Jack had sold a paper here and there, but nothing that could have been mistaken for hard work. He was keeping an eye out for Race, though he wasn't too hopeful about finding him. Race had a tendency to disappear when he wanted to, occasionally for weeks at a time.

Jack hoped this wouldn't be one of those times. He had to sort Race out before any rumors got started about Blink.

He came to an intersection of two nearly empty streets and scanned what few people there were. He didn't see Race, but he did see Snitch. Apparently, Snitch was making an attempt at an honest day's work. But, it couldn't be coincidence he had set up in clear view of several unattended storefronts. Jack whistled and caught his attention.

"Race?" he shouted across the square.

"Track!" Snitch yelled back, pointing in the direction of Sheepshead.

Jack waived in thanks and headed towards the track. He hoped he wasn't too far behind Race. He wanted to catch him before he hopped the streetcar. If he didn't, it would be all but impossible to find him in the crowds that flocked to Coney Island on a day like this.

He didn't have to go far before he reached the stop where Race usually jumped on. There was no sign of him and the kids in the area said they hadn't seen him that morning. Jack gave up the search after awhile and turned back the way he had come.

Jack had to move aside quickly to avoid a direct collision with an idiot that wasn't looking where he was going. As soon as he regained his balance, Jack got a better look at the offender. It was Race.

Race didn't seem to notice him, not looking up from the sport's page as he kept walking.

"Hey, Race. Don't you got eyes?" Jack asked jokingly, testing Race's mood.

Race briefly glanced at Jack before he returned to his reading. Definitely not in a good mood.

"You gotta minute? I need to talk to you 'bout somethin'," Jack said, keeping up with Race as he continued to walk.

"I'm goin' to the track," Race said as he folded the newspaper and tucked it under his arm, "The minute I spend with you could lose me a dollar. I got a sure thing here."

Race spoke without the normal enthusiasm that accompanied the prospect of easy money. He looked worn, like he hadn't slept much.

"This is important," Jack said. He wasn't put off by Race's blatant refusal to talk with him, he had expected as much.

"So's this race," Race countered.

"It's about Blink."

"So what?" Race returned with annoyance at the mention of Blink's name, "Half the stuff that goes on around here is about him. He's more trouble than he's worth."

Jack couldn't argue with that. He knew he wouldn't get Race to talk with him, not when he was like this. It was something Jack had anticipated from the beginning and already had a solution for.

"Look, you give me ten minutes of your time and I'll give you a tip on somethin' worth more than a dollar," Jack said, "A guaranteed double return."

"What do you got a tip on that I don't know about?"

"Cards."

"Where? Who's playin'?" Race looked at him suspiciously. He knew all the players and the games and there were none with odds like that.

"You and me, wherever you want."

"You don't play cards, Jack. You always lose." Race dismissed the idea and gave Jack an irritated look for wasting his time.

"Like I said, guaranteed double return," Jack said with a half-smile, "Come on, you got nothing to lose."

Race hesitated. He wasn't one to give up odds like that and Jack knew it.

"Don't bend'em," Race warned as he handed Jack the deck of cards.

Jack took the deck with one hand and slipped off his hat with the other. He placed his hat brim-up on the stairs they were using as a playing surface.

"How much?" Jack asked, shuffling the deck.

Race put a dime in the hat.

"That's it?"

"It's a fair bet," Race said as he took the cards Jack dealt him, "You better start talkin'. You got nine minutes."

Jack matched Race's bet and tossed a dime in the hat. Picking up his hand, he only gave the cards a brief look, not expecting to win anyways.

"You know the thing we was talkin' about last night?" Jack started. He took a quick look around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. Race gestured for him to hurry up and deal the rest of the hand.

"Well, it's kinda like this," Jack continued, "He ain't what you thought, well, he ain't what I thought he was. It turns out it was a mistake."

"Yeah? Ain't that sweet. He's got a real heart of gold," Race said as he put down his cards, "Ace kicker, I win."

Jack looked down at his own cards, he hadn't really been paying attention.

"Is that it? Or do you feel like losin' more?" Race said as he gathered the cards.

Jack pushed his cards over to Race and put another dime into the hat. Race matched it and began shuffling.

"Look, it's true. There's e-evi-," Jack paused, there was a word for it, "-Evidents sayin' so."

"Speak English," Race said.

"Spot backed'em."

"So, you're trustin' Spot now?"

"No, but I believe him. And I believe Blink," Jack said carefully.

"Yeah, well, I don't," Race said, "Look, I saw somethin' with my own eyes. It's something I can't explain away and that don't change 'cause Spot says different."

"They wanted him to rejoin, Race. He didn't. They came into Manhattan a few times lookin' for him. He talked with'em, but he didn't talk with them," Jack said, watching Race and knowing he would get his meaning, "He stayed loyal, I'll bet anything on that."

Race continued to shuffle, but he didn't respond. The cards moved quickly between his hands, almost automatically. It was longer than Race normally shuffled, especially when a game was on the table. He was thinking it over, that much was clear.

Whether or not Race was convinced of Blink's innocence didn't matter to Jack at the moment. Race would come around eventually. It was more important that nobody else found out.

"You didn't tell nobody about this, did you?" Jack asked.

"No," Race said.

"You didn't shoot your mouth off to anyone-"

"No," Race repeated, giving a Jack a glare as he put the cards back in his pocket. "Time's up. Thanks for the donation."

He took his money from the hat, leaving the last dime for Jack.

"You ain't gonna give me the chance to win it back?"

"You'd just lose more. I'm doin' you a favor," Race said as he stood, "I tell you what, I'll spot you lunch, we'll call it square."

"Yeah, alright," Jack agreed. "I'm meetin' Mush later on, if you get back early."

Race shrugged as he walked away, "Don't count on it."

Jack took the dime from his hat and put it back in his pocket. He considered himself lucky. The last time he had to convince Race to talk with him, he had lost fifty cents.

"First chance you get, cheese it," Blink said under his breath to Mush.

Mush tossed his papers to the side, not taking his eyes off Greene and the two boys that accompanied him. "I ain't leavin'," he said as Greene came within earshot.

Blink didn't have the opportunity to respond, but gave Mush a frustrated look. This was not what he wanted. He never wanted to bring Mush into this, the same way he didn't want to bring Race into it in the beginning.

"How you doin' boys?" Greene asked pleasantly enough, as if he actually cared to hear the answer.

Mush took his cue from Blink and didn't answer. They were both preoccupied with finding an advantage in the situation. They were outnumbered and Blink wasn't going to be much good after a few swings. They had effectively cornered themselves.

Blink looked over the two boys Greene had come with. They weren't overly large and seemed like an even match. Greene wouldn't fight unless it was necessary. It wasn't his way. However, he didn't concern himself with fair play either, so there was a good chance one or all of them were carrying weapons.

"Don't worry, this'll go quick," Greene said almost reassuringly before he turned to the boy on his left. "Lou, take Kid's friend for a walk. Stay in sight."

"I'm fine where I am," Mush said with a clear warning his voice, daring 'Lou' to take a step toward him.

"This ain't your business," Greene said, ignoring Mush's tone, "You stay out of it and maybe you walk outta here."

Mush held his ground, not moved by the subtle threat and Blink balled his fist, in case Lou got any smart ideas.

Greene stayed Lou with a hand.

"You know who I am?" Greene asked as his eyes narrowed at Mush.

"Yeah," Mush said.

Greene regarded him a moment in tensed silence before his expression broke into a smile.

"Guts, I like that," Greene said with approval. "Let me make this simple for you, Guts. If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead. If I wanted you hurt, you'd be hurt. As it stands, I want to talk with Kid and I want to do it alone. We understand each other?"

Mush glanced sideways at Blink, waiting for him to take the first swing.

Blink didn't.

If they did get into a fight, he knew it would be over before it started. Mush might be able to take a couple down with him, but they weren't getting out. Greene saying he wanted to talk meant he had a deal, if he had a deal that meant he needed something from Blink. If Greene needed something from him, he wouldn't kill him. At least, that was his reasoning.

"Go on. I'll talk with him," Blink said finally.

Mush looked at him with carefully hidden disbelief. Separating was risky, but Blink was willing to take the chance. It would be better to get Mush away and closer to the street. If worst came to worst, he would have a fair chance of saving himself.

"You see, Guts? Everythin's square. No need to bloody that pretty face of yours," Greene said.

Mush hesitated, but finally nodded. It was clearly not something he would have done and he made no attempt to hide that from Blink.

"It turns bad, you run," Mush said in a low tone as he moved away from Blink.

"Same for you," Blink answered.

They knew neither would leave the other behind.

Mush walked toward the street, giving Blink a parting doubtful glance. Lou followed, exchanging a quick word with Greene that Blink couldn't make out.

"You got a good friend there," Greene said as he reached for something in his back pocket.

Blink tensed, waiting for what he knew would be sharp and pointy. Instead, Greene pulled out a cigarette and offered it to him.

"You want one?" he asked, finding another one for himself.

"Nah. I'm set," Blink refused quickly, taken slightly off-guard. It was a hard and fast rule you didn't smoke with people you were about to knock senseless.

Greene shrugged and handed the cigarette to the boy still at his side.

"You're probably wonderin' why I'm here," Greene said as he knelt down to strike a match on the ground.

"I got a good idea," Blink said. He didn't wonder, he knew. He also knew that he had to get out of there fast or create a big enough distraction so Mush could get back to the street.

Now seemed a good a time as any. They weren't even looking at him, both preoccupied with lighting their cigarettes. Blink glanced to Mush, caught his eye and nodded for him to go. Mush shook his head almost imperceptibly, trying not to attract attention. He mouthed the words 'You first.'

Blink hesitated. He didn't think he would be able to make it.

Greene laughed, his attention returned fully to Blink, "It ain't what you think."

The opportunity was gone.

"Then what?" Blink asked with a clear edge in his voice. It only brought a more genuine laugh from Greene.

"I always liked you, Kid. Never afraid of nothin'. Never took shit from no one. You was always smart."

Blink listened. Greene was working his way up to something, that much Blink could tell. Nobody ever called him smart.

"You and me go way back," Greene continued, exhaling a breath of smoke as he glanced away, "I forgot that. I did some things I ain't proud of. I went after you like you was nothin' to me. I ain't proud of that, Kid. It weren't right of me to do."

Blink opened his mouth to respond but closed it again when no words came out. Whatever Greene wanted, and Blink didn't forget he was after something, it must have been big. To apologize to a kid who insulted him by not rejoining was incredible enough, but to do it in front of his boys was just unbelievable.

"That bein' said, I need you to do somethin' for me. Something simple," Greene said casually, looking back at Blink.

He was losing his touch. Before, he would have been able to convince someone to do something for him without them even realizing it. To come right out and ask was not his style. He was either uncomfortable spending too much time in Manhattan out in the open or he thought Blink wouldn't refuse him.

"I ain't joinin' with you, Box."

"And I respect that," Greene said quickly, "You got yourself a good deal here. I wouldn't ask you to part with that. What I'm askin' is a one-time thing. You do this for me and I'll leave you alone, for good."

"What do I gotta do?" Blink asked hesitantly.

"Nah, you know how it works. You're either in or not."

So this was it. A favor for a favor. He did something for Greene and Greene let him live for a few more days. Blink did know how it worked and he knew there was no way Greene would let him off the hook for good. It would just be until he needed him again.

"I don't want no part of it," Blink said.

"Come on. What's your price, Kid?" Greene asked good-naturedly. "Money? You'll never have to sell another paper again. You do this for me and I'll set you up in style."

"Look, I appreciate that, but like I said, I ain't interested."

Greene nodded, seeming to accept the answer. He regarded Blink thoughtfully as he took a drag on his cigarette. "What about your friend?"

"What about him?" Blink asked with faint sense of fear.

"Your price, Kid. How 'bout I let him walk?"

Blink couldn't tell if he was being serious. The casual way he threatened Mush like it was nothing. He looked to Mush and silently willed him to run. Greene caught the quick glance.

"Good, we got a deal," he said with satisfaction.

"No. He ain't a part of this. This is between us," Blink said fiercely.

"He's already a part of it. Whether he gets out or not is your decision," Greene said, "So, what's it gonna be?"

Blink was stupid to think he would have gotten out of this with his life and without owing Greene something for it. And Greene had found something that Blink couldn't refuse. But if he said yes to Greene this time, Blink knew he would be trapped. Mush would safe, but only until Blink said 'no' again.

"No," Blink said, "No deal."

"Not good enough," Greene said, shaking his head slowly.

Greene looked to Lou and nodded.

Blink realized what was going to happened a second too late. He wasn't able to shout a warning in time. Mush never saw it coming. Lou punched him once squarely across the face and then again in the gut. He crumpled to the ground and didn't get up.

"What's it gonna be?" Greene asked again.

Blink felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. There was only one way he could help Mush, he had no choice.

"I'm in," he said quietly.

"Good." Greene smiled once again, as if nothing unpleasant had happened. "Like I said, it's a simple thing. I'd do it myself, but they'd see me comin' a mile away."

Blink wasn't listening. He was looking at Mush, wishing forgiveness on himself.

"I got a note here for your boy, Kelly," Greene said as he pulled a folded piece of newsprint from his pocket, "Can you read?"

"No," Blink said distractedly.

"It says I want him to set up a meetin' between me and Conlon. Can he do that?"

Blink couldn't believe it. All this for a stupid note? "That's what this is about? You want me to give Jack a note?"

"No, that's your friend's job. You'll be doin' somethin' more risky," Greene said as he motioned for the boy standing at his side to move back out of earshot. His eyes swept the surroundings once, making sure there was no one who would be able to overhear him. Satisfied, he leaned in closer to Blink and told him what was worth Mush's life.

Blink froze.

Risky was an understatement. What Greene wanted him to do would undoubtedly cost him his own life. It would send the territories into a war the city had not seen since Greene disappeared.

If he lived through it, he would be the traitor Race thought he was.

"I can't have anyone askin' questions or doubtin' you, Kid," Greene said," I'm riskin' too much lettin' your boy over there walk. As far as anyone's concerned, we cornered you and didn't finish the job. Understand?"

"Yeah," Blink said slowly, still trying to comprehend the consequences of the deal he had just made, "Do it."

He took a breath and prepared himself for what was to come. It had to be believable. People would be suspicious if Greene let him walk without a scratch.

"I'll be in touch," Greene said, nodding for the boy to come forward again, " You ready?"

Blink nodded and braced himself. The boy pulled his fist back.

Greene gave the go ahead and moved out of the way. He turned his back as the first punch landed and strolled back toward the street. The sound of Blink hitting the street followed him as he approached Mush.

Lou was pinning him to the ground with his foot. Mush was trying get out from under him but tensed as Greene came closer, expecting he would be next.

Greene bent down next to him and slipped the note into Mush's pocket.

"Watch," Greene told him, nodding towards Blink, "Tell Kelly what he can expect."

AN: No too long this time :0) We're nearing the end, folks. A couple more chapters to go.

Big thanks for B, TSB, Braids, Allison, Owl, Spot-the-Emu, and Cookie23

And thanks to everyone whose been reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

("Shoeless" shoutouts: B, TSB, Skittery's bad mood, Ashgrl, Sprints, Jac and signpost. Thanks guys, you rock :0)