(A/N: sorry for the late post, been working on a project for school and lost track of what day it was. Enjoy, review, see you all next week, and thanks again to all my reviewers!)

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Disclaimer: I don't own the characters

Thief

Chapter nineteen: Camp 03

As soon as her father hung up Sam got out of bed and tip toed to Danny's room. The door was open a crack. She peaked in; he was lying in his bed seemingly asleep. She opened the door and slid it closed behind her. She examined him; it didn't look like he had been out stealing last night. Then again she wasn't sure what she'd expect to see if he had, bullet wounds? Dog bites?

Would he really have broken his promise to her? Wait did he ever make a promise to stop stealing? She couldn't remember. Danny stirred.

Sam stood over his bed as he opened his eyes, blinking in surprise a few times. "Sam?"

"So do anything interesting last night?" she asked.

He thought about it, "No, why?"

"Because my father just called, apparently phantom struck again last night." She couldn't keep the venom from her voice.

Danny winced at it. "I didn't Sam I swear."

She looked at him for a long moment before turning and leaving the room. It was all she could do to keep from crying until she reached her own room. She wasn't even sure what she was crying about. That she had thought Danny had changed, or that she couldn't bring herself to believe him when he said he hadn't done it.

That though brought her up short, why didn't she believe him? She trusted him completely but it was like a voice in her head kept saying 'who else could it be?'

She felt worn down, her muscles hurt, she just couldn't keep her thoughts straight. Sam lay back on her bed and absently played with a pair of thick glasses. There had to be some way to know. Tucker!

They always worked together, he'd know if Danny had been up to anything. But as soon as she had the thought she realized he was still at the resort. Or was he? She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Valerie's number. After a quick talk Sam found out Tucker had had them leave yesterday afternoon on no notice. Saying he had forgot something important.

Sam convinced her to bring Tucker over so she could speak with him; Valerie gave a little laugh guessing it was something to do with Danny. But if she had known the real reason Sam doubted she'd be laughing.

Sam quickly changed into warmer clothes. She left her room and considered talking to Danny again but the little voice told her it would be a bad idea.

The streets were already packed with people and Sam stayed out of the way until a limo pulled up to the curb. She quickly climbed in to the back. Tucker sat there looking surprised to see her. "Sam? You're coming to the super model convention too?"

"What?" she asked.

Tucker put his head in his hands. "There is no super model convention is there?"

Valerie's voice came over the speaker. "Sorry no, she said she needed to talk with you."

"Fine, I guess it's ok as long as you give me a private show later Val." Tucker said, only half joking.

"Try it and they'll never find your body." Valerie said.

Tucker swallowed and cut off the speaker. "So Sam, what do you need?"

"Did Danny steal anything last night?" Sam asked.

Tucker nearly choked on a soda he had picked up. "What?"

"My dad called this morning and said phantom had struck again." She said.

"Did you ask Danny?" he said.

"He said he didn't do it." She said.

"And you don't believe him?" he said.

"I do but I don't. I don't know ok? I understand he had to do it to survive but now." She let the sentence dangle, not completely sure where she had been going with it.

Tucker shook his head. "Just like Danny never to explain things. Guess I better do it." He turned the speaker back on. "Valerie, to Nasty Burger."

Sam made a disgusted face. "You want to eat now?"

"Hey I'm hungry and besides we need to pick something up."

At the restaurant Tucker ordered 'his usual and a box' his usual consisted of three bags of nasty burgers and a large cardboard box. "Tucker don't tell me that things filled with burgers."

"In a way." He opened it and Sam saw hundreds of small coupon books, each filled with one free nasty burger coupons. Tucker refused to answer any other questions. Only telling Valerie to drive them to the bridge on forty second street by the river.

The limo pulled into an area that would have needed renovations to be called slums, and Sam got her first look at what the police referred to as camp 03. A huge tent city set up in the shadow of the bridge with over five hundred homeless people. The city had decided a long time ago that as long as they behaved they could stay there.

A chain-link fence ran from the corner of the bridge enclosing the tents and ending at the river. It had been patched with scrap metal and two guards sat in front of the only opening. Tucker climbed out carrying one of the bags. "Get the box will you Sam?"

Sam picked up the box and followed, Valerie stepped out as well but looked unsure if she should follow or watch the limo. Tucker glanced at her. "Don't worry about it, its safe."

She gave him a doubtful look but fell into line with Sam. The two guards watched them from under old hats. Tucker set the bag down in front of them. "Hey guys how goes it?"

"Not bad, here to see the big guy?" one asked.

"Yup."

He nodded to Sam and Valerie. "They cool?"

"Of course, friends of mine and Danny's." At the mention of Danny's name Sam noticed both guards set up a little straighter.

Tucker led them through the gate and down a row of mismatched tents. People smiled at him but eyed the girls wearily. They went to the foot of the bridge where several larger tents had been set up. A group of people were sitting around a fire to ward off the cold. Tucker set the box before them. "Hello fellows, the big guy free?"

"For you always." Said one of them opening a tent flap. Tucker went in followed by Sam and Valerie. Surprisingly the back flap of the tent was open and lead through a broken wall into the base of the bridge. Tucker sat down on an old beanbag chair and waited.

A few minutes later a huge man walked in from the bridge hold a huge wrench. He grinned widely at tucker. "Yo tinny, what's up?"

"Nothing much, thought I'd make a delivery and explain things to Sam. Give her the whole story, she already knows most of it."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? And is Danny's ok with telling her?"

"Man you know him. He never remembers to give the whole story. Sides he and Sam have been through a lot and she deserves to know. I could tell her but I thought it would mean more coming from you guys."

"Alright."

"Thanks, come on Valerie lets go for a walk."

"What why can't we stay?" she asked.

"Cause this is for Sam, not you. No offence."

She grumbled but followed him out of the tent. Sam was a bit nervous about being left alone with the huge man. His smile was kind though. "So by tuckers words I guess you know about Danny's, abilities. The ones that made him a good choice for the mob?"

"Yes. I don't mean to be rude but what's going on?"

"Danny did steal but he never used the money for himself. Him and tucker brought it all here. Sometimes in cash so we could buy things we needed, sometimes in nasty burger food or other supplies. Well that's the simple version."

He took a deep breath. "The whole story is that after he ran away from home he drifted around the city for a while. Last winter he was on the street nearly dead. We found him and brought him in. It was a lot worse then, little food, no good clothes. He had already had the offer from the mob but turned them down because he did not wish to become a thief. After a short time with us though he disappeared, two days later he showed back up with the money."

"We aren't strangers to the mob; we've done the occasional odd job for them. Nothing like what he did though, it was too dangerous. That's why he never lived here, to keep us out of trouble. Not that most people here know this, they know Tucker and Danny supply us with what we need but that's it. Tucker tries to help us through legal means but until he turns eighteen and has access to his families money there is little he can do. I know he is planning to build a permanent shelter for us in a few years."

Sam felt guilt, Danny and Tucker had been doing so much to help these people, the most she'd ever done was help at a soup kitchen a couple of times. Still she needed to ask him if Danny had been stealing the night before. No one had answered that yet, and she guessed Tucker brought her there so she could get an answer. At least he better have.

Before she could though someone burst in through the flaps. "The police are here."

"How many"

"Three, two norms." He glared at Sam. "And her father."

(A/N: Opps, looks like there's some trouble coming. Hope you enjoyed, just a warning, next week's chapter ends at an even worse part! I do love torturing you so hehe. Ok clearly I need to go to sleep now.)