Chapter 15

At the garage Luke worked on his car in between calls. Luckily there was no major calls and Luke got back from towing in a car driven by an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents who worked under Agent Buchannon. It was still dark but the sky was beginning to lighten up, as Luke was getting out of the wrecker to open the garage door when Agent Buchannon pulled in behind Luke with the other agent in the passenger seat.

"Mornin' Luke." Agent Buchannon greeted.

"Agent Buchannon." Luke replied.

Agent Buchannon used his manners before getting down to business, "How's your Uncle Jesse? I ain't seen much of him lately."

Luke knew the ATF supervisor was just being friendly, but knew he was also fishing for any information that he could get. Luke replied, "You know Uncle Jesse, he's as feisty as ever."

The younger agent looked confused that his supervisor knew people so well in this part of the country.

His surprise didn't go unnoticed by Agent Buchannon nor Luke. Agent Buchannon decided to educate the young man a bit and through in a fresh worm to the young Duke. He spoke slowly letting his normal educated city dialet give way to his true Southern accent, "See Luke there's Uncle Jesse makes some of the finest shine I've ever had the pleasure of tastin', but I just can't seem to find any of his stills and never been able to catch him with a load. I'm figurin' it won't be long before you'll find yourself after Luke there with a full load of Jesse's finest. Ain't that right Luke?"

Luke looked Agent Buchannon in the eye as he replied evenly, "Agent Buchannon I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

"The he- you say. You've followed Jesse to the stills since you could walk." Agent Buchannon said. Deciding that Jesse had taught the young man how to play the 'game' and play it well, he changed the subject, "So what's the damage to this thing?" He tapped the junior agent's car hood.

Luke popped the hood of the car and said, "Well the belt is alright, so I figure the alternator is down on it. I'll have Cooter or Luther check it when they get here and give you a call."

The young agent was reluctant to leave his car here, but if that's where Agent Buchannon wanted it, who was he to object? But he decided, to say, "You can't just ..."

Luke cut him off, "Leave it outside? I hadn't planned on it. I'm gonna lock it up nice and safe right in that bay."

Agent Buchannon gave Luke a smile of appreciation for his professionalism, then looked at the younger agent and asked, "Anything else, son?"

Looking much like a scolded pup, the young agent replied as he headed to the car. "No."

Agent Buchannon said to Luke, "Give my best to everyone."

"I'll do it." Luke replied.

Once Agent Buchannon got in his car and pulled away from the garage, the young agent asked, "Who is 'everyone'? And, if you know them all so well ..."

Agent Buchannon began, "Everyone is Jesse Duke. He is the head of the Duke family and has likely made moonshine since before he could carry the sack of sugar to the stills. You met Luke and you seen he has been taught well by his Uncle. He has a cousin Bo a bit younger than Luke and then there is their cousin Daisy. Now those three may be younger than you but they have lived this life all their lives. You and me work eight maybe twelve hours a day and then go home and forget work. They all live this life put in more time thinking about how to out smart us than we work in a day."

"You said Luke would likely be driving soon?" The younger man asked.

Agent Buchannon smiled, "I pretty much know he's already driving some and possibly his cousin too, thats why I haven't seen Jesse much, plus I'm in the office more than I used to be. I think Luke should be graduating in this year's class. Now he may be driving the wrecker some, but there is more money to be made running the loads and in time Jesse will let him."

Luke did as he said he would, put the agent's car in the garage and closed up the garage doors, before heading up stairs of the garage to try to get a few hours sleep before Luther or Cooter got there.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

As the sun dawned on Hazzard County, the were many a tired teenager and several hung over ones.

At Beverly's house, she had just gotten in and was now creeping up the stairs to her room ever so quietly. She was sure that she hadn't taken a breath since Cooter turned up the driveway. When she reached the top of the stairs, Beverly was glad that she had left her bedroom door open. Once inside, she quickly closed the door and waited nearly a full minute before exhaling the breath she had been holding. Now, all she had to do was get out of her dress, into a gown and in bed before her mother got up and came to check on her.

Just a few minutes later, Cooter arrived at the farm. He managed to coast in close enough to the house to not look like he had coasted up the driveway. He got out of truck and went around the house to his open bedroom window. Cooter had no more than layed down when he heard his father shut the bathroom door. Cooter hoped to not be woken up anytime soon since Luke had agreed to drive the wrecker until he got there.

The Green home found very frustrated Ralph still awake. Not only had he had to pay out a hundred dollars to get his car back on the road, but he was now broke. His plans for finally making Robin 'his' hadn't happened, thanks to her ex-boyfriend. She had not only let Duke help her up the hill but had given him the bottle of liquor that was Ralph's 'ace in the hole' for getting what he had wanted. Ralph had been in a foul mood after having to pay that Duke for pulling his car out of the fix he had managed to get into, but once he found out about the liquor they had argued. Robin had insisted on going home early. Ralph had taken her home. He not only didn't get from her what he wanted, but couldn't even get drunk!

Robin had gotten home not just on time, but quite a bit earlier than her curfew. She had spent the night second guessing many of her choices in the past six months or so. She had known what she wanted since Luke Duke first asked her out. She knew who she should have went to the prom with. Luke surely had never put her over the hill in any vehicle! But when Luke failed to commit to her, she had went out with and went to the prom with the one person whom she knew would get under Luke's skin. She knew what Ralph had wanted from her last night and she knew why she didn't give it to him.

At the Duke farm, thanks to being grounded, Bo and Daisy were neither very tired or at all hung over as they came in for breakfast. After their normal greetings Uncle Jesse asked, "So how was the prom?"

"It was beautiful Uncle Jesse! I just hope when I get to go next year mine will look that good!" Daisy said full of joy.

Bo replied a bit calm, "It was alright. Just remind me NOT to get grounded and have to be home so early next year."

Jesse advised, "Well, if you learned your lesson this year, no one will have to remind you next year. Do you know if Luke was busy last night?"

Bo and Daisy both knew that Jesse had been tuned in and heard every call that Luke went on last night but Bo replied, "We heard about a car that had ran off the road and needed a wrecker behind the school." He took a drink of milk and replied, "Word has it that it was Ralph's car."

Jesse asked, "Anyone hurt?"

"Not that we heard. The car was even drivable." Daisy replied.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Luke was woke up by the sound of the bay doors sliding open. Being Sunday, the garage mainly offered only gas or a wrecker, unless it was an emergency repair made out front of the station. Glancing at the clock, Luke knew he'd only been asleep a couple of hours but grabbed his boots and headed down to the garage to find that Luther was the one openin' this morning. "Mornin' Luther."

"Luke." Luther said as he started a pot of coffee on the counter by the register. He threw a glance at the agents' car, "What's up with this one?"

"I'm pretty sure it is an alternator, but I told Agent Buchannon that you or Cooter would look at it. Needless to say they didn't want it left outside." Luke explained.

Luther nodded as he opened the register to begin his day.

Luke said, "I had a couple other calls. The tickets and the payments are in the drawer."

Luther was surprised to see a tow bill for a hundred dollars which was much higher than a normal bill. He looked at Luke.

Luke shrugged his shoulders and explained, "Cooter was on scene and set the price on that one, not me."

Luther nodded, "Was it that bad?"

"Drivers attitude was." Luke explained.

"That works for me."Luther said as he poured his coffee, "Coffee?"

Luke knew he'd much rather went back to bed, but said, "So where's Cooter this morning?"

"He got in mighty early, or late, this morning. I left him be." Luther said.

Luke asked, "So if we get something, am I still drivin'?"

Luther was pretty sure where this was going, "Go get the doughnuts, and I'll drive if we get anything. You can watch the register and the pumps until Cooter gets here."

Luke nodded his appreciation and headed off to get the doughnuts.

Luther knew that the boys usually dined on doughnuts and beer on Saturday mornings and he knew Luke had never drank and drove his wreckers. he figured if he was cuttin' Cooter a break this morning he may as well extend it to Luke. At least Luther himself hadn't had to drive last night.

Cooter managed to get to the garage by early afternoon to find the wrecker out on a call and Luke messing with his car. "Looks like you are about ready to shoot that thing."

"I've got it about where it was before Ralph tried to put me in the ditch." Luke replied as he took a drink of his beer that was setting on his hood.

Cooter eyed the beer.

Luke grinned, "Doughnuts are on the county."

"Well, alright!" Cooter replied.

"I take it that last night went well after you ended up helping me out?" Luke asked, though he didn't expect details.

Cooter gave him an award winning smile and replied, "You know that it did. I barely made it in before Dad got up."

Luke reached in the car as he asked, "So that means you'll be going out on graduation night?"

Cooter replied, "Already arranged."

Luke handed him the bottle of Jack Daniels, "Well, here's Ralph's contribution to a 'good time'."

Cooter gave Luke a questioning look.

"Remember when I helped Robin up the hill before towing the car?" Luke asked.

"Yelp." Cooter replied.

"She had been put in charge of that. If she left it in the car, ..." Luke was cut off.

"The law would have found it." Cooter finished.

"You got it." Luke replied.

Cooter added, "So she trusted you to get it out of there and keep him out of trouble?"

Luke grinned widely, "Yelp. Which I did."

"Well, alright!" Cooter said grabbing two beers from the refrigerator. "To graduation."

Luke grinned then suddenly remembered the court date the Monday after graduation. "Yeah, well I hope graduation is real good, since I have court the following Monday."

Cooter frowned, "Really? Oh man, that can't be good."

Luke glared and replied as he took a drink of his beer. "Thanks. I needed that!"

"Well, at least if Ralph also has to show, right?" Cooter replied.

Luke replied, "I have no idea when, but yes he will have to at some point."

Cooter laughed not thinking what he was saying, "I hope they get him good."

Luke gave him a look of disbelief then replied, "Cooter, ... if they get him 'good', where does that leave me? I have more charges than he does."

Cooter looked up, confusion showing for only a moment, "Oh."