The Tear Collector

by Shawn Burgess

  “Awesome, right?” Robby’s eyes sparkle.

  “Pretty bad ass.”

  “Guys, if we do this, there’s no turning back.”

  “We already passed the point of turning back when they knocked you off your bike yesterday, Brooks.”

  “Dev’s got a point, Brooks. They’re just going to keep coming.”

  Damn. Tee, too?

  “You’re both right. They’re not going to quit. That’s why this ends today. Ends now.” Robby’s jaw clenches with his decree. He seems emboldened by the sense of power he gleans from the paintball rifle in his hands.

  Devin grins at me. “So, what you say, Brooks?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, okay. Let’s do it.”

  Chapter 29

  Escalation

  THE SIZZLING SUN scorches, and waves of heat radiate from the black pavement. Bo follows Sammy on his bike, scanning the roadways. The hours of unsuccessful searching for Brooks whittle away at Bo’s patience. But Sammy’s unwavering eyes remain fastened to the roadways, a robotic churn of his legs powering him forward.

  A fresh cast covers Sammy’s forearm, the words, Markland X Killer, scrawled on it in black Sharpie, a prominent display of his anger. Beads of sweat cascade Sammy’s chubby cheeks as he pedals through the summer heat. The events of the day before roll through Sammy’s mind like chunks of freeze frame. His cheeks fire like a kiln, furious heat gushing through them at the sharp memory of Devin’s grin taunting him, pressing him forward to reestablish the normal order of things.

  “We can probably sneak some shine from my dad.” Bo lifts a hopeful brow.

  “No. We’re going to get Brooks and that new kid. They’re going to pay for what they done!” Hate dwells in his chiseled expression.

  “Sammy, we done rode around half the town. They’s probably just hiding out somewheres.”

  “They can’t hide from me, no how!” Sammy pulls a switchblade knife from his jeans pocket.

  “What you gonna do, Sammy? I ain’t goin’ back to juvie, man.”

  “Look what they did to my arm.” Sammy lifts his casted arm, putting it on display, his sharp yell echoing through the trees.

  “I know, man. That new kid suckered me upside the head, too.”

  “You think that’s okay? Those shits is gonna pay.” Sammy grits his teeth and presses his full body weight into his pedals.

  “Let’s kick their asses. But ain’t no need to be stabbin’ ‘em.”

  “Quit being such a damn pussy!”

  “Who’s that?” Bo points to three kids on bikes at the bottom of the hill.

  “Looks like that turd, 5-head. And Seth and Shane. Those little shits will know where Brooks and that new kid are. Come on.” Sammy slides the knife into his pocket and pedals faster, fueled by his lust for revenge. Bo follows, pumping his legs on his pedals to keep pace.

  As Sammy and Bo close in on their location, Shane points frantically. Without hesitation, all three boys send their bikes rolling into the gully and sprint into the woods.

  ***

  The front tire of Cam’s bicycle juts into the air sideways, still locked in a decelerating spin as Sammy and Bo come to a stop.

  “Hey! Come back here you little shits!” Sammy’s scream chases them through the woods. He jumps off his bike and scans the edge of the tree line, blood engorging his cheeks.

  A frantic rustling of leaves ascends the hillside in the woods adjacent to the road. Sammy paces, stooping and craning his neck in different directions while facing the thick foliage.

  “Sammy, look. Dumbasses ran off so fast they dropped their money.” Bo reaches to pick up the twenty-dollar bill.

  “Dammit.” Sammy’s head remains locked on the hillside.

  “What the hell?” The twenty-dollar bill scurries away from Bo. It flutters across the road.

  “Quit screwing around.”

  “Dude, it’s a twenty-dollar bill. I ain’t screwin’ around.” Bo walks toward the bill that’s come to rest on the side of the road.

  “Let me see that.” Sammy marches forward.

  As Bo approaches the twenty-dollar bill again, it flutters, moving off the road and toward the woods. Sammy joins Bo, both walking off the roadway.

  “Damn wind.” Bo shakes his head as the twenty-dollar bill skitters to the tree line.

  “Owwee!” Bo screams, his face contorting into a grimace as he grabs at his chest. His eyes swell at the scarlet spatter on his t-shirt.

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Something bit me! Something just fucking bit me!”

  “What bit you?”

  “I don’t know! I’m bleeding. Damn! It stings.” Bo clasps his chest.

  Leaves rustle as we move in the tree line, but we remain cloaked by the foliage. Here, definition dissolves into black shadow a few feet into the woods. Sammy snaps his head in our direction.

  “Who’s there? That your punk ass, Cam?”

  “Now!” Robby shouts from our hiding spot in the woods.

  A paintball whizzes by Sammy’s head. Sammy and Bo exchange a wide-eyed glance before a torrent of our paintballs rain down on them, striking multiple spots on their bodies. They cover their faces with their arms, enduring the storm. As the rapid succession of paintballs strike their bodies and arms, their clothes transform into a patchwork of blue, red, orange, and green.

  Devin’s the first to clear the tree line, all the while walking forward with slow, methodical deliberation, firing round after round at Sammy and Bo.

  Robby follows steps behind, alternating shots between Sammy and Bo.

  Tee’s screaming, “Markland X Crew gonna get ya, oh yeah,” as he fires off shots with wild abandon.

  I focus all my fire on Sammy. A steady flow of my green pellets spatter across his body, giving him no quarter. He lifts his cast to protect his face, the once white plaster a kaleidoscope of color.

  “Cam set us up!” Bo screams, retreating to his bike as paintballs continue pelting him.

  “He’s dead! Seth and Shane are dead!” Sammy screams as he runs in retreat to the road.

  Sammy grabs his bike as paintballs hiss by his head.

  Bo starts pedaling. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Sammy turns, defiant to the danger. “You’re all so dead! We’re going to kill you!”

  “Don’t mess with the Markland X Crew.” Robby’s voice is unwavering as he marches forward and takes aim.

  Robby pulls the trigger and a paintball sizzles out of his rifle. In an instant, there’s an explosion of blue paint on Sammy’s cheek. Sammy screams in pain and doubles over, grabbing his face where the paintball struck. His eyes rain fat, ugly tears. Crying hysterically, he jumps on his bike and furiously pedals away while clutching his face.

  “Yesss!” Tee shouts, lifting his rifle into the air.

  I blink several times. “Dude, you shot him in the face.”

  Robby’s jaw hardens. “Now he’ll know better than to mess with the Markland X Crew.”

  Chapter 30

  It Goes Without Saying

  SAMMY AND BO pedal off. Climbing the hill on their bikes, they dissolve into the distance, and the air of invincibility that once seemed to surround Sammy disappears with them, punctuated by his hasty retreat.

  Tee’s strutting around with his paintball rifle held snug against his chest in a quasi-march, his high steps ridiculously exaggerated and a goofy grin plastered across his face. Devin and Robby celebrate our victory, high-fiving and chest bumping. I stand there still trying to process what happened. While our ambush might give Sammy and Bo some pause from approaching us, they’ll be more hell-bent than ever to exact revenge.

  “Dev, that was the best idea ever!” A triumphant gleam glows like growing fires in Robby’s eyes.

  “Evvveer!” Tee raises his rifle into the air. “Did you see Sammy’s face? That little pudge ball was crying like a little baby.”

  Devin puffs out his chest. “They’ll think twice about messing with us.”

&
nbsp; “Yeah, you’re probably right.” I pause, my lips wilting into a frown. “But they won’t give up so easy. They’ll try to catch us with our guard down.”

  “Or your pants down!” Tee grins.

  “Brooks is right.” The playful joking departs Devin’s voice. “They’ll try to find one of us separated from the group.”

  “So we stay together then.” Tee’s face tightens. “Markland X Crew protects its own.”

  “About that.”

  “Yeah, Robby, what you think? Markland X Crew material, right?” Tee frames his hands around Devin’s face.

  “You know how I feel. I think it goes without sayin’, but I vote Dev’s in,” I weigh in without hesitation, directing my words to Robby.

  Robby grins and fist bumps Devin. “Brother from anotha motha.”

  “So, that’s it then?”

  “Oh, hell no!” There’s laughter in Robby’s voice. Tee snickers.

  “What you got in mind? Lego minefield?”

  “I think we can do better than that, Brooks.” Robby wears a plastered grin.

  “Dudes, whatever it is, I’m game.”

  Tee nudges Devin on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t be so sure of yourself.”

  Poor Devin. Been there. Done that. “So, what is it, Robby?”

  “Shiners’ Gorge.” Robby’s eyes gleam.

  “Whoa.” The word leaves my lips as involuntary as an exhaled breath.

  Tee’s smile evaporates in an instant. His round eyes connect with Robby’s, but Robby’s expression remains unchanged. Tee gives a frowning shake of his head. Devin looks around at the group with questioning eyes. He’s got no idea what Shiners’ Gorge even means.

  “Robby, you know it’s shine season right now.” Tee’s words rattle out like clanking metal.

  “I know. This is supposed to be a test. It’s not supposed to be easy. It’s a commitment.”

  “Hey, man, I’m committed. I really am. Let’s do what we need to do.”

  “Dev, you don’t understand.” My eyes meet his. “Summer’s when they cook the shine.”

  “Come on, man. I’m good.” Devin strikes a triumphant pose with his paintball rifle. He just doesn’t know any better. I shift my attention to Robby.

  “Robby, they got that whole area booby trapped.”

  “Remember what happened to Jacob Russman?”

  “Nobody knows what happened to Jacob Russman, Tee. He disappeared. That’s just what parents tell their kids to scare them away from Shiners’ Gorge.”

  “Automatic weapons. Machine guns, man!” My words fall out in a hasty spill.

  “So we’ll be careful.”

  “Or dead.” I shake my head as I deliver the words.

  Devin bounces around in his black and white checkered shoes. “Guys, I’m good. Let’s go.”

  “Yeah, listen to Dev. Quit being such a pack of pussies.”

  “This ain’t cool, man. It’s dangerous out there.” Tee makes a sweeping motion to the woods. “You’re going to put us all in danger, Robby.”

  “Cam Givers just ran up into them woods just a few minutes ago. And Seth and Shane. Heard any shots?”

  “Yeah but—”

  “Yeah, but nothing, Brooks. No shots. It’s fine. We’re fine. This is supposed to be just a little dangerous.”

  Tee shakes his head, wearing a frown. “It’s more than a little dangerous.”

  “Look guys, we just faced off with Bo and Sammy.” Devin’s rally cry eyes circulate through the group. “I think we can handle this.”

  Tee scrunches his lips for a couple of moments. “Fine, but it’s a bad idea.”

  “A terrible one.” There’s not a moment of hesitation in my reply.

  “Follow me.” Robby walks to the edge of the tree line. He straps his paintball rifle across his shoulder and trudges into the woods. Devin follows close behind. Tee and I hesitate a moment before making our way behind him. Sunlight sprinkles through the rustling leaves above. The shifting light hits the forest floor, mingling with shadow. The wavering bands of light cast an illusion like rippling water reflecting on a seabed in the shallows.

  The ground beneath us crackles as we march up the ridge in a silent procession. What the hell are we doing? Shiners’ Gorge? This is a mistake! Tee’s eyes cloud like an impending storm. Devin exudes extra bounce in his step. He catches Robby and they climb the hill together, both boys wearing mischievous grins on their faces. As we venture deeper into the woods, dark tendrils of shadow creep between the trees, the thick canopy beginning to blot out the sun. Only flecks of ashen sky peek between the patchwork of interwoven hardwood limbs, and with each step we take, we slip deeper into the darkness.

  Robby and Devin reach the top of the ridge and stop. Robby pulls his canteen from his belt and takes a gulp. He takes small steps, rotating his forward-facing position a few degrees, studying his bearings.

  Tee tosses his chin at Robby as we reach the ridge line. “Let me get a sip of that.”

  Tall hardwood trees, flush with summer growth, limit the view into the valley below. Though at a high vantage point, there’s no sign of Cam, Shane, and Seth, and the valley below us is portrait-still.

  “Guys, that’s north.” Robby points off to the distance. “We’re going due west. The way I figure it, we need to go north-northwest, and we’ll run right into Shiners’ Gorge.”

  Tee hands Robby the canteen and shakes his head. “Still say it’s a stupid idea. Shiners being so active and all.”

  “Hey, how come they’re so active now?”

  Robby chuckles. “What, Dev, you ain’t got shiners in California?”

  “Uh, no.”

  “They cook in the summer ‘cause the helicopters can’t see ‘em through the trees.” I point to the thick canopy of leaves above us.

  “That makes sense.”

  “What doesn’t make sense is what we’re doing.”

  “Tee, are you more of a chicken shit than Cam Givers? I mean, seriously.”

  “Dudes, we still got our paintball rifles, you know. In case something does go down.”

  “They got real rifles, Dev.” I meet his eyes with mine.

  Robby rolls his eyes at me and shakes his head before turning to Devin. “How much ammo you got left?”

  “I still got this whole container.” Devin pulls a plastic canister from his cargo shorts pocket. “It’s enough to fill us all back up and then some.”

  “Lock and load gentlemen.” Robby opens the reservoir for paintballs on his rifle and pours in more ammo.

  Devin follows his lead and reloads. Tee and I circle around Robby and reload our rifles as well. Once loaded we sling the guns on our backs and wrap the straps across our chests.

  Chapter 31

  Ghosts from the Past

  “WE GOTTA GO in that direction.” Robby points in the direction of a thicket of hardwoods.

  “Surprised we didn’t run into Cam, Seth, and Shane.” Tee lands wide eyes on me.

  I shrug. “They’re out here somewhere. They left their bikes back there.”

  “Let’s go gentlemen!” Devin starts hustling down the hill.

  “Wait up, Dev.” Robby trudges through the underbrush after him.

  Tee looks at me with wavering eyes and shrugs his shoulders before following behind Devin and Robby. Our pace slows as we descend the ridge, each step growing steeper beneath our feet. Robby and Devin ease their way around a jagged rock outcropping that springs out from the hill before dropping out of sight behind the giant rock. I clasp the sun-warmed boulder, following Tee’s lead while steadying my footing as we inch our way around it.

  “Shit!” Tee’s feet slide.

  “Tee!”

  Tee’s fingertips brush my outstretched hand as he falls. He lands on his butt with a thud, bounces once, and begins sliding. I scurry around the boulder, my fingers gripping the rock tight, clinging to the patches of bright green furry moss that cover it. Tee comes to a stop in a patch of ferns at the bottom of the hill. Robby ru
ns over.

  “Tee! You okay, man?”

  I stay low to the ground, scampering down the hill.

  “Told you this was a bad idea!” Tee’s tone is scalding.

  Devin helps him to his feet. Tee sweeps his hands across his shirt and pants, brushing away decaying leaf debris, dirt and underbrush.

  My eyes meet his. “You okay, man?”

  Tee inspects the fresh scrapes on his elbows and palms. He dips his head and shakes it while letting out a simmering sigh through his nose.

  “Yeah, I’m alright.”

  “Dudes, not far from here, I think.” Robby points to the steep embankment that lies before us. “Over that ridge.”

  I narrow my eyes on Robby. “We don’t have to do this. Tee could’ve really been hurt.”

  “We stick closer together. Be more careful.”

  “I was bein’ careful, Dev.”

  “Sorry, Tee. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant we can just help each other. Stay close together’s all.”

  “Quit the bickering, Sally’s. And let’s get a move on.”

  Tee eyes the embankment. “You sure that’s the right way?”

  “Should be going north-northwest the way I figure it. Which should be that way.”

  I draw the corner of my lips. “Should be? Or is that way?” My tone reflects my growing frustration with our endeavor.

  “I don’t know, man. I mean, I think so.”

  Tee flashes a big grin and grabs the canteen off Robby’s hip. “Okay dum-dum, let’s see what your compass says.”

  Robby gives Tee a playful shoulder shove. Tee holds the canteen, and we all gather around as the fluttering compass needle begins to settle on due north.

  “Told you guys!” Robby trumpets as the needle verifies his proposed direction as correct. Devin points to the compass.

  “Dude, look at it. That thing’s broken.”

  The compass needle resumes its movement, a slow spin at first, moving like the second hand of a timepiece. Tee hits the canteen as if to reset it, but the spinning needle accelerates. The needle begins moving so fast that it becomes a whirring blur. Robby shakes his head.