AN: Ok I think I had a heart attack when I saw some of the folks reviewing. You guys are the writers I read all the time. The gods in my little fanfic world. Wow! Anywho, I want to thank you guys so much for reviewing and just giving me encouragement not to just delete this whole thing. A few of you have commented on Jack a bit. He seems out of character I know but just trust me on this ok? All will be explained. To Nightengale: I met John too. Ain't he the sweetest guy?! I got my pic of him and me on my myspace.

A note for those who haven't seen the Smallville episode "Exposed": I wanted to tell you that Jack Jennings is a senator of Kansas. If you haven't seen "Exposed" I highly recommend it. There is a YouTube video a little bit but it's in Italian..weird I know.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything with Smallville or the Dukes of Hazzard

Chapter 2

Jonathan yawned for what felt like the umpteenth time that night. Jack had insisted driving through the night, wanting to get far enough away from Jonathan's family so they weren't in any danger. Jack always had a special place in his heart the Kent boy and Jonathan's wife. During the car trip the senator insisted that they stop as few times as possible. Jack didn't want to stay in one place long enough for Barnum and his men to catch up and get them. Over the eight hours both had been stuck in the same car, neither man wanted to bring up the subject of most importance. Neither quite wanted to acknowledge that their lives were in mortal danger. The radio was turned on for most of the ride, drowning out the silence but both could still feel its presence.

Jonathan had traded places with Jack an hour back in Illinois. Jonathan looked over at the senator and saw that Jack's eyes were slowly shutting.

"Jack, get some sleep. I'll let ya know when we get near Atlanta." Jack gave it a moment's thought and nodded. He shifted in his seat trying to get comfortable and let his head fall back. It wasn't the most comfortable position to sleep in but anything would do at this point. Jack felt himself about to drift off when his cell phone went off. Both men immediately jumped. Neither realized that all during this time their bodies were tense and ready for action at any given moment. Jack dug through his pocket and gave the cell phone a quick glare for interrupting his sleep. He flicked it open and put it to his ear.

"Senator Jennings speaking," he said formally. Jonathan gave him a small smile knowing that he reserved that voice for only when he had to be a senator.

"Senator Jennings, this is Tom Larings. You asked me to call you when I found something suspicious going on," said a nasally voice in the other end. Tom was one of Jack's most loyal aides during the campaign. He could trust Tom to do anything he asked.

"Yes, I guess you found something?"

"Well sort of, sir. I've been talking to a couple of the other aides and they have mentioned quite a few times that some other senator has been trying to get in contact with them. Something to do with getting information on you, sir. I thought you should know."

"Thanks Tom, I appreciate this. I really do. You should probably go get some sleep."

"Thank you sir. Also, just to point out this could be Senator Kinsey trying to get some dirt on you, sir. I've seen him do it with other political leaders."

Jack thanked him again and shut the phone off. Tom hadn't told him anything Jack didn't already know. He had done a little of his own investigating around his workers and found that a senator that didn't want to be known was snooping around. But Jack didn't think it was Kinsey stirring trouble. He didn't work like that. Usually the victim was pretty well informed of Kinsey's future accusations before he publicized them. No, this guy was going around in the dark and being very careful to cover his tracks.

"What was that all about?"

"Oh just some senator trying to dig up dirt on me," Jack simplified. He didn't want to worry Jonathan yet if this mystery man turned out to have a hand in their blown cover.

Jonathan gave him a uncertain glance but mentally shrugged. He'd never understand politics sometimes. While gazing at the highway before him, Jonathan's thoughts turned to his family back in Smallville. He knew Martha would be worried about the whole thing. Jack had told him earlier the lie that he had made up for Martha's sake. Clark would probably be suspicious at the turn of events but would do as he was told and stay in Smallville, not out looking for his missing father. Jonathan felt terrible at the lie he and Jack had to feed his family but the truth was too big for them to read on a notepad. He cringed knowing that, that conversation was due to arrive soon. He had hoped to put it off for a few more years before sitting his little family down in their house and telling them his actual past. In his mind's eye, Jonathan could see Clark's crushed face as Jonathan told him that what he knew of his father was a total lie fabricated by the FBI.

"Hey Jack, can I use that cell phone in about an hour so I can call my family? Tell them I'm ok."

"Yeah of course."

Both senator and farmer didn't say two words during the entire next hour. Having grown up together and both having their own lives now, one would think they had plenty to talk about. Sadly they didn't, both too intently focused at the dilemma at hand. Jonathan saw the digital numbers of the clock going slowly towards dawn. Everyone was an early riser on a farm, so Jonathan knew for certain Martha would be up. Clark wouldn't be too far behind since it was a school day and he needed to at least do some morning chores. Not that it took long. When the clock finally read 6:30, Jonathan asked for the cell phone. He quickly flipped it open with one hand and dialed the number. It barely rang when Martha's voice came on the line bringing a genuine smile to Jonathan's face.

"Jonathan?"

"Hey sweetie!" Martha could hear the smile in his voice.

"Oh god, Jonathan, I'm so happy to hear your voice. Where are you?"

"Jack and I just got into Tennessee. Don't worry everything's ok. Listen, I can't stay on long. Everything is ok so don't you or Clark worry about me. I'll be home in a few days."

"Are you sure everything's ok Jonathan?" Jonathan just chuckled knowing his wife needed reassurance.

"Yes honey, everything is--" Over the phone Martha could hear a honk of a horn then Jonathan and Jack scream before the line went dead. She just stared at the phone in her hand.

"Yes honey, everything is--" That's when Jonathan saw a red Toyota pull out in front of them. Dropping the phone, he immediately pressed the steering wheel for the horn and slammed on the breaks. Jack's car came to a stop just inches from the bumper of the Toyota. He didn't even realize that he had screamed until his throat started hurting. The red car and Jonathan immediately pulled over to the side of the highway, Jonathan intent of yelling at the reckless driver. Farmer and senator got out of the car and headed over to the Toyota. Jonathan rapped a knuckle on the tinted window. Jack and Jonathan stepped back as the door opened. A young man in a neat blue suit stepped out the car but that wasn't what the men noticed first. It was the gun pointed straight at them.

"Now gentlemen, I believe Mr. Barnum is very anxious to see you both." Jack and Jonathan immediately put their hands in the air.

"Get in the car," said the gunman, ushering them both to the rear seats with his gun. Jack was standing far enough back from the car to see that no one else was inside. Taking this guy out would be easy. Jonathan seemed to sense his thoughts and quickly kicked the gun out of the man's range. Both gunman and Jack dove for it but the Senator was the victor. Jack trained the gun on the man. The man's hands went up into the air when he saw the barrel of the gun being put in his face. Jonathan saw Jack's jaw tightening, obviously holding back rage and the action of killing the man before him.

"Jack.." The senator looked at him and slowly relaxed his grip on the weapon. He didn't even know he had been that angry. When he had held that gun in his hand, facing down one of the henchmen responsible for his imprisonment in a life that wasn't his, Jack could feel all the anger and hurt he had been suppressing the years he had been in hiding. He put the gun down to his side but used his free hand to punch the man sending him sprawling on the ground, unconscious. Jack was just thankful that there wasn't a soul on the highway at this time in the morning. With a silent agreement between the two, both men picked up the henchman and placed him into the back seat of the Toyota. Jonathan took the driver's seat again and just as Jack was about to get in, the senator shot the tires out from under the henchman's car. Jonathan backed up the car and started back on the highway.

"Hey Jack, can ya give me the phone? I gotta call Martha back. She's probably hysterical by now." Jack smiled and reached down by his feet to grab the cell. Jonathan quickly told Martha that a car had just pulled out in front of them. No big deal, no need to worry. After promising to call later and a quick "I love you," he hung up. He quickly moved to address the next issue.

"Jack, about what happened back there…"

"I don't want to talk about it," said Jennings stubbornly.

"We have to sometime. Damn it! Your just as stubborn as you were twenty-three years ago!"

"Well if you want to bring up the past then let's, Bo." Jennings knew he was being childish but he wanted to divert the conversation from himself.

"Stop it Jack. You know we had to give up those names a long time ago." Jonathan missed his old name but knew it was no time to be bringing them up again, at least not until they got back to Hazzard.

Back in Smallville, Clark Kent was not happy in the least. He knew something was wrong with this whole situation. Clark knew that Jonathan wouldn't just take off like that leaving only a note behind. He threw more hay into the cow's stalls as he contemplated this new situation. He knew Senator Jennings all his life. The man was practically an uncle to him and Clark loved him dearly. This made it so hard to stand on the side and do nothing. Having no information on what exactly was going on was frustrating. He didn't want to run into it blind, afraid he could accidentally get his father or Jack hurt in the process. Maybe Chloe could help him out.

Throwing the last bale of hay, Clark quickly walked to the yellow farm house seeking his mother. He found her in the kitchen baking more muffins for the Talon's order. Lana couldn't seem to keep them in supply these days.

"I'm going to see Chloe real quick." The young man usually didn't tell either of his parents where he was going. Smallville was such a tiny town that a few quick phone calls could easily pinpoint him. Plus the Kents parents had finally given in and got him a cell phone. But he didn't want to go anywhere right now without his mother knowing about. It was bad enough not knowing where one Kent was.

"Ok. Have fun." Martha shot a smile at her son quickly before pulling out another tray of muffins. Clark returned the smile and shot out of the house at super speed. He stopped short a block away from the school after making sure no one was around to witness, what to them looked like, a boy appearing out of thin air. He knew he could just phone Chloe with the request but seeing her was more fun. He also hoped that Pete would be hanging out with the Torch's chief editor too. Since school was out for the day, the halls were empty. Splashes of red and yellow covering most of the walls. The voices floating down the halls told him that both of his best friends were in the building as well. By the sound of it, Chloe was using Pete to bounce ideas off of for the Torch's latest edition.

"Hey guys," said Clark stepping into the cramped office.

"Hi Clark," came both replies.

"Chloe, I was wondering if you could do some research for me."

"I take it this isn't the term paper research we are talking about," said Chloe, fingers posed over her keyboard.

"Not hardly," said Clark with a smile, "my dad left with Senator Jennings during the night without telling us where they were going. They seemed to be in a an awful big rush. I was wondering if you could find out anything that's going on that Jack has to take my dad with him."

"Your dad knows Senator Jennings?" asked Chloe already typing into her search engine.

"You don't know? Clark grew up around Jennings. Mr. Kent and the Senator are buddies," chimed in Pete.

Chloe just raised an eyebrow at the information but said nothing as she read the computer screen.

"Well Clark, the senate isn't meeting right now and I can't see anything posted on Senator Jennings website about going anywhere."

"Then why would Jack taken my dad in a hurry if it didn't have anything to do with politics?"

"Well, a lot of politics happen behind the door. Jennings may have something cooking up and just can't come out and say it," said Pete.

"But you still would think that he would have told us."

"Unless there is something dangerous going on that your dad doesn't want you knowing about or Jennings didn't tell him it was dangerous to begin with," said Chloe apprehensively. She hated bringing that idea out in the open.

"Is there anyway you can find out where they are?" Clark could feel himself getting frantic. He couldn't bear the thought of his father being in danger and not knowing it.

"Well I can try to see if your dad or the Senator used one of their credit cards but it may be tomorrow by the time I get a reply."

"That's fine." He wanted something he could track now but that was a childish wish. At least this would be something.

AN: Now it's time to review and tell me what you thought. This was my attempt at some action. Sorry if it stunk. OH! A virtual cookie to anyone who caught the Stargate SG-1 reference. I couldn't help myself.