My Sweetheart -Newsies Racetrack Higgins-

[7]

"Newsies..." Jack said loudly, staring at Wiesel with pure hatred. "Get 'em!" He yelled.

The newsies threw the bundles of papers, and charged, accidentally pushing Ruth into the crowd. She yelped, and nearly fell down. One of Wiesel's goons swung a fist at her, which she dodged. She blew a few pieces of hair out of her mouth, before clenching her fists.

She swung back, nailing him in the jaw. The ring in her hand cut his jawline, a small dribble of blood leaking out. He groaned, and jabbed towards her, hitting her in the stomach. She cried out, grabbing the attention of Racetrack who was fighting with another goon.

He tried to rush to her, but lost sight of her in the crowd. He paused for a moment, thinking he saw Les rolling in a barrel, but he wasn't sure. He continued to look for Ruth, but his vision was stopped by the ugly, grotesque, face of Oscar Delancey. They scuffled for a while, before a sharp whistling sound hit their ears.

It fell quiet and still, as everyone looked at the cops and Snyder, who sneered at the kids.

"It's about time you showed up." Romeo wobbled on his feet. "They're slaughtering us!" He cried, just to be hit across the face with a metal baton. The newsies tried to run away, but the bulls were quicker.

They began to beat down the newsies, one by one, they fell down like dominos. Jack grabbed Les, and got him out of the Distribution Center, going back for Davey, to see a bull hook him in the jaw.

"Jack! Wait for me!" Crutchie cried out, struggling against the Delancey brother's grips on his arms. Ruth ran up to him, and pushed Morris away, who only growled, and grabbed a hold of her arms.

"Hey!" Jack yelled, catching sight of his best friend and Ruth.

"Help! Jack! Romeo! Finch!" Crutchie cried.

"Shut it, crip." Morris spat, taking the banner Crutchie had made, and throwing it to the ground.

Crutchie tried to fight back, hitting Morris and Oscar with his crutch, but was hit to the ground.

"Katherine! Jack!" Ruth screamed in desperation. "Race!" She cried, looking for his face.

Snyder peered over at the boy who laid on the ground, moaning in pain, and at Ruth, who was giving Morris a piece of her mind, colorful words spilling out of her mouth at an uncontrollable rate. "Well, it's off to the refuge with you two." He smirked.

"Katherine! Jack!" She screamed in desperation. "Race!" She cried, looking for his face.

Snyder began to hit Crutchie with his crutch, ignoring Crutchie's cries to stop.

"Stop it!" Ruth shouted, drawing the attention of the spider himself.

"You wanna piece of this too, huh?" He grinned madly, aiming the crutch like she was a baseball, and it was a bat.

It felt like someone had pushed all the air out of her, as the crutch came in contact with her chest. It didn't relent, swinging into her stomach, lungs, sides, and a few times her face.

"Race!" She cried, trying to ignore the look of satisfaction on Snyder's face.

"And you," Snyder called two cops over, "take them away!" He snapped cuffs on Crutchie and Ruth's wrists.

"Jack!" Crutchie sobbed, being dragged away by his feet, watching Jack's face get farther and farther away.

Racetrack had heard Ruth call for him, but couldn't see her, as the crowd was too thick, and he couldn't push through. He finally found her, and saw something that made his heart brake.

Ruth was reaching our for him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her face was all red and she tried to kick and punch the bull, but he nearly laughed, and kept walking away. "Race!" She yelled, her voice cracking.

"Ruthie! Hold on! I'll find ya!" He yelled out for her, tears falling down his face as well. He tried to run after her, but the bulls were nowhere to be seen.

-

Ruth and Crutchie sat silently, side by side, in the large metal cell that was attached to a car, that was to take them to the refuge.

Crutchie laid his head on the cool metal wall, unconscious. He was bleeding from multiple areas, and it hurt Ruth not to be able to help. She stared ahead, as she began to think of anyway to help the two of them out of their current situation.

The car suddenly stopped, and Crutchie jolted upright. The door swung open, and the same bulls from before, pulled them out.

Ruth looked in horror at the redbrick building. Trash bins, overflowing with garbage stood outside, and multiple piles of shoes, and other items were strewn across the ground. The windows were open, and multiple boys and girls were peered out at them. They seemed so dead inside, Ruth thought to herself.

Snyder got out of the car, and looked Ruth and Crutchie over. Ruth spat in his face, and he laughed quietly, wiping his face with a handkerchief.

"I don't believe they've learned their lesson, yet." Snyder sneered. "Thank you gentlemen, we shall take excellent care of them." He tipped his hat, and the two men got back in the car, and left.

He grabbed Ruth by the forearm, and she held onto Crutchie's waist, helping him limp inside the building.

The inside was even worse than the outside. Trash littered the staircase, a few young boys lingering as they watched Ruth with confusion. They were led down a dark hallway, and into a locked room. Crutchie was ripped from Ruth, and thrown to the concrete ground. Two men followed Snyder inside, and pushed Ruth down in a similar fashion. The room was dark, but a single light lit up a corner of the room, were a table full of weapons and other things.

Snyder threw Crutchie's crutch at one of the men, and left the room, rubbing his hands together and smiling. Ruth groaned, and shifted herself, so she was blocking them from Crutchie.

One of the men laughed, and picked up the crutch, and brought it down into her head.

She felt a warm liquid run down her face, and she immediately put her hand up her her head. She pulled it away, to see it coated with blood. She began to feel woozy, and fell face first into the concrete floor. The last thing she heard before she passed out, was the men laughing, and Crutchie crying out for her.