Chapter 2:

The March to Brooklyn

AN: Whoo! Chapter 2! Yay! And a shout out to everyone who reviewed! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! :)

-downtonabbey15


Jack didn't have to be awakened by Kloppman the next morning. In fact, the elderly gentleman himself wasn't even conscious yet. The whole bunk house was roused by the shattering of glass, and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. Jack shot up in his bunk and jumped to the ground, a few of the older newsies doing the same.

Peering through the dim light, Jack quickly dismissed the thought of a thief, realizing that no one in their right mind would shatter a window, and then proceed to climb through it. However, Jack realized that the object laying near Kid Blink's bunk was a rock, with a paper stuck to it.

Jack nodded to Blink, who promptly tossed it to him.

Ripping the paper off the stone, Jack straightened it out in his hands.

Kelly,

Meet me tomorrow at the bridge with Conlon. Noon sharp. And if you'se value your lives, you'd better not bring anyone with ya.

-Snake

Jack felt his stomach clench. Snake was the leader of the Queens newsies, and was viewed as one of the toughest newsies in New York. He had a reputation of being fast, dirty, and dangerous. If you got on his bad side, you were pretty much a goner.

This was definitely not what the 17-year-old Manhattan newsie needed right now.

Realizing that his fellow paperboys were giving him concerned and puzzled stares, Jack quickly crumpled up the paper and threw it aside.

"Whoever can sell, go get ready. Race, get dressed and come with me. We'se goin' on a walk."


After quickly filling Racetrack and Davey in on the situation at the distribution center, the group began a long and tension-filled walk across the Brooklyn bridge. While the bridge was long, it wasn't a horribly exhausting trek, and they were so anxious that they reached Brooklyn in record time.

Jack was more than a little surprised to see that nearly all of Spot's newsies were selling. Throughout the last few days, Jack had read in the headlines that influenza had hit both Manhattan and Brooklyn hard. Oh, well, Jack thought with a slight chuckle. Spot probably doesn't allow his newsies to get sick.

After a few minutes of walking, the three boys reached the Brooklyn lodging house. However, in front of the door stood a newsie that Jack recognized, but didn't quite recall the name of.

The newsie was a few inches taller than Jack, and his shaggy brown hair nearly hid his eyes, but he nodded as the Manhattan leader ascended the steps. "Hey, Cowboy," he said.

Jack nodded to him. "Conlon inside?"

"Yeah. But he ain't in the best mood."

Ignoring the boy's protests, Jack pushed his way inside. Before the group was even through the door, they could hear Spot's yelling. Oh, great, Jack thought.

The group stopped in the doorway of the lodge house's living room, and Jack gave a slight knock on the wood.

Spot was standing against the far window of the living room, wringing his cap in his hands. A newsie named Grip stood by an old chair.

Spot whipped around at the sound of Jack's knock.

"Hey!" he said, pointing a finger at Jack. He took two long strides across the room and shoved a crumpled piece of paper in Jack's face. "You get one a these?"

Jack leaned back and glanced at the paper, which was an almost identical copy of his. "Yeah. What're we's gonna do about it?"

"What're we supposed to do?!" Spot exclaimed. "We show up there alone, he'll have a gang ready to finish us, and we's show up there with people, and it'll just be a war!"

Race removed the cigar from his mouth. "Maybe you'se could...show up, but have some of us hidin', ya know? So he don't see us."

"Race, he's gonna see you'se no matter what!" Spot retorted.

"I say we go with Race's plan," Jack interjected. "That way, if somethin' happens, at least we's got backup."

Spot looked hesitant to agree, but he eventually nodded. "Fine. But if someone gets killed, don't go blamin' me."

Jack scoffed, trying to loosen the tension. "Okay, Spot," he said. He gave a slight wave to Grip, and the group exited the building.

As they traveled down the steps, Davey began. "Are you guys sure you should even be going at all?" he asked. "I mean, if he's as scary as you make him sound-"

Jack stopped. "Dave, we don't got a choice. We don't show up, he's gonna find us, and it ain't no mystery where we live."

"But...can't you tell someone? What about the cops?"

"And what're the cops gonna do?" Racetrack snorted, clenching the cigar between his teeth. "You saw how hard it was to get 'em to listen to da strike. What're they gonna care about some rough kids who wanna hold a meetin'?"

Davey didn't reply. The group walked back to Manhattan in silence. Jack tried to ease the worry in his mind. Snake wouldn't even think about doing something in broad daylight, he thought.

Would he?


AN: So, that chapter was pretty bad, but you guys had given me such nice reviews, I had to give back. The next chapter will be the confrontation, and that WILL get ugly...anyway, please review!

-downtonabbey15