Chapters (47)
- Cover
- ALSO BY MARJORIE B. KELLOGG AVAILABLE FROM DAW BOOKS
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- About the Author
“No way.” The kid had scabs all over his half-shaved scalp. Couldn’t be more than seven or eight. “Your chiefs were no-show at the confab yesterday. What’s that about?”
“Chief of me!” He gave his chest three hard raps, then glared at the others. “Ri?”
“Ri!” they chorused.
“Don’ need no olders tellin’ us whatever!”
“No telling, just talking,” I said. “Safer if you join in. What tribe, you?” All three wore too-big green T-shirts painted with grinning, nasty-looking elves. Was that how they saw themselves? I pointed to the den sign on my cap. “Macys don’t steal from Unca Joes.”
“That was then,” the kid said, and pulled a blade.
It was small, but sharp and shiny. The girl beside him squeaked deep in her throat, then showed her teeth as cover. My “regulation” jackknife was stowed away in my gut wallet, but I wasn’t buying any of this. Mugged by Macys? I’d never live it down. I calculated the distances between the three of them. Spunk always said speed was my best asset.
“So, Macys run in knife packs now? Won’t go down well with the other dens.”
“Shut up and give us yer shit so we all get outa here!”
I turned my empty bag upside down and shook it, but the leader took a step toward me. I didn’t like how the tip of his knife jigged around. Tired or nervous. Either was dangerous.
The smallest glanced to the others, then at me. “Biggest storm comin’ . . .”
Like I didn’t know.
“Big one? You think so?” I scanned the sky like some doofus, and they fell for it.
As they lunged, I feinted, tucked, and rolled beneath their flailing arms, the patented Spunk maneuver, knocked the middle girl flat and was up and racing off before they’d figured out where I’d gone. Just dumb, frightened babies. Good thing there were three of them. Might give ’em a chance to make it home alive.
Noon, and the light already losing strength to the deepening cloud cover. I sprinted toward Ninth Avenue and the river, dodging a clot of rusting car hulks. The Macys pounded after me, but I’d headed away from their den and that cooled them quick enough. Lost them long before I ran out of breath. I slowed, ducked into a doorway, and waited, to be sure.