The Shotgun Rule Read online

  The Shotgun Rule

  Charlie Huston

  The first stand-alone thriller by critically acclaimed author Charlie Huston, The Shotgun Rule is a raw tale of four teenage friends who go looking for a little trouble - and find it.

  Blood spilled on the asphalt of this town long years gone has left a stain, and it's spreading.

  Not that a thing like that matters to teenagers like George, Hector, Paul, and Andy. It's summer 1983 in a northern California suburb, and these working-class kids have been killing time the usual ways: ducking their parents, tinkering with their bikes, and racing around town getting high and boosting their neighbors' meds. Just another typical summer break in the burbs. Till Andy's bike is stolen by the town's legendary petty hoods, the Arroyo brothers. When the boys break into the Arroyos' place in search of the bike, they stumble across the brothers' private industry: a crank lab. Being the kind of kids who rarely know better, they do what comes naturally: they take a stash of crank to sell for quick cash. But doing so they unleash hidden rivalries and crimes, and the dark and secret past of their town and their families.

  The spreading stain is drawing local drug lords, crooked cops, hard-riding bikers, and the brutal history of the boys' fathers in its wake.

  Charlie Huston

  The Shotgun Rule

  To Jeff Kaskey.

  Role model.

  Though he’ll be horrified to hear it.

  and

  To the kids who don’t know any better.

  The ones with the attitude problems.

  What the hell are they thinking?

  Man, believe me, they aren’t.

  That’s the point.

  We never do.

  PROLOGUE

  The Sketchy House

  It’s a bad house. Sketchy. They should know better than to go in. But if they were the kind of kids who knew better they wouldn’t be here in the first place.

  George races down the street, hits his front brake, and leans over his handlebars, popping the rear end of his bike into the air and holding the wheelstand for a beat before dropping back to the blacktop. He turns circles in front of the house, checking it out.

  It’s dark. The peeling Dodge Dart in the driveway sits over long dry oil stains, untrimmed juniper bushes edge the lawn and screen the bottoms of the front windows. The gate to the backyard hangs askew, a piece of yellow nylon rope keeping it from swinging open. The sidewalk streetlamp is broken, unrepaired from when he shot it out with the pellet rifle last night.

  Yeah, the house is sketchy. But that doesn’t change anything. They’re going in. He whips the bike out of its circles, knobby tires buzzing on the asphalt.

  The others wait for him. Hector kneeling next to his bike, fiddling with the chain, putting on a show as if it has become derailed. Paul straddling his own bike, lifting one leg to lean far over the crotchbar, rescuing a half smoked Marlboro Red from the gutter. Straightening, he flicks some grit from the filter and puts it in his mouth while feeling at his pockets for a light.

  Andy sees the gesture and crams his hand in his own pocket, yanking out a cardboard fold of matches too quickly, flipping the pocket inside out and sending matches, loose change, and a small piece of plastic to the ground.

  Paul shakes his head.

  – Nice going, Andrew.

  Hector smiles, but doesn’t say anything.

  Andy drops his kickstand and climbs off his bike, snagging his pants cuff on the seat and sending it crashing down.

  Paul drops his head.

  – Man. No wonder that bike is such a piece of shit.

  Andy tilts the bike upright and balances it on the wobbly kickstand.

  – Yeah, it’s pretty crappy, man.

  Paul leans and scoops the matches from the ground. His free hand stays half tucked in the rear pocket of his faded jeans as he folds one match backward over the matchbook and snaps it alight with his thumb before bringing the flame to the crooked halfsmoke in his lips.

  – Heads up.

  Still picking up his change, Andy looks up and sees the matchbook arcing easily toward him. He panics, any tossed object an opportunity for embarrassment, and rather than catching it bats it straight up, bobbles it several times, and finally slaps it at the gutter and watches it drop through the steel grate covering the storm drain.

  Mid drag, Paul laughs so hard the butt shoots from between his lips and hits Hector in the back of his head. Already giggling, Hector falls apart now, laughing while running fingers over the shellacked crest of his bleached mohawk, making sure it hasn’t been bent out of shape.

  Andy laughs, too. Worse things than being clumsy. At least they didn’t catch him picking up the little plastic twenty sided die that fell on the ground along with his change. He squeezes it in his hand, running his thumb over the little triangular facets, picturing an equation that would describe a twenty sided object.

  Paul dismounts to reenact Andy’s fumble. He juggles his hands and skips in place, then freezes to watch an invisible matchbook cut a slow arc across the sky before dropping down the storm drain.

  Hector raises his hand in the air and Paul slaps five as they both laugh.

  Andy drops the die in his pocket, trying not to laugh at himself, and, failing, honks and snorts through his nose.

  Paul picks the still smoldering butt from the ground, takes a drag and passes it to Andy to finish off.

  – Here, spaz, put this in your mouth and stop that fucking noise.

  Andy pinches his fingers over a slight tear in the paper and takes the last hit, sucking the smoke into his lungs, feeling it burn, but not coughing.

  Paul grabs a fistful of Andy’s hair, jerking his head back and forth before letting him go with a little shove and a slap on the shoulder.

  George rides up, kicking out the rear wheel of his bike and skidding to a stop.

  – You fags done fagging around?

  Paul gets back on his bike.

  – Fuck you, queerbait.

  Hector stops messing with his chain.

  – We were talking ’bout fucking your mom.

  Andy pats his pocket once and flips up his kickstand.

  – Is it sketchy?

  George is standing up on his pedals, fingers wrapped loose around black rubber handgrips, balancing perfectly on his chrome and gloss black Mongoose.

  – Yeah, it’s sketchy. Let’s go rob it.

  Part One

  Piece of Shit Bike

  It started with Andy’s piece of shit bike.

  – What the fuck were you doing not locking it up?

  – I just went in for a second.

  – I just went in for a second. How long do you think it takes to steal a bike, dickweed?

  – It was right next to the window.

  – Yeah, that’ll do it; no one ever steals shit that’s next to a window. Numbnuts.

  George is kneeling next to a bucket of water, submerging the half inflated innertube from his bike’s front wheel. He looks once at Paul, then back in the bucket.

  – Don’t be such a dick, man, he lost his bike.

  Paul picks up a rock from the huge pile that occupies half the driveway. He shakes the rock around in his hand.

  – He didn’t lose his bike.

  He tosses the rock, bouncing it off Andy’s back.

  – He let someone steal it.

  Andy feels pressure behind his eyes and fights it. Already cried once coming out of the store and finding the bike gone. Can’t cry again.

  He picks up a rock of his own.

  – I didn’t let anyone steal it.

  He throws the rock at Paul.

  – It was stolen.

  Paul stays right where he is, the rock skipping across the pavement and into the street wit
hout coming near him.

  – Yeah, big diff.

  George is still shuffling the innertube between his hands, looking for the string of bubbles that will point to the slow leak that’s been plaguing him for days.

  – Don’t throw the fucking rocks around, dad’ll have a fit.

  Andy kicks at a couple rocks, nudging them back toward the pile. His and George’s dad had them shovel the rocks from the back of his 4×4 two weeks ago. This weekend he’ll rent a rototiller and plow up the back lawn and they’ll have to move the rocks a wheelbarrow load at a time to spread over the yard. It’s gonna suck and he’s not even going to pay them. He says they should be thanking him for plowing under the lawn that they hate mowing and weeding.

  A line of bubbles shoots to the surface of the water. George covers their source with a fingertip and lifts the tube from the water.

  – Hand me that rag.

  Andy bends to pick up a scrap of chamois that’s lying next to the toolbox. Paul takes a quick step and places his foot over it.

  – George, don’t let this guy help with your bike. He’s bad luck. He touches your bike and it’s gone.

  Andy yanks on the rag.

  – Get off, dickmo.

  – Make me.

  – Get. Off.

  Andy pulls harder and Paul lifts his foot and Andy falls back on his ass.

  – You’re such a feeb.

  – Dick!

  George holds out his hand.

  – Give me the rag.

  Andy throws the rag at him.

  Some big brother. Think he could take his side against Paul just once. Just today. Fucking bike. Still can’t believe he was so stupid not to lock it up.

  George lifts his finger from the puncture in the tube and starts drying the rubber around it.

  – Did you see who took it?

  Andy gets off his ass, takes the puncture kit from the toolbox and pops the shiny tin lid from the cardboard cylinder.

  – No. If I had I would have kicked their ass.

  Paul reaches up, grabbing a lower branch of the maple tree alongside the driveway and chinning himself on it.

  – Yeah, George, what are you thinking? If he’d seen them he would have kicked their ass. He’s such a badass ass kicker. Asses all over town are afraid of him.

  Andy flips him off and hands George the top of the puncture kit.

  George drops the rag, takes the lid, and uses its ridged upper surface to score the rubber around the puncture.

  Paul hauls himself up onto the branch, hooks his knees around it and dangles upside down, long curls falling over his face.

  – Come kick my ass, Andy, I’ll just hang here and you try to kick my ass.

  Andy stays where he is, watching George fix the leak, taking the lid back and handing him the metal tube of cement.

  He’s imagining picking up the hammer from the toolbox and swinging it at Paul’s face. He’s picturing finding whoever stole his bike and stabbing them in the throat with a screwdriver.

  Paul puts one arm behind his back.

  – C’mon, man, one handed and upside down! You gotta be able to kick my ass.

  George rubs the cement over the puncture.

  Paul puts his other arm behind him.

  – No hands. No hands. It’s never gonna get easier than this, man. C’mon and take a shot. You know you want to. Remember that time I pantsed you on the quad? Here’s your chance to get back at me.

  Andy remembers. First day of his freshman year, bad enough that he’d been skipped a year to start high school early, but there was Paul, greeting him by running up and yanking his hand me down bell bottoms to his ankles while the entire student body was crisscrossing the quad on their way to homeroom.

  He pictures standing in the middle of that quad with a machine gun in his hands, pulling the trigger and turning in slow circles until he is all alone and it is quiet.

  He shakes his head sharply, trying to jar the image loose. He fails.

  He takes the cement back from George, caps it and drops it in the kit, chews the inside of his cheek.

  Paul swings himself back and forth a few times.

  – What’s the matter, spaz? Looks like you’re getting twitchy over there. You gonna freak out and start throwing things again?

  George picks up one of the rocks, cups it like a marble and flicks it at Paul, bouncing it off his forehead.

  Paul laughs.

  – You’re off the hook, Andy, your bro’s fighting your battles again.

  George sets the innertube aside, carefully draping it on the frame of his upside down bike. Andy hands him a large piece of patch and a small pair of scissors.

  George clips a small square from the patch.

  – I ain’t sticking up for the puss, dickhead. I’m just sick of hearing your shit. Our dad’s gonna unload on him tonight and I’m gonna have to listen it.

  George squares his shoulders and lowers his voice.

  – Opportunity, boys, that’s what a thief looks for. Turn your back for a second, your property will be gone. Always lock up your bike. It’s not just a toy, it’s a responsibility.

  Paul rubs the spot where the rock tagged him.

  – Whatever.

  George peels away the bright blue backing from the patch, careful not to touch the sticky underside, and picks up the innertube. Pressing the patch over the hole, using his thumbs to smooth away any air bubbles trapped under it, he looks at Andy.

  – What’re you gonna tell him?

  Andy stares at the patch, the violence in his head finally fading as he draws blood from his cheek. Why does he have to think about that kind of shit? It’s not like he’s like Paul. Paul likes to fight. But fighting sucks. Getting punched sucks. And hurting someone else, that almost sucks worse.

  George kicks him in the shin.

  – Dude, what are you gonna tell dad?

  Andy shrugs.

  – Dunno.

  Paul unclamps his legs and tumbles to the ground, bracing with his arms as he lands.

  Andy flips him off.

  – Nice move, grace.

  Paul doesn’t move, just lays there with his eyes closed, his face suddenly pale and sweaty, skin drawn tight over his forehead.

  George is focused on the tire and doesn’t notice.

  Andy does.

  – You OK?

  Paul doesn’t move, just breathes deeply.

  Andy steps closer.

  – Migraine?

  Paul opens his eyes, wipes the sweat from his face. He sits up slowly.

  – I’m fucking fine. You’re the one with problems. Better tell your dad you locked it up.

  Andy bends to pick up the patch backing that George discarded.

  – He won’t believe someone could steal it from in front of the store if it was locked up.

  George nods.

  – Tell him you had the wheel locked to the frame, but not locked up to anything. Someone could have tossed it in the back of a truck. He’ll buy that.

  – Whatever. I’m still gonna have to walk everywhere.

  A car swings around the corner, a ’78 Firebird T-top, “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” blaring from the stereo.

  Paul watches it all the way to the end of the street.

  – Wouldn’t have to walk if we had a fucking car.

  Andy nods.

  – Yeah, that would be sweet.

  Paul reaches out and slaps the back of his head.

  Andy does nothing, atoning for the imaginary hammer he smashed into Paul’s face.

  Hector barrels up the driveway.

  – Hey!

  He skids to a stop, leaving a streak of black rubber on the pavement, his front wheel scrunching into the rock pile.

  – Hey, Andy, what’s up with your bike? I just saw one of the Arroyos riding it around.

  They all look at him.

  Paul hawks and spits.

  – Which one?

  – Timo.

  He sticks a finger in Hector�
��s face.

  – You fucking sure?

  Hector knocks the finger away.

  – Yeah, asshole, I’m fucking sure. We may all look alike to you, but I can tell my Mexicans apart.

  Paul picks up a rock.

  – Fucking Timo.

  He heaves the rock, sending it far down the street in the same direction as the Firebird.

  – Sweet.

  It couldn’t be better. Sweet enough it was one of the Arroyos that stole Andy’s bike, better yet that it was Timo.

  That shit that happened when they played city league soccer, the year they were under twelves, Paul still thinks about that shit. Just about every day.

  It’s a City finals match and Paul’s playing fullback, Timo is a forward on the other team. In a scrum down by Paul’s goal, everyone going up for a header, Timo flails his elbow into Paul’s face, sending him to the sideline with a split lip and a bloody nose. In the second half, cotton stuffed in his nostrils, Paul catches a deflection on his instep, traps the ball beneath his foot, waits for Timo to charge him, and drills the ball right into his gut. Timo goes down on top of the ball and before the whistle can sound Paul is kicking Timo in the crotch, not even trying to look like he’s going for the ball. Redcarded, he argues that Timo was wearing a cup so no big deal, then walks from the field, screaming an endless string of fuck you’s at the refs.

  On his way home a gold flaked lowrider Impala rolls up next to him, Timo and his big brothers Fernando and Ramon get out. Ramon has a switchblade. Shit, they all have switchblades, but Ramon, he holds the point of his to Paul’s throat and tells him to take his cup off. Paul doesn’t think they’ll stab him, but that doesn’t keep him from getting scared. His face goes red and tears run down his cheeks. The Arroyo boys say something about what a puta he is, the only Spanish Paul knows. Once his cup is out, two of them hold him upright while Timo sets up for a penalty kick from five yards away and pounds an Official Primera League futbol into his nuts. Paul goes down and coughs up the orange slices he ate at halftime.

  Wasn’t till that evening that George and Hector found him at the firebreak at the edge of their housing tract. Drunk on the three sixteen ouncers he’d grabbed from the fridge, head spinning from the smokes he’d bummed off a high school kid, telling George and Hector that Timo is dead. He’s gonna kill that little fucking faggot. He tells them all the way home.