Chapter Four

Dick's restive thrashing finally awoke McEwan. He felt a knifelike pain shoot upwards from the rib area. Dick must have hit him by accident while he was tossing about. McEwan reached across the bed and gently held the younger boy until he finally quieted. Every few minutes Dick would mumble something unintelligible then fight restlessly with the covers.

McEwan hadn't had the heart to leave Dick alone that night. He'd just looked so small and helpless in Ghoul's arms.

Bobby, if only it'd been me instead of you . . . Can it, McEwan! You can't change past pains . . . but the future is paid for by the present . . . therefore, you have to choose your debt wisely . . . Okay, McEwan, stop obsessing . . . What's the point in worrying about the future? It'll get here soon enough!

Dick's cries interrupted his silent musings.

"No! Mom . . . Dad! He's here . . . he said he'll hurt someone . . . that's him! . . . Zucco! . . . He's the one! . . . Dad! Mom! . . . Your lines! Please check your lines! Please listen to me. . . ! No . . . .! Don't . . . !"

"Zucco?" McEwan whispered shocked. *Zucco* was involved in the murder of the kid's parents? Then the Acrobat was in even greater danger than any of them had suspected. The Vigils were soldiers in Zucco's army of enforcers. They were still small potatoes; the real heavy stuff was left for Zucco's professional goons. But what the Vigils lacked in experience, they made up for in vicious exuberance. Blade and his boys took extreme pleasure in enforcing Zucco's policies. Getting paid to bust heads was an added bonus.

If Zucco got word that Dick could identify him as the guy who'd offed his parents, the kid's life would be measurable in seconds. While getting Dick out of the JDC had been urgent before, McEwan realized that it had just reached critical mass. He checked his watch. 2:45 a.m. What was keeping Jay Dee? The program should be done by now.

McEwan looked down at the fitfully sleeping boy next to him. Dick wrapped his right arm protectively around Elinore; proximity to his stuffed elephant seemed to sooth his restlessness. McEwan reached over and tucked the covers a little closer around the boy's shoulder. Elinore's black button eyes looked unblinkingly at him. McEwan felt that she was watching his every move, assessing his motives.

That's right, Elinore . . . trust no one.

*****

The sound of the deadbolt being thrown back startled him awake. This was quickly followed by the whoop-whoop-whoop of the facility's alarms. McEwan leaped out of bed and ran quickly to the open door. The room and the outside corridor were pitch black. No lights! They'd done it.

"What--? What's goin' on?" Dick was sitting up dazedly. He was rubbing his eyes trying to adjust to the unexpected darkness.

"Come on, kid . . . up and at 'em. You'n me . . . we're outta here." McEwan's light tone belied the urgency of the moment. He quickly ran back to the bed and hurriedly tossed back the covers while urging Dick out. He searched for and found Dick's sneakers, thankful that he'd thought to place them within easy reach. Dick quickly put them on, but then had difficulty tying them.

"Come on, you two!" Jay Dee's impatient voice called them from the door.

"I can't tie my shoes," Dick protested sleepily, as he fumbled nervously with the shoelaces.

"For crying aloud, give the kid a hand! Obviously, I can't!" McEwan hissed, indicating his injured arm.

"Oh, for the love of--" Jay Dee hurried over and quickly tied the younger boy's shoes for him. "Let's go! Montana and Ghoul are heading towards the rec room and'll be set in about three minutes. Lucky's meeting us at the rendezvous point!"

As the three boys rounded the first corner of the corridor, Dick suddenly stopped.

"Wait! Elinore! I forgot her!" He started running back to his room. "I can't leave her!"

"No, kid! Wait!" McEwan grabbed Dick by his shirt collar. "We don't have the time! We've gotta go. I'm sorry!" Dick struggled to free himself.

"I won't go without her! I'm all she has!" He looked at McEwan desperately. "She's all *I* have! Please!" McEwan looked at the boy's stricken face and relented.

"Jay Dee! Take the kid," he said. "Don't worry, Acrobat . . . I'm a sucker for a damsel in distress. I'll get Elinore; you go with Jay Dee! Now!"

"Come on, kid! This way!" Jay Dee said insistently. Dick looked back as McEwan's form disappeared into the darkened corridor. He became aware of the sounds of confusion. JDC aides' threatening voices raised in anger! Inmates' voices responding in kind.

"YOU! JUVIE! BACK TO YOUR CELL!" "MAKE ME, SCUMBAG!" "We have a Code Red! I say again . . . CODE RED in the rec room!" "Where the hell is the response team? . . . Well get them the hell outta bed and OVER HERE!"

Dick ran through the endlessly darkened hallways, confused, and frightened not daring to stop, not daring to take his eyes off Jay Dee's back.

"Where are we going?" he gasped out. Dick was thoroughly confused by the many twists, turns and backtracking that they'd taken. They ran down several flights of stairs, through a long damp corridor that Dick instinctively knew was subterranean. Its dampness was coupled with the echoes of their running feet and the sounds of steam being pumped through pipes. Dick felt hopelessly lost. Where were they *going*?

Finally, Jay Dee slowed to a halt.

"Come on, kid . . . this way," Jay Dee said, entering another darkened room. "Lucky? You here, man?"

"Sorry, Jay Dee," an ominous voice said from the shadows. "Lucky couldn't make it." Light suddenly flooded the room, blinding them. Lucky lay deathly still in a corner of the room, his shirt saturated by an expanding dark stain of his own blood. "I guess his *luck* ran out!" Napalm and another of his goons stood in the middle of the room; both were grinning at his cleverness.

Napalm held a switchblade in his right hand; his companion stood with a baseball bat at port arms.

As Dick's eyes adjusted to the unexpected brightness, he realized that they must be in the laundry room. The building that housed it was located about one hundred meters outside the perimeter fence! The place was surrounded with hampers loaded with sheets, towels, uniforms, and other pieces of linen and clothing. His eyes widened when he saw that Lucky wasn't moving.

"Lucky!" Dick made a move towards him, but was held back by Jay Dee. "We've gotta help him! He'll die!"

"Too late, pretty boy," Napalm said, holding out his switchblade. A bright red sticky substance--Lucky's blood--covered it. "And guess who's next?" He saw Dick's eyes widen in fear and grinned with an almost exquisite anticipation at the thought of extinguishing the light that seemed to radiate from the young boy. Napalm turned his eyes to Jay Dee. "If you live, loser, remind me to thank you and Fingers for delivering the package." Napalm indicated Dick with his chin. "Mister Zucco will be *real* grateful."

*Zucco*? Jay Dee wondered. What did *Zucco* have to do with the kid? He instinctively stood in front of Dick protectively, and could only feel shame at his decidedly visceral reaction to the sight of Napalm's switchblade.

"Hey, kid," Napalm said, "nothing personal . . . I don't know why the Boss wants you flat-lined and I don't care, but orders *are* orders." He addressed his partner. "Gunner, the kid's mine . . . take care of Jay Dee."

"You work for Zucco?" Dick managed to whisper. At Napalm's sneering nod, Dick's uncontrollable fury suddenly overwhelmed his entire being. These creeps worked for the monster who'd killed his Mom and Dad! Nothing else mattered at this point. He could only think about striking back.

Dick exploded into action. He executed two somersaults in rapid succession, and while still on his hands, he pushed straight up, kicking out with his powerful legs. His right heel slammed into Napalm's groin, while his left struck Napalm's right wrist. Napalm's numbed fingers immediately dropped his switchblade while his knees buckled from the sudden pain shooting up from his crotch area.

"You little son-of-a-bi--" Napalm managed to squeak. "I'll *kill* you . . . !" He reached out weakly to try and grab Dick as the young acrobat literally flew over him. Jay Dee, seeing his chance, followed suit by savagely kicking Napalm while he was down.

Meanwhile, Gunner was busy swinging at Dick with his baseball bat. Dick managed to duck and roll under Gunner's deadly swing. Gunner recovered and began to methodically stalk the smaller, frightened boy. Dick backed away, barely avoiding being clubbed. His retreat was stopped by something hard behind him--a countertop!

Gunner grinned in anticipation. He quickly brought the bat up behind his head and swung it down with all of the power he could muster. The bat struck the countertop where Dick had been standing a split second before. It broke in half from the force of the blow. With a roar of anger, Gunner recovered and threw the now useless bat handle on the floor.

He then proceeded to slowly follow Dick, who was standing, cornered with no place to run. Jay Dee saw that Dick was in trouble and promptly gave Napalm one final kick to the head and started running across the room towards Gunner.

As Dick watched Gunner approach, his quick mind kept looking for a means of escape. Finally, he remembered one of his favorite tricks, which he used to pull on Jacques, the Haly Circus strong man. When Gunner was about ten feet from him, Dick suddenly ran towards him, leaped and flipped over Gunner's head, using the gang member's own shoulders as his springboard. Dick landed behind Gunner, but didn't recover in time.

"Acrobat! Down!" Jay Dee yelled. Too late! Gunner struck Dick a hammer-blow from behind. Dick literally saw stars as the world suddenly reeled underneath him. He looked up in time to see a blurred figure go flying over him and heard a grunt, as something slammed hard into something else. The last thing Dick heard was the faint sound of fighting as awareness slowly left him.

****

A cold wetness on his forehead dragged him back to the pain. Voices faded in and out in garbled whispers that streamed by him, faster than he could follow. The universe continued its wild carousel ride, while the insistent throbbing that began behind his eyes mercilessly pierced through his brain to the base of his skull. He flinched from the cold wetness.

"Fingers! He's coming to!" Jay Dee?

"Thank God!" McEwan, sounding relieved. "Hey, little Acrobat . . . buddy . . . can you hear me? Come on, kid . . . wake up." Dick struggled against the ice pick that was relentlessly trying to pry his head open.

"Uhhnn . . . " Dick swallowed. "What . . . hap . . . pened . . . ? His voice was a dry croak.

"Ghoul, get me a glass of water!" McEwan's voice sounded abrupt. Then his tone became mild, quiet. Dick felt gentle fingertips brush his hair back. "Hey, little guy, don't try to talk now, y'hear? We're getting you outta here. Just hang on a sec--Oh good, thanks!"

Dick felt a hand carefully lift him to a slight sitting position. Something hard was placed on his lips. A glass! The cool water felt refreshing inside his cottonmouth. He swallowed painfully at first, then eagerly.

"Take it easy, buddy . . . slowly now . . . that's it. Okay, that's enough for now." The glass was removed from his lips. McEwan's voice sounded calm yet insistent. "All right, Acrobat, open your eyes, kid . . . come on now . . . open sesame." Dick struggled to comply with the request. He knew how to open his eyes. All he had to do was . . . what? . . . All he had to do was . . . .

Slowly, his eyelids fluttered, until they were slitted against the light. His eyes began tearing against the brightness. He brought his hands up defensively.

"Oww-ww . . . " he groaned. "It hurts . . . "

"I know, kid . . . I know. You're doing great. You're a very brave kid, Acrobat. Did you know that?" McEwan's voice sounded encouraging. Dick finally managed to open his eyes all the way. McEwan's worried face greeted him, a wan smile struggling to reach his eyes. "Hey, that's the ticket, kid. Welcome back." Jay Dee, Ghoul, and Montana smiled and waved, their relief obvious on their faces.

"What happened?" Dick whispered. He was lying on a hard surface, probably the countertop he'd backed into earlier. Someone had wrapped him in a white sheet to keep him warm.

"Gunner happened, kid. Kicked you from behind 'cause he was too chicken to take you face to face." McEwan's smile widened. Dick's eyes smiled in return, then faded.

"Lucky?" he asked. McEwan's eyes dropped and he shook his head sadly.

"Lost too much blood. Sorry, kid." Dick turned away stricken. Lucky was dead because of him. He was dead because he'd tried to help him. "Acrobat, we've gotta get out now. The ferrets are incompetent and stupid, but sooner or later they'll find their way here. I know it's gonna hurt, but we've got to move you. D'you understand?"

Dick nodded, his head still turned away. He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder, then release.

"Ghoul! Come on. You've got to carry the kid," McEwan instructed. "And be careful, for Chrisakes! No telling if he's got a concussion or not."

"I can walk," Dick protested, struggling to a sitting position. "I'm not a baby!" The earth moved. Dick fell back suddenly, his breath coming in short gasps. What had just happened?

"Let that be a lesson to you, kid. Doctor McEwan knows best. You've had a severe kick to the head. Now, I happen to know that these guys wouldn'ta felt nuthin' 'cause they ain't got brains enough to fuss over. But you're not like that. You're a bright kid, and that kick to the head has managed to scramble your brain around a bit. Don't worry. As soon as you even *look* like you can walk again, you're on foot. Deal?"

Dick nodded. "Deal!"

"Okay. Ghoul, haul away! And try to be careful with him." Ghoul nodded earnestly.

"Sure thing, Fingers. I'll be extra careful, I promise," Ghoul sounded sincere. "Let's go, Acrobat!" He lifted Dick gingerly, mindful of his head injury. "Ready, Fingers."

"Hey, what about *us*?" Everyone turned to the speaker. Dick saw that it was Napalm. His face was puffy and beginning to turn a sickly purple and green. His lips were already two sizes larger than normal. Both he and Gunner were tied with strips of sheets. "You can't leave us like this!"

"Watch me," said McEwan coldly. He saluted goodbye and began to head towards the exit. Napalm's voice followed him with a string of unrepeatable expletives. He called McEwan several names, then began on his lineage. McEwan stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned to Napalm, raised a single eyebrow, and headed back. "You're right, Napalm. I *can't* leave you like this. So . . . I hope you *appreciate* this!" He pulled back suddenly with his left fist, then punched Napalm--hard!

"Damn, that hurt!" McEwan yelled, shaking his hand. "Hell, Napalm, why'd you have to have such a hard chin?" Not waiting for an answer, McEwan kicked him instead. "Now, what were you saying about my mother?"

Napalm's voice became entreating.

"No, please, Fingers . . . I was just following orders! You can understand that! Mister Zucco calls the shots . . . said he wanted the kid erased. I'm a soldier . . . I follow orders!"

"Yeah, you're a real hero!" McEwan grabbed Napalm by the collar. "You get word to your Vigils . . . you mess with the kid, you mess with me."

"Heh, I'm shaking in my boots, Fingers," Napalm said derisively. "Word on the street is you never carry a piece . . . nothing! What are you gonna do . . . talk us to death? Zucco *owns* the streets, wise guy! And the Vigils are the peacekeepers. You don't know who you're messing with!"

"Oh, I know exactly who I'm up against . . . The question is . . . do *you* know who *you're* up against?" Napalm's eyes widened. "Jay Dee . . . Ghoul . . . take the kid. There's no need for him to see any of this. Montana, you'n me are gonna *interrogate* the prisoners."

"Fingers!" Dick called out weakly. McEwan looked down at Napalm a few more seconds, then walked over to Dick.

"What is it, kid?" McEwan asked quietly.

"You . . . you're not going to hurt them, are you, Fingers?" Dick's young features had taken on a much too serious expression.

"Hey, now would I do anything like that, little Acrobat?" McEwan's smile didn't quite reach his brown eyes. "Oh, hey, kid, I almost forgot . . . Montana!" McEwan snapped his fingers. "Got it? Thanks." He turned back to Dick. "Look what I got here . . . Elinore . . .  and she's all safe and sound, just like I promised." His smile grew wider when he saw the obvious joy in Dick's face at being reunited with his friend.

"Elinore! Thanks, Fingers, you're the best friend *ever*!" Dick hugged his stuffed elephant closely to himself. Then obviously struggling to stay conscious, he continued insistently. "Promise . . . promise you won't hurt them."

"Acrobat, I promise I won't hurt a hair on their heads," McEwan responded. "Now you let Ghoul and Jay Dee here take you out of this place . . . and try to get some rest. I'll be right out." McEwan waited for them to walk out before he returned to Napalm and Gunner. "And now . . . for something completely different," he said ironically.

"Hey, you promised that kid . . . !" Gunner protested.

"Sure. I promised I wouldn't hurt a hair on your heads . . . and I won't. It's certain other parts of your anatomy that I intend to inflict pain on. You and your Vigils . . . all you know is how to hurt others. You killed my brother . . . hospitalized me . . . killed Lucky . . . and now you're trying to kill the kid. Tell me *why* I shouldn't kill you . . . or at least, why I shouldn't hurt you?"

Gunner spoke in a panic. "Because I can tell you how to find Blade . . . and Zucco!"

"Shut up, Gunner! Are you *crazy*? Zucco'll have us *both* killed!" Napalm hissed. McEwan looked at Montana and jerked his head slightly. Montana obliged by kicking Napalm in the rib area.

"I think you should worry more about what *I'll* do to you right now, than what Zucco will do to you later." McEwan spoke quietly, but it was the very quietness of his tone that frightened his two prisoners even more. McEwan squatted down on his haunches in front of Gunner. "Now, punk . . . what were you saying about Blade and Zucco?"

"If I tell you, what guarantee do I have . . . ?" Gunner began.

"Oh, there are no guarantees, Gunner. What do I look like? A bank or something?" At Gunner's confused look, he added. "Oh, all right. You tell me what I want to know, and I won't let Montana here kill you, fair enough?"

Gunner nodded pathetically, eager to please. "The docks at Gotham Harbor . . . Zucco owns a warehouse down there . . . Pier Four . . . uh . . . Forty-something . . . I'm not sure exactly." He panicked when he saw Montana edge in closer.

"Should I help him remember, Fingers? Gunner looks like he could use a boot up his--"

"No, wait! Pier Forty-three! He keeps a warehouse at Pier Forty-three. Last I heard they were expecting a big shipment in another day or so from his major suppliers in Colombia!"

"Shut up!" Napalm interrupted him. "Are you *crazy*? You've just signed our death warrant!"

"Aw, you shut up, Napalm!" Gunner's voice had turned whiney. "I'm really getting sick and tired of you and Blade ordering me around! How's Zucco gonna find out that we told them about the warehouse? *You* gonna tell 'im? He'll kill you before you're finished! There won't be enough left of us to fill a sandwich bag!"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about Zucco finding out," McEwan said smiling. "I won't tell him if *you* won't. Of course, Zucco has a way of finding things out regardless. So, if I were you, I'd confess to Lucky's murder. You'll need the protection of Blackgate Prison to keep Zucco and his peacekeepers from getting you. 'Course, last I heard . . . he had people there, too. Better watch your backs, punks . . . atmosphere here ain't safe for rotten scum like you." He held Napalm's eyes a little longer. "Let's go Montana. These two obviously want to be alone for a few minutes."

"This ain't over, punk!" Napalm yelled behind them. "You *hear* me, Fingers! It ain't over! You'd better not close your eyes at night . . . You're a dead man! DEAD!"

"Want I should render him unconscious, Fingers?" Montana asked politely.

"Naw. I figure that if he keeps this up, he may just do us all a favor and give himself a heart attack."

Chapter Five

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