Midnight Ep. 027: DAYBREAK

Entering with a jingle as much as a jiggle Alexis found her grandfather Albert Roster sipping coffee from a mug that said, "Grandpa's Little Demon." She made that mug for him in art class her sophomore year. The handle looked like two horns. Evil even back then. Hugging Albert from the side he frowned at her attire, giving his son a glare of, "Really?" Dolan simply shrugged with a defeated look.

"Mornin' Pop! Sorry about..." He pointed at Alexis. "Your turn to try and knock some sense into her."

"And you wonder why I go on so many fishing trips." Al chuckled. "Allie Oops? When are you going to grow up?" Her eyes lower to even his crotch to see a hint of erection. Never sounded right! Patting her shoulder, he sent her to the back room to watch TV. She muted the porn channel but enjoyed it. Gramps loved his porn. "Been awhile since you stopped in son."

"Busy. You know what it's like, you were Sheriff once too."

"Yep! Rednecks and Santee uprisings. Drunken fishermen and tourists who thought they owned the coast. I heard about the jail wall." He chuckled. "Herb stopped by." Herb being the oldest deputy on the police force was there before Dolan took the job.

"Had to be on his day off. We got it fixed in short order. Me, Koones, a fella named Biles, and get this... Esteban Amador."

"That old drunk? Bet the walls lopsided."

"No. It's level. He was sober believe it or not. I think his burning down his house, and nearly killing Irene hit home. Not only that he lost his daughter to the new guy in town. Sanchez! He's the fella who bought that old treasure chest you've been harboring."

"Oh yeah! The note under the horseshoe fella. Hate to say it but I miss that trunk."

"Did you happen to know there was a human skull inside it the whole time it was in this store?"

"Say, what? No!" He looked shocked. "I guess that's what no key to unlock it gets me. I just presumed it was a book or something. Kept it locked as an air of mystery. That's pretty serious there. Any idea who the skull is?"

"No! Been too busy to ask Sanchez about sending it for DNA analysis. Probably should look into that. Skull has to be old though, that trunk is ancient, the lock rusted shut. I'll get around to it here soon as I unload myself with Shantel Bigelow."

"There's a name I haven't heard in a while."

"You know Shantel?"

"Had a run in with her just before I retired. Caught her in a gangbang dancing at a bonfire on Nanfucket Point." Made up name, it was actually Nancy Fouchet Point, named after one of the founding colonists of the area back in the 1800's.

"That... just gives me heartburn."

"Got that right. She was fugly back then, I can only imagine her now. Wait!" He shivered, "Trying not to."

"Anyways! I need to go Pop. I'm playing chauffeur to a gal under my protection. She works over at Coastal Waiter's."

"That Lynette hottie?"

"Hottie? Are you sure you didn't join that Nanfucket gangbang?" He laughed, "Lynn's nice and all but...lil too Rolly Poley for my tastes. Sides, I think Olan Kerrick and her might be starting something."

"Naomi Walker?"

"No! She's engaged to a fella named Dalton Culpepper. Been awhile since I've seen that guy, but I do have an invite to her wedding next month. Reckon I'll see him then."

"I'll be your plus one."

"Not unless you shave those legs." Dolan chuckled eying his dad's hairy legs, his dad wearing cargo pants. "Keep the Princess busy. I don't want to hear she's running the streets in that slingshot."

"If she gets on my nerves you won't have a choice. What's this I hear about you letting Midnight Amador run naked in the streets?"

"You too?" Dolan just knew it would get around, "Herb tell you that?"

"No! Actually, it was that gal that runs the fabric store. She said she gave Midnight one of her sheer curtains to wear as a dress." He laughed. "Bet she wore the curtain rod with it."

"Yeah? Well, that must have been right up her alley." Dolan chuckled back, making it look as if a curtain rod went up his backside. "Have a good day Pop."

"You too T.J. Hooker." Old school cop show. Dolan just shook his head.

"Damn! Now that I think about it Caprice does resemble a young Heather Locklear. Acts like a hooker too. HA! BJ Hooker."

Off to pick up Heather... BJ... CC.

********

Earlier... the Santee Rez... Rez and shine Bearpaw!

An early morning pound on Lillian Dawn Bearpaw's window revived her with a groan. Sleeping nude like many people in the area she cloaked her frontal beauty before parting her bedroom curtains. "I swear if it's Lukas I'm going to make him ride to Harbinger Shoals in the back of the Raptor. Bad enough when I consider him a peeping tom but can't even call him that without crying over... Tom. Ugh! His acting as if he was talking to Tom Sylver yesterday was spooky. No way, right?" Curtain swept aside she winced at the dimly lit person outside. "Dad?"

Pointing toward the front door to direct her next move, her intruder left her to roll her eyes. Curtain dropped, along with her bed sheet Dawn searched for her bathrobe. A short Kimono style pink silk robe barely covered her privates once worn. Tie missing, she couldn't find it, so just said screw it. Off to the front door of the Waterfall residence she went. Door unlocked she opened it to a brighter light. The sun! "What do you want?"

"Don't give me that tone. I can still paddle your ass."

"Whatever! Why are you here at 6:00 AM?"

"Time to go to work Little Girl." Samuel Bearpaw lifted a thermos of coffee attached to a lunchbox. "Your grandfather told me I'd be working at Harbinger Shoals this morning. I figured I'd ride with you rather than be shoved into the Rez Rider. I own Ernest money from poker night anyway. Can't pay him until I get paid."

Sam was a scrawny man but tall. Compared to his daughter he was still a giant but only at 5'8, 150 plus. His hair long and flowing like Dawn's but pinned back by a bone clip carried down from his own great grandfather fashioned from the paw of a black bear. Grandmother's idea as a birthday gift many moons ago.

"I'm not leaving for two hours. I had my alarm set for 6:45 to work out in the gym for a short cardio. Everyone else is still..."

"Let your father in Lillian." Rayna Waterfall shuffled through behind her in a thick lush bathrobe. "Put some clothes on I can see something shiny in your Hiney."

"Shit!"

"Not wearing that." Rayna frowned and pushed her away, "Enter Samuel. Would you like eggs and bacon while you wait?"

"That would be great Rayna. Sorry if I woke you." He entered but watched Dawn wiggle down the hallway. Something shiny definitely in that Hiney. He gave up long ago trying to figure his daughter out. Years of his oppression on how she lived built up, led to a feud, then she moving out of his home. Going on to college, then inevitably getting a job in Charleston. Big city Santee! "Who owns that big truck by the Center?"

"Your daughter it appears." Rayna went into her kitchen to prepare breakfast.

"Since when does Little Girl drive something that big? Her car break down? Truck a rental?"

"I gave up asking personal questions Samuel. You are on your own I'm afraid."

"Newton still snoozing?"

"He is hogging the bathroom." She fanned her nose. "BBQ last night."

"Ah! Downwind then to make me breakfast."

"He wanted eggs and bacon too. Have a seat. Coffee?" Her Coffee Mate had been brewing on a timer.

"Please. So, what do we know of this paleface that hires me to do woodwork?"

"Nick Sanchez. He appears to be very levelheaded. Rich I surmise, or he would not own the Shoals."

"Had to buy that haunted place of outcasts? He will move in a year."

"Somehow I do not think he scares away easily. He has military background. From what I understand he served in many foreign countries and came home with pride."

"Tough guy, huh?"

"Your daughter likes him, that should tell you something."

"Likes him or LIKES HIM?"

"Again, you will need to ask her." She delivers coffee in a mug that said The Rooster was Lunch. A grumpy cup as Lillian Dawn called it. "He is wealthy as well."

"So maybe this truck she drives is His? Plates do say that."

"If this is the case, he gave it to her before ever meeting."

"Quit talking about me behind my back." Dawn returned wearing her workout clothing consisting of white spandex shorts and a pink crop top t-shirt that said, "Tomfoolery!" Heading him off at the pass she eyed his reading the shirt, "It's a club up in Charleston." Not the kind of club Samuel envisioned but she did indeed dance there. Her deceased Master Tom Sylver had stakes in a Swinger's club by that name. His partners insisted his name be a part of it being the financier. "The truck is borrowed." She did not want to get into the fact she inherited lots of money upon her master's death. "While it's none of your business. My car is broken down in the city. A friend of mine... let me use it."

"Must be a rich friend, those trucks run in the high 60's. Looks brand new!"

"Fairly new. I'll be back. Now that I'm awake I'll go workout real fast and shower. You can ride with me Papa but don't get under my skin or you walk the rest of the way. Oh, and Lukas Porcupine rides shotgun, you get the backseat." Turning to walk away both Rayna and Samuel see her shiny hiney right through her stretch pants. Silence spoke volume! Lillian Dawn had certainly grown up. He didn't need to get under her skin, obviously someone beat him to it.

With the sun further up, Dawn strolled with a towel around the back of her neck along the sidewalk leading to the Civic Center, it being open at all hours for the entire Rez to workout at the gym within. Probably a mistake but the Elders agreed to trust their people. Cameras were added as a failsafe in case of vandals. Rounding the building she found an unexpected visitor. Pausing at the sight of Oliver Heavy Feather's Harley in front she gnashed her teeth. Peering through the window she observed him lifting weights, muscles rippling as if he were a wrestler. He could easily be if he weren't so against the white man's thoughts on entertainment. WWF in his eyes meant Wimp White Fuckers.

"Great! So much for my workout. Although, I can't show fear. If there was anything I learned from Tom, it was to stare in the face of danger and spit at it. Besides I hear Nodin Merrick, if you can trust him, warned Ollie to steer clear of Caprice, so maybe that means me too. Fuck it! There's cameras in the building if he gets crazy on me." Entering she ignored him, he her, as she tossed her towel aside to straddle the seat of an exercise bike. "At least his entire club isn't in here all at once."

"A word Lillian Bearpaw?" He asked nicely.

"What's on your mind Ollie?" She boldly controlled her nerves. Her back to him he was definitely checking out her ass, plug included. Dawn knew what was on his mind. Keep on plugging along Biker. Both bikers!

"I want to apologize for my actions. I was... angry with the white man."

"HISpanic!"

"Out of Rez regardless."

"You need to get over the racist shit Ollie. We all live on the same planet."

"Why do you drive HIS truck?"

"HIS?" She smirked slightly then thought, "I'll just let Ollie think it's Nick's. Less questions and he might not vandalize it after Nick whipped his ass." Leering over her shoulder she spoke, "I'm doing him a favor. Research on the Shoals. My car is broken down so he came to Charleston to pick me up in it."

Oliver was not privy to the info Nodin Merrick's daughter Crimson found out about the true owner of the truck. The title had yet to transfer into her name, so it was still tied like she to Tom Sylver. "Ugggh!" Back to inner thought she pledged hard into her exercise. "If I'm under Nick now... Kami... then I suppose technically the truck does now belong to him. If Tom is sharing custody of me. Maybe I should resolve this and just give Nick the Raptor. It really is too much of a monster for me." Food for thought before she ate her words. Tom would give her a sign if that was what he wanted.

"Trucks not the only one wearing plates." Oliver spotted her buttplug. "You and he got something going on?"

"Quit staring Ollie! My business not yours."

"You're the one in front of me in traffic. Bright as day through the white paint."

"It's not war paint like you're into Ollie. Pure love here."

"You know he's fucking my Caprice?"

"He does what he wants. Including me if you must know."

"So do I... you must know."

"Don't get any ideas Heavy Feather. Don't make me pull my weight around here. You know I have more connections than you do."

"Elders?"

"Goes way beyond them."

"That Sanchez guy? His day will come."

"So will yours. I might even put a feather on your grave if it goes that far. But let's not think that's a threat. It's not. Let's just try and get along." A loud clank of dropped weights makes her jump and lose her biking prowess. Legs to her sides to avoid pedal wounds she looks back expecting him to be right behind her. Instead, he was wiping his body of sweat on her towel over another bike. No further words exchanged Oliver Heavy Feather grabbed his shirt and walked out of the Civic Center entrance. "Guess that pissed him off." Ten more minutes of cardio she called it and headed back to the Waterfall's. There flowed her shower.

********

Harbinger Shoals...

"Niles beat the sunup again. Good man!" Nick Sanchez pulled his 4Runner up directly in front of the recently reinforced wood bridge. With all of the new lumber he just took the chance and drove over it. Creaking but stable he pulled his borrowed truck right up to the house. Niles was working further on the massive deck he was building that went from one side of the Victorian style home to the other. Climbing out of his truck to greet his crew boss Nick looked around. "Will and V sleeping in?"

"Nope! I got Will up on the roof yanking rotted shingles. Truck load of new tiles on its way out as we gab."

"On the ball Niles. I appreciate that."

"You're a good guy Sanchez. It's not just the money here. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't be pushing myself to get this place habitable. I'm going to get workers on the rooftops, both here and that barn and knock 'em out by day's end."

"Better support the loft of the barn before heading up topside."

"Way ahead of you Big Guy. First thing I did when I got here. Will and I went up and hammered in extra support beams. Should be good to go."

"How did you see in the dark?"

"Extension cords. I brought enough to reach from the house today. After my stunt at the bridge and dead batteries I figured I'd smarten up. It's on your Hardware store tab."

"Fair enough. Do what needs be done. Rez Rider should be here soon." Nick looks at his watch. "I'm going to run down to the cove and take a few pics. Samuel Bearpaw is coming out to work with you. I want to get an idea where the pier needs built. Tear out the old one completely. I want a Helipad too on that island."

"I still can't digest you owning a chopper."

"Plane too. Couple boats. Motorcycle. Jetski's. You name it."

"Damn! Lucky you, Wall Street."

"Exactly!" Nick smirked. No need to tell Niles he was up ten big ones. Probably more by months end. Stepping away, Nick made his trek to the beach and admired the scenery. Inhaling the fresh air coming off the Atlantic he stretched vividly. "Feeling more and more alive by the day."

As if in retaliation to that statement he reacted to what sounded like a rock being thrown at him. Vision perfect he scoured the landscape but saw no one else. "Hammock's still on the island. Nothing looks changed. Maybe I'll get some swimmers over there to clean that area up too. If there were any inhabitants hanging around, I'd say they're long gone now that I have people out here working."

Another rock drop sound he turns around. Still nothing! "Maybe I do have ghosts." He ponders then gets vocal. "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN... I'M NOT BEING SCARED OFF, SO GET OVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU'RE WELCOME HERE! I'M STAYING PUT. SO LIVE... or DIE WITH IT! If you're dead already." He knew he sounded as if he had lost his mind, but it did settle his nerves on the subject. He had certainly seen worse in his career.

Quiet now that he had made his point loud and clear Nick pulled out his cell and scanned the shoreline. With an incredible number of rocks jutting up from beneath the water there really wasn't any options concerning any additional pier outside of... "Has to be off the island there. I'll need to clear that place and set up a bridge across the water. That or rowboat people over." Next week he thought. Main house was top priority.

Peering out over the water he noticed a Coast Guard cutter in deeper water. A blare of its horn Nick waved at them; they waved back. "Bet they think I'm trespassing. Not likely they know anyone bought the Shoal's. Cell in pocket he noted a member using binoculars. Nick hoped his next move settled their curiosity. Using sign language Nick informed them that he owned the property now. Signing his cell number, a quick call came through from its Captain.

"This is Captain Reuben Cavanaugh. Who am I speaking with?"

"Morning Captain. Nick Sanchez, I own Harbinger Shoals. You can consult Sheriff Dolan Roster if you need verification. I'm just looking around and deciding where best to rebuild a pier. I own a few boats."

"Welcome to the neighborhood. It's going to be nice not getting calls of parties out here. Unless of course you plan on throwing one." Cavanaugh laughed.

"If I do, I'll send you an invite. Question for you... I have a chopper do you think that island can support a helipad?"

"Don't see why not. It's good sized and hightide shouldn't create problems. Any spookiness since you've been there? Place is notorious for ghost sightings."

"I'm getting used to the neighbors. They're getting used to me. Mind if I save your number in my cell?"

"Not at all. Call if you need further advice. Oh, careful of the sharks around here."

"Done punched out a bull. Good sailing Cavanaugh. Thanks for the parlay."

"You too." Yeah, Cavanaugh thought bull as well but hey, he didn't know Nick. Not many truly did. Nick didn't care one way or the other. He knew believing was seeing, otherwise there would always be doubt.

While alone he decided to check in on Midnight, taking his own advice on seeing is believing. The beach house's exterior cameras were tied to a cellphone application so pulling up the beach front was no issue. Zooming in on Midnight, he found her on her back, legs facing the ocean but lifted as if flying. A perfect sight line he saw her using the dildo in a ferocious hammering with both hands up inside her cunt. Even closing in on her face he spotted her eyes rolled back. Audio maxed he heard her distant cries of ecstasy.

"Looks like that dose of Eugene's aphrodisiac X-ap347 kicked in nice and hard. No signs of allergic reaction at this point. I'll monitor her every fifteen minutes just to be certain. That stuff is pure gold... like her buttplug... like... her." Panning back something new caught his eye. Turning his cell to read something written in the mud just beyond her he discovered she had written the word Kami. "How the hell did her chain reach that far out? Did she unlock herself to do it?" Viewing her a bit longer he found the camera lens obstructed by eternal beauty. Annoying however!

"Fucking Monarch's!"

Just as well. He had work to do.