Luke's Match
A Dukes of Hazard fan fiction
Disclaimer: I own no characters of the Dukes of Hazzard. Only the story is mine.
Chapter Four
A Lesson well learned
That night under the cover of darkness, Luke, Angel and Cooter decided to put Angel's plan into action. The plan consisted of two parts. The first part was the hardest. It would consist of Cooter and Luke taking Boss Hogg 'hostage'.
Borrowing Angel's car, Luke and Cooter drove to Hogg's boarding house. When they pulled up to the expansive house, they didn't worry about being seen, because no one was up around midnight.
"Time to put on our make-up," Cooter laughed.
Luke grinned. It was like being a kid again. The two donned black ski masks that hid everything but their eyes and mouths. Both were wielding water pistols.
They snuck into the boarding house. Everyone knew that Boss Hogg slept with the room that was closer to the main door, because that room was also closer to his personal safe.
Luke placed a hand over Boss's mouth. Instantly, Boss was awake. Luke spoke in a deep voice. "Alright, Hogg. Say anything and we waste you! Nod if you understand me."
Boss's eyes were the size of silver dollars. He nodded furiously.
Luke looked at Cooter. "Grab the sack!"
Cooter handed Luke a burlap sack that, once Boss was on his feet, bound and gagged, was placed over his head.
Luke jammed the water pistol into Boss's back. "Someone has a message for you!"
Cooter and Luke led a tied and gagged Boss Hogg outside and put him into the trunk of the Toyota.
Luke hit the gas of the little Camry and sped back to the family farm.
Wondering why? This is Hazzard. Anyone in Hazzard will tell you that things are done a little different.
A few years ago, after a patch of extremely bad weather, Luke made an addition to the Duke farm. He'd put in a storm shelter that would hold him as well as a few neighbors.
Angel knew about the shelter and would use it to launch the second part of her plan. Scaring Boss Hogg into doing the right thing.
The shelter looked like something right out of a Mafia movie. A table with two chairs, no lights except a lone desk lamp that sat on the table. While in medical school, Angel fell in love with the classic black and white Mob films. She would use this to her advantage.
She heard a knock at the shelter door and knew it was Cooter and Luke. She sat down at the table facing the door. She nearly busted out laughing when she saw what was coming down the stairs. Boss Hogg, in his nightgown, hands handcuffed in front of him, a sack over his head, with Luke and Cooter behind him with their water pistols.
They sat Boss down in the chair opposite Angel. Luke took the sack off of his head. Boss's eyes nearly bulged like a toad frog at the sight of Angel.
She smiled cheerfully. "Good morning, Sunshine!"
Cooter leaned over and removed the gag in Boss's mouth.
"What do you think you're doing, Angel McCormick? Where am I and who are these two?"
"Where you are is none of your concern. These two work for me for the time being. You might say, they're on lone."
"You can't do this! I will crucify you!"
"Want to talk crucifixion, uncle J.D.?" She dropped a file folder onto the table with a thud. "Happy Easter."
"What is that?"
"While I was getting my things from my room at the boarding house, I came across an old book. What a surprise to find out that it was my father's journal."
"So?"
"Well, imagine my surprise when I came across some entries that were very interesting. Entries that talk about you not paying taxes. Bootlegging and selling moonshine in dry counties, using stolen parts to create stills in Southern Georgia. Even a few entries about how, when you first opened the General Store, it was filled with merchandise that sort 'fell off trucks'."
"What are you planning on doing?"
"Technology is an amazing thing. I've made four sets of copies of certain journal entries. One set will be faxed to the IRS. Another to the FBI and a third to the major news studio out of Atlanta. The fourth sits in this file."
"Where is the journal?"
"I buried it."
"I don't believe you. You probably have it hidden at the Duke farm."
"Don't believe then. But know that the state of Georgia goes on for miles."
"You can't do this, Angel."
"Oh I can, and I will. Believe me. I will. You tried to sabotage my future with Luke for your own personal gain. You know I just had a vision. I saw bars with a fat little Hogg wearing prison stripes stamping out license plates. How's that for poetic justice?"
In a shaky voice, Boss asked, "What do I have to do?"
Grinning impishly, Angel replied, "You have to pay."
"Pay? How much?"
"Every penny of that ten grand that Sanderson gave you. You give it back to him."
Did Sanderson hire you?"
Maybe. Maybe not. But while demands are being made, I have a few of my own. Three of them in fact. One, whatever grudge you have against the Duke family, ends tonight. No more trying to arrest Luke and Bo. No threatening to fire Daisy. No more trying to foreclose on their farm. It's time to grow up, Uncle J.D.. If I even so much as smell a plan to up heave their lives, All I have to do is make one phone call. Two, you reinstate Enos as the Sherriff of Hazzard. We'll all rest easy, knowing Enos Strait can't be bought. He's the only hope for honest law enforcement. And finally," she slid an envelope across the table towards him. "This is everything that Daddy left me. Three hundred dollars. The same amount that's owed on the Duke farm. Luke has a letter on his night stand to meet you at the city clerks office in the morning at nine sharp to receive the deed to the farm. It's the least you can do to honor Jesse's memory. I'm sure Poor Aunt Lulu is rolling in her grave due to the stunt you tried to pull."
"What…what do I tell Luke when questions are asked?"
"Tell him it was an anonymous donor."
Luke was fighting tears. He'd been saving to pay off the debt to farm. He'd almost had it when tragedy struck. That was the day Uncle Jesse had died from a heart attack.
"What are you going to do with these letters?"
"Why, Uncle J.D.? Scared?"
Boss slowly nodded his head.
"I'm going to hang onto them in case you decide to step out of line. One word of this meeting to anyone, and I make a phone call and have those letters faxed to their destinations. I don't see any other choice for you. It's either meet these demands, or face prison and/or a hefty fine. So wake up and smell the tax audit! Remember Uncle J.D., Not a word! Before you go, just a question. How does it feel?"
"What do you mean?"
"How does it feel to have the tables turned on you? You have no one, Uncle J.D.. Aunt Lulu is dead. Uncle Roscoe has retired and living Florida. Even Enos left. At the rate you're going, scamming people, stepping on the backs of the good and honest people of Hazzard, even trying to sell your own family member to a complete stranger, you're going to die a lonely old man."
It was then that Angel almost cracked. She'd done well, hiding her true emotions, however what she witnessed almost made her cry. A lone tear fell down Boss's cheek. Angel's words were hitting home. Not the demands, but the fact that he was alone. He let his mind go back to Jesse's death. When Jesse died, he was surrounded by family. Two nephews and a niece that adored him and obeyed him out of love. When the funeral was conducted, the church was packed. So many people whose lives had been impacted by this simple farmer.
Who would be there when he died? Who would mourn him at his funeral. Boss sighed. Indeed. He was alone.
"You win, Angel. I won't fight you anymore. I'll do as you've asked. Just please don't send those letters. I don't want the memories of four good men disgraced."
Luke, standing behind Boss with Cooter, shot Angel a questioning look. Angel simply looked at him and Cooter and said, "Okay, we're finished. You can take him back."
Cooter replaced the gag and the sack on Boss's head. Luke and Cooter drove Boss back to the boarding house.
Angel left the storm shelter and walked into the Duke house. She put on a pot of coffee and sat down at the table. She thought about the change in Boss Hogg. She got up and walked to the fire place. She lit a fire and threw the letters into the fire. She reached underneath the couch where she'd hidden her father's journal and threw it into the fire as well. She knew full well what Boss had meant by that journal disgracing memories.
As the smell of coffee was permeating the house, Angel let her eyes wonder to the barrage of photographs hanging on the wall. Pictures of Bo and Luke standing over their first kill of the bow hunting season. Pictures of them holding a racing trophy standing in front of the General Lee. A photo of Jesse in his younger years, with his beautiful wife. A wedding photo of Enos and Daisy. A family photo of Bo, Jill, and the kids. What caught her eye was next to the photo of Jesse smiling with Luke, Bo, and Daisy. A picture of Jesse and her father. Old friends. Laughing like they didn't have a care in the world.
Angel poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down in the green recliner in the living room.
At that moment, Luke walked in. He knelt down in front of her. He took her hands in his. Angel loved the feel of his hands. Rough and calloused, from years of farming, working on machines, and racing. Luke kissed the palms of her hands.
"What did I do to obtain your love?"
"I should be the one asking that question. Luke, I had my life planned out. And you came into my life like a hurricane. Thank you."
"Let's get married this weekend."
"Say again?"
"Let's not wait till spring. Let's get married this weekend."
"That's a crazy wonderful idea! Only on one condition."
"Which is?"
"We get married here."
"Why not at the church, Angel?"
She pointed at the picture of her father and Jesse. "My father visited this place often before I was born. He and your uncle were the best of friends. This place holds memories for you and your family. As your wife, I'd like to help build on the memories."
He kissed her. "A great idea. Umm, not to veer off course, but why is there a fire going?"
"I burned the letters and the journal."
"Why?"
"Remember when Uncle J.D. said that those journal entries would disgrace the memories of four good men?"
"Yeah. I was going to ask you about that."
"That journal not only implicated Uncle J.D., it also implicated Jesse, your's and Bo's fathers, as well as Daddy. I couldn't let anybody, even the government get a hold of this journal."
"Then the copied entries?"
"A ruse. I never sent any out. Those papers there, were the only copies I made."
"Cooter was right."
"Okay, I don't think the words 'Cooter was right' should be strung in the same sentence. But what was he right about?"
"You. You fit right into the Duke clan."
Angel smiled. "Wow. Look at the time. It would be downright scandalous if someone saw me here. You know the groom isn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding."
"You'll marry me this weekend?"
"You're a smooth talker, Luke, Duke. You've talked me into it."
Luke picked Angel up, twirled her around while giving out a loud, "Yahoo!"
The next morning, Luke walked into the city clerks office.
"Hey, Boss. Got a letter saying to meet you here. What's the problem?"
"No problem, Luke. Someone paid off the debt against your family's farm. Here's the deed."
"Who was it, Boss?""This person wishes to remain anonymous."
"Wow. I hope I get to meet this person and thank them. What made you change your mind, Boss?"
"Oh, you could say it was a change of heart."
As Luke was going out, Enos was coming in. Boss Hogg shook Enos's hand. "Enos, my boy! Congratulations!"
"About what?"
"You! I'm officially making you the new Sherriff of Hazzard county."
"Really! This is going to make Daisy's day!"
"How's that?"
"She may have to take a temporary leave of absence."
"Why?"
Enos leaned over and whispered in Boss's ear. Boss started laughing. "Good reason. Tell her I said to take as much time as she needs."
Boss managed to give Sanderson the ten grand back. He learned that Don, who wayward as he might be, had found true love while on vacation in Memphis.
That evening at the farm, Luke excitedly made the announcement to Bo over the phone that he and Angel were getting married in three day's time. Daisy was excited, because it would mean another wedding to help plan. She walked into the kitchen and asked Luke if she could talk to Bo. Luke handed her the phone. He went to walk back into the living room, but Daisy stopped him.
"Hey Bo, It's Daisy."
"Hey Honey. How's going down there?"
"Oh just great."
Luke was wondering why Daisy had grabbed his hand. Angel noticed and walked into the kitchen. Enos was behind her, a silly grin on his face.
"While I have Luke here and you on the phone, I thought ya'll might like to know that Enos and I are going to be parents in eight months!"
Luke turned and looked at Enos. "Congratulations Enos!" Luke shook his hand.
Everyone in the kitchen heard Bo's joyous "Yahoo!" over the phone.
Later on, after Daisy and Angel had washed and put away supper dishes, and served their men coffee, Enos said. "This day is just sort of weird."
"Oh," Angel asked, seated on the arm of the chair Luke was sitting in, his arm around her waist, "What do you mean, Enos?"
"I mean Boss Hogg. He reinstated me as the new Sherriff of Hazzard and then told Daisy to take all the time she needed. It was like I was talking to whole different Boss Hogg."
"Yeah I know," Luke piped up, stealing a look at Angel, "He gave me the deed to the farm."
Daisy asked, "He did what?"
"He said someone had paid the debt against the farm and gave me the deed."
Daisy asked, "I wonder what's gotten into Boss Hogg?"
Angel looked at Luke, giving him a knowing smile. "Some people tend to have a change of heart. I'd like to think Uncle J.D. is no exception."
With that, the four put their heads together to plan a wonderful Duke wedding.