before he stood up and put the gun inside his coat pocket, smiling.
"Well now, boys, it's been real nice doing business with ya." He stated before bolting from the barn. He ran over to the General and spend a few minutes tugging on the door handle before finally climbing though the window. He started the car and then, to add insult to injury, gave Luke a wave and a toot of the Dixie horn as he floored it away from the farm.
Well Bo's knocked out, Uncle Jesse's in the hospital, and Jesse's ticket to stay there just high tailed it away from the farm like a claw-foot tub in a spring tornado. Yep, sounds like a typical day for the Dukes. Makes you wonder why they bother getting out of bed in the mornings.
Of all the emergencies, Luke's foremost concern was Bo's well-being. "Bo! Bo! Come on now, wake up!"
The slight stir and moan that Bo offered brought Luke some encouragement. With that he began to work, on the binds on his feet. Having learned to tie sailors' knots in the Navy, he had formed a reef knot on his feet. He knew if he kept his feet apart slightly, it would pass as good for the carjacker, but to loose it was only a matter of squeezing his feet together and rubbing them against each other until the ropes fell free. The binds on his hand were a different story, though, they had been tied by the carjacker himself.
"Come on, Bo. Open your eyes." Luke continued to encourage his cousin as he searched the barn for something to saw away the ropes on his wrists. Most of the tools dangled from nails and every time Luke tried to get a firm hold, they would sway. The tools from the General Lay sprawled on the ground and the truth was that, even if Luke could get one of them, most were not fit for cutting. Getting a knife out of the house was not an option, as Daisy had made the rare decision to lock up knowing they would all be away at the hospital most of the day- and the carjacker now had the only house key on the chain in the General that the boys carried between them.
Luke finally settled on a rusty nail with a sharp point that jutted out of the door frame. He turned around and positioned the ropes on the nail to begin the tedious task of sawing.
"Snap out of it, Bo! General's been stolen!" Luke commanded as Bo stirred more, Luke's primary concern being that Bo actually woke up more so than the fact they had lost the car. It was then that Luke spotted a movement out of the corner of his eye.
Buster, a white wrinkled-face bulldog that belonged to their neighbors, was sniffing around the yard. Bo was usually fond of dogs but lost no love on Buster, who had taken a special liking to Bo and would run up to him, jumping on him and licking him every chance he got.
Luke let out a shrill whistle for the dog as he continued to work on the ropes. Buster lifted his head and perked his ears in response. He trudged over to the barn and, as Luke had hoped, spotted Bo laying there and ran over to begin licking his face.
The act brought the younger Duke around in a hurry. He opened his blue eyes to see the dog he despised most looming over him.
Bo quickly moved to push Buster away and found out that, for reasons unknown to him, he was tied up.
"Get away from me, Buster!" Bo yelled, having no choice but to roll away as Buster jumped on him in excitement. Despite the circumstances, Luke could not help but laugh out loud.
"Luke, you just gonna stand there cackling or are you gonna get this dang dog off me?" Bo yelled.
"Um….sorry cous, I'm all tied up at the moment." Luke replied innocently enough as he continued to saw on his ropes.
"Git!" Bo yelled a firm command to the dog. The dog jumped back and lowered it's head a bit before whimpering away.
About that time, Luke had managed to free his hands. He then ran over to Bo and began untying him. "How's your head Bo?" He asked, glancing at his blond hair and happy to see that there was no crimson mixed in.
"It hurts pretty bad, but it doesn't feel like anything that won't pass. What happened anyway?"
"Some guy whacked you over the head then stole the General?"
"The General's gone?" Bo asked as his hands were freed. He then sat up and helped Luke with the binding on his feet.
"Yeah, but if we hurry, maybe we can still catch him." Luke replied as the last of Bo's ropes were loosed. The boys got up and dashed for Daisy's Jeep, thankful that she had rode to the hospital in the General with them.
Meanwhile, a greedy Boss Hogg was on the phone with Stephen Dwight, Billy Kay's assistant.
"That's right, Mr. Dwight. The Duke Boys have negotiated with me to sell the General Lee to Mr. Kay." Boss told him.
"Why didn't they just negotiate with Billy themselves?" Stephen asked suspiciously.
"Well, the boys, their Uncle Jesse went into the hospital today real sick and naturally, being a friend of the family, I wanted to help out as much as I could. So when they told me they were planning on selling Billy their car, I told them I'd make all the arrangements for them."
"You're not trying to pull another fast one, are ya?" Stephen asked suspiciously.
"Oh no sir. I should have that car in my possession this afternoon around 6:00. Tell Billy he can come by and see it for himself."
Stephen paused for a minute. "We'll be there, Hogg. But if we show up and this turns out to be another one of your shuck and jive's, you'll pay us Billy's appearance fee plus an extra thousand for all the trouble you've put us through!"
"But…."Boss began as Stephen slammed down the phone. "Where are them dang Duke boys? They should have been here with the car by now."
"Uh….little fat buddy?" Rosco asked as Boss opened a massive jar and took out a whole-cucumber pickle. "Now how is it that you're gonna sell the General Lee to Billy Kay? Now the boys made a deal to put the car up as collateral against that loan, not to sell it to you. Now I hate that car, but to sell it when it doesn't belong to you, that's just naughty naughty."
"Hush, Rosco. Them boys will get their car back, eventually. Well, one that looks like it anyway."
"How so?"
"What do you think I got Teddy working at the junkyard for? To figure out how to make planters out of spare parts?"
"You mean you're gonna give them boys back a decoy car?"
"Oh, cheer up Rosco. You're not gonna have to chase that clunker car around anymore. Besides, a couple years away from that orange nightmare might do them some good. Who's to say they'll even want it back once the loan is paid off."
"So you're gonna collect $25000.00 from Billy Kay and $9000.00 plus interest from Bo and Luke and the most you're gonna be out is whatever it cost to make a cheap decoy?"
"Ingenious, isn't it? Pure ingenious!" Boss laughed.
His laughter was interrupted as the door to his office was thrown open. Boss gasped.
"Clint! What are you doing here?" Boss asked the man in the black leather jacket.
"I come to collect my money, Hogg." Clint replied.
"Money? What money?"
"That little deal we had? The one we talked over at the museum after you got through telling that bumbling sheriff about your plans for a certain orange car, a car you hired me to steal for you in exchange for $3000.00?"
"Oh that? Well don't' bother anymore. The deal is off."
"Oh really?" Clint rushed forward, causing both Boss and Rosco to jump. He then pointed out the window." That little jewel out there says that the deal is still on.
Boss looked out the window and gasped to see General Lee parked to the side. "Where'd you get that thing?"
"Well, they certainly weren't giving it away, that's for sure." Clint replied with a smirk. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll give me cash,or you're fate might be the same as the blond one."
He ended by raising the butt of his gun in the air again, ready to bring it down on Boss.
(picture freezes with Clint holding the gun over Boss's head.)
Now folks, I ain't a member of Boss's fan club, but that Clint fellow, I'm startin' to downright hate him.