A/N: Well, folks, here we go with another chapter. Those of you who
generally skip author's notes: you might want to read this one. I'm
borderline "R" in this chapter, with some pretty heavy suggestions of
things to come. Anyone who hasn't picked up the hint by now of what could
possibly happen in this chapter, here's your warning. If you're sensitive
to the subject, this could bother you. I'm not gonna say any more cuz I
really don't wanna spoil the suspense for the people who have read this too
much to be affected by it (it's not a good thing, but I've read it in more
than a few fan fics). So, with all that unhappiness, go read! And let me
know what you think, please! I'm very sorry if anybody is offended by
this, that is not my intent in the slightest- I'm seriously only trying to
be realistic.
I was sitting up on the bed, leaning on one hand; the other was free to block any blows that might be headed in my direction. "You'se afraid of me," he said, almost matter-of-fact but with a smirk that conveyed an unspoken message: "I've got you beat and we both know it". "Not really," I said, shrugging nonchalantly, even though my heart rate had doubled. I knew I'd dug myself a hole before the words even left my mouth. He slapped me before I could even get my hand up to block him. "Let's work on that then, shall we?" he said menacingly. I backed away.
~*~*~*~
Two of Spot's boys headed to the Manhattan Lodging House. They ran in, looking for Spot. "We got 'em," one of them said. Spot nodded and they sat down, both out of breath. "So where are they?" he asked.
"Run down building on the outskirts of Queens. Basement. We followed Aces, like ya said, an' he led us right to 'em. We checked some a da windows just ta make sure. She's dere awl right, wasn't anyone with her dat we could see, but I can't imagine 'em wastin' much time," the one closest to Spot answered.
"We gotta get goin," Jack said. Spot nodded. He pointed to the two boys that had most recently arrived. We'se splitting inta two groups. You'se each gotta be in one of 'em an' show us where we'se goin'. Ya missed most of what's goin' on so we'll fill ya in on the way."
Without another word they got up and left.
~*~*~*~
By the time he climbed up on the bed I'd run out of room to back away. He grabbed my ankles and pulled me down towards him, hard, so that I fell flat on my back. He got on top of me so that I couldn't move and held my wrists with one hand so I couldn't fight back. I was scared out of my wits with tears running down my face; I wasn't going to scream because I knew it wasn't any good, and I was too scared to even beg.
"What'samatta liddle goil? We scared now?" he asked, horribly. He'd undone most of the buttons on my shirt when the door burst open.
Red's head snapped towards the door but he didn't let go of me. The boy standing in the doorway opened his mouth before Red had a chance to say anything. "Listen, Red, I know dis ain't da best a times, but we'se got some problems. Big ones." His tone of voice showed that he was deadly serious. Red snarled in disgust. He muttered under his breath as he got off me.
My heart rate was three times faster than it should have been, and I was still crying, breathing heavily. He never let go of my hands as he reached for something under the bed. I assumed that whatever had caused this other guy to barge in (which I could not have put into words how grateful I was for) was urgent, because it was only a matter of moments before he'd located what he was looking for, snapped my hands behind my back (painfully- I twisted my shoulder) and tied them there. After a moment of contemplation he pulled a bandana from his back pocket and gagged me.
He left the room without another thought and the door slammed hard behind him. I leaned against the wall, still in total shock, and pulled my knees up to my chest to cover myself. Finally, I could breathe normally, and it was only then that I broke down completely, shaking from head to toe as I cried.
I was sitting up on the bed, leaning on one hand; the other was free to block any blows that might be headed in my direction. "You'se afraid of me," he said, almost matter-of-fact but with a smirk that conveyed an unspoken message: "I've got you beat and we both know it". "Not really," I said, shrugging nonchalantly, even though my heart rate had doubled. I knew I'd dug myself a hole before the words even left my mouth. He slapped me before I could even get my hand up to block him. "Let's work on that then, shall we?" he said menacingly. I backed away.
~*~*~*~
Two of Spot's boys headed to the Manhattan Lodging House. They ran in, looking for Spot. "We got 'em," one of them said. Spot nodded and they sat down, both out of breath. "So where are they?" he asked.
"Run down building on the outskirts of Queens. Basement. We followed Aces, like ya said, an' he led us right to 'em. We checked some a da windows just ta make sure. She's dere awl right, wasn't anyone with her dat we could see, but I can't imagine 'em wastin' much time," the one closest to Spot answered.
"We gotta get goin," Jack said. Spot nodded. He pointed to the two boys that had most recently arrived. We'se splitting inta two groups. You'se each gotta be in one of 'em an' show us where we'se goin'. Ya missed most of what's goin' on so we'll fill ya in on the way."
Without another word they got up and left.
~*~*~*~
By the time he climbed up on the bed I'd run out of room to back away. He grabbed my ankles and pulled me down towards him, hard, so that I fell flat on my back. He got on top of me so that I couldn't move and held my wrists with one hand so I couldn't fight back. I was scared out of my wits with tears running down my face; I wasn't going to scream because I knew it wasn't any good, and I was too scared to even beg.
"What'samatta liddle goil? We scared now?" he asked, horribly. He'd undone most of the buttons on my shirt when the door burst open.
Red's head snapped towards the door but he didn't let go of me. The boy standing in the doorway opened his mouth before Red had a chance to say anything. "Listen, Red, I know dis ain't da best a times, but we'se got some problems. Big ones." His tone of voice showed that he was deadly serious. Red snarled in disgust. He muttered under his breath as he got off me.
My heart rate was three times faster than it should have been, and I was still crying, breathing heavily. He never let go of my hands as he reached for something under the bed. I assumed that whatever had caused this other guy to barge in (which I could not have put into words how grateful I was for) was urgent, because it was only a matter of moments before he'd located what he was looking for, snapped my hands behind my back (painfully- I twisted my shoulder) and tied them there. After a moment of contemplation he pulled a bandana from his back pocket and gagged me.
He left the room without another thought and the door slammed hard behind him. I leaned against the wall, still in total shock, and pulled my knees up to my chest to cover myself. Finally, I could breathe normally, and it was only then that I broke down completely, shaking from head to toe as I cried.