Chapter Five

“What?” Bo demanded, “Where is she?”

“If I knew, I’d had gone for her!” Dan snapped. “She was supposed to meet me at the clubhouse but I was late-"

“She was out here alone?” Bo demanded.

Dan ignored the question. “When I got there-well, you better come see the clubhouse Trix.”

Trixie turned to the livid Bo, placing her hand on his arm.

“Bo, go to Manor House and get the others up here, pronto. Have one of them go for Regan as well.”

“Daisy-”

“Bo, we’ll find her. Go!”

Bo glared at Dan and headed back down the path. Trixie and Dan headed back to the clubhouse.

The others arrived within ten minutes, including Dan’s uncle, Bill Regan, a longtime friend and supporter of the Bob Whites. They group stared at the grisly door. Di turned away into Mart’s shoulder as Honey swallowed. Jim went pale, then red. Luke and Bo were furious.

“They didn’t break in or destroy anything,” Trixie told them, studying the area. “I think they grabbed her at the door since it was locked. It looks like there might have been a scuffle, they probably grabbed her from behind. There are hoof prints over that way, but they could be the Wheeler horses.” She stood up from where she had been swautting over the ground.

Regan went to look at them.

“Why was Daisy alone?” Jim demanded. “I thought we agreed to stay in pairs.”

“I had to stop by the cabin for a minute. She didn’t wait for me to come back.”

“You should have insisted!” Jim persisted.

“Daisy ain’t no fragile girl. You try telling her not to do something,” Luke snapped.

“All of you, knock it off,” Regan strode over to the group. He was only a couple years older than Luke, but his tone held authority. “Those aren’t our horses. Different type of shoe, I think they’re rented from somewhere. Either way, we have a missing girl on our hands.”

“Pair off like we did the other day,” Trixie said, holding Bo’s hand, which she squeezed. “Let’s go find Daisy.”

“Now hold on, Trixie,” Luke warned. “She was taken in the last few minutes, and they might have someone watching us right now.”

“They could be still close too, Luke, and we might have a better chance of finding her!” Bo protested.

“We gotta make sure they don’t hurt her,” Luke said thoughtfully.

“If they’re on horseback, that will limit where they can go,” Regan pointed out.

“I don’t think they’re at the old schoolhouse, I was over there the other day and it hadn’t been used,” Dan answered.

“Well, we know how buildings seem to pop up around here. There’s probably one or two we haven’t discovered yet,” Jim said.

“I think we’re safe to go ahead and get looking. But I advise on foot. Get your hunting rifles,” Regan said. “I’ll go with Dan.”

“Dan, the building-” Trixie started

“We found the other day,” he finished. “That’s where we start. Di, you and Mart run down to the farm real quick, get Molinson on the phone and report Daisy kidnapped.”

***

Dan, Trixie, Bo, Jim and Regan headed for the old building, spreading out. Jim and Regan took the second route, Dan, Trixie and Bo took the first, planning to meet at the cabin.

***

“How you holding up with the Duke fella around?” Regan asked.

Jim grunted a response.

Regan hid his smile.

“You know, it doesn’t hurt to have a little competition,” Regan said, “Makes you appreciate what you have.”

“Don’t you mean had?” Jim sighed.

Regan shook his head.

“You’re down, fella, not out. He’ll be gone in a few days, and you’ll have Trixie back.”

“You can’t deny they’re happy together,” Jim muttered.

“Trixie’s been your girl for years, even when you two are being stubborn fools and acting like she’s not.”

“Regan, even Mrs. Belden adores the guy. He just charms the pants off of everyone he comes across.”

“Is that why you’re worried?” Regan asked casually. “That he’ll charm Trixie’s off of her?”

Jim stopped in his tracks and stared at his friend. “Don’t even think about that.”

“Jim, look, I’ve watched you two look at each other fondly for six years now. That only goes so far.”

Jim went pale and Regan reached out to steady the young man by clapping his hand on Jim’s shoulder.

“Jim, look, all I’m saying is Trixie is a beautiful young woman, and she’s as stubborn as you. When she wants something, she goes after it. And if she’s not getting what she wants from one source, she’ll look to another,” Regan said pointedly. “She is over eighteen you know.”

Jim swallowed hard. “We-we haven’t taken that step. We can’t seem to stop arguing long enough. And I’ve been away at school and busy.”

“My point exactly, Jim.”

Jim looked at the ground for a minute. “C’mon, let’s get to that cabin.”

***

The area was silent, with occasional chirping from a bird or cricket.

The cabin was empty, and there was no sign of disturbance.

“Make sense they wouldn’t use this place if they saw us here the other day.”

“But I think they’re still in the area.”

“Knock, knock,” Regan poked his head in, “There’s nothing out here to suggest any activity.”

“Same here. All right, it’s getting dark and we’re not going to be able to do much.”

“We can’t just give up!” Bo was horrified.

Trixie slipped her arm around his waist.

“Bo, Daisy will be ok. Once the sun is down we’d stand no chance of finding them. First light, we’ll be out there, and we’ll find them,” she said gently.

Jim watched at how she calmed him down, and how Bo held her close and tight. His throat hurt for a minute. They looked good together, and they looked disturbingly right. But James Winthrop Frayne II didn’t roll over and give up.

“They’re right, Bo,” Luke sighed as Honey squeezed his hand. “We can’t do nothin’ ‘bout it tonight.”

“Let’s get back to Crabapple Farm and check in with Mart,” Dan said.

***

To their disgust, they had gotten the usual delay tactics, until Trixie produced the note. However, since it was the Bob Whites invovled, Molinson himself was coming out to investigate the potential kidnapping.

Di showed him a picture of Daisy and Molinson couldn’t help but notice Dan was as agitated and upset as Daisy’s cousins.

Trixie had their map of the preserve out and tacked up in the clubhouse. They added a square for the new cabin they had found, and Trixie and Dan stood studying it while Molinson talked with the Duke cousins.

Matthew Wheeler had to be notified and he came to the clubhouse himself, concerned. He was furious he had let Trixie talk him into letting them investigate.

The night was spent in the Manor House den, Bo and Luke pacing most of the night. Bo finally fell asleep on the couch, Trixie leaning on him. Honey had curled up on Luke’s lap as they dozed off. Around the room the Bob Whites lay asleep, wrapped in blankets or sleeping bags.

***

Daisy struggled against her captor but it was no use, he had her overpowered. Duct tape was slapped across her mouth and her hands and feet tied as she was blindfolded. The kidnapper threw her over the back of his horse and mounted. The ride was jarring and by the time they reached their destination, she felt nauseated from the ride.

She was carried inside a building a laid on the ground.

“We can’t keep her around,” a rough voice snapped.

“She’s perfect. Those snoopers will back off now.”

“I think we need to quit with what we have and get outta here,” a second voice, a tenor this time, answered.

Daisy lay still and listened. This wasn’t the first time she had been taken hostage, and as long as she was running around with her cousins, it wouldn’t be the last. After the first few times, the fear wore off. But it sounded like these were the poachers, in which case they could be more dangerous than some of the Hazzard criminals she had run across.

“No way. Those pelts could make us a fortune.”

“I ain’t got a problem killin’ deer, but I don’t want no girl’s death on my hands.”

“We’ll just keep her for collateral. Besides, they won’t think of looking for her here.”

A moment later they left, and the door shut. Daisy waited for several minutes, determining if both had indeed left. Deciding they had, she struggled to remove her blindfold but it wouldn’t come off. The ropes were tight, cutting into her hands. She was in for a long night, she thought.

***

Dawn arrived and Trixie woke first. While she loved to sleep late, she was accustomed to getting up early. Easing herself from Bo’s embrace, she gently woke Honey, putting one finger over her lips. Motioning to her best friend, Trixie stepped away. Honey slipped away from Luke’s embrace and tiptoed out of the room with Trixie.

“What’s up?” she whispered.

“I think I know where they’re hiding. C’mon!”

The girls brushed their teeth and dashed to the clubhouse after grabbing bagels from Celia in the kitchen.

“Look at the map,” Trixie said breathlessly. “I think we marked the new building wrong. It was bugging me all night. Look, it actually belongs here,” Trixie pointed, “not here. Which puts it right close to-“

“The old school house,” Honey murmured. “but several of us have been there in the last few-” Honey paused and blushed as Trixie giggled.

Trixie turned to the old white board and sketched it out.

“Right, but look, this path between, remember this thicket here? It would be perfect to hide a tent, and some deer bodies. Through here is Glen Road,” Trixie drew a line, “where they could load the bodies into a truck. I bet here,” she circled a section of the perimeter, “we’ll find a hole in the fence. That’s where they load the bodies.”

“But we’ve checked the perimeter fence,” Honey frowned.

“I know. Which I think means they didn’t cut the barbed wire. I think they probably got a post up out of the ground, and moved it like a gate. That way it could still look like it was in place-“

“And we wouldn’t see it unless we got up real close,” Honey finished. Trixie nodded.

“Pretty clever, Trix. Let’s go get the others-“

“We can’t,” Trixie interrupted, “Honey, think about it. We all go charging in there, we’ll spook the poachers and possibly endanger Daisy. You and I will go now, and scout it out. We might even be able to get Daisy out of there ourselves. Then we’ll come back and get everyone else, once we know they’re there.”

“Trixie Belden, have you lost your mind? I’m not going after poachers without the boys around!”

“Oh poo,” Trixie waved her hand, “we can do anything they can. We’ll take a couple of the bows with us, even the shotgun if you it’ll make you feel better, remember Tom taught us Beldens to shoot years ago. But I’m positive the two of us can get in and out better than everyone.”

“We should at least tell them where-“

“Are you kidding?” Trixie interrupted. “They’d never let us go! Remember how Bo tried to stop me last summer? And do I even need to remind you about Jim and Brian’s overprotective gene?”

“I just don’t think we should be out there traipsing alone.”

“Come on, Honey. You know I’m right. Let’s get going before it gets any later,” Trixie set the marker down and zipped up her hooded sweatshirt. Reaching for the hunting rifle, she looked pointedly at Honey, who sighed, grabbed a bow and a pack of arrows.

***

Mart was the first awake, his stomach growling as usual. Rising from his crash space he smiled as he looked down at Di, whose was still asleep, curled up in her purple sleeping bag next to his. Glancing around the room, he thought it odd Bo was Trixie-less, then he realized Luke wasn’t snuggled with Honey. In fact, both girls were missing.

With a sinking feeling, he raced upstairs to Honey’s room, but it was empty.

“Oh no,” he groaned. Jim’s room was empty. He and Brian must have left early for the University, and probably didn’t look in the living room.

“Hey guys!” Mart shook Dan roughly, “Guys, wake up!”

“Mart, what the hell has gotten into you?” Dan demanded, propping himself up on his elbows from the floor and squinting his eyes at his best friend.

Bo and Luke looked up sleepily as Di shook herself awake.

“What?” she asked sleepily.

“They’re gone.”

“Who?” Dan sat up as the Duke boys realized they were alone.

“They didn’t!” Bo exclaimed.

“Yes they did. Our favorite shamuses have taken off to find Daisy,” Mart answered.

“Damn them!” Dan leapt to his feet and found his boots. Bo had already pulled his on.

“Where would they have gone first?” Luke asked.

“The clubhouse,” Dan and Bo answered, the grinned at each other.

Celia was bringing in a tray of muffins, which they grabbed as they ran outside. The boys asked Di to stay and call Molinson, and bring him to the clubhouse.

“Celia, did you see the girls?” Dan demanded.

“Why yes, they took off about thirty minutes ago.”

“Did you see them come back?”

Celia shook her head.

They raced for the clubhouse.

“Not here,” Bo groaned.

“All right, if I was my hare brained sister,” Mart was muttering, looking around. “She mapped out something. Dan, look at this.”

The boys crowded around the map and white board, trying to decipher Trixie’s scribble.

“Looks like she . . .” Dan squinted at the drawings, while Mart titled his head to one side.

“Fellas, I think she changed the route,” Luke said.

“How so?” Dan looked over at the white board.

“Well, it looks like she redrew that square off to the right aways. The, if you follow these arrows and lines, I think that says Glen Road. The circle is a section of Glen Road.”

“The border fence,” Dan said suddenly. “She thinks we misplaced the cabin. There’s a heavy thicket in that area. I bet she thinks that’s where the poachers are, so she put an X on it.”

“She figured they were hauling the bodies through here, to the fence. They probably drive up and grab the corpses,” Bo finished.

“There’s a bow and rifle missing,” Mart said suddenly.

The men just stared at each other for a second.

“We need to wait for Molinson,” Dan said hesitantly. They all glanced at each other.

“Hell no,” Mart said.

“Ain’t no way,” Bo agreed.

“Let’s get going,” Luke added.

Grabbing the remaining bows and hunting rifles, the men headed out. Mart scribbled a note to Di on the white board.

***

Trixie glared at her kidnappers. Things hadn’t gone quite as planned.

It had been smooth enough up until the reached the old schoolhouse. It was perfect to stash Daisy, she thought. They knew the Bob Whites wouldn’t even think about it, because it was a hangout. And probably wouldn’t be used while they were trying to find the poachers.

They peered in the window, and Trixie saw a body laying on the floor. The long dark hair was unmistakable.

“Honey, I see her!” Trixie whispered.

Honey didn’t answer.

“Honey?”

“Honey’s a little busy,” a deep voice growled.

Trixie turned to find herself staring down the barrel of a black handgun.

“Drop your gun, little girl, or the pretty one here gets hurt.”

Honey was being held in a tight grip by a short, slender man. Trixie looked up at the tall man looming over her and carefully set the rifle down. The man pulled out a roll of duct tape and tore a piece, roughly shoving it on Trixie’s mouth, then Honey’s.

“Turn around,” he snarled. Trixie did so, bracing for a blow to the head. It didn’t come but her hands were grabbed and tied tightly behind her back. She tried to ‘blow herself up’ the way Lady did, but her kidnapper was strong and secured her tightly. Honey was in a similar predicament.

The slender man watched the pair while the taller man came out carrying Daisy over his shoulder. Her feet were cut free.

“You three start walking,” the tall man snarled.

Three? Daisy turned her head. Who else did they have? Someone walked by and she caught the scent of lavender. Honey’s shampoo. Then that meant the third was probably Trixie!

Trixie watched as they headed back into the preserve, going deeper, and she was surprised to see the abandoned shack come into view.

“You and your little buddies already checked this place, they won’t look again,” the tall man smirked.

Dan would, she thought. He and the boys would move heaven and earth to find them. And this fool didn’t know the Dukes.

Honey glanced at Trixie, she was thinking the same thing.

Inside the shack, Trixie and Honey were roughly blindfolded.

“Split ‘em up good. Don’t want ‘em near each other.”

Trixie was shoved onto a chair and tied around the chest to it. She couldn’t see what they were doing with Honey and Daisy.

“Let’s go. We’ll get them last carcass’ and be outta here before they can find these three.”

Trixie’s heart sunk. They were going to get away!!! Dan was an early riser, they should have wakened and realized the girls were gone.

As soon as the door shut she started wiggling, trying to get free.

***

The boys raced towards the old schoolhouse, slowing down and creeping up on it.

“Empty,” Luke said in disgust.

“If the girls were wrong, where’d they go?” Mart asked.

Dan frowned, as Bo went outside, walking around.

“C’mon out here, fellas, I found something.”

“That’s our rifle,” Dan said, his jaw clenched. Mart picked it up.

“And bow.”

“Look, it looks like there was some sort of scuffle here,” Bo pointed down.

“I bet them poachers snuck up on them. Maybe they had Daisy here, and were watching for someone. They nabbed the girls and took them somewhere else,” Luke suggested.

“We’ve got to find that camp. Wherever they have the girls stashed, it won’t be too far,” Dan said.

They headed out.

***

Trixie was finally able to roll her blindfold up so she could see. A few more minutes and she had it almost completely off, though her face was red and irritated from rubbing against the sweatshirt.

Honey was sitting in a corner of the room, head down on her knees. Daisy had been laid next to the fireplace. Their feet were retied.

Struggling in the chair, it started to thump. Honey and Daisy looked up. Trixie tried to make talk through the tape but it resulted only in her muffled voice. The other two relaxed.

Honey began to struggle to get her blindfold down. Daisy’s face was red from the effort the previous night but finally got hers down. The three looked at each other.

Trixie made jerking head motions to get the others to come to her. Honey stared at her for a moment, perplexed, then began to wiggle her way across the room. Daisy didn’t struggle to sit up, instead she rolled herself towards Trixie, half giggling, half crying. This time she was scared. Usually her cousins found her by now.

Trixe tried to turn her chair around but couldn’t get enough mobility. Honey inched around behind her but couldn’t get her hands high enough to try and untie her. Trixie motioned to Daisy so Honey and Daisy sat back to back. Honey’s nimble fingers however, were losing feeling from being tied. Finally she gave up and shook her head at Trixie.

Trixie growled in frustration. Why hadn’t the boys figured it all out yet? Mart knew her well enough to think like her. Bo had saved her from an exploding building last year, and Dan was like another brother to both her and Honey. And Luke wasn’t about to let anything happen to Honey. Not to mention Bo and Luke were as overprotective of Daisy as Jim and Brian were. Jim and Brian, she thought with a sinking heart, were off taking a test and had no clue what was happening.

Well, if the Dukes and Dan and Mart weren’t going to rescue her, she’d get them out of this mess. Trixie looked around the room for anything they could use.

***

“I’m going to wring her neck for this stunt,” Mart snarled as they prowled through the forest towards the suspected campsite.

“You and me both,” Bo growled. He bit his tongue before the next words came out. He didn’t want to ever let her out of his sight again, but he couldn’t say that here. Especially when they would be leaving a couple days.

Luke was silent. He could only imagined how terrified Honey and Daisy might be. Both had been kidnapped before but that never made it less frightening. And the thought of never getting to kiss those sweet lips of Honey’s again, or hold her slender frame against his body, was just unthinkable.

Dan’s heart raced so fast he thought it’d come out of his chest. It was bad enough Honey and Trixie were in this but Daisy too! It made his heart ache. He didn’t want her to go back to Hazzard. Ever.

Dan motioned them to be quiet. Within a few more minutes they crept up on the suspected site and burst into the clearing, weapons drawn.

***

Author’s Notes
-yet another big yee-haa! To the fabulous Dana for her editing.
-Word Count, 3,632

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