Howdy Everyone! Well, here goes! This chapter is a little shorter than normal, but it was a good place to break it:) Thanks for all the feedback!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes, and no infringements intended.
BALANCING THE BOOKS
CHAPTER 9
INDECISION
'I am where I belong,' Jackie told herself a few days later. 'This is what I do. It's who I am. Who I want to be,' she added, looking around her office. Speaking to no one but herself, Jackie Johnson was desperately trying to convince herself that her words were true. They had been in the past; she couldn't understand how a few days could change everything. She'd been so sure that removing herself from Bo's proximity and Hazzard county was the answer. Returning to the bustle of the big city, it didn't take long to discover that she wasn't having any easier of a time concentrating in Chicago than she had been in Georgia.
'I am where I belong,' Jackie told herself later that night as she laid on her couch, curled up into a little ball. 'This is my home. These are my things. I've worked so hard for all of this. It's what I've always wanted. This is who I am,' she added, looking around her apartment. Not only was she unable to concentrate at work, she could no longer sleep in her own bed. When she did manage to doze off, images of Bo Duke haunted her. When she woke up, the absence of Bo Duke consumed her.
Jackie wondered why she returned to Chicago when she did. She had found what she'd been sent to locate at the Bank of Hazzard, though the motive behind the discrepancies did not appear to match the original theory. They'd suspected a tie to drug money; what she'd found was a greedy bank president. Yet, in the process, she'd discovered more than she bargained for. She should have closed the case right there; she had the authority, but if she had, she would have been closing the door on Hazzard, and Bo, and that wasn't a portal she was ready to seal.
'I need a vacation,' Jackie told herself. 'Time to clear my head and get this out of my system.' Except for an occasional and rare day off, she had never had one since joining the Treasury Department. She had enough time accumulated, but never had the desire. Having the time and means available, all she needed was the perfect destination. Being a practical girl, she didn't need a travel agent's advice. She could kill two birds with one stone. She needed to return to Hazzard for business; she might as well extend her stay for pleasure.
Less than a week after leaving, two weeks from her original arrival date, Special Agent Jackie Johnson found herself back in Hazzard County. Cruising the same road she'd travelled before, she was ever watchful for flying orange Chargers.
Stopping by the farm first, Jesse Duke welcomed her back, then told told her that she could find his nephews at Cooter's. The youngest Duke wouldn't be the only one glad to see her. Bo hadn't been much fun to be around since she'd left.
Parking in front of the boarding house, where her same room was still on reserve, Jackie walked across the street. As she approached the service station, she could hear the boys inside. Stepping in the doorway, unnoticed, she interrupted the serious discussion they were having about fuel lines.
"Excuse me. I'm having some trouble with my car, and I need a reasonably priced mechanic."
Turning toward the potential customer, all three of the boys were surprised. Recovering from his initial shock, Bo nearly tripped over his feet getting to her. Forgetting that he was covered with oil and grease, he was happy to share his stains. Transferring the marks to her own clothes, Jackie didn't care. She had a shower in her room, and just to conserve water, they could share.
Her room was exactly where they ended up. Practically locking themselves away, they didn't have a clue as to what the future held for them. A week was better than two days, but they needed to solve a puzzle that seemed to be missing pieces. They agreed to wait until Jackie concluded her business with the Bank of Hazzard, which she was scheduled to do bright and early Monday morning.
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"You're back?" Boss Hogg squeaked.
"I told you I would be," Jackie reminded him. "I've completed my review of your records," she began, only to be interrupted.
"And I'm sure that you found everything in order," the County Commissioner tried to persuade her in the sweetest voice he could muster.
"Not exactly," she replied, handing him a piece of paper, which he quickly glanced over.
Jackie Johnson never felt threatened by the likes of J. D. Hogg. He was, however, one of the most annoying people she had ever met in her life. His constant interruptions were wearing on her nerves. Yet, the only thing that was in any type of danger was her mind, and that was the danger that he might drive her right out of it. Sitting back in her chair, while he continued to babble, she could stand it no longer. Leaning forward, the chair landed with a thud, causing him to stop in mid-sentence.
"Mr. Hogg," she said in a voice forceful enough to gain his continued silence, "let me tell you a little bit about what else my job entails. Besides finding discrepanices, it's my job to analyze just exactly how these boo-boos took place. In other words, it's my job to formulate an opinion as to whether or not simple human errors have occurred or whether these errors were done intentionally, and why. Nine out of ten times, I find that I believe they were committed on purpose. Your case is rather unique in the fact that I could make an argument either way. I've chosen to give you the benefit of the doubt. My final report, right now, states that. That report is what the Attorney General uses to decide what course of action to bring against the party or parties involved. Since I am the primary witness in these cases, my recommendation is almost always followed. Are you with me so far?"
Jefferson Davis Hogg gulped and nodded, but continued to remain silent.
"So, this is what's going to happen. Everything will be corrected by tomorrow at five o'clock, period. When the Federal Reserve, the Attorney General, and the Treasury Department finish reviewing this report, you can expect to receive several fines, totalling anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 dollars."
"One hundred thousand dollars!" Boss Hogg exclaimed. "But….but…but,"
"Uh-huh-huh," Jackie said, putting up her finger to silence him. "Every discrepancy carries a penalty with it, and there's enough of them here to warrant that much. In addition, a supervisor will be assigned to you bank to monitor your activities for the next twenty-four months. After that, you can count on an audit annually. Any future oversights will result in additional consequences."
"But….but…..," the man in white continued to protest.
"Should you keep talking and convince me that these were not errors, but rather intentional misappropriations, the fines will go a lot higher. In addition, you will be prosecuted for any number of charges ranging from fraud to embezzlement. Each conviction carries a jail sentence, and right now, there's at least ten potential convictions. You will be removed from this institution, any personal investment you may have in it will be forfeited, and of course, you would be banned from ever holding another similar position, which would be hard to do from prison anyway. Please don't say anything that would convince me that my report is in error, because it hasn't been filed yet and it can be changed. Understand?"
Boss Hogg swallowed convulsively, but nodded.
"Good," she said, "now about fixing..." She never got the chance to finish. They were interrupted by a ruckus taking place in the front of the bank.
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Unaware that anything was out of the ordinary, the people of Hazzard were going about their daily routine. Bo and Luke Duke had arrived moments before. Bo was planning on dropping by the bank to see his love, and Luke wanted Cooter to pop his head under the General's hood. Suddenly, a noise they rarely heard resounded through the town square.
"Was that a gun shot?" Bo asked his cousin.
"Sounded like one," the brunette answered, nodding while trying to determine which direction it came from.
Cooter Davenport had just walked outside to see if he could find the source of the noise, too. "Did ya'll hear that?" he asked.
"Sure did," Luke replied. Before he could ask their friend where he thought it came from, the doors of the bank burst open and two men wearing ski masks ran out. They were carrying bags, which everyone assumed had money in them, and each had a gun in their hand.
Jumping into auto pilot, the Duke boys hopped in the General and took off after the car that was speeding away. If they'd taken a moment to think about the scenario, they probably would have found it odd that Boss Hogg hadn't ran out of the bank screaming that he'd been robbed. They hadn't noticed it, though, so they were none the wiser. Following behind them, Cooter was in his tow truck, and they assumed that Rosco and Enos would be joining the convoy soon.
The boys hadn't made it too far out of town when they heard a call come over the CB that sent chills up and down their spines.
"Breaker, breaker. This is Commissioner J.D. Hogg calling HazzNet Emergency."
"Commissioner Hogg, this is Harvey. What can I do for you?"
"Harvey, we need an ambulance at my bank here in Hazzard. It's an emergency, please hurry."
"Will do, Commissioner. We're on our way. out."
Bo looked at Luke, and without asking or answering, the blonde turned the steering wheel on the General sharply. They'd heard a gun shot coming from inside the bank, and Boss Hogg's call confirmed that someone had been hurt. Someone very special to Bo had been inside that bank, and right that minute, finding out that she was all right was much more important than catching the two men who had done it. That time might come later, but for now, the Duke boys would leave that task in the hands of Rosco and Enos, whom they now heard Boss calling