Writer talk: Hope no one hates me for what I'm about to do next with this story. This part is sort of like "cut to the chase", but that was the only way I could figure out how to write. So, hope you like! The ride is almost over...
***
In hesitation, Kathryn peeked out of Spot's room. The bunkroom was empty. She took a running start from to the doorway and shot down the stairs, relieved to find Baxter at the front desk. He looked up, smiling seeing her.
"Good morning, Kathryn."
She nodded at him then picked up a pen and scrap paper from the desk - scribbling words onto it. Baxter read it. "Of course, you can stay down here with me today. Is there a reason why?"
"I really do not want to be alone today" she wrote.
"Okay, if you would like."
An hour passed. Kathryn was busy sweeping the dining room off the lobby. Baxter peeped his head and said, "Kathryn, I'll be right outside dusting off these rugs." He noticed her nervousness, and smiled. "I'll be just right there outside the door. Won't take me long." She smiled slightly, nodding. With that, Baxter disappeared as she went back to sweeping.
The stillness of the empty lodging house was a bit unnerving. Kathryn took a deep breathe, trying to stand her ground and not caving in to fear. *I can't let it rule me* she reminded herself. If only it were that easy…
She sighed in relief as the sound of footsteps hit her ears. *Baxter is back. There's nothing to worry about.* Kathryn turned, finding an unwelcome visitor.
"You whore!" Flagger's fierce strength knocked Kathryn sprawling on the floor. There was no time to
react to his bite. Flagger kicked the broom across the room then grabbed an abundant handful of her hair - yanking her to stand.
"You're coming with me" he snarled, kicking her feet from out under her, sending Kathryn tumble to the floor again.
Flagger grabbed her wrist, anticipating on dragging her out threw the alley door.
*CRACK*
Flagger released Kathryn; his hand fleeing to the back of his head. He turned to see Spot - cane raised - ready for a fight.
"What the heck do you think your doing, Flagger?" Spot gnarled, dangerously.
A disgusting smirk crossed his lips. "Letting Kathryn have what's coming to her. She is a whore, ya know?"
"I'd apologize to the lady if I were you." A constant reign of bullets shooting from Spot's eyes hit Flagger like a firing squad.
Flagger only laughed. "Why should I? I know Kathryn pretty well. I use to request her often at the Campbell Brothel on DeBecker Street."
"You're lying" Spot snarled, eager to kill his newsboy at any second.
The laughter filling the dining room dripped with mockery. "Me? Lie? I don't think so. If you want a straight answer, just ask Kathryn there." He bowed, gesturing in Kathryn's direction.
The poor girl's head was lowered and eyes diverted to her bare feet with new tears falling to the floor. Spot stared at her, questioningly. She knew his piercing eyes were upon her by the way her skin crawled. Finally, she signed an answer that made Flagger paster on a triumphant smirk.
"She'll do anything you want. But, why should I tell you that, Spot? You should know. C'mon Kathryn, let's go do what we started. I'm sure Spot wouldn't mind." Flaggler stepped forward, ready to grab Kathryn.
"Stay away from her." Spot interceded between to two. "You get the heck out of my lodging house."
"Oh no," Flaggler shook his head, snarling. "She not gonna get off that easy. I'm not gonna be the one who has to go! She's the whore! Didn't you HEAR ME!"
The pot in Spot's mind overflowed with the anger he was trying to consume in himself. He shot forward, knocking Flaggler down in a swift movement - pinning his arm behind his back and planting his knee in Flaggler's back. "I told you, get the heck out of my lodging house."
Just then, two of the Brooklyn newsboys appeared in the archway of the dining room. "Spot, you need help?"
Spot nodded firmly, not taking his sight off the boy pinned under him, remarkably not struggling. The two newsboys grabbed Flaggler on both sides, and hauled him out the lodging house. Kathryn, leaned against the far wall, watched the entire scene. Spot turned to her. He stared at her intensely, finally moving to her.
"You okay?" he asked.
Kathryn nodded.
"It's true, isn't it?"
She nodded, again.
"C'mon, let's get up to the room." Spot lead her up the stairs.
***
"That's what I wouldn't understand?" Spot said, breaking the eerie silence that had settled in the cramped room for over ten minutes.
"You wouldn't understand why I was in the brothel" Kathryn signed.
Spot stared at her intensely then shook his head. "Why do you always assume I won't understand!"
Kathryn stood up from her position on the bunk, and signed in Spot's face. "No one believes a dumb mute girl!"
The tension fell to the floor as Kathryn realized what she'd done. Somehow by just saying those few words, it made the weight disappear. All too soon of her victory though, she caught the sharp look on Spot's face and her accomplishment of blurting out the truth - died. She expected the worse.
"You're not dumb," Spot signed then he said out loud, "What reason you were at that brothel is none of my concern. I'm guessing those men who were after you worked there?"
Kathryn nodded, sadly. "I escape, and I do not want to go back."
"You're not, because you're staying here" he reassured. Spot did something he had never done to Kathryn before: he pulled her into an embrace. Before Kathryn's surprise could wear away, the door burst open, revealing one of the newsboys who had taken Flaggler away. Spot pulled away from Kathryn, swiftly.
"Spot! Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know what...."
"What is it, Trapper???"
Trapper grimaced at the tone. "We were hauling Flaggler out of Brooklyn when he got away from us. We chased him down four blocks, but lost him around Sanders St."
"Can't you boys do anything without me?!" Spot snarled. "Get the Brooklyn newsboys, and have someone tell all the newsboys in New York to keep an eye out for him. We're all going looking for Flaggler right now. We need to find that son of a gun!" He turned to Kathryn. "You stay here. I'll get two of my boys to guard the bunkroom so no one can sneak in and take you. Okay?" Kathryn nodded, a little stricken. Spot turned, and headed out the room - feeding Trapper instructions along the way.
***
It had been over an hour since Spot had left for the search for Flaggler. She sat on the floor, reading the newspaper one of the boys on guard had given her. She could hear her two "guards" talking and most likely playing some kind of card game.
Just then, loud noises like fighting arose from the bunkroom. Kathryn froze, not knowing what to do. What if they were here to take her away? There were no hiding places in the small room that contained her. The door swung open, slamming against the wall. Kathryn looked up, startled, at the face that bore down at her.
***
All she saw was darkness. Her hands bound behind her back, and a blindfold had been placed over her eyes. She heard a Scottish voice sneer about how great it was that she couldn't scream... "No one can heard her" he laughed. She was pushed violently onto the floor, and the blindfold was removed.
"Welcome back, Kathryn" James Campbell said, grinning ear to ear. "You've been gone for quite a while, I was troubled to have thought something had happen to you. No need to fret now." He moved toward her, bending down to brush the hair stuck to her cheeks. Kathryn shuttered at his cold touch. "An old friend informed us of where you were, and he'd be honored to give you your punishment."
Panicked thoughts raced through her mind as her body went limp at the sight before her.
"Hello Kathryn" Flaggler leered, licking his lips. "I can't wait to get my hands on you."
***
In hesitation, Kathryn peeked out of Spot's room. The bunkroom was empty. She took a running start from to the doorway and shot down the stairs, relieved to find Baxter at the front desk. He looked up, smiling seeing her.
"Good morning, Kathryn."
She nodded at him then picked up a pen and scrap paper from the desk - scribbling words onto it. Baxter read it. "Of course, you can stay down here with me today. Is there a reason why?"
"I really do not want to be alone today" she wrote.
"Okay, if you would like."
An hour passed. Kathryn was busy sweeping the dining room off the lobby. Baxter peeped his head and said, "Kathryn, I'll be right outside dusting off these rugs." He noticed her nervousness, and smiled. "I'll be just right there outside the door. Won't take me long." She smiled slightly, nodding. With that, Baxter disappeared as she went back to sweeping.
The stillness of the empty lodging house was a bit unnerving. Kathryn took a deep breathe, trying to stand her ground and not caving in to fear. *I can't let it rule me* she reminded herself. If only it were that easy…
She sighed in relief as the sound of footsteps hit her ears. *Baxter is back. There's nothing to worry about.* Kathryn turned, finding an unwelcome visitor.
"You whore!" Flagger's fierce strength knocked Kathryn sprawling on the floor. There was no time to
react to his bite. Flagger kicked the broom across the room then grabbed an abundant handful of her hair - yanking her to stand.
"You're coming with me" he snarled, kicking her feet from out under her, sending Kathryn tumble to the floor again.
Flagger grabbed her wrist, anticipating on dragging her out threw the alley door.
*CRACK*
Flagger released Kathryn; his hand fleeing to the back of his head. He turned to see Spot - cane raised - ready for a fight.
"What the heck do you think your doing, Flagger?" Spot gnarled, dangerously.
A disgusting smirk crossed his lips. "Letting Kathryn have what's coming to her. She is a whore, ya know?"
"I'd apologize to the lady if I were you." A constant reign of bullets shooting from Spot's eyes hit Flagger like a firing squad.
Flagger only laughed. "Why should I? I know Kathryn pretty well. I use to request her often at the Campbell Brothel on DeBecker Street."
"You're lying" Spot snarled, eager to kill his newsboy at any second.
The laughter filling the dining room dripped with mockery. "Me? Lie? I don't think so. If you want a straight answer, just ask Kathryn there." He bowed, gesturing in Kathryn's direction.
The poor girl's head was lowered and eyes diverted to her bare feet with new tears falling to the floor. Spot stared at her, questioningly. She knew his piercing eyes were upon her by the way her skin crawled. Finally, she signed an answer that made Flagger paster on a triumphant smirk.
"She'll do anything you want. But, why should I tell you that, Spot? You should know. C'mon Kathryn, let's go do what we started. I'm sure Spot wouldn't mind." Flaggler stepped forward, ready to grab Kathryn.
"Stay away from her." Spot interceded between to two. "You get the heck out of my lodging house."
"Oh no," Flaggler shook his head, snarling. "She not gonna get off that easy. I'm not gonna be the one who has to go! She's the whore! Didn't you HEAR ME!"
The pot in Spot's mind overflowed with the anger he was trying to consume in himself. He shot forward, knocking Flaggler down in a swift movement - pinning his arm behind his back and planting his knee in Flaggler's back. "I told you, get the heck out of my lodging house."
Just then, two of the Brooklyn newsboys appeared in the archway of the dining room. "Spot, you need help?"
Spot nodded firmly, not taking his sight off the boy pinned under him, remarkably not struggling. The two newsboys grabbed Flaggler on both sides, and hauled him out the lodging house. Kathryn, leaned against the far wall, watched the entire scene. Spot turned to her. He stared at her intensely, finally moving to her.
"You okay?" he asked.
Kathryn nodded.
"It's true, isn't it?"
She nodded, again.
"C'mon, let's get up to the room." Spot lead her up the stairs.
***
"That's what I wouldn't understand?" Spot said, breaking the eerie silence that had settled in the cramped room for over ten minutes.
"You wouldn't understand why I was in the brothel" Kathryn signed.
Spot stared at her intensely then shook his head. "Why do you always assume I won't understand!"
Kathryn stood up from her position on the bunk, and signed in Spot's face. "No one believes a dumb mute girl!"
The tension fell to the floor as Kathryn realized what she'd done. Somehow by just saying those few words, it made the weight disappear. All too soon of her victory though, she caught the sharp look on Spot's face and her accomplishment of blurting out the truth - died. She expected the worse.
"You're not dumb," Spot signed then he said out loud, "What reason you were at that brothel is none of my concern. I'm guessing those men who were after you worked there?"
Kathryn nodded, sadly. "I escape, and I do not want to go back."
"You're not, because you're staying here" he reassured. Spot did something he had never done to Kathryn before: he pulled her into an embrace. Before Kathryn's surprise could wear away, the door burst open, revealing one of the newsboys who had taken Flaggler away. Spot pulled away from Kathryn, swiftly.
"Spot! Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know what...."
"What is it, Trapper???"
Trapper grimaced at the tone. "We were hauling Flaggler out of Brooklyn when he got away from us. We chased him down four blocks, but lost him around Sanders St."
"Can't you boys do anything without me?!" Spot snarled. "Get the Brooklyn newsboys, and have someone tell all the newsboys in New York to keep an eye out for him. We're all going looking for Flaggler right now. We need to find that son of a gun!" He turned to Kathryn. "You stay here. I'll get two of my boys to guard the bunkroom so no one can sneak in and take you. Okay?" Kathryn nodded, a little stricken. Spot turned, and headed out the room - feeding Trapper instructions along the way.
***
It had been over an hour since Spot had left for the search for Flaggler. She sat on the floor, reading the newspaper one of the boys on guard had given her. She could hear her two "guards" talking and most likely playing some kind of card game.
Just then, loud noises like fighting arose from the bunkroom. Kathryn froze, not knowing what to do. What if they were here to take her away? There were no hiding places in the small room that contained her. The door swung open, slamming against the wall. Kathryn looked up, startled, at the face that bore down at her.
***
All she saw was darkness. Her hands bound behind her back, and a blindfold had been placed over her eyes. She heard a Scottish voice sneer about how great it was that she couldn't scream... "No one can heard her" he laughed. She was pushed violently onto the floor, and the blindfold was removed.
"Welcome back, Kathryn" James Campbell said, grinning ear to ear. "You've been gone for quite a while, I was troubled to have thought something had happen to you. No need to fret now." He moved toward her, bending down to brush the hair stuck to her cheeks. Kathryn shuttered at his cold touch. "An old friend informed us of where you were, and he'd be honored to give you your punishment."
Panicked thoughts raced through her mind as her body went limp at the sight before her.
"Hello Kathryn" Flaggler leered, licking his lips. "I can't wait to get my hands on you."