~Kora~ silly, silly girl, you crack me up! You're always hyper! Not that it's a bad thing or anything……
~Gemini~ thanks for your support, I'm trying to continue the story!
~baby309blue~ thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you like the story!
Jack walked aimlessly down the street, deep in thought. I can't keep devoting all my time to this stupid problem with Bammie. But what will happen to her if I don't? Or to my newsies? Jack found himself at the mouth of the Brooklyn Bridge.
"Come on out, Runna!" Jack yelled into the empty air. "I know you're heah somewhere, just show your ugly…" Before he could even finish the sentence, a short, muscular boy of about 16 appeared in front of him.
"What's up Jacky? How'd ya know I was heah?" Runner spit in his hand and offered it to Jack. Runner was the most notorious of Spot's "little birdies", highly skilled in hiding and spying.
"You're always around, ya snake!" Jack laughed and returned the boy's spitshake. Runner had formally been one of Jack's newsies and served as a runner between Manhattan and Brooklyn, hence the name. When Spot took over as leader of Brooklyn a couple years back, he propositioned Runner to be one of his key henchmen. Spot promised Runner many things, including pay for his services, but none had been followed through on. Luckily for Spot, Runner had been waiting for the chance to hand down his tiresome position to a younger boy, and remained in his new cushy title as one of Spot's birds, despite the broken promises.
"I've missed ya, Jacky! It's been too long," Runner smiled. He and Jack had been close confidants when they were both in Manhattan.
"Well, it ain't like ya don't see me everyday. You could come tawk ta me, ya know," Jack teased.
"What? And give myself away? What kind of a boid would I be den?" Runner's jovial tone quickly diminished into one of urgency as he grabbed Jack by the arm, leading him across the bridge. "I'm glad you called me out though, I've been wanting ta tawk ta ya. I don't know what's goin' on, but I wanna know why Knox is goin' afta you boys."
"Wudda ya mean you don't know what's goin' on? I t'ought it was your job to know what's goin' on!" Jack laughed half-heartedly.
"I only know what goes on in da streets. I'm shoa you know about Bam and Race both gettin' jumped. I saw Knox do both, and when I reported back to Spot, he just laughed. Bam ain't been around long enough for me ta know if she desoived it, but I shoa as hell know Race didn't do nothin'. So what da hell is goin' on between you and Spot? Why's he targetin' you boys?"
Jack was taken aback by Runner's forceful tone. "What makes ya t'ink its between me and Spot? Ya didn't see me gettin' soaked, did ya?"
"No, but no one in Brooklyn knows what's goin' on anymore, 'cept for me and da boids, and even we don't know it all. Spot don't tawk ta anyone but Knox anymore. And startin' taday, I don't even report ta Spot no more. I hafta report ta Knox, and he tells Spot," Runner paused. "I t'ink Spot's gone completely crazy. I was foine wid stayin' in Brooklyn cuz it was like a family. But now its like a fuckin' army or somethin'. It's gettin' outta control. There ain't no reason for him ta have your newsies soaked, unless you two are havin' woids wid each odda."
"Dere ain't nothin' goin' on between me and Spot. I ain't even tawked ta him in ova a month. I didn't know t'ings were gettin' so bad in Brooklyn. If I don't heah it from Spot, den I don't know. It ain't like I got my own boidies, ya know." Jack's mind was racing a mile a minute. What da hell is Spot up to?
"Yeah, well, ya might have some soon if Spot don't straighten out again. I already saw a couple of da goils headin' ova ta Manhattan just before you came along, tawkin' 'bout how they'se afraid of livin' unda Spot," Runner remarked casually. "If dere's gonna be some big fight or somet'ing, you let me know. Me and da rest of da boids are on your side, Jacky. You just let me know."
"Me let you know…" Jack repeated, laughing. "Runna, I'm shoa you'll know befoah I do." As they reached the Brooklyn side of the bridge, Runner slowed his pace.
"No offense, Jacky, but you'se on your own now. Just rememba, what I told ya is between you and me," By the time Jack turned to say something in return, the boy was gone.
"T'anks Runna!" Jack called to nothing.
****Meanwhile, in Manhattan****
Jinx and Fleet arrived at the Manhattan lodging house only to find it empty, with the exception of Kloppman.
"Hey old man, where is everyone?" Jinx called to him.
"Where do ya think they are? Selling papes, of course!" Kloppman laughed, adding, "And the name is Kloppman, not old man, thank you very much!"
"Excuse my friend, she's somewhat of an idiot," Fleet jumped into the conversation. "Do you have a couple open bunks for us?" Kloppman nodded.
"Just sign the ledger."
After settling themselves into their new lodging house, Fleet and Jinx headed out to the streets, hoping to find a familiar face.
"What's da name of dat shitty restaurant they all hang out at? Tubby's?" Jinx asked, frustrated by their fruitless efforts.
"Tibby's, ya jackass. It's right heah, come on!" Fleet walked into the restaurant, disappointed to see no newsies. "We might as well wait, I'm shoa Bammie will be along soon." Sure enough, within a couple minutes, Bam and Race walked in the door. They were too busy arguing to notice the two former Brooklyn newsies waving at them. Sitting down at a small table in the corner, they continued their quarrel.
"Damn it, Higgins, get off my back!" Bam yelled. "Quit following me around like a lost puppy!" She slammed her hands down on the table and stood up abruptly, storming back outside. Jinx and Fleet took this as their opportunity to approach them. Jinx slid into the seat across from Race, as Fleet headed out the door after Bam.
"Heya Race," Jinx greeted. "I see you and Bammie are gettin' along magically, as usual."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Race waved Jinx off, staring out the window where Bam was smoking a cigarette, recently joined by Fleet. "She loves havin' me around, she just don't know it yet!" He added with a grin.
******
"Hi Bammie, mind if I join ya?" Fleet approached Bam cautiously. Bam ignored her. "Oh come on, you're not still mad that we didn't tell you about Spot and Knox? You know why we couldn't!"
"No, I'm not mad," Fleet smiled when she heard the words come out of Bam's mouth. "I just can't trust ya anymore." Fleet's grin faded with the sting of her words.
"Get ova it. We did it to protect you, and if you can't accept dat, den fuck you. Spot's real pissed cuz I was askin' so many questions, and I don't feel safe in Brooklyn anymore. I'm heah ta stay, so you had betta start trusting me again soon." Bam eyed her over suspiciously before pulling her into a hug.
"I'm sorry, Fleet, I'm just so confused. It feels like everyone is out to get me, and I don't know why," Bam sobbed into her shoulder.
******
"….but I ain't gonna let dat stop me!" Race had just finished telling Jinx about being soaked by Knox when he noticed Bam crying outside. He jumped up and ran out the door, leaving a very confused Jinx sitting at the table.
"What da hell did you do ta her?" Race roared at Fleet.
"Good Lord, shut the hell up, Race! You're making me crazy!" Bam screamed. "She didn't do anything! Her and Jinx staying here now, so I don't need you attached to my ass anymore, so just go away already!" Race stood stunned.
"Foine." Race stated simply and walked away.
"Geez, Bam, what was dat all about?" Jinx asked as she came outside, watching Race meander away dejectedly.
"He insists on following me…"
"I know dat… I meant why'd you yell at him like dat, he's just tryin' ta be a friend," Jinx scolded.
"She don't need him, we're heah now!" Fleet took Bam's side.
"I guess," Jinx shrugged. Bam had lost interest in the current debate, and was watching Race's shape grow smaller as he continued walking. Jinx's words were turning in her head. He's just tryin' ta be a friend…