Chapter 5
"That guy better be right," Chris said, as they walked down the dock, looking over his shoulder.
"Don't worry, if he isn't, he'll be sorry," Matthew muttered.
On the way to Harlem the boys hardly spoke, and when they reached the Harlem lodging house, Chris knocked on the door. "Rebellion and Cactus here?" he asked gruffly.
"I'm Rebellion, who are you?" Rebellion said, not stepping out of the doorway. He looked the two over, and noticed the gang symbols on their arm bands, he tensed.
"Nobody just wanted to know something...is Cactus here by any chance?"
"Cactus! Some guys here would like to talk to us," Reb said, calling up the stairs. A minute later, a boy appeared at the top of the stairs, and he nodded to the two boys.
"What do you want?"
"Just looking for two girls...Mystery and Firefly. Know where they'd be?" Chris asked, pushing open the door a little wider and stepping inside.
Rebellion looked at Cactus for a minute wondering what was going on, but he had learned in situations like this, something was going on and these guys had been sent there for a reason. "Who sent ya 'ere?" he asked, hoping for a little more information.
"Nobody that you'd care about," Matthew answered icily. "Now are they here or not?"
"They're out, care to leave a message?" Cactus said stepping in. "And no, we don't when they'll be back, we don't keep them on leashes."
"Just tell them we stopped by, they'll know who we are," Matthew answered and turned and left.
When they had gone, Cactus turned to Rebellion, "Mystery an' Fiahfly. I t'ink dey're da new goils in Manhattan, I t'ink it's time fer us ta take a visit ovah dere."
"Right." Rebellion answered. The headed out the door in the direction of Manhattan.
When they reached the Manhattan Lodging House they pushed open the door. Their eyes met with an old man sitting behind a desk. "May I 'elp you?" the man asked them.
"Yeah, do ya know where Kelly, Mystery, or Fiahfly is?" Rebellion asked.
"Yes, I believe dey are at Tibby's." the man said.
"T'anks." The newsies replied and headed back out the door.
They reached Tibby's and searched the booths and tables for Jack Kelly. Finally they saw him sitting with the two girls and Racetrack. They walked over and sat down.
"Heya, Cactus, hey, Reb." Jack said.
"Heya, Jack. Just wanted ta let ya know dat 2 boys were lookin' fer Mystery an' Fiahfly. Dey's was wearin' a band on deir wrist, but I didn't recognize da symbol." Reb told the Manhattan leader.
Mystery and Firefly gasped and looked at each other. Thoughts were racing through their minds, "How could they have found us all the way here in New York?"
Finally Racetrack's voice interrupted their thoughts. "Do ya know anyt'ing about dis?" He asked for the 3rd time.
"Er...no, I don't know anyone who would be looking for us with bands on deir wrists." Mystery lied through her teeth.
Jack looked suspiciously at her. "Ya shoah?"
"Yeah, she's positive." Firefly butted in.
"Well I don't see what much we'se can do till we see 'em. T'anks Reb, and Cactus fer da information. Talk wid ya latah." Jack said.
Mystery stood up. "Well, we'se bettah git back ta sellin' our papes." She looked at Firefly.
Firefly stood up as well, "yeah, we'se gotta go."
Jack and Race looked at them, "we'll finish sellin' tageddah."
"No!" Firefly said quickly, "I mean, uh, no ya ain't finished eatin'. We'll see ya back at da lodge tonoight."
Mysteries nodded vigorously and before the boys could object the newsgirls were already out the door. "Oh, my gosh!" Mystery panted. "How did they ever find us here?"
"Only a real idiot would tell them where we are...and only one person knew," Fire responded.
"RICHIE!!!!! I am going to kill him the next time I see him!" Myst said angrily.
"No time for worrying about that, we have to figure out what to do. We need a plan if they find us, and we obviously can't tell anyone. Should we try going to another state possibly?"
Mystery shook her head. "No, that won't do any good... they'll just find us there too. We might as well just stay here and fight it out."
Fire nodded. "At least they won't know where to find us for a while..."
"Want to bet?" A voice spoke up behind them. The girls whirled around., and came face to face with Matthew and Christopher.
"That guy better be right," Chris said, as they walked down the dock, looking over his shoulder.
"Don't worry, if he isn't, he'll be sorry," Matthew muttered.
On the way to Harlem the boys hardly spoke, and when they reached the Harlem lodging house, Chris knocked on the door. "Rebellion and Cactus here?" he asked gruffly.
"I'm Rebellion, who are you?" Rebellion said, not stepping out of the doorway. He looked the two over, and noticed the gang symbols on their arm bands, he tensed.
"Nobody just wanted to know something...is Cactus here by any chance?"
"Cactus! Some guys here would like to talk to us," Reb said, calling up the stairs. A minute later, a boy appeared at the top of the stairs, and he nodded to the two boys.
"What do you want?"
"Just looking for two girls...Mystery and Firefly. Know where they'd be?" Chris asked, pushing open the door a little wider and stepping inside.
Rebellion looked at Cactus for a minute wondering what was going on, but he had learned in situations like this, something was going on and these guys had been sent there for a reason. "Who sent ya 'ere?" he asked, hoping for a little more information.
"Nobody that you'd care about," Matthew answered icily. "Now are they here or not?"
"They're out, care to leave a message?" Cactus said stepping in. "And no, we don't when they'll be back, we don't keep them on leashes."
"Just tell them we stopped by, they'll know who we are," Matthew answered and turned and left.
When they had gone, Cactus turned to Rebellion, "Mystery an' Fiahfly. I t'ink dey're da new goils in Manhattan, I t'ink it's time fer us ta take a visit ovah dere."
"Right." Rebellion answered. The headed out the door in the direction of Manhattan.
When they reached the Manhattan Lodging House they pushed open the door. Their eyes met with an old man sitting behind a desk. "May I 'elp you?" the man asked them.
"Yeah, do ya know where Kelly, Mystery, or Fiahfly is?" Rebellion asked.
"Yes, I believe dey are at Tibby's." the man said.
"T'anks." The newsies replied and headed back out the door.
They reached Tibby's and searched the booths and tables for Jack Kelly. Finally they saw him sitting with the two girls and Racetrack. They walked over and sat down.
"Heya, Cactus, hey, Reb." Jack said.
"Heya, Jack. Just wanted ta let ya know dat 2 boys were lookin' fer Mystery an' Fiahfly. Dey's was wearin' a band on deir wrist, but I didn't recognize da symbol." Reb told the Manhattan leader.
Mystery and Firefly gasped and looked at each other. Thoughts were racing through their minds, "How could they have found us all the way here in New York?"
Finally Racetrack's voice interrupted their thoughts. "Do ya know anyt'ing about dis?" He asked for the 3rd time.
"Er...no, I don't know anyone who would be looking for us with bands on deir wrists." Mystery lied through her teeth.
Jack looked suspiciously at her. "Ya shoah?"
"Yeah, she's positive." Firefly butted in.
"Well I don't see what much we'se can do till we see 'em. T'anks Reb, and Cactus fer da information. Talk wid ya latah." Jack said.
Mystery stood up. "Well, we'se bettah git back ta sellin' our papes." She looked at Firefly.
Firefly stood up as well, "yeah, we'se gotta go."
Jack and Race looked at them, "we'll finish sellin' tageddah."
"No!" Firefly said quickly, "I mean, uh, no ya ain't finished eatin'. We'll see ya back at da lodge tonoight."
Mysteries nodded vigorously and before the boys could object the newsgirls were already out the door. "Oh, my gosh!" Mystery panted. "How did they ever find us here?"
"Only a real idiot would tell them where we are...and only one person knew," Fire responded.
"RICHIE!!!!! I am going to kill him the next time I see him!" Myst said angrily.
"No time for worrying about that, we have to figure out what to do. We need a plan if they find us, and we obviously can't tell anyone. Should we try going to another state possibly?"
Mystery shook her head. "No, that won't do any good... they'll just find us there too. We might as well just stay here and fight it out."
Fire nodded. "At least they won't know where to find us for a while..."
"Want to bet?" A voice spoke up behind them. The girls whirled around., and came face to face with Matthew and Christopher.