It was nothing short of a miracle that Race, Spot, David, Sadie, and Opie
made it out of the Count's garden both alive and without a police escort.
Spot led the way through alleys, fire escapes, and drainage ditches (just
in case there were blood hounds, he explained). Anger and frustration
drove him and he thought of ways to get his revenge on Timmy Michelson and
the rest of the gang.
Opie and David followed close behind him. She had torn part of her underskirt for a makeshift sling for David, and she held his arm to help him move along at Spot's quick pace. The whole scene was unreal to her. She couldn't believe this man had saved her twice now. Maybe he hadn't saved her life tonight, but he carried out her revenge for her, and that was something. And he had saved her life on the Brooklyn bridge. Maybe this was a sign. David was cute with those sparkling blue eyes and curly brown hair. He winced as he waded through the knee deep water Spot had them trudging through. Opie leaned in and held his arm tighter. "Everythin' is gonna be alright," she whispered.
David wasn't sure what was keeping him moving at this point. Most of his upper body had gone numb, and it seemed like he had lost a lot of blood. He felt faint, but he couldn't let this be the end of him. He had tried too hard to drown in a puddle of sewage in the slums of New York. He had put himself through school, and become a legal clerk. He wanted a family and a comfortable life. And he wanted what was owed him for this hit.
Sadie trudged along slowly behind the first three. She had come so close to death, yet it didn't seem to phase her. She had wanted the count to shoot her. It was that man's fault that Mush was dead. She wasn't sure how, but at least if it weren't for the count, she would never have met Mush. And he would still be alive. She hated America, and for the first time, she just wanted to go home.
Race held up the end of the line, acting as a look out. He wasn't sure where Spot was taking them, but he hoped it wasn't his apartment. He had no doubt that one of his roommates would turn them in for a quarter. Race noticed that the gap between the first three and Sadie widened, that she was slowing down. He came up next to her and threw him arm around her. "Ya doin' okay goirly?"
She looked at him, and the sight of her face shocked him. She looked pale as a ghost. "He's dead, isn't he?"
Race confirmed it with a slight nod. He squeezed her a little tighter. "We need ta move."
Spot finally stopped their trek in Brooklyn, at the old Brooklyn newsies boarding house. The building had been condemned since the year before, something most people attributed to the newsies under Spot's leadership. Spot used his cane to break a boarded up basement window. He turned to the group, who were all exhausted, rank, and muddy, "We'll stay da rest of da night hea."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Race walked towards the local water spout. The sun had just started to come up, and he was sure that the girls would want some water to wash off with. He whistled while he walked, and thought of what could happen next. There were no witnesses, and how could anyone pin any of them to the crime? Opie had a motive, but he hadn't let her do it. No one could figure out why Davey did it, but Race had a sneaking suspicion that Davey wanted to defend Opie's values. Davey had always been so chivalrous.
He filled the bathing tub as full as he could, and started back. Part of the reason he offered to take this errand was to avoid telling Sadie about Mush. Maybe Spot would tell her while he was gone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
From the looks of it, the bullet had gone straight through his shoulder, so all they could really do now was keep it clean and try to slow the bleeding. Opie waited impatiently for Race to return. She paced back and forth in the dingy basement room, while David lay passed out on an old mattress.
Spot was perched on a window sill across the room, trying to determine if they should try to keep Davey awake. He might not be able to forgive himself if he let two of his old buddies die under his care. The thought of Mush's untimely death brought him back to his senses. He hopped off the window ledge and edged closer to Sadie, who sat in a corner and made designs in the dirt floor with a stick.
"Mind if I join ya?" Sadie didn't respond, so he sat down. "I guess ya should know. Timmy set us up. Mush was jus' tryin' ta 'elp, ya know.
"How come you're still alive?" she accused.
Spot put his head down. "'Cause I'm a coward. I ran."
Tear welled up in her eyes as she looked at Spot. "'e was the only truly kind man I have ever known."
Spot grabbed her and pulled her to him. She held on to him tightly, digging her nails into his back. Ophelia, who had stopped pacing to hear the conversation suddenly spoke. "Mush is dead?" she asked, horrified.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
When Race brought back the water, the concious part of the group was all in tears. He comforted the girls the best he could, and then offered that they go clean up in another room. As they left the room, Race and Spot cleaned David's wounds. He mumbled and grit his teeth while they wrapped the wound.
Now all they could do was wait. Wait and read the papes. There was a good chance they would all come out in the clear.
Opie and David followed close behind him. She had torn part of her underskirt for a makeshift sling for David, and she held his arm to help him move along at Spot's quick pace. The whole scene was unreal to her. She couldn't believe this man had saved her twice now. Maybe he hadn't saved her life tonight, but he carried out her revenge for her, and that was something. And he had saved her life on the Brooklyn bridge. Maybe this was a sign. David was cute with those sparkling blue eyes and curly brown hair. He winced as he waded through the knee deep water Spot had them trudging through. Opie leaned in and held his arm tighter. "Everythin' is gonna be alright," she whispered.
David wasn't sure what was keeping him moving at this point. Most of his upper body had gone numb, and it seemed like he had lost a lot of blood. He felt faint, but he couldn't let this be the end of him. He had tried too hard to drown in a puddle of sewage in the slums of New York. He had put himself through school, and become a legal clerk. He wanted a family and a comfortable life. And he wanted what was owed him for this hit.
Sadie trudged along slowly behind the first three. She had come so close to death, yet it didn't seem to phase her. She had wanted the count to shoot her. It was that man's fault that Mush was dead. She wasn't sure how, but at least if it weren't for the count, she would never have met Mush. And he would still be alive. She hated America, and for the first time, she just wanted to go home.
Race held up the end of the line, acting as a look out. He wasn't sure where Spot was taking them, but he hoped it wasn't his apartment. He had no doubt that one of his roommates would turn them in for a quarter. Race noticed that the gap between the first three and Sadie widened, that she was slowing down. He came up next to her and threw him arm around her. "Ya doin' okay goirly?"
She looked at him, and the sight of her face shocked him. She looked pale as a ghost. "He's dead, isn't he?"
Race confirmed it with a slight nod. He squeezed her a little tighter. "We need ta move."
Spot finally stopped their trek in Brooklyn, at the old Brooklyn newsies boarding house. The building had been condemned since the year before, something most people attributed to the newsies under Spot's leadership. Spot used his cane to break a boarded up basement window. He turned to the group, who were all exhausted, rank, and muddy, "We'll stay da rest of da night hea."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Race walked towards the local water spout. The sun had just started to come up, and he was sure that the girls would want some water to wash off with. He whistled while he walked, and thought of what could happen next. There were no witnesses, and how could anyone pin any of them to the crime? Opie had a motive, but he hadn't let her do it. No one could figure out why Davey did it, but Race had a sneaking suspicion that Davey wanted to defend Opie's values. Davey had always been so chivalrous.
He filled the bathing tub as full as he could, and started back. Part of the reason he offered to take this errand was to avoid telling Sadie about Mush. Maybe Spot would tell her while he was gone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
From the looks of it, the bullet had gone straight through his shoulder, so all they could really do now was keep it clean and try to slow the bleeding. Opie waited impatiently for Race to return. She paced back and forth in the dingy basement room, while David lay passed out on an old mattress.
Spot was perched on a window sill across the room, trying to determine if they should try to keep Davey awake. He might not be able to forgive himself if he let two of his old buddies die under his care. The thought of Mush's untimely death brought him back to his senses. He hopped off the window ledge and edged closer to Sadie, who sat in a corner and made designs in the dirt floor with a stick.
"Mind if I join ya?" Sadie didn't respond, so he sat down. "I guess ya should know. Timmy set us up. Mush was jus' tryin' ta 'elp, ya know.
"How come you're still alive?" she accused.
Spot put his head down. "'Cause I'm a coward. I ran."
Tear welled up in her eyes as she looked at Spot. "'e was the only truly kind man I have ever known."
Spot grabbed her and pulled her to him. She held on to him tightly, digging her nails into his back. Ophelia, who had stopped pacing to hear the conversation suddenly spoke. "Mush is dead?" she asked, horrified.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
When Race brought back the water, the concious part of the group was all in tears. He comforted the girls the best he could, and then offered that they go clean up in another room. As they left the room, Race and Spot cleaned David's wounds. He mumbled and grit his teeth while they wrapped the wound.
Now all they could do was wait. Wait and read the papes. There was a good chance they would all come out in the clear.