Chapter 7

Concerning item #5: The Key Around His Neck

-

"Let's go pay him a visit, shall we? Blink, Race, youse come with me."

"Well," Race muttered. "I dunno, Jack… I gotta hit the track an' all…"

"Yeah," Blink piped in. "Spot's a known moiderer now."

"Youse all afraid a' this little guy?" Jack pointed to the picture of the Brooklyn Bridge in the paper.

"Youse saw him, Jack. He took on the Delancey's all by hisself."

Jack was about to say that he did too, but then he realized that usually when he came in a scuffle with the brothers he found himself running.

"Fine," Jack said decidedly. "I'll go myself. I got me some backbone, ya know? See ya lata', ladies.""

"Naw, I'll come," Racetrack said, giving in. "I ain't afraid a' him."

"Anyone else?"

"Hey!" Blink said. "I'm ain't afraid a' him, or his new little friends eidda'! I'm goin' too."

"Hey, me too!" Boots said.

"Count me in!" Mush said, hopping in the circle too.

Soon all of them went up to Jack's challenge, and made their way to the Bridge.

-

Spot sat in his chair on the docks, outside of the small boat that Haze had called his home. It was Spot's now. At night he could drift out into the bay if he wanted, or if he feared a death threat. Mr. Haze hadn't been so stupid after all. He definitely knew how to watch his own back.

The boy they dragged up was small, smaller than Spot even, but put up a hell of a struggle.

"We found him, Spot," One of his boys, named Frenzy, said.

"Ya called Doodles, kid?" Spot said.

The kid responded by spitting the ground.

"Ya bum! I'll soak ya! I'll soak all o' youse!"

Spot smirked and examined the gold tip of his cane with great interest.

"Ya do realize," Spot said coolly. "That ya been doin' a lotta spyin' on us lately, eh? Not takin' your new leader too seriously, eh?"

"Ya stupid rat!"

"And ya do realize that youse been playin' both sides a' the fence, eh?"

"Ya stupid piece a'--"

"And do ya further realize, that Wheezer and Spinly just got knocked off cuz of youse being a little snitch?"

"I ain't done nothin' that weren't comin' to 'em for a long time."

"An eye for an eye, Doodles," Spot said. "Take him, fellahs."

"NO!" Doodles yelled. "I didn't do nottin'! NO!"

"Hey, Spot!"

"NO, please!" Doodles yelled outside.

"Yeah, Woodsy, what?"

"A Jack Kelly is here to see ya! Says he knows ya?"

"I ain't goin', I AIN'T!"

"Sure, I do! Cowboy!" Spot got up and hooked his cane in his belt loop. "Hold on, I'm goin' out to see him."

-

"Hey there, Spot." Jack said, extended his spit-on hand to Spot. Spot spit in his own and shook it in return.

"Heya, Jackie-boy, how's it rollin'?"

"Nice cane," Race commented in fear.

"Ah, this old thing?" Spot said, looking at it fondly. "Yeah, I'm kinda attached to it."

Spot motioned for Jack to walk with him, and the others trailed behind.

"So how's business?" Jack said as they all walked along another pier.

"Good profits for me lately," Spot admitted. "You?"

"Yeah, us too."

Boots watched as several boys beat the hell out of a little boy, then dragged him behind a crate and wiped their hands clean of him.

"Mush, did ya see--?"

"Keep movin', Boots," Blink herded him on. "Act like youse didn't see anythin'. Just keep walkin'."

"Good headlines lately," Spot went on. "I'm guessin' that's why ya all heah. To see if it's true, am I right?"

"We kinda figured it was truth before we even got heah, Spot," Jack replied.

"I told ya I'd rule this town, didn't I, Cowboy?"

"Yeah, ya did tell me that. I had a good mind not to believe it eiddah'."

"Yeah, swell mind, Jackie-boy. Ya lookin' for a place for a while? I gotta warn ya, me boys are a bit rough, but I figure youse can handle 'em."

"Naw, we's headin' back today. Got papes to sell, ya know?"

"Den ya heah to ask me somethin', ain't ya?"

Jack nodded.

"You're heah," Spot went on. "To make sure me new boys don't rough up yours."

"Yeah, as a matta' a' fact," Jack said, putting his hands in his pockets, and staring at Spot without fear.

"I ain't Dickens," Spot said. "I ain't in the habit a' just sendin' boys out to beat up on odder boys for a good time. I gotta have a reason. Take today for example. Doodles ovah there, got one a' me boys drowned in the East Rivah. 'Bout a week latah', he got another beat to death in an alleyway. Made up lies, see. I got me own wars to be worryin' 'bout. I don't need to go makin' more in yer part a' town. That's yer job, Cowboy."

Jack grinned, then nodded.

"Good seein' youse, Spot."

"Don't be a stranger, eh?"

"Nevah."

So they nodded to one another in agreement, and Spot began to head back.

"Oh, and Spot!" Jack called.

"What?" He said, turning back to face him.

"I'm still woikin' on that goil a' yours. Got a new lead, so I'll prolly get back 'round these parts soon."

"I'll be expectin' ya, then."

"Man, he's got creeps runnin' up and down my spine," Boots said when they caught up to Jack. The others looked at Boots funny when he said this.

"Well," Boots recovered. "But it ain't like I'm scared or nottin'."

"Not in the least," Jack said sarcastically. "Let's get back, fellahs."

-

"The name of the game is volume, Dave," Jack said, about three weeks later. "You only took twenty papes. Why?"

"Bad headline," David replied promptly.

"K, that's the foist thing ya gotta loin. Headlines don't sell papes. Newsies sell papes.

"Yeah! Newsies!" the others agreed.

"You know," Jack went on. "We're what holds this town together. Without newsies, nobody knows nottin'."

"Yeah!" the rest agreed again. At that moment, a beautiful girl walked by, carrying a few books. She wore a black dress and straw hat over her gentle brown curls. As she passed, all manner of previous conversation stopped.

"Whoa, look at that angel!"

"I'm in Heaven!"

They all stared at her, she realized, so she quickened her pace before they could see her flushing cheeks and flattered smile.

"BABY BORN WIT' THREE HEADSES!" Specs yelled first, then the rest followed suit. Except Jack. He started to sell like the others, but stopped.

"Hey Dave, hold on for a sec, I'll catch up with youse."

"What?" David said in surprise. "Where're you—Jack?"

But he already disappeared in the crowd.

-

"Hey, uh, could I help youse with dose books there, ma'am?" Jack said to the girl.

"Oh, thank you, but I'm not going far," she replied nervously, keeping her quick pace.

"Hey, well, I'll just carry 'em a short ways, then. Least I can do for gracin' our eyes with yo' pretty face."

She blushed and looked down at her feet as she walked.

"You say that to every girl you meet?"

"Can youse believe I just made that up now? Com'on, not bad for the old wit, eh?"

She smiled sheepishly.

"Not bad at all," she finally stopped.

"Whatsa mattah'?" Jack said, stopping too.

"This is my building," she explained, motioning to the small flight of cement stairs leading to a tall red door. "I told you it wasn't far."

"Oh, I see. Well, um… Where I woik, it's just around the corner there. I'll see youse again tomorrow, huh?"

She didn't seem thrilled with the idea.

"Well, I guess…"

"Youse don't want me to?" Jack said, leaning on the stair rail in concern.

"I don't know you," she replied honestly.

"That's why I'm gonna see youse again. We gonna fix that. Wait for me tomorrah'. Right heah, on these heah steps. I'll come visit ya."

She thought for a moment, glanced at the floor, then at him again, and said softly:

"Okay."

"Great," Jack said with a smile. "Ya think I can get yer name?"

"It's Catherine," she said. "But everyone calls me Cat."

Jack cocked his head. Why did that name ring a bell?

-

Enjoy that? Tell me!
Signed,
--RedRogue