𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘺, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨

𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙚

THE TWO SAT IN SILENCE, FRENCHIE HOLDING HIS ARMS UP. "No, no, look." She watched him put the gas bomb out of reach. "It's okay. It's gone." He assured, the woman's jaw clenching lightly. "I'm not here to hurt you. You like music, huh?" He asked with a light smile, watching the woman stare at him fiercely. "Well, me, too. Can I tell you a secret I never told anyone?" She never said no, Frenchie sniffling. "When I was a boy, my father, he stole me from my Mamma. In Marseilles, middle of the night, he just broke in, took me."

He watched the woman's face soften lightly, her stance still strong. "Kept me with him for years. Hotel after hotel. Every few nights, he'd take me out for a walk." Frenchie continued to explain, the two in silence. "Smoke a Gauloise, tell me he loved me, then..." Looking down to his ankle, her breath got caught in her throat, seeing burn marks on his leg. "I tried to run away so many times. I jumped buses, trains."

Frenchie explained his story as if it were nothing, watching tears gather in the girl's eyes. "Anything to get back to Marseilles. To Mamma. But every time, he find me." Tears gathered in his own eyes, the woman watching intently. "So I know what it's like to want to go home." Her stance softened this time, Frenchie nodding. "You see, I know your secret. You're not a bad person. Just a scared one." She never said no, Frenchie slowly leaning forward. "Let me help you." He held his hand out, the sincerity in his voice easy to point out. She stared at his hand then back at him, Frenchie nodding with a smile. The channel changed to the news,

Frenchie looking back before the woman yelled, throwing the table above her on the man. The shop keeper watched the girl run out of his shop, heavily confused as Frenchie rushed after her. "No, no, no, no-" "Frenchie! Where is she!" The man felt Samuel hit his shoulder, Billy and M.M behind him. "I don't know." The man continued to look around, M.M shrugging. "Did you try to gas her?" He asked, the three watching Frenchie panic.

"No-" "Why not?" M.M shot out, Frenchie rubbing his head. "It didn't seem right, huh?" He reasoned, M.M scoffing as Samuel's brows knotted. "You went off plan because it didn't seem right?" He hit the man's shoulder, Billy staring at Frenchie's state. "I'm sorry, okay?" He yelled, running in the way he saw the woman go. "What the fuck?" Samuel groaned, Billy pushing the boy to follow as the group did the same.

∞

"SO, WHERE IS SHE, FRENCHIE?" M.M ASKED HARSHLY, BILLY LEADING THE FOUR THROUGH THE STATION. "Since you're the psycho chick whisperer all of a sudden." M.M remarked, Frenchie ignoring the man's tone. "Maybe subway. Maybe she wants to find a train, no?" Samuel jogged lightly to keep up with Billy, M.M humming. "Oh, yeah? How deep up your ass did you pull that out?-" "Well, it depends. How deep does your tongue go?" Frenchie snapped back, Samuel glancing back quickly. "Listen, you lost her, man. We had orders, we're supposed to follow them." Frenchie glanced around the place for any chance of seeing the girl, M.M continuing.

"We're professionals and we count on each other. But you're on some fucking bohemian flaky drug shit." Billy ignored the two, stretching up to see anything. "Even Hughie, who's a fucking white Urkel, is more professional than you." M.M shot out, Billy sighing. "I understand it's hard for someone who's anally OCD to understand." Frenchie huffed, feeling M.M stop him.

"Okay, then help me understand, Frenchie." Samuel stopped to look back at the two. "What happened the night that Mallory had you and Samuel tail Lamplighter?" Frenchie glanced to the boy, scoffing. "Oh, that's enough-" "Mallory was our boss, man. We had orders." M.M pointed his jabs at Frenchie, interrupting the man. "And, you, Frenchie, were supposed to follow him. Both you and Samuel were supposed to follow Lamplighter, tail him, but you let him go." M.M spoke harshly, Frenchie grimacing. "I didn't know." He spat, M.M stepping forward. "And Lamplighter goes and torches Mallory's grandkids-"