AN: Hey people! Time for more suspense. I'm gonna try and wrap it up in this chapter, but I might not be able to, so just bear with me. My muses may push me for another chapter…who knows. _the future Dakota says that this isn't the last chapter…just my luck. *sighs heavily * My muses scare me…but I'll tell you right now, an idea just came to me for another suspense fic, and I should be starting it right after I finish this one.
Jack
We soon had all the Manhattan newsies except for Dutchy and Specs inside of Tibby's, and I immediately ordered the older ones to start boarding up windows and the back door. I would wait as long as I could to board up the front door, but Dutchy and Specs would be out of luck if those lizards tried to get in- I'd have to have the front door boarded up, too.
"Jack."
I turned around and Mush was standing there, looking exhausted and emotionally drained as well.
"Yeah?"
"I's gonna go out and look for 'em. It's been too long."
"Can't let ya do dat, Mush. You know dat."
He took a deep breath, and then spoke with a certainty that seemed out of place coming from him. "I wasn't askin'…I was tellin'. Don't worry about me. Board up if dey try ta get in."
"Mush! No!"
He completely ignored me, and instead walked out the door. I was completely floored. Usually he listened to what I had to say, and took it to heart…but he wasn't even willing to listen. That kid must have a death wish or something.
I looked up at Blink, and he met my gaze, worry etched on all his features. I knew what he was going to do. Without saying a word, I gave him permission to follow. Like I'd be able to stop him anyway.
David looked panicked now. "He's injured and you're just going to let him walk out?!"
Poor David. He just didn't understand…I knew these kids like brothers. I knew what they would do, and just how far they would go for each other. Mush and Blink? You couldn't even break that pair by death- if one of them went, you could bet the other would be right there beside him. It was impossible and hopeless to get them to listen to reason. And it wasn't my place to keep them apart.
I sighed heavily, turning back to look away from the door that my best friends had jus walked out of, possibly into the jaws of death. "If you think you can stop him, go ahead, Davey."
Blink"Mush! Wait up!"
He spun around, probably expecting to see Jack or even David behind him. He seemed surprised to see me.
"What are ya doin', ya bum? Go back ta Tibby's!" He yelled at me, but I caught up and stood in front of him, catching my breath. I noticed dark spots on his shirt, and I realized that along with evening falling, it was beginning to rain.
"You's crazy if ya think I'm gonna let ya do dis alone." I insisted.
He seemed to be at a loss for words. He slowly shook his head, looking down at the pavement. He finally looked up and spoke.
"I almost got you killed once."
"I's still alive."
"This is different!"
"In what way?"
He groaned in frustration. "I…I don't want nothin' ta happen to you."
"Same here. That's why I'm comin'."
"You're an idiot."
I grinned broadly just because I knew it would annoy him. "Thank you."
We began walking again just as the rain began to fall harder. I was surprised we hadn't seen any of the lizards yet, but that made me even more nervous. Why wouldn't they be out hunting us?
"This isn't right." Mush whispered, looking over his shoulder. I nodded and swallowed hard, watching people scurry from building to building as fast as their feet would carry them. Nobody wanted to stay outside for any length of time, probably moreso because of the lizards than the rain.
"What are you bums doin' our here?"
Spot Conlon himself stepped out of an alley, followed by Specs and Dutchy. I heaved a sigh of relief, spit shaking with Spot.
"We was lookin' for you." Mush explained.
"You guys aren't gonna believe what was out here." Dutchy said.
A split second later, the ground suddenly shook under us. Only momentarily. But then again a few seconds later. I saw the look of panic on Specs's and Dutchy's face, and I knew this couldn't be good.
"RUN!" Specs yelled, pushing us back the way we had come. I took off, not waiting around to ask questions. Whatever was making that sound, it was big.
Suddenly, a lizard the size of a warehouse burst out of an alley in front of us, completely blocking the road. I had turned and started to run the other way when I realized that Mush had completely frozen up- he hadn't moved. I started to run back to him, but Specs grabbed my arm.
"Wait…it can't see him…" he hissed.
I could feel my stomach doing flips inside me. That thing was standing right in front of him, how could it not see him?!
The lizard leaned down and was soon face to face with Mush, who was shaking like a leaf. I tried once again to wrench out of Specs's grip, but he's stronger than he looks…not to mention Spot had grabbed onto my other arm and Dutchy was helping Specs keep me still. Cause believe me, I would give anything to go up there and get Mush away from that thing.
Mush had gotten the hint now, and was trying his best not to move as the creature sniffed him just like a dog would've. Mush was openly crying now, tears rolling down his cheeks as his life hung in the balance. I couldn't stand watching this, but the guys weren't letting me do anything about it. We were all soaked by now as the rain came down in pounding sheets onto the ground.
Finally, Spot lost patience. Eventually that thing was going to figure out that Mush was alive, and then it would all be over. Spot slowly bent down and picked up a large rock, putting it into his slingshot and aiming carefully.
"Don't hit Mush…" I pleaded with him.
He just snickered. "Since when did I start missing?"
He let the rock fly and it hit the lizard right in the forehead. It stumbled back with a roar that sent Mush to his knees, his hands clamped over his ears, and we waited as the creature swung its head around, looking for the source of the pain. When it didn't see anything, it stepped right over Mush and continued down the road, walking right past us.
Mush wrapped his arms around his body as he now openly sobbed, and I was finally released and ran to him, kneeling beside him on the ground and putting an arm around his shoulders.
"Are you okay?" I asked, and he nodded, his entire body still trembling. I gently helped him to his feet, but I knew we weren't out of the woods yet.
"It went straight for da dead end. It's gonna be comin' back dis way." Dutchy said, biting his lower lip nervously.
Personally, I didn't want to have to face that thing again. "Let's get outta here."
Skittery
I insisted on helping around in the café: I had already felt like a burden back in the bunkroom, and I didn't want to just sit there and do nothing, even if moving the slightest bit hurt anyway. But I had something to take care of first.
"Snitch?"
He turned around, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Somehow, I was a little nervous talking to him when he had a hammer in one hand and nails in the other.
"I jest…wanted to apologize." I started.
"About what?"
"Well, I know I promised I'd sell wit ya, but…I jest forgot. I'm an idiot."
He smiled. "It's okay. I understand. I was jest worried about you, dat's all."
"Worried about me? Why?"
Racetrack came by and offered us both glasses of water, and we both took one, sitting down at one of the tables. I adjusted my right arm, trying to figure out if I still had circulation in it- Mush had to have put at least a few inches of bandages on it.
"Cause it ain't like you ta go off by yourself without tellin' someone where you'd be."
"I still shouldn't have forgotten."
He stood up, drinking the rest of his water. "It's okay. Really. Jest don't do it again or I'll soak ya."
"I'll hold ya to dat."
Jack walked up to me, and I could tell he was worried.
"Da lizards are out in da street. I think we need ta board up da front."
"Not yet…give 'em a few more minutes."
"We don't got a few more minutes!"
I began to get angry. "Then why are ya askin' me?!"
"Because I don't know what ta do!" he hissed, kneeling down in front of me to make sure the other guys didn't overhear. "Everyone thinks I know what I'm doin', but I don't! I don't wanna board up da front, but I don't see any other choice!"
I thought for a moment, resisting the urge to just walk out there and go get them myself. Being injured, I wouldn't make it ten feet before those things were on me…wait a second…that was it!
"Wait…I gots an idea!" I said, scaring Jack to death. "Okay...get everyone ya can spare onto da roof. Dey have cement blocks from da construction sitting up dere. When they're up dere, I'm going to walk out dat door."
"WHAT?!"
"Just do it! I don't have time ta argue wit ya! Ya wanted help, didn't ya?"
He hesitated, and then stood up and announced my orders to everyone in the room. Then he turned back to me and asked me just what I thought I was going to do.
"I'm injured. If dey operate like I think dey do, they'll smell da blood and come straight for me. We'll take dem out one by one by droppin' da cement blocks on dem from da roof."
He looked skeptical. "Ya think they'll take da bait?"
"I know they'll take da bait. Now help me up."
He grabbed my hand and I shakily stood up, holding onto him as the pain shot up my leg and through my back, hitting my head like a hammer. I wavered for a moment, and he held me up.
"Are you sure 'bout dis?"
I shot him the best glare I could manage. "Jest get me to the door, ya bum."
I stepped up to the door, my hand on the knob and just waiting for Jack's signal. He yelled something up the stairs, waited for a reply, and then gave me a thumbs up.
I stepped outside, my limp obvious now that I wasn't trying to hide it. I walked only about a foot from the door, and by then all the large, golden eyes that I could see had locked on me. I could only hope that we could take out enough that they would back off until Mush and the others got back.
One of them began walking toward me, sniffing the air and curling its claws. My heart was beating a mile a minute, and I was half expecting to have jaws locked around my throat in a split second. But I wasn't sure how smart the lizards were, so I didn't dare look up and make sure they were ready.
One of the creatures got brave and started making its way toward me.
Come on…come on…closer…just a little closer…
Wham!
The lizard fell to the ground and a pool of blood began to form around it, the remains of the cement block all over the walk around us. Now came the hard part- I decided I would have to move the body to make sure the other lizards could get within range.
I nudged it with my foot, and it didn't move. It was dead. It had to be.
I reached down and grabbed onto it, and found it to be lighter than I thought it would be. I dragged it aside, resuming my post as the other creatures got curious. They can't be that smart if they're still coming, I thought as another one walked closer to me.
Another cement block dropped, but this time, the lizard sprang backwards and the cement hit the ground. It wouldn't have been so bad if a piece hadn't ricocheted and hit me in the leg.
I fell to the pavement with a shout of pain that had to scare the lizard a bit, and then I realized that there was no way I was getting up again. And that lizard was now hovering right over me, which meant that they couldn't drop a block without hitting me as well. And I would prefer that they didn't do that.
Oh, shit. This was bad.
The creature lunged at me and I brought my arms up to protect my face, and I ended up with my right arm inside the thing's mouth. And quite suddenly, I was very glad that Mush had been obsessive compulsive with the bandaging.
The lizard suddenly shook my arm as if it were a chew toy, and I thought I could practically feel it ripping out of the socket. But I knew I was in even worse trouble when I felt the teeth rip through the bandages and bite into my skin.
"Jack!" I tried to scream, but it came out as more of a breathy plea as the monster slammed its foot onto my stomach, knocking all the air out of me. It lifted its other foot, ready to rip me open with its claws, and as the blood soaked through the bandage and ran down my arm, all I could think to do was pray.
Suddenly the lizard cried out in pain and jumped away from me, and I collapsed onto the ground and tried to breathe, shutting my eyes tightly as I waited for it to come back and finish me off. I didn't even care what had happened to that thing- I was too busy wondering if this was what death felt like. My old wounds were hurting now, on top of the blinding pain of the new ones.
"Skittery? Skittery?"
The voice seemed so far away that I couldn't tell who it was. And personally, I didn't care.
"Blink! Spot! Specs! Help me out here!" the voice said, just as darkness was taking over my vision. I wished I would just die…anything to get rid of the pain. And when I felt people trying to move me, the pain became so great that I just gave in.
I wished it was death, but with my luck, it wouldn't be.
AN: My muses just went crazy with that chapter. I mean, that was just insane. Whew…okay, review, please. Cause I'm tired after all that suspense, and I'm gonna need encouragement to just pick up and drag my feet on to the next chapter.
