a striking pair | f.c

Chapter Ten

Jack was supposed to be working.

Jack was supposed to be minding his own business.

But Jack had never been very obedient.

So that's why, just another day in Pulitzer's office, Jack was looking through the crack of the door, listening to his boss as he rambled on and on about something.

"Those ruffians!" Pulitzer exclaimed, glaring out the window. "You grant them their freedom for less than one week, and they're already ravaging the entire city!"

"You can't really blame them," pointed out Seitz, a man Jack had come to be able to tolerate. "Sure they're rowdy, but some of them have been confined to the refuge for more than seven years!"

Jack found himself nodding at his words, mentally urging Pulitzer to listen to Seitz.

"That's not the point!"

"There's a point?"

"Yes!" Pulitzer snapped, whipping around to face him. "My point is, they can't go running around like the maniacs that they are!"

Jack mentally scoffed. Says tha one screaming his head off.

"Well, now, that's hardly fair," Hannah scolded from her chair, reminding Jack as to why she was his favourite of the four. "They're not the  animalistic creatures that you pretend they are, Mr. Pulitzer. If the newsies strike proved anything, it's that those children deserve respect. I'm sure a bit of decency won't kill them."

"Do not let them fool you." Pulitzer paced his office floor, determined. Jack drew back the slightest bit, as to not be noticed by the man. "They think only for themselves. Freedom will get them nowhere in life, and soon enough they'll all be living on the streets!"

"But don't they already live on the street?" Seitz murmured quietly.

"This all started up again after the Refuge shut down," mentioned the fourth of the bunch, who's name Jack had never been able to remember. All he knew was that he had been the one to give Jack the money at the rally, and that was all he needed to know. "Stealing food, starting fights... discipline would be merciful at our hands."

"So, there you have it!" Boomed Pulitzer.

"Have what?"

He turned to Seitz. "We must take action! This can no longer be tolerated, nor will I permit them to do such things so long as they thrive under me. Evidently, they were all much better behaved when they had something to fear. To keep them contained."

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed his words.

"Gents, I believe it's time we freed Mr. Snyder."

Waiting until he could leave and warn the boys had been torture, but he didn't want Pulitzer to know he'd been listening in on that terrible conversation, and so he stayed put. But the second he was relieved from his duties, Jack had sprang out of his seat and through the office's door, not even bothering to apologize to the people he'd knocked over in the process.

He had to get to his boys.

By the time he'd reached the newsies lodging house, he was panting and his legs felt unsteady from under him, but managed to announce, "No one goes in or out 'a dis place unless I say ya can, alright?"

Confusion reigned, but he only shoved past the newsies to get to the bathroom, wetting his already damp face with the rusty water coming from the sink.

"Jack?"

Jack sighed, looking up to see Crutchie and Davey in the doorway. "Jus wait, I need a second."