He wasn't moving. Derrek grabbed the next plank, it'd be enough for him to get through. He waited for the squeal again and pulled. Only one half came loose with another round of squeaks.
"Warren, this isn't funny." The whisper came again. Derrek peered through the gaps again, this time he was moving, slowly. I cannot go round without the watcher seeing me, better make this worth is. He prepared for another pull, but saw something stick out from the hole he had already made. The edge of a crate was nearby, close enough to reach. Derrek checked the gaps, pigman was only a few seconds from the corner. He let loose of the half-attached plank, which remained floating on it's two nails, and pushed against the crate. It scratched the floor of the shed.
Pigman stopped, just before the corner, and held up his sickle toward the shed. His other hand came up and wriggled with the mask. Derrek heard some mumbling, but couldn't make out any words. Those masks really are a hassle, you can't see anything through them. Pigman pulled up the mask and stood looking inside the shed. He was about three meters off but Derrek heard his breathing, heavy and hastened. This guys is scared himself. If I could get him to drop the sickle, I could take him. Derrek looked at the piece of wood in front of him. Can't go whacking him over the head with this, but it could be a distraction.
Pigman strode into the shed with small steps. Derrek picked up the plank and inspected it. The nails were still peeking out from both sides. He tried twisting them, they wouldn't budge. Really can't go whacking him with this, way too dangerous. He's deeper inside now, should be fully blinded by the light now. The light and box seem to be together in the back of the shed, can't reach those without running into him. Derrek eyed the edge of the crate again. He's already scared, a few quick scares should be enough to get him reeling. Let's do this. Derrek thought with a grin growing on his face.
Through the gaps, he spotted pigman to the middle of the shed, just past the crate he had pushed. Derrek set the plank against the edge of the crate and shoved it as hard as he could. The crate hit something else, put up a bit of resistance and then seemed to topple it over. A clatter of wood came from inside, followed by a very manly high-pitched yelp.
"What the-" pigman released. Derrek came up, took a step back and hurled the plank over the left edge of the roof, hoping to hit the backside of the shed. He did. Derrek looked through the gap, just in time to see the pigman turn with another yelp from the sudden sound behind and above him. He didn't drop the sickle, but he started running franticly toward the front of the shed.
He'd forgotten about the crates. Derrek lost him through the gaps as he toppled over. A mixture of sounds erupted from the shed: high-pitched screaming, both scared and pained; a crash of wood on wood; but most importantly for Derrek, the ring of a piece of metal clattering. That's my cue.
Derrek rounded the corner with his rubber gun pulled. The light blinded him, but he spotted the sickle loose on the ground beside the work of art in the crates. He struggled to keep in a laugh. Pigman was intermixed with some wooden crates. The mask had, somehow, come down again, sideways. Pigman was still trying to get up, shouting into the piece of plastic covering his face. Poor guy, this really isn't his lucky day. He doesn't even know I'm here yet. Derrek watched the spectacle for a few more seconds, before pigman got off the mask. His eyes grew wide as he spotted Derrek with the gun fixed on him. He put up one hand as the other was still supporting him through the crates. Derrek was glad he didn't even glance at the sickle.
"I'm sorry," Pigman said with a tiny voice, "please don't shoot." His eyes started filling with tears. My, he's really afraid. Probably got talked into doing this by his friends. Derrek looked to his right, where he saw the farmhouse only barely. The shadow on top was visible though, a tiny light in his hand. Derrek stepped toward pigman, who started trembling in full. Derrek got beside him, holstered his gun and help up a hand.
"Don't try anything, or I will shoot you." Derrek said, trying a gruff voice. It sounded fake as hell in his own ears. But pigman sat there watching him, mouth open, eyes wet. Seemed to work. Derrek beckoned him with his hand, pigman got it and Derrek pulled him free.
"Did you hurt yourself?" Derrek asked, watching pigman's face strain as he put weight on his leg. The crate hadn't shattered, which was good for wounds, but it'd be one hell of a bruise.
"I'm okay." The boy said, his hand rubbing his leg. He clearly wasn't.
"Here, sit down on one of these. They seem sturdy enough from the crash they survived just now." Derrek said, the boy glanced at him but sat down. "Can you still move it up and down?" The boy stretched his leg outward with another pained expression, but it was moving. Good, he isn't fainting or anything so hopefully only bruised.
"What's your name?" Derrek asked.
"Peter," Peter pigman went through Derrek's head, he turned his face as a tiny smile passed over it. "Peter Warrick."
"So Peter, what are you doing here?" Derrek saw a flood of thoughts pass over his face. "The truth please. Or this could get a lot worse for you. Ashley already told me about Farmoween." Derrek said while plucking out her phone and activating the lockscreen which had the messages visible there. Peter looked stricken at the phone, Derrek pocketed it again. "So?"
"It wasn't my idea. Yves he—" Peter stumbled through his choice of words. Yes, come on, keep going. Peter's eyes went to the wall of the shed, where the farmhouse was. No, stop thinking, just spill. Need to get him on track.
"What about Yves? Ashley told me you planned this?" Derrek broke eye contact and walked around Peter to the back of the shed, he was sure he wouldn't try running with that leg. Peter's eyes followed him all the way, he searched for words but Derrek continued. "You know, harassing a cop is taken very seriously, even for kids. Nothing for your record, of course, you'll be free of that once you're of age. But kids sent to juvie never come out the same. I don't really see that as a solution, messing up a kids life that way." He said, stopping and fixating his gaze on Peter again. "But hey, it's your choice."
"I didn't plan this. Yves did, he came with the idea. Said we could have a blast and even make some money off it." Derrek's couldn't stop his eyes from frowning, money? They're getting paid for this?
"Who's paying you?"
"I don't know, Yves was arranging that."
"How much?"
"500 dollars. Each." What the hell? What kid wouldn't do that?
"And what were you supposed to be doing?"
"We just had to be here this evening, draw out the cops and scare them a bit. The place was already decorated and costumes prepared for us. My mom would kill me if I ever got a mask like this."