"Your ferry leaves in about two hours. We better get dressed." "You really need to get his tattoo colored in again. Being out in the sun all day long is fading it." We were laying in my tiny bed, our bodies intertwined and covered in sweat. Reggie was lazily tracing her finger over the outlines of my tattoo. The moment seemed strangely familiar. "Does your husband have your named tattooed on his chest?" "Hell no! This is my fourth time down the altar and not one of them has ever done anything near as romantic as that." "I can't believe that you've been married four fucking times. Unbelievable." "Well, my line of work plays hell on the married life. That's for sure." I felt maudlin all of a sudden. "Does he treat you good? Are you happy?"
She looked up at me. "The captain? As good
as a seventy year old man can. He is very sweet and
I'll never have to worry about money again. The sex
isn't that great of course. But with Viagra.."
"I guess I don't need to hear anymore."
She stood up and walk naked down the short
hall of the Airstream and began getting dressed.
Pulling on a pair of black panties over those
gorgeous tanned legs. Aging had been so gentle on
her. A few extra pounds but incredibly sexy. "Are
you jealous?" I laid back with my hands behind my head
and stared up at the ceiling. "Without a doubt."
Suddenly and without warning, I felt an
incredible pressure on my chest! Jesus Christ! I was
having a fucking heart attack! No, it couldn't be
heart attack. The pain was coming from the right
side not the left. I clutched my chest and looked
down. My hands and the sheet were covered in
blood. I tried to speak but nothing came out. Just a
squeaky gasp.
Trying to take a deep breath was
impossible! The closest doctor had to be five miles
away. In a panic I looked up to Reggie for help. She
was already standing over me. I could swear that I
could still see smoke coming out of the silencer.
The bitch had shot me! First I had been shot by a
midget and now by a topless woman wearing
nothing but black panties! At the angle I was laying
in the bed the bullet had hit me just under the
collarbone. The bullet must have exited out the back
because down feathers were floating in the air. She
quickly cuffed my hands over my head to the bed
frame. Reggie had my knife in her other hand. "I
can't believe you never got that goddamn tattoo
removed or covered up after all these years. You
certainly are the romantic. Now I'm going to have to
cut the fucking thing out. I certainly can't leave my
name inscribed on your chest." She leaned over and
stuck the silencer's barrel against my forehead as
she stuck the knife against the tattoo hard enough
that it felt like the blade had gone in at least half an
inch. "Tell me where the briefcase is and if it's
where you say it is, I'll call the police after my ferry
gets to the mainland and have them send a doctor. I
don't think you'll bleed to death in that time."
"Fuck you, you lying bitch," I whispered
hoarsely. "Still trying to be the tough guy, huh?"
Reggie walked over and put a CD in the stereo and
cranked it up. "Still like that redneck shit, don't
you?"
She leaned over me and stuck a dirty sock in
my mouth then stuck the knife deep into the tattoo
again, one hand against my throat to steady herself
as she carved the knife around the tattoo. I closed
my eyes and screamed in pain as I bucked my legs
up and down in a feeble attempt to knock her off of
me. Suddenly she stood up and flicked the piece of
flesh against a window curtain, tore the curtain
loose, and folded it up.
She pulled the sock out my mouth. "Tell me
where the briefcase is and you'll live. I promise I'll
call for a doctor when I get to the mainland."
I nodded to her. "OK," I gasped. "Just down
the road there's a burned down cantina. Against the
north wall there's a hole in the wall with a burned
out candle sitting in it. Dig down about three, four,
fuck, I don't know how may goddamn feet. That's
where your goddamn case is. There's a shovel
underneath the trailer."