– Chapter Five –

"Lies and Consequences"

Jesse was thoughtful and silent the next day at breakfast when Bo and Luke filled him in on the events of the previous night.

"…and there's the dang picture, right there," Bo finished, tossing the torn halves onto the table.

"Well, I don't like it," Daisy said decisively as she spooned jam onto her toast. "Boss Hogg is allergic to the truth, 'specially when it comes to you two. I wouldn't believe him if I were you."

"Well, me and Bo don't like it either, but as far as we know, he kept his word," Luke answered. "'Course, that don't exactly put us at ease, but we can't really do nothin' else right now."

"I know. I'm just still so mad that he trapped you boys like that. And look at what happened! He just better count his blessings that y'all weren't hurt last night. He had no call askin' you to do something like that."

Jesse frowned darkly. "That's right, he didn't. It was a rotten thing to do and rest assured, I ain't gonna let this slide. Next time I see that tub of lard, I'm gonna tell him just where he can put that shine of his the next time he hassles you."

Bo smirked. "Yeah, well, wait 'til I'm around to see it." He gulped down the last of his buttermilk and rose to his feet. "You ready to go, Luke?"

"Yep."

"Where you boys headed?"

"Town. We gotta pay Cooter back for towin' the General in the other day."

"Be careful, and make sure you steer clear of J.D. today."

"Sure thing, Uncle Jesse." Bo led the way out the door. The dog was dozing under a tree outside, but when he heard the boys heading for the car he stood up at once and ran over. His entire back end swung back and forth as he wagged.

"Well, don't he look good this mornin'!" Bo observed with a grin. The early morning sunshine glinted off the light gold coat as the animal rose on his hind legs and planted his forepaws against Bo's jeans. The young man laughed and rubbed the scruffy head. "Luke, I think he wants to come." He patted the windowsill and stepped aside. "Hey, dog, can you hop inside? C'mon, fella, jump on up."

Luke shrugged. "Well, as long as he can make it without scratchin' the paint—" The dog gave a light spring and jumped nimbly through the open window. Luke grinned. "Looks like we got us a riding buddy!"

The roads were clear and empty as the General Lee sped toward town. Bo kept a sharp eye out for Rosco, not wanting to get pulled over again after what had happened two days ago.

Cooter was up and around when they arrived at his garage. He had a car up on jacks already, but he was sitting outside on a battered wooden chair. He was holding a doughnut in one hand and a jar of moonshine in the other as he watched the morning traffic slowly winding its way through the narrow streets. When the General pulled up in his driveway he put his breakfast down and sauntered over.

"Hey, y'all! What brings you here?"

"We brought what we owe you for towin' us in," Luke said. He slid out of the car and slapped a five dollar bill into Cooter's hand. Cooter pocketed the money and stooped to peer in the window. "Hey, is that the same dog y'all found two days ago? I wouldn't hardly recognize him."

"Yeah, he cleans up good." Bo pulled himself out of the General and stood next to his cousin and his friend. "We gotta pick up some dog food, though. We've been givin' him bread and chicken scraps for the past couple days, but he can't eat that forever. And Daisy said we had to get him a collar."

"So you guys are gonna keep him?"

Bo glanced over at the dog. He was still sitting on the front seat of the General, watching the three young men with a friendly light in his big brown eyes. "Yeah, I think so. We've sorta taken a liking to him."

"You got a name for him yet?"

"Nope. We're still workin' on that."

"Well, he seems to really like the Robert E. Lee, there," Cooter said. "You could call him Robbie."

"That ain't too bad," Luke said thoughtfully.

"Uh-uh, wait a second," Bo cut in, "Ain't Robbie the name of that guy Daisy dated back in high school?"

Cooter winced. "Hoo boy, I forgot about that."

Luke looked confused. "What guy?"

"I forgot—you'd already joined up with marines before she met him," Bo explained. "He started out okay, but then he started treating her pretty bad. She dropped him like the rotten apple he was, but he wouldn't leave her alone…so I had to, uh, straighten him out."

"Wasn't he somethin' like three years older than you?" Cooter asked.

"Yup. That was Daisy's last year at Hazzard High, and he was older'n she was." Bo grinned, looking immensely pleased with himself. "And I still whipped his tail." He turned back to Luke. "Long story short, this dog don't want the same name as that guy."

"Okay, point taken," Luke said with a laugh.

Cooter was still thinking. "Well, you can't call 'im Buster, 'cause that's my dog…" He smirked. "You could always call him 'Roadkill'."

Bo rolled his eyes. "Cooter…"

"Well, he almost was," Cooter shrugged matter-of-factly.

"Tell ya what, when we think of a name, we'll let you know," Luke said with an amused smile. "Right now we got errands to run. See you at the Boar's Nest for happy hour?"

"I'll be there with bells on!"

xxxxx

Y'all remember that ball ol' Bo and Luke got to rollin' last night? Well, it ain't hit the bottom yet. No, sir…it's just startin' to pick up speed.

Boss Hogg was sitting behind his desk at the town hall, skimming over the past month's parking meter revenue report when the door to his office swung silently open. He glanced up curiously and tensed as he saw the familiar figure standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the early evening light. His heart started beating a little faster, but he forced himself to stay calm and put the next part of his plan into action.

"Why, Mr. Brock! What can I do for you? Didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"I'm sure you didn't." Brock stepped inside and shut the door with deadly calm. "You didn't show last night, Hogg. That was a bad move. I rarely give second chances…and I never give thirds." Just like that, his pistol appeared in his hand. "So either you pay me right now or you get to explain to Saint Peter why you've been robbing him without paying Paul."

"Now, hold on a minute!" Boss said defensively, rising to his feet. "'Course I didn't show last night. I sent the money! Had a couple delivery boys run it out for me. You didn't say nothin' about who needed to bring it as long as you got it."

"I didn't get it, Hogg. Your delivery boys never came."

"What?" Boss gasped, pretending to be horrified. "They didn't? Well—well, I just don't know what to say. I told them that money was important…I can't believe they would just take it. I always thought them Dukes were honest, red-blooded American boys!"

The other man's eyes narrowed into glittering slits. "So their name is Duke, is it?"

"Yeah, it's Duke. Bo and Luke. Those two boys come from a bad family but I thought they'd escape that bad reputation! They always seemed like they were tryin'…but I guess the road apple don't fall too far from the horse." He shook his fist. "I'll have my sheriff out on the road right away and we'll haul 'em in! Can't miss 'em in that orange clunker car they drive."

Brock's calm exterior cracked. "Hogg, you're as stupid as you are fat!" he snapped. "I'm through waiting on you. I'm going to find your delivery boys myself, and I'm gonna find out exactly what happened to my money." He started to walk away.

Boss hustled after him. "Well, listen, you bring those Dukes back here when you're done and we'll get the truth out of 'em! I've known those boys all their lives, and I know how to make 'em talk."

If Boss Hogg was a wooden puppet, I reckon his nose would be a country mile long by now.

Brock wasn't impressed. His expression grew dark and he towered threateningly over the short commissioner. "I don't need your help with my business, Hogg. You've done enough. I'm going to handle this my way, and if you know what's good for you, you won't interfere." He turned sharply and was gone, slamming the door forcefully behind him. No sooner had he left than the door swung open again and Rosco pushed his way inside, staring behind him.

"Boss, who was that? He went barrelin' out of your office faster than a scalded cat!"

Boss looked out the window as Brock climbed into his car and drove away. "That, Rosco, was A.J. Brock."

"The—the bulldog?" Rosco gulped. "He don't look too happy."

"'Course he ain't," Boss said smugly. "He just found out that the Duke boys stole the fifty thousand dollars he had coming to him."

"But, uh, Boss…" Rosco pushed back his hat and scratched his head. "Bo and Luke didn't steal it 'cause I got it packed away in—"

"I know that, you dipstick!" Boss snapped. "But Brock don't know it. He thinks the Duke boys have his money, and he's gonna go get 'em. When he catches 'em, we'll toss 'em in jail for grand theft. I'll get to keep my fifty thousand, and the Dukes will get twenty to fifty!"

"Oooh, that's good, Boss! You're a smart little marshmallow!" Rosco praised. He pinched Boss' cheek affectionately.

"Would you please?" Boss snapped. Rosco squeaked and immediately whipped his hand back as the irritated commissioner slapped his fingers.

"Boss, I just got one more question…how are you gonna get to keep your money? You know, that bulldog fella seems pretty mean. I thought you was gonna give him the money after we got the Duke boys."

"Well, I've been doin' some thinking. Brock may be a good gambler…but so am I," Boss replied shrewdly. "Once we get the Dukes, you're gonna call the state police and tell 'em Bo and Luke stole that money from me. I'm bettin' Brock won't want nothin' to do with the state police 'cause he knows they've been trying to catch him at his bad business for years. With all that money as evidence, he ain't gonna be able to put a claim on it…they'd ask too many questions. Then the Dukes are taken outta my way and I don't lose a penny!"

Rosco patted Boss' shiny scalp. "Oh, see, that's why I love ya—you've always got those devious little plans in that fat little head of yours!"

"Stop that!" Boss gave him a dirty look and slapped his hand away. "I ain't finished yet! See, there's always the chance that it won't work out that way. I could wind up losin' my hard-stolen—I mean, hard-earned—money to Brock, and we won't be able to pin the theft on the Duke boys…" He beckoned Rosco closer and leaned in conspiratorially. "But I still got an ace up my sleeve." He rummaged in his pockets until he pulled out a shiny piece of paper.

Rosco's eyes got big. "Hey, that's the other picture of the General Lee!" he exclaimed. "It turned out right nice, too…you can see every last little jug of shine."

"Yes, you can!" Boss said triumphantly. "And the Duke boys don't know I got it! They think I tore up the picture, but it was just a decoy to get 'em off my back. They never asked if I had two! I may lose my fifty-thousand dollar wager, but between me and the Duke boys, the odds are stacked in my favor!"

Don't that figure? If Boss stacks the deck, you just know he's gonna be holdin' the trump card.

"And they'll be up a creek without a paddle and a hole in their canoe! Now, that is downright sneaky!" Rosco said admiringly. "I tell ya, Boss, for such a round little person, you sure looked at all the angles!"

"I did, didn't I?" Boss said with a devious laugh. "I didn't expect Brock to go after the Duke boys himself, but it works out real convenient for me. It probably saves me money in the long run, too, 'cause I don't gotta pay for damage to county vehicles."

Rosco frowned in confusion. "You lost me on that one."

Boss scowled. "No, it's the Dukes that lose you! They don't have no trouble gettin' away from you—which almost always results in you bashin' up your patrol car—"

"Now, wait a minute—"

"And as much as it pains me to admit it, they manage to get away from me from time to time…but there ain't nobody that can get away from Bulldog Brock," Boss finished with a cunning smile. "I'm just lettin' a professional do the legwork for me."

Rosco looked mildly affronted at the insult to his sheriffing prowess. "Boss, I think Enos and I can—"

"You and Enos can get your tails out there and bring that money back here! I wanna keep it here with me where it's safe. Now, git!" Boss punctuated the order with a shove that sent Rosco stumbling out the door, unsure if he should be insulted by the blow to his abilities or glad that, for once, he didn't have to mess with apprehending the aggravating pair of cousins that plagued his brother-in-law.

xxxxx

Happy hour at the Boar's Nest officially was from five to six, but the pub was still packed and lively as the hands of the wall clock crept past eleven. The parking lot was full of empty cars—or nearly empty cars. On the end of the very last row, the dim silhouette of two men could be seen, sitting very still in the front seat.

"You sure that's the one?"

"Come on, Brock…you honestly think there could be two cars around here that look like that?"

"I just want to be sure. Don't want to waste time on this." Brock glanced at his watch, squinting in the dim light to make out the time. The sun had set hours ago but the Boar's Nest was still hopping. More people were entering rather than leaving, and every time the door opened, music and laughter spilled out into the parking lot.

"Why didn't you just shake down Hogg again? Ten to one he never really tried to deliver that money. Probably hoped you'd forget about it."

Brock shook his head. "I don't think so…that J.D. Hogg is a coward if I ever saw one. He's too scared to try anything cute."

Friends, y'all just witnessed one of the few times where someone underestimated Boss Hogg. Now, that don't happen too often.

"Where are all these people coming from?" the driver of the car wondered. "I swear, there are more people here than we saw in town all day."

"Don't pay any attention to them, Rod," Brock said. "The only two that matter are those right there." He gestured out the window. A pair of young men had just exited the Boar's Nest, laughing and talking animatedly as they waved goodbye to friends still inside. Brock was surprised to see that a pale yellow dog had followed the boys out of the bar, staying close to their heels.

The dog hopped into the open windows of the orange car Brock and Rod had been watching and the young men slid agilely inside after it. From their vantage point, the two crooks could see the dog's plumed tail waving like a flag from the back seat. The car zipped out of the parking lot with a parting blast on its horn.

Rod chuckled in amusement as he heard "Dixie" echo off the trees, but Brock just rolled his eyes as he picked up his car phone.

"This is Snyder."

"Our friends are leaving the Boar's Nest. Are you and Max ready?"

"Ready and waiting."

"Good. Rod and I are following them. We should be near you in about ten minutes."

xxxxx

Bo took one hand off the wheel to cover his gaping yawn. In the passenger seat, Luke spared his younger cousin a glance to ask, "You okay to be drivin'?"

"Aw, sure. I'm awake…just tuckered out after all that happened last night. So it's either I go to sleep now, or I go to sleep in church tomorrow morning—and I ain't plannin' on doin' that again.Uncle Jesse weren't none too pleased the last time that happened."

Luke snickered. "Don't I know it. I'm in the same boat, though eleven o'clock is a bit early to turn in on a Saturday night." He cast a brief regretful look over his shoulder in the direction of the Boar's Nest—then raised his eyebrows as he saw the pair of fast-approaching headlights coming up behind.

"Bo, you'd better get over. Someone behind us seems pretty anxious to get by."

"Well, I ain't gonna stand in his way." Bo drifted to the side of the road, but the other car followed. Both young men let out a shout of surprise as the car slammed into the General's rear bumper. The big orange car skidded toward the drainage ditch on the side of the road.

"What the devil—?" Bo braced himself against the door and spun the wheel, bringing the General fishtailing onto the road again. "That idiot!"

"He's no idiot, he did that on purpose!" Luke's exclamation ended with a grunt as a second blow from behind slammed him against the door. "He's tryin' to run us off. Get us outta here, Bo!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Bo leaned forward in his seat and stomped on the gas. The General surged forward, and Bo kept darting glances in the mirror, weaving on the road to keep the pursuing car from getting alongside them. "What the heck did we do to make every goon in the county start chasin' us?" he wondered aloud.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"We must've slept late the day they handed out good luck for the week." Bo gritted his teeth and tensed as he shifted his grip on the wheel, barking out a warning to his cousin. "Grab onto something!"

Luke barely had time to brace himself before Bo cranked the wheel to the left. The General slewed around a hairpin turn, kicking up a cloud of dust as the wheels spun against the dry dirt road. "Where you headed?"

Bo's mouth was fixed in a thin line as he cast another look over his shoulder. "Jessup Road. Remember that long wooded stretch? Ain't no way they can get around us to run us off there, and maybe we can outrun 'em."

"Good idea."

The General pulled ahead of the other car and for a moment it looked as if they might outdistance the men behind them. Bo leaned on the accelerator as he saw the dark shape of thick woods looming ahead. Jessup Road was a narrow dirt track stretching ahead of him until it wound out of sight in the trees.

"Once they get in those woods, we're stuck behind them," Rod said to Brock. "And they took a different way than we thought they would—it'll take Max and Snyder a while to catch up with us."

"That doesn't matter," Brock said coolly. "They can't get away. Even if they try to double back, Max and Snyder will be there to head them off. Just stick with them." He pulled his handgun from its holster and slowly raised his arm to take aim.

Both boys ducked when the first gunshot tore through the air. "Oh, man…" Bo bit his lip and focused on the road ahead, not daring to look behind. "Luke, I think I can out-drive that guy but we're gonna need help, and fast."

"You're right." Staying as low as possible in his seat, Luke reached for the CB.

xxxxx

"…Forty-five, six, seven…" Boss fumbled through the pile of cash he had sitting on his desk, carefully counting it into a large briefcase. "Fifty thousand dollars," he mused in satisfaction.

He jumped as the CB on his desk suddenly crackled to life, hearing the roar of an engine and the scratch of static before a familiar voice burst over the airwaves. "This is Luke Duke callin' the Hazzard Net—We got a mayday out on Jessup Road! Anyone with your ears on, come back, please!" Boss just leaned forward and listened to the radio silence with greedy interest. Just as he'd thought: eleven o'clock on a Saturday night would have half the population in bed and the other half whooping it up at the Boar's Nest.

Luke's voice came again, taut and anxious. "Repeat, this is Luke Duke callin' the Hazzard Net: we need help and we need it now!"

The faintest beginnings of a frown curled Boss' mouth downwards. In all the years he'd known the Duke boys—and there had been a darned sight too many years for his liking—only rarely had he heard one of them sound the way Luke did now. Was that—could that be fear he heard in the ordinarily fearless young man's voice?

"Attention, Hazzard Net—anybody listening out there? We—"

"Luke, watch out!" A cry of alarm from Bo, the squeal of tires, and the loud crack of gunfire caused the CB on Boss' desk to buzz loudly. There was a sudden confusion of voices and noise before the broadcast suddenly cut off, leaving Boss alone with silence and a growing uneasiness in his belly. The faint swirl of suspicion that had been nagging at him all evening—telling him that he had done the wrong thing by letting Brock go after the Dukes—suddenly solidified into a chilling certainty. He had meant to trap the boys, but now he began to wonder: what would a man as vicious as Brock do when he caught them? He stared at the CB for a moment longer before he lurched up from his desk and disappeared out the door.

xxxxx

"Attention, Hazzard Net—anybody listening out there? We—" The car behind them roared forward and plowed into the General again as the passenger took a second shot at the pair of cousins.

Bo suddenly gasped and cried out in alarm as he felt his control slipping. "Luke, watch out!" The orange car rattled ominously as it started skidding into the trees at the edge of the road. Luke threw himself prone across the seat as the gnarled branches speared through his open window. He bumped hard against Bo, causing his cousin to bite back a frustrated exclamation as he struggled to right the General's course. A loud metallic snap caught his ears and he looked back just in time to see the CB antenna spinning wildly off into the trees.

"I hope someone out there heard us, Bo, 'cause that tree just ripped off our antenna. How you holdin' up?"

Bo glanced behind him as he guided the car around a curve in the road. "He's a tough old buzzard, but I can hold him. I think I can lose him after I get outta this narrow lane, but if he knocks us off we're gonna find ourselves wrapped around a tree and it ain't gonna be easy to unwrap us." He shook his head angrily at himself. "I shoulda known this was a bad idea!"

"Nah, you did all you could," Luke said. "I woulda done the same thing." He reached into the back seat and felt around for his bow and arrows. The dog had been jostled onto the floor when the chase had first started, and now he was crouched nervously on top of the archery cases. Luke gave the dog a gentle push to the side and extracted the weapon. "They're too close to use dynamite—if they get blown off the road, we'll go with 'em—but I'll see if I can't shoot out a tire or two."

"Be careful!" Bo said shortly. "This road is tricky enough without someone shootin' at us from behind!"

"Don't worry 'bout me, just keep your eyes on the road!"

Bo didn't dare watch as Luke pulled himself halfway out of the car and balanced sitting in the window. He heard the familiar twang of the bow as his cousin loosed an arrow into the night, but the car behind them was unfazed. The gunfire started again and Bo heard a metallic screech as a bullet skipped off the General's roof. He swallowed hard and forced himself to keep looking ahead. God, please don't let them hit Luke!

Perched in the window of the General, Luke pulled another arrow out and drew back to fire. The arrow scraped against the fender of the pursuing car, just barely missing the front tire. Luke ducked and flattened himself against the roof of the General as he felt leaves from a low-hanging branch whip past his head. The trees were much too close for his liking, but he was their only chance at getting those men off their backs. He steadied himself and prepared to fire a third time.

The driver saw what Luke was doing. He swerved out of the way and tried to force his car between the left side of the General and the encroaching woods. His bumper clipped the General's back end at an odd angle, causing the big orange car to fishtail and then plunge sharply to the right in spite of Bo's skill. The impact threw Luke backwards before he could catch himself. He caught a brief glimpse of a low tree looming up ahead, then a stunning blow carried him off on a wave of pain and he saw nothing more.