LINE OF DUTY

This story takes place around 1994, with Bo and Luke back from the racing circuit to help
Uncle Jesse and Daisy, who's taking a major leap of faith. It's also a prequel to The Hazard
Sparkplugs. Y'all enjoy it now, y'hear!

(Narrator: There's almost nothin' so unusual as a change of leadership in the area in an'
around Hazzard County. Sheriffs, Commissioners, everyone seems to stay in office till they can't
tell their age from their body temperature. But one day in 94, after Bo an' Luke got back from
the racing circuit, things suddenly changed. And those in leadership since a good ol' boy named
Elvis was first makin' a name for himself remembered what the line of duty really meant.)

Jefferson Davis Hogg breathed heavily again. "Aw, it's those darn Duke boys," he complained
to himself, looking out his office window in back of downtown Hazard's favorite eatery. "I
thought we'd got rid of those two...when they started winnin' all that money on the NASCAR
circuit."

Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane overheard, and walked into the office carrying numerous receipts.
"Uh...Boss," he began, unsure how to continue.

Hogg's face was slightly sweaty as he turned around. "Yeah, what is it, Rosco?"

"That don't look too normal, just lookin' out the window an' talkin' to yourself," he
remarked, hesitant but with concern over his longtime employer obviously showing on his face,
much as he tried to prevent it. "I think you oughta get to a doctor."

"I'm fine, Rosco, just leave me alone. I tell ya, it's just them Duke boys givin' me heartburn,
on account of they was able to pay off the whole mortgage on their Uncle Jesse's farm with their
winnings!" If the Duke boys can give this dipstick the slip so often, making him think that's all
that's wrong should be a snap for me, contemplated the Commissioner.

Rosco hummed slightly. He owed quite a bit of loyalty to the man - he didn't want to insist on
it. However, despite the shenanigans which went on at the top levels in Hazard County, Georgia,
he knew there was a right and wrong way to act. And despite all the attempts to take that
valuable real estate, he knew the Dukes were people he could turn to in time of need. He'd called
on them for help a few times in the past, after all.

He walked out to the Duke's car, an orange ford with a "01" on the side and a Confederate
flag on top, as they were putting groceries in the trunk. He began to balk, asking himself how
they would squeeze Boss Hogg into those little windows if they had to - the doggone doors had
been sealed shut, after all. Still, he felt he ought to try. "Uh, hey boys...you think you could stick
around for a little bit?"

Bo and Luke Duke each became concerned. This didn't sound at all like Rosco. "What's the
matter," Bo wondered.

"Well...it's my fat little buddy, he's been havin' these spells, and I'm startin' to feel like a cat in
a room full of rocking chairs..."

The Dukes instantly jogged toward the Boar's Nest. "Well, let's go see, maybe we can help
get him to go to a doctor."

The sheriff made a noise like "ijit" and remarked "I don't want him to know I asked ya, he'll
think I'm crazy." They went through the restaurant and toward the back. "I know he'll never go
if..."

(Now, what they saw might not have been that unusual considerin' the man's weight. But this
was a man who'd become so good at swindlin' folks he figured he'd swindled his own agin'
process, eatin' gallons of pork rinds and pigs knuckles and keepin' a cholesterol count close to the
Braves' team batting average, all while seeming remarkably fit. However, they were shocked
when they got there and saw him sweating profusely and breathing heavily.)

"Bo," Luke commanded, "bring the General around, we need to get him to Tri-County right
away." Bo ran out the door to fetch their car, the General Lee. "It's gonna be okay, Boss."

Rosco, obviously worried, pinched Hogg's cheek and said "yeah, don't you worry, my fat little
buddy, we're gonna get you to a hospital."

"I don't want...to go to a hospital..." Despite his protests, he allowed them to help him out the
door and into the car, with Rosco getting in on the other side. "How do you...get through
those?"

"I don't know, but we manage," Bo remarked as they drove off.

(Now one thing about the Dukes, even when someone's been tryin' to frame em for years
they still care. So the boys called their Uncle Jesse on the CB, and he met em at the hospital,
where they all sat and chatted.)

(After a couple hours, Dr. Blake Richards walked into the waiting room. Now this man was
internin' with ol' Doc Appleby. He was from Atlanta, and hadn't been in these parts before.
He'd only been in residency for a couple weeks here, so while he'd always wanted to practice in a
small town, he was about to get some major culture shock.)

Lulu Hogg, the Boss' wife and Rosco's sister, stood expectantly. "Is he...going to be all
right?" she wondered.

The doctor grinned slightly. "Well, we'll have to watch him for quite a while. It was definitely
a heart attack, and we're going to need to clear out his arteries, he's got some major blockage.
I'll tell you more privately." He suddenly became curious and turned to Rosco. "You said he
was where when he got sick?"

"In his office, at the Boar's Nest," explained Rosco, a little upset yet but not showing it.

"But...that's ten minutes away. And you got him here in..." He wasn't used to the area yet,
but knew that there was no way he could have gotten there in two minutes. Even with a police
cruiser.

Jesse Duke rose and explained. "The boys took a shortcut on Harris Bend."

Chuckling slightly, the intern quickly forced himself to regain focus at this difficult moment.
He knew it was improper to laugh at times like these, and told them so. However, "while I'm not
from around here, I thought I remembered Clifford's Gulch intersecting it before it got here.
There'd be no way if that was the case, though."

"It does," Bo remarked.

"I guess you could say we lifeflighted' him," explained Luke, trying to get the doctor to
understand without boasting about their feat. The last thing Hazard needed was ambulance
drivers trying that sort of jump.

Richards was visibly shaken by the thought. Moving his hand as if to begin the motion of
something taking flight, he muttered "you mean you literally..." Flopping his hand at his side, he
stared into space for a moment.

(At least they didn't tell him how many times they've jumped Hazzard Lake.)

"I...see." What an odd place, Richards pondered, regaining his composure. "Anyway, we
think he's going to be fine, provided we can do a bypass successfully, but he's going to have to
rest for a while, and probably get an assistant when he does come back, as well as cutting out
quite a few things." He inquired as to who the deputy commissioner was.

"Well, gee, I don't know," Rosco pondered out loud, "we've never had that sort of problem
before, we've all been in office so long. Plus we're so small the only other permanent county
official is..." He suddenly noticed all eyes staring at him - he felt like all eight thousand or so
people in Hazard were doing so, in fact. He made the "ijit" noise again, then pointed at himself.
"You mean...ijit! I'm no Commissioner!"

"Never said you were, Rosco," Bo remarked.

"Acting Commissioner, on the other hand..." Luke let the thought hang.

Rosco pointed a finger down at the ground and tried to get himself out of the predicament.
"Now, wait just a minute, here, I'll have you know police work is my life, not presidin' over
meetings of farmers who are always complainin' about something or other!"

"Who else is gonna do it," Luke wondered.

"Well...what about my sister, she can take over for the Boss." Lulu began sobbing at the
thought and shaking her head.

"Would you want to do it," Jesse wondered aloud in a soothing voice.

"Never, nobody can replace J.D.," she cried adamantly, too overcome with concern for her
husband, as a nurse announced she could go back and see J.D. They left.

Rosco thought a minute. "Well, okay, maybe Hughey."

"You want Hughey to come back here," Luke exclaimed, flailing an arm. He didn't want to
add, in Boss's condition, that Hughey was actually more crooked than Boss Hogg. Hogg, at
least, had some moral limits to his crookedness - no murder, no drugs, and no toxic waste.
Hughey had none.

Bo said of Boss' nephew "that man's so crooked he makes Boss Hogg look like Mother
Teresa!"

"Don't talk about a man's family like that while he's in the hospital," chided Rosco. Bo tried
to protest it was the truth. "Still, though, you should know better."

"He's right," Jesse remarked, "it ain't doin' no good."

"Yeah, you tell em Jesse." Turning back to Bo, Rosco said "shame, shame, everyone knows
your name."

Jesse stepped toward Rosco. "He's right, though, Hughey's not a good choice. And Lulu's
never gonna command respect like you can, even if she could handle it worrying about J.D. And,
she'll probably be caring for him most of the time. You know what your duty is here; and a man's
gotta do what a man's gotta do."

Rosco grumbled slightly. "I reckon you're right." He began to think. Maybe he could even
find a way to get his pension money back; he'd lost his massive savings in a scheme of Hogg's a
couple decades ago, which led to his turning to aiding Boss Hogg in his cheating in order to get
enough money to live on. Now, approaching 45 years on the police force, he still hadn't gained
back much of it, because some way or another, the Dukes kept foiling Boss' plans.

(Well, the first full day Rosco spent at the hospital with Lulu, worryin' over Boss Hogg.
Which left Cletus, a deputy, in charge of things. Now, needless to say, this would have been a
disaster normally, but things normally didn't happen in Hazzard, at least not without it pouring
trouble that the US President would have trouble handlin'. Storm clouds formed real fast,
though, like they usually do.)

Meanwhile, a couple thieves swiped $25,000 from a bank several counties away. They quickly
hopped into a getaway car, one of the men grabbing a hostage, a female employee of the bank.
They fired shots as they dove into the car. "All right, Ned," one of the men yelled, still with his
mask on, as they sped away, "this is our biggest heist yet."

"Yeah, just make sure you keep that girl quiet and keep that gun on her. Who was it who said
this is where the money is," wondered the other as they removed their masks to reveal light
blonde hair and quite stern looks.

(Y'all, them's the Rachett brothers, a coupla bank robbers who'd been hittin' banks all over
northern Georgia an' western North Carolina. And as you can tell, they're mean.)

"Someone's following us," noted the driver, "think we can give them the slip?"

"Yeah, turn when you get to Hazzard an head toward Chickasaw, we'll go the long way
around. An' Iron Mountain'll block out CB talk if they haven't given up before then. We'll get
past them local yocals again, don't worry."

(Now, these guys had been holdin' up lots of banks, so an APB went out pretty quick. Back
at the booking station, Enos Strait sat at the desk. Suddenly his heartthrob since he was in Junior
High walked in, Daisy Duke. She'd been absent from the hospital gathering on account of she'd
been visiting the local orphanage.)

"Good mornin', Miss Daisy," Enos replied cheerfully, rising and doffing his cap. Suddenly, he
noticed a little boy shyly looking up at him while holding Daisy's hand. "Well, hello, there, young
fella. Would you like a lollipop?" He watched as the child glanced at Daisy, then took it when
she told him it was okay. His hair was a little mussed up, but otherwise he looked rather well
cared for. "What's your name?"

Daisy was too intrigued by Enos' sudden appearance to remind the boy to say "thank you."
"Enos Strait, what brings you back here?" she wondered.

"Well, Miss Daisy, Cletus realized he needed someone to be here while he was out patrollin'
and watchin' the speed trap...I mean, watchin' for speeders. So, he called the department where I
was in Atlanta." He grinned. "Seein' a pretty face like you here makes me think I'all might
wanna stay when Rosco gets unbusy an' the Boss gets back to work in a few months."

"That'd be super. Say, Benny an' I came yesterday and there wasn't anyone in the courthouse
or anywhere, no police, no judges, no nothin'." She looked sad. "I was almost afraid Boss had
passed away, till I saw Cooter an' he told me he was still okay."

"That's the problem, when you've got a place this small..." He suddenly stopped. "I'm sorry,
I called you Miss Daisy, didn't I," came Enos, about to get horribly tongue tied, "I guess I should
say Missus, seein' as you've got a lovely little boy there...well, wait a minute, though, I don't see
no ring on your finger, so maybe...well, what I'm meanin' to say, well, I've always kinda liked ya,
an'...well, I mean, I was sorta hopin' if you was still around, and you wasn't spoke for, but then I
see you got your little boy here..."

Daisy had been giggling at first, but now she'd burst into full blown laughter. "Enos, slow
down. For goodness sakes, your tongue's goin' so fast it might as well be flyin' on the General
with the boys. Listen, I just had to keep tryin' to find someone to sign some papers for me to
take custody of Benny; I'm adopting him."

"Possumonagumbush, y'all are gonna be a Momma, huh?"

"Well, it won't be final for a few months," she explained, pulling out some papers, "but I just
wanted to get this part over with so he can keep stayin' with me. I gotta get him back with Uncle
Jesse an' then come back to work quick. An' don't worry, I've had some men I thought were
nice, but none I really wanted. Benny here's the only male who's really captured my
heartstrings."

Enos promised to lead her over to the courthouse. "Well, I'd be happy to take care of it, since
right now I'm a deputy I guess I can..." Suddenly the phone rang.

(Now, y'all knew things just couldn't go that smoothly for a Duke, didn't ya?)

"Hazzard County Sheriff's, Enos Strait speaking. What? All right, I'll tell our car on patrol,
thanks." He hung up the phone, then instantly got onto the CB. "Cletus, this is Enos, got your
ears on?"

"Sure do," Cletus remarked, driving slowly along Mill Road.

"Sheriff Little just called, from over in Chickasaw, got three fugitives an' one hostage bein'
chased by cars from three counties, coming your way. Says you can help set up a roadblock just
over the line in our county along the interstate."

"Roger, will do, you comin'?"

"Sure thing, I'm on my way." He shouted "sorry Miss Daisy, maybe later," as he sped out the
door to his own car.

(Well, they got something out of their visit today, even if it was just a sucker. Enos and Cletus
went to the appointed place to set up a roadblock. And, Rosco was listening in on the CB while
waiting outside Boss's hospital room, seein' as the nurse was takin' some blood. He quickly told
Lulu he was goin', an' left.)

"Okay, Cletus, Enos," Rosco broadcast on his CB as he drove off, "this is Bear enterin' the
chase as well. I love it, I love it, I love it, khee, khee, khee.!"

(Meanwhile, the Rachett's was comin' up fast, just as Rosco was getting situated at the
roadblock.)

"Dang, them locals got a roadblock!"

"Keep drivin'." The man on the passenger's side began firing his gun, causing all the officers
to duck for cover. As the car tried to turn off the road and around the roadblock one of the
officers behind them shot out the tires, causing the car to go skidding into a tree. In the
confusion, the hostage scampered out of the car and toward Sheriff Little's.

"Get down," hollered Sheriff Little. Before he could think, he spotted a gun aimed at the
lady's head, and pushed her down, covering her. He and the gunman exchanged shots.

"Sheriff Little!" Enos ran to the large man while Rosco and Cletus fired with horrible
accuracy at the criminals, who fled into the mountain.

"Quick, get him into the patrol car," Rosco shouted as Cletus and Enos helped to lift him.
Cletus then made a move toward his own, but Rosco scolded "don't go after them alone, dipstick,
check the suspect and then take the young lady and find somewhere safe for her." He sped the
other sheriff to the hospital, remaining silent the whole time. He couldn't stop thinking that it
could have been him. If he'd been closer to her, he would have protected her...he knew he would
have. At least, he hoped he would have. He grumbled, mad that he'd been spending so much
time being crooked with Boss Hogg, he'd forgotten sometimes just what police work was all
about. Protecting the streets from real thugs, not just chasing the Dukes. He wondered if he'd
acted properly, wondered if he could still turn on his real police instincts. It seemed he'd been
able to turn them off an on light a light switch before, but now?

Finally, over half the way there, he began to CB the hospital. Enos, however, managed to
choke out "I...don't think that's gonna be necessary." He'd been in Los Angeles years ago, and
Atlanta recently, so he was more used to grisly scenes. But, something like this was hard for
anyone to handle.

"What...ijit!' He sped faster, so fast he thought he could have jumped Hazzard Lake if he'd
had to. No, he tried to tell himself, this can't be happening. No officer of the law had been killed
in their area since Reconstruction. It couldn't be happening...could it?

The ambulance workers met Rosco and Enos at the door, performing procedures almost as
soon as they opened the patrol car. The officers could tell from the looks on their faces, though,
that it was futile. They moped into the waiting room and collapsed into chairs.

(Now, Uncle Jesse had taken Benny in to see Boss Hogg, which would turn out to be a real
stroke of good luck for the Dukes. Which is quite unusual, but then, Benny ain't officially a Duke
yet.)

"Rosco," came Uncle Jesse's concerned voice as he saw them in the lobby. Had he just been
coming in, he would have feared the Boss was dead. Now?

"That the man gived me lollipop," Benny remarked, pointing at Enos.

Jesse patted him on the head and said "yeah, wait right here, I think somethin's wrong." Jesse
walked up to Rosco and asked if everything was all right, then saw Doctor Richards walking
slowly out of the ER to talk to Rosco. "Doc, what is it?"

Rosco muttered "go ahead, he should hear it, too."

"Sheriff...Acting Commissioner..." He felt tongue-tied, unsure of how to address Rosco.
Finally, he remarked lowly, so Benny couldn't hear, "Sheriff Little was probably dead within a
minute, maybe less. And from what our ambulance drivers are saying, so was the fugitive. There
was nothing more you could have done."

Heaving a deep sigh, Rosco thanked Doc Richards and dismissed him. He then tried to
explain the situation to Jesse. "Forty-five years in law enforcement, and yet he's the one who
takes the bullet."

Jesse saw that Enos was being consoled in some way - Benny had finally felt brave enough to
approach him and give him a big hug. "Rosco..from what you tell me he was closer to her
anyway. Had she been closer to you, I'm sure you would have been the one diving to protect
her..." He didn't think Rosco wanted or needed to hear the rest. "You did your best, you fired at
the men, you reacted just as you were trained to do."

"I'm a horrible shot, though, all I've been doing for the last 15 years is chasing your boys and
tryin' schemes with Boss Hogg. I need to be improvin' my sheriff skills, not actin' as
Commissioner, especially with those two still on the loose." He stood solemnly. "Jesse, I'm
hereby appointing you Acting Commissioner of Hazzard County." He managed to insert a little
humor into the matter. "Even though I know Boss'll probably fire me after he learns."

Jesse Duke smiled. It would serve his old moonshining competitor right if he took Rosco up
on the offer. However, not only wasn't he about to take advantage of a wounded man, he knew
Rosco needed some confidence boosting as well. "Rosco," he remarked, "I'd accept the job
except for one thing. You are our rightful head of government right now. And you know ten
times more about that than an old farmer like me. You've earned the right to be in that chair,
even if you don't feel comfortable in the office right yet."

Rosco felt stymied. He'd trusted his own ability all this time - maybe too much, in fact. As he
pondered, he recognized that he'd been smug enough about his job that he figured he could just
go around chasing the Duke boys for fun, and then turn on his real sheriff's work whenever he
needed it, turning himself on and off like a flashlight.

Of course, in a way, he'd done it. But he was still going to need help to keep even that up.
And nothing in his police work had prepared him to act as Commissioner. He certainly couldn't
stay at the hospital and turn himself on and off like a flashlight here. He needed help. "Well, with
Boss in the hospital an' all, though, and with our county never seein' anything like this..." He
decided he had to spit it out, as Cletus pulled with his car, and got Flash out of Rosco's, bringing
him inside. Rosco had been so overtaken thinking about Sheriff Little, he'd forgotten about his
dog, which was most unlike Rosco. Benny went over to play with the dog right away. "Uh,
thanks, Cletus. Anyway, Jesse...will you at least give me some hints," he stammered slightly.

Jesse grinned. "Sure, Rosco. I know it has to be tough. First, it sounds like you've got a
couple men who are armed and dangerous out there. Maybe there's some code or something to
tell other city workers, or to tell the farmers?"

"Ijit! I forgot all about that." Rosco went over to the CB, the main mode of communication
for almost everyone. "Breaker breaker, all essential personnel, this is Bulldog, we have a Code
Red, be on the lookout for two men, alert..." he couldn't quite bring himself to name the
counties, since Chickasaw was one, and that would remind him of Sheriff Little. "Alert all
surrounding counties to be on the lookout for these men, we are initiating Code Red protocols."
He described the fugitives, and explained the actions which should be taken, including alerting
others and monitoring police channels, as an eerie siren, not quite the same as that of a tornado
alert, began sounding. "I suggest you stay here, Jesse, if only to protect the little one. I'm
supposed to set up a command post, and this is the best place." He didn't want to admit that he
also planned to turn to Jesse for help. "Ooh...ijit, I forgot to say where the command post was."
He got back on the CB and gave the code for Tri-County Hospital. Jesse Duke smiled; yes, it
was a very shocking incident he'd witnessed, but he knew in the back of his mind, Rosco still
could perform...maybe not great, but he could perform.



Daisy Duke pulled her Jeep, Dixie, up to the farm.

(Now y'all, Daisy was puzzled by the number of police cars from other counties she'd seen,
but also by the order for all non-essential personnel - including her - to go home. The Boar's
Nest and several other stores had been shut down, and she had no idea why. Had everyone been
in mourning for Hogg, maybe - he owned the whole county, and had his hands in every business,
if he didn't outright own it. However, the Code Red and tornado siren on a clear day was
extremely odd. There also seemed to be no CB traffic - of course, she hadn't been listenin' to the
police channel.)

She gasped, giving a slight scream, when she saw the door busted in. She raced inside,
screaming "Uncle Jesse, Benny!" The place had been ransacked, and an empty refrigerator hung
open. She dashed out to her Jeep and picked up the CB. "Bo Peep to Shepherd, Bo Peep to
Shepard, do you read?" She grumbled, getting nowhere after about 30 seconds.

(Y'all, I wonder why she didn't check the barn. They ain't in there, but I still wonder. Guess
it's just a mother's instincts.)

"Bo Peep to Lost Sheep, come in!" Bo Duke picked up the CB and responded. "Oh, thank
goodness, the house has been turned upside down, and I'm so scared; I can't find Uncle Jesse or
Benny anywhere."

"Okay, calm down, Daisy, did you check the hospital, that's where they was goin', maybe
they're still there."

"Oh, you're right, I forgot about that." The future mother finally started to get her wits about
her, and remarked "that would explain why he's not answering."

"Look, stay away from there, just in case somebody's still there. Cooter, you got your ears
on?" He didn't. "Okay, if you went in the house once you can probably call there, it's probably
still safe, but wait till we get there, if you can..."

"Luke, there's a three-year-old boy who might be missing or even kidnaped, and I've got to
find out. Waiting is not an option!" She slammed the CB down and ran inside again.

"Sorry," came Luke's semi-sarcastic remark as the line went dead. He turned to Bo. "Boy,
somethin' musta really spooked her back there."

Bo nodded. "Hey, ain't none of us had parents that we remember, I'd say she's doin' pretty
good for a first time Mom, takin' that into account."

"You might be right. Hey..." A car approached them at about 100 miles an hour. "Look
out!" It almost ran them off the road, before Bo regained control.

"He wants to play, huh," remarked Bo as he revved the General up and chased after the other
car.

The General zoomed forward as Luke remarked "That's Jed Hudson's car, but that sure ain't
Jed drivin' it."

"You're right, at his age he'd pass out."

"Let's keep up the chase, with Rosco watchin' Boss Hogg, he needs all the help he can get."
The General only gained on the other car slightly, but Luke suggested "let's make it a little
closer." They pulled over to the side of the road, which rose up till it was a steep embankment
near where the road curved. The General successfully rode up the hill, then leaped the
embankment. "Yeee-haaa," shouted the Dukes, landing the General only meters behind the stolen
car.

Unfortunately, the remaining Rachett brothers still had guns. "Look out," Bo shouted as he
saw one of the men turn around and aim the pistol. As two shots fired, they quickly throttled
down and turned. "That's tellin' me to back off real fast." A bullet pinged off the rear of the
General as the Rachetts sped away. "Phew, whoever that was must be mean."

"It'll take more than Rosco to bring them down," agreed Luke. He got onto the CB and
notified Daisy of what happened, only to learn she was headed for the hospital and a reunion with
Jesse and Benny. "We'll meet ya there, we're gonna run by Cooter's and see if he's got any
answers, plus the General got shot I think."

"Oh, no, I hope you boys are all right." They were. "Listen, I'm sorry I snapped at y'all
earlier, I just got so scared for Benny."

Bo took the CB as they rode toward Cooter's. "Hey, no problem, we figured it was your
motherly instincts acting up. I just hope it was the same fellas did that as stole Jed's car, I'd hate
to have two groups like that runnin' around."

(Well, Daisy got to the hospital pretty fast, an' after huggin' Benny for a few minutes
explained what happened to the boys. Then, she heard all about Rosco's day so far.)

"Oh, that's terrible. Do they know over in Chickasaw yet?"

"I haven't had time to tell em," the sheriff explained, "this here's a command center, an' your
Uncle Jesse's been helpin' me co-ordinate a manhunt."

"At least now we know what they're probably drivin'," noted Jesse. "Old Jed's pretty close to
the county line. Then they prob'ly picked our farm to snatch some food and whatever money they
could find."

"At least now y'all know it's safe to go back," noted Enos.

"I don't know about you, but I'm not gonna feel safe till they're caught," exclaimed Daisy.

Jesse agreed. "She's right, ain't nobody can feel safe right now."

Rosco looked at his watch. "Let's see, I reckon it's about time to tell everyone to report in. I
think we need to have a strategy session..."

"Rosco, you can't do that."

The acting commissioner looked at Daisy , nonplussed. "Ooooh, whaddayamean I can't do
that, I've gotta do sometihin' to meet with the men from the other counties."

"I'm not talkin' about that, Rosco," explained Daisy, "I'm talkin' about it bein' time for school
to let out. There's gonna be kids walkin' home, and even the busses might not be that safe. If
they broke in to get food you can bet they're still here." She shuddered. She didn't think they
would have been in their own barn or anything, but it was possible.

"Oooh, you're right. Well, let's see here..."

Daisy wasn't about to say "well, you're the one in charge." She could tell Rosco was
searching for ideas - and she had plenty. "For one thing, we don't want any kids out walkin'; I
wouldn't even have them use a buddy system unless there was a police cruiser near. An' I'd call
the school an' have em remain open as long as they could for the farmers to come get em, too,"
finished Daisy. "If they can't, maybe offer em rides in the cruisers. I'd even suggest lettin' the
boys do it, but you can be sure one of them kids would talk them into jumpin' Hazzard Lake for
the fun of it."

"Oh, khee, khee, I love it, you Dukes are full of good ideas today. Cletus, Enos, you get out
to the elementary school an' high school, tell the other officers we're gonna provide escorts for all
the kids we can. Give em rides if you gotta." They left quickly, glad to be away from the
hospital.

(Y'all, that mother instinct is really helpin' Daisy here. And Rosco, who prob'ly still don't feel
like a Commissioner. The Duke boys found Cooter glued to the police channel while workin' on
cars, which is why he hadn't heard their CB call earlier. He briefed em on what was happenin',
and then all three left to take some of the little ones home before arrivin' at the hospital command
center, along with deputies from several other counties.)

Rosco had lined up a half dozen "newly appointed" deputies from around the area, farmers
who could shoot straight, drive rather well, and possessed at least some courage. In addition, a
half dozen men from various counties were gathered around a screen in the lobby, where Rosco
was showing them a map of Hazzard County. "Okay, now listen up, everyone." He held a
pointer up toward the map, but it would up pointing to an area several feet away from the screen.
Rosco glanced to his right as people chuckled, and re-positioned himself. "There, that's better.
Now then, we're gonna cover this whole area tonight, be on the lookout for anything suspicious,
the sooner we cuff em and stuff em, the sooner the fine people of Hazzard will feel safe. Now,
here's what I need..."

Luke Duke had been listening in, with his cousin Bo, and quickly stood up. "Rosco," he
remarked, "I hate to say it, but that's really disorganized."

"Just shut your mouth, Luke, I happen to be the one in charge of this here command post."

"And you're going to capture those men how? Driving around at random," inquired Bo.

Luke continued. "There's a far more intelligent way to do this, I learned all about this sort of
thing in the Marines."

Sheriff Coltrane hesitated, then decided the time had come where he might have to listen to
one of the Duke boys. He'd known for a couple hours he'd have to confront one big problem -
the car the Rachetts stole was just about the fastest car in Hazzard, besides the General Lee.
He'd almost certainly have to commandeer the General.

This confrontation wasn't making that any easier. He was supposed to be in charge. And yet,
it felt like the Dukes were trying to take over. He grumbled. Yes, it was like Boss Hogg said, it
was always those Dukes.

Still, though, what choice did he have? It should be Boss Hogg handling this, he told himself,
but he's in no shape to even hear about what's going on, with his heart the way it is. He'll have
bypass surgery tomorrow, and he needs to be at his strongest, Rosco told himself. As for him,
police work was his life, and he - while he should, in theory, be able to run this operation - was
not very good at a manhunt like this.

"Okay, come up here and we'll see if what you say makes any sense," he told Luke.

Luke didn't like the tone, but tried to hide his frustration as he walked to the map with a pen
and began to draw. "Okay, now first we need to divide Hazzard into sections, like a graph.
Here's A1." He pointed to the top left. "We're right now in about G2, pretty close to Chickasaw
and to the county to our south, so we need to start spreading out pretty far. What we do is, we
divide up in teams, 2 each - no way anyone's going by himself. Then, we each take a quadrant,
and we work in shifts. Counting Enos and Cletus and all of you, there's 14 of us." He hummed,
looking at the map. "And we've got to decide about the cars..."

"Uh," came Rosco's hesitation, "I was actually gonna ask you about the General."

Bo sensed the hesitation and seized it. He knew it was needed, but he also knew what they
could do to it. "Now Rosco, that's our pride and joy, nobody touches it who can risk crashing
it."

"Ijit, I'm not gonna crash it, and these fine officers from other counties ain't either." Though
I'd love to, though Rosco, it would put them out of business for a while.

Luke assumed he was thinking the same thing. "Look, I see a way you can use the General,
and it'll actually help. If we're added that gives 16 deputies, it's easy to take 2 squad cars per
quarter of the city then."

"If you're...you mean...ijit!" The notion seemed stranger than he himself being Commissioner.
"You want me to deputize you two, after all the mischief you've caused?"

"You've revoked our probation before when needed," Luke retorted.

Bo nodded. "Not only that, but this is a bigger emergency than anything we've used him for
before. And while the General's fast, he's usually only really fast for the one drivin' him. We
know how to handle him; none of you others do."

Rosco grumbled a little, then relented. "Ohhhh, all right, but I'm warnin' ya, you boys do
anything crooked I'll make sure you're hauled off to jail."

Jesse smiled. This was sounding like the old Rosco, all right. "Rosco, you know the boys
won't do anything bad."

"I know that, Jesse, I'm just sayin' it cause I don't want Boss hearin' later an' thinkin' I've
gone soft on him." He quickly swore them in as deputies, handed out stars, and gave them an
area to patrol.

(Now how d'ya like that? The other Dukes have been deputies, but never Bo an' Luke. Part
of their probation was they couldn't carry guns, but as deputies in a spot like this, they had to.
And I bet it really felt weird carryin' them handcuffs around.)

Bo drove along a narrow country road, while Luke monitored the police station on the CB.
"Man, ain't this weird, not only bein' deputies but carryin' guns and handcuffs," remarked Luke.

"You said it, Cuz; wonder if the General has any problems they'd take it out of the Sheriff's
Department budget now?"

"Let's hope it don't, they probably have to sell their souls just to pay the insurance premiums
to get a car listed." Luke and Bo hollered "Yee-haa" as they jumped Clifford's Gulch, emerging
onto a very narrow stretch, with rocks on both sides. Suddenly, they spotted Hudson's Porsche,
driven by the Rachett's, headed straight for them.

(Y'all, the Dukes make interesting lawmen, don't they. They find their man quick, but when
they do it's nothin' but trouble.)

"What now, there's nowhere to turn," commented Luke.

Bo was already putting the engine in full reverse, and gunning it. "Hang on."

"All right," spoke Ned Rachett, "we got them bumpkins cornered now, let's get em." Ned
leaned out the window and pointed his gun. "Hey, what do those hillbillies think they're doin',
they can't go near as fast as us backwards...can they?"

As the General sped backward toward Clifford's Gulch, Luke glanced around. "What the..."

"Just tell me when we get to the lip!"

After a pregnant pause, Luke hollered "now, Bo, now!" With "Dixie" blaring from the car's
horn, the General rose several yards, though not nearly as high as it did when jumping forward.
The Dukes' landing jarred them more than usual, and a crack was heard as they backed up, then
turned the General's side to face the gulch. The muffler had absorbed too much impact and
cracked.

Ned had seen them jump forward over the gulch, but this jump paralyzed him with shock. His
brother, Joe, hollered "that did NOT happen!" as the car sped toward the ravine. Not even
thinking of trying to make the jump forward, he hit the accelerator and brakes randomly, unsure
what to do after what he felt was a sure violation of some law of physics. The Porsche
plummeted into the ravine jarring Ned's gun loose from his hand and trapping Joe inside. Seeing
the Dukes still there with their guns, Ned broke free of the car and grabbed his gun before running
away. Joe, however, had more trouble.

Bo and Luke bolted from the General. "How'd you do that," Luke wondered.

"Just the first thing I thought of." Bo and Luke felled Joe as he tried to extricate himself from
the vehicle, and Bo said "let's cuff im and stuff im, as Rosco would say." Luke started off after
Ned, but Bo told him to halt. "He'll have a lot more trouble now on foot; plus he's prob'ly
spooked."

Luke grumbled, then relented. "Okay, but I sure hope Hazzard's got their doors locked now.
He reported their location and situation on the CB before Bo and he stuffed Joe into the back
seat. Luke climbed into the back and held a gun on the fellow.

Rosco came back on the CB a moment later. "Lost sheep, that's a big ten-four, we got a
couple deputies from over in Atlanta who're gonna watch him at the jailhouse, just take him there
and they'll meet ya." He grinned as he hung up the CB and proclaimed "khee khee, I love it, one
down and one to go." He radioed the Atlanta cops, then heaved a small sigh as he turned to
Flash. "I sure wish that was me out there chasin' em, buddy." Flash looked up and gave a
compassionate "woof."

Cooter, having overheard, walked over and said "why don't y'all go meet the boys there, Enos
has been out in California, I'm sure he can handle things for a few minutes."

Rosco hummed. He'd love to, but he still felt pressure to be at his command center. Why did
his fat little buddy pick this time to have his heart attack, he wondered. "Enos, get down to the
jail, we should have an official Hazzard deputy there to book em."

(Y'all, Rosco ain't been in hot pursuit of noone for quite a while. I reckon with all that's goin'
on now, he's real lonesome for it.)

Enos and the Atlantans entered the county jail to see Bo and Luke watching Joe Prachett.
"Sure funny to be on this end of it," Bo remarked.

"Yeah, hey y'all, we're in here." Luke did a double take as Enos appeared. "Hey, Enos, was
that you back at the hospital, things was so crazy we didn't take time to ask." Bo and Luke
greeted him warmly.

"Yeah, boys, I just got in this mornin', Rosco needed someone else to help while he was at the
hospital. I hear Daisy's adoptin'."

Bo nodded. "That's right, I guess she really got to thinkin' bout some of these kids at the
orphanage who don't have no Uncle Jesse to raise em."

"She gets a mite overprotective, but other than that..."

Bo joined in the joking. "I don't know, Luke, I think hysterical' is the better word when it
comes to this mornin'."

"Why, what happened?" The Dukes told him about the distressed call after Daisy found the
home had been ransacked.

"I don't know why she worried," complained Joe from the cell, "when her brothers or
whatever gots a car that can jump backwards!"

Enos' eyes grew wide. "You mean y'all jumped Hazzard Lake backwards!?!"

The Dukes laughed. "Come on, it was just Clifford's Gulch," remarked Luke. "Rosco even
jumped backwards once, though I don't recall it bein' on purpose."

Enos whistled. "Still, I wish I coulda been there to see that." As he and the Dukes left,
walking into the deserted downtown, he remarked. "I think Rosco's wishin' he was out doin'
some of this."

Bo agreed. "Seems like he's puttin' lots of pressure on himself."

"Well, Hazzard ain't had nothin' happen like this in a long time. Last couple times major
public enemies was here, the Boss was one of the ones bein' held hostage," he seemed to recall.
"In fact, wasn't he comin' out to foreclose on y'all one of them times?"

"Probably. He's done that a lot." Bo pondered the notion as they stood in front of the
General. "Still, somehow I feel for him with what he has to do here, especially after seein' Sheriff
Little gunned down like that."

Luke remarked "maybe now he'll remember what bein' a lawman's really like." Though
inside, he didn't know that could ever happen.



The Dukes went back to the hospital/command center, while Enos joined Cletus patrolling the
region around which Ned Rachett had fled. The other deputies, real and appointed, all sat
around, drinking coffee to stay awake, while trying to figure out what to do next.

Bo and Luke considered their deputy stars. As strange as it seemed, after all these years of
being chased by him, they were now Hazzard County deputies. And, they had to give Rosco
credit, he was treating every one of them the same as he did Cletus or Enos. Yes, part of that was
he seemed to have little clue of how to handle such a crisis, but he was treating them the same.
Would this last, they wondered. Or would he go right back to trying to get his greedy hands on
their farm?

"This sure is weird," Bo mused aloud. "Here we are, official deputies of Hazzard County.
Even if it's just for a while, it's fun."

"Yeah, it is." Luke became very quiet, looking ahead out the window, into the darkened
landscape.

After a couple minutes, Bo asked "thinkin' about Boss' triple bypass tomorrow?"

"Can't say that's not on my mind, usually the only triple I think of him having is a
cheeseburger." They snickered. "I'm just thinking about this whole situation. Wondering if
Rosco's gonna change, wondering if maybe havin' the mortgage paid off will help." He paused
again. "And yet wondering if maybe I'd miss it. After all, it's been fun havin' to jump Hazzard
Lake and other things so much, stayin' one step ahead of the law, knowin' you're in the right and
tryin' to prove it."

"It's just as exhilarating as the racing circuit, yeah. I'm with ya there."

"Do you think we can catch this guy? I mean, it seems like now that he's on foot, he could
steal any vehicle he wants..."

"Will he slip out of our grasp? Remember, Luke, every time we've had problems, we've seen
right triumph over might. It will here, too. Oh, hi, Rosco." The sheriff and acting commissioner
stood behind them, looking out the window. "Boss' surgery is what, 8:30 tomorrow morning?"

After a pause, Rosco said "yep, first one tomorrow." He was quiet a moment, then said "you
know, you boys have been so good, even when we ain't been; you've saved each of us a few
times...."

Bo shrugged. "Hey, you gotta be good to each other."

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do," Luke added.

"Yeah, well, I'm not very good at sayin', but..I'm really grateful...." He hesitated, then
decided he could stand to say it. "I kinda wish you boys were the ones we had to rely on
tomorrow." The Dukes smiled. They'd both longed to hear those words, that Rosco actually
recognized the good they'd done. They just wished he'd try to do more of it.

Bo turned toward him. "Hey, I think we all wish we could do somethin' constructive for him
tomorrow." He asked how the others were handling the manhunt. Rosco told them the whole
crew was really tired. Bo explained his thinking. "You know, the problem is, none of our people
here now have seen anything like this, even the police. The most experienced men are guarding
the one we've captured, and making sure his partner doesn't come break him out. And even
Enos...we'll he's okay, but I think he's been out of practice for so long..."

Rosco concurred. "Yeah, I've really made police work my life, they ain't been in it near as
long."

"They also don't have your confidence." Bo thought a second. "You've found other
criminals. True, we always slipped out of your grasp, but I think in the back of your mind, you
knew we weren't the real problem."

"Look, outta respect for my fat little buddy, let's not talk about them times." He also didn't
want to have to deal with his mixed feelings, with admitting that truth, but he knew Hogg's illness
would make the subject drop even more quickly.

Bo decided to agree with Rosco, it was better than trying to pick a fight now. "Okay, we'll
leave that go for now, but what these men, especially the Acting Deputies, need from you is
encouragement. They're frustrated, they're worried about their families, their farms. They need
to hear from you that they will capture them, that the forces of right are going to prevail. I know
it might be hard to say it, but they have to hear it."

Rosco considered the problem, and what he might have felt like as a rookie cop. Forget that,
he told himself. That was something he needed right now. He could see why the others might
need it. He uttered a small "thanks" before gathering the others around. Bo and Luke noticed
Benny, Daisy, and Uncle Jesse were all asleep, with Cooter manning the radio. He'd relieved
Jesse a couple hours ago, and would soon be relieved by him once more as Rosco's assistant.

"Okay, men, get around here and listen up," Rosco instructed, even though they were already
all around him. He soon got so involved in what he was saying, even overacting at times, he
sounded like a football coach before a title game. "Now listen, we've only got one more man to
get. It might feel like a needle in a haystack, but we're on the right side. The side of law
enforcement. Police work has been my life, and I can tell you that maybe in those big cities you
hear about problems, about criminals gettin' away, but there's nothin' like the good folk of
Hazzard and surrounding counties, places where there's usually no crime at all, banding together
in time of need. Whether it's a barn raising or catchin' a fugitive, you're part of somethin'
important, somethin' that can't be beaten. Whether you're a real officer or just an acting one, it
don't matter. You have..."

Luke walked up and whispered "you're rambling" in Rosco's ear.

Rosco gazed at Luke for a second. "Yeah, thanks. Anyway, it don't matter which one of ya
cuffs im and stuffs im, one of ya is going to. And you've got the minds to say I'll do my part,'
otherwise you wouldn't be here. So, with that, I'll tell ya, just go out there and find that man. I
know you can do it." He sighed as the others left. He wished he was out there. He wanted this
fugitive more than he'd ever wanted the Dukes, after what he'd seen happen. And now, he was
stuck here.



Bo and Luke drove along a country road, the scenery eerily peaceful despite the county's
problem. "Reckon he's hidin'out here somewhere," wondered Bo.

"Sure would be better than at someone's house or barn." He grumbled slightly. "Where do
you look in a place even the size of our segment?"

"I don't know, but this place is so dark, you'd think it'd be impossible. The moon ain't even
out."

Suddenly, Bo heard the CB come on. "Breaker breaker, all units, com in," came Rosco's
voice.

"We're listenin," came Bo's response.

After the others reported in, the sheriff explained. "Old Joe Grady just reported his son's car
stolen, any of you out near D-7?"

After hearing a couple cars announce they were in the area, Bo responded "we'll try to make it
there, too," and sped up.

"Think that's the last of the fugitives?"

"Should be," Bo remarked. "If not it'll be one very shocked car thief." They sped up as they
approached Hazzard Lake.

"Wait a minute...have we done this at night before?"

"Don't recall, but this is one place I've got that lip down pat." The General sailed high over
the pristine lake. The moonless night, stars overhead, and near pitch blackness made them feel
even more thrilled than usual. In the daylight, they were merely taking flight. Now, they were
astronauts, surrounded by a sea of black, in a tiny space capsule. The General came down nearly
flawlessly, if a few feet closer to the edge than usual.

"Wooo," shouted Luke, "I know it's hard to keep our jumps straight, but I'd think I'd
remember one like that."

"You said it; maybe that was a first." They both laughed, recognizing how odd that sounded.
Most couldn't imagine making any sort of jump once, and would certainly recall it. As for the
Dukes, they figured the General jumped nearly 10,000 times. They'd have to sit down and figure
out the total someday.

Soon, the Dukes spotted the car, a Fiero, along with the only other cruiser from Chickasaw
there; he'd had his wheels shot out and was against a tree. "Go get em," the deputy hollered
enthusiastically as the Dukes sped past, in hot pursuit.

Bo smiled and gave a thumbs up sign as he glanced at the deputy. "This one's for you, Sheriff
Little," he remarked before announcing that they were in hot pursuit. The auto, a relatively fast
one, was still barely within view, but they knew they could gain on the man.

After a moment, Luke began to feel his forehead. He was getting a bit of a headache. "Only
problem with hot pursuit is when you don't have a muffler."

"Guess we'll have to let Cooter look at it tomorrow." Bo slowed down as the gunman leaned
out his car long enough to take a wild shot at the General. "Yep, he's spotted us, sure enough."

Luke pointed his gun, and fired. A former Marine, he thought his shot could come close to
hitting the tires. It didn't. "Cut closer to em at Smith Junction." He smiled as Bo swerved their
car through a field, the General making a short jump over a stream. He was sort of glad Bo was
driving, as his cousin was more experienced. Neither of them had driven much at night, certainly
not while jumping, too, but Bo was probably better at judging the jumps they made.

Soon, the General was close enough that Ned pointed the gun again. Nobody was going to
get a really good shot at night, but Luke was certainly going to try. He aimed for the gun, and
got the back windshield. This, combined with a bump, stunned Ned enough he dropped the gun.
The fugitive returned to simply gunning the engine full blast.

"Anyone else in the area?"

Luke pondered the map and remarked "only other one's Rosco a few miles ahead."

Bo thought a second, then said candidly "you know, he needs to make this." Luke looked at
him like he was crazy. "Yeah, we could catch him, but..."

Luke thought for a moment. Yes, they were deputies, but he knew it wouldn't last. They'd
had one capture, anyway. Something like this would help Rosco a lot, with another officer having
already died because of the fugitives. "Hey, Rosco," Luke called out, "we're on Church Road
about 4 miles from ya, we're chasin' him but we might be havin' some problems."

"What kinda problems?"

"Well, you heard our muffler from a couple miles back before, I think the engine got busted a
little when Bo made that backwards jump. How about givin' us a hand."

Rosco pumped his fist and grabbed his black cowboy hat. "Ooo, I love it, I love," he shouted,
running toward the door with the CB still on. "Oh boy, hot pursuit!" He asked Jesse to come
with him so he'd have a partner, just in case.

"Hope you made the right call," Luke remarked.

"Hey, he won't get overconfident, this guy's nowhere near as good as us," joked Bo.

Rosco pulled his car quickly out of the hospital parking lot, and onto the road intersecting
Church Street. Unfortunately, he misjudged how fast the Fiero was coming, and pulled out to
join the pursuit too soon. Ned Rachett swerved sharply to his left, but Rosco followed, and soon
both Ned's and Rosco's car had crashed into a very large tree.

"Khee khee, I love it, it love it! All right," shouted the sheriff as he emerged, "I'm gonna cuff
ya and stuff ya." He slipping his handcuffs on the dazed fugitive.

Jesse walked up to Bo and Luke. "You didn't really have car trouble, did ya," he wondered,
figuring he knew the answer.

"No, Sir, we didn't."

Jesse patted each on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you," he remarked lowly.

(Well, the Rachetts was soon hauled off to the state penn, where they'd be goin' to prison for
a long time.
Boss Hogg went through his surgery okay, and got back into shape well enough that he could
come back on limited duty three months later. He was amazed when he'd learned Rosco had
actually handled a county emergency - though he figured right away Rosco had to have help.
Course, when the Boss came back, it let ol' Rosco get back to what he loved doin'.)

Rosco, having seen the Dukes jump Hazzard Lake after going through the speed trap, flew his
car high into the air. Unfortunately, he landed about half-way into the lake. "Oooo, ijit, I still
can't get that down right."

The Dukes looked back, laughing, as a fish flopped out of Rosco's hat. "Yep," remarked Bo,
"looks like everything's back to normal."

(Yes, everything was. Including the speed trap. Which managed to catch the Cathedrals soon
afterwards, just in time for Boss to dedicate a memorial to Sheriff Little.)

"And now, before the Cathedrals perform at our free outdoor concert here," Hogg noted in
front of a large crowd from both counties, gathered near the spot of the shootout, "I wish to
officially dedicate this memorial plaque in honor of a great protector of the people of Georgia, the
late great sheriff of Chickasaw County, Ed Little. The first lawman in these here parts to die in
the line of duty in over one hundred years." After a wreath was laid, Daisy walked Benny over,
where the boy laid a flower. The group sang one number, and Hogg remarked "and I would like
to thank the person who arrested those responsible, with this token of our gratitude, five thousand
dollars."

He fully expected one of the deputies from another county to collect it - or perhaps Enos. He
would have been a little stunned, but not terribly so, if Rosco stepped forward. However, Hogg
was visibly stunned when Bo and Luke stepped forward to claim the reward. "Ergh...what are
you Duke boys doin' here..."

"Well, Boss, I kinda deputized em..."

Hogg walked away from the makeshift podium. "Rosco, you what?!? How in the world could
you make them deputies?"

"Wel, I needed help, and I kinda had to so we could use their car, they caught one and kinda
let me have the second."

(Well, Boss Hogg was reluctant, but realized he had to give them at least half the reward
money. Which was perfect to help pay for Daisy's legal expenses in adoptin' Benny. Who really
seemed to learn quickly bout bein' a Duke - and not just in layin' that flower at Sheriff Little's
memorial.)

A long, wooden plank laid across a large log in the back of the Duke farm. Daisy gasped
while Bo and Luke looked on, as Benny rode his tricycle up that ramp as fast he could, then
landed safe on the other side. "Yee-haaaa," he hollered as Daisy ran to him, fearing he would fall.

Daisy Duke glared at her cousins and scolded them. "That's it, Benny's not ridin' with you till
he's at least 25." As she thought about what she'd said, she joined Bo, Luke and Benny in
laughing.

(Which just goes to show in a place like Hazzard, there's some things that just never change.)