Sorry for the hold-up everyone. There was the school Easter holidays to contend with (my daughter's, not mine!) and then the muse was tickled by the Mickey Angst in recent eps of The Bill and so abandoned a cute tall blond for a cute small blond and finally my mum broke her foot so my time's been a bit limited writing-wise.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---13---
Daisy and Jesse hurried out the farmhouse, quickly followed by Sammy and finally Andy, who was clutching the parole agreement to his chest like he feared a gust of wind was going to snatch them from his hands.
They all stopped sharp when they saw Boss standing with Rosco in front of the sheriff's car.
"Hi, Jesse." Boss said in that sweeter-than-sweet tone he sometimes used. "We just come a-visitin' seein' as how your kin is so far away."
"I ain't got time fer this, JD." Jesse yelled as he hurried past Boss towards Daisy's car.
Rosco stepped into his path. "I'm afraid I can't let ya go, Jesse."
---
Luke flinched as the doc dabbed at the gash in his head, cleaning around the stitches he'd just put in. The numbness was wearing off and the sharp sting of the antiseptic bit into the tender skin on Luke's head.
"Sorry." The doc said as he put down the antiseptic soaked cotton wool. "I'll get you some pain-killers."
He got out a bottle and shook out a couple of tablets which he handed over to Luke with a glass of water. Luke swallowed them. His stomach protested the cold liquid.
The doc looked over at the two guards hovering in the doorway. "Ya'll can take him back ta his cell now."
Luke got up. For a brief moment he thought the room was swaying before realising it was himself who was rocking.
The doc steadied him. "Get some rest, son."
Luke closed his eyes and waited out the dizziness. "What about Bo?" He asked softly.
The doc looked sympathetic. "I'll let ya know if I hear anythin'."
Luke was led back to his cell, half grateful for the guard's insistence on leading him with a hand on his arm.
At his cell, Luke lay down, or rather fell down, onto his bed. His head ached and his body felt ten times too heavy for his muscles to support. A faint nausea churned his stomach while desperate worry clawed in his chest.
Bo…
Five minutes. He promised himself. He'd give himself five minutes rest. Then he had a couple of things he needed to do.
The first was calling his uncle.
The other was to find the animal that had attacked his cousin and make him wish he'd never set eyes on either of the Duke boys.
---
Jesse looked from one to the other. "Ain't like you ta be keepin' bad company."
Rosco straightened up, his eyes serious. "He's ma brother-in-law, Jesse."
"Exactly." Boss nodded. "And he's the law! Arrest 'em!"
Rosco frowned. "Well, what for?"
"Fer aidin' an' abettin' the escape o' prisoners!"
"These papers' is legal, Boss." Andy said and as soon as the words were out of his mouth he realised the mistake he'd made.
Boss made a triumphant "ah-ha!" and lunged forward to snatch the papers from Andy.
He crowed with delight and held up Luke and Bo's freedom.
Daisy made a cry and both she and Sammy grabbed and jostled at Boss until Sammy managed to snatch the papers back. She scooted off with Boss at her heals, and just as the commissioner was about to seize them, threw the papers to Jesse.
Jesse tossed them to Andy who passed them over to Sammy again and all the while Boss ran about like a fat white little piggy in the middle.
Finally Jesse got the papers and made a run for it. He got to the Traveller but since didn't have the keys to unlock the doors, he threw himself in the open window.
"Well who ya'll think taught Bo an' Luke how ta do that?"
It took Jesse two seconds to hotwire Luke's car before storming off in a cloud of dust. Daisy jumped and whooped as the car sped off for Atlanta.
Boss yelled in frustration. "Well git after him!"
Rosco shifted uncomfortably. "What for, Boss?"
Boss swiped him with his hat. "Speedin' ya numbskull! An' assaulting a government appointee, namely me!"
The sheriff made an "ooo!" noise and jumped before scrambling for his car. Boss only just managed to get into the passenger seat before Rosco took off in pursuit.
"He's gonna need some help." Daisy said, "c'mon ya'll."
---
"Daisy got on the Hazzard Net an' made sure everyone from Cooter ta Miss Teasdale gave ol' Jesse a clear run outta Hazzard an' ta get in Rosco's way as much as possible."
Cooter's truck stopped and ditched the Bruik it was towing. Cooter leant out of the window and waved at Joe Finch who was sitting in the towed car. He grinned good-naturedly, having heard Daisy's message. Then Cooter spun the truck round an sped off back in the direction he'd come.
"An' while Sammy an' Andy were tryin' ta head Rosco off in Andy's car, Rosco was callin' in the cavalry."
Enos dropped his sandwich with a cry of "possum on a gumbush!" before switching on the siren and starting up his patrol car.
"Er...that's cavalry Hazzard style."
---
The Traveller bumped over the rough ground. Jesse glanced at his watch. It was coming up for two in the afternoon. That only gave him three hours to get into Atlanta. What with the city traffic and keeping out of the way of the law it was going to be tight.
He saw Enos up ahead coming towards them and cursed, but grinned as he saw Cooter's truck turn onto the road. Cooter stopped in Enos' way, barring the road and like two people in a doorway, went back and forth as Enos tried to steer around him.
And Traveller sailed away.
---
Luke moaned as he woke, cursing his stupidity. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. He forced himself upright and was relieved that, at the very least, his unplanned nap had done him some good. He felt a little better for it.
Luke got to his feet, groaning at the stiffness in his body, but he didn't waver. His own pain would have to wait.
---
At the Hazzard border, Daisy took a right instead of a left and whispering a prayer that Bo had been right about the creek having dried up, flung her car onto Creekwater Road. If she could get across the creek instead of around it on the road, she would gain precious minutes on Rosco's car.
The creek bed, as promised, was cracked and dry and while she had to slow up over the silt, she knew she was now way ahead of the sheriff, and probably even ahead of Jesse.
Her yellow car finally bumped back onto the main road. She dodged around Traveller as it sped towards her and slewed into the path of the sheriff's car that had been nipping at the old Ford's heels.
Rosco hit the brakes but still crashed into the side of Daisy's car.
Andy's car screeched to a stop behind Rosco, blocking them in.
The Traveller was home free.
---
Luke listened to the phone ring endless at the house. He sighed. They were probably out in the fields. He put the phone down and dialled Cooter. And the same thing happened. He was just about to give in when the phone was answered.
"Cooter!"
"Hey, Luke, how ya doin' in there?" It was LB.
"Where's Cooter?"
"He's out helpin' ya folks."
Luke frowned. "What with? Did the tractor break down again?"
LB had heard what Daisy had said on the CB but he wasn't about to get Luke's hopes up. "I ain't sure. Reckon so." He said. "Anythin' I can help ya with?"
"LB, listen, I need ya ta get a message ta my uncle Jesse."
"Sure thing, Luke." LB said. "What is it?"
"It's Bo."
---
The three cars bumped and skid as one tried to get away and the other two tried just as hard to keep it there. When she judged enough time had passed, Daisy broke from Andy and headed after her uncle. Andy continued to block Rosco as she sped away but with only the one car, he and Sammy were soon watching Rosco and Boss burn rubber in pursuit.
"Do you think Jesse'll make it?" Sammy asked.
Andy reached over and squeezed her hand. "I know it."
---
Rosco stopped at the cross roads. The ground was covered in different tire tracks and none of them looked like Jesse's. "We lost 'em, Boss."
"No we ain't." The commissioner said. "We know where they's goin' don't we?"
---
"Going round all the roadblocks an' keepin' outta sight cost Jesse a lot a time an' it was comin' up ta five'o'clock when the Traveller finally pulled up outside of the ATF offices."
Jesse got out and ran up the steps.
He stopped at the door. Boss and Rosco were barring the way.
"Now this ain't the time fer ol' Rosco ta get smart."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to HazzardHusker and vinsmouse for the info on the ATF!