I squeeze my fists tight and look at Les.
“What’s the plan, Mac?” Les asks.
“Let’s go find out what’s going on.”
I walk toward Stimmy.
His back is to me and this guy has no fucking clue we’re there. His fanny pack buddy gives a nod and when Stimmy looks back at us, he hurries around the fanny pack guy like a squirrel trying to hide.
“Fuck that,” I say. “Get over here, Stimmy.”
“We’ll come get you,” Taz says.
He takes a step and the fanny pack guy puts his hand out. “What is this?”
“Excuse me?” I ask. “This is our skatepark. Our beach. Who the fuck are you?”
“Tell them, Brown,” Stimmy says in his little chipmunk voice.
“I’m Brown,” the fanny pack guy says.
“Yeah, you’re about to be red,” Taz says. “When I’m done with your face…”
“Like I haven’t heard that before,” Brown says.
“Let’s take a breath here,” I say. “This is ours. Stimmy isn’t supposed to be here. We have this place covered.”
“Who covers it?” Brown asks.
“Peg Leg Mikey,” Les says.
Brown smiles. “Right. Where’s he at?”
I look at Les… then at Taz…
This is a takeover.
Stimmy got some punk to come over here and wants to take over the place.
I look at the bikers as they start to look at us.
I point. “You buying this shit?”
The guy shakes his head and shows his hands.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask Brown as I get closer to him.
“Just enjoying a ride,” he says. “I saw you eye humping me.”
“I’m going to break your jaw soon,” I say. “I’m not sure what Stimmy has told you, but both of you don’t belong here.”
“Is that so?” Brown asks.
“Don’t do this, bro,” Les says. “Not for Stimmy.”
“I’ll take care of him first,” Taz says.
He moves and Stimmy jumps away from behind Brown.
Taz chases him to the railing and grabs the back of his shirt.
Stimmy gets bold and throws an elbow at Taz.
It catches Taz off guard and he steps back and lets Stimmy go.
Stimmy turns and almost dives into Les’s arms.
Les simply throws Stimmy back into Taz and Taz wraps his arm around Stimmy’s neck.
He squeezes and Stimmy’s face turns bright red.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Stimmy says in a choked voice.
“You’re next,” I say to Brown.
Brown quickly slides his fanny pack around. “Want to see what I have here for you?”
“No,” Les says.
He moves toward Brown.
Brown jumps and kicks at Les.
I have to admit, it’s a pretty badass move. Like a fucking karate kick or something.
As he does it, he opens the fanny pack and reaches inside.
And now he’s got a gun pointed at me.
“Tell your buddy to let my buddy go,” Brown says to me.
“Fuck that,” Taz says.
“Do you think I’m fucking around here?” Brown asks.
He steps forward and puts the gun to my chest.
This guy has some balls.
Some big… stupid… balls.
Does he really think for a second that we’re here without protection?
This is our skatepark.
Nobody just walks into the place and owns it.
“You really want to pull that trigger?” I ask Brown.
“Don’t make me,” he says. “And don’t tell your other buddy here to do something. My finger is faster than his fist.”
“Les, don’t do anything,” I say. “Brown is right. He’s got us. He wins. Fuck. I guess we’re screwed now. Taz, you better let Stimmy go. Okay, bro?”
“You sure, Mac?” Taz asks.
“Yeah. We’re fucked.”
“Yeah you are,” Stimmy says. “And good luck finding Peg Leg Mikey too.”
I nod.
I stare into Brown’s eyes. “You got us. I can’t believe it. But you fucking got us.”
I slowly put my hands up.
“Fuck,” Taz says. “Fine.”
I smile.
“What’s so funny?” Brown asks.
Taz releases his hold on Stimmy.
And then he grabs Stimmy again and throws him into Brown.
Brown stumbles to the side and doesn’t pull the trigger.
Now we can attack.
I punch Brown in the wrist so he drops the gun.
He looks at me and he knows he’s the one who’s fucked right now.
I throw one punch.
That’s all I need.
I hit him so hard in the face, he hits the ground and that’s it.
His eyes are spinning in his head.
I grab at his stupid fanny pack and open it.
It’s full of the same garbage that Stimmy had been selling here once before.
I look over to Stimmy and Taz has him by the shirt.
His mouth is bleeding.
He looks ready to cry.
“Can’t help yourself, huh?” I ask.
“Mac…”
“No,” I say. “Taz, finish it.”
“Wait!” Stimmy yells. “You need to know where Peg Leg Mikey is.”
Taz holds his fist back.
He doesn’t hit Stimmy.
I look at Les.
“What did you do?” Les asks Stimmy.
“Brown offered to help,” Stimmy says.
I look down at Brown.
He’s trying to move.
I swing my foot and kick him as hard as I can in his stomach.
He cries out in pain.
I reach down and grab his hair and lift his head.
“You ever come back here again and I will drown you in the fucking ocean. Got it?”
Brown stares at me.
I look over to one of the bikers. “Got wheels, bro?”
“Yeah,” the guy says.
“Next high is one me,” I say. “Take this piece of shit two miles down the coast and dump him off.” I look at Brown again. “I swear on my life what I said…”
I let him go and set my sights on Stimmy.
I take one step and Stimmy’s legs give out.
Taz lets him fall to the ground.
Now we’re standing over Stimmy.
“Mac…”
“Just say it,” Taz says.
“Under the pier,” Stimmy says. “Okay? Under the fucking pier…”
I start to run.
Les and Taz follow me.
I’m not worried about Stimmy hanging back at the skatepark. He knows better than to linger when he gets caught.
“That guy won’t give up, bro,” Taz says.
“I know,” I say.
“He took it too far this time,” Les says.
“One problem at a time here,” I say.
We run to the pier and there’s Peg Leg Mikey.
Sitting in the sand, his right hand tied to the pier.
He looks at me and shakes his head.
He’s bleeding from his nose and mouth.
“What the fuck happened?” Les asks.
“They jumped me,” Peg Leg Mikey says. “I saw Stimmy and went after him. I can’t run, you know? My legs…”