Morning came bringing with it cooler air and less humidity. It had rained the night before and puddles dotted the streets daring young newsies to run and splash before a majority of the city awoke. Kit decided to stay at the lodging house and wait for the boys and Spot to come pick her up, dreading what the headline could read today. Jolly was back quicker than she thought possible waving a paper over his head. "Kit read the headline. It's really good."
Kit took the out stretched paper and read the headline, "President to Survive." Kit smiled for the first time in over a day and swung Jolly around. "That's a great headline you ready to go sell."
Jolly nodded and hopped on one foot then the other, "Can I go back and get Bait?" Kit ruffled his hair and said yes and watched him head back the way he came before sitting down to wait for them to return.
"Why wasn't that the cutest thing ever. The slut acts like a mother. Decide to go home to your family Kitten?" a menacing voice came from the shadows "Hello Ami fancy meeting you here."
It sent shivers up and down Kit's spine. She squinted trying to identify the speaker but he kept his face in the shadows. The stance gave him away. Her eyes widened in fright as she realized who this man was and his laughter washed over her in beating waves.
**Manhattan**
The Manhattan bunkhouse was alive with the fury of newsies getting ready to sell. Everyone was in a rush to get to the distribution dock. Even though the newsies were early boys who wanted to take advantage of the recent assassination attempt crowded the alley by the gates. The lodging house newsies threaded their way through the crowed. Some of the more obstinate newcomers were belligerent but a flash of a knife or clenched fist quickly cleared away opposition.
As they stood in the vicinity of the gateway an outraged yell and a raised female voice was heard over the crowd. "Get your freaking hands off me you bastard. Touch me again and youse won't be able to stand."
Swan and Jack exchanged a look and began to laugh. The crowd split like the Red Sea as Mills made her way to the front, with Cray struggling to catch up. When she saw Jack and Swan laughing she briskly walked up to them and stood in front with her hands on her hips. "What are the two of youse laughing at Jack Kelly?"
"Nothing Mills, we just thought Kit had decided that Brooklyn was too much and came back for a second that's all. How youse doing?" Jack's eyes were filled with mirth as she looked down at her.
"Ise fine now. Some boy tried to get fresh with that's all. He won't be trying it again." Mills crossed her arms on her chest a smug look on her face.
"I'm sure," was all Swan got out before the gates opened. Kelly was the first in line as always. He picked up the paper lying on the counter and read the headline. "President to Live."
"Youse gonna just look Cowboy?"
"Don't rush me," Jack slapped down 85 cents. "Ise takes 160 papes."
"Cocky ain't we Cowboy." Weasel emphasized the boy. Morris 160 for the wise guy." Morris slapped them down and Jack picked them up sneering through the bars at Morris. He then went to wait for his friends to purchase their own wares.
Not everyone was sure they could sell 50 percent more than usual but none of the career newsies bought just their normal order. After everyone seemed to be ready they all headed out as a group. All of Manhattan seemed to have waited for the moment the newsies were out to sell. Some of the younger boys sold out in the first hour they were out. By mid-morning the distribution office was out of papers as were the newsies. They decided to take an early lunch break to Medda's and watch the girls warm up for that night.
**Brooklyn**
"You're supposed to be dead." Kit's voice shook as she spoke to the man in front of her.
"Well I guess I'm not." The man pulled her up hard by the arm. "Did you really think I wouldn't find you? Well it looks like you messed up and your brother ain't here is he?"
"Please let me go Chair, I…" A hand came out and smacked her.
"Shut up witch you don't deserve to be alive." The hard face of a young man finally came into the light, causing Kit to gasp. A huge scar from his mouth to the corner of his hey was prominent, still pink and raised from healing. His mouth was in a snarl, "Your brother," He spit, "gave me this. Tell me witch where is he Is have a score to settle with him." Chair shook her as he spoke.
"Let her go." An ice-cold voice answered before Kit could. Kit's eyes filled with panic as she saw Spot and the little boys at the end of the alley.
Chair pulled Kit in front of him as he turned. "Who's going to make me, you and those children? She is my girl. I haven't seen her in more than four months. This is a private moment. Get lost."
"Let her go or suffer the consequences." Spot's voice was as hard as steel. His normally cocky manner had been replaced by hard unflinching anger.
"Spot don't get away." Kit started to warn him when Chair wretched her arm behind her back causing her to scream in pain.
Spot knelt down never taking his eyes off Chair and Kit and whispered something to the boys who quickly dropped their papers and ran. "That was smart spotted dog. Now they won't have to see me hurt you or this here slut. But mark my words I will hunt them down after I finish with you."
Kit began to whimper as she thought of what this mad man would do to Bait and Jolly. "Let Kit go and you won't get hurt." Spot ignored the man's taunts as the slowly stepped toward them.
"Don't even try it." Chair whipped out a switch blade and held it to Kit's throat. "Come a step closer and she dies."
Kit felt the tears fill her eyes and begin to trickle down her face as she watched Spot take a step back. "Fine just don't hurt her. What do you want?" Spot began to try to delay him.
"I will do what I want and what I want is her brother."
"Swan? That loser? He left months ago. He left her here as a gift. Not that bad of one if you ask me." Spot began to bluff.
"Don't cover for him. I know he wouldn't leave his "sister" with you. I bet her is around here somewhere and this bitch is going to tell me where he is. Aren't you baby." The knife pressed closer to her throat. Kit whimpered again and mouthed "I'm sorry" to Spot.
Spot laughed shortly to get Chair's attention off of Kit., "She don't now where he is."
Chair's eyes glazed over and he broke out with a crazed smile. "Well then I guess I'll just have to kill her won't I?" And the knife pressed even closer.
Kit took the out stretched paper and read the headline, "President to Survive." Kit smiled for the first time in over a day and swung Jolly around. "That's a great headline you ready to go sell."
Jolly nodded and hopped on one foot then the other, "Can I go back and get Bait?" Kit ruffled his hair and said yes and watched him head back the way he came before sitting down to wait for them to return.
"Why wasn't that the cutest thing ever. The slut acts like a mother. Decide to go home to your family Kitten?" a menacing voice came from the shadows "Hello Ami fancy meeting you here."
It sent shivers up and down Kit's spine. She squinted trying to identify the speaker but he kept his face in the shadows. The stance gave him away. Her eyes widened in fright as she realized who this man was and his laughter washed over her in beating waves.
**Manhattan**
The Manhattan bunkhouse was alive with the fury of newsies getting ready to sell. Everyone was in a rush to get to the distribution dock. Even though the newsies were early boys who wanted to take advantage of the recent assassination attempt crowded the alley by the gates. The lodging house newsies threaded their way through the crowed. Some of the more obstinate newcomers were belligerent but a flash of a knife or clenched fist quickly cleared away opposition.
As they stood in the vicinity of the gateway an outraged yell and a raised female voice was heard over the crowd. "Get your freaking hands off me you bastard. Touch me again and youse won't be able to stand."
Swan and Jack exchanged a look and began to laugh. The crowd split like the Red Sea as Mills made her way to the front, with Cray struggling to catch up. When she saw Jack and Swan laughing she briskly walked up to them and stood in front with her hands on her hips. "What are the two of youse laughing at Jack Kelly?"
"Nothing Mills, we just thought Kit had decided that Brooklyn was too much and came back for a second that's all. How youse doing?" Jack's eyes were filled with mirth as she looked down at her.
"Ise fine now. Some boy tried to get fresh with that's all. He won't be trying it again." Mills crossed her arms on her chest a smug look on her face.
"I'm sure," was all Swan got out before the gates opened. Kelly was the first in line as always. He picked up the paper lying on the counter and read the headline. "President to Live."
"Youse gonna just look Cowboy?"
"Don't rush me," Jack slapped down 85 cents. "Ise takes 160 papes."
"Cocky ain't we Cowboy." Weasel emphasized the boy. Morris 160 for the wise guy." Morris slapped them down and Jack picked them up sneering through the bars at Morris. He then went to wait for his friends to purchase their own wares.
Not everyone was sure they could sell 50 percent more than usual but none of the career newsies bought just their normal order. After everyone seemed to be ready they all headed out as a group. All of Manhattan seemed to have waited for the moment the newsies were out to sell. Some of the younger boys sold out in the first hour they were out. By mid-morning the distribution office was out of papers as were the newsies. They decided to take an early lunch break to Medda's and watch the girls warm up for that night.
**Brooklyn**
"You're supposed to be dead." Kit's voice shook as she spoke to the man in front of her.
"Well I guess I'm not." The man pulled her up hard by the arm. "Did you really think I wouldn't find you? Well it looks like you messed up and your brother ain't here is he?"
"Please let me go Chair, I…" A hand came out and smacked her.
"Shut up witch you don't deserve to be alive." The hard face of a young man finally came into the light, causing Kit to gasp. A huge scar from his mouth to the corner of his hey was prominent, still pink and raised from healing. His mouth was in a snarl, "Your brother," He spit, "gave me this. Tell me witch where is he Is have a score to settle with him." Chair shook her as he spoke.
"Let her go." An ice-cold voice answered before Kit could. Kit's eyes filled with panic as she saw Spot and the little boys at the end of the alley.
Chair pulled Kit in front of him as he turned. "Who's going to make me, you and those children? She is my girl. I haven't seen her in more than four months. This is a private moment. Get lost."
"Let her go or suffer the consequences." Spot's voice was as hard as steel. His normally cocky manner had been replaced by hard unflinching anger.
"Spot don't get away." Kit started to warn him when Chair wretched her arm behind her back causing her to scream in pain.
Spot knelt down never taking his eyes off Chair and Kit and whispered something to the boys who quickly dropped their papers and ran. "That was smart spotted dog. Now they won't have to see me hurt you or this here slut. But mark my words I will hunt them down after I finish with you."
Kit began to whimper as she thought of what this mad man would do to Bait and Jolly. "Let Kit go and you won't get hurt." Spot ignored the man's taunts as the slowly stepped toward them.
"Don't even try it." Chair whipped out a switch blade and held it to Kit's throat. "Come a step closer and she dies."
Kit felt the tears fill her eyes and begin to trickle down her face as she watched Spot take a step back. "Fine just don't hurt her. What do you want?" Spot began to try to delay him.
"I will do what I want and what I want is her brother."
"Swan? That loser? He left months ago. He left her here as a gift. Not that bad of one if you ask me." Spot began to bluff.
"Don't cover for him. I know he wouldn't leave his "sister" with you. I bet her is around here somewhere and this bitch is going to tell me where he is. Aren't you baby." The knife pressed closer to her throat. Kit whimpered again and mouthed "I'm sorry" to Spot.
Spot laughed shortly to get Chair's attention off of Kit., "She don't now where he is."
Chair's eyes glazed over and he broke out with a crazed smile. "Well then I guess I'll just have to kill her won't I?" And the knife pressed even closer.