"You boys don't have to go to go out cookin' tonight, just check on the corn mash at site 8."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, Luke. I'm sure. We got enough 'shine stored for several months of orders. Plus, we'll be getting that license within the next couple of weeks. I already told my customers that we'll be going legal."
"That's one less worry." Remarked Bo.
"Why don't you boys go out tonight? My treat." He took out several bills and handed them to Luke. As he handed some to Bo, he added. "That should cover it. If you decide to stay out, just be back for afternoon chores."
"Will do." Jesse turned around and before he went into the house he looked back at Bo. "Might want to take your hair down. You look better that way." Bo smiled, removed the hair tie and placed it into Jesse's open hand. When Jesse went into the house, the boys left to go to The Boar's Nest. When they arrived the bar was slowly filling up, so they found a table in the back of the bar in the corner.
"Hey, boys. What can I get for you?" Lou-Ann asked as she walked up to the table.
"Two beers."
"You got it, sweetheart." She smiled at Bo as she left to get the beers.
"Hope your girlfriend doesn't show up." Luke teased Bo as Bo took off his cowboy hat and placed it on the table.
"Funny. Ain't my girlfriend, Lukas. I wouldn't wish her on my enemy." Luke was still laughing when Lou-Ann came back with the beer.
"Here you go." She set the beer on the table. "Bo, Mary-Jo was looking for you earlier."
"Oh, God. What the hell for?"
"Said you still owed her dinner."
"Hell, I was just messin' around when I said that. She can't hold me to that."
"She can and she is."
"Besides, he was drunk at the time."
"Well, let that be a lesson to you. Don't hit on girls like that when your drunk."
"Shoot, that's the only time she does get hit on." Luke started to laugh again.
"That's mean, Lukas."
"Maybe so, Lou-Ann. But it's true."
"Good point, Luke. Just fair warning to ya Bo, she might come back."
"Thanks for the heads up."
"No problem, Bo. You want to start a tab or pay each time?"
"We'll pay each time. You know, just in case I need to slide on out of here right quick." Bo smiled and winked at her as she laughed.
"I'll try to warn ya if I see her before you do."
"I'd be obliged if you did." She nodded as she walked away.
"Lukas, don't let me talk to any woman like Mary-Jo ever again." Bo put his cowboy hat back on and slid down on his chair.
"I'll try. Besides, if ma ever saw you talkin' to a woman like her, she'd take you to the wood shed herself."
"Got that right."
They were there for about a half an hour when Agent Roach walked in. He walked up to the bar and got a beer then sat down next to Bo.
"Bo, some friendly advise. You plan on runnin' 'shine anytime soon. You better watch your tail. Revenuer's watchin' ya."
"Don't know what your talkin' about, Agent Roach." Bo replied as he lite up a cigarette.
"You can call me Fred. Not an agent anymore." Bo looked at him confused.
"Retire?"
"Had no choice. Thing is Bo, agents are tired of playin' games with you Dukes. They're following you."
"Is that so?"
"They think you have a still by Pike's Lake. Can't locate it of course." Luke looked over at Bo alittle worried about what Fred was saying.
"Once again, don't know what you're talkin' about." Bo replied as he flicked the ashes off of his cigarette.
"Cut the bull crap, Bo. We all know you Dukes have been makin' 'shine before there was a federal goverment tellin' you that you couldn't. Anyway, they're keeping a close tab on everyone. Even followed the two youngins' when they went fishin' the other night."
"You keep them boys out of this! You hear me?" Luke grabbed Bo's forearm before he could move.
"Bo, don't!"
"Best listen to him, son." Fred told him as he took a sip of his beer.
Bo looked at Fred for several seconds before he turned to Luke and whispered, "I'm fine."
"Why you tellin' us this?"
"Well, Luke. I'll tell ya why. I was forced out with only 6 months left, lost most of my retirement. Hell, if I can't catch ya fair and square, they're not gonna get the bust either." Fred continued to drink his beer as Bo looked at Luke not sure if he should believe him.
"I remember the time I chased two young men through the swamp. Almost caught them when they got stuck and took off running. They split up and one circled around and took the distributor cap off of my car. I ended up walking."
Bo started to laugh as he crushed out his cigarette. "It took me almost 2 hours to get out. I got so turned around in there. Every tree looks the same at night. It took me another hour to get home."
"Did you get your car back?"
"Yeah Luke, I did. Someone drove it out of there and parked it on the side of the road." He grinned and stated. "But you knew that already, didn't ya?" When neither one of them answered, Fred just laughed.
"You two are the best drivers I ever chased. But you be careful, agents aren't gonna play nice with you two anymore."
"We will." Bo replied. Fred looked at his watch and replied. "I best get goin', take care you two." He stood up and continued. "I had a hell of a time chasin' ya. Best part of my job."
"We had a hell of a time as well." Bo put out his hand and Fred shook it.
"Take care Mr. Roach." Fred shook Luke's hand as well. When he left, Bo turned towards Luke and replied.
"Now what do we do?" Luke shrugged his shoulders.
"Hope we get that license before we have to make another run." They finished their beer and made their way to the door, just as Mary-Jo walked in. Bo saw her first, grabbed Luke's arm and pulled him into the kitchen before they could be seen.
"What the hell?"
"Mary-Jo." Bo whispered back to Luke.
"Did she see us?"
"Not sure."
"Boys, you shouldn't be back here." Lou-Ann told them.
"Mary-Jo just walked in." Bo whispered to her.
"Oh, for Pete's sake. Man up and tell her off."
"Easy for you say. Her old man is a sheriff."
"Sheriff of a different county. You know, one you don't live in."
"Don't matter. We still have to drive through his."
"That's easy, Bo. Just don't get caught."
"Thanks for the advise. We'll keep that in mind next time we go out on a run."
"Go out the back door before she sees ya." Bo nodded and Luke replied. "Thanks, hon."
"Just go." She motioned for them to leave. They ran out the back door and headed to the General Lee.
"Good thing you parked the General out of sight. She most likely would have waited by him 'til we came out."
"She would have too. Lets get out of here, Lukas." They got into the General and drove to still site 8 to check on the corn mash for the whiskey. Time escaped the boys and they decided to stay at the little cabin. During the night a bad storm came up unexpectedly. Bo woke up when lightning struck near the cabin. He laid in bed and watched the shadows dance across the walls when the lightning flashed. After several minutes Bo closed his eyes, he suddenly opened them when he thought he saw someone in the cabin with them. He sat up terrified at what he thought he saw. It was a little girl with torn clothes and a dirty face.
"Why did you let me die?" He thought she whispered. "No, you're not real. You can't be, you're dead." "Dead because of you." "No." Bo tried to get out of bed but he got tangled up in the sheets. He fell to the floor, waking up Luke in the process.
"Bo?" Luke looked at him alittle worried when Bo didn't answer him. Instead, he didn't take his eyes off of the girl he could only see. Luke looked over to where Bo was looking. "Bo, she isn't real." Not sure on what to do, Luke knelt down in front of Bo. "Bo, tell her to go towards the light." Bo glanced at him. "Tell her, Bo." Bo looked back at the girl and whispered. "Go to the light. Go on now." She cocked her head to the side. "Go, it's okay." She smiled, turned around and started to walk towards a soft glowing light. She stopped and looked back at Bo. "I forgive you." Bo smiled as she walked into the light. When she was gone, Bo leaned his head back against the wall.
"Bo?" Bo looked at Luke confused. "You okay now?"
"Yeah. I'm okay."
"Is she gone?"
"I think so." Bo grinned and sighed. "Let's go back to sleep, huh?" They went back to bed and quickly fell back to sleep.