Chapter 17: CourAGE

“So, we’re not going to Cordoba General?”

Lillian Dawn Bearpaw found Nick Sanchez doing an illegal U-turn in the highway. It took three tries to straighten out the bulky Ford Raptor she affectionately called HIS after her now deceased Master Tom Sylver to proceed back toward Caretaker. After Nick had learned Midnight had disobeyed him in leaving her mother’s side in the ICU unit to go back to Caretaker and face her father, Nick was not exactly happy with her. Silence his friend at the moment led Dawn to grit her teeth and go along for the ride. Brisk ride at that. 100 miles an hour in a 55. His ticket ... she hoped.

Going undetected Nick made his way into Caretaker driving more responsibly in town so as not to bring attention to the big truck seeing as it belonged to Dawn. The Police Station and jail all in one loomed ahead. It felt like Mayberry RFD in its aged condition. The city just never wanted to build a newer anything with the economy so bad. That might change now that Nick Sanchez was a local!

Fifteen minutes prior to Nick’s arrival...

“I will go in alone.” Midnight Amador stepped from Naomi Walker’s Toyota Corolla. Caprice getting out on the passenger side would not let her go it solo. Naomi however chose to go on to work at the diner once she went home to change. Her man Dalton calling her complaining about money convinced her he was right.

“Be safe Baby. Call me if you need anything. Just not for bail?” Naomi winced knowing her nudity was creating problems. With Deputy Randall Koones awaiting her, trying his damnedest not to stare considering his fellow Officer, the busty Darcy Grainger was hauling in the biggest bastard he had ever seen right behind him. Randy’s concern was more that the domestic abuse violator named Clinton Biles, did not see Midnight as she was. It was impossible to hide however Randy had to hold the door open for both.

“Eyes ahead Mister Biles.” Darcy Grainger nudged the 6’4 giant with hands cuffed behind him. While docile at the moment it had taken four officers to apprehend him over in the town of Turncoat. Turncoat only having two officers on call at a time requested backup which brought on Darcy from the Rez and Koones from sitting idle next to a billboard along the main road. On returning, Koones found Naomi breaking the land speed record coming in from Cordoba and had no choice but to pull Thelma and Louise over. Long story short ... Midnight Amador fluttering her fingers at Randy from the back seat. He laughed and told Naomi to follow him in. Cherries on top of everything else!

Booking Biles would take a spell with Gertrude the Dispatcher assisting in fingerprinting the giant. Strangely Clinton was intimidated by Gert. She barked orders like a Drill Sargent at the top of her lungs. Mostly because her hearing aid was turned down. Darcy remained there to keep peace.

Koones led Midnight and CC in, meeting Sheriff Dolan Roster at the jail entrance toward the back of the cop shop. Seeing Caprice, Dolan swallowed and informed her to go sit in his office. Caprice batting her eyes at him hugged Midnight and told her, “Good luck.” Caprice made certain she wiggled away with pride. Koones watching her fine ass found Dolan swatting his arm.

“Eyes off!” Randy had no idea of Dolan’s new affection for the tattooed blond. Ordinarily Dolan would joke and agree with him in a perverted manner. “Eyes off Midnight too.” Randy was grumbling at twice in two minutes time. Preventing Randy from going inside the jail, Dolan paused his Deputy for one last request. “Cuffs?”

“Should I have cuffed Midnight?” Randy wasn’t certain.

“Give me your cuffs and go help Darcy. Better yet answer that stolen tow truck call.” A fast exchange of jewelry Randy walked off and headed back to his squad car where he had extra pairs of cuffs in reserve. Once gone Dolan eyed his comely prisoner, “Right hand Midnight?”

“Am I ... being arrested?”

“Nope! Just detained!” He took her right hand and cuffed the wrist but left the other clip unlatched. Taking his own cuffs, he clicked Midnight’s left wrist and like the other set left it undone. “Follow me.”

Going into the small jail of two very congested cells, at 10 x 12 they did not give much room if it were a packed house. Cell door opened on the right Dolan escorted Midnight inside and used the unlatched cuffs to lock her hands to the bars outstretched from one another. “Press against the cage.” He instructed her as her father Esteban sat up on his bunk to see his daughter. Vision blurred but realizing it was her Este jumped up and threw himself into his own cell door.

“What are you doing to my daughter?” He appeared mortified.

“Indecent exposure.” Dolan spoke up then leaned into whisper into Midnight’s ear, “Nick’s orders. You can go when he releases you. Wants you spread eagle so keep your chest dangling through the bars and your feet as wide as your hands.”

“I will.” She spoke and guided her 36E’s snugly through the bars to pop out through on the other side. Once her arms were outstretched and locked in, she stepped on the lower trim to keep from pinching her feet as Dolan locked her in. Door shut she faced her dad with a pout. “Hello father.”

“What have you done?”

“You burnt our home down. I have no clothing left. Nor does Mother. Nor do you other than what you wear now.” He of course had a few extra sets of clothing in his car trunk, often gone for days at a time.

“How is Irene? I ... it is all such a blur.” It was the truth in the long run. He really was so out of it after their fight he didn’t know what he had done. “Forgive an old man.” He spoke but just could not resist looking at her chest, her nipples were rock hard. Why?

“I’ll give you two fifteen minutes to chat.” Dolan darted his gaze from Amador to Amador. “Nick gets here, I’ll escort Este to see Irene and get as many answers as I can decipher. We’ll go from there.” He then stepped out. Caprice was waiting on him. Once the door closed Esteban reached out for Midnight through the bars as if to take her hand then understood she could not accept his offer.

“Why did he lock you up this way? It is ... disrespectful.”

“You do it all the time. Disrespect us. You had your hands on my...” She realized she was an object so that shouldn’t have any bearing on the true problem here. “You hurt Mother ... you could have killed her.”

“Aye! But I did not.”

“Only because ... he saved her.”

“He? That Sanchez asshole? What is he? He’s not a cop. He told me to stay away from you. How could he keep me away from my own child?”

“I am no longer a child. I ... hope to be his.”

“His? You be getting married?”

“No Father. I ... do not want that. Only to ... belong.”

“You belong with your mother and I.”

“No longer you. I ... am homeless. Mother will make her own decisions. The other day ... when you took me to work?” Back to that memory unfortunately.

“Aye?”

“You ... touched me. Inappropriately! It hurt Mother.”

“She will get over it. I was drunk even then.”

“You are always drunk.”

“I will ... work on that.”

“You will not. I know you too well Father.” She lowered her eyelids with sadness. “I ... owe you father.”

“Owe me? For raising you to be a good person?”

“That was Mother. No ... I owe you for who I am in other ways.”

“I do?”

“Yes. All of those times you spanked me. I ... found a fondness for them.”

“I knew you liked me touching you. Swiping your underwear as my snot rag.”

“More than I let on.”

“See? You are mine.”

“No Father. I am not. Nor will I ever be ... unless ... he offers me to you.”

“Offers you? Sanchez? That man will not lay a hand on you, or I will kill him.”

“That a fact?” A gruff voice entered the door. Nick Sanchez was in the house.

“Do not interfere with me and my daughter.” Esteban grew tense. “This is between family.”

Cell key in his possession Nick walked up to face Esteban with a deadly stare. Unlocking his cell, he opened it and cast it wide. “So, kill me.” Este was taken back by Nick’s stern demeanor easing further into his cell for safety. With Esteban retreating Nick turned his back to the prisoner and faced Midnight. She couldn’t even look at him. It took a swat to her right breast to revive her emotions. A lefthanded slap to her other breast made her weep.

“I failed you.”

“You disobeyed me. I told you not to leave Irene’s side.”

“I will not let you hurt my daughter.” Este grew red in the face, fists clenching as if ready to strike. Nick peered over his shoulder without turning his back.

“Only you can do that?”

“What?”

“Hurt your loved ones?”

“I provide for my family.”

“I’ll relieve you of that duty.”

“Pardon?”

“Irene and Midnight are in my care from that fire onward. You burnt your bridge, Esteban. Now don’t make me cast you into that Hell. I told you that out at the boat yard. They’re in my care now. My ... shadow. If you don’t go to jail for this, I expect you to stay away from both of them. I WILL get a restraining order. Break that order and I break you. Is that clear?”

“Ye have no right.”

“I have a right hand and a right foot. I can take you out with either one before you can even flinch. Where you go from Cordoba is up to Sheriff Roster. Go see your wife. If she forgives you that’s on her, but with no home to share with you outside of a beat-up Buick that’s no longer an option. From this moment forward she sleeps on satin sheets with three hot meals provided on fine china a day. New clothes, hot showers. You? Boat yards and canned goods with a spoon. Midnight? To be determined!” He sneered at the hanging beauty. She smiled briefly then went without expression. It was not necessary. As long as her mother was cared for, Midnight was happy.

The jail door opened up and in stepped Officer Darcy Grainger looking apologetic. “Sorry Sanchez but I need to lock up our new resident.” She noted Midnight and flared her eyes at her cuffed to the cell door her breasts dangling through the bars. “There goes separating our prisoners. I guess Esteban there is leaving soon so they care share a cell until he’s gone. Come on Biles in you go.” Nick stepped aside and eyed the not so gentle giant. Clinton being a lumberjack by trade at a local lumber mill in Cordoba but living in Turncoat with his wife Mindy winced at Midnight in passing but remained quiet so that his record might not look as bad as it could when he faced a judge.

Esteban moving aside to allow the giant in grew agitated. “Put me in with my daughter. I must protect her.”

“Safer where you are Esteban.” Darcy relocked the cell door and turned sideways accidently bumping her elbow against Midnight’s left breast. “Sorry Midnight.” The girl simply remained vigil. “Everyone ... try and behave.” Darcy frowned at Nick but left him alone with the group.

“RELEASE MY DAUGHTER THIS INSTANT.” Esteban yelled just before Darcy closed the door.

Tempered Nick reached out and through the bars gripping Esteban by the back of his head and slammed his face against the cage. Stunned and huffing, face beet red by the pressure Esteban tried to reach out for Nick but Darcy intervened. “Let him go Nick.” While Darcy knew Este deserved it she had a job to do. Midnight watching with a pout grew increasingly wet at Nick’s actions. His anger, his defending of her mother, of her in the bottom of the order, pussy juice trickled down her thighs. Droplets failing to reach her knees fell to the cell floor. There was no other man for her. Unless given away.

“Not her call. She’s released when I feel it’s time.” Nick removed his grip over Esteban’s scalp and retreated his hands at Darcy’s encouragement. Facing Este who now hugged the bars reaching for Nick, each time Nick simply side shifted away from his grasp. “Worry about yourself.” Darcy gave up and let them feud.

“She looks miserable strung up like that. What kind of man are you?”

“Better than you it seems. Are you uncomfortable back there Midnight?”

“I am fine.” She spoke without looking up, having hid her eyes again now that Nick was calmer.

Nick sighed just knowing Midnight’s posture, “Why is your head hung low?”

“I ... feel remorse is all. He is my Father.”

“That I am!” Este roared at Nick, “I walked her in me arms as a baby. Held her when she cried.”

“Crying now Midnight?”

“No.”

“Look him in the eye. Tell him he’s a piece of shit.”

“Father you...” then she continues below, “I ... forgive me.” She just couldn’t do it. Her long past with her father created conflict. While she absolutely wanted to be Nick’s, the loyalty of parentage drew her into a dilemma of conscience.

“Walk in my shoes Senor Sanchez, then you might understand.” Esteban grew cocky. Nick nodding began to turn away from the both of them, Clinton wincing in an attempt to understand what the hell was going on. Before Nick took a step forward to leave Esteban dared to stick his foot out the bars in hopes to trip him. Bad move! With lightning speed Nick dropped into a one legged kneel and snatched up Este’s foot, removing his shoe before letting his foot go. “Give me my shoe back.”

Standing Nick flinched at the foot odor coming off of the rather new looking shoe. Examining it first he sighed, “Awful funny you can buy new shoes, but you can barely feed your family. You say walk in your shoes...” He shows the shoe to Midnight, tapping her forehead to make her look upon it. “These run at least sixty bucks.” Removing the shoelaces, he handed the shoe back to Esteban. “This lace belongs to Midnight now.” Facing her Nick held the lace between both hands. “You have one last chance to save face. Look me in the eye.” She did so.

“Forehead against the bars.” Again compliance. Taking the shoelace Nick reached into the bars around her and guided her hair aside as the lace wove behind her neckline and back out on the other side of her profile. Placing one end of the lace to her lips he prompted her to bite down on it. Tying the end of the long lace to the bar in a knot he retrieved the other end to judge the length of it. Convinced he had enough slack he wrapped it around her throat like a choker then tied what remained to another bar. Her head was not going anywhere after that.

“This symbolizes how your father has walked all over you and Irene these past few years. You can choose to continue to let him string you along choking the life out of you, or breath as I allow you to. Fresh air!”

“I wish to breath for you.” She mumbles trying to contain her emotions.

“You’re staying here today. Just like this. Should you beg to be released ... I release you from my notice. Probation!” Nick then walked away leaving Este to curse at him. Clinton Biles with a headache.

Midnight took a deep breath and accepted her fate.

Foot odor still lingering!

Fifteen minutes prior to Nick leaving her...

“Hey there handsome.” Caprice Comstock was reunited with Sheriff Dolan Roster. The second he entered his office and shut the door he snatched her up and kissed her on the lips. The kiss lingering until he heard a voice clearing her throat. Opening his eyes, he realized they had company. Off in a corner sat Dawn Bearpaw.

“Don’t mind me.”

“Lillian Bearpaw?”

“Salutations Sheriff Roster. I see you know Caprice here.”

“Fuck! Don’t go spreading shit on the Rez. I’m trying to keep her away from Oliver Heavy Feather.” Dolan told the young woman.

“No worry! I’m hardly fond of a man that just...” She paused, “Stirred up trouble for Nick.” Perhaps it was safer not to have Dolan report things to the Rez Police force. Ollie’s cohorts manhandling her in ways that could be contributed to rape.

“Trouble?”

“He knows about you and Nick ... and Caprice there.”

“Crap!” Caprice sighed out loud. “So much for my going back to my trailer. If he knows he’ll beat the hell out of me. You can’t babysit me every second Dolan.”