Just for the record, I own nothing. Bleach is Tite Kubo's. All products mentioned are property of their respective owners
"Where did Ms Paul say that our host would be?" Rukia looked around, no luck finding anyone who was a stand out.
"I think that's him." Ichigo pointed to a man about 6'6" wearing a cowboy hat and a cut-off T-shirt. He was holding a sign that had Kurosaki and Kuchki in Romanized letters and Japanese characters. The duo walked over to the man.
"Are you Hoss Lohmar?" Rukia asked, feeling fightened by the stranger's sheer size.
"The one and only." the man had a gentle tone in his voice, looking down he saw Rukia in bright blue eyes. The man looked like he hadn't slept in 3 days and hadn't shaved for that long. "And you must me Miss Rukia Kuchki, and that feller over there must be Ichigo, right?" The two of them looked over to see Ichigo struggling with two heavy bags plus his own luggage for a brief second and then fall flat on his face.
"Rukia, a little help here." Ichigo groaned from under the weight of the bags.
"Really? Ya have to have a woman help you?" He walked over and picked one of Ichigo's back like it was nothing, then grabbed another one. "Well, no reason to stay here." and with that, the country boy lead the two out to the airport's parking. Ichigo and Rukia walked past cars with bowties on the fronts, Fords, cars with a ram on the front and stopped at a lifted Jeep with big tires.
"Is this your car?"
"Car, this ain't no car. This is a Jeep XJ, 3 inch Rough Country lift/level kit and Rough Country nitro shocks. The tires are 28" Super Swampers on 15 inch beadlock rims. Everything outside of that is custom made." He opened the back end with one hand. "Lets blow this popsicle stand." as he threw the two bags he was carrying into the back. Ichigo and Rukia could hear Kon starting to yell. Hoss climbed into the Jeep without any problems, same with Ichigo after he lifted Rika in.
(Line break)
The high pitch whine of off road tires changed to the crunching of gravel as the Jeep turned off of blacktop for the last time.
"So, how much farther?" Rukia asked, she wasn't too sure about this, the fact that there was nothing around for miles made her uneasy. She could feel it in Ichigo's spiritual pressure that he felt the same.
"Aw, about 5 miles now. There's a shortcut but it's said that no one ever comes back from Copperhead Road. And I ain't eager to try it." Fear laced the man's voice and Ichigo and Rukia shot each other looks that screamed 'hollow' to each other and anyone who knew them. "So, what did Samantha send you two here for?" The two of Japanese decent looked at each other wild eyed, how did this guy know their English and Foreign language teacher's name.
"How'd you know her name?" Ichigo voiced the concern in the air.
"Simple really, she's my step-cousin. She was worried about you two and a few of your friends, so she's sending y'all to me in an attempt to straighten you out."
"But doesn't she need our parents OK to do this?" Rukia started to worry.
"Ichigo's old man signed the clearance slip and I think your older brother signed yours Rukia. Really ornate penmanship. Almost a sin to put my Hancock under it." Rukia was shocked that her older brother actually agreed to this. Urahara was so going to get it when she got back.
Ichigo however was pissed that Goat-face actually went along with this. He knew that he was fighting to save the Soul Society. 'That asshole,' he thought. 'Hichigo is going to have some fun cutting him to shreds and I may let him.' Ichigo thought.
"And we're here." The quiet voice broke the two from their thoughts. The house was one story, spread out on a lot of land, there was several trucks in the driveway and a small girl playing on the blacktop. A one ton truck sat off to the side with a trailer hooked up to it. Hoss pulled the Jeep into a garage stall and parked it. "Ichigo, go get your stuff put in the house, I'll need your help to get some chores done." Ichigo shot him a look, "And yes, this is a working vacation."
"Stupid Goat-face, he knows what I do now when I'm not at school. That summer when I went to Soul Society to save Rukia, Hat and Clogs told him. He was there in the Winter War." Ichigo grumbled under his breath. The house had an open floor plan, so he set his bags near the door.
Outside, Hoss was working a chain on a block and tackle to get a large plastic bag made out of a tarp-like material onto the trailer. He was shoving the bag, yanking on the chains and cursing worst than Ichigo in the heat of battle.
"Ichigo, get your damned ass over here." Hoss bellowed struggling with the chains. Ichigo shot over like a rocket. Looking at Hoss, his bright, but tired blue eyes were an alarming shade of green. "Help me get this damned bag onto the trailer. I've got to pick three more up. Far forward as we can go now." Ichigo shoved against the bag and it moved all to easily. His feet slid on the smooth wood trailer deck. "Easy Ichigo, easy, good, stop, stop, STOP! STOP! STOP GOD DAMNIT!" The bag slid into the trailer's end that hooked onto the truck. The whole truck moved forward and the bag ripped open.
"SHIT!" Ichigo yelled. Hoss pushed the bag back and grabbed a roll of duck tape on the truck bed and used it to cover the hole. As if this was routine, he grabbed a wide yellow strap and threw it over the bag and ran around to hook it onto the trailer and tighten it down.
"Come on, we got a long way to go, and a short time to get there." Hoss called up to Ichigo, who was confused but jumped off the trailer and climbed into the truck none the less as Hoss started the engine.
The two rode in the truck for a while with the radio playing music with guitars and fiddles. Ichigo watched out the window as the gravel roads changed into poorly maintained blacktop. That was until Hoss took an unplanned turn and the truck threw Ichigo into the door.
"Pay attention boy." Hoss jabbed at Ichigo. "your in the country now." All Ichigo could do was grumble as the truck bounced again. He looked around and saw that they were in an empty field near a large green tractor and another truck. Hoss brought the truck to a stop and parked the transmission.
"Hey Hoss, how's the Duramax?"
"Needing an overhaul. But can't afford to take her out of service for that long." Ichigo got out and walked around the front. "Tom, this is that kid my step-cousin told us about."
"Oh yeah, that one that's constantly ditching classes. Nice to meet you. Pull any of that around here and things aren't going to go good at all." Ichigo gulped as Tom's face got darker. Then everything went back to normal as the tractor swung a green and black pipe out over the trailer. Hoss had already got out another bag and had it sitting on the trailer.
"Alright, lets get this thing loaded." he called out.
(Line Break)
Rukia looked out one of the windows as the truck pulled into the driveway with a rumble and a squeal as it stopped. Ichigo got out and was covered with dust. Same went for Hoss but his face was hardened as the two of them came into the house.
"….and when you finish washing up, take off those shoes. I got an old pair of Redwings you can use until we can get to town. After dinner we have to run those bags to the elevator. Tomorrow we have an auction to go to early. Walk arounds are until 7. We'll have to leave here by 4:30. No go on and wash up." Hoss pointed Ichigo into the bathroom and Hoss walked into another room. The phone rang and within a second the phone was picked up.
"Oi. Rukia. Where'd Hoss disappear too?" Before Rukia could make a reply, there was muffled yelling catching both of their attentions.
"I don't care what the FBI and IRS are tracking. They don't know where the you-know-what is and that's all important. My Camaro can out run them no problem. Tell you what, I'm in for a while meet, me here. I think the line's been tapped."
No doubting that the voice was Hoss. Ichigo and Rukia had ears against the wall and trying to listen into the conversation. The door creaked open and both of them almost jumped out of their bodies. Quietly the two walked over to the table and sat down just before Hoss came out. He grabbed a plate of food and set it on the table. After the plate was set down. Ichigo and Rukia looked at him as he sat down for dinner.
"Well, go on and dig in." The two of them gently took food off of the plate and ate.
"So what was that yelling about?" Rukia asked with Ichigo looking like he was about to drop over dead and Hoss looking somewhat shocked.
"Ya heard that? Well, basically I've been having some problems with money. Taxes have gone up and that corrupt jerk at Springfield. Everyone's been helping pay the taxes on the farm." Hoss looked downcast and before Ichigo or Rukia could say anything, there was a loud banging on the door. Hoss shot up and disappeared around the corner. When he reappeared, there was Tom and another, taller man with him. The three opened a door and Hoss let the other two go through first.
"I'll be back up in a bit. Go ahead and finish." With that he shut the door.
(Line Break)
Ichigo and Rukia walked around the farm buildings. Hoss told the two of them that they could walk around for a while and look around while he tended to some business deals. The duo walked into a large wooden barn only to be met by a sliding door. Ichigo grabbed the handle and pulled on it to open the door.
"Ichigo, I don't think we should go in there." Rukia looked at the door with a worried look.
"Hoss said to look around. If we are going to stay here for a while, might as well look around." With that Ichigo heaved the door open. Behind was a flat black muscle car. In fact the flashiest part of the car was the brake rotors. Ichigo had seen cars like this in the magazines in his father's waiting room. Rukia of course had never seen anything like it.
"What is it Ichigo?"
"It looks like a Chevrolet Camero. But I've never seen one like this before." Ichigo looked around to the open hood. Like the rest of the car, everything was flat black. Chad tried to teach him basic engine knowledge without much success when Isshin's generator needed to be rebuilt. Rukia walked around the muscle car in awe at the design and the flat black paintwork. That was until a piece of yellow paper on the trunk hatch caught her attention.
"Ichigo, what's this?" Rukia handed Ichigo the slip, her modern Japanese was OK but her ability to read English was lacking. Although Ichigo himself was no pro.
"It says 'Shine run, deliver 20 cases to Boar's inn. 2 cases to Country Hall. Watch out for bears on I-80, County Mounties on Rural Route 12. Inspect lead on gov. shining.' I have no idea what this means." Ichigo and Rukia shot confused looks at each other.
"It means I should of hid my shine orders better." Both turned around to see Hoss standing in the doorway, the last rays of sunlight reflecting off of a bright steel item under his arm. A pistol.