Manhattan 1899
"Where the hell are they?" Jack grumbled under his breath to Crazy as he sat in the newspaper wagon.
The sun had set, and they now had just under thirty minutes to get to the train station for the 9:00 pm train back to the city.
"Hell if I know," Crazy replied.
Everyone else had made it back to the wagon, crammed in the back, and peppering Grim and Tide with questions. Neither one had the energy to answer all of them.
Suddenly, out from the gate came the two priests looking ruffled, their knuckles bloody. Once they hopped into the wagon, Muggs grabbed his tin and snorted another line.
Jack didn't want to know what kind of trouble they'd gotten into, and so he didn't ask. Instead, he nodded to Marquette, who signaled to the horses with a click.
The celebrating had to be kept to a minimum just in case Sing Sing guards had gotten wise to the escape and sent police out. Grim and Tide were given a new change of clothes on the train, and their uniforms were discarded out the window.
"But where will we go?" Tide wondered aloud. "It's not like we can go back to our old lodging house."
"You'll stay at my place," Jack said. "My superintendent already knows everything. You can depend on him."
"He won't rat us out?" Grim asked.
"Nah. Kloppman's one of us. You'll see."
Grim nodded, a bit more at ease. "Damn, it's odd seeing you fellas. Thought for sure I wouldn't ever again before I hang."
"Good to have you back," Lion said, patting Grim's back. "Neck intact and all."
"I just…I can't believe it," Tide repeated for the fifteenth time. "We're free."
"Well, conditionally," Atlas reminded him. "You gotta lay low for a while."
"But we'll worry about that tomorrow," Jack said. "Tonight, you're getting a full meal and a good rest."
As the others laughed and continued filling in Grim and Tide on things they'd missed, Jack caught Alexei pulling Muggs aside out of the corner of his eye. He furtively watched as the Russian folded his arms and spoke quietly to Muggs several feet away, shaking his head, his expression grave.
Jack paid no mind and turned back to his friends' lively banter.
When they arrived in the city, the others departed to their own living quarters, leaving Jack, Sophie, Tide, and Grim to return to the Duane Street lodging house.
Kloppman answered the door, giving the newcomers a warm welcome, and reassuring them that Ellen had saved plenty of leftovers in the kitchen from dinner.
"Oh, and I guess there's one other thing I forgot tell you about," Jack said hurriedly to Grim as they walked into the foyer.
"What?"
"Well, it's sort of hard to explain, but I found—"
"Jack!" Henry exclaimed, jumping up from the couch where he appeared to have been dozing off. Sarah tiredly got up, putting aside her sewing.
Jack bent down to give Henry a hug, ruffling his hair.
Grim stared at Henry curiously. The little boy offered him a bashful smile and a wave, and Grim returned the gesture sweetly.
Henry snuck a peek at Sophie, clutching her skirt again. "I'm scared," he whimpered, hiding behind her as he looked up at the tall young men.
Sophie gently brought him around to her side. "It's okay, Henry," she said, bending down beside him. Hesitantly, she brought his chin up to look at Grim. "I'd like you to meet someone."