Chapter Four: Hot pursuit

Balladeer: Well looke here, seems them crooks might be stealin' car parts, but when it comes to fixin' engines – they don't know a thing about it.

Randall pounded the side of the truck's engine compartment and swore under his breath. "I just don't believe it, Casey. Of all the things that could happen, we had to go and break down before gettin' outta Hazzard. I'm beginning to hate this place," he muttered.

While not exactly calm, Casey was the more level-headed of the two and he glanced up and down the street they were stuck on. "I don't know if this is a real popular street or not, Randall, but we have to find some way to get this here truck hidden."

Now hiding the truck wasn't going to be easy. It was stalled on the shoulder of the road and there wasn't a tree or bushes close by to push it behind. Not that that would have hidden a truck this size anyway. But they couldn't just sit around.

"Fine, you figure out how to do that," Randall said. "I'm gonna get on the CB and lure that mechanic from town here. We'll force him to fix it and then get rid of him. I've had it with being nice around these parts."

Uh-oh Cooter, you better watch your back.

"Hello out there, anyone with their ears on, we need some help out on Route 3, over," Randall said into the CB, hoping that someone would pick up. "We've got engine trouble and don't know nothin' bout engines."

The CB crackled and back came a response. "This is Crrrrrrrrrrrrrazy Cooter, comin' atcha Mr., whereabouts on county 3 are you?"

"Near the Chickasaw County line," Randall smiled, giving Casey the thumbs up. "Can you help?"

"Sure thing, Mr. I'll be out there in no time," Cooter replied from his tow truck out near Ridge Road where he had been looking for the crooks as promised. HE quickly informed Daisy, Jesse and the boys where he was heading. "Hey Shepherd, Lost Sheep and Bo Peep, I've got me a call, 'fraid I'm outta this for a bit."

Luke, in the General, picked up the CB and replied, "That's all right, Cooter. We'll take it from here. Thanks for the help, buddy."

Bo looked over at Luke when he put down the CB. "We ain't seen hide nor hair o' that truck, Luke. We might as well be goin' in circles at this rate. What say we change tactics?"

Luke looked at his cousin with a frown. "How?"

Smirking, Bo looked at the road and didn't answer right away. When he did, it was with one of his I'm-about-to-suggest-somethin'-sneaky faces on. "Boss and Rosco. We tell'em what we found. Then, we follow'em. I'm not sure they know where that truck is, but they might know somethin' we don't."

Nodding his head, Luke mulled it over a bit. "I'll bet they were double-crossed, Bo. And knowin' Boss, he'd have gotten a down payment! What if them fellas who double-crossed him want it back?"

The blonde cousin smiled. "What are we waitin' for?"

Luke snatched the CB and put in a call to Boss. "Boss, this here is Luke Duke out on Ridge Road. We done found your strippin' buddies and they was all trussed up like a couple o' sacks o' potatoes!"

The shriek of anger over the CB made Luke laugh lightly and Bo glanced at his cousin. Boss must have been holding the CB down still when he laid into Rosco. "Why weren' you watchin' things out there, Rosco! Them low down, dirty double crossers! I'll get'em, yes, no one double-crosses Jefferson Davis Hogg."

"Best let go of that CB button, Boss, you just broadcast that to anyone on the Hazzard net," came Rosco's voice over the speaker next. There was silence following that, at least for a moment.

"Hogg, this is a former business associate. I have a deal to make with ya," came over the CB. Luke couldn't put a finger on it, but he had heard that voice before. The boys waited for more. "I want my money back. I just heard someone snatched them parts and if you ain't got'em, I ain't payin' for'em."

Bo and Luke exchanged glances. "That was too quick," Luke muttered. "Too quick. Somethin' don't seem right here." They waited for more.

"You…you want your money back, eh?" came Boss' response. "How do I know you didn't go and steal those parts, huh? After all, you knew where we was set up. Why should I believe you?"

There was another pregnant pause. "Cuse I got me someone here who I'll gladly send the way o' those stripped cars if'n you don't give me what I want. Say hello to Hogg over there at that pig nest of his."

"Boss, they ain't foolin'," came through.

"COOTER!" Bo exclaimed, recognizing that voice anywhere. He suddenly threw the General Lee into a sharp 90 degree turn and roared off toward county 3 and the Chickasaw County line, where he knew Cooter had gone.

Luke gripped his shoulder. "Easy, Bo. We don't wanna be gettin' into something you can't handle, no offense cuz, we best call in reinforcements otherwise Cooter could get hurt."

Nodding, but not slowing, Bo listened while Luke called to Daisy and Jesse. "Got that, you two?" There were two affirmatives. They didn't have to say what they meant over the air, both of the Dukes knew what Luke was referring to. They'd recognized Cooter's voice too and all the Dukes paid close attention to all CB traffic.

If all went well, they would have Cooter, and their evidence, soon.

Balladeer: All go well? This is Hazzard, remember, all just can't go well. Especially not for them Dukes, trouble seems to follow them like a moth to a flame. Or maybe that's a Hogg to money?

Cooter tugged on his restraints. He had finished fixing the truck in no time, it hadn't really been anything serious or difficult, but those fellas hadn't been lying when they said they knew nothing about cars. Soon as he had finished, they hadn't wasted a second before they hit him over the back of the head with a pistol butt.

When he had come to, he had been tied up and was lying beside the truck.

He hoped someone had overheard the CB traffic – namely the Dukes, but he wasn't so sure he wanted them to come at the same time. Bo, after all, was still hurt and Cooter knew the blonde Duke wouldn't be idle if it came to a fight.

"You, get up," the man named Randall said, pointing a pistol at Cooter, who had his arms firmly tied behind his back but had free use of his legs. "Time to be payin' Hogg a visit. After we stash this here truck."

Dang it, Cooter thought. If these two stashed the truck before the were found, there was no telling how this whole thing might turn out. Stalling for time, Cooter tripped, purposely of course, and hit the ground hard.

Casey reached down and dragged him to his feet, but Cooter let out a shout of pain and his left leg buckled again. Swearing, the crook set him back down. "Now you done it, fella. You don't get up, you don't ever get up again."

Grimacing and swallowing a rather large lump in his throat, Cooter dragged himself, still feigning the injury so he could go slower as the three walked toward the truck. He barely restrained himself from letting out a groan when they reached it and he was thrust into the cab.

Casey took the wheel, while Randall took Cooter's truck for their trip into Hazzard Square, and soon both were rumbling toward the nearby forested area. There would be plenty of hiding places for a truck in there.

And there was still no sign of the boys, Daisy or Jesse.

Cooter sighed. It just really wasn't his day.

"I don't see'em," Bo said in frustration. "Cooter must be with them too cuse I don't see him and I doubt they'd just leave him in the road. He's their insurance."

Luke had to agreed with that. They had been traveling county three toward the Chickasaw line and so far hadn't seen hide nor hair of the thieves or Cooter. Unless that plume of dust to their right was something.

"Bo! Look!"

Seeing what Luke was pointing at, Bo smiled grimly. "Luke, if that's them I reckon they're on their way into the forest to hide that truck! Should we go after'em?"

Luke didn't think for a moment of doing anything else. Nodding, he held tight as Bo turned the General Lee down a side road – or rather more of a side path since it was far worse than even the worst of roads.

In no time the General Lee caught up with the thieves. The truck was having a hard time traveling cross-country and it had slowed them crooks up some, giving Bo and Luke just enough time to get around them.

Wretching the car to the side, Bo hoped the thieves wouldn't want to try ramming through the General Lee. He opened his eyes a crack when there was no collision and looked out his side of the General.

The front bumper of the truck was a mere few inches from his door. Letting out a breath, Bo gulped and glanced over at Luke. "That sure was close, cousin," he muttered.

Luke was looking in his direction, but not at him. "Well this is a bit closer, Bo. Don't make any sudden moves."

Slowly turning toward his own window, Bo shuddered when his gaze was met by a pistol's gleaming barrel pointed right at him. The gunman smiled and waved the gun away from the car.

"Get out," he said. "Both of ya, or your friend gets it."

Cooter nodded lightly from where he was. IT wasn't like he could wave or anything, but a nod should do it in this case. Bo and Luke eased themselves out of the General, the latter watching in concern as it took Bo entirely too long to straighten back up again.

Randall, who had gone around to Bo's side of the car, roughly shoved Bo toward the others, seemingly unaware he was injured. Which was for the better, of course, that meant he couldn't use it against the boys.

"You two have meddled enough in our affairs," Randall said, mostly looking at Bo and Luke. "I hear you're them two who got away on Ridge Road too. Reckon you've caused enough trouble for one lifetime."

Casey smiled and nodded, not letting his gun fall for a moment. Neither men were being stupid enough to get within reach of any of the three Hazzard natives either, so there was no way anyone could disarm them.

Randall seemed to contemplate for a moment before coming to a decision. "So's you don't follow us, this ought to give you something else to worry about." He raised his gun and fired and one of the three slumped to the ground in surprise, not quite registering that he'd just been shot.

Balladeer: Uh-oh, I reckon them boys better get him to the hospital and fast. Those crooks sure picked a nasty way to make their getaway. He don't look so good.

A/N: Hahah! Who do you think "he" is? If you know me, you're probably right in who you're thinkin'. I hope I won't make you wait too long…course if I get a ton of reviews I'll probably get excited and wanna write quicker. shameless fishing for reviews But I'll try to update tomorrow even if I don't get any…

-Gwen