Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, but I've been predisposed:) I hope this chapter isn't confusing:) Thanks for the reviews and feedback!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes, and no infringements intended.
BALANCING THE BOOKS
CHAPTER 22
Less than one week before the wedding, Jackie was in the kitchen of the finished house, lining the cabinets with shelf paper. It was one of the last, finishing touches that needed to be completed before the furniture was removed from storage and delivered two days later . Then she, Bo, and Bo Jr. really could move in.
Jackie had been so busy, she hadn't realized that she was alone. People had been coming and going all day, but at that moment, she was all alone. Assuming that the boys had went in search of something, and taken Bo Jr., Jackie wasn't concerned. She was, however, somewhat surprised. She could normally hear a vehicle leaving or approaching, but she hadn't heard a sound. Knowing that she would have heard the General's engine being started, she could only surmise that they either took the quieter SUV or had wandered out back. Shrugging everyone's disappearance off, Jackie stood up to survey what had been done, only to be startled by the man standing just inside the doorway, unannounced.
"What are you doing here?" Jackie asked, not happy with the intrusion.
"Looking for you," the man answered.
"Why? We have no more business together," she spat.
"I told you I'd been looking for you for a long time," he stated.
Taking a step backward, Jackie found herself against the cabinet, unable to retreat any further. Reaching around her for anything she could grab, she tried to move as nonchalantly as possible, but her efforts had not gone unnoticed. In response to her backward step, the man took two forward. Trying to decide what she should say next, Jackie wasn't given the opportunity.
"Do you know how much trouble you caused me?" the man asked her.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jackie tried to claim, though she had her suspicions.
"Surely, you jest," he chuckled, telling her that he didn't believe her.
"Why don't you tell me?" Jackie suggested, trying to buy herself enough time to formulate a plan.
"Well, I can tell you this, quite a bit. You see, you were my ticket to the good life, and having taken most of it in advance, I wasn't happy about having to give it up. Then, like a gift from heaven, you reappeared, giving me the opportunity to get it all back."
Needing the time, but knowing that keeping up a pretense was useless, Jackie tried to keep him talking. "You were the leak, weren't you?"
"One of them. An operation this size has many associates."
"Why would you do something like this?" Jackie asked, not expecting to really get an answer.
"Let's just say I got a better offer than the United States government had ever made me. You know what I'm talking about. Risking our lives everyday for low pay and no glory. It was too good to pass up," he grinned, motioning to his expensive Rolodex watch and leather jacket. "I kept a few things."
"Your partner and Randolph, that was you, too, wasn't it?" Jackie asked, disgusted by her guest.
"They got in the way! Matthews couldn't be bought, no matter how hard I tried, and Randolph wouldn't tell me where you were. I thought that by getting rid of him, the next person in your case could be persuaded."
"But you were wrong again, weren't you," Jackie smugly said.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"That story about those kids shooting Bo being an accident was all a load of crap, wasn't it?"
"No, Special Agent Johnson, that was true, and quite coincidental, but I didn't know that at the time. I assumed someone else had gotten the contract, since my ambush failed at the hotel. That's why I wasn't worried about the ballistics report. Imagine how surprised I was when I read the results," he sneered. "It's too bad, too. Because of that accident, it put you on alert and confirmed my partner's suspicions." As Jackie raised her eyebrows in question, the man continued. "Yes, he was a good agent, had good instincts. He'd been worried that you might be targeted, so after your boyfriend got shot, he talked our superiors into taking you into protective custody. If it weren't for those stupid kids, I would have been able to have done away with you and no one would have been the wiser. Funny that we staged your death with a leap off that cliff. That's exactly what I had been thinking about doing."
"So why didn't you finish the job before the government offered me protection?" Jackie asked, as he began inching closer, raising his gun.
"Couldn't take the chance then. You were too hot. I planned on waiting, finding out where they'd located you, and then making it look like a random accident. Only I and the people who hired me would have been the wiser."
"And, who was it that hired you?" Jackie asked, still trying to buy any extra minutes she could.
"Special Agent, you know exactly who hired me, Juan Pedro Rodriguez. Only the most powerful drug lord in South America."
"I don't even work for the government anymore," Jackie tried to reason. "I pose no threat to him or his organization, so why don't you get out while you still can," Jackie suggested.
"Tisk, tisk, tisk. You know how touchy these drug lords are. They like to send messages that they're not to be crossed." the man told her. "Besides, I need something to get back into his good graces with. I couldn't believe it when you called. Now I can make everything right."
As he started raising the gun, voices from outside filtered through the open windows and doors. Jackie's entire body flooded with panic. She could hear Bo and Luke talking, and by the sounds of their voices, they were getting closer. Knowing that Bo Jr. was with them, she feared what would happen if they made it inside.
"Hmm! I guess this is bonus day. For all the trouble you've caused me, I think I'll exact my own kind of justice. Which blonde do you want to watch die first? You fiancee or your son?" he asked, as he slowly turned toward the open door, pointing the gun in their direction.
Not about to let him hurt either of her fellas, or Luke, Jackie knew she had to act. "Connors!" she yelled, reaching on the counter for the knife she had been trying to get. Once she had it in hand, she brought up her leg. As she kicked, Agent Connors' arm was propelled upward. Losing control of the gun, his finger tightened on the trigger, firing a shot into the ceiling before it fell to the floor. Seeing where it landed, Jackie ran in that direction, wanting to get to it before he did.
Seeing that Jackie Johnson was closer to the weapon, increasing her chances of reaching it first, Agent Connors knew that his only course of action was to stop her. Grabbing her hair, he pulled her down. In the fall, she lost the knife, and they began to fight. Only a little over arm's length away, they were both trying to retrieve the gun, while preventing the other from doing the same. Jackie punched the FBI agent in the face, which he returned, showing that he had no bias toward the opposite sex.
Outside, Luke pulled Bo and Bo Jr. down, not knowing what was going on. They heard Jackie call out the agent's name, and were following the struggle. Bo shoved Bo Jr. into Luke's arms. "Jackie needs help. You take Bo Jr. and get out of here!"
"Bo, I can't let you go in there," Luke protested, wrapping himself around the boy as tightly as he could, his shirt muffling the child's cries.
"You protect my son, Luke! Please!" Bo begged. Not waiting for an answer, Bo took off. Keeping low, he moved as quickly as he could to the door.
Luke didn't know what to do. Bo was already gone, and he wanted nothing more than to go help his cousin. Yet, in his arms, was Bo's child. If he followed Bo, there was a chance that the boy could be hurt, or killed. Luke knew that if he let that happen, Jackie or Bo would never forgive him. However, he wasn't prepared to simply take off and leave them to fend for themselves. Positioning himself so that he could get to the woods behind the house with Bo Jr., if he had to, he decided to wait and see if it became necessary, praying that it wouldn't.
Inside the house, the struggle was still going on. Finally delivering a blow to Agent Connor's midsection with her knee, and another right hook to his jaw, he let go of Jackie long enough for her to reach the weapon on the floor. With gun in hand, Connors grabbed Jackie's leg, flipping her over onto her back. Looking up at him, Jackie watched as he moved toward her, trying to tear the gun out of her hand.
Bo had just reached the door and opened it. "Jackie!" he called, stopping when another shot rang out. "Jackie!" he cried, running to where the two were on the floor.
Agent Connors had fallen forward, landing on top of Jackie. Shot, but not killed, she was preparing to shoot him again as his hands wrapped themselves around her neck. Knowing that she had to pull the trigger again, probably delivering a fatal shot, Jackie Johnson found herself in the situation she'd always feared most; having to take the life of another, no matter whose life that might be. Hearing Bo's voice, knowing that he was inside, and that Luke and Bo Jr. were probably close by, she was amazed to find that the decision wasn't as difficult as she'd thought it would be. She didn't relish killing someone, but knowing that not taking that action could cost her someone she loved, the choice wasn't hard. Praying for forgiveness as her finger tightened, she suddenly felt Agent Connors' weight lifting off of her. Standing above them both was Bo Duke.
Once Bo lifted up Agent Connors, he slammed him back down to the floor, landing next to him. On his knees, the blonde pulled the man up by his shirt. Not caring that he had already been shot, Bo began delivering punch after punch. "Nobody messes with my family," the blonde cried. After a short time, Agent Connors' face was bloodier than his bullet wound.
"Bo!" Jackie cried, reaching out to stop him, though deep down, she didn't really want to. She wanted to see Bo land in jail for murder even less, though. Knowing that the FBI Agent was only getting a fraction of what he deserved, she also knew the law. She was in possession of the gun, and he was already incapacitated enough to have removed all of the imminent danger. If there'd been any way that Bo could have claimed self-defense or defense of others and gotten away with it, she would have simply pulled up a chair and enjoyed the show, but that explanation wouldn't tread water. She and Bo had already been robbed of enough time; Jackie didn't want to have to take Bo Jr. to visit his father in prison. "Bo!" she cried again.
The door opened at that minute, and Luke stepped inside carrying Bo Jr. "Bo!" he also joined in. "Bo stop! The Calvary is here!" Luke yelled, still holding the boy. Bo stopped long enough to look at his cousin. "Bo, the FBI or other feds are pulling up with cars with government plates. Stop. You don't want to do this."
"Yes, I do," Bo growled.
"No, Bo! You don't. We had to postpone one wedding. I don't want to have to do that again," Jackie added.
Looking from Luke to Jackie, Bo suddenly noticed all the blood on Jackie's shirt. Compliments of Agent Connors' gunshot wound, Bo didn't realize that "Jackie!" he exclaimed. Throwing the man back to the ground, Bo stood up and made his way to his fiancee. "Jackie, are you alright?" he asked, starting to inspect her.
"I'm fine," she assured him, only too happy to let him hold her as she tried to calm herself.
Within minutes, the house was overrun by local and federal law enforcement officials. Telling Rosco and Enos to stay out of the way, the additional FBI agents were already claiming jurisdiction.
"We're sorry. We went to the Duke farm first. I'm Agent Saunders and this is my partner, Agent Andrews."
"How'd you know?" Jackie asked, never leaving Bo's secure hold.
"Before Randolph Charleston was killed, he contacted Connors' superiors. He wanted to know if the FBI had a valid reason for wanting your whereabouts or whether this was his doing," the red headed FBI agent said, nodding in Connors' direction. "Being informed that they had no reason to request your location, Charleston informed them of his suspicions and Connors' request. We've been watching him ever since. We've already located payments that were deposited into his bank account, and other transacations. Unfortunately, even with everything we've had, it wasn't enough to charge him with. We needed to catch him, hoping that we could not only get him, but that in exchange, he might give us Juan Pedro Rodriguez."
"What good with that do? We can't do anything to him, anyway," Jackie concluded.
"In the last three years, a new government has been elected in Costa Rica. They now have an extradition policy with the US that allows us to bring criminals of their country back to the US to stand trial for crimes they can be linked to here in the United States."
"Really?" Jackie asked, her eyes becoming big. She hadn't had time to think that regardless of whether they put Connors away or not, if there was still a contract on her, she and Bo Jr. wouldn't be able to stay in Hazzard. This was the best news she could have hoped for.
"Yes, Special Agent," he said, using the title as a way to show respect, though he knew she was no longer an Agent. "In fact, what Connors didn't know is that he's already in custody, awaiting trial on several other charges. His entire operation has been disbanded, so it really is over."
"Well, you can add Randolph Charleston and Agent Matthews to the list of charges against him," Jackie ground out, pointing to the man still lying on the floor. Seeing their quizzical expressions, she hurried to clarify her statement. "He confessed to me that he killed them, though he didn't give me any details."
"Don't you worry, we'll get it out of him."
"Hey! I need help down here!" Connors groaned. Though he had been shot and beaten, he was still very much alive.
"Don't you worry. We've called for an ambulance. They'll fix you up good so you can begin serving your many life sentences," Agent Andrews assured him. As soon as that was said, they could hear the sirens off in the distance, signaling the arrival of the only ambulance in Hazzard. "And here it comes."
The words filled the agent lying on the floor with an anger he'd never known. He may have been going to prison for the rest of his life, but he swore to exact revenge before he went.
"Ooooooh!" Jackie screamed, falling forward into Bo, who caught her before she fell to the floor.
Startled by the scream, having watched the scenario play out in slow motion, Agent Andrews drew his weapon and fired. The marksman agent hit Connors square in the chest, eliminating his need for an ambulance. Now, it was Jackie who needed one.
A/N – This chapter is for TS Blue – who is just too smart sometimes for her own good! (And mine, too:)