General Lee's Revenge--A Dark and Stormy Night

Chapter Ten: Have at 'Em Boys

(A/N: Y'all should check out my Starsky and Hutch fanfic on AO3)

The hunt began that fateful morning. The last two days had been uneventful, but from his vantage point on the hill, overlooking the Boar's Nest, Bo watched as a crooked figure sidled up to the back door of the bar, the one that conveniently led to Boss Hogg's office, in broad daylight. They weren't moving very agile either, as their posture was slightly hunched and they were a bit potbellied.

Bo, who'd been crouched on one knee, pushed himself up to sit on his haunches, left hand on his knee, right hand dangling in front of him. His mouth worked over the strand of straw pinched between his lips as he thought. Within a moment of the figure disappearing inside the office, he was greeted with a gust of heat to his back.

"He's makin' a bold move bein' out in the open like that," the pickup behind him remarked.

"Yeah, it's stupid, odd even. It don't make sense," Bo replied, taking the straw from his mouth and flicking it to the ground as he stood.

Thunder rumbled. "It's a decoy if you ask me. Somethin' bigger's goin' on here, I can feel it."

Bo folded his arms, still looking down at the Boar's Nest. "Yeah, and I ain't one to question any of your 'gut feelin's. We gotta be missin' somethin', this's the first time he's shown his face; whatever it is, it's comin' fast."

"Should I call up some reinforcements?" Thunder asked. "Bubba seems like he'd hold up good in a fight."

Bo shook his head. "No, we can handle this on our own. Hoggs are about brains, not brawn."

"Think we should wait till Luke and them get back?"

Bo shook his head again. "Ain't no way of tellin' when they'll be back for sure. We do what we gotta do, alright? We ain't lettin' him get away, understand?"

Thunder nodded. "Comprendo."

It was then that the figure could be seen moving from the door, sidling its way back to the parking lot, and to a waiting car parked in the shade beneath the trees. Its movements were suspicious in nature, the man even walked like he was up to no good. If only they could see his face....

After the man had disappeared, Duke boy and Defect each turned their gazes back to the Boar's Nest.

"Intentional," the pickup muttered, rolling forward. "What d'you think he took?"

Bo shrugged. "Dunno, somethin' for blackmail probably."

Thunder shook himself. "That's what he wants you to think, c'mon."

Bo spared him a confused glance before jumping onto his open tailgate, the two of them rolling down the hill and to the dirt parking lot of the bar. Thunder pulled to the back, Bo hopping down, seeing that the office door had been left ajar. Thunder's words finally registering, Bo turned back to him.

"You think he left somethin'?" he asked.

Thunder nodded, rolling forward as Bo walked to the door, pulling it open carefully, as if the tiniest squeak might set off an alarm. As the Duke boy walked into the red-carpeted office, Thunder followed as far as he could, nose to the open door in an attempt to see.

It was in plain sight, lying on the round, studded table, held down by a ceramic sculpture of a white mastiff. In one swift movement, Bo pulled it out from beneath the dog, as if it were booby-trapped. Wary, he looked around, just for good measure. Increasingly uncomfortable, he stepped out of the office and shut the door behind him, Thunder having backed away to let him out.