Ransom

Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money, just cheap thrills.


Warnings: Slash, Established Couple, Angst


Rating: FRM


* indicates thoughts


Ransom
Chapter 2


Rosco had spent the night staring at the compass Bo had given him for Christmas, wishing it could lead him to his lover.

*"A compass?" Rosco questioned, surprised by the present Bo had handed to him.


"So no matter what happens, you'll always find your way back to me," Bo whispered while blushing slightly.


"That's beautiful sweetheart," Rosco softly spoke as he wrapped one hand behind his lover's neck and drew him forward for a kiss.*


"I promise ya Bo I'm gonna find ya, I won't let those men take you away from me," Rosco whispered, gripping the compass in his hand.



"Rosco son, you need to get some sleep," Evelyn said, startling Rosco as she laid her hand on his back.


"I can't mama, I keep seeing Bo with a bullet in his head and..."


"Rosco P. Coltrane now you just stop that right now. You aren't doing Bo any good sitting here and torturing yourself like this. I know you're worried son, but you've got to have faith in God and in Bo," Evelyn soothed.


"You're right mama," Rosco retorted, reaching with his free hand to lightly squeeze her's.


"So you'll go to bed?"


"In a bit."


"Well why don't I fix you some warm milk with nutmeg?"


"No thanks mama, you go on to bed, I'll be alright."


With a heavy sigh Evelyn patted him gently on the back, "Goodnight son, please go to bed and get some rest."


"I will mama, goodnight."


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The sound of a nightowl hooting in the trees greeted Bo as he slowly regained consciousness. Moaning in pain as he became more aware of his various bumps and bruises, Bo began to take stock of himself. He didn't think anything was actually broken, though judging by how painful it was to breathe, Bo figured he'd either bruised or cracked several ribs. It was too dark to see, but he was sure the stickiness that he felt on his head was blood. Between the blood and the pain, he was sure he must've hit his head against at least one rock, maybe more. Reaching with one hand towards his shoulder, he felt more blood smeared across his skin. With a sigh of relief he realized that there was no bullet hole in his shoulder, "Thank God. It must've just grazed me."


The sound of rustling in the bushes had him turning his head quickly. The sudden movement brought on a surge of nausea and before he could stop himself he was retching miserably into the dirt. Instinctively Bo rolled away from the foul smell, only making it a few feet before once again losing consciousness.


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The ringing phone woke Rosco, his head jerking from the table, the compass still held tight in his hand. "Hello," he answered the phone breathlessly, hoping for news about Bo.


"Sheriff I just got a strange call and I was wondering what you want me to do about it?"


"Dang it Cletus, you're supposed to be an officer of the law..."


"Yes sir, I'm sorry I bothered you, I'll take care of it ri..."


"Wait a minute Cletus," Rosco interrupted as a thought occcured to him. "What was strange about this call?"


"Well it was from Mrs. Clemmons and she said that she saw some lights up around Crying Canyon last night. I didn't want to upset her, so I told her it was probably just some kids up there fooling around. There ain't nobody ever goes up there at night sheriff, shoot they don't hardly go there in the daylight, so I was just wondering if I should check it out?"


"No Cletus, uh that is I'll check it out myself," Rosco replied. Hanging up the phone, Rosco quickly called the Duke farm. "Jesse I have a lead on where Bo might be."


"Where?"


"Mrs. Clemmons called the sheriff's office and she told Cletus she saw some lights up around Crying Canyon last night. I'm gonna go talk to her, find out exactly where she saw these lights, could y'all meet me at Hazzard pond and bring Enos with ya?"


"We'll be there Rosco," Jesse replied.


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The heat of the sun woke Bo the second time, and cautiously he began to move. He was relieved at the absence of nausea, though his head still felt like the day after the night before. Dreading what the bright light would do to his head, he took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. Slamming his eyes shut, he began to shake at what he had seen. "No, it can't be," he whispered fearfully. "Please God, don't let it be true," he prayed before once again opening his eyes.


Nothing had changed, he still saw the same thing as before. Though the sun beating down on him confirmed that it was daylight, all Bo could see was pitch black darkness! He could feel the panic rising inside him, like a wild animal it tried to claw it's way out, making him want to scream from fear and pain. Fighting against it, Bo knew he couldn't give into the panic or he'd have no chance of getting out of this alive. Suddenly he could hear Rosco's voice telling him to stay calm. Though he knew the voice wasn't really his lover's, still it worked to soothe him.


Taking several deep breaths, Bo tried to figure out what to do. He knew it would be dangerous to walk away from where he was and it would be a miracle if he found his way to safety. However, Bo was sure that he couldn't stay where he was. He didn't know where his kidnappers were, probably trying to find a way into the canyon, but he wasn't going to just sit there waiting for them. Bo might not be as smart as Luke, but he knew that the two men who had taken him would most likely kill him. So even though it would be dangerous, at least if he were trying to find help, he would have a chance of survival. If he stayed where he was, they would find a way down to him and would no doubt finish what they had started.


Slowly, he pulled himself to his feet, collapsing back to the ground the moment he put weight on his left ankle. "Ahhhh," he cried out as he fell, instinctively grabbing at the injured limb, massaging it in an effort to end the pain. As the pain subsided, Bo began to cautiously feel around the ankle, relieved to find it didn't seem broken. "Just twisted it then, good." Reaching out, he felt around the area, hoping to find something he could use as a crutch. The first stick he came in contact with was too flimsy, but he laid it nearby as he continued to search. When he found nothing else, he crawled a few feet away from where he was. Bringing the first stick with him he began to search the new area. This time he had better luck, finding a good sturdy limb that was just the right length to use as a crutch. With the help of the primative crutch, he made his way to his feet, still holding the first stick in his hand. Placing the crutch under his left arm and using the other stick to feel ahead for obstacles and hidden dangers, he slowly set out.


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"What'd ya find out Rosco?" Luke asked as soon as the sheriff pulled up at the pond.


"Well Mrs. Clemmons didn't get the chance to tell Cletus everything. She saw lights alright, up near the canyon, she also, um. She thought she heard a gunshot and she said it didn't sound like no rifle or shotgun," Rosco reluctantly told them.


"You think it's the men who took Bo?" Jesse asked.


"That's what I'm afraid of Jesse and I sure don't want to think about what them gunshots could mean. That's why I think maybe Daisy should stay behind..."


"Now you just wait a dang minute Rosco! I love Bo just as much as anybody else here and I'm going!" Daisy insisted, poking the sheriff in the chest with her finger as she spoke.


"I know you do Daisy, but these men are dangerous. Now just hold on," Rosco interrupted before she could get started. "I'm not suggesting that you can't take care of yourself, I just don't know what we may find up there and I don't like the idea of you being there."


"You think they may have killed Bo?"


"I don't want to think it, but yeah it's possible," Rosco confirmed.


"I appreciate ya trying to spare me Rosco, but I need to be there. I'll stay with Uncle Jesse if it'll make ya feel better, but I can't stay behind."


"Alright, but you make sure you stay with Jesse," Rosco reluctantly agreed.


"So what's the plan sheriff," Enos asked, getting them back on track.


"Well with the description Mrs. Clemmons gave, I think they're holed up at Tim Wilson's hunting cabin. Now there's only one door into that cabin, so I think we should park about a half mile from the cabin and make our way on foot. If we come up from the backside of the place, we'll be able to peek in through the windows and hopefully see where they are, if they're there. Then if it is them, we create a distraction and draw them out of the cabin so we can grab 'em."


"Sounds good Rosco."


"Let's do it."


"We're ready when you are sheriff."


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"Rick what are we gonna do tommorrow?"


"What do ya mean Roy?"


"Well that sheriff, he'll probably want to see blondie before he gives us Turner."


"Shoot that ain't no problem Roy, see you're gonna be up on the ridge with a high powered rifle. When he steps out of the car, you kill him and then we take care of Turner."


"That's good Rick, guess we wasn't lying either," Roy observed, as the two men sat in the front room, cleaning their guns.


"Lying about what?"


"Well we told him he'd get blondie back if he gave us Turner, and after we kill him, he'll be reunited with blondie."


"That's funny Roy, I hadn't thought of that," Rick agreed with a cruel laugh.


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When they reached the rear of the cabin, the rescue team was forced to split up. Jesse, Daisy and Enos went to the left, while Rosco and Luke went to the right. Moving steadily towards the front of the cabin, they stopped to peer in through the dusty windows.


"Rosco, Luke," Daisy called quietly from the rear of the cabin.


Moving quickly but quietly they hurried to the back of the cabin. "What is it Daisy?" Luke asked.


"There's a window on this side of the cabin that has footprints under it, leading away from the cabin."


"You think it's Bo?"


"Well Rosco said they didn't let Bo put his boots on and these prints are from bare feet."


"Did you see any evidence of Bo being inside the cabin?" Rosco asked.


"No, did y'all?"


"No we didn't. Alright, lets get them out of that cabin and then we can go find Bo," Rosco suggested.


"How?" Daisy asked.


"What do ya suppose would happen if their car were to roll down the hill into a tree?" Luke asked.


"They'd probably come running outside to see what happened," Rosco replied.


"Exactly, and that's when we grab them."


"Good idea, let's do it," Rosco agreed.


Five minutes later, Luke carefully reached through the window of the car and pulled the gearshift into drive. Moving his hand down to the emergency brake, he released the lever and ran back towards the others. The sound of crunching metal as the car slammed into a tree brought Roy and Rick from the cabin at a run.


"Freeze!" Rosco shouted when they were half way between car and house.


"Better do as he says boys," Enos called, aiming his own gun at the kidnappers.


"Alright sheriff, you got us," Rick said.


"Hands behind your heads," Rosco ordered. "Enos, cuff 'em."


"Yes sir," Enos said as he put his gun away and moved forward. After cuffing one of the men, he caught the cuffs the sheriff tossed his way and placed them on the second kidnapper. As Enos read them their rights, and Rosco stood guard, the Dukes entered the cabin.


"He's not here Rosco," Luke confirmed after a quick search.


"You're too late sheriff," Rick said before Rosco could say anything.


"What do you mean I'm too late?" Rosco fearfully asked.


"Blondie escaped last night, he didn't make it very far though. I shot him over by the edge of the canyon, if the bullet didn't kill him, the fall did."


"No! Where is he?" Rosco demanded, pulling his gun and leveling it at the man who had killed his lover.


"Just a few hundred feet that way," Rick replied, nodding towards the treeline.


"Enos, you guard the prisoners," Rosco ordered. Hurrying in the indicated direction, Rosco followed the prints his lover had left in the dirt. He was so focused on the trail, he didn't even notice the Dukes coming along behind him. Stopping suddenly, he stood staring down at the ground where the footprints ended. A chill raced along his spine at the sight of blooddrops spattering the area and the evidence of somebody falling over the edge into the canyon below. With a feeling of fear and grief, he forced himself to look down the slope.


"He's not there...he's not there!" Rosco cried out excitedly.


"He must've survived the fall then," Luke observed, a grin spreading across his face.


"There's no way he took a fall like that without getting hurt and they said he was shot," Jesse reminded them.


"You're right Jesse," Rosco agreed, some of his earlier excitement dying down. "Okay here's what we'll do. Jesse you and Daisy help Enos get the prisoners back to his patrol car. Once you've done that, you get a search party organized, me and Luke'll get started up here to see what we can find in the meantime."


"Okay Rosco, we'll be back soon with some help," Jesse agreed.


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"Oooomph," Bo grunted as he again fell to the ground. In spite of using the smaller stick to feel ahead, he had still managed to find several rocks and tree roots to trip him up. "I can't do it Rosco," he whispered, tears of pain and frustration streaking his cheeks. Bo felt the fear overwhelming him as he lay on the ground, surrounded by darkness. The sounds around him, familiar sounds that he had heard all of his life, suddenly took on a menacing tone. The darkness he was trapped in causing a panic that made it impossible for him to distinguish the cacophny of sounds around him. "Stop it! Go away!" he screamed at whatever made the noises, panic taking the place of reason.


He didn't know how long he had laid there, but after what seemed an eternity, the panic had finally started to recede. Taking several deep, slow breaths, Bo tried to calm down and think about his options. *Okay, I can stay here and hope that a friend finds me. If I stay put though, they might find me first, which means I'm dead. The problem is, I don't know what direction to go. I may even be heading back towards the cabin or for another cliff. I don't know what I should do.*


"If you're ever lost in the woods, find shelter and stay put until help comes." Bo remembered Uncle Jesse telling him that when he was a little boy. He couldn't remember how it had come up, but he clearly remembered his uncle's words.


"Thanks Uncle Jesse," he whispered. With a new found resolve, Bo pulled himself back to his feet and started forward once again. Stumbling through the woods, he prayed for guidance and protection as he searched for someplace safe to hide while he waited for help.


TBC


Well hope y'all liked chapter 2, please leave reviews and feed the muse. Thank you.