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"Whaddya mean he ain't here?!" Watch shouted.
"I thought dat maybe you could tell me, Watch," Fists MacCarthy, leader of Bronx said angrily. "I thought youse said he couldn't even stand up wivout help. Looks like he done a little more'n dat. Don't it."
"He can't a gone far!" Curse said, sounding desperate.
"Dis is Spot Conlon we're talkin' about. He ain't jist any street rat," Fists said. "But you says when y' went t' Brooklyn he weren't there."
"Iffin he was, d'ya think he'd let us get back?" Shade asked sarcastically.
Fists thought for a moment. "Look, somehow, he got away. Curse is right, he probably ain't gone far iffin he ain't in Brooklyn yet. So Curse, Watch, Shade, Scout and Port, yer all gonna be lookin' for him until further notice. Try real hard not t' do anythin' too stupid."
Watch glared at Fists but said nothing. The aforementioned newsies did as they were bid.
And totally unaware of this conversation…
Ladders, Angel and Keys had finished selling for the day and divided their money. "Look," Ladders said. "Y've got enough t' stay at a lodgin' house, Brooklyn or Bronx. Y' want Brooklyn, y' go that way. Ya want Bronx, y' go the other way."
Keys frowned and rubbed his head. "So, which are you?" he asked, feeling confused.
"We don't take sides," Ladders said. "We keep to ourselves and mostly they leaves us alone. We're in t' middle. Place changes hands so often, we just stays that way."
"Ladders, can he stay with us again tonight?" Angel asked. "It doesn't cost any more for three than two."
"Angel, I don't make a habit of takin' in strays!" Ladders said, almost snapping at the younger boy who looked down.
"An' I don't take charity," Keys said proudly.
"But it wouldn't be charity if I invited you, would it?" Angel asked. "And you did say that my friends can stay with us, Ladders? Keys is my friend. I want him to stay."
"Fine," Ladders said and stalked off ahead.
"Please say I didn't argue with him for nothin'?" Angel said, turning to Keys. In an undertone, he added. "They're looking for you."
Keys felt a wave of confusion hit him. Looking for him? Who? The faces he remembered, the friendly faces? Or…or was it the more recently remembered ones. Dark faces, hidden by shadow, voices that taunted him when the pain grew and it was all he could do to keep silent… The cold wind blew and suddenly he was back in the waking world. Angel was staring at him. "Thanks, kid," he said. Angel smiled and ran off to catch up with Ladders, running to keep up with his long strides, talking and laughing about the events of the day. Like a silent specter, Keys trailed behind and thought.
AN: This chapter was a tad short, but there will be bigger, better chapters to come! That is, if you help the author's muses and review. If not, my muses will eat…umm…eat something of value to you. They will attempt to eat things three times their size so you have been warned!