Sparks: The plot thickens even more! lol I'm surprised that I've been updating so quickly, to be honest. I'll just got on the computer, type a chap, and send it in! Lucky…we didn't get any snow days this year.
A/N: REVIEW! lol that's all I have to say. Come on, come on, just a few words…lol. No pressure! Oh, and does anyone else like the new I know I sure do hehe
Chapter Three: The Meeting of the Conspirators
David paced up and down throughout the kitchen uneasily. The storm blew around outside as he rubbed his forehead in thought with each step. Les, the youngest of the Jacobs family, sat comfortably at the table, watching and wondering what his older brother was up to. Occasionally David mumbled out loud his mind with selected words and clenched his fists. The clock struck ten o'clock and the thundered rumbled outside. As David muttered something along the lines of "serpent in the egg", Les raised one eyebrow in confusion and yawned.
"What are you doin'?" Les inquired finally.
With a turn on his heel, David faced his brother without saying anything. A flash of lightning sparked the sky and David stepped toward Les and crouched down so that he only looked up at him from a small distance. "Les, remember when I was reading that story about the snake when we were back at school?"
Les nodded. "Yeah, somethin' like killing it before it came out of the egg, I think." He shrugged, utterly confused to where this was leading, and he started to doubt David's sanity.
"Right." David paused and stood back up again. He paced for another moment, pulling at his hair. "Okay," he took a seat at a chair next to Les. "You know how Jack's getting the key tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Les answered slowly, "what's that got to do with a snake?"
"Well, ya know, sometimes," stammered David, "you have to—"
"Wait, what was that?" Les interrupted and looked toward their bedroom. It sounded as though the window had been opened, and the two boys made their way in there.
To their suspicions, the window had been opened and the wind blew the curtains around. Sarah, who slept warmly in her bed, stirred about and turned over. Papers rolled into the room and onto the ground. David looked at them, and with a furrow of his eyebrows, retrieved them. A look of confusion took over his face as he inspected them thoroughly. He set two to his side and unrolled one of them. The handwriting was scribbled and running from the rain. The first was short and to the point:
Dave we need ya help. Stop Jack before its too late.
Les took the opportunity to open the next one and read it out loud. "'He'll ruin us for sure. Only you can put an end to this'. Dave, what's this about?" He stared at David with baffled eyes.
The last letter wasn't any different from the others. David hesitated to answer as he thought over what to do. Was this how the newsboys really felt about Jack? It sure didn't seem like it last night at Tibby's. He gathered the papers together and looked them over again, still not giving a response. A round of knocks came to the front door and David scooted out to open it.
A small group of friends stood in the hall with serious faces and damp clothing. Skittery stood in front of the other boys, who consisted of Mush, Kid Blink, Boots, Snoddy, and Specs. Without greeting him first, David checked his pocket watch and sighed. He couldn't exactly kick them all out. And he knew exactly what Skittery wanted to discuss.
"Hey, guys. Just come on in," David greeted in a low tone and opened the door widely. He turned behind him, "Les, why don't you go on to bed."
Without any sign of an indignant mood, Les simply nodded and left the room. David showed the boys the apartment and they sat around the circular wooden table. The atmosphere was of serious tension and no one was quick to start a conversation. Skittery soon broke the silence to regroup as to why the meeting was called.
"I'm sure all 'a yous know the meaning of this. Jack's gotta be stopped. He's gettin' too powerful for his own good and we gotta bring him down once and for all." Skittery stood for a few moments in thought, and stood behind the chair, using the back of it as leverage. "My way 'a thinkin' is that the strike opened all our eyes to see the true Cowboy. Remember how fast he crossed over to the other side with Pulitzer?"
"Well, he did come back to us, you have to remember that," interrupted David, looking up at him.
"He still slipped under us, Dave, ya have to remember that too," spoke Mush.
"Yeah, what if he goes against us again and doesn't turn back?" proposed Kid Blink.
Skittery nodded deviously and David sighed, letting Skittery move on with his lecture with a lazy wave of his hand. He leaned his head against his bent elbow and watched him.
"Tomorrow Spot's givin' Jack the key. But we ain't gonna let that happen, am I right, boys?"
All five boys nodded in underhanded agreement.
"C'mon, Dave," Snoddy said to him. "What bit of credit did ya get from this?"
Suddenly David felt every pair of eyes burning into him waiting to see what he would say. Jack was his friend; he was the only one willing to help him sell the first day and even split the cost with him (even if it wasn't a hundred percent equal). But David was the person with the ideas of the strike. Why hadn't he gotten a party thrown for him? Why wasn't he applauded when he walked down the street? He even allowed him to date his sister, for god's sake. "All right…let's do it."
The boys caught their breath and breathed easier once again. Each newsboy wore a tricky grin and suddenly they didn't look like boys.
"Dave, a word with ya over here," Skittery pointed to another part of the room.
They ambled toward the window of their living room and faced each, arms folded over their chests. "So, Dave, I was thinkin' about a pledge for all of us. Just to make sure there's no backin' down. An oath that ties it all together."
David shook his head immediately. "No. We don't need one! Obviously since we're all here it shows just how serious we are about it. Just talking about killing him, binds us all together."
Skittery looked to the side, tapped his chin, and nodded. They shook hands and made their way back to the table, where the other boys talked fierily about possible plans for assassination.
"So tell me somethin' good," Skittery said as they took seats.
"Well, first things first," started Kid Blink, "we're thinkin' we need just one other person. Racetrack."
"Yeah, not only will we have Dave, but Race is pretty respected too. It'll give the whole thing a better light," added Boots.
David shook his head. "I doubt that can happen. Race is a good friend and all, but I don't think he'd agree to do it."
"Yeah, it didn't look like he was too upset with Jack's triumph yesterday," agreed Specs as he straightened his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Race is more of a guy that's on his own."
The kerosene lamp that was situated at the center of the brown table flickered slightly and sparked, giving each of the boys' shadows across their faces. Blink rubbed his temples stressfully as Skittery cleared his throat.
"Ya know, it'd be good if we did away with Spot also," he said suddenly. A wave of discomfort settled around the room and made the air tenser.
"Too hard," Mush replied immediately. "Spot's death wouldn't be needed."
"Exactly," David pointed. "It'd be too bloody. We're not murderers, Skittery, we're making a very important point. If we killed Spot it would make us out to be insane executioners. Fellas, we're not doing this to be vicious. We're being bold."
A few other boys nodded in agreement, while few bit their lips and surrendered to the struck down idea of the demise of Brooklyn's Spot Conlon.
"Yeah, now that I think about it…" Skittery rolled his neck around tiredly and yawned, "Spot's elimination would be pointless. I mean, I still think he's a threat, but in all honesty, he'll be harmless after Jack's gone. Maybe even a little bit weaker."
More agreements went around the table and the shrewd, plotting newsboys were all on the same page: Jack Kelly would be slain tomorrow at the hands of his most loyal boys. But they failed to miss two things: the result Jack's death and the effect it would have on all of New York.