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May. 22nd, 2023 at 8:56 PM
[So this is how he gets away with it, then. Cruz, a skeleton, with a skeleton horse, lives in a skeleton of a house with a skeletal barn attached - and he remains unseen, his home apparently abandoned, all the way on the outskirts of this thing that's barely a town.
Well, you do what you gotta do, and Johnnie won't turn down a kind offer of a safe place to stay the night. He can't help but grin at Chrissy having such a good time riding that bony horse as he pulls the bike in through the barn door and parks it to the side, then hops off.]
Hey man, we owe ya for this. Here.
[See, this is yet another reason it's good to stock up on alcohol. He finds their most recent stolen bottle of tequila and pulls it out as he saunters over to their host and offers it in an outstretched hand.]
On us. Uh, if you drink, that is. You do drink, right?
[Normally that would be a dumb question to ask but the guy appears to be actual bones. But, bones that can smoke, without lungs, so he can probably drink without a mouth, right?
That earns a laugh from Cruz.]
I sure do, fella. You don't have to, though. I'm not looking for any kind of repayment, just helping out a couple folks in need.
[Johnnie shakes his head and waves that attempt off.]
Nah, it's all yours. Or if you really insist, we can all split it tomorrow, the three of us an' the rest of your crew. Can't wait to meet 'em. They all skeletons too?
Well, you do what you gotta do, and Johnnie won't turn down a kind offer of a safe place to stay the night. He can't help but grin at Chrissy having such a good time riding that bony horse as he pulls the bike in through the barn door and parks it to the side, then hops off.]
Hey man, we owe ya for this. Here.
[See, this is yet another reason it's good to stock up on alcohol. He finds their most recent stolen bottle of tequila and pulls it out as he saunters over to their host and offers it in an outstretched hand.]
On us. Uh, if you drink, that is. You do drink, right?
[Normally that would be a dumb question to ask but the guy appears to be actual bones. But, bones that can smoke, without lungs, so he can probably drink without a mouth, right?
That earns a laugh from Cruz.]
I sure do, fella. You don't have to, though. I'm not looking for any kind of repayment, just helping out a couple folks in need.
[Johnnie shakes his head and waves that attempt off.]
Nah, it's all yours. Or if you really insist, we can all split it tomorrow, the three of us an' the rest of your crew. Can't wait to meet 'em. They all skeletons too?
Comments
There's little time to say it all aloud, so he just reaches back to squeeze her knee and starts thinking fast as he swerves the bike around the pained, monstrous creature in one brief little gap so they can pull ahead of it.]
Should be a few more bottles in those bags, let's use 'em all. Here.
[He hands back his lighter, but his eyes stay on the road, except for a glance behind to confirm that Jason, or the thing that was Jason once, is now galloping behind them, trailing smoke and sludge in its wake. He can feel the road shake even through the vibrations of the bike's engine as each heavy limb crashes downward onto the asphalt.]
Let's light that fucker up an' burn it to charcoal.
[A pair of red tail lights are visible in the far distance. A car, and they're catching up. Well, it's no train but it has a gas tank, it might still be just the thing, if they can get there before Jason gets them.]
There's a few bottles left, and two of the three are lit and thrown. She's grinning as they hit and make the fire grow larger and larger. The last one she holds onto, because she definitely spots those lights on up ahead. Maybe they can use the car as a buffer to get some more distance before they throw the last one.
Her name is screamed as Jason continues to barrel his way toward them.]
Speed up! Maybe we can use that car up ahead to block him!
And she's on the same page as him, clearly, when she sees the car. So he acknowledges her by pulling hard on the throttle, no need to hold back now that she's not needing him to help keep her in throwing distance. A speed limit sign races past, suggesting 80, but he's already going well above that by the time the number registers.
So it's particularly funny and rather appropriate when he notices details of the car ahead as they approach. It's a police vehicle of some kind - unmarked, a black sedan, not like the enormous white pickups he's been spotting cops in so far in the state. But inside through the rear windshield he can see all the telltale extra equipment, the grate that separates the back seat from the driver.
What's worse than a cop car? A fucking secret, hidden cop. But hell, two birds, one stone. He races around the vehicle and pulls in front of it, then starts to slow down in order to force that car to slam on the brakes and let Jason lurch closer to it.
And okay, he can't resist holding up a middle finger for the driver, who tries to pass only for Johnnie to speed up again and keep in front of him in the other lane.]
Asshole. All right, got ourselves a little bit of a shield. We got anything back there you can throw at him to make him swerve an' block the road better?
[Maybe she's not a sharpshooter, but she hit a stationary bottle during target practice once. And she's Johnnie's girl, which means he's taught her how to be dangerous and vicious if she needs to be. They're going fast, but after a shuffle of items she's able to get that gun and take aim. She hits the headlight first, which definitely isn't a tire. But the second shot, fired right after, makes contact. The tire instantly goes down, causing the car to veer out of control.
The cop inside is faced with no other choice but to swerve to a stop. As soon as he does, she tugs at Johnnie's jacket.]
Turn around! We need to light that thing up while we still have time.
[Maybe the police officer will have time to get out and run away. Just in case, she gives both the cop and Jason the middle finger. And since there's still more bullets in the gun, she shoots at the car to try and hit whatever she can.
Jason's fully on fire now, and all of his rage and charging toward them is wearing him out. He trips on limbs that are aflame and goes sliding across the road right toward the now stopped cop car.]
He lets out a joyous Whoop! with a fist in the air as Jason slides right toward that car. Maybe a little early to declare victory, but all he's declaring is his excitement. He keeps the bike moving just so they're not sitting targets in case Jason gets up or the asshole cop starts shooting back, and they snake toward the car in a zig-zag, slower now than before.
The cop, seeing Jason, shouts audibly through his cracked windows and decides to take his chances with the lesser of his two bad options and crawls toward the passenger door, then opens it, rolls out onto the roadway and cowers, hands toward Johnnie and Chrissy in a plea for mercy.]
C'mon babe, now, before that motherfucker gets back up!
[He's more worried about Jason, and pulls the bike parallel to the car in a broad u-turn to line Chrissy up for a throw. The cop, seeing this, scampers for the ditch to take cover, and Johnnie notes the direction he's gone. Definitely not his main concern, but it's best to keep track of pests so they don't take you by surprise later on, he figures.]
Here goes nothing!
[She shouts, sounding almost giddy as she lights the bottle and throws it as hard as she can toward the car. It goes through the passenger door and catches flame immediately, the entire car going up in big flames in seconds. Her hand presses against Johnnie's back as they watch it burn, and as soon as the fire reaches the gasoline, it's all over. The explosion is loud and rattles the entire area, but Chrissy watches with a sense of satisfaction as Jason screams in agonizing pain.
Watching him burn and flail is so satisfying that her smile is manic, almost sadistic in the pleasure she gets from knowing she's done this to him. It doesn't take any longer than a few minutes before he goes still.]
Can you get me in close? I want to make sure he's dead.
[From in her peripheral vision, the cop starts to make his way out from where he was hiding, and is shouting at them. Chrissy barely spares a glance in his direction before firing off the last round in the gun. It grazes his knee and makes him drop down with a shout, and she's wearing that unhinged smile on her face again. ]
Still, it's a victory howl he looses into the night as Jason screams, and he puts his hands up in the air in front of the flames, again just driving with his knees for a second or two until he laughs and takes control of the handlebars again so he can bring them in closer, around the flaming wreckage of the car and the enormous black mass smoldering on the road. Smoke and embers scatter in the wake of the bike as he circles around to get them on the other side of Jason, away from the gas tank in case somehow the car has more exploding to do.]
Let's make sure he's done for good this time. I don't want this asshole comin' back again. More ammo in the bags somewhere if you need it, but otherwise I'm thinkin', if he doesn't move, let's grab some of those bushes past the fence there an' pile it all up, make sure this thing burns for days.
[And as eager as he is to get back to California, they can spare an hour or so here to have themselves a little bonfire. A dance, a smoke in front of the flames, a celebration of the banishment of this shadow from Chrissy's life, once it's finally done. How fitting that they, who belong to the darkness, have brought this black ooze monster down by lighting it up with fire.
As he stops the bike and watches the thing burn, a cruel, satisfied smirk grows on his face.]
Y'know, Miss Toni back there said there's things out here darker than us. But I'm thinkin', give it time. Maybe someday she'll be wrong.
They can build their fire. But she fully plans on shooting Jason until she feels like he's paid for all the pain and misery he put her through.]
Someday soon, maybe.
[The bike is at a standstill now, and she hops off so she can move in a little closer. Just enough to shoot at where Jason's head might be. It doesn't really matter where she hits, she fires until she's out. Tears stream from her eyes as she does, but her glare is icy and cruel. She's not sad, she's furious. And finally she's able to help herself. There's no more running, just revenge.
So she tosses the empty gun back to Johnnie before nodding over toward the side of the road. There's brush and bushes they can drag over to add to the fire. And she definitely wants to do that.]
Can you believe it? He's never going to find me again.
[She's giggly as she says it, absolutely ecstatic for getting rid of Jason once and for all.]
He catches the gun, now clearly out of ammo, and hops off the bike. He sees that nod, knows she's thinking along similar lines, but before going for the brush or going to find that cop and throw him on the fucking pile of destruction they're about to create, he first slips one arm around Chrissy's waist and cups the back of her head with his other hand, and pulls her snug against him for an intensely passionate kiss. He's left breathless, panting with victory and exhilaration and absolute lust for that fire in her eyes at what she's just accomplished.]
I believe it, babe. You made damn sure of it. He can't touch you ever again.
[Another kiss, and then he pulls away, hands lingering for just another ounce of touch before he separates from her. Bonfire, first, then there will be plenty of celebrating after.
Now, where did that cop go? His fingers curl around his sheathed knife as he starts toward the ditch, looking for fuel and listening for the crackle of brush in case the guy thinks running is the thing to do right now.]
She watches him head off, likely to find the cop, and her smile only grows as she observes. He's so protective of her, but he really helped her be able to stand on her own and get this done tonight. And she feels so free because of it. The right thing to do is let him have his fun while she focuses on keeping this fire going.
A few steps are taken before the sound of something dragging through the dirt and onto the pavement catches her eye. It's the cop she shot, trying to drag himself back toward his car like he can call for help there or something.]
Hey babe, look over here! [She sighs, so disappointed that this guy chose to not stay hiding. He's really in for it now.] I don't think he got the message that he needs to stay down until we leave.
[To the cop, she scrunches up her nose and steps in close so she can press the toe of her shoe against him to push him back down.]
You're not going to get in the way of the fire, are you? Because that would be really rude. I worked really hard to make this!
P-please, just let me go. I won't tell anyone what happened here, just let me go...
[The pathetic begging makes Johnnie laugh as he swaggers over, knife in one hand, an armful of dry brush under the other. He looks at the guy on the ground, not even pinned under Chrissy's foot, really - it's more a suggestion than a requirement by force, but he's taken it, apparently.]
He's a fuckin' coward, babe. Typical cop, all asshole on the outside an' creampuff as soon as shit gets real. You ain't used to bein' under someone else's boot, are you?
[He tosses the flammable things on the fire and admires the sparks that fly as the flames lick fresh fuel, then turns his gaze once again to the guy on the ground.]
We'll let you go. But you gotta be the one to lick her boots, fuckin' pig.
[Metaphorical boots, anyway. Details. He spins his knife around in his hand idly, like he's just looking for an excuse to use it.]
A monster.
If Johnnie sees her like that, he doesn't give any indication. Instead, he tries to empower her a little more. And she laughs at his suggestion, until it really sinks in what he's asking the pleading cop to do.]
You want him to lick my feet?
[The cop's face is filled with something close to hope, like maybe he's thinking Chrissy will be the one to talk some reason into the situation.]
You don't have to do that. Just kiss it.
[Her smile is more amused than cruel, but she points to her foot like it's not exactly a suggestion.]
He'll cut you if you don't do it.
[All that hope goes out as they're looked at like they're the devil himself. And in that moment, Chrissy feels so powerful she almost wants to cackle. So when she brings her foot up so it roughly bumps against the cop's chin, she doesn't feel anything but like she's on top of the world.]
You want to be let go, don't you?
[The cop spits at her and she gasps, jumping in surprise. Doesn't this guy know how gross that is?]
Fuck you, bitch. [Wait, is he talking to her or Johnnie?
What happened to the begging just a minute ago? She misses that. Chrissy knows how to get leverage over that. This newfound desperate anger he's showing, she has no idea how to respond.]
He circles the cop slowly just to make him more nervous, and when he's about to go check out what's in his car instead, Mr. fucking cop decides to spit at his girl, which draws him immediately over to stomp on one of his hands. There's a crunch of bone or knuckle - something in that hand popped or broke. He doesn't really care which. The guy's shrieking in pain now as he tries to scramble away, but he's slow with his injured leg and can't get to his feet quickly at all, so Johnnie comes over and kicks him in the ribs to knock him back down.]
You think you're funny, asshole? Or are you tryin' to be a big man now, suddenly? Don't like bein' called a coward, huh?
[He leans down to grab the guy's jacket, then has to dodge out of the way of a swing of his arm that almost connects with his nose. Undeterred, Johnnie grabs him by the wrist and pats around until he finds the guy's badge in his breast pocket, and pulls that out, stepping away as he reads it.]
Detective Aaron Burke. Culberson County Sheriff's Department. Well, nice to meet you, Aaron.
[The guy shouts, interrupting him.]
Fine! Fine, whatever creepy shit you ask for, I'll do it. Keep the badge, I'll kiss her feet, fine!
[Sounds like he's wavering between anger and fear, those two compelling forces. Johnnie folds up the badge and pockets it with a shrug, then looks at Chrissy. He might even be convinced to actually let the guy go, maybe, but he wants to search that car for goodies first.]
[Chrissy huffs, crossing her arms over her chest as she looks away.]
You're really rude and you hurt my feelings. You'll have to beg me to let you kiss my shoe.
[Her smile is definitely wicked, and she's so touched by how Johnnie stepped in and messed this guy up for being terrible to her that she moves in closer to him for a quick kiss. Gosh, she loves him so much.
Poor Aaron's face contorts in fear and disgust, but the fight seems to be out of him now.]
Fine! Please, just don't hurt me! Let me live, and I'll kiss your feet.
[Chrissy glances back over toward him and fakes a yawn.]
I'm begging you, please! Please let me kiss your feet. It would mean so much to me if you...oh fuck, please just let me do this so he'll let me go.
[Hearing the fear in her voice makes her shiver with a feeling she can't describe. It makes her feel powerful. Invincible. She slowly extends her foot toward his face, and grins as he actually kisses her shoe. Twice. She thanks him by kicking him in the mouth and looking over at Johnnie for approval.]
I think he learned his lesson. Don't you?
[The true test will come with what happens when he goes over to the car. Because she knows that he's itching to get in there and see what he can find.]
He gives Chrissy another kiss, and laughs a little as he pulls away.]
Yeah, I'd say so. All right, motherfucker, you get to go, but I ain't helpin' you to your car. You figure that shit out yourself, got it? After I'm done pokin' around.
[Time to investigate. He raises an eyebrow and smiles at Aaron like he's just having a grand fun time out here tonight and this is just some kind of joke, then lets himself into the car and sits in the burned wreckage of the driver's seat, mostly for temporary convenience. Man, there's so many things in here, these future cops must have all kinds of weird surveillance equipment and ooh, a fancy radio, too.
There's a sidearm that must have fallen out of the guy's hip holster, right on top of the seat, but the plastic is melted and he doesn't trust it. Hell, most of this stuff doesn't look usable anymore and it's hard to know what cool stuff might have been found if they hadn't blown the car up, but it was worth it. He does come away with a couple pairs of handcuffs and their keys, though, and that's a treat considering he hasn't seen the pair he and Chrissy had in a while. Maybe it's at the bottom of a bag somewhere, maybe it's gone, but it's fine, now there are more. Might be useful for non-sex things too some day.
The last thing he tries to do is pop the trunk, but it doesn't go - the lever works fine, but something in the latch must have broken or warped. So he gets out and forces it open with the blade of his knife, then looks inside.]
Oh, hell yeah! Here's the good shit. Bulletproof vest, some camera shit that looks pretty fucked now, damn. But, this! Hey, thanks buddy!
[He pulls out his true prize - bolt cutters. No padlock or heavy metal fencing will be stopping them any time soon.]
Good haul, baby!
[She's distracted from cheering him on by Jason's lifeless husk crackling as it catches on fire all over again. The sight makes her satisfied, and she sighs in contentment as she decides to kick that body too. It feels so therapeutic, in fact, that she decides to kick him again and again and again. Over and over, until charred chunks start falling off of him.
Screaming as she does it, those tears settle in again. The gun had been nice. But this is better. It's a real physical sign of her getting rid of him once and for all. She wipes at her eyes and keeps kicking, until she can sense Johnnie approaching. No matter what's going on around her, she'll always be able to pick up when he's nearby.
Just his presence alone is enough to quell that rage, and she gives one final kick before stumbling back and turning to go toward Johnnie.]
Do you want to know something weird? I feel like a different person after tonight.
Yeah? In a good way, I hope. You did real good tonight. I loved bein' able to point the bike the right way to set you up to wreck this asshole.
[He chuckles, then brings a hand to her face to brush away her tears.]
Love that my sweet princess is so lethal when she wants to be. An' fuck anyone who tries to mess with you, huh?
[Aaron, who had been watching the chunks of burned monstrous body in continued shock and horror from his spot on the ground, now tries to resume dragging himself to something like safety. He reaches the car, and gasps in pain as he pulls himself into the front seat. Johnnie notices out of the corner of his eye, certainly hears him, but the guy's not any threat anymore. His attention is on Chrissy, who gets a soft and gentle, but lingering, victory kiss.]
Definitely good. The best I've ever felt.
[Which isn't entirely true, because she's felt really good after sex sometimes. But this is a different kind of good, the kind that fills her heart with pride and makes her be a little more assertive as she kisses him again. The glow of the fire burns bright around them, wrapping them both up in a warm embrace.]
So I guess I can say fuck anyone that wants to mess with me. They won't know who they're messing with.
[Her nose nuzzles against his, and her arms coil around him so she can get him to sway with her a little. It's not exactly dancing in the firelight, but it's close enough that it makes her happy. Aaron doesn't even exist to her anymore.]
Did you get your new toys back on the bike?
Yeah, mostly. Gotta actually attach the bolt cutters somehow but I'll get there. You want music?
[He's not actually going to wait for an answer to that. As they sway back and forth he guides them toward the bike until he's just close enough to pull away for a second and turn on the radio. He switches through a few stations, then lets it settle on one playing some Johnny Cash, like they'd heard back in Nashville. It's not exactly the kind of slow dancing tune he'd choose if he could, but it works better than polka and whatever that other shit was.]
Been a wild fuckin' ride the last few weeks. I almost can't believe we saw him sing this live.
[She has that breathy, dreamy quality to her voice now that he's kissed at her neck and has made her want to paw at him. But he's got music on and they're dancing, and that's good too.]
But I think we're lucky that we get to dance to it now, too.
[It's a sweet moment for them, nice and romantic. Inside the smoldering remains of what used to be his police cruiser, Aaron watches in horror as everything around him is on fire. As Chrissy and Johnnie move together, it only seems to grow brighter and hotter, like they themselves are a force of nature. That flame grows in magnitude as she whispers into his ear and rubs her hands along his back.]
We should find somewhere to pull over in a little while. I don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands off of you for long.
What, you mean the middle of the highway in front of your ex's smoldering corpse don't do it for ya?
[He laughs. No, probably sooner or later another car will pass by here and there'll be a whole scene. Someone will come find the shitty detective. Not the best place for a victory fuck, even if laying her down right here by the fire is so tempting. Running off to hide in the field beside them wouldn't do either, everything here is covered in dust and thorns.
He grinds his hips against her anyway, then laughs, a little breathless with sudden need.]
Guess we oughta get on our way.
[She laughs, squeezing his butt as she grinds against him in return. That makes her shiver with want as she pulls away. She leans in to steal one more kiss before she takes hold of his hand and starts leading the way back to the bike. It's been a fun, rewarding stop here in town. But she's more than ready and needy for him and wants to get somewhere they can have a little victory fun.]
Maybe we can find a good tree somewhere out here in the desert. We always really like those.
[That's teasing...mostly. She wouldn't say no to a tree right about now. But she behaves herself as they get situated on the bike, only wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she kisses the back of his neck.]
[But there aren't many trees out here. The real trouble is that this section of highway is poorly-lit and it's hard to see much past the road at night with just his bike headlight.
But it's fine, they'll figure it out. First step is to get on the bike and make sure those bolt cutters are coming along with them, and then get moving past all this flaming wreckage and one injured fuckoff cop. A shiver runs down his spine at that kiss to the back of his neck, and he breathes out through his nose.
Sitting on a bike while getting hard is not the most comfortable.
But an option presents itself in just a few minutes, as a gravel road turns right off the highway, and he takes it. It crosses the train tracks and winds up in some kind of makeshift ranch parking area, or maybe it's just a turnaround, because other than gravel and darkness and thorny shrubs, there's really nothing at all for miles as far as he can tell. No lights, just the sound of wind and crickets and the bike engine, which he cuts off.
And then he hops off the bike and slides his hands up under her top, kissing her before she even has a chance to move while he palms at her breasts.]
Fuck, baby girl, you're so fuckin' hot. My little flame.
I want you so bad.
[It's not fair, how attractive and amazing he is. He's able to reduce her to a whining mess in barely any time at all. At least right now, she's able to wrap her legs around him so she can grind against him, and her hand guides his to palm at her breasts just how she likes it.]
Making me burn so hot for you.
[Her laughter is breathless as she nips at his lip, before her head ducks and she works her mouth along his throat.]
Yeah, babe, I wanna feel it. I wanna be inside all that heat.
[This is one of those nights he's not going to bother to undress. It would take too damn long. He pulls his hands away from her to undo his belt buckle, and unzip his pants, and that's going to have to be good enough. His hands are back on her as quickly as they can be, and while one curls around her back so he can hold her close and kiss at her collarbone, the other runs up a leg until he can rub his hand firmly between them, in what space he can find despite the seat of the bike.]
No trees here, babe, an' all the bushes are fuckin' spiky. But we always got the bike, an' I can't wait to spread you wide open on top of it an' fuck you hard.