Ransom

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


Warnings: Angst, Slash, Established Couple


Rating: FRT


* indicates thoughts


Ransom
Chapter 9


"Rosco," Evelyn called when she heard her son coming in the front door. "I know you want to go see Bo, but you need to come and eat some dinner first."


"Yes ma'am, I'll just go wash up first," Rosco called back.


"Rosco?"


"Yes Mama?"


"Are you alright son?" Evelyn asked. Stepping into the front room, she gasped when she got a good look at Rosco. "My word, what's happened Rosco? Is Bo alright?"


"Bo's fine Mama," he replied.


"Something did happen, didn't it?"


"Yes it did, I'll tell ya about it at dinner, okay?"


"Okay, well dinner will be ready in a few minutes so why don't you go on and wash up?"


A few minutes later, Rosco returned to the dining room and took his place at the table. Bowing his head, he waited for his mother to finish the blessing. Echoing her amen, he raised his head, not surprised when she immediately asked for an explanation.


"You know those two men that kidnapped Bo?"


"The hitmen? What about them?"


"Well they were picked up today by a couple of FBI agents. A little while after they left, I heard the agents calling for help. When I got to where they were, the two hitmen were dead, shot by a sniper."


"Lord have mercy! What about the agents, are they okay?"


"Yeah they're fine."


"So you're just upset cause two people are dead? Though I must say, with what they did for a living it's not surprising."


"Well I ain't never happy to see people die, not even when they deserve it. That ain't what's got me bothered though. Ya see, because of what they did to Bo...well I'm a suspect."


"You? Why the nerve of them, I've got half a mind to go to Atlanta and tell them FBI..."


"Calm down Mama, they're just doing their jobs. Besides, I ain't the only one who's gonna be questioned, the agents that were transporting them will be suspects too. I don't like being investigated like that, but it's not unexpected."


"Well if you expected it, then there must be something else bothering you," Evelyn observed.


"No ma'am, just been a long day that's all," Rosco lied. He wanted to tell her about the situation with Bo's bills, but he didn't feel like he should until he talked to his lover about it.


"Rosco Pervis Coltrane, I taught you better than to lie to your mother!"


"I...I'm sorry Mama, I shouldn't have done that. I can't tell you what the problem is though, I need to talk to Bo about it first, okay?"


"That's fine Rosco, I don't know why you didn't just say that in the first place. I swear I don't know what gets into you sometimes."


"I am sorry Mama, I shouldn't have lied to you. Am I forgiven?"


"Of course you're forgiven son," Evelyn assured him, reaching over and giving his hand a light squeeze.


"Thank you Mama," Rosco said. Picking up his fork, he finally started to eat the food his mother had worked so hard to prepare. "That was delicious Mama," he said, wiping his mouth with his napkin and standing up.


"Thank you son," Evelyn acknowledged the compliment. "Rosco?"


"Ma'am?" he questioned, picking up his dirty dishes.


"Leave them, I know you want to go see Bo."


"That's alright Mama, you did the cooking the least I can do is wash the dishes," he said, continuing to clear the table.


"Son, you worked all day, after being at the hospital all night, you let me clean up."


"I don't mind, really," Rosco protested.


"Son, is there some reason why you don't want to go visit Bo?"


"Why wouldn't I want to see Bo?"


"I don't know, why wouldn't you?"


"You really don't mind?" he asked, avoiding the question.


"I really don't mind," Evelyn confirmed.


"Thank you Mama, I guess I'll just go shower and change then," Rosco said, leaning down and giving her a small kiss on the cheek.


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Pushing open the door, Rosco stepped into Bo's hospital room. He was surprised and not pleased to find his lover alone.


"Who's there? Luke?"


"No Bo, it's me," Rosco replied, moving to the bed and taking Bo's hand in his.


"Rosco," Bo greeted, a smile spreading across his face. "I missed you cowboy, was starting to think you'd forgot about me."


"I could never do that sweetheart," Rosco whispered, leaning down and brushing Bo's lips in a gentle kiss. "Bo, why are you alone?"


"Luke was here, I don't know where he is now?"


Just then the door opened, and Luke stepped inside, a cup of coffee in his hand. "Hey Rosco," he greeted.


"Don't you hey Rosco me, what the hell were you thinking leaving him alone?"


"Now just hold on a minute Rosco, I just went to get a cup of coffee from the nurses breakroom and there was a deputy guarding the door."


"Rosco, it's okay, please don't get mad at Luke, I'm okay," Bo soothed, even as Luke voiced his own protest.


"I know you're okay Bo, but what if...?"


"Rosco, has something happened?" Bo asked, trying to hide his fear as the memories of what he'd already been through assailed him.


"No, well not anything that should put you in danger. I'm sorry Luke, guess I'm a little on edge," he apologized.


"Apology accepted," Luke acknowledged. "Look, I think I'm gonna go get me a bite to eat and stretch my legs since you're here. Either of you want anything?"


"I don't need anything, thanks Luke."


"Me neither cousin, thanks."


"Okay, well I'll be back in a little while then."


"Rosco? You said nothing that puts me in danger, so what did happen?"


"Damn, I was hoping you didn't catch that. You know those two hitmen that kidnapped you the first time?"


"They didn't escape did they?" Bo asked, making no attempt to hide his fear.


"No, no sweetheart," Rosco quickly assured him. "Actually, well they're dead."


"Dead? How?"


"They were on their way to Atlanta, the agents transporting them were ambushed by a sniper. Both of the Blevins brothers were killed instantly."


"What about the FBI agents?"


"They're fine, I guess the sniper didn't see any reason to shoot them."


"So I won't be testifying after all."


"No you won't," Rosco confirmed. "Bo, there is something else I need to..." Rosco stopped talking at the sound of a knock on the door. Standing up, he went to the door and carefully pulled it open, "Yes?"


"Rosco Coltrane?" a black man in his thirties asked.


"Yes, who are you?"


"I'm agent Harper, FBI," he introduced, holding up his badge for Rosco to inspect.


"I suppose you want to talk to me about what happened?"


"Yes sir," came the confirmation.


"Could it wait a few minutes, I don't want to leave Bo alone," Rosco explained.


"No sir, if you like we could talk here," Harper offered.


"Rosco?" Bo called, getting worried by the tone of the stranger's voice.


"I'll be back in a few minutes Bo, I'm just gonna step outside and talk to this man."


"Why don't you talk in here?"


"Can't do that Bo, official police business," Rosco explained. "Will you be okay for a few minutes?"


"Sure."


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"Thank you Sheriff, I've already asked, so why don't we use the nurses' breakroom?"


"Yeah sure," Rosco agreed, looking back over his shoulder at Bo's door.


"Sheriff Coltrane I know you're anxious to get back to your friend, so I'll make this as quick as I can."


"Thank you."


"Where were you today between one and two p.m.?"


"Well I was at my office at one, that's when agents Collins and Mulrovey picked up the Blevins brothers for transport to Atlanta. About thirty minutes after they left, maybe a bit longer I heard them calling for help. At that point I left my office and raced to where they had said they were."


"I see, and what happened when you arrived?"


"They, the agents, were standing next to the car and the Blevins brothers were dead. The agents said that somebody had shot them both as they drove towards Atlanta. I started to go towards the hill where they said the shots came from, that's when I found out I was a suspect."


"What did you do then?"


"I asked them if they wanted my gun and badge? When they said not now, I said I supposed they needed to know where I was? They told me they wouldn't be the ones investigating and that their actions would be looked at too. So I left and came back to the office to wait for the Federal Marshall to arrive with Lewis Turner."


"Did you leave the office again before he arrived?"


"No sir," Rosco answered. "He went to dinner while I watched the prisoner, then he came back and I left. Told him that somebody from the FBI might be by and that if ya did, to tell you I'd be here or at home."


"So you left the office and came here?"


"No I went home first, had dinner with my mother. Then I showered and changed before coming up here."


"Did you agree to kill the Blevins boys in exchange for Bo Duke's hospital bills being paid?"


"What? Of course not," Rosco denied indignantly.


"You are aware that Carl Turner has arranged to pay Mr. Duke's bills though, aren't you?"


"I'm aware somebody made arrangements and I figure it's this Carl Turner fella. I only found out about it this morning when I stopped by the business office. I was gonna talk to them about the bill, only the lady in there told me it was already taken care of. She wouldn't tell me who, said he wanted to remain anonymous, but I figure it was Turner. When I left, I ran into a man named Bill Thompson, he's the one who made the arrangements."


"How do you know that?"


"When I say I ran into him, that's what I mean. He dropped his papers and when I went to pick them up I saw Bo's name on them. I threatened to take him in for questioning, that was the only way I could get him to tell me who he was. He didn't say who he represented, but he did say the man hadn't wanted innocent people hurt. I told him that I didn't want him paying Bo's bills, I don't want him owing a man like that anything. He claimed it was too late to do anything about it and that besides his employer felt like he owed Bo."


"You expect me to believe that?"


"You believe what you want Agent Harper, but it's the truth," Rosco heatedly replied.


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"Rosco?" Bo called out when he heard the door opening.


"No Bo, it's me," Luke replied.


"Did you see Rosco out there?"


"No, where'd he go? I thought he was worried about you being alone?" Luke asked, moving closer to the bed.


"Somebody with the FBI came by, wanted to talk to him. Did you know about the Blevins brothers?"


"Them other two hitmen?"


"Yeah."


"No, what about them?"


"They were killed today, murdered."


"What? How?"


"They were shot, Rosco said it was a sniper did it. Luke, what if they think Rosco did it?"


"Aw Bo, come on now there ain't no reason to be worrying about that," Luke assured his cousin.


"I'm blind Luke, not stupid!" Bo snapped. "I'm sorry," he apologized in nearly the same breath. "I ain't got no call to snap at you. I can't help being worried Luke, I mean it'd make sense for the FBI to suspect him. I know he didn't do it, he wouldn't ever do anything like that, but what if they decide he's guilty?"


"First of all Bo, the FBI doesn't decide guilt, that's up to a jury. Now they can arrest him, but it'll be up to a jury to decide if he's guilty and that means the feds have to prove he did it. I don't see how they can do that, since he didn't shoot those men."


"Come on Luke, you know as well as I do that innocent people can end up in prison."


"I can't deny that Bo, but you've got to have faith."


Before Bo could say anything else, the door was pushed open and Rosco came into the room, followed by Agent Haper. "Bo, there's somebody here that needs to talk to you," Rosco began to explain.


"Who?"


"Bo, I'm Agent Harper with the FBI," Harper introduced himself.


"What can I do for you Agent Harper?" Bo asked, not in the mood to be friendly.


"Who was with you today?" Harper asked, more than willing to get to the point.


"My cousin Luke was here until about ten o'clock, then my Uncle Jesse was here until dinner time, Luke came back then."


"When you say dinner time, what time do you mean?"


"I think they serve dinner about five thirty or six."


"You're blind, correct?"


"Yeah, why?"


"How do you know that your uncle got here about ten o'clock?"


"Cause the nurse brought me my pain medication with breakfast at six, she said I'd get more in four hours. She brought me my next dose a few minutes after Uncle Jesse got here," Bo explained, his voice tight with anger.


"So at the time of the shooting your cousins Luke and Daisy were unaccounted for?"


"Mister, if you're trying to say that either one of my cousins had something to do with them men being killed, you're barking up the wrong tree."


"Am I? Mr. Duke," he started, turning to Luke. "Where were you between one and two today?"


"I was in town at Cooter's garage, we were putting a new racing cam on the General."


"You're sure of that?"


"Of course I'm sure, I went there right after lunch and was there until a little after three. Then I went home to do chores before coming back to the hospital to relieve Uncle Jesse."


"Do you know where your cousin Daisy was?"


"The same place she usually is at that time of day, working at the Boar's Nest," Luke snapped his answer.


"Bo, how do you explain that the man who hired those hitmen is paying your hospital bills?"


"What? He's not, why would you think he is?"


"So Sheriff Coltrane didn't tell you about that?" Harper asked, making it sound suspicious.


"Rosco?"


"I'll explain later Bo, I just ain't had the time yet. That's enough Harper, I ain't gonna have you coming in here and upsetting him."


"You're not going to have it?"


"That's right. You may suspect me or his cousins of being involved in them killings, even though you're wrong, but you know Bo ain't involved. He's an innocent victim, and I ain't gonna allow you to upset him or treat him like a suspect."

"Alright Sheriff, I'll just be going then and I will be checking into your stories gentlemen," Harper told them, before heading for the door.


"Agent Harper?" Bo called.


"Yes?" he asked, turning back to the man in the bed.


"When you find out that neither my family or my lover had anything to do with them murders, you better be ready to apologize."


Agent Harper didn't bother to acknowledge the young man's warning, but simply turned around and quickly left the room.


TBC


Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to let me know what you think of the story so far. Thank you.