General Lee's Revenge

Chapter Eight: Running Away

Rosco showed Boss Hogg the letter and the picture of the General Lee. After Rosco explained it and told him what Enos had told him, Boss Hogg glanced out the window into the backyard.

Bo had gotten ahold of Luke's newly acquired hat and was now playing Keep Away with it. Lulu sat on the porch, laughing at them as Flash barked and ran around in circles excitedly. Luke lunged for Bo, and Hogg watched as Bo expertly tossed the hat in the air towards Lulu. She caught it and stood up, leaning over the rail.

"Now I got your hat," she said.

"Can I have it back?" Luke asked, starting towards her.

"Only if you can catch it! Here Bo!"

Lulu tossed the hat to the youngest Duke, and he ran off with it.

"Bo!" Luke yelled.

Inside the house, Boss Hogg sighed, regarding the Duke boys as his own. "Do you think we should tell 'em?"

"No! You know as much as I do about what Russell did to them, what d'you think their reaction'll be when they find out he could be comin' back for 'em?"

"You're right, you're right, that'd be bad. I've never seen what trauma like that can make people do before, I don't think I wanna. Let's just stick to our original plan and keep it inside Hazzard law. Maybe by the time Enos gets outta the hospital, this'll all have died down."

"I sure hope so." Rosco glanced outside, watching the backyard as Boss Hogg had done.

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The nightmares hadn't stopped. Ever since they'd gotten back from Hollow Hill, the memories hung over him like a storm cloud. He couldn't go a night without nightmares or flashbacks. 

He kept on reliving his time at Hollow Hill. He couldn't make it stop. No matter how loud he screamed inside his head. No matter how hard he tried to smile through the pain. No matter how many times he tried to forget. Hollow Hill was there, haunting him. It would haunt him for the rest of his life, he had no say in it.

Luke seemed to be handling it much better than he was. It didn't seem like anything was bothering him; only his sudden loss of twenty years. He'd gotten over that fairly quick though. If something was bothering him, he was fooling everybody.

Bo remembered when they were kids. Those nights sitting on the floor of their room with a flashlight as Luke scared the nightmares away. Daisy'd join in sometimes if she couldn't sleep, but these were nightmares that were staring them down, laughing in their faces. The devil couldn't chase these nightmares away.

A few weeks later, Bo and Luke got a call from Jesse and Daisy. It was going to take longer than anticipated. Jesse was getting better, thankfully. The doctors were helping him, and he'd make a full recovery. Just a little longer in Nashville, and he'd be better. It came as a relief to hear.

Jesse wasn't the only one who'd been getting better. Enos was out of the hospital now and resting comfortably at home. Too bad Daisy wasn't there to see him home. He'd be able to continue his duty as deputy sheriff soon. Life would continue on as normal for most folks. The Four of Spades hadn't left any more letters for Rosco. It was safe to assume they were gone.

Jesse and Daisy came home just in time to host a massive meal. Everyone was there, Bo, Luke, Daisy, Jesse, Rosco, Boss Hogg, Lulu, Enos, Cletus, Cooter, and even Flash and Brutus.

I hope y'all don't expect these good times to last.

Rosco reached into his back pocket to grab his wallet. As he pulled it out, an envelope fell out. Bo reached down to grab it so he could give it back to him but stopped when he saw something sticking out of it. Curiosity getting the best of him, he quickly snatched it up and ran off to his room with it.