hargrove. [ BILLY HARGROVE 2 ]

xxi. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

~*~

     Eddie slammed the yellow pages onto the table, pointing at the ad in the lower left corner of the page. Everyone leaned over his shoulder, circling the table to look at it. 

     "Check this out. The War Zone," he said, looking up at the kids. "I've been there once. It's huge. They got everything you need for, uh... well, killing things, basically." 

     "You think fake Rambo has enough guns there?" Robin asked, squinting at the ad. "Is that a grenade? I mean, how is any of this legal?" 

     "Well, lucky for us it is, so..." Eddie smiled and nodded. "This... This place is just far enough outside of Hawkins. As long as we steer clear of the main roads, we oughta be able to avoid cops and, uh, angry hicks." 

     "If we're trying to avoid angry hicks, maybe we shouldn't go to some store called the War Zone," Erica suggested. 

     "Normally, I'd agree, but we need the weapons," Nancy said, then shrugged. "So I think it's worth the risk." 

     "Me too," Lucas agreed.

     "But is it worth the time? It'll take all day to bike there and back," Dustin said, furrowing his eyebrows. 

     "Who said anything about bikes?" Eddie asked, looking at him. 

     "You got some car we don't know about?" Steve asked. 

     "It's not exactly a car, Steve," Eddie said, standing up straight and facing him. "And it's not exactly mine, but, uh... it'll do." He turned and looked at Max with a smile. "Hey, Red, uh, you got a ski mask or a bandanna, something like that?" She thought for a moment, then shrugged. 

     Eddie pulled on the Michael Myers mask, everyone following him outside as he now had a bag of tools in his hands. He motioned for them to follow him, and they snuck behind a few houses before Eddie stopped at the window of an RV. He jumped in, Steve following after. Billy helped all the kids step up before Robin, Nancy, and Mary went. He jumped in last, shutting the window behind him as he walked to the front with Steve. 

     "Where'd you learn how to do this?" Steve asked, watching as Eddie was cutting wires with pliers. 

     "Well, when the other dads were teaching their kids how to fish or play ball, my old man was teaching me how to hot-wire," Eddie said, beginning to twist two wires together. "Now, I swore to myself I wouldn't wind up like he did, but now I'm wanted for murder, and soon, grand theft auto. So, uh, I'm really living up to that Munson name." 

     "Eddie, I'm not sure I love the idea of you driving," Robin said, now standing at Steve's back. "Or Billy..." 

     "Thanks," Billy said, turning and looking at her. 

     "Oh, I'm just starting this sucker," Eddie said, looking up at Steve. "Harrington's got her. Don't ya, big boy?" He touched the two wires together while he smiled at Steve. The RV turned on, a song playing over the radio. The two that lived there immediately appeared in the windows, hitting at them and screaming. "Shit!" 

     "Go!" Robin yelled. Eddie crawled out of the seat, Steve jumping over and starting it. 

     "It's just a car," he mumbled. "Everybody hang on to something!" 

     "Oh, my god. Oh, my god," Lucas said, jumping into the booth as Mary sat in between Max and Dustin. 

     "Drive, Steve, drive!" he screamed while everyone else got into some nook. He put it in drive, hitting the gas and the RV screeching forward.