Chapter 10

Everything went according to plan. Dally and Moe drove up to Lucy's house, waited for her to get in, then they started on their way to the café. On the way, they saw Tim, who was crossing the street. Dally waved, and Tim waved back.

Moe waited until Tim had left, "That boy's changed."

Dally looked at Moe, "What are you talking about, Moe? Tim's fine. Sure he's still limping, but there's nothing wrong with him."

Moe just looked at him, "It's in his eyes. Soon he'll act differently, and you'll remember what I said. A kid his age don't stay the same after he's been shot in the leg, let alone watch another person die. Even you've changed. I don't know why, but it's like that. Tim ain't the same, and soon enough you'll realize it."

It was odd. Moe was only twenty-two, and he could sound like he was eighty-five. Dally tried to take what Moe said off his mind as he went back to kissing Lucy.

Dally meant it when he said it was a good café. It was small, but the food was great. It was mostly a café where the hoods and greasers went. It was called 'Big Bob's Cookout', because it served all kinds of grilled meat, including steak on weekends. The owner's name was Bob Henderson. He was married and had an eighteen-year-old son and a sixteen-year-old daughter. Both, like their two parents, worked in the café. Dally had always gone there, but now he was on a date. It seemed unreal to him now.

Bob's daughter, Katie, whom Dally had once liked, smiled when Dally came in, "How you doing Dallas? I haven't seen you in a week, what've you been up to?"

Dally grinned sheepishly like he always did when Katie smiled that way. It reminded him of when he had secretly wished to be able to buy her lunch.

She didn't say anything about it when Dally introduced Lucy to her. Katie didn't do things like that. Instead she was polite, as she always was when someone she knew came in with a date.

Katie took out a notepad and pencil as she leaned over the counter, "So what will you two take tonight. Dally will tell you it's steak night, and we have great prices."

Lucy checked the menu, "I think I'll take the chicken wings with a side of soup,"

Katie wrote it down, and then looked at Dally, "Dallas?"

Dally didn't need to look at the menu, "Steak with an order of fries, medium grilled, thanks,"

Katie smiled, "The usual then," and went to the kitchen in the back.

Lucy looked around, "It's very nice, this place."

Dally nodded proudly, "Glad you like it. All my friends like it."

The food was great, as usual. Dally always enjoyed his meals at Big Bob's. The prices were good. Only twenty- four bucks in total.

Katie collected the money; smiling at the eight dollars Dally always gave her as a tip, "Thank you Dallas." She left them in their privacy. That was one thing Dally really loved now about Katie Henderson's personality.

Chapter 11

"Goodnight Dally. Thanks again for everything." Lucy kissed Dally for the third time since they had gotten onto Lucy's porch. The evening was cool, the atmosphere quiet, and Dally loved it. He loved New York, he loved the gang, and he loved Lucy.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't a hood and my niece. Beautiful match-up," A slurred, sarcastic voice loomed out of the peaceful night air. Dally broke away from Lucy and looked around. It was Lucy's uncle.

Dally looked him over, remembering Lucy's cousin, Sandy. She and her father shared many looks; red hair, brown eyes, high shoulders. There were also differences though. Sandy had had a slim body; her father had gained much weight after years of heavy drinking. His eyes were beady and bloodshot. He had lost a few teeth, and most of the others were blacker than Jeff Miller's temper on a bad morning. He was also drunk.

Lucy stared coolly at her uncle "This 'hood' has been generous enough to pay dinner for me. Dally is more of a gentleman than you will ever be."

Dally watched as Lucy's uncle wheezed in amusement. He turned to Dally, all amusement gone from his face "Dally, eh? Short for Dallas Winston, I suppose? You were in the newspaper with her, weren't you? When my daughter died. So how much did you and your slimy cripple of a friend have to give to the cops before they let you go? Lucy always was a sucker to tough guys." He stopped to vomit on the sidewalk.

Lucy was horrified. Dally looked grim, and he stood eye-to-eye with Lucy's uncle "Listen sir. I love your niece (Lucy's eyes glowed). You can say anything to me, you can hit me, you can shoot me on doomsday, and I don't care. But you're not going to say crap to her while I'm around. And another thing, Tim is my friend. He almost died like Sandy did. I actually got her out of that alley. And another thing, I'm going to find out who killed your daughter. I swear on anything you believe in, I will."

Lucy's uncle was close to tears. He staggered for a minute, not saying anything. Then, gulping, he spoke "If you do what you just said, I'll never forget you, son." He started sobbing.

Dallas stiffened. No one called him 'son'. Not even Dally's own father had ever called him son. Dally hated the word.

Lucy came up to him, softening him by touching his leather-clad arm. He looked at her "I'll do it."

Lucy looked depressed "That's what I'm afraid of."

Chapter 12

"You? Mister Dallas 'I am a hood, not a hero' Winston?" Tim looked astonished.

Dallas looked puzzled. He had thought Tim would not hesitate in helping him, but now Tim had a look that seemed to Dallas that he thought he was crazy.

Tim shook his head, "I think you've gone soft, man. Before you met Lucy you were a hood. Now you're turning into some soft, love-sick dope."

Dallas looked angry "Listen Tim. Sandy died and I'm not going to stand here and let those killers, whoever they are, get away. I don't know what's wrong with you, but maybe you're just jealous that Lucy's still alive and the girl with you died."

Tim hit him, screaming "Shut up! You damn well weren't the guy who got shot. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT DOES TO A KID!" He stopped, with a shocked look on his face.

Dallas still lay on the ground, tears welling up in his eyes from pain and surprise. Moe's words echoed in his mind, '…soon he'll act differently and you'll remember what I said… even you've changed…'

A hand pulled him up. Tim was looking ashamed as he apologized, but Dally knew better. They had both changed, and things wouldn't be the same.

"Well if it ain't my old pal Dally! How you doing?" It was Arty Chop, Ralph and the rest of the gang. Dally and Tim were both happy as they greeted them. Arty Chop had a way of easing a rough situation between arguing friends.

Arty Chop actually had information that could help Dallas. He had heard rumours that Miles Barker (Dallas' eyes narrowed at the mention of Miles' name) had paid a bum to purchase three firearms for him. If the rumours were right, Miles had gotten those guns the same day Sandy was murdered.

"That's unbelievable! It can't be true!" Chuck seemed to find it impossible that someone he knew was a murderer.

"He's nasty enough," Arty Chop replied, earning a smile from Dallas.

Ralph agreed, "Dallas and Miles hate each other, and he would know Tim is a good friend of Dallas. Sorry Chuck, but the evidence is against Miles." Ralph may have dropped out over a year ago, but he had never completely lost the vocabulary his teachers had taught him.

Roy smiled, thinking of what they were going to have to do, "This is leading to a rumble, boys. Going onto the Barker turf won't go unpunished from Miles."

Moe looked at him, "Roy, we're good, but I doubt we'd survive a beating from Miles."

Dallas turned to the friends he had known for almost three whole years. Judging from what Roy said, he was coming. But the others might think differently.

He spoke "Guys, we're going to be outnumbered if it comes to a fight. I don't want to force you to come. I'll understand if you don't want to do this." He waited.

No one spoke. Each was thinking. Finally, Bill stepped forward. He had not said a thing at all, and he was the first one to step forward.

After a minute, Roy stepped forward, followed by Arty Chop and Ralph. Chuck and Moe were the last people to step forward.

Dallas looked at Tim, the only one who hadn't moved, "I don't blame you. No one does."

Tim nodded awkwardly, "uh… Good luck you guys."

With that, Tim walked away, not looking back.

Dallas knew he had to forget Tim now, as he turned to the friends, "Thanks guys, it means a lot to me." He somehow felt as if he had tested his friends, and Tim, the beloved best friend he had known for so long, had failed the test. It hurt Dallas, like a red-hot poker in his heart. But the pain lifted slightly as he looked at the determined, loyal people who did not abandon him in time of need. He could have cried at the sight, as well as Tim's desertion.

Emotion must have shown on his face, because Arty Chop quickly spoke, "So, let's get going then."

The Barker gang had their turf not very far from where Moe had his business. Instead of the Miller Gang though, the Barkers had their hangout by the old train tracks. Dallas and the gang had no trouble where to go. There was a series of graffiti on the alley entrances. Most on the outside (therefore, the ones everyone saw) were addressed to teenage girls. It was all rude stuff; including mentioning what the Barkers did to girls. Arty Chop looked at the messages and smirked. His friend's brother had once been in the Barker gang, and he had seen that the Barkers meant what they wrote.

There was no one in the alleyway, or at least that's what Chuck said when he took two steps inside and had hurriedly jumped back out. Nobody blamed him; none of them wanted to go in there alone. Bill got over his hesitation however, by pulling two pistols from his pocket. Dallas and the others stared. Roy spoke for them, "Er… Bill, how long have you had those?"

Bill's voice was like granite, "All my life."

With that, he went into the alley. The gang held their breath, until they heard Bill whistle a tune that signalled them to follow him.

The rail tracks, illuminated by some lights, were abandoned. There was nowhere in sight, any sign of people being there.

Chuck looked around nervously. Despite the lights, there was still a lot of darkness, "I've got a real bad feeling about this guys."

Even Arty Chop agreed, "Say do any of you guys feel like… you're being watched?"

Suddenly Miles stepped up from behind a pile of stones, "Well, well, well. If it isn't mister Dallas Winston and company."

The darkness gave birth to around thirty hoods with the yellow 'Barker' on their sleeves.

Dallas and his friends backed up into a small ring facing the snarling Barker gang. Dallas glared at Miles "All right Miles fess up. You bought three heaters, and the same day a girl got shot. I know you're behind it."

Then from behind Miles, a low, calm voice called out, "Clever one aren't you Dallas? I doubt you'd remember me by sound, but what about sight eh?"

Miles grinned as a husky, red-haired teenager with a broken nose stepped out into the light, along with nine other Barkers, except that they had yellow 'Barker's on their fronts, obviously representing their importance. But it was their leader that Dallas had a bad feeling about. He had on jeans and a plain sweater. His eyes were a dark hazel.

Dallas froze with shock and fright. It was the same guy he had beaten up three years ago! "No, damn it, no. It's not true! It…!" Dallas went speechless.

The guy smiled, purposely showing two missing lower teeth Dally had knocked out, "Well now. Isn't that just grand! He knows me in two seconds!"

Miles laughed, "Allow me to introduce Charlie Barker, my older brother." He added smugly.