A Race Against Time
by
Chapter 1
Luke Duke grabbed the bag of feed and threw it to Bo who caught it easily and stacked it on the pile sitting just inside the barn door. Luke was a handsome young man with sapphire blue eyes and dark brown hair. He had a lean, muscular build developed from his years of doing manual labor on the farm where he lived with his two cousins and his Uncle. Bo was just as handsome as his older cousin but in a totally different way with his feathered blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He had the same lean muscular build as his cousin with longer legs and a darker tan. When they were finished unloading the feed, they still had to clean out the stalls in the barn, a chore that neither one of them was looking forward to. They knew that it would be suppertime before they finished with their work for the day.
Luke paused to flex the muscles in his back and shoulders, working out the kinks. He glanced towards the house when he heard the back screen door slam and saw his cousin Daisy come out of the house, carrying two glasses of lemonade. Luke sat down on the tailgate of the truck and accepted the cold drink from her gratefully. Bo grinned as he accepted his glass, immediately downing it in one long swallow.
Daisy was the prettiest girl in Hazzard County with long chestnut colored hair; big blue eyes and a figure that would make any man sit up and take notice. She grinned at her cousins as she sat down on the tailgate beside Luke. “You two coming to the Boars Nest tonight?” she asked. The Boars Nest was the local honky-tonk where Daisy worked as a waitress. On any given night of the week most of the good ole boys and good ole girls in the County could be found there just hanging out and having a good time.
“Probably.” Luke said answering for both of them. As the oldest of the three cousins, he was definitely the leader of their little threesome and had the more dominant personality of the two boys. He was more laid back and easy going then Bo, who tended to be more impulsive and outspoken, but both boys shared the volatile Duke temper. The two boys were inseparable; it was unusual to see one without seeing the other one. They shared a unique bond and even though they were cousins by blood, they were closer than most brothers. Sometimes it seemed as if they shared an almost psychic bond, sensing when the other one was in trouble or in danger. They often finished each others sentences or thoughts which could be unnerving sometimes if you weren't used to being around them.
All three of the cousins shared a strong sense of loyalty to the family. To a Duke, family was everything. They didn't have much in the way of material possessions but the love they shared as a family was more valuable and held more dear than anything thing else they owned, except for the land they lived on. The land and the old farmhouse had been in the Duke Family for five generations and it was the only home any of the three cousins had ever known.
Luke had come to live on the farm with Aunt Martha and Uncle Jesse when he was four years old after his parents were killed in a car accident. A short six months later, Bo, who was just a baby at time, had come to the farm after his parents were killed in a fire at their home. For four years, it had been just the two boys. Then when Luke was eight, Daisy had come to live with them. She had been six at the time. Her mother had died when she was born and her father was killed making a moonshine run one dark and stormy night. Daisy had grown up doing everything the boys did. Jesse had taught her to fish, hunt, shoot and drive just like he did the boys. Even though she had been a tomboy (and still was to some degree) Aunt Martha had also taught her all the things a girl should know like how to cook, sew, and take care of a house. But if she had her choice, Daisy had always chosen to hang out with the boys and do whatever they were doing.
As the oldest, Luke had been responsible for caring for and watching out for his two younger cousins. He had never really minded all that much, although as he got older there were times he wished he could just hang out with his friends (who didn't always appreciate Bo hanging around with Luke all the time) When Luke was 14, he sometimes resented having to watch over his ten year old cousin. (Daisy had her own friends by then that she usually hung out with) But as they got older, the boys became more and more inseparable as their bond strengthened and deepened into the unique relationship they shared today.
“Marcy and Janet are gonna be there.” Daisy said with a grin, naming the two girls that the boys had been hanging out with the most lately. All three of the cousins were popular and the boys were considered two of the prime catches in the county by all the single girls (even some of the married ones had their own fantasies about the Duke boys) But Bo and Luke showed no signs of settling down anytime soon. They were having too much fun being free and single.
“Then we'll be there for sure.” Bo said with a grin
“Not if we don't get this work done.” Luke reminded him, calling their break to an end so they could get back to work. Daisy took their glasses and slid off the tailgate, going back into the house while the boys returned to their chores. They played hard when they played but they also worked just as hard as they played. Uncle Jesse tried to give the boys as much free time as possible to enjoy other activities and to have an active social life but he insisted that their work be done first. Keeping a farm running, even smaller farm like the Duke spread, was hard work. There was always something that needed to be done. And the Dukes depended on the farm to provide a living since Bo and Luke had been caught running moonshine and had been put on probation the previous summer.
Making and selling moonshine had been a Duke family tradition for over two hundred years with the secret recipe being passed down from father to son. But when the boys got arrested while making a run, Jesse had swallowed his pride and made a deal with the government not to make or sell any illegal whiskey again as long as the boys could be given probation instead of going to prison for five years. Losing the moonshine trade had seriously depleted the family income forcing them to become more dependent then ever on the family farm to make a living. It had been a hard adjustment for all of them to make but they had made it willingly for the sake of the family. Jesse loved his nephews and his niece as if they were his biological children and to them, he was the only father that any of them could remember.
Luke and Bo finished unloading the truck and then started on the stalls. They had already stripped off their shirts while they were unloading the truck and their skin glistened with sweat as they worked side by side cleaning out the stalls. They were just finishing up with the distasteful job when Daisy yelled out the back door to tell them that supper was ready. They put the shovels and wheelbarrow away and grabbed their shirts, heading into the house.
Uncle Jesse was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee. He was in his early sixties with a head full of white hair and a full white beard. His face was deeply lined and weather beaten but his blue eyes still sparkled with life and spirit. He was the patriarch of the Duke Clan. His word was law and always obeyed, out of love and respect mostly but always obeyed just the same. And even though the three cousins were all adults, they still listened to Jesse and followed his rules.
“You two go wash up before supper.” Jesse ordered gruffly as the boys came in from outside.
“Yes, sir.” They said automatically, as they walked through the archway into the living room and climbed the stairs to the second floor where the bedrooms and the bathroom were located. With their work done for the day, after supper, it was time to play.
Chapter 2
Early the next morning, Luke went into town to see Cooter Davenport, the owner of the local garage in Hazzard and a close friend of the Duke family. Cooter had ordered some parts for the General Lee from Atlanta and Luke was anxious to see if they had arrived yet. Bo had stayed behind to help Jesse with a mare that was about to foal. The parts hadn't come in yet and so Luke lingered, sharing a beer with his friend before heading back to the farm. As Luke was standing inside the garage talking to Cooter, a late model sedan with Kentucky plates pulled up to the gas pumps outside and honked the horn for service.
“Hey,” Cooter greeted the customer as he strolled out to meet him. Luke stayed in the garage, nursing his beer as he waited for Cooter to wait on his customer. But the sound of the customer greeting Cooter caught Luke's attention. A cold chill ran down his back. He knew that voice. He'd heard it enough time in his nightmares. Luke stepped over to the doors and looked out. The stranger had his back turned to Luke as he talked to Cooter but he still looked familiar. Then he turned around and saw Luke standing there. A slow grin spread across his face but there was coldness in the smile. The stranger's eyes narrowed as he looked at Luke and then he sneered “Well, well, well…..Luke Duke. Imagine running into you again after all these years.”
“What are doing here, Hanson?” Luke asked in a cold unfriendly voice that made Cooter glance at his friend nervously. He could feel the tension in the air between Luke and the stranger.
“Just passing through, old buddy….that's all.” The stranger said, the coldness in his voice matching the coldness in Luke's own voice.
“Then best you keep on passing.” Luke told him pointedly.
Cooter glanced at the stranger and then at Luke, catching the cold deadly look in Luke's eyes and the mocking laughter on the other man's face. “Uh……you two boys know each other?” he asked with a nervous smile, hoping to diffuse the tense situation before it got out of hand.
“You could say that.” The stranger said with a mocking smile in Luke's direction. “We know each other real well. Don't we, Lucas?” With a humorless chuckle, he turned to pay Cooter for his gas. Without looking back, he climbed into his car and drove away.
Cooter slowly walked towards Luke, noting his friend's angry expression and rigid way he was holding himself. “Luke,” he said quietly “You know that guy?”
“Yeah……..his name's Rick Hanson. We in the Marines together.” Luke told him flatly, some of the tension draining from his body now that the other man was gone. “I sent him prison. I never thought I'd see him again.” There was more to the story than that but Luke didn't feel like going into it right now. It was something he had spent years trying forget. Cooter knew better than to push it.
“Well, he didn't exactly look too happy to see you either.” Cooter pointed out as he rejoined Luke inside the garage.
Luke sat his half finished beer down on the battered desk beside him and said, “I gotta get back to the farm. Give me a call when that part comes in for the General.” Under normal circumstances Luke wouldn't have been so rude but the chance meeting with Rick Hanson had unnerved him more than he cared to admit.
“You got it, buddyroo.” Cooter told him, watching as his friend walked over to the General Lee and climbed inside. He started the powerful engine and pulled away with a shrill squeal of the back tires.
Luke tried to keep his thoughts under control as he drove back towards the farm but it wasn't that easy to do. Rick Hanson had murdered Luke's girlfriend when they were in Marines and he had tied to kill Luke too. It had been Luke's testimony that had convicted him and sent him to prison. At the military hearing, he had sworn to get even with Luke someday and had even tried to attack Luke in the courtroom. It had all happened over six years ago but sometimes it seemed like yesterday.
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Her name was Miranda and she was nurse stationed at the same base as Luke and Rick. Luke had gotten involved with her when he was treated at the base hospital for an injury he'd received during a routine training mission. He had fallen in love with her and even thought about asking her to marry him. Rick Hanson had been stationed at the same base and he had been dating Miranda before Luke started seeing her.
When she chose Luke instead of Rick, the other man had been insanely jealous. . When he started stalking Miranda, she had filed a formal complaint against him but it hadn't done much good. It all came to a head one night when he broke into her house and attacked her. He had raped her and beaten her badly. When Luke found out, he had gone after Rick. In the fight that followed, Rick had stabbed Luke three times. Miranda had died from her injuries and Luke had been laid up for almost a month with his injuries. For a long time, Luke had blamed himself for Miranda's death. He was supposed to meet her that night but had gotten tied up on base and didn't get to her house until after Rick had already been there. For months afterwards in his nightmares, Luke had relived finding her battered broken body and holding her in his arms until help arrived.
______________________________
Luke shook his head to clear his mind of the memories that seeing Rick Hanson had caused to resurface. By the time he reached the farm, Luke had managed to get his ragged nerves under some kind of control but he was still tense. He parked the General next to Jesse's pickup and walked into the barn. He found Bo standing beside the stall that held the mare who had been ready to give birth. The mare had finally foaled and Bo was admiring the wobbly legged little chestnut colored filly.
“Hey, did the parts come in?” Bo asked as his older cousin joined him in the barn.
“No, not yet.” Luke said as he reached over the stall door to gently rub his hand across the mare's velvety nose as she gently nuzzled her newborn colt. The colt was already sold to a neighbor as soon as it was old enough to leave its mother's side. “Cooter said he'd call when they came in.”
“You okay?” Bo asked, instantly picking up on Luke's mood. He sensed that something had happened that had upset Luke but he knew that Luke wouldn't tell him about it until he was ready to.
“I'm fine.” Luke said, the tone of his voice making it clear that he didn't want to talk about it so Bo wisely decided to let it drop. The two boys spent a few more minutes admiring the colt, then turned and left the barn. They spent the rest of the morning mending a fence in the back forty and then returned to the house shortly after noon for lunch. Doing the physical labor of mending the fence had allowed Luke to work out some of the tension he still felt from his unexpected encounter that morning in town.
Chapter 3
Luke and Bo were at the Boars Nest relaxing and having a beer after a long hard day working in the fields with Uncle Jesse. It had been three days since Luke's encounter with Rick Hanson and he had almost forgotten about it until he saw the other man come into the Boars Nest.
Bo immediately noticed when Luke's eyes narrowed and his body tensed up but he didn't know what had caused his cousin to react that way. He glanced towards the entrance and saw the stranger that had come into the bar and was making his way through the crowd towards the bar. Glancing at his cousin, Bo saw that Luke's eyes were following the other man's every move.
“You know him?” Bo asked quietly, shifting his own attention back to the stranger.
“Yeah….” Luke said flatly “Only he was supposed to have left town.” Luke didn't elaborate on how he knew the other man and Bo knew not to ask. It wasn't hard to pick up on Luke's obvious hostility towards the stranger. The other man had made his way to the bar and had ordered a drink from Jamie, the part time bartender who was on duty. Daisy was working too but she was taking orders from the customers sitting at the tables scattered around the room.
Luke watched as Daisy walked over to the bar to pick up an order. He saw Rick say something to her, then grab her wrist. That was all it took. Luke bounced to his feet and pushed his way through the crowd to get to Daisy's side. Glaring at Rick coldly, he hissed “Get your hand off my cousin!”
“Your cousin, huh?” Rick said with a mocking smile at Luke and a leer at Daisy. “Well, what do ya know about that? Is she one of the reasons you were so anxious to come home, Lucas?' He released Daisy's wrist and locked eyes with Luke. “You getting yourself some of that?” he sneered as he deliberately baited Luke. Luke slammed his fist into Rick's jaw, knocking him backwards against the bar. Customers standing close to the two men instantly made room, anticipating the fight that was about to happen.
Rick straightened up and lunged at Luke, tackling him around the waist and knocking him backwards over a nearby table. Bo had followed Luke knowing there was going to be trouble. He grabbed Daisy and pulled her aside as Luke and the other man began fighting in earnest. They stood there watching as the two men threw punches at one another, fast quick punches at whatever vulnerable spot they could reach. Bo didn't interfere. This was Luke's fight and he wouldn't get into it unless Luke was hurt or someone else in the bar tried to interfere.
The men were evenly matched in weight and size and just as equally matched in their fighting skills. And they were both out for blood. The crowd was yelling and rooting for Luke. They had seen the Duke boys in bar room brawls before and they knew that they usually won.
“Bo, what's going on?” Daisy asked in a worried voice as she watched Rick give Luke a vicious punch to the stomach that sent him to the floor. Rick instantly pounced on top of him and starting punching Luke in the face. “Who is that guy?”
“I don't know.” Bo told her, as Luke managed to wiggle out from underneath Rick and retaliate with a hard left to his ribs. “But whoever he is Luke knows him.” The fight was getting more intense as both men continued punching and throwing each other around the room.
Suddenly a gunshot sounded and Rosco, along with Enos and Cletus pushed their way through the crowd. Rosco reached down to grab Luke who was on top of Rick, punching him relentlessly. But Luke was too angry to notice and refused to stop the fight.
“CLETUS, ENOS!” Rosco yelled over the noise of the crowd “GIVE ME A HAND!”
Cletus stepped forward and between the two of them they managed to drag Luke off of Rick and to his feet, while Enos grabbed Rick's arm and pulled him to his feet. Luke struggled against Rosco and Cletus and tried to get back at Rick to continue the fight while Rick stood passively beside Enos with a smug smile on his face.
“You settle down right now, Luke Duke!” Rosco ordered, taking out his cuffs and jerking Luke's arms behind his back. He snapped the bracelets in place on Luke's wrists. Only then did Luke finally stop struggling. Enos meanwhile had cuffed Rick too. Both men were breathing heavily and glaring at one another with pure hatred in their eyes. They both had bloody mouths and noses from their fight and Luke had a deep gash on his right cheekbone. “Alright you two…” Rosco said angrily “You're both going to jail!”
“Rosco,” Daisy cried out coming to Luke's defense “This guy started it by grabbing me!”
“Don't care!” Rosco snapped impatiently “They're both going to jail!”
Bo glanced at Luke startled at the cold rage he still saw burning in his cousin's eyes. Whatever his problem was with the stranger, it went deeper than him just grabbing Daisy. Luke lowered his eyes, staring at the floor as Rosco grabbed his arm and led him out of the bar. Enos followed with the stranger.
With the excitement of the fight over, the crowd returned to their drinking and private conversations. “I better go home and tell Uncle Jesse what happened.” Bo told Daisy, who nodded her head absently. She had three hours left before she got off. She had to get back to work.
Bo left the Boars Nest and climbed into the General heading for the farm. It wasn't that late and he knew that Jesse would still be up. He generally didn't go to bed until after the eleven o'clock news. Bo knew that Jesse wouldn't be happy about Luke getting arrested for a bar fight but he would understand when he found out that Daisy was involved. Bo didn't intend to tell Jesse that Luke hadn't been happy when he saw the stranger come in and that Bo knew he was just looking for an excuse to fight.
Bo pulled up in the barnyard and took a deep breath before getting out of the General Lee and going into the house. As he suspected, Jesse was sitting in his favorite chair watching the news. He glanced up as Bo came into the house alone and said,
“You boys are home early.”
“Yes, sir.” Bo said “But Luke ain't with me. He's in jail.”
“What?” Jesse said sharply “What did he do now?”
“He got into a fight at the Boars Nest with this guy that tried to grab Daisy.”
“Did the other guy get arrested too or just Luke?”
“Rosco arrested both of them.”
“Who was Luke fighting with?”
“I don't know. I never saw him before.”
“Well, we can't do nothing to get him out until morning.” Jesse said “So you best get on to bed.” He added under his breath “I don't know what gets into you boys sometimes.”
Jesse went into town as early as possible the next morning and posted a hundred dollar bond to get Luke out of jail. Hanson had already bailed himself out. Although Jesse questioned Luke about the fight on the way home, Luke refused to talk about. His face bore mute evidence to the fight he'd been in. Rosco had called Doc Applebee to take a look at him after he was taken to the jail and Doc had put 6 stitches in the gash in his cheek. He also had a couple of scratches and a black eye. There were other bruises and scratches on his arms and his knuckles were scraped and swollen from the fight. Finally, Jesse dropped the subject but not until after he gave Luke a lecture on getting into a bar room brawl.
When they got back to the farm, Luke went upstairs to his room to change clothes and take a shower. He grabbed a clean shirt and a pair of jeans and went into the bathroom. He turned on the shower, setting the water temperature as hot as he could comfortably tolerate. As he stripped off his clothes, he examined the bruises and scrapes on his chest and stomach. Luke winced as he gently ran his fingers along a nasty bruise on his right side. He had to admit that Hanson had gotten in some good punches but Luke knew he'd gotten in quite a few good punches of his own. He hoped Hanson felt as sore and stiff as he did. He stepped into the shower and let the water run over his body, soothing his sore aching muscles.
When he was dressed again, he went downstairs and went outside to help Bo finish the chores. Bo glanced up as he came into the barn and gave his cousin a thin smile. “I hope the other guy looks worse than you do this morning.” Bo told him
“I wouldn't know….he bailed out before I did.” Luke said offhandedly.
“Who was that guy?”
“Just a guy I knew in the Marines.” Luke said without elaborating. “His name is Rick Hanson.”
“I take it you two weren't exactly friends.”
“Not exactly. I sent him to prison”
“Is he here because of you?” Bo asked in a worried voice, glancing at his cousin with his concern mirrored in his eyes.
“He said he was just passing through.”
“Did you tell Uncle Jesse?”
“No, I didn't want to worry him”
“Is this guy dangerous?”
“He swore to get me someday” Luke said with a thin smile, keeping his voice light and unconcerned “Tried to go after me in the courtroom when they found him guilty.”
“I don't like the sounds of that. Maybe you should tell Rosco about it.”
“Yeah, right….Rosco ain't do anything.” Luke looked at his younger cousin and smiled “Don't worry about it. I can handle him if I have to.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I'm sure.” Luke said with more confidence than he actually felt but he wasn't about to tell Bo that. The fact that Hanson was still in Hazzard worried him. He had a feeling that he was up to something. “I don't think he's stupid enough to try anything. He knows he'd be the first one they'd suspect if anything happened to me and I don't think he wants to go back to prison.” Luke avoided Bo's eyes. He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince. Bo or himself.
“I still think you should tell Uncle Jesse.”
“No.” Luke said firmly “And I don't want you to say anything to him either.”
Bo knew that there was no use arguing about it. When Luke made his mind up about something, he could be as stubborn as a Missouri mule about it. The boys continued with their chores without any more conversation about Rick Hanson but Bo was worried. This Hanson guy sounded like bad news and he couldn't shake the feeling that Luke could be in danger as long as he was around. Bo swore to himself not to let his cousin out of his sight as long as this Hanson guy was hanging around Hazzard.
Chapter 4
Luke pulled the length of fence tight and held it in place while Bo nailed it to the post. They had been working on the fence line all morning and they were both tired and ready to take a break. It was already in the low nineties and it wasn't even ten o'clock in the morning. They had shed their shirts shortly after they started working and sweat glistened on their skin. Bo stopped and wiped his arm across his forehead. Grinning at Luke, he said
“How about going swimming this afternoon?”
“Sounds like a good idea to me if we get this fence done in time.”
“How about taking a break? I really need something cold to drink.”
Luke nodded and the two of them walked over to the pickup. They sat on the edge of the tailgate and pulled two cold cokes out of the cooler sitting in the back of the truck. Bo rummaged around inside the cooler looking for something to eat. Luke smiled fondly. Typical Bo always thinking about his stomach. Bo grinned when he found the ham sandwiches that Daisy had packed with him in mind. He offered one to Luke who shook his head, declining the offer. Luke leaned back on his forearms, relaxing, while Bo enjoyed his mid morning snack.
It had been three days since the fight at the Boars Nest and Luke hadn't seen any more of Rick Hanson. Hopefully, he had left Hazzard. After their short break, the boys returned to the job at hand and worked steadily until they finished it shortly after noon . They loaded their tools back into the truck and drove back to the house for lunch.
Since Jesse didn't have any more chores for them to do that afternoon, the boys took off after lunch, heading for the hidden pond in the woods to go skinny dipping. Since the pond was on Duke property, they knew they didn't have to worry about anyone disturbing them. They stripped off their clothes and jumped into the water, gasping and spluttering as they surfaced, momentarily stunned by the chill of the water. It felt good after working in the hot sun all morning.
For two hours, they splashed and played, dunking each other and diving under the water to attack each other unexpectedly. Finally, they climbed out of the water and sat on the bank to let the sun dry them off before getting dressed. Once they dressed, they decided to head over to the Boars Nest for a beer. Ten minutes later, Bo pulled into the parking lot and the two boys climbed out of the car, heading inside.
“Hey, y'all.” Daisy greeted them as they walked up to the bar. She poured two mugs of beer and sat the glasses on the bar in front of them. Noticing that their hair was still damp, she grinned and said “You two been swimming?”
“Sure have.” Bo replied with a grin
“Hey, would one of ya do me a favor?”
“What do ya need?” Luke asked, taking a swallow of his watered down beer.
“There's a new case of glasses in the back of Dixie . Would one of ya bring it in for me?” Daisy asked sweetly
“I'll get it.” Luke volunteered good naturedly. He went back outside and walked around to the back of the building where Daisy was parked. As he leaned over to lift the boxes of glasses out of the back of the jeep, he heard a footstep behind him. He straightened up and started to turn around. As he did, something heavy slammed into the side of his face. Blackness clouded his mind and he collapsed , the box of glasses falling to the ground beside him with the sound of shattering glass.
“Let's get him in the truck and get out of here.” The two men picked up Luke's unconscious body and threw him into the back of a black pickup, throwing a tarp over his body to conceal him. They climbed into the cab and sped away from the Boar's Nest.
Inside the bar, Bo and Daisy were laughing and talking. It was almost fifteen minutes before Daisy realized that Luke hadn't returned with the case of glasses she had asked him to get out of the jeep.
“I wonder what's taking Luke so long to get those glasses?” she said
“I don't know.” Bo said “Guess we better check on him.”
Daisy led the way through Boss Hogg's private office to the back door and opened it. As soon as they stepped outside, the first thing they noticed was the box lying on the ground beside Dixie and no sign of Luke.
“What happened? Where's Luke?” Daisy asked anxiously, looking around for her cousin.
Bo knelt down, examining the ground around the rear of Dixie . He saw three distinct sets of footprints and some scuff marks. “I'm gonna call Rosco.” He said bouncing to his feet “It looks like somebody grabbed Luke.”
“Why would somebody grab Luke?” Daisy asked in a startled voice, as she hurried followed her youngest cousin back inside.
“Ya remember that guy Luke got into a fight with the other night?” Bo said, as he grabbed the phone in Boss Hogg's office to call the sheriff.
“What's he got to do with this?” Daisy asked in a puzzled voice
“He's some guy Luke knew in the Marines. Apparently Luke sent him to prison.”
“You think he grabbed Luke?”
“I'd say he's the best suspect we got.” Bo dialed the police station and got hold of Enos. Quickly, he told Enos what had happened and Enos told him that he would be there as soon as he could. Bo went back outside to wait for Enos, while Daisy went back to work behind the bar.
Enos showed up ten minutes later. He went inside the bar and spoke to Daisy first.
“What happened, Daisy?” he asked anxiously “Bo said Luke's missing”
“Oh, Enos….the boys came in a little while ago and I asked Luke to get a box of glasses out of Dixie for me. When he didn't come back in right away, Bo and I went outside to see what was keeping him.” Daisy explained, as she came out from behind the bar and led Enos through the office and outside to where Dixie was parked. “We found the box of glasses on the ground and no sign of Luke.”
“That's right,” Bo said hearing Daisy's comment to Enos as they came out of the bar. “And you can see right here where there's three sets of footprints in the dirt. I think whoever else was here grabbed Luke.” Enos knelt down beside Bo and examined the footprints in the dirt and the scuff marks.
“Looks like you're right, Bo.” He said, straightening up. “Now who'd wanna grab Luke?”
“That guy he got into a fight with the other night.” Bo said “He's some guy Luke knew from the Marines. He said that he sent him to prison and the guy swore to get even someday.”
“Possum on a gum bush.” Enos said “Do you know his name?”
“Hanson.” Bo said “Rick Hanson.”
“I'll put an A.P.B. out on this Hanson fella and one on Luke too.” Enos said “Don't y'all worry none…we'll find Luke.”
“Thank you, Enos.” Daisy said gratefully
“Yeah, thanks buddy.” Bo said in a relieved voice. “I just hope we find him before this Hanson guy does anything to him.”
“I'll be in touch as soon as I find anything out.” Enos promised
“I better go tell Uncle Jesse what happened.” Bo said somberly.
“Call me if you hear anything.” Daisy told him in a worried voice
“Don't you worry none, Daisy…” Enos told her with a smile “I swear I'll find Luke before he gets hurt.”
“I know ya will, Enos.” Daisy told him with a smile With nothing more they could do at the moment, Bo left to go home and tell Uncle Jesse what had happened, Daisy went back inside the bar to go back to work and Enos left to go back to the police station to put out the A.P.B. on Rick Hanson and on Luke.
Chapter 5
Jesse was in the barnyard feeding a baby pig when Bo pulled into the barnyard. He glanced up as Bo climbed out of the General and walked towards him.
“Where'd Luke get to?” he asked
“Uncle Jesse, I think this guy named Hanson grabbed Luke while we were at the Boar's Nest.”
“What do ya mean grabbed Luke?” Jesse demanded, his eyes narrowing as he looked at his youngest nephew sharply.
“Daisy asked Luke to get a box out of Dixie for her….when he didn't come back we went out to see what was keeping him and he was nowhere to be seen. But there were footprints on the ground beside Dixie and it looked like there'd been some kind fight or something.” Bo explained
“Who the devil is this Hanson fella that you think took him?”
“His name is Rick Hanson and he was in the Marines with Luke. Apparently Luke had something to do with sending him to prison. He's the one Luke got into a fight with at the Boars Nest the other night.”
“What?” Jesse bellowed “And neither one of you boys thought that was important enough to tell me?”
“I wanted to tell ya but Luke didn't wanna worry ya.” Bo said defensively
“So now all I have to worry about is that Luke is missing and this guy could be behind it!” Jesse snapped “I should take a switch to both of you for keeping something like that from me!” He took a deep breath to calm down and get his temper in check. “Did you call Rosco?”
“Yes, sir. Enos said he'd put an A.P.B. out on this Hanson character and Luke too.” Bo told him “He promised to give us a call if he hears anything.”
“Well we can't just sit around here doing nothing….we gotta try and find Luke.” Jesse said in a determined voice as he put down the baby pig and shoved himself to his feet. Jesse went into the house and got on the CB alerting all their friends and neighbors about the situation with Luke and asking them to be on the look out for the oldest Duke boy.
Just as he got off the CB, Enos pulled up and climbed out of his car, hurrying to the back door and knocking loudly. As Jesse opened the door, the young deputy stepped inside the house and said excitedly,
“I just got the report back on Rick Hanson and if he's got Luke than Luke could be in a whole lot of trouble.”
“Why?” Bo asked anxiously “What did you find out?”
“Rick Hanson escaped from a maximum security prison in Kentucky two months ago and he killed two guards in the escape.” Enos told them “And his cellmate told the warden that all Hanson ever did was talk about how he was gonna find Luke someday and get even with him for sending him to prison,”
“Then we better Luke real soon.” Jesse said soberly “Before this Hanson fella kills him.”
“Yes, sir.” Enos said “That's pretty much how I figure it to. But where do we start?”
“This Hanson guy ain't from here so he don't know the area.” Bo said “That should make easier to find him.”
“Not unless he's got some local fella helping him out.” Enos pointed out
“Enos is right….if he's found a local to help him then he could have Luke any place in the county.” Jesse said worriedly
“So maybe we could ask around and see if this Hanson tried to get any locals to help him.” Bo suggested
“That's a good idea, Bo.” Enos said with a grin
“At least it's a place to start.” Jesse agreed
“Uncle Jesse, there's one more thing….” Enos said in a worried voice “In the military, this Hanson worked with a special unit that developed different ways to fight the enemy….including chemical warfare….” He paused to let that information soak in and then added “He's a trained killer in more ways than one….” The three men exchanged somber looks as they realized just how much danger Luke could actually be in from Rick Hanson. It was imperative that they find him as soon as possible.
Chapter 6
As consciousness slowly returned, the first thing that Luke was aware of was the pounding in his head. Then he became aware that he was tied up and lying on the ground. With some effort, he forced his eyes open, blinking at the sunlight that was glaring in his face. He realized that he was lying on his back and looking at the sun overhead. Instinctively, he tested the ropes that bound his hands and feet. The knots were tied so tightly that the rope was cutting into his skin. Disoriented, he tried to turn his head to look around and try to get his bearings. He saw the tangled vines and heavy underbrush, along with the moss covered trees and realized that he must be in the swamp somewhere.
Suddenly a harsh voice somewhere behind him said, “So you're finally awake. It's about time.”
Luke wasn't that surprised to hear Rick Hanson's voice. He tried to speak but then realized that a hanky had been shoved into his mouth and that a second hanky was tied around his mouth, gagging him. For a moment, he felt a surge of panic but he forced himself to stay calm. He knew that he was in a lot of trouble but if he stayed calm maybe he could figure out a way to get out this before Hanson killed him.
Rick Hanson walked around into Luke's line of vision and grinned at him coldly.
He finally had Luke Duke just where he wanted him and he planned to take advantage of it. He knelt down in front of Luke and snarled “Looks like I'm finally gonna get my revenge….and it do feel good.”
Unable to speak, all Luke could do was glare at the other man with a cold, deadly look in his eyes. Hanson saw the look in his eyes and simply laughed. He knew that Luke would tear him apart with his bare hands if he could get loose but that wasn't about to happen. “You know Lucas, I've had almost seven years to figure just how to get even with you. I thought about just putting a bullet in your head but that would be too easy….for you anyway…and it wouldn't give me much satisfaction either…..cause you wouldn't suffer enough.” He smiled thinly “So I came up with a better idea….I'm sure you'll appreciate the irony of it….” He reached into his pocket and took out hypodermic needle filled with a cloudy liquid that had a faint reddish color to it. He held up the needle for Luke to see, as he slowly pushed the plunger to make a small amount of the liquid squirt out make sure there was no air in the needle. “I'm sure you remember that I helped develop all kinds of little drugs and poisons to help fight the enemy. Well, this is one of my little creations……it's actually a slow acting poison….” He looked back at Luke and grinned coldly “It won't kill ya right away…..it takes about four days…..four days of pure hell filled with nothing by pain….”
Luke felt a surge of fear but refused to let Hanson see that he was afraid. He tried to move away as Hanson reached out towards him but he couldn't move because of the ropes that held him captive. Hanson laughed softly as he sank the needle deep into Luke's shoulder right through the thin material of his shirt and injected the drug into his body. Luke flinched at the sharp sting immediately followed by a deep burning sensation in the muscle.
Hanson rocked back on his heels and tossed the needle away into the brush. He looked back at Luke and grinned “I figure it'll take ya a couple of hours to get yourself out of those ropes….and then you can wander around here in the swamp trying to find your way out until the poison kills ya.” He stood up and kicked Luke in the ribs viciously. “By the time you get loose…if you do get loose….I'll be long gone.”
Luke doubled over, gasping for air and trying desperately to catch his breath.
He saw Hanson turn to walk away as another man came out of the underbrush and joined him. As the other man turned around and grinned back at Luke coldly, Luke saw with a sudden tightness in his gut that it was Ernie Ledbetter. Luke and Ernie had bad blood between them that went back to when they were kids but Luke had never thought that Ernie hated him enough to help Hanson kill him. It must have been Ernie's idea to dump Luke out here in the swamp. He knew that without a marked trail to follow, Luke wouldn't be able to find his way out in time to save his own life. He could wander around for days, hopelessly lost unless he was lucky enough to stumble across some landmark that would help him get his bearings.
As Ernie and Hanson disappeared from sight, Luke started struggling with the ropes that help him prisoner. Before long, his wrists were chafed raw and he could feel blood dripping down his arms. Finally, he managed to get his fingers on the leather case that held his knife. It took several long minutes of fumbling but he finally managed to pull his buck knife out of the pouch. It took several more long minutes of fumbling around before he managed to flip the knife open. Carefully, he began cutting through the ropes that held his wrists together. Finally, his hands were free and he quickly cut loose the rope around his ankles and then pulled the gag out of his mouth.
Exhausted by his efforts to free himself, he fell back on the ground panting heavily. Luke lay there for a few minutes catching his breath and resting momentarily but he knew he couldn't rest for long, he needed to get moving. He didn't know what had been in the needle Hanson had given him but he had to get moving while he could still function normally before he started feeling the effects of whatever he had been given. He had to try and find his way out of the swamp somehow but he knew that would be next to impossible without a marked trail to follow. All he could hope for was to find some familiar landmark that he could use to figure just where he was in the swamp. One thing for sure, he didn't want to die here.
Slowly he raised himself to a sitting position, wincing at the pounding in his head. Reaching up his hand, he touched the right side of his face which seemed be where the worst of the pounding was coming from. He flinched as his fingertips touched his cheekbone. The gash from the fight at the Boars Nest was split back open and the entire right side of his face was swollen and throbbing with pain. Then he remembered getting hit with something as he was getting the box out of Dixie for Daisy. Whatever he'd been hit with, they obviously hit him on the right side of his face. Even though it hurt like hell, he didn't think anything was broken.
He shoved himself to his feet, swaying unsteadily on his feet for a moment. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep steadying breath. Glancing up at the sun to at least get some sense of direction, he started walking towards the east. He tried to keep up a steady pace but that was hard to do with the heavy underbrush, tangled vines and other hidden obstacles in his way. He had to keep a sharp eye out and watch each step he took. Not only did he have to worry about the snakes and other wildlife that lived in the swamp, he also had to be careful of quicksand, hidden roots, and the roughness of the terrain.
Within two hours, he was worn out and had to rest for awhile. He was also thirsty but he knew it was too dangerous to drink the swamp water. It could be contaminated with anything. He would have to wait and hope that he stumbled across one of the hidden streams that ran randomly through the area. He knew he could live for several days without food but he couldn't last long without water.
It was early evening when he started to feel the first effects of whatever Hanson had injected him with. He started to get lightheaded and dizzy and then a wave of nausea overwhelmed him. He fell to his knees and started retching violently but since he hadn't eaten since that morning, there was nothing in his stomach to bring up. Still he retched unable to stop. Finally, the spell passed and he collapsed on the ground, shaking and weak. He knew he couldn't go on. It would be too easy to get lost in the dark and he was too weak from retching anyway. He curled up there on the ground and tried to sleep.
Chapter 7
Luke spent a miserable night. Besides being cold, hungry and thirsty, he kept getting nauseous and had two more spells of violent retching that left him weak and shaking afterwards. When the sun finally came up, Luke carefully shoved himself up off of the ground. He was sore and stiff but at least for the moment, the nausea had passed. But he had a feeling it wasn't gone for long. Slowly he started walking, still heading east.
He'd been walking for about fifteen minutes when he came across the small stream. Throwing himself to the ground on his stomach, he cupped his hands and drank thirstily. He regretted it immediately as the nausea returned along with the violent retching. When the spell finally passed, he splashed some of the water from the steam on his face and tried to calm down. Cautiously, he cupped his hand and sipped some more water. Luckily, this time it decided to stay down.
It was several minutes before he could force himself back to his feet to continue walking. He had to stop and rest more frequently because of the continuing nausea and violent retching that accompanied it. During one of this breaks, he let his mind wander and found himself suddenly thinking about the local urban legend about the Swamp Witch. An entity that supposedly inhabited this swamp.
According to the legend, the swamp witch was the ghost of a Cherokee Squaw who had lived in this swamp over one hundred and twenty five years ago. When the United States Government rounded up the Cherokees in the area and forced them to leave their land, she was among the others of her tribe forced to go on the trail of tears. The trail of tears was so named because it was a forced march from this part of the county to a reservation in Oklahoma . Along the way over 3000 thousand Indians died, thus the name the trail of tears. One of the dead was the squaw was this swamp. The legend went on to say that her spirit returned her to her home in the swamp.
And that though the years, the swamp witch had helped people who got lost or hurt in this swamp. She would either show them the way out of the swamp or stay with them and nurse them, keeping them alive using the old Indian ways, until help arrived. And whenever she helped someone, she always left behind a Cherokee Rose to prove that she had been there.
The Cherokee rose was the state flower for the state of Georgia and the legend of the Cherokee Rose was connected with the story of the trail of tears. The legend of the rose said that the chiefs of the seven tribes that were forced to go on the march prayed for a sign to lift the squaw's spirits and give them the strength to care for their children along the way. And from that day forward, a beautiful new flower grew wherever a mother's tear fell to the ground along the trail. A Cherokee Rose. The rose became the symbol of their suffering. The white petals on the rose represented the mothers tears, the gold in the center of the rose stood for the gold taken from the Cherokee land, and the seven leaves on each stem represented the seven Cherokee tribes that were forced on the march.
Luke smiled thinly. He wished the Swamp Witch was more than just a local legend he could sure use her help right now. Two years ago, Luke had been kidnapped and held in this swamp too by the father of a girl he'd been seeing who had committed suicide. The father and his two sons had tortured Luke and left him in the swamp to die. Luckily, a search party had found him in time to save his life. But Luke didn't think he'd be so lucky this time. Wearily, he stood up and pushed on.
As the day wore on and the sun got hotter, he was forced to stop more frequently just to keep from getting overheated. He had enough problems without adding heat stroke to them. The nausea was almost constant now but at least he was only retching about every twenty minutes or so. The muscles in his stomach were sore from trying to bring up something when there was nothing in his system to bring up. And the pounding in his head had increased to a steady throb, almost like a migraine. He knew that his symptoms were all a result of whatever poison Hanson had given him. And Luke knew that it was only going to get worse, much worse.
He found some wild berries and ate a few. He knew he would probably throw them back up again but he had to eat something. With his frequent stops to rest or to be sick, he didn't get very far that day. As night started to fall, he gathered up some loose brush and used his lighter to start a small fire. Besides keeping the animals away, it would also help to keep him warm, not that he expected to get any sleep that night. Although the night air wasn't that cold, he was having cold chills and feeling sicker by the minute.
Chapter 8
By morning, Luke knew that he was starting to run a fever and if possible, the nausea was even worse than before. And so was the retching. And then the cramps started, sharp gut twisting cramps that doubled him over with their intensity. He had to force himself to start walking. He wanted nothing more than to just curl up into a fetal position and pray that the pain went away. But he had to keep moving for as long as he could and he didn't think that was going to be much longer. Dizzy and light headed, he stumbled more than walked through the underbrush.
Suddenly, he felt himself falling. He threw out his arms to try and break his fall and then he realized with a sudden surge of panic that he had stumbled into quicksand. He tried to stay calm Luke knew that if he struggled, the quicksand would just suck him down that much quicker. He tried yelling for help but his voice was too weak to carry and he knew that nobody would hear him anyway. He didn't want to die, especially like this but he knew there was no way he could out. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable as he felt the quicksand slowly sucking him in.
“GRAB HOLD!” a woman's voice suddenly yelled, startling Luke. His eyes flew open and he saw a woman about his age standing back from the edge of the quicksand. She threw a rope towards him and it landed just within his reach. Weakly, Luke grabbed hold of the rope and held on to keep from sinking any lower. The girl quickly wrapped the other end of the rope around a large Cyprus tree and knotted it to keep it from slipping. Using one foot to brace herself against the tree and keeping hold of the other end of the rope, she yelled “PULL YOURSELF OUT!”
Luke used the last of his strength to pull himself loose from the quicksand's deadly suction and slowly pulled himself towards solid ground. It was a slow painful process but finally he managed to pull himself back onto the grass. Exhausted, he collapsed with his eyes closed and breathing heavily as he waited for the frantic pounding of his heart to slow back to normal.
He opened his eyes when he felt a gentle tender touch on his cheek. He found himself looking into the face of the woman who had just saved his life, at least temporarily. She had a deep golden tan, dark brown eyes fringed with thick dark lashes and golden brown hair that hung half way down her back in soft curls. She was casually dressed in faded jeans and a plaid shirt with the tails tied in a knot just under her breasts.
“Are you okay?” she asked in a rich sultry voice with a deep southern drawl similar to his own.
“No…” Luke managed to say “Sick…poisoned….”
“Poisoned?” the young woman exclaimed in a surprised voice. “Can you stand up?”
“I don't….know….give me a….minute.” Luke gasped, still exhausted from dragging himself out of the quicksand pit. The girl knelt beside him, waiting patiently for him to regain what little strength he could summon from deep within himself.
“I can take you back to my place.” The girl told him “Then try to get ya some help. But I can't carry you….you're gonna have to stand up and you're gonna have to ride. Do you think you can do that?”
“I'm….not sure…” Luke admitted “But I'll…try….”
The girl slipped her arm through his and slowly helped Luke to get to his feet. He stumbled and leaned against her heavily but somehow he managed to stay on his feet. As his vision cleared, he saw the chestnut horse standing nearby grazing on some of the wild grass. The girl led him over to the horse and helped him to lean against the horse's hind quarters, as she put her foot in the stirrup and swung herself into the saddle. Reaching down, she held out her hand. Luke grabbed her arm and with her help, pulled himself up behind her straddling the horse's broad rump.
“Hold on.” She ordered. Luke wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned against her back with his aching head resting against her shoulder. As she gently kicked her heels into the horse's flank, Luke felt the horse starting to move and closed his eyes as the gentle swaying of the horse's gait made him nauseous again. He fought to keep from retching as they moved through the swamp. He had lost all sense of time. He wasn't sure how long it was before he felt the horse stop moving.
“We're here…” the girl said quietly “You need to get down first.”
Luke more or less slid off the horse's back, falling to his knees on the ground beside the animal. The girl quickly slid down off the saddle and took his arm, gently helping him back to his feet. Fighting the blackness that kept clouding his mind, Luke let the girl lead him into the small cabin hidden away in a small clearing somewhere deep in the swamp.
Inside the house, she walked him over to a small sofa and helped him to lie down.
“You're burning up.” She said softly “I'll be right back.” She left Luke's side and returned shortly with a basin of warm soapy water and a couple of towels. Sitting down on the edge of the couch beside him, she said “I hope you're not the shy type…but we need to get you out of those clothes…you're a mess.”
Under different circumstances Luke might have objected but at the moment he was too weak and tired to argue. The girl gently unbuttoned his shirt and helped him to sit up just long enough for her to slip it off his body. Gently, she washed off his face, the warm water feeling cool on his burning skin. Next, she gently washed off his hands, arms and shoulders, and then his chest and back. Her touch was so tender and gentle that Luke felt safe in her hands. She dried him off and then stood up so she could pull off his boots, his socks and his jeans. To salvage at least some of his dignity, she left on his boxer shorts. She gently finished washing and drying his body. Then she carried the basin back into the bathroom to empty it.
She returned to Luke's side and gently covered him with a light afghan. She also had some bandages and some kind of salve with her. She rubbed the salve on the marks left on his wrists from the ropes and wrapped them loosely with gauze. Luke watched her as she worked and found himself wondering who she was. Finally, she spoke
“You said you were poisoned…do you know what you were poisoned with?”
“No…..some kind of shot…..” Luke told her in a weak barely audible voice.
“So it wasn't an accident…someone gave you something?” Luke could only nod his head, too tired to explain. “And you don't know what it was?”
Luke shook his head “No…..”
“What are your symptoms?”
“Nausea….vomiting…bad cramps…headache…fever….weak…” Luke said trying hard to concentrate on what she was asking but it was getting harder and harder to pay attention to what she was saying.
“I'll be right back.” She said leaving his side again. Luke closed his eyes and tried to take slow easy breathes. He knew that he was getting weaker and sicker. He had almost dozed off when the girl sat back down beside him. Gently slipping an arm behind his shoulders, she helped him sit up slightly and said “Drink this.” She held a glass to his lips so that he could drink.
Thinking it was water Luke took a sip and immediately regretted it as he started to gag at the tart bitter taste. The girl waited until he stopped gagging and then said, “I know it tastes terrible but you need to drink it. Trust me….it'll help make you feel better.”
“What the hell is it?”
“An old Indian remedy for poisoning….” She told him “I know it probably sounds crazy to you but it will help. Now drink it….all of it.” Luke managed to choke down whatever was in the glass. He gagged but managed to keep it down. The girl smiled at him as she sat the glass down on the floor beside the sofa. “You should start to feel a little better soon. It will help with the nausea, the vomiting and the cramps. It should help with the headache too…..”
“What's your name?” Luke asked suddenly remembering his manners. “My name's Luke…… Luke Duke….” He was grateful to her for saving his life at least once already but he didn't think she could do it again.
The girl hesitated as if she wasn't going to answer at first, then she smiled and said “It's Selena. Selena Drew.” Luke smiled faintly then closed his eyes and slept.
Chapter 9
When she was sure that Luke was sleeping peacefully, Selena left his side and went into the tiny kitchen. In one corner was a CB. Picking up the mike, she keyed it and said “Breaker, breaker for the Hazzard Net. I'm looking for Jesse Duke….You out there?” She released the button and waited patiently. A few minutes later, Jesse's voice came over the radio.
“This is Jesse Duke. Who is this?'
“The Cherokee Rose.” Selena said using the name that she knew Jesse would recognize “I found a young man in the swamp….he says his name is Luke.”
“Is he alright?” Jesse's anxious voice asked
“No…he needs to get to a hospital. He says he's been poisoned….and he's not in very good shape.”
“I'm on my way……”
“Do you remember how to get here?”
“It's been awhile….but I'll find ya.” Jesse told her firmly
“I'll take care of him until you get here.” Selena hung the mike back on the bracket and slowly stood up. She walked back over to Luke's side and gently sat down on the sofa beside him. She smiled faintly as she looked down at Luke's face. This was the second time she'd been in the right place at the right time. She gently pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, he was still awfully hot and he was restless, moaning softly in his sleep as he slowly moved his head back and forth in his sleep. The medicine she had given him earlier should keep him asleep for a couple of hours. From the looks of it, he needed the rest.
Back at the Duke farm, Bo and Daisy looked at Jesse anxiously as he hung up the CB. They had heard the transmission from the woman who called herself the Cherokee Rose and it was obvious that whoever she was, Uncle Jesse knew her and knew where to find her. “Uncle Jesse, who was that?” Daisy asked anxiously as Jesse hung up the mike and grabbed his hat off the hook beside the back door.
“A friend.” Jesse said told her as he pulled open the back door “Come on, we have to get to the swamp.”
“The swamp?” Bo asked in a surprised voice as he followed Jesse out the door “Is that where Luke is?”
“We ain't got time to jaw about it….I'll explain on the way.” Jesse said as the three of them hurried outside “We need to take the jeep. We gotta go through some rough terrain to get to her cabin….”
They climbed into the jeep with Bo behind the wheel. As they pulled out of the drive way, Daisy looked at her Uncle with a puzzled look on her face and said “Uncle Jesse, who is this Cherokee Rose?”
Jesse seemed to be considering how best to answer her question. Finally he said simply “Some people call her the swamp witch….”
“The swamp witch?” Bo exclaimed in a startled voice “But that ain't nothing but a local legend…..she don't exist…”
“Every legend has some basis in truth…” Jesse said “She helped to save Luke's life before and it looks like she's aiming to do it again…..”
“Before?” Bo asked confused and puzzled. Suddenly, he looked at his Uncle in dismay. “You mean when Cyrus and his boys took Luke up into the swamp and tried to kill him?”
Jesse nodded somberly. “She found him back then and kept him alive till we found him. She's also the one who marked the trail so we could find him…….”
“Uncle Jesse….are you saying that she really is the swamp witch?” Daisy asked in a disbelieving voice “How can that be? That legend is over a hundred years old….”
“Let's just say that she's one of the swamp witches….there have been others over the years….her mother, her grandmother, her great grandmother…..” Jesse explained
“But how do you know who she is and how to find her?” Bo asked still trying to put the pieces together and figure out what was going on.
“I knew her father a long time ago….almost forty years to be exact” Jesse said “I gave my word that I'd never reveal their secret to anyone…..and I never did….until now.”
“Can she really help Luke until we get there?” Daisy asked in a worried voice, her concern for her oldest cousin clearly showing in her voice.
“If anybody can, she can….she knows all the old Indian ways….ways that have been long forgotten by most people in these parts……” Jesse turned his attention to the road ahead. “It's gonna take a couple of hours at least to get to where Luke is….it's pretty deep in the swamp.” As they got closer to where Hazzard Swamp began, Jesse started giving Bo detailed directions on how to find his way through the swamp on a partially concealed dirt road.
Jesse was right. It was a long treacherous drive through the swamp to get to the hidden clearing where Selena's cabin was located. It was almost three hours after her call to Jesse on the CB before Bo finally pulled up in front of the cabin and the Dukes jumped out of the jeep, hurrying towards the front door. As Jesse stepped onto the porch, Selena opened the door and ushered them inside.
Both Bo and Daisy looked at the young woman curiously as they went inside. Bo immediately noticed how pretty she was and Daisy noticed the slight bronze cast to her skin and the high cheekbones that spoke of an Indian heritage somewhere in her blood line. Jesse hurried over to the sofa where Luke still lay sleeping.
“The medicine I gave him will make him sleep. I gave him some more just before you got here….it'll be easier to move him that way….” Selena said quietly
“You'll need to come with us to the hospital.” Jesse told her, waiting for her to argue with him. He knew that she seldom left the swamp “So you can tell the doctors what you gave him….”
“I know” she said surprising Jesse as she readily agreed to come with them “And I will.”
Bo stepped forward and gently gathered Luke into his arms, easily supporting his cousin's weight. Luke moaned softly but didn't awaken. His head leaned against Bo's shoulder and Bo could feel the heat coming from his fever ravished body. Gently, he carried Luke outside to the jeep with everyone else following behind. Daisy and Selena climbed into the back seat first and Bo gently settled Luke down into their laps. Daisy sat with Luke's head in her lap, while Selena sat in the opposite corner with his legs resting across her knees. As they drove away, Jesse remembered his manners and said, “Selena Drew….this is my nephew, Bo and my niece, Daisy.”
“Nice to meet you both.” Selena said quietly
“Pleasure to meet you too…” Bo said, glancing at her through the rear view mirror with one of his trademark grins.
“Same here.” Daisy told her with a warm smile.
“How did you find Luke, Selena?” Jesse asked glancing in the back seat at the young woman.
“I was checking some traps lines not far from my cabin….I saw him fall into some quicksand and I pulled him out. I didn't realize who he was until I got him back to my place. Then when he told me his name……I knew there had some connection to you.” She explained “After I cleaned him up and gave him some medicine to help with the symptoms he was describing….I called you on the CB to tell you where to find him.”
“What kind of symptoms was he having?” Bo asked anxiously, fear and worry for Luke giving a sharp edge to his voice.
“Severe nausea, vomiting, bad cramps, headache, weak, light headed….It sounds like a poison that affects the central nervous system….” Selena told them
“What kind of medicine did you give him?” Daisy asked
“An old Indian remedy for poisoning….besides making him sleep and helping to relieve the symptoms…..it also helps draw the poison out of his system.”
“How do you know it'll work with whatever Luke was given?” Bo asked
“I don't….but it can't hurt him…and it will keep him alive long enough to get him to a hospital. If I hadn't given it to him, he would probably be dead by now. He was dying when I found him….”
“I'm sorry….” Bo said apologetically realizing that maybe he had spoken out of turn “I'm just worried, ya know?”
“I know.” Selena said with a faint smile. “But he's young and he's strong….he should be alright.”
Chapter 10
It took almost three hours to get back out of the swamp and then another thirty minutes to get the nearest hospital which was in Capital City . Once they were on the open road, Bo put the petal to metal and made up for lost time. From time to time, Jesse glanced in the back seat to check on Luke but he remained sleeping. At least Jesse hoped he was just sleeping. Selena was watching Luke too, checking his breathing and his face for any signs of distress or labored breathing.
Finally Bo pulled up in front of the entrance to the emergency room at the Tri County Hospital . Jesse climbed out of the jeep and hurried inside to get help. A few minutes later, two orderlies came rushing out pushing a gurney in front of them. They gently lifted Luke out of the back seat and laid him on the gurney, quickly disappearing back into the emergency entrance. By the time the three Duke and Selena followed, they were disappearing through another set of swinging doors with the gurney.
A nurse stepped forward and gently stopped any of them from following. “Please have a seat in the waiting room.” She said “A doctor will be out to talk to you as soon as possible.” With no other choice, they found seats in the waiting room and sat down, all but Bo who started pacing impatiently back and forth.
As they waited for news, Daisy decided to try and get to know Selena a little better just to pass time and to keep her from worrying so much about Luke.
“So how long have you lived in the swamp?” Daisy asked
“All my life. I was born there.” Selena told her
“How did you learn all the old Indian ways?”
“My mother was full blooded Cherokee.”
“I didn't know there were any Cherokees left in these parts.”
“There have always been Cherokees hidden away in the swamp. Not all of them were forced on the trail of tears….people just thought they were.”
“So I guess that's how the legend of the swamp witch got started.”
“I guess…” Selena said with a faint smile and an offhanded shrug of her shoulders. “You know how it is with legends….one thing leads to another and things get added to embellish the story…It makes it sound better in the retelling.”
“You helped Luke before, didn't you?” Daisy asked needing to hear for herself that this girl really was the swamp witch.
“Yes….but we didn't have a chance to get introduced that time….”
“They never caught the men that hurt him ......” Daisy said her eyes clouding as she thought about Cyrus and his sons and how badly they had hurt Luke, leaving him to die.
“Sometimes the swamp has its own form of justice.” Selena said quietly “It's easy to get lost in there…especially if you can't find your trail to get back out…..”
“Is that what happened to Cyrus and his sons?” Daisy asked softly
“The swamp is a dangerous place.” Selena said offhandedly “And I can't always be there to show people who get lost the way out….”
“I guess sometimes people deserve to get lost in there.” Daisy agreed with a faint smile.
“Sometimes.” Selena agreed . A silent look of mute understanding passed between the two women. Silently Daisy promised to keep the secrets of the swamp witch that Selena had chosen to share with her.
They glanced up as the doors that opened into the emergency room opened and Doc Applebee came into the waiting room. He walked across the room to the Dukes, who all looked up at him anxiously.
“Jesse, Bo, Daisy…” he said, looking at Selena curiously. He knew everyone in Hazzard but he knew he had never seen her before.
“Doc, this is Selena Drew…..” Jesse said noticing Doc eyeing Selena “She helped us find Luke…..in the swamp.” Jesse looked at the doctor solemnly “How's Luke? How's my boy?”
“Right now Luke's in a coma but he's not in any immediate danger. We've ran some blood tests to try and find out exactly what kind of poison he was given…..so we can try and find an antidote. Was he given anything else?”
“I gave him something to make him sleep and to help draw out the poison.” Selena told him
“What did you give him?”
“An old Indian remedy..….mostly natural herbs and roots.”
Suddenly Doc's eyes lit up and he looked at Selena more intently “Are you the one who helped Luke before? The one who made the poultice for the knife wound….”
“Yes….” Selena told him quietly
“I'd really like to talk to you later if you don't mind…” he turned his attention back to Jesse and the matter at hand “We should know more about Luke's condition within the next few hours.”
“Can we see him?” Jesse asked
“Yes, but only for a few minutes. I'll take you to him.”
The three Dukes stood up but Selena remained sitting where she was. Jesse glanced at her “Selena, you should come too….you helped save Luke's life.”
“No.” she said with a smile “It's not my place….this is a time for his family to be with him. I'll wait here.”
Jesse nodded and the three Dukes followed Doc through the swinging doors into the emergency unit of the hospital. He led the way to a private exam room at the far end of a long hallway. Inside, Luke was still lying on the gurney. His eyes were closed and his face was drawn and pale. Bo's eyes immediately went to his cousin's torso, watching for the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.
“Luke,” Jesse said quietly, gently reaching out to take Luke's hand in his own “You're safe now….you're in the hospital and the doctors are gonna take good care of you. You stay with us, now. Ya hear?”
“Yeah, sugar…” Daisy said, bending down to gently kiss his forehead “You're gonna be better real soon, cousin and back home where you belong.”
“Yeah, cuz…you hang in there and don't scare us like that again.” Bo said in a husky voice as he struggled to control his emotions.
All too soon, the nurse quietly told them that they had to leave. They said one final goodbye to Luke, then went back out to the waiting room and rejoined Selena.
“How is he?” She asked as they sat down beside her, all but Bo who continued his restless pacing.
“Still hanging in there.” Jesse said lightly. He was worried about Luke but didn't want to say much in front of Bo and Daisy.
Selena nodded and then glanced at Bo. She looked at Daisy and arched her eyebrow. “Does he always pace like this?”
“Only in hospitals…..Bo hates hospitals.” Daisy told her
“I can't say I like them very much myself.” Selena said
“With these two boys, I think I spend half my time in hospital waiting rooms and the other half bailing them out of jail.” Jesse grumbled good naturedly. Both women chuckled as they tried to relax as they waited for more news on Luke's condition.
Chapter 11
Selena slipped out into the courtyard and sat down on one of the benches. She took a deep breath of fresh air and found herself wishing that she were back in the swamp instead of here. She was safe there, away from the outside world. A world she didn't seem to fit in most of the time. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't hear Jesse come up behind her until he sat down beside her. Noticing him for the first time, she looked at him and smiled faintly.
“I wondered where you got off to.” Jesse said
“I hate hospitals.”
“I don't know very many people who like them.”
“Any news on your nephew?”
“Not yet.”
“I'm sure he'll be alright.”
“If he is, he owes it all to you.”
“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
“You seem to do that a lot.”
“Isn't that what the swamp witch is supposed to do?” she said with a thin smile
“I don't know but you've been at right place at the right time for Luke twice now.”
“I think your nephew needs to stay away from the swamp…..or at least from crazy people that keep trying to dump him there to die.”
“I think Luke would probably agree with you on that one.” Jesse said with a chuckle.
“Have they found the man that tried to poison him?”
“Not yet. We figure he probably left Hazzard already.”
“What if he hasn't?”
“You don't have to worry about that. Luke's not gonna be left alone until he's caught and back in prison where he belongs.” Jesse told her firmly
“Back in prison?”
“Luke sent him to prison when they were in the Marines together. He escaped a couple of months ago and apparently decided to come after Luke.” Jesse explained
“Either your nephew has really bad luck or he's really good at pissing people off.”
“He's a Duke….so it's probably a little bit of both.” Jesse said with a chuckle. He looked at Selena thoughtfully and said quietly “You don't have to stay. I can have Bo or Daisy take you home.”
“No….y'all need to be here right now until you know if Luke is going to be okay. I'm fine. I don't mind staying…..”
“Are you sure? I know you're not comfortable outside of the swamp…”
“I'm sure.” Selena insisted.
“Maybe I best go back in. Are you coming?”
“I'm gonna stay out here for awhile.”
Jesse nodded and shoved himself to his feet, going back into the hospital. In the emergency waiting room, Bo had finally sat down and Daisy was sitting beside him with her head on his shoulder taking a nap. It had been over five hours since Luke had been brought in and they still hadn't heard any more news.
Just as Jesse was sitting down, Doc Applebee came into the waiting room and walked over to where they were sitting. Jesse stood up and looked at the doctor expectantly “How's Luke?” he asked anxiously
“We've isolated the poison and given him an antidote. He should be fine but he's still in a coma and we don't know when he'll wake up.” Doc told him “He's in room 211. We just moved him a few minutes ago.”
“Can we see him?”
“Of course you can. He was lucky….very lucky that you got him here when you did…not to mention that whatever the young lady gave him did help somehow to minimize the effects of the poison. Where is she by the way? I'd really like to talk to her for a few minutes about some of those old remedies.”
“She's out in the courtyard.” Jesse told him “Now if you'll excuse us, Doc…we'd like to go see Luke.”
“Of course. Go ahead.” Doc told them. He turned and walked down the hall to try and find Selena while the Dukes walked in the opposite direction to go and see Luke. The Dukes found Luke's room and went inside. He was lying on the bed and if they hadn't been told that he was in a coma it would have simply looked like he was sleeping. They all gathered around his bed and Jesse reached out to take his hand, holding it gently.
“Luke,” Jesse said softly “You're gonna be okay. We're all here with ya. The doctors fixed ya up. Now all you gotta do is wake up.”
“And I'm gonna stay right here with ya till ya do.” Bo said in a fiercely determined voice “Ain't nobody gonna make me leave for nothing.”
“And as soon as you wake up, I'll bring you some of my fried chicken.” Daisy said as she bent down to kiss his cheek. Even though Luke was in a coma, they sat and visited, talking to him as if he were awake in case he could hear them. They had already decided between themselves that Bo would stay at the hospital with Luke until he was awake and strong enough to be released since Hanson was still on the loose. The family would close ranks to protect their own just as they always had when danger threatened any of them. Later that afternoon, Daisy and Jesse decided to go home. Selena would be leaving with them so they could take her home later.
Chapter 12
Luke slowly opened his eyes, then closed them again against the sudden glare of the overhead light. From the background noises and the antiseptic smell in the air he knew he was in a hospital. He opened his eyes again, smiling when he noted Bo slouched in a chair beside the bed asleep, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He was relieved to realize that he didn't feel sick anymore, other than a slight headache and a little dizziness.
He must have made some kind of sound because Bo's eyes flew open and he bounded to his feet, instantly at Luke's side. “Hey, cuz.” He said with a huge grin when he saw that Luke was awake. “How ya feeling?”
“Okay…I think.” Luke told him “Could I have a drink of water?”
“Sure…” Bo said. He poured a glass of water from the pitcher sitting on the bedside table and put the flexible straw lying on the tray in the glass. He held it up to Luke's mouth so he could take a drink. Luke took a long refreshing swallow. The water felt good to his dry parched mouth and throat. He moved his head to let Bo know he was finished. Bo sat the glass back down on the table. He looked at his cousin somberly “You had us scared there for awhile, cuz…”
“I was kinda of worried myself for awhile.” Luke said dryly. “There was a girl….” He said, remembering vaguely the girl that had found him and helped him.
“Selena.” Bo said with a grin “Yeah….she got hold of Uncle Jesse on the CB and let him know where you were.”
“How'd she know to get hold of Jesse?”
“Cause she's the swamp witch.” Bo told him with a huge grin
“What?” Luke said in a startled voice “I thought that was just some kind of legend…”
“Well, she's a mighty pretty legend….” Bo said with a chuckle “Turns out she's the one who helped you before when Cyrus and his boys took you out there….”
“I knew there was somebody there back then…” Luke said smugly “Jesse said I was imagining it….”
“Well, it turns out that Jesse knew her daddy…that's how he knows her and how he knew where to find her cabin.”
“I'll have to remember to thank her personal like…”
“She went back to the swamp. Uncle Jesse and Daisy took her back home with them yesterday.”
“How long have I been here?”
“Three days.”
“Did they get all the poison?”
“Yeah, Doc Applebee said they did some blood tests to find out what you'd been given so they could give you an antidote.”
“Selena gave me something too…”
“Yeah…..some kind of old Indian remedy. Doc said it helped keep ya alive till we got ya here.”
“Did they catch Hanson and Ernie?”
“Ernie? You mean Ernie Ledbetter? He was messed up in this?” Bo said in a startled voice “So he did have somebody local helping him….” Bo eyes narrowed dangerously “That low down dirty….wait till I get my hands on him!!!”
“Cool down, Bo…” Luke said quietly “You ain't gonna be able to do anything about it from here.”
Yeah…I guess you're right. But I need to let Uncle Jesse know about Ernie so he can tell Rosco.” Bo said “And he's gonna wanna know that you're awake.”
“Go ahead and call ‘em. I'll be okay while you're gone.” Luke told him
“You sure?”
“I'm sure. Go on.”
“I'll be right back just as soon as I talk to Uncle Jesse.” Bo told him. Luke nodded and watched as Bo left the room. He laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes suddenly realizing how tired he still was. He was sleeping when Bo came back into the room. Bo smiled as he took his seat back at Luke's side.
Jesse and Daisy arrived shortly after Bo's call to tell them that Luke was awake. He was still sleeping when they arrived so they talked quietly among themselves so they wouldn't disturb him.
“I called Rosco and told him about Ernie Ledbetter being involved in what happened to Luke and he's gonna go pick him up.” Jesse told Bo
“I'd like to get my hands on that snake myself.” Bo said angrily “For just five minutes.”
“Ernie has always been a jerk and troublemaker.” Daisy said “But this time he finally went to far and he's gonna pay for it.”
“And us Dukes are gonna make sure of that.” Jesse said firmly.
“But Luke's still in danger until they catch that Hanson guy.” Daisy said in a worried voice
“Don't you worry none, Daisy cause Luke ain't getting outta my sight until that guy's caught. I'm even gonna follow him to the bathroom if I have to….” Bo said firmly
“I've been doing that by myself since I was two, Bo….I don't think I need your help in there…” Luke said quietly from the bed. He smiled faintly at his family, happy to see them.
“Hi, sugar…” Daisy said with a grin, giving him a big hug.
“There's my boy…” Jesse said happily, giving Luke a big hug of his own. “How ya feeling?”
“I'm hungry…” Luke said with a grin
“He's feeling better.” Daisy said with a laugh “I'll go see if I can find you something.” She offered. As she left the room, Jesse looked at Luke and said somberly,
“You should have told me about this Hanson fella from the beginning. I should tan your hide for worrying me.”
“I'm sorry, Uncle Jesse.” Luke said apologetically “I didn't wanna worry that's why I didn't tell ya.”
“Don't you know us Dukes stick together? That's what makes us a family.” Jesse lectured him. “When one of us is in trouble then all of us are in trouble! If you ever do anything like that again then I will tan your hide no matter how big ya are!”
“Yes, sir.” Luke said with a chuckle “I won't do it again. I promise.”
“Good. See that ya don't.” Jesse loved those boys of his and he worried about them, no matter how old or how big they were. If anything happened to either one of them, he didn't know what he'd do. They put him through a lot and gave him more than his share of gray hairs but he knew they were good boys. He'd raised them up right.
Chapter 13
Luke had to stay in the hospital for two days but then the doctor decided that he was recovered enough to be discharged. When they came to pick him up from the hospital, Jesse told Luke that Ernie had been arrested and had confessed to his part in helping to kidnap Luke and take him to the swamp. As far as Ernie knew Rick Hanson had left Hazzard, assuming that he had gotten his revenge on Luke.
The ride back to the farm was uneventful. When they arrived at the farm, they climbed out of the jeep and started to walk into the house. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, making them all scatter for safety. Jesse ducked down behind Dixie and Bo grabbed Daisy, shoving her to the ground and covering her with his body. Luke ducked towards the other side of the jeep. Two more shots rang out and then there was silence. Jesse cautiously peered out from behind the jeep in time to see a dark blue sedan racing away from the back road that ran behind the property.
“Is everyone okay?” Jesse asked gruffly, shoving himself to his feet.
“Yes, sir.” Bo said, standing up himself and reaching out to help Daisy to her feet. Suddenly, he thought about Luke. He looked around, crying out in anger and fear when he saw Luke slumped against the side of the jeep, clutching his left shoulder with blood seeping through his fingers. “Luke!” he yelled, running to his cousin's side and kneeling down beside him.
Luke's face was pale and drawn with pain. “I got hit…” he whispered in a ragged voice as Daisy and Jesse ran to his side too.
“Let's get him inside.” Jesse said sharply “And I'll call Rosco.”
Luke winced in pain as Bo helped him to his feet and guided him into the house. Bo helped him over to the sofa so he could lay down. Jesse got on the phone and called the sheriff's department, then he called Doc Applebee who told him that he would be there immediately. Then Jesse turned his attention to Luke.
He unsnapped Luke's shirt and pulled it open so he could see the wound. The bullet had hit his left shoulder from the back and had exited through the front, leaving a nasty looking exit wound. It was bleeding badly and quite painful but it wasn't a fatal wound. “Just lay still, Luke…” Jesse told him in a soothing voice to reassure Luke and ease the fear he could see in the young man's eyes. “Doc Applebee is on his way.”
“It hurts…” Luke said in a strained voice that wavered with pain.
“I know.” He glanced at Bo “Bo, get me that jar of shine out of the kitchen panty.” Bo went into the kitchen and got the pint jar of moonshine that Jesse had hidden in the kitchen pantry. He carried it back to Jesse, who opened it and gently slipped his arm behind Luke's shoulders and helped him to sit up. He held the jar to Luke's mouth and encouraged him to drink. Luke drank deeply, his mouth and throat burning like fire as he swallowed. He could feel the warmth that rapidly spread through his body as he drank the moonshine. Jesse helped Luke lay back down, watching as his oldest nephew closed his eyes. His breathing slowed down as the moonshine kicked in, helping to numb the pain and relaxing him. Jesse cursed under his breath, a sure sign of how angry and upset he was about this latest attack on his nephew and the rest of his family.
Doc Applebee and Rosco both arrived in record time. Jesse and Bo talked to Rosco while Doc helped Luke to sit up so he could examine him. Luke clenched his teeth against the pain as Doc carefully cleaned the wound and then used some of Jesse's shine to disinfect it. He took six stitches in the exit wound and two in the entrance wound. Even with the buzz Luke had from the shine, it still hurt like hell. Doc was bandaging the wound when Jesse and Bo came back into the room.
“Is Luke gonna be alright, Doc?” Jesse asked in a worried voice, glancing at Luke's pale face and pain filled eyes.
“He'll be fine but he's not gonna be using that arm for awhile.” Doc reassured him. He slipped a sling on the injured arm and then gave Luke a shot in his other arm. He straightened up, joining Jesse and Bo in the archway between the kitchen and the living room. In a quiet voice so Luke wouldn't hear him, he said “He was lucky….any lower and there could have been some serious damage. He's gonna be in a lot of pain for few days. I'll leave some pain pills for him. Just try to keep him quiet for a spell and don't let him use that arm. I gave him something so he'll sleep for awhile.”
“Thanks Doc.” Jesse said gratefully, showing Doc to the door. After Doc was gone, Jesse rejoined the rest of his family in the living room. Luke was lying down with his eyes closed and from his deep slow breathing, Jesse could tell that he was asleep from the shot that Doc had given him.
“Uncle Jesse, what are we gonna do?” Daisy asked in a frightened voice
“It gonna be alright, baby girl….” Jesse reassured her “That crazy fool won't be stupid enough to come back here. Rosco and Enos are both looking for him and let's hope they can catch him before he gets out of the county.”
“I'll kill him myself if he comes anywhere near Luke again.” Bo said in a cold deadly voice, his eyes flashing with rage.
“Now, Bo…just settle down.” Jesse told him “Right now, we need to make sure that Luke's taken care of.”
“Uncle Jesse's right.” Daisy said “Luke's already been hurt enough. We need to make sure he stays safe”
“Daisy, why don't you fix something to eat?” Jesse suggested “I'm sure we could all use a bite of something.” He glanced at Bo “Bo, you keep an eye on Luke while I go get some more shine out of the barn.”
“Yes, sir.” Bo didn't need to be told twice. He sat down in Jesse's chair since it was closest to the sofa and stretched out his legs, watching Luke while he slept.
Jesse left the house and went out to the barn. He walked over behind one of the stalls and pulled loose a floorboard. Reaching down into the hole underneath the floor, he pulled a jug of his shine. He stood up and started to carry the shine back into the house when he saw Rosco's car pull into the barnyard. Hurriedly, he hit the jug behind some bales of hay just inside the barn door and walked over to see what the sheriff wanted.
Rosco climbed out of his car and looked at Jesse somberly. He said, “I just wanted to let you know right away, Jesse, that we got that Hanson fella. He tried to shoot it out with us on Route 11 and we had no choice but to shoot back. He's dead.”
“Can't rightly say I'm sorry after what he done to Luke.” Jesse said gruffly
“Yes, sir.” Rosco said “This is one time I'm inclined to agree with ya.”
“Thank you, Rosco for letting me know.”
“How's Luke?” Rosco asked in a genuinely concerned voice.
“He's gonna be in a lot of pain for awhile but Doc said he'll be alright.” Jesse told him “I'll let him know that you asked about him.”
“You do that, Jess. I gotta get back to town. You take care now.”
“Thank you, Rosco.” Jesse told him as the sheriff climbed back into his car. Jesse watched as he drove away and then went back into the house. He told Bo and Daisy what Rosco had told him.
“Thank god.” Daisy said in a relieved voice, happy that the man couldn't come after Luke and try to hurt him again.
“He got what he deserved.” Bo said glumly “If he had his way, Luke would be dead.”
Chapter 14
Even with the detailed instructions that Uncle Jesse had given him, it still took Luke awhile to find the cabin hidden deep within the swamp. He had to see Selena and thank her personally for saving his life, not just once but three times. Luke pulled Dixie up in front of the cabin and slowly climbed out of the jeep. It had been almost a month since he'd been shot the day he got out of the hospital. His arm was out of the sling but his shoulder was still sore and stiff.
He walked up to the small front porch and knocked lightly on the door. He waited but there was no answer. After a few minutes, he tried again. Still no answer. Disappointed, he turned to leave and almost jumped out of his skin when he almost ran into Selena who was standing right behind him. She had snuck up behind him without him even hearing her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked looking at Luke intently. “I wouldn't think you'd want to come back into the swamp after everything that's happened to you here.”
“I wanted to see you and thank you for saving my life. Not just once but three times it seems.” Luke told her with a lopsided smile
“You don't have to thank me. You're alive, that's all that matters.”
“But I wouldn't be if it wasn't for you.”
“Well, at least you look better than the last few times I've seen you. You're awake and you're walking. That's an improvement.” A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and laughter danced in her eyes.
“I'm also supposed to tell ya that Uncle Jesse would like for you to come to supper some night…..and so would I.”
“Thank your Uncle Jesse and tell him that I'll keep the invitation in mind.” She told him
“Jesse said you live up here all by yourself.”
“Yeah….and your point is?”
“It must get lonely sometimes…..being up here all alone.”
“Not if you're used to it.” She told him
“Don't you ever think about leaving….coming down to the bottom?”
“Why should I?” she asked “I have everything I need right here.” She tilted her head to one side and looked at him with a faint smile “You ask a lot of questions. Why don't you say what's really on your mind?”
Luke couldn't help laughing. She was direct. He had to give her that. “Okay….I'd like to thank you proper like….maybe take you to dinner or something sometime. I'd like to get to know you better.”
“I don't think so.” She told him “We come from two different worlds…..and I don't fit into yours. I never have. Go back home, Luke Duke. The swamp isn't any place for you.” With that she turned and walked away before Luke could say anything more. He watched as she disappeared into the woods that surrounded the cabin. Luke knew she wouldn't come back anytime soon, not as long as he was there. Sighing with a pang of regret, he slowly walked back to Dixie and climbed under the wheel. With one last look at the cabin, he slowly drove away.
Hidden from view in the heavy woods, Selena watched Luke leave. He wasn't the first man to find her and try to get her to go out with them but he was the first man she might have considered actually going out with if circumstances had been different. But she knew that what she had told him was true. She didn't belong his world and he didn't belong in hers.
THE END ( OR IS IT?)