---8---

"Andy didn't sleep that night, he kept thinkin' about the boys all alone up there in Atlanta an' about Jesse, who'd been a mighty good friend ta him over the years. But when mornin' came he was no closer ta findin' a way to help the Dukes than when he'd left the farm with Sammy.

An' he weren't the only sleepless man in Hazzard, Jesse sat on the porch most all of the night, thinkin' about his boys an' about moonshine an' the traditions ol' Jesse held dear to his heart. Ya see, runnin' shine ain't just a way of life to the Dukes, it's everythin' they are an' everythin' they ever was."

Daisy watched out of the window as she washed up the breakfast dishes. In front of the house, Jesse was brushing down Maudine before they headed on out to plow the back forty. The old mule stamped her hoof impatiently at the fuss. Luke usually did all of her grooming, he seemed to have better luck with her. Jesse always said it was because they were both as stubborn as the other.

Daisy sighed and went back to the washing up. She missed her cousins constantly, like a dull ache. It frightened her to think of them both locked away in a high security pen with the kind of hardened men most of the people in Hazzard only read about in city newspapers or heard about on the TV. Bo was just a boy, not long passed his eighteenth and Luke…Daisy knew Luke wasn't as tough as he made out. Would he be celebrating his twenty-fourth behind bars in just a few short weeks?

She had hoped that she and Jesse would have time to visit them today but she knew it might not happen. The farm chores were already falling behind without the boys and they had a responsibility to the animals that depended on them for food and warmth, just as they would depend on those creatures when times turned hard.

The boys would understand.

Jesse came back into the house. "Dang blast it, that mule gets more stubborn ev'ry day!"

Daisy dried her hands with a sad smile. "She misses Luke."

"We all do, honey." Jesse murmured. "We all do."

---

"Now when ya'll have spent ya whole life wakin' ta a cockerel a-crowin' in the mornin' an' to the smell o' Jesse's cookin', it's real hard ta open ya eyes ta grey walls an' steel bars, an' the sound of hundreds a locks openin' at once."

Bo was thinking about all those prison movies he and Luke had seen in the small picture house in Hazzard, where the wrongly accused hero chalk marked away his sentence on the wall. Whole weeks would pass for him in a few frames of celluloid. If only it were that simple. There was a mind-numbing slowness to the hours that no film had ever got across to Bo. But he was getting a lesson now.

Bo once again lost Ricky on the way into the food hall. He was beginning to realise Ricky liked it that way. It probably wasn't smart to be seen around a newcomer.

He and Luke had arranged a way to find the other, selecting a couple tables that they would be waiting at and agreeing to sit there at all times. It would make things a little easier than just scanning the hoards of men in hope of seeing the other.

Bo made his way across the hall, feeling relief when he saw Luke ahead of him, already seated at the table and picking through his slops without much enthusiasm.

Bo was so focused on Luke that he didn't pay much attention to the faces of the cons as he carried his food over to the tables. The huge man who'd tripped Bo before got up as Bo walked past him and 'accidentally' stopped right in Bo's path. Bo crashed straight into him, sending his tray flying through the air and Bo thudded down to join it on the floor.

The man roared with laughter.

Bo felt his cheeks burn and jumped to his feet.

"Whatcha go an' do that for?" He demanded. "Ya did that on purpose, didn't ya?"

The man grabbed Bo by the hair and yanked his head back. "Little sprat gettin' uppity?" He spat and put his other hand about Bo's throat and squeezed.

Bo clawed at the hand as his blood stalled on its way to his brain and the pressure crushing against his windpipe cut off his breathing. Darkness began creeping in at the edges of his vision but he had enough left to see Luke looming over his assailant.

There was a loud crunch as Luke bashed the brute across the head with his own tray. The huge man grunted, falling forward. He let go of Bo who collapsed down onto his knees, gasping for breath.

The thug got up and grabbed Luke by the arm. Luke hit him across the jaw, sending the huge man reeling. He had the satisfaction of seeing surprise on the other cons face at the power in Luke's fists. He saw the man nod once and then Luke felt someone grab him from behind. He struggled in their grip and as he did so, he saw the familiar tattoos on the arms holding him.

Gator.

The huge man threw a punch into Luke's stomach, doubling him over. Then the arms abruptly released Luke and he spun round to catch a glance of his young cousin grappling with Gator. Bo had pulled him off Luke.

Luke saw Bo take a blow across the chin but then his attention was taken up by the huge man who seemed intent on separating Luke from at least one of his limbs.

And then the guards wadded in, yelling, swinging their batons, uncaring if their blows did damage.

A guard restrained the huge man. "Danziger," another guard snapped at him. "Ain't ya gonna learn?" He shoved his baton in the huge man's stomach and his legs buckled for a moment.

"Hey!" Luke started forward. So did Bo.

Danziger spat at the guard and received another blow, this time when he sagged down, he didn't stand up.

"Solitary." The guard said casually.

Danziger was dragged away and the guard turned to Gator. Luke almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"Gator."

Luke's cell mate held up his hands, feigning innocence. "Hey I was just takin' care of little ol' Bo here." Gator smiled at Bo. He put his arm around Bo's shoulders. Bo winced as his arm brushed his tender neck. "Ain't that right, Bo?"

Luke flew at Gator, but the guard grabbed him before he could connect.

"Duke, ain't it?" The guard said. "Ya new, so I'll give ya the opportunity ta apologise."

Luke said nothing.

The guard put his baton to Luke's chest, just resting it there. Luke looked between him and Gator. "No."

He chuckled, enjoying it. "Duke, ya goin' in solitary!"

Bo stepped forward. "But he ain't-"

The guard turned swiftly, placing his baton above Bo's heart. "I suggest ya shut it, sonny." He warned. "Or ya be joinin' him."

Luke shook his head at his cousin and Bo backed off.

Luke was marched away. He looked back at Bo.

The last sight Luke got was of Bo's bruised face and Gator staring at him.

"I've seen a hawk look like that, when he was a-fixin' ta catch a mouse."

---

"So while Bo was moppin' yet another meal off the prison floor, Luke was doin' some hard thinkin'."

Luke sat alone in the small, simple cell. It contained only a bed and a table and chair with a toilet and basin at the far end. At least the solitude was easing the persistent ache in Luke's head. The quiet might almost have been welcome after the relentless background noise of the prison if not for the fear churning in his gut.

He cursed himself for his stupidity. How was he supposed to look out for Bo stuck in here?

Luke had promised Bo, long ago, when they'd both been small and skinny, that he'd always be there for him. He had never made himself a liar, although there was one time when Bo was eight that he'd skirted real close to breaking it, but Jesse had forgiven him for that and had told him he must forgive himself too.

Luke lay back and closed his eyes.

He wondered if Jesse would forgive him this time.

---

Bo tried not to worry about Luke. He guessed he couldn't come to any harm locked away on his own, that is if the guards left him be.

Boredom had driven him to the one reasonable quiet place in the entire jail. The prison library wasn't very big, but it boasted a good array of books in various stages of decay, cluttered and cramped onto every available shelf.

Bo searched among the titles, hoping for something on the NASCAR's or the Paris/Dakar, anything to whittle away some of the time that crept so slowly along.

There was only one other prisoner in the library, an elderly man with thick glasses who served as the prison librarian. The man had greeted Bo with a smile and pointed him in the direction of the factual books. It had felt, for the briefest of heartbeats, like being back at school.

Bo looked up as he heard the elderly prisoner bustle out.

He turned.

Gator was standing behind him with two other men, one was thin and ratty looking, the other large and bald headed.

Gator grinned. "Hey, pretty boy."

"I don't know 'bout ya'll, but I can't look."

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