Crack the whip|| Newsies

Chapter 4

The boys were all in front of the gate when the Delancey brothers showed up.
"Hey, Oscar, look who we have here." Morris chuckled when he laid eyes on Jack.
"Did you come back for more?" Oscar scoffed. Jack rolled his eyes and stepped through the now open gate and walked away from the brothers. He didn't want trouble today. He wasn't in the mood.
"Shut it, Oscar." Race hissed as he stepped in to face him. Jack send Race a glare from a distance, so Race walked away mocking. He really wanted to punch them in their stupid faces.

It took a minute before everyone had their papers and was on their way out.
"What happened last night?" Davey whispered to Crutchie.
"The Delancey brothers attacked Jack." Crutchie whispered back.
"Why?"
"Snyder paid them, but they were probably doing it for fun too." Davey nodded at this statement and looked concerned at his friend. It was his turn to go with Jack and he wanted to do everything to help him.

{...}

"Sing them to sleep will ya." Jack grinned when Davey shouted a headline to sell his last paper. Davey grinned back at the memory of their first day selling together. With a swift move Les has stolen the paper out of his hand and ran of to sell it.
"I wonder when I'm able to sell the last paper myself." Davey chuckled. Les had always grabbed the last paper since he thought that Davey was just to slow.
"With a brother like that... never." Jack leaned against a wall with a smirk. "He's a natural." They watched as Les walked up to a man and pretended to be a sick orphan. The man handed down a penny and walked away with his paper. It would have been just an ordinary man, but Jack recognized him as he walked past with a smirk.
"Davey, Les. We need to go." Jack said while taking Les' hand and walking in the opposite direction.
"Jack what's wrong."
"Nothing." Jack was nervous and looked frantically around him for the whole way home.

{...}

"How was your day?" Henry asked when he saw Jack, Davey and Les walk in. Jack has finally led go of Les' hand and stormed upstairs.
"Amazing! I sold all the papes and the man to whom I sold the last one was really nice." Les jumped on the couch next to Henry and began telling about his day, while Henry sat there trying to look interested. Davey chuckled for a second, but then walked upstairs to where Jack was.
Jack was staring into the horizon and hadn't noticed Davey.
"So what was all that about?" Davey asked. Jack jumped up, just now realizing that Davey was there.
"Nothing."
"That was not nothing." Davey crosses his arms. Jack sighed as he knew that Davey probably knew. He'd seen him talking to Race and Crutchie the day it was in the papers.
"Has it something to do with Snyder?" Davey asked. If Jack wasn't going to tell him he was going to ask questions.
"Remember the last pape Les sold?" Davey nodded. "The man was..." Jack could get it over his lips, but Davey understood.
"Snyder."
"He knows that he can't get to me with other people 'round, but he can let me know he's there."
Davey opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a scream.
"Jack you need to get down here!" They heard Specs yell. They climbed down as fast as they could and ran into the room where they saw Specs standing.
"What's the problem?" Jack said out of breath. Specs pointed to Sniper. He was laid on a bunk. His eyes were closed and swollen. There was only a slow rising and falling of his chest.
"What the hell happened?" Jack asked while sitting on the bed next to the young Newsie.
"He stumbled in like this and collapsed in my arms." Specs answered. "He doesn't have really bad injuries, but he won't wake."
"Do ya have any idea who did this?" Jack asked.
"No. He was sellin' papes on his own all day." That left Jack thinking. Is it Snyder? It can't be. Why would he go after Sniper if he wants to get to me.

{...}

"He still hasn't woken up has he?" Jack asked Specs when he didn't see Sniper in the room.
"No. I think he might soon though." Specs answered. Jack nodded.
"Ya should go sell papes. I'll stay here and keep an eye on 'im. I have enough spare money to get through the day." All the boys who were listening to him nodded and began to walk outside.
"Be careful. He's not afraid to be seen." Jack whispered in Race's ear. Race looked at him for a second and then nodded.
When everyone had left, Jack went to the bedroom to sit with Sniper. If he woke up he would be confused. So he sat on Ike's bunk who was placed on the opposite side of the room.

{...}

It had been two hours since the boys left so there was no way any of them could already be back, but Jack heard the front door open and close. Sniper hadn't woken yet, but Jack knew he had to check out who had entered so he stood up and replaced the blanket on top of Sniper before heading downstairs, but he stopped halfway down.
"Jack Kelly." a man said. He held one of the younger newsies in his arms.
"Snyder. How was prison?" Jack scoffed. He was terrified, but he didn't want him to notice.
"Didn't stick." Snyder joked.
"Why don't you let go of Tommy Boy." Jack suggested with an arm outstretched.
"Why would I do that. He is my assurance."
"What do ya want."
"You." Snyder grabbed a small knife out of his pocket and held it against Tommy Boy's back. The look of fear on the young boy's eyes was killing Jack.
"It's all going to be alright." Jack reassured Tommy Boy. He wasn't going to put any of them in danger.
"What do you want from me?" Jack spat at Snyder.
"If you come with me willingly I'll let the boy go." That was all that Jack needed to know. He nodded and stepped down carefully.
"Now let 'im go." Jack pleaded.
"First you put these on." Snyder said while throwing a pair of old handcuffs at him.
"Jack don't!" Tommy Boy yelled at him.
"It's going to be alright. We're all going to be fine." Jack reassured him, though he knew he wasn't going to be fine. He was going to his personal hell. Jack had put the handcuffs on and Snyder grabbed him and released Tommy Boy.
"Never say that I ain't a man of my word." He grinned.
"Tell Race that he's in charge!" Jack yelled at Tommy Boy before the door closed.
"Where are ya takin' me? A romantic pick nick in the park?" Jack smirked.
"I have something way better planned for you." Snyder said as they walked down a road with all old houses. They entered a small house after a five minute walk.
"Cozy."