---4---
Daisy went to her uncle's side, took his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. "Oh, Uncle Jesse."
Andy came up behind them, lighting a cigarette. "I'm sorry, Jesse. I had no idea they'd be movin' the boys so soon."
Jesse didn't answer him and remained staring down the road for a long moment. He patted Daisy's arm. "We'll see Bo real soon." He promised. Then he sighed. "Come on, Luke weren't with 'em so lets see if we can find him."
---
Luke was awake and half sitting up in bed when Jesse and Daisy walked in. A doctor was leaning over him and shining a light into his eyes. He turned to the door and grinned at his cousin and uncle.
Daisy hugged him. "We was so worried about ya'll."
"I'm fine." Luke said. "Have ya seen Bo?"
Daisy looked at her uncle. Jesse nodded. He didn't want to worry Luke and it wasn't lying. They had seen Bo.
"Is he all right?"
"He's fine." Andy said, stepping further into the room.
Luke frowned. "Mr Roach?"
"Andy was the one who was chasing you, Luke." Jesse told him.
"I'm sorry how that turned out." Andy said. "Never meant for you boys to get hurt."
Luke shook his head. "The accident was my fault. I shouldn'ta told Bo to turn off the road. Traveller weren't up to it, and Bo ain't never driven through trees before."
"It ain't anyone's fault." Jesse's voice was firm. "What's done's done. I just thank the good Lord you both weren't hurt bad."
Roach nodded. "Amen to that." Then he sighed and looked at Luke. "Luke, you know I have a job to do, don't ya?"
Luke nodded. Jesse had brought all three of them up to respect the revenuers just like they'd respect anyone else.
"We're under arrest, ain't we?"
"Bo's already in custody. Ya'll be followin' as soon as the doc lets ya go."
Luke sat up. "Bo's in jail?"
"They'll be keepin' him at the Chickasaw county jail fer now."
Luke tossed the sheets back and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Well you can take me along now too." He said, struggling to get up.
Jesse waved him down. "I'm as worried 'bout Bo as you are, but yous in that bed fer a reason."
"I feel fine, Uncle Jesse." Luke insisted, even as his legs buckled under him. Andy caught him before he hit the floor.
"Now you get back in that bed, Luke Duke, 'fore I whup ya!" Jesse snapped. "Bo'll be fine. He's a Duke an' us Dukes has got grits."
"But Jesse-"
"No buts, now git!"
"Yes, sir." Andy helped Luke get settled and Daisy carefully tucked the covers over him.
A nurse came in and went to the window. "Visitin' time is over, sir." She said to Jesse as she drew the curtains. "Ya'll have to come back tomorrow."
They said their goodbyes and Luke watched them go.
The room was deathly quiet now he was alone, except for his guard, and the deputy didn't look like much of a talker, even if Luke had of wanted too.
He sighed and lay down in the hospital bed. It wouldn't feel right sleeping with Bo's gentle snores in his ear.
"Friends, this ain't just a man missin' his kin. Ya'll are witnessin' the first time the Duke boys are sleepin' under different roofs, since Luke came back from the Marines."
---
It was dark outside the hospital, stars bright in the clear sky. Jesse took a deep breath and let out the frustration and worry he'd been feeling since he'd heard Agent Roach's voice on the CB. "What's happenin' to ma family?"
Daisy hugged him. "It'll be OK, Uncle Jesse." She tried to sound certain. "We can get 'em out on bail first thing t'morrow."
Roach shook his head. "Judge'll set it high, Jesse, more'n ya can afford." He warned him.
"I wouldn't count on that." Daisy's voice was angry.
"I'm talkin' thousands here, Daisy."
"Now why in tarnation would anyone be puttin' a price like that on those two boys?"
"Cos they're ya kin, Jesse." Roach took out another cigarette and lit it. "Ya know, even b'fore I got posted ta Hazzard, I'd heard about you Dukes. Ya'll are the best, an' us revenuers, we's all agreed on that. Now the good ol' US of A government, they never got their hands on ya, but now they got ya boys…" He exhaled a long line of smoke. "Sin of the father, like ma pa used to say…"
Jesse looked down.
"Time's is changin', Jesse." His voice was tired, even old. "Runnin' shine…it ain't like it used to be."
"'Shine kept ma family in clothes an' shoes for as long as I can remember." Jesse said. "I raised them younguns up like ma daddy raised me. Ain't never done me no harm."
"Til now."
"Andy sure has a mean tongue sometimes, now don't he?"
"Tell me straight, Andy, are ma boys goin' to jail?"
"Yes." Andy took another draw on his cigarette. "It's a first offence, 'cepting for a few misdemeanours as minors, and those is spent, Jesse, so the judge won't take 'em into account, but the name Duke ain't gonna do them no favours. We've been after ya family for years."
Jesse chuckled. "That ya have."
"I'll do my best for them, I can promise ya that. I'll call ma buddy over at the Public Defenders office, have 'em put Davies on the boys case. Sammy's the best they got. But it might not be enough to keep 'em outta prison."
---
"By this time, it were too late to see Bo so Jesse and Daisy headed on back to Hazzard with hearts a whole lot heavier than Boss Hogg after eatin' time. An' while Luke was a-starin' at the walls of the hospital, Bo was doin' the same with four around him. Only his had bars."
Bo sat in the tiny cell, knees drawn up to his chest, arms hugging them. He was looking at the small window that looked out onto the pavement outside the building. The jail was larger than the one in Hazzard and had more deputy's than Boss would ever pay for in a life-time.
On the cot beside him was a tray of food, untouched and steadily growing cold.
Claybourne came up to the bars and nodded at the tray. "Ain't ya'll hungry, son?"
"No, sir."
He unlocked the cell and fetched the uneaten food. He looked down at Bo. "Ya'll wanna play checkers? I've me a feelin' its gonna be a long night."
Bo shook his head.
"Suit yerself." Claybourne locked the door again, shaking his head.
Bo continued to stare at the small patch of outside he could see.
Claybourne walked off. At the door, the night deputy stopped him. Claybourne went over to where the man was sitting at the watchman's desk.
"He goin' to the City jail?" He asked Claybourne.
"Uh-huh."
"They're gonna eat that boy alive in there."
---
"As soon as the sun was up, Jesse an' Daisy headed on in to Chickasaw County to apply fer bail. Jesse took with him everythin' that was hidden in the bottom of the embroidery basket, an' I don't mean Daisy's knittin', but money from the 'shine runs that ol' Jesse'd been savin' for a rainy day. An' friends, it sure is a-pourin' right now."
Bo snapped awake at the sound of the jail cell opening. He didn't recall falling asleep, and his limbs ached from finally dozing off in a sitting position. He blinked blearily at the open door and the tap-tap-tap of approaching feet.
"Beauregard Duke? I'm Sammy Davies; I'm from the Public Defenders office."
Bo frowned sleepily. "But, er, but you… ya'll a woman!"
"That boy sure is swift, ain't he?"
Samantha Davies smiled, "I guess we won't be pleading poor eyesight on this one."
"Ya'll come back, ya hear? 'Cos here's where things get interestin'"
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