SMELL OF BURNING TIRES

Enos rolled on his right side.

One week passed since that dispatch: no sign of the bomber after the explosion in Marion County, and Enos hoped that man was moving away from Georgia, and those detectives with him.

He rolled on his left side.

Rick Molise and James Colt: did they suspect the truth behind his beating? What would've happened if he had told them the truth? Would they've done their duty, looking for the culprits inside LAPD, or would they've protected those culprits complying with the Blue Wall of Silence? What's behind those cold eyes? What were they thinking about him when they asked him about the beating? Did they think of him as a rat deserving that beating, no matter who's responsible? Or did they respect him as a colleague injured in the line of duty?

He rolled on his back, staring at the ceiling of his room at the Boarding House.

Catherine Burns: she was spending her days in Hazzard talking to people in order to know everything about him. And Boss would've fired him if, the next day (Boss' ultimatum), he hadn't talked to that woman, giving her the interview she was waiting for.

He tried to empty his mind looking at the red shade on the ceiling as the sun was setting.

He felt surrounded, with no chance to run away whatever he would've chosen and whatever would've happened: if that bomber had come to Hazzard, and those detectives with him, would he have found the strength to talk to them about his beating, telling them what he hid that day in L.A.? And how would they have reacted? Would he have faced, again, the Blue Wall of Silence, being definitively crashed, or would he have found some allies and friends inside LAPD? The silence after that first bomb in Georgia was killing him, torn between the desire to know about another bomb far away and the desire to meet those detectives, solving his doubts, some way or another.

He sat up, unable to remain on his bed, a terrific anxiety catching him.

And what if Boss would've fired him? He wasn't going to talk with that journalist, no matter what: it'd have been painful. And it'd have been unfair to LAPD, a betrayal to his badge, and he couldn't do something like that, no matter if LAPD betrayed him in the worst way.

Next day: it could be his last day as Hazzard Deputy. He tried to take comfort thinking that, just few days before, he was talking about resignation. But, now, how to help his folks and friends in case... just in case...

A rush of nausea overwhelmed him.

All those thoughts and different emotions were killing him, he couldn't survive to that night.

Unless…

"Hi Enos! How are you?" Bo glanced at his family, his surprise to hear Enos' voice at the other side of the receiver turning into worrisome, "are you OK? You sound… strange, buddy."

Bo's worried look was a powerful recall to his family, and Luke, Daisy and uncle Jesse approached him, forming a circle around him.

"Did Boss fire him?" Daisy whispered the obvious question to Bo. They knew about Boss' threat, and they were spending their time to check Catherine Burns' and Enos' moves, trying to understand if Enos was going to talk to that reporter or not, waiting for putting into use their plan in case Boss would've fired Enos or Enos would've decided to surrender to Boss' threats: two different plans, well built and pondered, to face both scenarios.

Bo answered Daisy's question with a brief shrug and shaking his head, "He wants to talk to you."

The receiver passed from Bo's to Daisy's hand, and her cousins and uncle had to wait silently to know what was going on, their questioning eyes on Daisy, the receiver against her ear and her hand's knuckles turning pale as she pressed the receiver.

"Ok! Ok! Enos, I'm comin', don't worry sugar."

"What's goin' on?", "Did Boss fire him?", "Did he decide to talk with that journalist?"

Voices and questions of her cousins and uncle confusedly reached Daisy's ear and mind as she walked to the door and then to her jeep, "I don't know. He asked me to reach him at the Boarding House 'cause he… he doesn't want to stay alone. His thoughts are driving him crazy, but he didn't tell me about these thoughts."

"We come with you, Daisy," Bo walked to the General Lee, "Come on, Luke."

"Bo, stop," uncle Jesse's soft voice surprised his youngest nephew, "Enos asked for Daisy and just for Daisy; if he had wanted to talk to us, he'd have come here," then he turned to her niece, "Daisy, try to understand what's goin' on, and, if you need us, call us and we'll reach you at the Boarding House. OK?"

Daisy nodded, "Ok. Thanks, uncle Jesse," she smiled and she drove away leaving a cloud of dust behind her jeep.

Tomorrow: the day of the interview.

Commissioner J.D. Hogg promised her that interview, and she didn't know how that man could convince Enos Strate.

Lying on her bed, Catherine Burns read her notebook: during the last week she talked with Hazzard's people and she was now ready for the interview.

Nobody told a single bad word about Enos Strate, just affection and respect for him, and it was really surprising, a positive surprise.

And no bad words from Daisy Duke's former flirts (if she had been a writer, Catherine could have written a romance about Daisy Duke's love affairs), another surprise. In effect, Catherine knew the most part of Daisy's crushes were strangers coming to Hazzard and then simply going away, leaving her behind (and probably it wasn't a case she chose that kind of fleeting affairs), except Darcy McCoy, an Hazzard's citizen, Daisy Duke's only former crush Catherine had the chance to talk to.

"Daisy Duke is the dream of many men here in Hazzard, and I had the opportunity to live this dream, for a while, 'til she started to date just Enos Strate. I can't deny I enjoyed my time spent with her, and I was sad when she forgot about me (the same way she forgot about other men, before me). But, everybody knows about Enos' love for Daisy, and it isn't surprising, at the end, she surrendered to his love; in effect, I've always suspected her crushes and flirts were a sort of strange revenge against him, a way to provoke him and to wake him up, 'cause, crush after crush, Daisy ended up to go back to Enos. After all, he's the only man she's dated periodically along her whole life, though, yeah, dating isn't maybe the right word, since they usually act more as close friends than as lovers. Don't misunderstand me, Mrs. Burns, I'm not saying Daisy Duke is a slapper, not at all, I'm just saying that, sometimes, she has a strange way to show her affection, and I think Enos Strate had a GREAT patience, whereas any other man would've probably been annoyed of her push and pull. Or, maybe, Daisy Duke had a great patience with a so shy man... No, he didn't show any sign of jealousy for Daisy's flirts, and I admire him; I'll admit I think he totally deserves Daisy Duke because his love is stronger than everybody else's love, and he waited for her since the third grade, never betraying that love. And now, sorry, Mrs. Burns, but I have to go, otherwise MY WIFE's goin' to be jealous, especially if she knows I'm talking of Daisy Duke."

Catherine Burns read Darcy's words to her questions about Enos Strate and Daisy Duke: yeah, if she hadn't been a crime reporter, she'd have written a good romance, but she had to write an article about police brutality and the Blue Wall of Silence inside LAPD, and Enos Strate's being so honest, incorruptible and loved would've made her article more powerful.

She rested her notebook and her glasses on the night table near her bed.

Jesse Duke, Bo and Luke Duke: beside Daisy Duke she needed to talk to them in order to have a complete picture of Enos Strate, and she decided to talk to them in the morning, before interviewing Enos Strate.

But she felt it wouldn't have been easy.

"Please, Mrs. Burns. Leave Hazzard and don't bother Enos any more. He's doing his best to forget what he faced in L.A., and you're torturing him, recalling him everything. I know it's your job, and I respect your job, but you'd understand your job can hurt people, sometimes."

She recalled Daisy Duke's words and she yawned, turning off the light: probably Dukes didn't want to talk to her, but she was going to have a try.

"What's goin' on, sugar?"

As soon as she entered Enos' room at the Boarding House, Daisy noticed his tight features: his hair were ruffled, his shirt creased, his tie untied and his eyes red. She walked by his side, sitting with him on his bed and waiting for his answer as her heart was going to explode in her chest.

"Tomorrow… tomorrow… if I won't talk to Mrs. Burns, for that… interview… Mr. Hogg'll fire me," his voice a whisper and his breathe heavy as any word cost him a terrific effort.

It was happening, and Daisy had a deep sigh before to grab his hand, squeezing it, "Enos, you don't want to talk to that woman, do you?"

He shook his head, "No. Too… painful," his voice as he was going to vomit.

"Ok, problem solved. You won't goin' to talk to her."

"But… Mr. Hogg'll fire me, and… I don't know what to do if… just in case of… I need to be a deputy… just in case… helping people just in case… it's my job…" he shook again his head, "I'm confused," and he looked down at the floor.

"Enos, look at me, please," Daisy gently put a finger on his chin, turning his face to her and trying to stay calm despite his strange and confused talk, "It isn't the first time Boss fires you, and you've always had your job back, some way or another. And, you know… I think Boss is bluffing. Just think 'bout it: that journalist is talking with people 'bout you, and now everybody knows 'bout your being injured in the line of duty. You're sort of a hero, now, for people. What do you think people'd do if they knew 'bout Boss firing you with no reason? And, if Boss'll fire you, well, everybody'll be by your side and against Boss, and Boss isn't so stupid to do something like that. He knows what consequences it could bring."

A spark of hope appeared in Enos' eyes, "I didn't… I didn't think 'bout it."

Daisy smiled, satisfied by her idea (her family's idea, to be honest), a plan involving Hazzard's people. "No, I don't think Boss'll fire you, otherwise he'll have an hard time. And," Daisy turned serious, her eyes fixed in Enos' ones, "Enos, if you don't want to talk with that journalist, please, don't do it, no matter how Boss is goin' to try to convince you. Don't surrender to his threats. And, remember, Bo, Luke, uncle Jesse and I won't let you surrender to Boss' dirty tricks and threats, some way or another."

"Ok, thanks, Daisy," he looked away, "thanks."

Like an ocean's wave coming to her with all its strength he was now receding, eddying the sand under her feet and leaving her with the feeling she was going to fall face down. His usual push and pull: it drove her crazy.

Daisy held her breath, finally finding the courage to ask him "Enos, what's wrong? There's something wrong with you, I feel it, and it isn't Boss' threat, not only Boss' threat."

She observed him turning again to her, in his eyes a mix of fear and desire of opening up, and she prayed from the bottom of her heart the desire was going to fight the fear, "Talk to me, Enos, please. Tell me what's hurting you. Tell me about that day. I'll be strong for you and after opening up you'll feel better. Stop keeping everything for yourself."

The desire punched the fear, "You know… it's… 'bout that day… that day," but the fear stood up again and it knocked down the desire, "I'm sorry. I don't want to talk 'bout it. Maybe… some day…"

Daisy held her tears as her hand reached his nape, "Oh Enos. I love you so much, sugar, but I don't know how to help you, and it's killing me. I just want to see you happy again. But you won't get over this thing 'til you'll decide to trust me and to talk to me 'bout everything."

Daisy's words froze both fear and desire, waking up his love for her and his need to put his soul in her loving and caring hands, "That… day… you knew what happened from Mrs. Burns… but… there's something journalists don't…"

The windows trembled because of a violent explosion, and Daisy wondered when the storm started: when she left the farm the sun was setting, and it was a sunny day. She didn't remember any cloud in the sky.

She realized something was wrong looking at Enos' face turning pale: it wasn't a thunder, and the smoke's smell entering the room was a wicked manifestation of what's going on in Hazzard's square.

Walking to the origin of that smoke, Enos felt his knees bending.

Sweat's drops rolled along his spine despite the fall fresh evening.

Smoke from tires' burning: a pungent and nauseating smell surrounded him as he walked to the origin of that smoke, Daisy by his side and Hazzard's people coming out their houses to reach that silent and confused procession.

When he saw the dark smoke mixed with flames coming out Cooter's Garage, he perfectly understood what's going on, and that awareness hit him like a violent punch in his stomach, making him bending forward as everything around him became foggy and distant.

When he fell on his knees some tall men reached him, dragging him away from the crowd.