Chapter 14: An Itch for Revenge

Drew found his opportunity in the courtyard just outside the cafeteria during lunch period. Hallie Jefferson had just fired her empty lunch bag into a trash can. “Hallie, excuse me, can I talk to you about Lara Scott and Lennie Pereira? Lara is my cousin,” he added hurriedly, before she might get suspicious of him.

“What happened? Where are they? They were my friends on the soccer team.”

“Weeks ago, Lara got hurt really bad, she was in the hospital. Lennie has been taking care of her. The three of us want your help, and whoever else from the team you think would help. But it has to be a secret, totally secret. It’s a long story, and I can only tell it once. What do you think?”

“Are you kidding? Some assholes put Lara in the hospital? Tell me where and when and I’ll bring the team.”

“Great. Bring them to Lennie’s house on Thursday at 3:30. It’s 71 Rock Ledge Drive at Sand Lane. And thank you.”

At the appointed day and hour twelve teen girls of various ages, all in strong physical condition, were seated in Lennie’s living room. L & L greeted them with hugs, thanked them for coming, served refreshments, and withdrew.

I sat to the side as Dan led the meeting.

“Ladies, I’m Dan Tyson, to my left here is my brother Drew who some of you already know. We are Lara’s cousins, and until recently, housemates. Over there is Lara’s sister, E. Lara and Lennie have left us, because what I need to show you is very disturbing.”

He described the circumstances of the attack, then showed his video. Many of the girls were tearful, all were furiously angry. Then referring back to the boot print, he described the injury, the microsurgery and hospital stay, and the slow process of recovery, still underway. I thought he was striking a good balance between explaining how seriously she had been injured, but also that we had good reason to hope for a full recovery.

Dan continued. “Now we come to the tricky part. Nobody named Scott, Tyson, or Pereira can be connected (even slightly) to any future events involving the two, um, individuals, who caused these injuries. When I mention those two names, you are going to forget where you heard them. You are going to forget who told them to you. You certainly won’t recall if you are ever asked about them. That will be unlikely since you’re going to have masks on. After all, there might be flu going around, or something.”

“Now my brother has been thinking about this terrible crime for some time now, and he has come up with an idea. Like E, like me, like Lennie, Drew loves his cousin Lara. He even protected her before, from a different group of mean bitches. So, here’s his idea. The prison sends out gangs to clear poison oak from the hills for 20 cents an hour, which they use to buy cigarettes and phone calls, I guess. The poison oak is collected into open bins to be incinerated, in an unlocked unguarded yard near the prison. The bins are about six by six by six feet.”

“Drew suggests that you all collect and overpower these two girls, tie them up, and toss them naked into the bins. By the time they can escape, they would be covered head to toe with poison oak oil.”

“He’s really angry about Lara. But, I’m worried that the allergic shock on the skin of their whole body could actually kill them. Maybe it would be enough to show them the full bins of brush, and just threaten to toss them in. Or maybe just use gloves to cover their asses, or their bellies, with the leaves?”

“Anyway, we leave the details up to you, but I’m asking, make sure they don’t die over this.”

“Cunt Number One is Olive Berco. Cunt Number Two is Vanna Neeson. Thank you for coming, you can let yourselves out.”