Midnight Ep. 042: TOMahawk

"Londale's best bar, Loaded!" Dolan Roster pulled off the main road into the parking lot. "Pretty dead. Good I suppose, I'm just here to drown my sorrows. Off duty so hey maybe I can throw a few tomahawks at Oliver Heavy-Feather's mugshots." Yes, he had copies of it just to throw darts at him in privacy as an outlet. An ax to grind even better. If that was the only way to split up the Santee prick and his daughter Alexis, it was a start. He wished it didn't seem racist, but it just couldn't be helped. Ollie was not the kind of guy you bring home to meet the parents.

Folding up the fliers of Oliver's face Dolan tucked them into his pants pocket for safe keeping and got out of his SUV. Street ride, no patrol car he just wanted to be free for one lone night before dealing with more bullshit tomorrow. Namely, a concrete wall they needed to finish at the jail after Shantel Bigelow's breakout attempt on Esteban Amador. Crazy old hag! "At least her kid might be worth keeping." He couldn't wait to transfer her out to a State Psychiatric Hospital. "Stop thinking! Just drink and slay the enemy." Not a violent man Dolan was just miserable. Papercuts were good enough for him.

In walking through the lot, he peered over to see a big black van. Definitely not a new one but it sure looked badass, hopped by with a lift kit in the back, and well maintained. "They filming a remake of the A-Team? Sure, looks like Mr. T's ride." Chuckling he opened the door to Loaded and went inside. Twenty people tops in the bar. Ten on slot machines, five on the pool tables. Two at the bar and three at a table together. One bartender, one waitress. "Did Winston take a day off?" No big bruiser in sight. Well, two big rednecks shooting Eightball that looked right out of the Burt Reynold's movie Deliverance. He could imagine the pig squeals under their breathes. "Bar!" He chose his locale and casually walked over to claim a seat.

The bartender was distracted briefly looking over receipts but paused to smile at him. "Who have we here? Winston likes them young it looks like." The bartender wasn't Native-American, but he couldn't quite peg the nationality. Not Hispanic, not Hindi. Beautiful silky black hair though, flawless complexion, nice rack. Easily a firm 35E with a hint of sparkle to them. Perfume with glitter he suspected. Definitely alluring! Big brown eyes finding Dolan were joined by perfect ivory white teeth.

"What may I get you?" She flowed like an angel toward him, her breasts bouncing behind her clingy white top with window ports on her shoulders and her cleavage. Areolas visible behind the white fabric dark and perky. Below the shirt which stopped at her belly button to share jewelry, a simple gemstone in clear crystal literally embedded into her button was sexy as all get out. Pants rather than any skirt were black leather with laces up the sides revealing her golden tan clear up to her waist. No undies a certain but still respectful.

"Evening! I'll take a Bud draft and five shots of Bourbon."

"Five? You must have had a bad day." She pouted and began with the beer, the tapper right beside her.

"You have no idea. Winston off tonight?"

"He is never off. He is taking care of a hotel problem right this moment. A leaky toilet."

"Hate to see that Plumber's crack." He chuckled.

"I must agree." She blushed slightly. "Do you have business with Winston? I can call him."

"Naaa! I'll be here until closing time." He chuckled, "I'm sure he'll finish up before I stumble out."

"If you need a ride, I will call you one."

"You the chauffeur?"

"No. I do not drive, I am afraid."

"I don't believe I've seen you in here before, but again it's been a year maybe."

"My mother and I came to America ten months ago. Winston and she were great friends."

"Were?" He followed her emotions like a good cop.

"Yes! Mother went home to care for family. It was a mistake. She was killed."

"Wow! I'm truly sorry to hear that. Where was home?"

"Saudi Arabia! We escaped my father, but he managed to find my mother. He is not so nice."

"Maybe you are better off here then."

"Yes! Winston takes good care of me. I just wish I knew a future beyond this establishment."

"Going to school?"

"No. I cannot afford that. I merely bartend and wait tables to pay Winston back for his kindness. I feel very safe with him."

"Ex-badass decorated Marine I can see why. I happen to know another badass Marine where I'm from. Might have to introduce ole' Nick to Win. I'm Dolan by the way."

"Nova!"

"Pretty bright name there." She flared her eyes at his compliment. "See? Two suns just went Nova just now." Although brown eyes there were hints of gold near the pupil. Interesting look! He hadn't noticed that before now. "Nova what?"

"Khar-Issawi. Nova Khar-Issawi." She offered her hand. Shaking it he realized how dainty her hands were. Soft for sure.

"Dolan Roster. Off duty sheriff over in Caretaker. Don't spread that info, I really don't want to be recognized tonight. So far I don't know a soul in here besides Win and now you, pretty Miss Nova."

"Your secret is safe with me." She paused, "Oh! The five shots. Forgive my delay."

"No problem. Make it six. Hell, just leave the bottle on the bar."

"I will pour again when your hands begin to shake." She giggled. Good company at least. The waitress returning with a drink order eyed Dolan with a warm smile.

"Hey, Mister Roster." So much for incognito. He had to look at the waitress before realizing who she was. Pointing at her first he then used that finger to quiet her down.

"Mazie Lomas. I haven't seen you since I arrested you for shop... " He paused with Nova listening, "...lifting bubblegum when you were thirteen." Made up! It was last year for she and her then boyfriend stealing booze from a liquor store. He wondered how much she had swiped from Winston. Dolan had let her off on a first offense, but her boyfriend was on his third, so he spent 90 days in county over in Cordoba. "All grown up. Almost didn't recognize you."

"Boobs grew since then." She jiggled her 36C's, following his bluff over her being thirteen, when it was twenty. Now twenty-one she was trying to make a living. "Sorry!"

"You're fine!" He swigged his beer, "So, still with... "

"Oh, no! Brad and I ended it long ago." Nova picked up on their storytelling and turned away to clean some glasses Mazie brought up, along with the drink order which was simple. Two bottles of Bud. Mazie herself betraying the fabrication just smiled and took her drinks for delivery. Looking at the girl walk away Dolan saw his daughter Alexis in her, same blonde hair, similar build, only in clothing. Short skirt, the ass cheeks were evident. Sighing he toasted Nova with his first shot. "Total lie!"

"I had guessed that." Nova smiled rinsing a mug. "Mazie is very nice. She works hard."

"Good to hear. I have faith in her." Sneaking up behind Dolan to take a seat two barstools away was a stunning African American woman of six-foot tall. She wore a black mini dress that was so tight that every crease of her body was mimicked by the material. Bodybuilder but not over the top Dolan thought as she got comfortable. The hair extensions with golden beads were definitely sexy. As were her rock-hard legs. Cleavage bursting it was pretty much a safe bet her nipples were all that held up her dress. No shoulder straps it was risky for sure. He truly hoped she wasn't a prostitute. She seemed aggravated at the world.

"May I get you something?" Nova approached her. At least the woman smiled at her, placing a small handheld wallet on the bar.

"Shot of anything similar to Nitro."

"Hang on Nova." Dolan slid a shot of his Bourbon toward the woman, "On me. Vibe I'm getting you had a rough day too." Eying the shot she puckered, claimed it and with one gulp fueled herself. Not even a wince at the bite of Bourbon. Tough gal, Dolan thought. "Another?"

"You buying all night?" She turned in her seat to look at Dolan, easy shot up her overly short skirt he saw a runway of gold piercings all over her cunt.

"Sharing the wealth. Sure!" He hoped if she was a prostitute, she didn't think of him as her Sugar Daddy. He just felt generous. Nodding she took a second shot then moved one seat closer elbow to elbow.

"You buy the bottle?"

"Not yet! Nova's keeping tabs."

"Hey, Nova." She winked then opened her wallet to produce a credit card as gold as her pussy pegs. Sliding it to her she said, "The rest is on me."

"Gold card! Hell, mine's blue."

"I do good for myself. Thanks for the generosity. Payback is this bitch." She chuckled. "Got a name handsome stranger?"

"Bill!" Saving his reputation. Nova smirked and used the woman's credit card to cover the bottle.

"Well, Bill? Let's get plastered and throw darts or something. I need to vent some frustration."

"Ax? I have someone I want dead." He laughed, removing the copies of Oliver Heavy Feather's mugshots. Only one problem, that would be a telltale sign he was a cop. Deciding against it he put them back away. "He lives for another day."

"Funny! I might have helped you out there." She spoke. "I'm Opal, Bill. Pleasure to meet a fellow assassin. We'll be back Miss Nova." She tipped the girl a hundred-dollar bill, Nova bulging her eyes at it.

"Big tipper." Dolan puckered.

"You got a big tip Bill?"

"Big enough! Easy roll of hundreds." He laughed. Knocking back the remainder of his shots on the bar, Opal claimed the bottle and stroked the neck of it. "Let's scalp the tickets." Following Opal, he gnashed his teeth at the curves this woman had. No hiding her cheeks beneath her hemline the material slipped a bit higher in her stride. Thigh gap arriving he noted a thick meaty labium dangling and huffed. A number of guys playing pool noticed her as well and paused their game. With the ax stall right next door they were curious to see if they were any good.

A single table in the ax throwing area Opal sat their bottle and her wallet down. Although her dress did require a bit of procedural damage control, she ignored it. The guys playing pool however did not. Rednecks being mischievous by nature took a shine to the walled in ax chamber. Color of skin meant nothing to these particular fellas, even though the state was fairly racist still. Clan and all! Still, as built as she was and Dolan sizable himself if not extremely muscular, they kept their distance to a voyeur mode.

Mazie noted them watching Dolan and moved back to the bar with Nova as a protective measure. She knew the hicks and what they might be capable of often groping her while serving drinks. A round of whispering between girls Nova made it known that Mazie should call Dolan by Bill. Nodding in agreement they simply watched. Only the slot machines made much chatter.

"Ladies first." Dolan offered Opal a hatchet. Wincing at him she claimed two hatchets instead. Moving out in front of him with a safe space between them she primed both hatchets over her shoulders and calculated the angles. "Now you're just showing off." Pausing to leer over her shoulder at him she grinned.

"Gets your mind off of my hemline, doesn't it?"

"Split on that." He laughed. Her crack was his prime target and she suspected as much. "You certainly know how to distract a guy."

"Born to be wild, Bill." She settled back into her armaments and reeled back before casting both hatchets at the target which was a large piece of plywood with no simple target circle, instead, that of an imposing man as if a chalk line character. Her first axe was right between the eyes if the figure had any, the second where his penis would have been. The rednecks seeing how perfect the shots were swallowed and returned to their pool playing. Nope! Not even going to whistle.

"Nice! Hold up." Dolan eased around her, her scent of sweat mixed with lavender. Sure, his dick was hard but in removing her hatchet from the scrotum zone on the target that went down fairly quick. Head shot unwedged he paused to bring out those mugshots of Ollie. With the ink facing the target he pinned those up with splinters which made good push pins in the slashes. One over the head, one back on the ball sack area and one dead center in the chest. To Opal they were just white typing paper with creases. Bringing the hatchets back he handed them to her again. "Kill that fucker for me." A hell of a thing for a smalltown sheriff to be saying but he needed to feel the purge.

"You must really hate the guy. Cheating wife?"

"Nope! Kidnapped my daughter and now she's in love with the guy."

"You should do the honors then."

"If I get the feel of that ax, I'm going to want to do that to the real thing. Humor me."

"Stand back!" He moved out of the way. Throws primed she cut the papers in half on two of three areas. The third being the chest meant going after a hatchet. Hearing a gruff voice yell, "INCOMING!" Dolan instinctively grabbed Opal and moved her out of harm's way. A hunting knife went whipping by them and dead center into Ollie's chest. Opal flaring her eyes noted the knife thrower with interest.

"Trying to give me a heart attack Winston?" Dolan stood away from Opal, "Sorry! Survival instincts. I'm sure you didn't need saving but hey... "

"What's up... BILL?" Winston chuckled winking at Opal as he collected his blade and the axes. The split paper coming with it got crumpled up by Win before Opal could see the contents on the flipside. "Didn't mean to spook you, Soldier." Winston stepped up. "I know military when I see 'em. What branch?"

"Salvation Army." Opal was careful. "I need to go rent a room."

"Military stays free in my house." Winston became stoic. "Keep your secrets. I get it."

"It was nice meeting you, Bill." Opal sighed collecting her wallet and pouring him another drink before taking the bottle with her. Pausing with her back to them she sighed, "So, you own the hotel too?"

"Room 8 facing the parking lot if you want it. Laundry room to your back. Ask Nova the bartender for the key. Just respect my place."

"Always about respect! I won't call you Sir."

"I gathered that. Have a good rest. You're safe to close the other eye."

"Not in my jungle. Thanks for the room." Opal went back to the bar for that key. Nova complimented her throwing style. Tipped another hundred. Mazie called Nova a bitch. Two in a row. Nova did have sympathy and gave the other hundred to the waitress. Best friends again!

"Soldier, huh?" Dolan stood with Winston. "I should have guessed that."

"Don't dig too deep Dolan. That's Black Ops if I ever saw one."

"No shit! Hottest black operative I've ever seen. Kind of butch but kind of... "

"Looking to lose your dick?"

"Not if I'm nice." He laughed. "I think she liked me a little."

"Are you that lonely?"

"Not really. I could have a girl if I tried harder. One sleeping in my bed right now. Babysitting Alexis. Thanks for breaking his heart by the way."

"His?" Win unfolded the paper, "Ollie Heavy Feather, huh?"

"You know him?"

"His bikers drop by on rare occasions. Trying to keep Nova over there from their influence. She's all alone in the world."

"She told me about her mom."

"Tragic as fuck. Arabic traditions are brutal. Her mom was stoned to death if she didn't give you details. Doing my best to honor her momma and keep the kid safe. Thing is, she's restless here. Which spooks me about the bikers. It's not just the REZsistence boys. It's other groups who frequent the place. To be honest my letting her bartend is no better than that target we just butchered behind us. Thing is, I can't hover over Nova every second. Even more Mazie over there has more guys than she has holes. Nova is jealous, I can tell. She's an adult, I can't really put my foot down because she's not mine. Kid that is! I won't disrespect her momma's memory by bedding down her baby. Virgin's ready to pounce though."

Hearing Winston mention adult and pounce, Dolan sighed and claimed that last shot Opal fired his way. Bourbon that is. Belted down he patted Winston on the arm. "I intended to stay for last call. I came here to drown my sorrows over Ali's choices. You're right about adulthood and needy. I just wish it wasn't Heavy Feather. We both know that's going to go bad, but I'm at a loss. She just won't listen to me. I have to let her make her own mistakes. Even if it means I end up with a fucking grandbaby."

"War is hell! Trust me I know. Hollar if you ever need me. Give Albert a BOOYAH for me."

"Will do. Let me go say goodnight to Nova." Cornering Mazie, Win parted with Dolan. Easing up to the bar he patted it to get her attention. "Ms. Issawi?"

"Yes, Bill." She giggled.

"If you ever need a friend. My office is open. Caretaker Sheriff's Department. Just call."

"Thank you, Sheriff. You are very kind."

"Matter of fact, I might even have a job for you if you get tired of selling booze."

"Oh?"

"I just hired two dispatchers but Hannah... my youngest employee is in college. She needs to concentrate on that. Her momma wants out too. Her momma's momma is ancient." He laughed. "So, yeah, the new ones will cover most of the shifts but there's room for one more if interested."

"What is a dispatcher?" She was clueless.

"Answers 911 calls and gets in touch with my police officers when needed. Info and making coffee pretty much. Taking meals to the inmates if I have any. Nothing strenuous! No obligation to accept, it's just an alternative. Winston can get you back and forth. Caretaker isn't that far away. That, or, as a matter of fact, my dad runs an antique store. He could use a hand when my daughter... " lengthy pause, "...moves out."

"Antiques sound fun. I will talk with Winston."

"He knows my number. Keep your chin up. And I'll say a prayer for your mom."

"Thank you, Sheriff." A nod and a pat on the bar Dolan decided to head home. At least that was his intention.

Leaving the bar Dolan started for his SUV when he heard the alarm on the big black van yelp from being locked by remote, fog lights flashing twice before silence. Tracking the remote by sight he spotted Opal up on the hotel staircase on her phone. Butt ass naked he bulged his eyes. Waving the Bourbon bottle at him she motioned him should he care for another drink. Her muscular breasts pointing at him he swallowed dryly. He was parched again. Puckering he headed for the steps. While on his journey up the stairwell, Opal continued her phone call.

"Cyber gave me the slip earlier. She held up at the Cordoba hospital but there were guards. I didn't want to risk being pulled over by cops if they dialed them. I placed tracers on her stolen Jag but unless she puts tires on it she's crippled. That kid is slick I'll give her that. Yeah, I'll resume tracking in the morning. Tonight? I found another target to aim at. I'll be in touch Major. Will you stop with the Obsibian crap? You know my birth certificate had a typo. Fuck you Sir! Last time I call you Sir too." With Dolan near she hung up. "Took him long enough to get back to me. Fucking Sanchez! If he didn't pay so well, I'd...

"Always stand outside naked?"

"Only when I'm needy. Miss my dress?"

"Not for a second. Winston told me to be careful around you."

"You should probably listen to him."

"Am I going to live to see daylight?"

"It is past Midnight. Morning is a long way away."

"At least let me buy you breakfast before you kill me."

"French toast?" She wagged her tongue at him seductively and raised her bottle before taking a swig. Tongue meant French kissing; bottle raised, her toast to him.

"Breakfast in your bed?"

"I'll be up and gone before you." She stalked him with a demonic gaze, making him walk backwards into her opened doorway. Her chest shoving him inside she kicked the door shut. Damned weightlifters!

Obsibian... Obsidian Opal Savage took no prisoners.