AN: Hi everyone. I'm so happy that ya'll didn't want to kill me over the General Lee. I hate it that he's not orange either but this just goes to show that the General Lee is an awesome car no matter what the color is. Ok, so on with the chapter!

Chapter 9

Jack was the first one to speak up.

"How about Jon and I go with Enos and Cooter tailing us and Clark bringing up the rear. Jon and I'll pull up to the barn and get Perry talking. If thinks start getting hairy, Enos, Cooter and Clark can come in to help us out."

It wasn't an elaborate plan but it sometimes only simple plans are needed. Jonathan looked at his watch and saw that they only had a half an hour to get to the barn. They needed to leave now. With a wish of good luck from Daisy and Diana the men set out. Jonathan and Jack took the lead in the General Lee, while Clark followed in Jack's car and Cooter and Enos drove in the sheriff's patrol car. Enos drove with his headlights off using the moon to guide his way. Clark saw what the sheriff was doing and followed his lead. Enos didn't want to tip it off to Barnum that the Duke boys had company.

The drive was silent and the trees bathed in moonlight gave an eerie look to Hazzard that night for Clark. He knew that in this situation his nerves should be shot by now but oddly enough he was calm. He trusted his father and Jack completely and with the sheriff there as well, Clark felt that the situation would turn out all right.

"Clark pull off," said Jonathan in the CB.

Clark jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. He grabbed blindly for the mic for a minute before locating it. He stamped the button down with his thumb.

"Sure, Dad." He followed his father's orders and pulled on the side of the road right behind Enos' patrol car. . Three sets of eyes watched the taillights of the General Lee glowing in the night toward the barn. Cooter had wanted to rush in with the boys like the old days but he had to stamp down the urge. Now wasn't time to go into the situation without a full plan.

As the General pulled up to the barn, the lights from inside spilled out onto the ground through the open barn doors. The dilapidated old building had long since been abandoned, like a lot of barns residing in Hazzard. Two cars were already parked outside it's entrance. Jack pulled up and they got out of the car slowly. Four henchmen crowded around the men and led them at gunpoint into the building. Perry stood under the bare light bulb looking like the cat that ate the canary.

"Finally the Duke boys have arrived." Jonathan and Jack just looked at Perry with disgust.

"Where's Martha?" demanded Jonathan.

"Oh she's safe. I got her locked up in one of those fishing cabins nearby."

Jonathan didn't have to hear the rush of wind pass by to know his son was already on his way to find Martha. Clark's super hearing was wonderful sometimes.

The night sped by as Clark went cross-country across the county. By the two minute mark he was getting slightly frustrated. He had looked in almost a dozen cabins and had come up empty. The guy said that his mother was nearby. He could have been lying though. Just as he was about to give up and run to back to check on his father, he saw the light from a cabin across the lake spill out onto the dark waters. In his superspeed mode, Clark carefully took his time to make sure he didn't step on anything that would alert the cabin's occupants. If his mother was in there he didn't want the thugs to have any warnings. Finally after what felt like forever, but in reality it was two seconds, Clark finally got a view of the inside. Martha Kent was sitting by a table in the small cabin, tied to her chair and gagged. Boy, did she look mad! A burly man was sitting with his back to Clark, looking like he was trying to do the crossword in the local newspaper. The guy had his mother hostage and didn't look like he had a care in the world!

Using his gifts, Clark quickly broke the lock to the cabin forcing himself inside. The man was just getting to his feet when Clark punched the man solidly on the jaw, sending him sprawling to the floor. Clark quickly ripped the ropes bounding his mother and pulled the gag off as well. Martha Kent just cried her son's name and threw her arms around his neck. Clark hugged his mother tightly knowing that the moment couldn't last long.

"Mom, I'm going to bring you to the Sheriff Strate's house and then go help Dad."

"Help your father? What's going on?" Clark just shook his head, there was no time to explain now. Martha understood but didn't like being kept in the dark. He gathered Martha in his arms and raced off to the farm house.

Thankfully, Diana and Daisy were inside the old house when Clark came up on it. He quickly set Martha on the porch.

"Mom, Mrs. Strate and her daughter, Diana are inside. They are really nice. Mrs. Strate is dad's cousin. I have to go but I promise we'll fill you in later. Love you." Then he was off knowing that Martha would make a good story to fill in why she had suddenly appeared at the farm. Martha watched her son race off in a cloud of dust, worry already settling heavy on her chest.

Clark skidded to a halt beside Jack's car, thankful that Enos had decided to park in front of him. The sheriff and senator was watching the barn intently. From Clark's advantage point, it looked like a heated argument was going on. Perry was red faced but was holding on to a smirk. Jack wasn't happy either and Jonathan had his back toward the front of the barn. Clark guessed that his father wasn't pleased with the way things were going either. Turning his head slightly, Clark turned on his super hearing.

"You damn hicks just had to get your noses into everything! Well now I have your hick wife. But I have to say Jack I got a big payoff from yours. I think she said was that she would gladly pay us to leave her alone then to be brought into any of your stupidity. Man, she didn't care if you lived or died as long as you left her alone. I think we raked in about thirty thousand from her."

Jonathan kept his mouth shut. He knew any outbursts would only anger Perry further. Jack didn't seem to share his restraints.

"You got what you deserved Perry, you self-centered bastard. You think just because daddy is rich no one can touch you. But you got what you deserve and now daddy has too," Jack smirked.

"Don't you dare talk about my father that way!"

Perry reached inside his jacket and pulled his gun out of it's holster. He fired at Jack blindly before either man could react. Jack fell onto his knees clutching his stomach. Jonathan felt his restraints fall down immediately and only thought of getting revenge on the man that hurt his best friend. He lunged at Perry, knocking the gun away in the process. The momentum brought both men to the ground. Perry's fist connected solidly with Jonathan's jaw making the younger man roll onto the ground in a slight daze. Perry got up to take another swing at him when Jonathan kicked him in the stomach. As Perry grabbed his stomach and tried to breath again, Jonathan quickly scanned the barn trying to get an assessment on the situation. It looked like as soon as the fight started Enos, Cooter and Clark had run up, intending to help out. Enos already had the four men that were with Perry at gunpoint. Clark and Cooter were attending to Jack who was laying on the ground, breathing raggedly through the pain. Jonathan noticed the discarded gun and quickly snatched it up, training it on Perry. Perry looked up and saw the barrel looking straight back at him. He sank to his knees knowing that the battle was over and he had lost to the Duke boys again. His only condolence was that maybe with the bullet he put in the bastard, Luke, that the world will have one less damn Duke in the world by sunrise.

AN: Sorry for the shortness of this one. The next chapter actually isn't even fully written yet. I procrastinate too much but I promise that it will be posted in a couple of days. Beware though that there may be more time in-between updates cause of this. College tends to worm it's way into writing time ya know. So I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter and please review.