Part II, Chapter VI
April 10, 1902
Brooklyn, New York
Bolt pushed the intruder backward mercilessly onto the fire escape and they fell to the iron. Ignoring McCroy's questions, he crawled out the window and shut it.
"What…the hell…What're you doin' heah?" asked Bolt as he caught his breath. "In Brooklyn?!"
Emma buried her face in her hands and started to cry.
"Does he know?!" asked Bolt.
She shook her head, still crouched down weakly. Bolt bent down but kept a short distance. The surrounding darkness made Bolt feel as though he were a traitor--as though he shouldn't be talking to Emma, as though she were the enemy. He hadn't realized it until after a few moments, but the sight of her made him angry.
"Why'd you come back, Emma?"
Bolt was unable to see her face, but could only imagine what I looked like. He heard her whimpering and could even tell she was trembling.
"I needed to see Spot," she answered finally.
"What for?"
"I don't know, I don't know…" she shook her head.
"You alone?"
She nodded.
McCroy knocked on the window from the inside. His face twisted with angry confusion, he gave Bolt a look that demanded answers. Bolt flicked him off but thought swiftly. He grabbed Emma by the arm aggressively and hoisted her up.
"Get off me, Bolt!"
"Hey," he said, pulling her in to speak in her ear, "there's no sayin' I don't throw you right onto the street, Emma. I don't think you'se should be heah but fer some reason I'm helpin' you out."
Emma squirmed and Bolt jerked her arm into submission.
"Stop! If you want my help, then play along and don't say a goddamn word."
Bolt opened the window and dragged Emma inside mercilessly as if hauling in a sack of potatoes. Though she tried to wriggle free from his grasp, she bit her lip so she wouldn't speak, and she swallowed the quick pain of hitting the windowsill and being tossed to the floor. Bolt grabbed the back of her collar, pulling chunks of her hair along with it, and tears welled once more in her eyes.
"Who the hell's that?" asked Diggins, pointing disgustedly.
"Crown Heights."
"Ya mean they already sent someone to get that runt in there?" asked Diggins, pointing behind him to the closet.
Bolt nodded. "Yeah. Don' worry, I'll take care of it."
He opened the door to the closet, and hesitated a moment, glancing down at Emma, who looked up at him. He swallowed and dragged her to the floor next to Johnny, who woke with a start.
"Who the hell're---"
Bolt slammed the door before McCroy and Diggins had a chance to hear Johnny's confusion over the intruder. They looked at Bolt, puzzled.
"Bolt, what the hell was that all about?" asked McCroy.
"Yeah, why'd ya talk to her out there, huh? D'you know her?"
"Yeah, who the hell is she?"
"Enough!" shouted Bolt. He heard some boys in the bunkroom toss and turn at the noise. "No, Diggins, I don' know her, what the hell kinda question is that?"
"Then what'd you talk--"
"I was tryin' to figure out if she was comin' to get Johnny! I was checkin' to see if she was lyin'! And who the hell d'you think you are questioning me like this, huh? Get back to work!"
Diggins swallowed his pride. "Sorry, Bolt."
"Ya gonna wake up Conlon to tell 'im?"
"Don' worry 'bout, McCroy. I'm goin' to bed, an' I don' wanna hear another word about it, a'right?"
McCroy clenched his jaw and nodded. He and Diggins took their seats next to the closet and Bolt walked back to his bunk. Spot sat up as soon as he got back.
"What's goin' on ovah there?" he asked sleepily.
"Nothin'. Took care of it."
"Who'd you put in the closet? What was that about?" He rubbed his eyes.
"Someone was tryin' to break in is all. I took care of it." Bolt avoided looking Spot in the eye all the while and quickly got back into bed.
The rest of the night was sleepless for Bolt. He stared at Spot's bed above him and couldn't help but feel disloyal. Without a wink of sleep, he tried his best to formulate a plan. No way was the shock of Emma's return going to be light on Spot. He couldn't handle something like this since he had seen the damage Emma had done when she left. Not to mention, with Spot's long list of enemies, how safe would Emma be if they ever did reconcile? Wouldn't she be a prime target for anyone trying to take Spot down? He knew keeping this secret, however, would do damage the his friendship with Spot, and what would happen if the two of them couldn't lead Brooklyn together?
Bolt wanted to shut his mind off. When he couldn't, fall asleep he got up and put his plan in motion.
