A/N- Sorry for the terribly long wait, it's a good thing Skits keeps me in line, or you guys would have to wait for a couple of weeks to see this new chapter. Well, we hope you like it! SBM
Chapter 7
Blink had been pacing the small room all morning. He now knew that there were exactly twenty seven steps from the bed to the table and back again. He'd worn a bit of a path into the decaying floor and wondered how much deeper it would be by the time he and Skittery would be able to get out of the room.
It had been three days, and besides the morning visits from Mush and the evening visits from either Jack or Snoddy, the two boys had only each other for company. And that was only sometimes, Blink realized, listening to the steady, deep breathing of his sleeping friend.
Skittery had curled up in the corner of the room hours ago, his back securely against the cold stone wall, and his knees bent to his chest. One arm, which he laid his head on, draped across his knees while his other hung loosely at his side. His small blanket, which Snoddy had brought back for him two nights previous, was wrapped around his shoulders like a cape.
Blink watched him for a few more moments and then jumped when there was a loud "thump" outside the window. The window creaked open and a pair of familiar feet fell through.
Mush greeted him with a cheerful "hello" and then handed him a loaf of bread wrapped up in the morning newspaper.
"T'anks," Blink said, hungrily ripping the paper off and throwing it aside.
Mush laughed at his friend's eagerness and then crossed the room to wake up Skittery, who jumped when Mush's hand touched his shoulder. Skittery spotted the bread and was at Blink's side in less than a second.
"You'se actin' like ya haven't eaten in days," said Mush, observantly. Both boys shot him annoyed glares. Mush sat down on the bed and waited for them to finish.
"I can't wait ta get outta heah," Blink said after swallowing his last bite.
"Well, it'll be a while. Every bull in da city is out lookin' foah da two a youse. Spot Conlon even told Cowboy about how dey'se been gettin' asked questions too about you boys."
"News travels fast, don't it," said Blink.
"Especially when it's in da papes," Mush grinned and picked up the discarded piece of newspaper that Blink had banished to the floor. He smoothed it out and handed it to Blink, who scanned it quickly with Skittery reading excitedly over his shoulder. "You boys are famous."
"'Murder and Maniac Escape Prison.' Dis article says we beat da bulls wit dere own clubs..." Blink said, astounded at the lie.
"We'se just like dem outlaws dat Jack's always trackin."
Blink and Mush looked at Skittery for an explanation. "What outlaws?" Mush asked.
"You got da rest a dis pape?"
Mush nodded, stood up and reached back up through the window where he had stashed his small pile of papers. He handed the remaining pieces to Skittery who browsed through them.
"I ain't a criminal." Blink said quietly.
"We knows you aint. But da headline has been good foah sells. I guess we should all be t'ankin ya foah getting' arrested."
Blink's expression grew dark, he opened his mouth as if to say something to his defense, but Skittery interrupted him.
"Heah it is!" Skittery held out a section of the newspaper for his two comrades. "See! Dis guy Butch Cassidy and his gang, dey's always in da papes foah robbin' trains and banks. Dere always hidin' in people's cellahs and barns, so dat da bulls won't find 'em."
"We ain't like dem, Skittery, dey's law breakers."
"We broke outta jail, Blink. Dat ain't exactly legal."
Blink threw the paper angrily at Skittery who looked at him with a hint of annoyance.
"I'se got ta get outta heah," Blinks mumbled, sitting down on the bed and burying his face in his hands. "Dis place is makin' me crazy."
We're woikin' on it, Blink. We'se just got ta find out who Charlie's real killah is. Den we'll get ya outta heah."
Blinks sighed. He didn't care what the papers said. He wasn't a murderer or a maniac, or an outlaw, and he was going to prove it.
"Wheah do you'se t'ink yoah going'?" Snoddy and Mush looked at each other guiltily and then up at Jack.
"Da boys need some cheerin' up," volunteered Mush, quietly, holding up a bottle of what Jack figured was some type of alcohol.
"I'se comin' wit ya," Jack said, a hint of finality to his tone.
Snoddy and Mush didn't dare protest. At least not until another figure approached in the darkness.
"We'se comin' too," whispered a voice.
"We?" Snoddy asked.
"Yeah! You can't expect ta have Dutchy along and forget about me." another voice said, it sounded much like Specs.
"Dis is way too many, Jack. Da bulls are patrollin' every street in da city," Snoddy said.
"Den we'll hafta be real quiet. We'll go in paihs."
"But deah's an odd number of us Jack," Dutchy observed.
"Not anymore," said another voice. It was Snitch. The others looked warily at what they could see of one another. Snitch put his hands up defensively, glanced at Racetrack's bunk where the sleeping boy stirred, and added more quietly, "I have some t'ings I'se got ta say."
Mush sighed and then he and Snoddy left the lodging house as quietly as they could without another word. Mush wondered how they were all going to make it without being seen. He and Snoddy had to duck into two alleys to wait for a couple of police wagons to pass.
They finally made it. Blink and Skittery were sound asleep when they dropped in, however the noise that they made in doing so woke the room's inhabitants. Skittery seemed much too excited to see Snoddy, or maybe, Mush decided, the bottle in Snoddy's hand, which Skittery opened immediately.
"Wheah did ya get dis?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer before chugging it down. Snoddy grabbed the bottle away from him, causing Skittery to choke.
"Don't drink it all, Skits, I had ta get it outta Kloppman's stash," Snoddy said in a proud tone.
Skittery's eyes widened, "He's got a stash?"
"What are you guys doin' heah?" Blink asked turning back to look at Mush.
"We came ta cheah ya boys up," he answered. Blink smiled. It was good to see Blink smile, Mush concluded. "Da uddahs are comin', too," said Snoddy.
"Uddahs?" Blink and Skittery said in unison.
"Yeah, well, Jack and Specs and Dutchy and Snitch. Dey all wanted ta come and—"
A noise at the window interrupted Mush as two more bodies fell through the opening. Jack clapped Skittery into a friendly hug as Snitch hung back a little, staring uncertainly at Blink. There was an awkward lull in the reunion, and then Snitch stepped forward and spoke.
"Look Blink, I—" he ran a sweaty hand through his untidy hair, "I just wanted ta say dat..." he paused. The others leaned forward anxiously. "I'se sorry. Foah doubtin' ya and everyt'ing." Snitch lowered his gaze to the floor and the others turned to Blink.
Blink smiled faintly and then stuck out a hand, which Snitch shook. "No harm done," said Blink.
Dutchy and Specs arrived a few minutes later, looking as if they had just ran the distance between here and the lodging house.
"Sorry boys," Dutchy breathed hard.
"We ran intah some bulls along da way," Specs wiped at his forehead.
"Dey wanted ta know wheah we was goin' and everyt'ing," Dutchy finished for Specs.
"We gave 'em da slip at Bottle Alley." Specs and Dutchy said in unison. They grinned at one another.
"We'll have ta keep our eyes out on da way back den," Jack sighed.
Now that everyone had arrived safely, things began to get really loud. A now drunken Skittery was trying to teach a song to Dutchy and Specs, but kept changing the lyrics, while Snoddy laughed loudly in the background. Jack entertained Blink and Mush with stories he'd read in his dime novels about the great "Wild Bill" Hickock and the outlaw Jesse James, with Snitch adding in details that Jack left out. Mush had never known that Snitch was so interested in the west.
It was during a particularly loud verse of Skittery's ever-changing song, and a very exciting part in Jack's story that Mush glanced up and gasped. A sudden silence filled the room as everyone noticed that they were not alone. Seven heads turned to the direction that Mush was staring blankly at. Standing below the open window, lighting a fresh cigar, was racetrack.
Blink swallowed nervously.