Kinship Texas.
Population 2021.
Same as the year.
A quiet little one-horse town, unless you count the Harley's. At one time it was a bustling little community of small family-owned businesses. Surrounding a large Aviation parts manufacturer, it kept the locals fed and clothed. Over a hundred years earlier there used to be ranches and farms. One horse per family in most cases. Back then Kinship was named Next of Kin. Graveyards for fallen soldiers escaping the Alamo. Don't believe what you've read in the History books. Hell, there's even a family with the last name Crockett living here. Boone even. Speaking of...
"How's it coming back there Boone?" A stunning redhead with her long red mane pulled around her shoulders lifts her head, its tips died black as if feathers. Swigging a drink from a tin flask she waits on a reply after buzzing stops. Eyes narrow from a hard night of drinking.
"You try finishing a tat when your canvas is as naked as the day she was born." Her native American tattoo artist scowls wiping away blood from her upper back. He had been working on this woman for 18 hours straight. She had barely flinched. Unlike his dick. Halting only to smoke a cigarette and rub one off every four hours behind her. This bitch was fucking fine. He had known her since childhood. Both born here in the early 90's.
"Quit stroking your tattoo gun and finish up. My train leaves in..." She reaches to her right for a pocket watch dangling from her jeans next to her..."8 hours, 15 minutes. Gonna be done by then?"
"You're the one wanting the full back and shoulders done. Be glad I finished your tits yesterday. How are those hands holding them up?"
"Reaching for the sky Pardner."
"You're one tough girl Sadie Lynn. So, where's the Army deploying you next?"
"Nowhere, I'm out. Staying stateside this tour. I'm done with deserts."
"No shit. I thought you were career. Vacay in Hawaii?"
"I wish. Uncle Sam's got me going to Kansas. Got hired as a head of security at a place called Wyndham Explorations. Tornado alley no less."
"You always did give good blowjobs." He sighs firing up his gun to add more ink.
"As if you would know. Must have been a lot of bragging while I was gone." She rolls her eyes.
"If I get you done early..."
"Not gonna happen Tonto."
"Now that's just racist Sadie Lynn."
"Fuck you Comanche Boy."
"I'm older than you White Squaw with pretty colors."
"By two years."
"I remember wrestling with you as a kid."
"I whipped your ass every time."
"Untrue. Be more respectful. Your ass is right here for me to whip." He dares to slap her ass as he lifts his needle away from filling in the wings of an eagle.
"Good thing that's not your tattooing hand. Soon as I get up, I'm using that bowie knife by my boot to cut those fingers off."
"Why? So, I don't do this?" He jabs a pinky into her anal pucker.
"So dead. I swear."
He laughs at her. She merely scowls and takes another drink from her flask. "Wish you had more time here. My Grandfather would love a visit from you."
"Sorry Boone. Between burying my own Grandpa and tying up his will I barely had time to sit here with you. Give Newton my best."
"He did want to give you something. Ride up there with me for thirty minutes before your train?"
"Fine! Finish the bird before I flip you the talons."
"Now that you mention it, the gold watch looks damn good in the eagle's talons."
"That was important to me. I appreciate the perfection in your talents Boone."
"I have many talents."
"Yeah, yeah! Think with your tattoo hand not the one on my ass. My luck you'll trace your hand on my butt cheek."
"Interesting idea." He strategically places his hand over her butt as if planning. She shakes her ass to change his mind. That called for another drink. "Is that your father's flask?"
"Handed down." She lifts it to show off, "Sixth generation possession. Been in my family since 1865. My Great yada yada yada Grandpappy Jessup was one of the first Texas Rangers. That's why there's a star etched into the pewter. Little wore down in spots but it's there."
"Funny that he was a Texas Ranger, but your last name is Outlaw."
"I know right? He disappeared without a trace in 1877. Word, was he caught wind of some bad hombres in the Texas Rangers and they had him killed. No proof of that, but it's out there. Definitely not on Ancestry.com."
"I recall hearing that story now. When we were teenagers. You wrote an essay on the Rangers your sophomore year."
"You remember that?" She hisses.
"I also remember the Teacher ripping it up calling it hogwash. Not right."
"Mr. Butler was a prick. I barely passed his history class."
Boone hesitates to clean her wounds when he hears motorcycles revving outside his Ghost Town Ink parlor. It used to be an old mercantile. Barely up to code these days. Sadie Outlaw lifts her head groggily from the booze intake. Two days of hard drinking was just now taking its toll. Definitely no lightweight. She could drink most men under the table.
Stirring Boone felt uneasy about the new arrivals. "You better get your clothes on."
"Why? As if I'm afraid of a few bikers."
"You may be a badass in the Army Sadie, but we're talking gangs here. That's Korso and his crew, the Copperheads."
She stares out a lone picture window in the front of Boone's shop, to see six burly bikers with enough hair to be women. She corks her flask and reaches over for her knife. Sliding it closer she grins. Nothing spooked the Outlaw.
"Keep inking."
"Your gangbang Sadie."
"You're here as back up. Break out your tomahawk."
"Already have it handy." It was in a specially designed slot beneath his table believe it or not.
"Can't be too handy if your free hands still rubbing my ass cheek."
"Sorry." He removes it not even realizing it was still hovering. Approaching the front door Jake Korso barged in with the sound of a jingling doorbell over the threshold. He was a good 280 pounds of muscle, tattoos, and beard. Following him in were two others, less threatening, but ugly just the same.
"Afternoon Boone Tickle Bear."
"Korso. What brings you to my reservation?'
The burly biker rubs his beard looking over Sadie. "Mighty fine canvas you got there. Howdy Ma'am." He winks at her.
"Stop being respectful. You know I'm no Ma'am. Call it as you see it." She narrows her eyes at him while sifting through her jeans for a pack of cigarettes and a butane lighter. Cig to her lips she lets it dangle as the men size her up.
"Nice work there Boone." Korso looks over Sadie's shoulders, his eyes trailing over her back to just above her butt crack along the small of her spine, there a very ornate logo of a skull with a crossing of a rifle and a blade. "Special Forces? One shot, One kill. Now isn't that interesting. What's the fine print say?"
"It says, Thank You for Your Service." She huffs.
"Damn! That's hot." The two other bikers seemed impressed, both puckering their lips at each other.
"Why are you here Korso?" Boone sets his tattoo gun aside in favor of standing tall.
"Easy Indian. I'm not here for trouble. Just waiting on a package delivery. Damn!" He strokes his beard, "You wanted me to call it how I see it...that is one extra tight ass."
"I hear that a lot. Military style. Try bouncing a quarter off of it." Sadie lights her cigarette and takes a drag without using her fingers, exhaling a thin line of smoke. "I'm sending up smoke signals Boone. Get to work on my tat. Time's a ticking."
The bikers admire her fearlessness under pressure. Being totally nude in a compromising position, knowing they would love to manhandle her. They could tell she was tough.
"Mind if I get some privacy here?" She hisses without looking at any of them.
Boone moves to cover up Sadie's lower body with a towel. Sadie wouldn't have it.
"What are you, my masseuse? Get that rag off me." Hearing her Boone frowns. She was trying too hard to be the badass. The bikers would call her out eventually. Removing the towel Boone settles in his lean over her and begins tattooing again. One of the other two bikers moves around Boone making him uneasy.
"Relax. I'm only checking out her other tats. Rattlesnake coiling around both legs."
"Not a Copperhead." She growls.
"Too bad. You'd be one fine ole' lady."
"Nice tan for a redhead. No tan lines even." The third biker noticed.
"When you're in a fuckin' desert like Afghanistan for six years you have lots of time to fill. Suns harsh, so am I."
"You talk big." Korso nods, "No AK-47's here in Kinship."
"Don't need one. AK-47's is for pussies. I prefer a Norwegian HK416. Battleax with kick."
"Nice." The man behind her eyes her parted legs. A sweet pinkness clamped tightly like a clam made his mouth water.
"The Swedewacker or me?" She winces taking another drag.
"Both." He chuckled.