Kit and Dash's steps sound like thunder as the march up the stairs.
"Where is she?" Kit demands.
He's a little pushy today.
"Who?" Race asks almost jokingly.
"Spot's girl. The Queen of Brooklyn. His prize. His trophy girlfriend, Allyson," Kit sneers," Ring a bell?"
"Where's Spot?" Jack asks.
"He and Ace are over at those dirty halfbreed gypsies' house looking for her. Gonna feed 'em a good line of bull crap, tell 'em she just ran away," Kit snickers.
Kit doesn't even know the first thing about my family. They're so much kinder than any bone in his body.
"We'se know Ally's in 'Hattan. I saw her!" Dash exclaims.
"She nevah stopped here," Jack says.
"Why is a piece her hair on Blink then, huh?" Kit interrogates them.
"Well, ya see, she was here, but she put an egg on 'er foot, and beat it back ta Brooklyn," Race laughs.
"You bettah watch it, Blink. Spot's got it out for you. Says he's gonna soak ya for kissin' his goil," Kit warns laughing with Dash after," Watch out for the King of Brooklyn, blind little chicken."
After Kit and Dash leave, the door swings open making me whimper.
"Come on Al, the coast is clear," Race says holding his hand out to me.
"So we'se gotta take 'er somewhere where Spot ain't even gonna think of looking," Jack explains.
"What 'bout Blink? We gotta keep him from Spot," Boots adds.
"Maybe we'se could take 'em to a borough that's buddies wit us but not Brooklyn," Crutchie offers.
Jack places his hands on my shoulders as he talks to me," Allyson, is there anywhere dat you'se can remember dat Spot has gone in the past week?"
"Well, tonight when he dropped me off with Blink, he said he had more business in Staten Island to sort out," I whisper," He said he was gonna soak their leader."
"Skittery run to Staten and tell Dice them the plan," Jack orders.
Skittery and Specs take off out the door.
"Now, Ally, Blink, you'se will go to Staten in a couple minutes and stay there over night and come back the next mornin' and Race you go wit 'em. We'll find a place in Manhattan for guys to stay where Spot won't find ya," Jack pulls me into a hug," Ya helped us so much, we ain't gonna let him even come near you."
The other boys start to join in squishing me to death.
"Help! It hurts!" I squeak out.
They soon let go, letting my lungs breathe again.
"I can't get thank you all enough. I don't know where I would be without your help," I slip my cross off of my neck and hold it out to Jack," Here, as a token of gratitude. I would give you the key, but it's the only thing I have of him. And I would like to keep it."
"I'se can't take that, it's yours," Jack says handing back to me.
"No, good true friends help you to find important things, when you've lost them, your smile, your hope, and your courage," I smile handing it back," We are vrai bon ami. Tell Sarah and David I said bonjour."
"Come on, Al, we need to go before someone else comes," Blink says holding his hand out to me.
I nod while taking his hand. He pulls me out of the Lodge with Race following close behind.
"Ever been to Staten, Al?" Race asks.
I shake my head as Race walks beside me.
"You'se think that people heah are stuck up, ya ain't evah seen them."
We walk in almost complete silence. Blink leads Race and I across a bridge, looking back every couple seconds.
He's turned paranoid. He keeps looking back, he won't let go of my hand, and he mumbling to himself.
"Blink, you need a break, or somethin'?" Race asks him.
"No, I'se gotta get Al away from Spot. I can't let 'im find 'er. I gotta get Al away. I gotta get Al away," he mumbles.
Race touches Blink shoulder, making him jump ten feet in the air," You'se needs to cool down."
"I am," Blink says pulling me along.
"Blink, keep it cool," I whisper to him.
Blink glances behind us and starts dragging me as he runs. He needs to keep it cool. He nearly pulls my arm out of the socket until we get to the Staten Island lodging house.