Chapter Six

"The heat is on, on the street
Inside your head, on every beat
And the beat's so loud, deep inside
The pressure's high, just to stay alive
Cause the heat is on." — Glenn Frey "The Heat is On."

"Keep looking, they couldn't have gotten far. They're around here somewhere."

The cold metal of the vehicle touched Tramp's back like ice water being poured down his shirt. He didn't dare move or even breathe. They were so close it made his arm hairs stand on end. The shadow of their legs danced on the pavement beneath the automobile which blocked him and Lady from view.

"I keep telling you, if they had a crate it's over."

"Did you hear one turn on?! We would've heard it by now, idiot. Now shut your mouth and keep looking."

"Fine."

"Hey, what do you wanna do when we catch them?"

"Does that matter? Let's just get em' first and then I'll figure it out."

Tramp had to bite the inside of his cheek to stay calm. He hated running. He hated hiding. And he hated being at their mercy most of all. Tramp lifted himself up against the automobile and covertly peek through it's foggy windows. He could make out the three who stubbornly refused to give up searching for them. The glow from the street light allowed him just enough light to make out exactly who they faced. He recognized Hook Nose, just like he'd feared, the blonde with the newsboy hat and possibly one of the twins. Tramp grit his teeth and lowered back down to the ground.

"Did that kid look familiar to you?"

"The one we're after?"

"Yeah. I don't know if I've seen him with the others before."

"Like that matters. He and the dame are with Calvetti and that's all I need to know."

"Guess so. They wouldn't have been standing there without a reason."

"The way they ran makes it seem pretty obvious they know what's goin' on. And besides a skirt is easier to get info out of anyway."

"Yeah but I got a good look at her, and she was an Egg. How does that make sense?"

"The Mutts already got their hooks into Swanson, would you really be surprised if they had a rat too?"

"But why a dame?"

"Got me there. Guess it's just all the more reason to catch em' so we can find out."

"Enough yappin'. If we wanna nab them we gotta get moving. Let's get to the crate, we'll cover more ground that way."

Their voices began to fade as they pressed down the street, and it was silent once more. The trill of far off police sirens echoed like a whisper, and leaves rustled down the sidewalk. Once Tramp was certain they'd left he whispered: "They're gone for now, we can breathe for a minute."

Lady unsuccessfully attempted to suppress a few sobs and dropped her head into her hands. Tramp pursed his lips and felt helpless in the face of her terror, which he still couldn't quite fathom. This really must have been the first time she'd been faced with danger of this kind. Tramp thought. Could he even remember a time he wasn't accustomed to this?

"You've never been in a spot like this have you?" Tramp asked softly.

Lady shook her head and sniffed. "Never."

"Well, for what it's worth." He sighed. "I am sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Tramp felt a spark of guilt and didn't respond. It kind of is though. But he wasn't going to inform her of that considering the state she was in. Later. He thought. I'll tell her when this is all over. He looked down at his feet and felt a peculiar sensation omitting the truth from her.

Suddenly, Tramp noticed something was off. His shoes cast a shadow onto the damp pavement, which previously hadn't been there. He stiffened and whipped his head down to the end of the street. Two small predatory eyes glinted out the darkness and he softly swore. It was a pair of headlights. Tramp's mind kicked into high gear once again and he assessed their surroundings. Luckily, the large house before them had a four foot stone wall bordering its yard.

"Pidge, they're headed this way." Tramp said.

He shot up to his feet and hoisted her up by her wrist before she could get a word in edgewise. Every second they stood in the growing headlight's path Tramp felt like they were being seen. He dashed to the fence and urgently helped Lady over. "Get down." He ordered

Tramp jumped over the fence and dove down to the ground. He landed on his stomach and saw the wall was made up of ornate stone carvings, from which small rays of light cast onto the grass below. Lady joined him, her hair spilling all over her shoulders and his suit jacket. Tramp peered out from the small openings in the stonework, grateful he could keep an eye out for trouble. The quiet that followed was unbearable.

He reached over and gently placed his hand over Lady's, as he figured she had to be beside herself with fear. Hang in there, Pidge. He thought. The headlights grew brighter and brighter and the growing clank of the engine broke up the awful quiet around them. Finally Tramp saw a green Nash drive into view and come to a rattling halt just before the automobile they'd hidden behind.

"You see something?"

Tramp narrowed his eyes as he recognized Hook Nose's voice coming from the driver side window.

"I could have swore I saw some movement over here."

"Well get out and look, jackass."

"Alright keep your shirt on I'm going, I'm going."

Tramp ground his fist into the grass and lamented not being able to face them head on like he knew he could. They were lucky his hands were tied with Lady in the picture. The door opened and the blonde man got out of the vehicle. Tramp acutely noticed the shape of a gun in his hand. Lady let out a whimper beside him but quickly clamped her hand over her mouth.

The blonde looked all around, and even checked their previous hiding spot. When he found nothing he turned to the house. He went utterly still and became the dark, eerie shape of a man, the headlights glaring out behind him. Tramp prepared to grab Lady and spring into action at the drop of a hat. The man continued to stand like a statue before them, and then something strange began to happen.

The blonde's figure morphed. With each blink he changed before Tramp's eyes, till he had a helmet atop his head, a pack on his back and a large firearm slung over his shoulder. Tramp tried to blink it away but nothing changed. What the hell? Then, abruptly he was confronted with a vivid memory. He was brought back to a chaotic, gunfire infested world of mud and death. Tramp could almost feel his uniform, and taste the cannon smoke on his tongue. He was laying in the dirt with his fellow men, peering out into the night at an enemy platoon just like this. Had he ever even left?

"Hey, you see them or what?" A voice snapped from the automobile.

Just like that the memory burst. Tramp's head throbbed like the beat of a drum, and it was so intense he had to snap his eyes closed. The pain was like a nail repeatedly pounded into his skull, each strike sending chills down his back. Frightful flashes and feelings passed under his eyelids, and he had to remind himself it was in the past. That wasn't his reality anymore. He was home, and he had a job to do. Lady, think of Lady. Snap out of it.

The wretched pounding slowly ebbed and with one final, chill inducing jab it faded. When he was able to open his eyes again everything was as it should be. The blonde's silhouette was back to normal and it was Lady next to him. Tramp worked hard to keep his heavy breaths silent as he recovered. The other man finally moved, seeming to have lost interest and pulled himself away with a sigh."I guess not, my bad."

Hook Nose groaned angrily. "Damn it, where the hell did they go? That crafty son of a…"

"You wanted to find him no matter what."

"Ah stuff it, Carrow, just get in already." The blonde did so and once the door slammed shut the Nash began down the street. The light spilling through the wall vanished and Tramp deeply exhaled. The cuts from the window stung like swarming bees and his head was as tight as a vise. It's fine, you're fine. Lady comes first, that all there is to it. He grit his teeth, swallowed his nerves and made himself ignore the discomfort.

Tramp looked over at Lady and wondered if she'd witnessed his reaction. But she was too busy pressing her forehead into the grass to notice. Tramp was glad. The last thing he wanted was for Lady to not have faith in him. He took his hand off hers, wiped the sweat from his face and slicked any stray hairs back. Tramp felt more rattled than he'd like to admit, for it had been a long time since he'd had an episode and he didn't like it at all.

"It's alright now." Tramp murmured, his voice sounding unsteady to his own ears.

Lady lifted her head and sniffled. "I don't understand. Why are they doing this? What did we do?" She asked him.

"We were in the wrong place at the wrong time, Pidge. They just want information about what Buster's posse is up to. I'll explain everything later to you, I promise."

Lady searched his face with big, glossy eyes like a lost pup looking for it's mother. His chest seized up as he realized she was looking to him for reassurance. Tramp felt a strong, confusing obligation to keep his promise. He'd hate to see what look she'd give him if he didn't follow through.

"Well, I already know how to get out of here. Unless..." Tramp said lightly, hiding his confusion. "You want to go back to Aunt Gargoyle and see if she can do a better job."

Lady paused, then gave a breathless hint of a laugh. "That's not happening."

"Well then it looks like you're stuck with little ol' me for awhile."

Lady smiled grimly, and Tramp could see the tentative trust there on her lips. He felt the weight of it like a ton of iron but with it came a sense of giddiness too. Gee, the way I'm acting you'd think this was my first time with a dame. He thought. What's going on with me today?

Tramp forced his thoughts away and refocused. C'mon snap out of it. Think. He turned and observed the neighborhood with a scrutinizing eye. It was swathed in moonlit dormancy, only broken by the faint sirens radiating from the mayor's house. They had run four blocks to get here and he wished the sound would fade. He hated anything to do with the police.

Tramp looked at the vehicles parked on the street, all of them shining with the same glossy finish his friends had resented just hours ago. The houses behind them lay silent and opulent, unaware that their automobiles were in the present danger of being stolen. There was a black Oldsmobile, which wasn't ideal. A green Rolls Royce sat farther down the pavement, which was decent. The last vehicle was a red Packard Twin Six Roadster. Bingo. Though he didn't understand why such a nice model was on the street, he knew it was their best option. There weren't even any windows he'd have to break. Thank you, careless Snob Hill residents.

"You see that red Roadster?" He said motioning across the street. "That's our ticket out of here."

Lady turned to look and went quiet. "Are we going to...steal it?"

"That's the idea. Or if that doesn't sit well with you, think of it as borrowing."

"It's against the law." Lady stated with her eyes wide.

Tramp chuckled. "Yeah, maybe, but you really wanna stick around for those goons to find us?"

Lady shook her head.

"We just gotta take it out of here, and then I'll leave it somewhere easy for the Johns to find. Honest to god. Just let me get you somewhere safe first."

"But…" She trailed off, looking wistfully down the street.

"You'll be back home soon." He said gently. "I just need to get us out of here and fast."

When Lady faced him again her smile was gone, replaced with a nervous frown. "Okay."

"Just focus on getting in and I'll do the rest." Lady bit her lip and nodded. Tramp flashed his best smile, dearly hoping it comforted her. He checked both sides of the street one more time and braced himself. "We're clear. Let's go!"

They both rose to their feet, jumped the wall and dashed for the vehicle with their hands clasped. When they reached the Packard he checked the area one more time. He then went with Lady to the passenger side and whispered. "No time for doors, climb in."

Tramp helped her climb through, and she spilled into the vehicle with a rush of dark green fabric. Tramp forced any pleasure at touching her aside and raced to the driver side with yet another sweep of the street. It was still quiet but his unease rose by the second. Tramp climbed in and the smell of new leather hit him like fireworks. "Keep an eye out for them. I just gotta wire this baby and we'll get going."

Lady glanced at him warily but shook her head in acknowledgment. Tramp lifted the carpeted bed beneath his feet and began to nimbly work the wires like it was second nature. He'd done this plenty of times overseas, or around town if necessary and this was no different. Though he couldn't recall ever swiping an automobile this expensive. What a story he'd be able to tell afterwards. Tramp finished up and there was no word from Lady. He adjusted the spark advance and clamped his hands on the wheel with a steadying breath.

"Let's blouse." Tramp said.

He started the Packard, which came to life with a deep, rich growl that sent shivers down his arms. He really hadn't driven a model of this quality before and if things were different, how he wished he could take it for a joyride. Tramp pulled out of the curb, watching the rearview mirror like a madman.

He started off at a crawl down the street. The houses eased by one at a time, each grander than the last and the throaty purr of the engine was the only sound. They made it to the end of the street which was lined on either side with tall hedge bushes. Tramp didn't like having his vision impeded but nonetheless he pushed forward and crossed into a four way intersection. No sooner did the Packard touch the other side of the road, when headlights burst directly onto him and Lady.

They both jumped and Lady shrieked. Tramp squinted through the blinding lights and made out the Nash from before. "Son of a bitch." They must have been waiting for us.

"Found ya, you bastard!" A voice shouted from the vehicle. Tramp turned and violently mashed his foot on the gas. "Hang on, Pidge!" He shouted.

With a roar the Packard surged forward, making Lady slam backwards into her seat. They tore down the street, and in the rearview mirror Tramp saw the opposite vehicle swerve into the road after them. He pushed the gas and sailed through the wealthy streets and houses, the wind ripping through the windows like an icy vortex. Tramp checked the mirror and saw the Nash was hot on their tail. He swore through his teeth and suddenly turned onto a random street. Tramp didn't want to be close when they started shooting, which he inevitably knew they would.

"Which street will take me out of here?" Tramp asked Lady, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Um, Pearl I think." She stammered. "It's coming up on the left after this street. Then Rosedale should take you the rest of the way."

Tramp nodded. He swiftly reached Pearl Street and took the turn so sharp he nearly hit a tree on the curb. He straightened out and strange flashes caught the corner of his eye. Tramp realized it was house lights. As both automobiles roared after each other, windows and doors indignantly illuminated with light. He supposed speeding through the neighborhood late at night wasn't a custom in this part of town. Not that he cared.

The Nash was maddeningly matched for speed with the Packard, and their pursuers clung to them through every turn. They didn't seem to waver in their pursuit no matter how fast he went. He was going to have to be tricky if he wanted to lose them, and not be in their firing range. Tramp made it to Rosedale, like Lady had said. The street was a wide main road, with sparser mansions alongside it and a brick bridge at its head. The good thing was that he was free to gun the engine as fast as he could, but the bad thing was—

Shoom!

"Damn it all." Tramp seethed. It's always bean shooters with these clowns, day in and day out. Lady screamed and covered her head with both hands. He looked and saw a boy leaning halfway out the Nash with an even bigger firearm in his hand. "Get down." He said, pushing Lady down into the seat as more rounds sounded. Metallic song pelted the Packard, glancing off its sides and tearing a hole through the canvas soft top above their heads.

They reached the bridge, and the inky water of the river below glinted in the light of the large, iron lamps scaling across its back. Tramp sailed across the uneven cobblestones, blessedly leaving all of Snob Hill behind them like a bad dream. The Nash followed without fail. They continued to shoot rounds that echoed out across the water, and Tramp could hear the boys' shouts and curses.

They raced towards town where the dark fingers of buildings scrawled up into the night air. The twinkle of lights ahead on the road promised other vehicles and drivers which was exactly what they needed. They were in desperate need of some cover. Hook Nose's vehicle was suddenly devoid of gunfire but only to reload, of that Tramp was certain. He used that to his advantage, and when they reached the flow of traffic he joined the throng. Though it wasn't heavily congested there were still enough vehicles to put some space between them and their pursuers.

The city quickly made Tramp feel much more ease, and a little less paranoid. This was his arena now. He checked for the Nash again and saw them several vehicles down, honking and shouting at everyone in their path. With a smirk Tramp zoomed by the traffic tower where the officer on duty wasn't paying attention. He swerved like a mad man to avoid the oncoming traffic and he heard Lady shriek next to him. Horns tooted loudly as the automobiles scrambled to move out of his way. Tramp didn't even give them a glance.

He made it through the intersection, and sped past the shops and business making up Main Street. The automobiles thinned out and finally they were the only ones left on the road. Tramp checked his rearview mirror again and to his irritation saw Hook Nose pull out of the traffic and ramble down the street after them. "There's no shaking these idiots!" He exclaimed in frustration.

Tramp made a split decision and veered onto a familiar road, 7th Avenue, and began to formulate a plan. This would lead to his true neck of the woods, where he knew he could lose them with ease. Tramp could already make out the slopped church steeple and the tenement building from here.

Shoom! Pop!

"And the guns are back." He groaned. Tramp spared a quick glance from the road and checked on Lady. She was still hunched over in a protective ball, and all he could make out was the whites of her eyes as she checked the rearview mirror.

He pushed on past the church and turned onto Cherry Street, a stretch of apartments and alleyways that lead to the Irish side of the city. The lamps were scattered and the night got blacker still, even with the Nash's ever present beams on their backs. The gunfire resumed but this time Tramp was astutely aware how much closer they had gotten. The bullets flew and the Packard took several hits one after the other.

But then a hollow thunk sounded. Lady shrieked and Tramp's stomach sank. It was the back tire. The entire vehicle jolted and they careened off the road. None of Tramp's escape plans computed fast enough and their headlights beamed down onto a fire hydrant. Shit.

Crunch!

~0~

Hello! Geez, I'm sorry I took so long to get this one up! You have no idea how busy the last month was. Moving during a pandemic? Do not recommend it. But here she be and I'm thrilled to get back on track! This turned more intense than I had originally pictured so I hope it's not too crazy for ya'll. It'll slow down eventually I swear! And then I can dive into some fluff! ;)

Also I had a lil brain blast and decided to include a fun fact each chapter. I research a lot of things about the 1920's for this story each month, and I end up at some weirdly specific google searches. I probably make the peeps at google scratch their heads a few times lol. So I figured why not share?! And with that being said...

Fun Fact: Do you know that classic automated traffic lights didn't get implemented until the mid twenties? Instead they used what were called traffic towers, or street semaphores. An officer from a traffic squad would sit in them and manually direct traffic. There were only two colored lights on the towers, green for 'go' and white for 'stop' plus the officer had to blow a whistle to signal the color changes. Crazy right?!

Well ttfn! And as always don't forget to show some love if you feel so inclined!

— Curly