The Adventures Of Johnny Ace

The Flea Market

The Flea Market is a green belt that runs along the Draycott River. The planners who decide t make this must've thought it would be just terrific for business if the fine citizens of Draycott could sit on their patios, sipping their delightful cappuccinos, gazing across the river at the peaceful sway of the trees and listening to the gentle flow of the water. I hated to rain on their parade, but it wasn't all sunshine and lollipops on the other side of those trees, because every Friday night at nine, the Gangbang Boys were getting ready to do some crooked business at a little something called the Flea Market. 

I hunkered down behind some bushes with a good view of the trash-infested clearing the Gangbang Boys used for their random business venture. The sun was just about to set, but here in the trees, it was already getting dark. The air was thick, and thanks to all the rain we'd been getting, it reeked of dampness. Farther down the river, ordinary people joked about the ordinary things they did in their ordinary lives. Here, at the far end of the park, an assortment of Draycott's shadiest kids were setting up shop, ready to sell their wares to anyone with enough dough to grease their dirty little paws. 

I took off my glasses and tucked them into my pocket so I could actually see the seedy activities that were just heating up as kids started to trickle into a clearing. They stumbled over rocks and slogged through the thick, black mud that lined the river just to find a cheap deal. These were kids who got good grades, kids who never got into trouble, all hanging over their allowances to buy things that'd probably been stolen out of their best friend's locker. I saw Xavier McQueen buying some poor sap's  PSP. Lilly Jones laid down cash for a pink cell phone. Patrick Patterson got himself a new MP3 player. I didn't spot a bike in the mix, but I couldn't be sure there wasn't one being kept out of sight for the big rollers. I had to get a closer look, but I couldn't just march out of the trees like a guy busting in on his sister's pajama party. I had to be subtle about things.

I made my way back up to the main asphalt path that wound its way through the park and spotted the narrow trail that led to the market. I started down the path and went over the cover story I'd made for I'd made for Austin. He was an out-of-town kid who'd heard the Flea Market was the place to be if you were looking for something cheap. His little brother was sick, so he wanted to get him something real nice for his tenth birthday. He was hoping to pick up a bike, maybe something with a banana seat and streamers. Everything was hunky-dory until I ambushed halfway down the path.

"Freeze, buster!" I got you covered!" someone shouted. I whipped off the glasses and spun around, looking to see where the voice was coming from. 

"I said freeze, bozo!"

"I'm just heading down to do a little shopping," I said. Was this some kind of security checkpoint the Gangbang Boys had cooked up so they wouldn't be taken by surprise?

"State your name, soldier," the voice demanded. I thought I caught a glimpse of movement off to my right. 

"Austin Jackson," I said. "I'm just looking for a bike for my kid brother."

"Just an innocent shopping trip, eh, Austin? Well, let me tell you something, the plan just changed."

Now I was sure the voice was coming from my right. I thought I could see a figure in the trees, and unless my eyes were playing tricks on me, that somebody was wearing an army helmet and his face was covered in green paint. The rest of his body was concealed behind a bush. I considered jumping into action, but didn't want to blow my shot at finding the bike if Sergeant Wingnut actually was a watchdog for Bobby's gang. 

"Now listen carefully, soldier," he said. "You're going to march down that path and ask about a pair of night vision goggles. If they have them, you ask how much, and when they tell you, you act like you forgot your money. Then march back up here. Don't bother looking for me, just keep walking. I'll find you. And don't try to bail on me, bug-bait, because I'll be watching you every move. You got that?"