MANHATTAN – AUGUST 1899

"Are you serious, Lion?" Shakespeare asked, looking up from his menu at Tibby's. "You lost five dollars on a pony? Real, actual money this time? Did you even know what you were doing? How are you going to get that kind of money back, Lion? You're making Racetrack Higgins look lucky."

Lion looked at the table in defeat, mumbling excuses under his breath. Cards paid no attention as Shakespeare continued rambling about what an empty-headed charlatan Lion was.

Marquette was having a quiet argument with Camille at the table beside the three, each rambling in hurried French. Camille appeared to have been crying, her eyes reddened and puffy. Marquette gently rubbed her shoulders, whispering something as she nodded, looking distressed at the table. Amelie sat on Cards' lap, babbling happily as he made a funny face at her while Shakespeare scolded Lion.

"Your uncles are crazy, betting on horses," Cards said down to her, bouncing his knee. "Don't be like them. Spend your money on dolls and shit like that."

Shakespeare leaned over and tapped on Marquette. "Did you hear what Lion did?"

Marquette, not caring less, said something to Camille and then glared at his friend. "I don't know. Didn't he lose ten dollars at the tracks?" Marquette rolled his eyes and then went back to his tense conversation with Camille.

Shakespeare raised his eyebrows and looked back at Lion. "Wait, ten dollars? Lion what the hell were you thinking?"

Lion looked at him with big eyes. "Fuck, Shakes. I didn't know any better. I'm just a poor street kid."

Cards laughed as Shakespeare rolled his eyes. "Lion, you're nineteen. That excuse is getting old."

"Fine," Lion said, cracking a smirk. "Then I want a lawyer."

Sarah walked in, exchanging a polite hello with a waitress she knew. She headed toward their table, searching for Jack.

Lion grinned up at her, offering a wink. "Hey, Sarah," he said coolly. "You got fifteen bucks I could borrow?"

"No, not on me," Sarah teased, nodding to him and the others. "Is Jack here?"

Lion tsked. "Still with Jack, huh? That's too bad."

Sarah raised her eyebrows and then shook her head. "Still with him, thank you for asking," she said in amusement.

Jack emerged from the back privy, smiling once he saw Sarah. "Hey, did you just get here?" he asked, kissing her on the forehead.

Lion shook his head at Jack. "Her lips ain't diseased, ya know," he mumbled to him. "Sarah, if I were you, I'd leave him just for that. Where's the passion, Jack?"

Jack rolled his eyes as Sarah laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Come on, we'll sit somewhere else," Jack said, taking her hand and escorting her to a table at the other end.

He held Sarah's chair out for her and then sat across. "I'm sorry about Lion," he said, genuinely worried his friend had humiliated Sarah. "He doesn't mean it."

"I can handle it," Sarah said honestly. "He made a pass at me though."

Jack rolled his eyes again. "I wouldn't worry. You're a little young for him."

Sarah scrunched up her face, cocking her head curiously. "Two years younger. What kind of women does he go for?"

Jack sighed. "Think Medda."

"Oh," Sarah said with a little startled laugh. "Well, whatever he likes, I suppose."

Jack raised his eyebrows, nodding, and sharing her cringe.

Sarah smiled slightly, sighing with a shake of her head. "He did ask me for fifteen dollars. What's that all about?"

Jack looked back at Lion and then at Sarah. "Oh," he said softly. "That's strange."

"Mm-hm," Sarah answered quietly, taking a sip from the coffee the waitress had dropped off.

She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, averting her eyes from Jack. "So how is Medda?" She asked casually. "David told me you went to see her the other day."

Jack looked up at her and scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "He did?"

Sarah kept her eyes on the coffee cup. "Yes, he did. Said you were acting funny." She looked up at him for a second and saw his look of befuddlement as if he were trying to recall. "Were you drinking again?"

Jack stared at the glass of water as he remembered falling off the wagon and scavenging for laudanum at Medda's. He met Sarah's eyes and forced a soft chuckle, plastering on a smile. "Nah, not really. I was checking up on Soph."

A twinge of disbelief leapt through Sarah's mind but she kept her suspicions to herself. "That's nice," she said, smiling a little at him.

"Hi, Sarah," called a familiar voice. Both Jack and Sarah turned to see Sophie, as if on cue. Somehow, she always knew where to find him.

Sarah's grin widened as Sophie made her way over, looking rather anxious.

"Sophie, we were just talking about you. You sure have such a thoughtful older brother," Sarah said brightly, staring at Jack as he squirmed.

Sophie blinked. "If you say so."

"Are you okay?" Jack muttered, standing up.

Sophie shook her head. "Something awful happened, Jack."

Jack bent slightly to meet her eyes. "What? To you?"

"Not to me," Sophie said, scratching her arm.

Jack exchanged a worried look with Sarah. "Well, what is it?"

"Colleen," Sophie replied quietly. "Somebody hurt her real bad. Two of 'em, actually. Doc's looking at her right now."

"What? How bad? Do you know who did it?" Jack asked, following that up with a million other questions.

Sophie kept her voice low and steady. "No, she doesn't really remember. I don't know. Anyway, we gotta tell Muggs." She fidgeted and then gave Jack a pleading look. "But I think he'll listen to you before he listens to me."

Jack sputtered. "Jesus, Sophie."

There was silence between them until Jack finally folded. "Fine. But you're not going with me. Colleen's at Medda's?"

Sophie nodded.

"Okay, I'll be over there," Jack said, taking a shaky breath. "With Muggs, maybe."

"Get Alexei to go with you," Sophie replied quietly before heading for the door. "And tell Muggs it's urgent. Life or death."

"That true?" Jack asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Sophie shrugged. "Improve the truth a little, Jack. It's a good lie. She needs him."

Jack's walk back to the lodging house was a quiet one.

A horse-drawn wagon trotted down the street with a man up on the front. The wagon pulled a giant barrel of water connected to a hose, which another man used to clean cobblestones.

Jack stuffed his hands in his pockets and took no notice of anyone around him. When he finally ducked into the lodging house, he found it mostly empty and quiet, as if no one were there. Even Kloppman was nowhere in sight.

"Alexei?" Jack called, searching for the Russian. He'd been staying at the lodging house for a few nights now, until things died down on Water Street. Alexei urged Muggs to do the same, but he'd refused, saying he didn't want to live under Duane Street's rules.

Henry came down from the second floor to see who was there, looking like he'd been sleeping.

"Hey, Henry. Do you know where Alexei is?" Jack asked him, trying to sound friendly.

"Hi, Uncle Jack. He's sleeping," Henry said tiredly. "Have you seen my daddy?"

"He's working, kid," Jack said, scooping Henry up. "But he'll be back soon. Were you taking a nap?"

As Henry rambled his response, Jack carried him up the stairs.

His eyes went to the blonde, lifeless figure lying on a bunk bed.

Jack crept closer, seeing it was Alexei. He paused and wondered if he should wake him.

"Alexei," Jack said softly.

Alexei didn't budge. Jack leaned down, careful not to drop Henry, and hit the young man on the arm. "Hey, Alexei."

"Don't hurt him," Henry said with a pout. "That's not nice."

Alexei woke up with a start and looked around, as if forgetting where he was for a second. He squinted at Jack and Henry in the daylight. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Alexei struggled to sit up.

"Jack, hi," he muttered in a groggy voice. "I don't remember falling asleep."

Jack's face remained indifferent. "Listen, we gotta talk about something."

"What time is it?" Alexei asked, stretching.

Jack glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's well past three, you lazy ass," he said, rolling his eyes. "Get moving."

Henry gasped, covering his mouth with a hand. "You said a bad word!"

Jack apologized and Henry appeared satisfied.

"Shit," Alexei said, now fully awake as Henry shot Jack a shocked look at yet another utterance of profanity. "I should go check on Muggs, see if he's still alive," he said, hurrying off the bed. "Give me a second."

He began rifling for something in the ragged satchel he'd brought.

Jack looked annoyed. "No, we gotta talk first, Alexei," he muttered.

"You can't tell me what to do. You're seventeen," Alexei replied, producing a tiny tin.

Jack rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. He set Henry down, and the little boy hung close to him.

Alexei poured a little cocaine onto his wrist, snorting it.

Henry squinted. "My daddy says you shouldn't do that."

"Please, kid," Alexei sneered, shaking his head. He gave Henry a direct look. "I used to sell your daddy opium."

"Kloppman asked you not to do that in here. Just get out," Jack said angrily. "You ain't doing that in front of Henry. I'll soak you. I swear I will if you do that again."

Alexei barked out a sardonic laugh. "You'll soak me?"

"And then Grim will, too, once I tell him," Jack said coldly.

"Tell him what? That I did drugs in front of his baby?" Alexei scoffed. "Go ahead."

"That you're the reason Colleen got attacked," Jack replied, his voice lowering. "You and Muggs."

Alexei's smirk dropped. "What do you mean she got attacked?" He searched Jack's face for any form of teasing but found no such thing. "By who? For God's sake, Jack, say more!"

"Oh, like you didn't see this coming."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Alexei yelled, now growing panicked by the second. "What happened?"

Jack shook his head. "Go to Medda's. Doc's taking care of her. I have the unpleasant task of telling Muggs."

Alexei backed away as he processed everything. "I'll tell Muggs," he said numbly. "I'll go. Trust me."

Jack watched Alexei slowly make for the stairs. "Do you think he'll care?" Jack asked as an afterthought.

Alexei continued walking down the steps, giving no reply.