------------ Kellyerielf- Aww, thank you so much! I look forward to getting
feedback just as much as you look forward to new chapters. : )
Callista-bella- Yes ma'am! Here you go.
Wsox2004- Thank you muchly. And boy ain't that the truth about trouble.
Fivefold- Yup, that's Sadie's new nickname.
Hills of Eire- That sounds like a fine mixture to me! ; ) Thank ya! -- ------------
By the time Spot reached the orphanage, his mind was racing. This past couple of weeks had just been way too much for him. Knocking on the heavy oak door, he slicked his unruly hair back and readjusted his gray cap. Smoothing the front of his shirt, he made sure his cane was securely hanging from his belt loop and his slingshot was out of sight in his back pocket. An elderly nun with shrewd eyes answered his knock.
"What can I do for ye lad?" Her heavy Irish brogue reminded him sharply of his grandmother and he shook his head slightly before clearing his throat and answering.
" I'm here to see Sadie Pruett. I have important news she needs to hear." The nun looked at him levelly before stepping aside and allowing him entry. Clucking her tongue at his cane, she led him down a dark hallway. In some rooms Spot could see children laying on bunkbeds. In others there were desks and tables and children were obviously being educated. Spot smiled as he heard young voices reciting sums. He could remember a time, long ago when he too had been in school. The nun pointed towards a room with walls painted a soft yellow. Nervously, he poked his head around the doorjamb.
Sadie sat in a rocking chair alongside a young nun, each holding an infant in their arms. The nun was singing quietly and Sadie's eyes were closed a small smile on her face. Spot felt his guts lurch and angry with himself, he stepped fully into the room and coughed. Sadie's eyes flew open and she looked at him in surprise. Spot put a smug grin onto his face as he sauntered towards her, looking around. There were bassinets with other sleeping infants in them and a few trundle beds alongside the walls with napping toddlers.
"Spot, what are you doing here? It's not even lunch time yet." Throwing a quick glance at the nun, who had risen and was looking at Spot curiously, he knelt down by Sadie's rocking chair.
"We gotta talk. Someone's looking for you and they've got some pretty impressive connections." Spot saw a flash of fear cross Sadie's face before she rose, put the infant she had been holding in her arms into a cradle, and told the young nun she was taking her break. Grabbing Spot's hand, she led him back the way he had come and they exited the orphanage. Spot pulled her down the street a ways into an alleyway.
"What's going on?" Spot lit a cigarette and took a drag.
"Some guy came up to me this morning asking me if I knew a Sadie Pruett who used to live above his father's shop in Manhattan. I didn't like him, he had shifty eyes. Anyway he told me he's staying on Doyle Street which can only mean that he's hooked himself up with the Doyle Street Boys. And honey, there ain't any tougher older gang in Brooklyn than the Doyle Street Boys. Even the bulls are afraid of 'em." Sadie moaned and leaned against a building, her knees having suddenly gone shaky.
"SHIT!" Spot was startled into chuckling by her sudden outburst.
"This isn't funny, Conlon. That man is Henry Foster and he's not a good person. He has this.oh I don't know infatuation with me. He thinks we should be together." Spot had stopped laughing.
"So he's a grade A creep?" Sadie nodded and they stood together silently for awhile, thoughts racing. Spot suddenly heard a little sniff and a squeaking noise. Looking over at Sadie, he saw her struggling not to burst out into tears. Panic shot through him. He hated it when girl's cried. Honestly absolutely hated it. He felt helpless and such an outpouring of emotion took him aback.
"Hey now," he said gruffly, "Don't cry then. We'll think of something Trouble." One of the corners of Sadie's mouth lifted slightly before lips quivering she failed miserably at her attempt to not cry. Gulping in huge gusts of air, she broke down. Spot hesitantly put his arm around her shoulder and froze when she buried her face into his chest.
Spot threw all caution to the wind and wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on her head. Muttering what he hoped were words of comfort, he was rewarded when she finally stopped crying with a shuddering sigh, and raised her face up to him. He cracked a grin at her runny nose and red eyes.
"I just.. Had nowhere else to go thanks to Henry. And now I'm not safe in Brooklyn either."
"Like Hell you're not! This is my borough. That guy won't even know what hit him when he finds out Jasper and me are like this," he held up two narrow fingers side by side. Hope shone in Sadie's eyes and she wiped her nose on her sleeve, an action which made Spot smile crookedly again.
"We've got to go to the lodging house so I can send Whiskey and Mumbles to arrange a meeting with Jasper. I can't go obviously because Henry knows what I look like. The less trouble I can make for Jasper while he solves our problem the better." Sadie looked up at Spot.
"Our problem?" Spot frowned and awkwardly kicked the toe of his boot into the ground.
"Er.your problem I meant." Grabbing Sadie's hand in his dirty one, he made an apologetic face and went to wipe it on his pants. Sadie looked at him steadily and held fast dirt and all. Spot felt that little fluttering in his stomach again before he began walking quickly back to the lodging house, Sadie in tow.
While they walked, Spot worked things over in his head. He hoped Jasper was still friendly with him. It had been awhile since he'd gone over there for a drink or a card game. Jasper was at the best, temperamental. If he had been drinking, then he was more apt to be violent. Truthfully after Spot had hooked up with Diamond he had lost a lot of connections and let friendships get weak. He vowed to never do that again. You were only as strong as the other people you knew sometimes. Spot was one of the strongest, and his web of connections was vast. But he had let things get lax with Diamond being around. It was time to step up and fix things.
Back at the lodging house, the boys were taking their brief break before it was time to sell the afternoon addition. Spot ignored the amused glances he got from walking up to them holding Sadie's hand. He ignored them pointedly until Sadie broke free to talk to Spider and Lefty. Waving Mumbles and Whiskey over, he took them aside and explained the situation. Both boys weren't wild about having to go to Doyle Street, but they nodded stoically, filled pockets with marbles and a knife or two and set off. Spot settled down to wait for Jasper's reply and to keep an eye on Sadie.
The afternoon had come and gone, the boys had sold their papers again and were straggling back with sore feet by the time Whiskey and Mumbles returned. Whiskey was staggering slightly and he stank of the liquid he was named after. Mumbles had a dark face and he was muttering angrily. Spot leapt up from the front stoop, eyes curious.
"Oh Shpot. Jashper shaid he'd meet you at Molly O'sh in an hour. He wash wondering what the Hell happened to you. We told him it was (hic) top shecret." Whiskey's eyes were struggling to focus on Spot's face. Spot snickered with laughter. Clapping Mumbles on the back, he pulled him away.
"Did it go okay?" Mumbles nodded.
"Yeah but Jesus Christ can Whiskey drink. I've had to watch him the whole walk back to make sure he didn't fall in front of a carriage. Stupid boy can't stay away from the booze." Spot shrugged. Most of the boys had problems with alcohol. It was a product of their upbringing and the fact that they didn't want to deal with reality most of the time. Reality wasn't a great place for a lot of them.
"Get Snot, Pirate, and Sketch. Whiskey ain't going to be of use to me tonight I can tell, and I want some boys with me at the bar. Tell Pirate to bring his shillelagh." Mumbles nodded and went upstairs to get the older boys Spot had listed. Pirate MacNamara had a genuine shillelagh that he had inherited from his father before he died. It came in rather useful for busting skulls. Not that Spot was too worried about fighting with Jasper, but he didn't trust that other one. Henry, yes that was his name. He'd had the strange feeling that he had been followed when he went to pick up Sadie.
"Switchblade, Rooster, Crybaby and Whispers c'mere." The group of boys who were just under being in the oldest group of boys detached themselves from a craps game going on next to the front stoop and came over. They were all either fourteen or fifteen. Just growing into being young men.
"You four are in charge while I'm gone. We may have some trouble afoot. If anything happens, ANYTHING you get the new manager and his family out of here, along with the little boys." They nodded and chests puffed out with pride swaggered back to the game. Snot, Pirate, Sketch and Mumbles returned Pirate bouncing his shillelagh in one of his hands.
"All right men we're going to Molly O's. I don't want no trouble unless it gets started by Jasper. We're just there to talk, okay? Sadie!" Sadie looked over from where she was standing with Spider and Lefty.
"You're coming with us. Better for me to keep an eye on you that way."
In an alleyway close by, Henry Foster bounced on the heels of his feet and silently laughed with glee. If he couldn't have Sadie, then he was bound and determined to make her life Hell. He had almost gone after the disgusting newsboy when he saw him embrace Sadie in the alleyway near the orphanage. When he had talked to the boy earlier, he hadn't thought that he was telling the truth. It had been near impossible to tell since the boy was quite adept at hiding his thoughts and emotions, but he had been too cautious once Sadie's name had been mentioned.
Watching the scruffy army arm themselves and be on the alert, he wondered where the older group of boys was heading off too. He saw Sadie join them, and his breath caught. The sun had finally come through the clouds and it hit her black hair making it appear almost blue-black. She looked upset, but turned her face up to smile at something the boy with red suspenders whispered in her ear. Henry felt his anger begin to boil and he narrowed his eyes and fixed them on the skinny leader's back.
That one was going to have to pay for interfering.
A loud burst of Irish music slapped the group in the face as they opened the door to Molly O's, a little corner pub down by the docks. Sadie kept close to Spot, grasping his sleeve firmly. The bar was surprisingly full, but Sadie realized it was probably later than she thought.
"Spot me darlin'! Come give your Auntie Molly a squeeze." Sadie looked at Spot and saw that he was beaming. A middle-aged woman with red hair wearing a low-cut blouse with a brilliant scarlet shawl looped over her shoulders and a black flowing skirt swept over and gathered Spot up in a tight embrace. Spot kissed her on her cheek, which made her put a hand to her heavily rouged face in mock wonder before pretending to swoon.
"Oh the great Spot Conlon kissed me. Did you see that Maude?" 'Maude' a heavily made up waitress with old eyes and a young face laughed from the bar. Molly O moved her green-eyed gaze to Sadie and smiled.
"And what do we have here? Replaced Diamond already?"
"Naw Molly. Sadie's better than Diamond." Sadie felt her face burn and she pinched Spot's arm. Yelping, he pulled her to him in a casual headlock and ruffled her hair. Molly watched the whole exchange with an amused smile on her face. Molly O held out a thin hand that Sadie shook firmly. Approval lit Molly O's eyes, and she waved a hand over her head.
"Drinks on the house for your gang, Conlon!" The boys cheered and she bent close to Spot's ear.
"Your friend is in the back, try not to start any trouble boy-o." Giving him a smack on the rear as he passed which made Spot jump and yelp in indignation, Molly O laughed uproariously and went back to her other patrons.
"Oh my," was all Sadie could utter as they squeezed through the crowded tables. Spot had an affectionate smile on his face.
"Molly O ain't really my aunt, but she's been lookin' after me I guess you could say since I was seven and my parents kicked the bucket" Curiously, Sadie opened her mouth to ask him about that, but he gave her a look and she shut it abruptly. Reaching the back, Sadie felt uneasy at the young men sitting there. They all had the same wild, rough air about them that Spot's gang did. But these men were older, and had been at the street life longer. Their eyes constantly roved about them and the air surrounding them was charged with tension. Spot stood rigidly until one of them stood up, a smile making his face seem almost friendly.
"Spot you bastard, it's been ages." The speaker was a tall; broad shouldered young man of about twenty-five or so. He had closely cropped blonde hair and hard gray eyes. He wore a patch like Kid Blink from Manhattan, but the tip of a wide scar appeared above the patch slicing through his eyebrow much like the scar Sadie had on her own cheek did. He wore nice gray trousers and a silk gray vest over a freshly laundered white shirt. A bowler hat sat on the table in front of him next to a half empty pint. Spitting into his hand, the man held it out to Spot, who with a smile spat into his own and shook hands.
"How's it rollin' Jasper?" Jasper MacKendrick threw his hands up in mock disgust and sat down, offering the remainder of the seats around the large table to Spot and everyone else.
"Oh you know, territory battles, dealing with whores, the bulls. Same shit different day. How's Whiskey feeling? I notice he's not amongst you." Spot sat down next to Jasper and pulled Sadie into the seat next to him. Mumbles sat on Sadie's other side.
"Whiskey's drunker than a skunk." Spot's eyes flicked to the three other young men sitting at the table with them. They all had the same look to them, dirty clothes, muscular frames and shifty eyes.
"How's it going Marty? Seamus? Declan?" the young men in turn nodded their heads and acknowledged Spot's greeting. Jasper seemed to notice Sadie for the first time, and his eyes roved over her unmercifully.
"Who's the lovely, Spot?" Spot put his arm around the back of Sadie's chair and put his foot over hers warningly. Pirate stood up and excused himself to go take a leak outside.
"This is me new girl, Trouble." Jasper kissed Sadie's hand and gave her a lusty smile and wink.
"With a nickname like that, I'd be sold. Now young Conlon, tell me what's going on and why the sudden meeting." Maude, the waitress came over with a tray full of pints that she set down in front of each of them. Deftly avoiding the wandering hands of Jasper's men, she winked at Spot and took off towards the bar. Sadie took a long swallow of her pint for lack of anything better to do. It was warm, and had a dark nutty taste to it. Mumbles winked at her and clinked his glass against hers before doing the same.
"It was brought to my attention that you have a new recruit in your gang. He's been looking for my girl here," again Spot put a little pressure on Sadie's foot warning her not to say anything.
"And apparently he's been givin' her nothin' but grief since she arrived in our fair city. He's a wee bit touched, if you catch my drift," Spot tapped his temple with a finger. Jasper looked thoughtfully at Sadie.
"Now we can't have that. All's fair in love and war, but not when it comes to leader's girls. Who is this boy you speak of?" Sadie spoke up for the first time.
"His name is Henry, Mr. MacKendrick. Henry Foster." Jasper threw back his head and laughed.
"Oh she's a sweetheart. Mr. MacKendrick indeed. Call me Jasper, lovely." Jasper finished his pint with a gulp and smacked his glass down.
"Henry you say? Yes I know Henry and frankly, I don't like him one bit. Little rotter was only asked to join the gang because of his size. What with quite a few of my boys actually being jailed lately I was sorely in need of some muscle. How do you say we take care of this then?" Spot was about to speak when a new voice interrupted him. Sadie gasped in shock as she felt a strong arm suddenly thrown about her from behind, and the sting of steel biting into her neck.
"I say that you do nothing because it seems I have the upper hand in this little matter." Henry appeared from nowhere and lifted Sadie up from her chair in one swift motion. Sadie struggled briefly before he sliced into her neck just enough to make her bleed. Spot and the others rose from the table, shock and anger splashed on their faces.
"See here Foster, this is rather unbecoming," Jasper's eyes were ice on a winter day but he tried to make his tone jovial. Henry snickered wildly and took a few steps back.
"She's mine, she's mine, she's mine. Not yours mine," he crowed in a singsong voice. Sadie's eyes pleaded with Spot to do something. Spot's eyes shifted around and his mouth thinned furiously. Henry kept mumbling and taking small steps backwards. Suddenly Sadie saw Spot's eyes relax a fraction and in that instant, she felt Henry go limp and fall to the floor, releasing his hold on her. Clapping a hand to her throat, she whirled around. Pirate stood there, a smile on his narrow face, brandishing his shillelagh.
"Erin go bragh," he said in a triumphant deep voice before Spot yanked Sadie to him and she buried her face in his chest. Mumbles and the rest clapped Pirate on his back and yelled for more pints. Jasper kicked the inert form of Henry and motioned to his henchmen.
"Get him out of here and make sure he never sees New York City again." Sadie shuddered at his dire words but let herself be held by Spot. Pulling away from him, she wiped at her slightly bleeding neck with a handkerchief Jasper supplied and watched as Jasper's men carried Henry outside and out of her life. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed Pirate on the cheek, which made him turn a shade of crimson.
"Thank you so much Pirate, I owe ya one." Spot spit-shook with the boy whose chest had puffed out so much he resembled a bullfrog. Leaving the others to sit and drink beer and celebrate, Spot pulled Sadie outside.
"Jesus Christ, are you okay?" He tilted her chin back to look at her neck and satisfied, stepped away to light a smoke. They stood not saying anything, and Sadie had the strange sensation that he was closing himself up to her. Almost like a fort would rebuild its walls and buttresses, Spot was trying to shut her out.
"What's wrong?" He looked at her then, and his eyes were sad.
"Now that Henry's gone won't you be going back to Manhattan?" Sadie shrugged but she felt her shoulder's droop.
"I guess it would make sense wouldn't it?" This time it was Spot's turn to shrug and he exhaled smoke through his nostrils.
"I mean, there's no reason for me to stay here now is there?" Spot had to look away from her beseeching gaze. There was no way he was going to let another dame break his heart again. He was the infamous Spot Conlon, and he didn't need anyone. Especially not this short, skinny little thing that had brought him such chaos in his life recently.
"I guess not, Trouble. Unless you think there is." Sadie squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. Mouth trembling and eyes beginning to water, she proudly looked him in the eye.
"Thank you for all your help Mr. Conlon. I suppose I'll be taking my leave of you now." Wrapping her shawl about her, she turned to go. Looking over her shoulder, she paused only momentarily.
"Don't call me Trouble, ya bum." Spot watched her stalk off and felt a hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. Taking another pull of his cigarette he forced himself to look away. Now it was time to concentrate on putting Manhattan back into its place. And with Sadie, no he corrected himself, that distraction out of the way he could do so. But he couldn't ignore his stinging eyes as he walked back into the bar. Blaming it on the cigarette smoke, he swore and went back inside. He had work to do.
Callista-bella- Yes ma'am! Here you go.
Wsox2004- Thank you muchly. And boy ain't that the truth about trouble.
Fivefold- Yup, that's Sadie's new nickname.
Hills of Eire- That sounds like a fine mixture to me! ; ) Thank ya! -- ------------
By the time Spot reached the orphanage, his mind was racing. This past couple of weeks had just been way too much for him. Knocking on the heavy oak door, he slicked his unruly hair back and readjusted his gray cap. Smoothing the front of his shirt, he made sure his cane was securely hanging from his belt loop and his slingshot was out of sight in his back pocket. An elderly nun with shrewd eyes answered his knock.
"What can I do for ye lad?" Her heavy Irish brogue reminded him sharply of his grandmother and he shook his head slightly before clearing his throat and answering.
" I'm here to see Sadie Pruett. I have important news she needs to hear." The nun looked at him levelly before stepping aside and allowing him entry. Clucking her tongue at his cane, she led him down a dark hallway. In some rooms Spot could see children laying on bunkbeds. In others there were desks and tables and children were obviously being educated. Spot smiled as he heard young voices reciting sums. He could remember a time, long ago when he too had been in school. The nun pointed towards a room with walls painted a soft yellow. Nervously, he poked his head around the doorjamb.
Sadie sat in a rocking chair alongside a young nun, each holding an infant in their arms. The nun was singing quietly and Sadie's eyes were closed a small smile on her face. Spot felt his guts lurch and angry with himself, he stepped fully into the room and coughed. Sadie's eyes flew open and she looked at him in surprise. Spot put a smug grin onto his face as he sauntered towards her, looking around. There were bassinets with other sleeping infants in them and a few trundle beds alongside the walls with napping toddlers.
"Spot, what are you doing here? It's not even lunch time yet." Throwing a quick glance at the nun, who had risen and was looking at Spot curiously, he knelt down by Sadie's rocking chair.
"We gotta talk. Someone's looking for you and they've got some pretty impressive connections." Spot saw a flash of fear cross Sadie's face before she rose, put the infant she had been holding in her arms into a cradle, and told the young nun she was taking her break. Grabbing Spot's hand, she led him back the way he had come and they exited the orphanage. Spot pulled her down the street a ways into an alleyway.
"What's going on?" Spot lit a cigarette and took a drag.
"Some guy came up to me this morning asking me if I knew a Sadie Pruett who used to live above his father's shop in Manhattan. I didn't like him, he had shifty eyes. Anyway he told me he's staying on Doyle Street which can only mean that he's hooked himself up with the Doyle Street Boys. And honey, there ain't any tougher older gang in Brooklyn than the Doyle Street Boys. Even the bulls are afraid of 'em." Sadie moaned and leaned against a building, her knees having suddenly gone shaky.
"SHIT!" Spot was startled into chuckling by her sudden outburst.
"This isn't funny, Conlon. That man is Henry Foster and he's not a good person. He has this.oh I don't know infatuation with me. He thinks we should be together." Spot had stopped laughing.
"So he's a grade A creep?" Sadie nodded and they stood together silently for awhile, thoughts racing. Spot suddenly heard a little sniff and a squeaking noise. Looking over at Sadie, he saw her struggling not to burst out into tears. Panic shot through him. He hated it when girl's cried. Honestly absolutely hated it. He felt helpless and such an outpouring of emotion took him aback.
"Hey now," he said gruffly, "Don't cry then. We'll think of something Trouble." One of the corners of Sadie's mouth lifted slightly before lips quivering she failed miserably at her attempt to not cry. Gulping in huge gusts of air, she broke down. Spot hesitantly put his arm around her shoulder and froze when she buried her face into his chest.
Spot threw all caution to the wind and wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on her head. Muttering what he hoped were words of comfort, he was rewarded when she finally stopped crying with a shuddering sigh, and raised her face up to him. He cracked a grin at her runny nose and red eyes.
"I just.. Had nowhere else to go thanks to Henry. And now I'm not safe in Brooklyn either."
"Like Hell you're not! This is my borough. That guy won't even know what hit him when he finds out Jasper and me are like this," he held up two narrow fingers side by side. Hope shone in Sadie's eyes and she wiped her nose on her sleeve, an action which made Spot smile crookedly again.
"We've got to go to the lodging house so I can send Whiskey and Mumbles to arrange a meeting with Jasper. I can't go obviously because Henry knows what I look like. The less trouble I can make for Jasper while he solves our problem the better." Sadie looked up at Spot.
"Our problem?" Spot frowned and awkwardly kicked the toe of his boot into the ground.
"Er.your problem I meant." Grabbing Sadie's hand in his dirty one, he made an apologetic face and went to wipe it on his pants. Sadie looked at him steadily and held fast dirt and all. Spot felt that little fluttering in his stomach again before he began walking quickly back to the lodging house, Sadie in tow.
While they walked, Spot worked things over in his head. He hoped Jasper was still friendly with him. It had been awhile since he'd gone over there for a drink or a card game. Jasper was at the best, temperamental. If he had been drinking, then he was more apt to be violent. Truthfully after Spot had hooked up with Diamond he had lost a lot of connections and let friendships get weak. He vowed to never do that again. You were only as strong as the other people you knew sometimes. Spot was one of the strongest, and his web of connections was vast. But he had let things get lax with Diamond being around. It was time to step up and fix things.
Back at the lodging house, the boys were taking their brief break before it was time to sell the afternoon addition. Spot ignored the amused glances he got from walking up to them holding Sadie's hand. He ignored them pointedly until Sadie broke free to talk to Spider and Lefty. Waving Mumbles and Whiskey over, he took them aside and explained the situation. Both boys weren't wild about having to go to Doyle Street, but they nodded stoically, filled pockets with marbles and a knife or two and set off. Spot settled down to wait for Jasper's reply and to keep an eye on Sadie.
The afternoon had come and gone, the boys had sold their papers again and were straggling back with sore feet by the time Whiskey and Mumbles returned. Whiskey was staggering slightly and he stank of the liquid he was named after. Mumbles had a dark face and he was muttering angrily. Spot leapt up from the front stoop, eyes curious.
"Oh Shpot. Jashper shaid he'd meet you at Molly O'sh in an hour. He wash wondering what the Hell happened to you. We told him it was (hic) top shecret." Whiskey's eyes were struggling to focus on Spot's face. Spot snickered with laughter. Clapping Mumbles on the back, he pulled him away.
"Did it go okay?" Mumbles nodded.
"Yeah but Jesus Christ can Whiskey drink. I've had to watch him the whole walk back to make sure he didn't fall in front of a carriage. Stupid boy can't stay away from the booze." Spot shrugged. Most of the boys had problems with alcohol. It was a product of their upbringing and the fact that they didn't want to deal with reality most of the time. Reality wasn't a great place for a lot of them.
"Get Snot, Pirate, and Sketch. Whiskey ain't going to be of use to me tonight I can tell, and I want some boys with me at the bar. Tell Pirate to bring his shillelagh." Mumbles nodded and went upstairs to get the older boys Spot had listed. Pirate MacNamara had a genuine shillelagh that he had inherited from his father before he died. It came in rather useful for busting skulls. Not that Spot was too worried about fighting with Jasper, but he didn't trust that other one. Henry, yes that was his name. He'd had the strange feeling that he had been followed when he went to pick up Sadie.
"Switchblade, Rooster, Crybaby and Whispers c'mere." The group of boys who were just under being in the oldest group of boys detached themselves from a craps game going on next to the front stoop and came over. They were all either fourteen or fifteen. Just growing into being young men.
"You four are in charge while I'm gone. We may have some trouble afoot. If anything happens, ANYTHING you get the new manager and his family out of here, along with the little boys." They nodded and chests puffed out with pride swaggered back to the game. Snot, Pirate, Sketch and Mumbles returned Pirate bouncing his shillelagh in one of his hands.
"All right men we're going to Molly O's. I don't want no trouble unless it gets started by Jasper. We're just there to talk, okay? Sadie!" Sadie looked over from where she was standing with Spider and Lefty.
"You're coming with us. Better for me to keep an eye on you that way."
In an alleyway close by, Henry Foster bounced on the heels of his feet and silently laughed with glee. If he couldn't have Sadie, then he was bound and determined to make her life Hell. He had almost gone after the disgusting newsboy when he saw him embrace Sadie in the alleyway near the orphanage. When he had talked to the boy earlier, he hadn't thought that he was telling the truth. It had been near impossible to tell since the boy was quite adept at hiding his thoughts and emotions, but he had been too cautious once Sadie's name had been mentioned.
Watching the scruffy army arm themselves and be on the alert, he wondered where the older group of boys was heading off too. He saw Sadie join them, and his breath caught. The sun had finally come through the clouds and it hit her black hair making it appear almost blue-black. She looked upset, but turned her face up to smile at something the boy with red suspenders whispered in her ear. Henry felt his anger begin to boil and he narrowed his eyes and fixed them on the skinny leader's back.
That one was going to have to pay for interfering.
A loud burst of Irish music slapped the group in the face as they opened the door to Molly O's, a little corner pub down by the docks. Sadie kept close to Spot, grasping his sleeve firmly. The bar was surprisingly full, but Sadie realized it was probably later than she thought.
"Spot me darlin'! Come give your Auntie Molly a squeeze." Sadie looked at Spot and saw that he was beaming. A middle-aged woman with red hair wearing a low-cut blouse with a brilliant scarlet shawl looped over her shoulders and a black flowing skirt swept over and gathered Spot up in a tight embrace. Spot kissed her on her cheek, which made her put a hand to her heavily rouged face in mock wonder before pretending to swoon.
"Oh the great Spot Conlon kissed me. Did you see that Maude?" 'Maude' a heavily made up waitress with old eyes and a young face laughed from the bar. Molly O moved her green-eyed gaze to Sadie and smiled.
"And what do we have here? Replaced Diamond already?"
"Naw Molly. Sadie's better than Diamond." Sadie felt her face burn and she pinched Spot's arm. Yelping, he pulled her to him in a casual headlock and ruffled her hair. Molly watched the whole exchange with an amused smile on her face. Molly O held out a thin hand that Sadie shook firmly. Approval lit Molly O's eyes, and she waved a hand over her head.
"Drinks on the house for your gang, Conlon!" The boys cheered and she bent close to Spot's ear.
"Your friend is in the back, try not to start any trouble boy-o." Giving him a smack on the rear as he passed which made Spot jump and yelp in indignation, Molly O laughed uproariously and went back to her other patrons.
"Oh my," was all Sadie could utter as they squeezed through the crowded tables. Spot had an affectionate smile on his face.
"Molly O ain't really my aunt, but she's been lookin' after me I guess you could say since I was seven and my parents kicked the bucket" Curiously, Sadie opened her mouth to ask him about that, but he gave her a look and she shut it abruptly. Reaching the back, Sadie felt uneasy at the young men sitting there. They all had the same wild, rough air about them that Spot's gang did. But these men were older, and had been at the street life longer. Their eyes constantly roved about them and the air surrounding them was charged with tension. Spot stood rigidly until one of them stood up, a smile making his face seem almost friendly.
"Spot you bastard, it's been ages." The speaker was a tall; broad shouldered young man of about twenty-five or so. He had closely cropped blonde hair and hard gray eyes. He wore a patch like Kid Blink from Manhattan, but the tip of a wide scar appeared above the patch slicing through his eyebrow much like the scar Sadie had on her own cheek did. He wore nice gray trousers and a silk gray vest over a freshly laundered white shirt. A bowler hat sat on the table in front of him next to a half empty pint. Spitting into his hand, the man held it out to Spot, who with a smile spat into his own and shook hands.
"How's it rollin' Jasper?" Jasper MacKendrick threw his hands up in mock disgust and sat down, offering the remainder of the seats around the large table to Spot and everyone else.
"Oh you know, territory battles, dealing with whores, the bulls. Same shit different day. How's Whiskey feeling? I notice he's not amongst you." Spot sat down next to Jasper and pulled Sadie into the seat next to him. Mumbles sat on Sadie's other side.
"Whiskey's drunker than a skunk." Spot's eyes flicked to the three other young men sitting at the table with them. They all had the same look to them, dirty clothes, muscular frames and shifty eyes.
"How's it going Marty? Seamus? Declan?" the young men in turn nodded their heads and acknowledged Spot's greeting. Jasper seemed to notice Sadie for the first time, and his eyes roved over her unmercifully.
"Who's the lovely, Spot?" Spot put his arm around the back of Sadie's chair and put his foot over hers warningly. Pirate stood up and excused himself to go take a leak outside.
"This is me new girl, Trouble." Jasper kissed Sadie's hand and gave her a lusty smile and wink.
"With a nickname like that, I'd be sold. Now young Conlon, tell me what's going on and why the sudden meeting." Maude, the waitress came over with a tray full of pints that she set down in front of each of them. Deftly avoiding the wandering hands of Jasper's men, she winked at Spot and took off towards the bar. Sadie took a long swallow of her pint for lack of anything better to do. It was warm, and had a dark nutty taste to it. Mumbles winked at her and clinked his glass against hers before doing the same.
"It was brought to my attention that you have a new recruit in your gang. He's been looking for my girl here," again Spot put a little pressure on Sadie's foot warning her not to say anything.
"And apparently he's been givin' her nothin' but grief since she arrived in our fair city. He's a wee bit touched, if you catch my drift," Spot tapped his temple with a finger. Jasper looked thoughtfully at Sadie.
"Now we can't have that. All's fair in love and war, but not when it comes to leader's girls. Who is this boy you speak of?" Sadie spoke up for the first time.
"His name is Henry, Mr. MacKendrick. Henry Foster." Jasper threw back his head and laughed.
"Oh she's a sweetheart. Mr. MacKendrick indeed. Call me Jasper, lovely." Jasper finished his pint with a gulp and smacked his glass down.
"Henry you say? Yes I know Henry and frankly, I don't like him one bit. Little rotter was only asked to join the gang because of his size. What with quite a few of my boys actually being jailed lately I was sorely in need of some muscle. How do you say we take care of this then?" Spot was about to speak when a new voice interrupted him. Sadie gasped in shock as she felt a strong arm suddenly thrown about her from behind, and the sting of steel biting into her neck.
"I say that you do nothing because it seems I have the upper hand in this little matter." Henry appeared from nowhere and lifted Sadie up from her chair in one swift motion. Sadie struggled briefly before he sliced into her neck just enough to make her bleed. Spot and the others rose from the table, shock and anger splashed on their faces.
"See here Foster, this is rather unbecoming," Jasper's eyes were ice on a winter day but he tried to make his tone jovial. Henry snickered wildly and took a few steps back.
"She's mine, she's mine, she's mine. Not yours mine," he crowed in a singsong voice. Sadie's eyes pleaded with Spot to do something. Spot's eyes shifted around and his mouth thinned furiously. Henry kept mumbling and taking small steps backwards. Suddenly Sadie saw Spot's eyes relax a fraction and in that instant, she felt Henry go limp and fall to the floor, releasing his hold on her. Clapping a hand to her throat, she whirled around. Pirate stood there, a smile on his narrow face, brandishing his shillelagh.
"Erin go bragh," he said in a triumphant deep voice before Spot yanked Sadie to him and she buried her face in his chest. Mumbles and the rest clapped Pirate on his back and yelled for more pints. Jasper kicked the inert form of Henry and motioned to his henchmen.
"Get him out of here and make sure he never sees New York City again." Sadie shuddered at his dire words but let herself be held by Spot. Pulling away from him, she wiped at her slightly bleeding neck with a handkerchief Jasper supplied and watched as Jasper's men carried Henry outside and out of her life. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed Pirate on the cheek, which made him turn a shade of crimson.
"Thank you so much Pirate, I owe ya one." Spot spit-shook with the boy whose chest had puffed out so much he resembled a bullfrog. Leaving the others to sit and drink beer and celebrate, Spot pulled Sadie outside.
"Jesus Christ, are you okay?" He tilted her chin back to look at her neck and satisfied, stepped away to light a smoke. They stood not saying anything, and Sadie had the strange sensation that he was closing himself up to her. Almost like a fort would rebuild its walls and buttresses, Spot was trying to shut her out.
"What's wrong?" He looked at her then, and his eyes were sad.
"Now that Henry's gone won't you be going back to Manhattan?" Sadie shrugged but she felt her shoulder's droop.
"I guess it would make sense wouldn't it?" This time it was Spot's turn to shrug and he exhaled smoke through his nostrils.
"I mean, there's no reason for me to stay here now is there?" Spot had to look away from her beseeching gaze. There was no way he was going to let another dame break his heart again. He was the infamous Spot Conlon, and he didn't need anyone. Especially not this short, skinny little thing that had brought him such chaos in his life recently.
"I guess not, Trouble. Unless you think there is." Sadie squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. Mouth trembling and eyes beginning to water, she proudly looked him in the eye.
"Thank you for all your help Mr. Conlon. I suppose I'll be taking my leave of you now." Wrapping her shawl about her, she turned to go. Looking over her shoulder, she paused only momentarily.
"Don't call me Trouble, ya bum." Spot watched her stalk off and felt a hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. Taking another pull of his cigarette he forced himself to look away. Now it was time to concentrate on putting Manhattan back into its place. And with Sadie, no he corrected himself, that distraction out of the way he could do so. But he couldn't ignore his stinging eyes as he walked back into the bar. Blaming it on the cigarette smoke, he swore and went back inside. He had work to do.