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Post by waltz on Jun 29, 2009 14:00:21 GMT -5
Smiling shyly, Waltz approached him. She was about to take his arm he so politely offered to her when a voice from behind startled her. She whipped around. "I ain't a kid, sir. I make my own decisions 'bout who to trust," She replied as nicely as she could, her eyes quickly scanning the newcomer.
He seemed about Danny Blue's age, and to her confusion, it looked like they knew each other. Waltz backed away again. "What's going on?" She demanded, biting her lip uneasily.
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Post by Jensen Flynn on Jun 29, 2009 15:14:03 GMT -5
"Well don't go gettin' yer knickers in a twist," Jensen said, pitching his voice to an awful imitation of Danny's accent, before winking to his friend. "We're just out for a little fun. And accompanying a young girl... home." He gave the girl a crocodile grin, and held his hands, still stuffed in his pockets, out in a gesture of innocence. "Nothin' to be worryin' about. Sounds like you're in need of a little assistin', huh? Gone and got yourself lost? Never fear, me an' Danny'll take good care of ya."
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Post by dannyblue on Jun 29, 2009 15:25:01 GMT -5
Danny winced at the horrible imitation and dropped his arm as Waltz back away. If she ran, well, she might get herself into more trouble than was worth. "Miss Waltz, this is Jensen Flynn. An associate and occasional business partner of mine..." Danny spoke with a nod to the man and a slight tone of warning to his voice.
"Fancy meeting you here, Jensen. Out for a midnight stroll?"
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Post by waltz on Jun 30, 2009 13:38:46 GMT -5
Waltz's eyes narrowed. She didn't like this man. He made her nervous, like he knew something she didn't and was more than happy to rub it in her face.
"You'll take care of me, will ya?" Her reply, meant to be sarcastic, came out shrill and shaky. It was stupid, staying out this late. What was she thinking when she came here? At that moment, she knew she would never ever leave Queens again. If she was lucky, she would even make it back there tonight. But Waltz had never been lucky. If she were, she would have been adopted a long time ago, with a home and a family. She would not, by all means, be stranded in an alley after dark with two strange men whom she had never seen before in her life.
"Oh, and what business are you in exactly?" Waltz asked, suddenly curious about Danny Blue and his purpose here in New York, and more importantly, why he and Jensen Flynn were even out at this hour. And she was scared to find out.
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Post by Jensen Flynn on Jun 30, 2009 15:21:10 GMT -5
"The business of mind yer own," Jensen spat, coming up alongside Waltz, then patted the girl on the head gently. "Knowin' too much is hazardous to your health, sweetheart."
He turned to face Danny, stumbling slightly over nothing, and gave him another grin. "Just out for some fresh air. They keep it all over here in 'Hattan, you know. Ain't no fresh air in Brooklyn. Smells almost as bad as Jersey over there. Now, I'm asking you the same thing. You got something going on here? A little something on the side? Or just playing White Knight to any lost little maidens you come across?" He draped his arm around Waltz's shoulders, overly friendly and oblivious to the fact that the bulge of the shoulder holster under his jacket was digging into her arm. "Anything li'l ol' Jensen Flynn can help you with?"
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Post by dannyblue on Jun 30, 2009 20:21:18 GMT -5
"I do believe you're making the young lady nervous, Jenny." Danny smirked at his own cleverness of the nickname. Jensen was a handsome man, and if he had the mind, could probably charm anyone as well as Danny. But Danny had found Waltz first. True, she was a bit young, but a pretty girl none the less. Danny didn't need Jensen scaring the girl away, either.
"Don't mind him, Miss Waltz, not much of the gentleman sort."
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Post by waltz on Jul 1, 2009 16:41:44 GMT -5
Waltz cringed as she felt Jensen Flynn's arm around her. He was far too bold, this one. Something beneath his jacket was painfully digging into her arm. Her eyes widened in fear. Was that a gun?
Stepping several feet away from him, she straightened her shirt. "I can see that," She said quietly, more to herself than to Danny. Waltz faked a yawn. "I really am tired, so can one of ya fellas please show me the way back to the lodging house?" Though her voice was casual, her eyes pleaded. She didn't care who helped her at this point. All she wanted to do right now was to go home, safe in her own bunk surrounded by her slumbering acquaintances.
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Post by Jensen Flynn on Jul 1, 2009 17:26:49 GMT -5
Jensen glared hard at Danny when he called him "Jenny," scowling bitterly. He pulled away from Waltz and moved to the other side of the alleyway, taking a seat on a crate, clearly frustrated with the game.
"Walk down that way," he instructed Waltz flatly, pointing to the mouth of the alley. "That's Baxter and Leonard. Take Leonard, to the right, north until you get to Canal. Canal turns into Division, Division turns into Grand, Grand'll take you right to the bridge. Cross on over and you'll be in Queens in two hours. I'm guessing you can find your way back to the lodging house once you hit familiar territory?"
From inside his jacket pocket, he pulled a silver flask and uncorked it. He brought it to his lips, then pulled it down again.
"Now, if you don't feel like doing all that, you can try the lodging house in 'Hattan, see if they got a free bed you can rent for the night. To get there, you go left on Baxter until you get to Broadway, then follow Broadway south. Pass Worth and Thomas, the next street is Duane, lodging house is on the right. That'll only take you 'bout fifteen minutes, but they might not got anything for you. Guess you could sleep on the steps, though."
Again, he raised the flask to his mouth, and again lowered it.
"On the other hand, you could try Irving Hall. The dame that sings there, somebody-Larkson, she's a real nice lady, she might have a place for you 'til mornin'. To get there, take Leonard to Broadway, go north until you get to 14th, and go west. Can't miss it, and it'll take you... oh, half an hour?"
He paused a moment, trying to think of anything else to offer. Coming up with nothing, he gave a half-hearted shrug, more to himself than anyone else, and finally took a swig from his flask.
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Post by dannyblue on Jul 2, 2009 22:37:41 GMT -5
Danny watched Jensen, rattling off directions like a friendly (well, maybe not) cop who'd been walking the beat for years. Then he chuckled a bit at Jensen's scowling, near out right pouting. Danny wasn't out with Waltz for the run, just being a concerned citizen. How disappointed Jensen Flynn seemed that Danny Blue had got to her first. Of course, Jensen wasn't a terrible man, but he'd probably touch the girl a bit more than Danny would have tried. Hell, he already had, a bit.
"Ta, Flynn. Like the back of his hand!" Danny said with a little too much enthusiasm. "Make it home safe, yeah?" Danny threw a smirk his neighbor's way and moved back over to the young girl's way. "Bit barbed wired, meself. Still, no trouble escorting you round, Miss Waltz."
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Post by waltz on Jul 3, 2009 15:30:02 GMT -5
Overwhelmed with all these directions being thrown at her, Waltz could only blink and pretend that she understood it at all. Something about Leonard, Duane, and something-Larkson. She didn't know, having never been good with street names. She was more than happy to accept Danny Blue's help after all that.
"Yeah," she said to him. "That'd be real nice." She tried to smile politely, feeling much more desperate than when he first offered. She didn't bother to thank Flynn. He still made Waltz too uncomfortable for her liking.
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Post by Jensen Flynn on Jul 3, 2009 20:46:18 GMT -5
Jensen took another swig of his flask before corking it and tucking it away again. He chuckled humorlessly to himself, blew out a breath between clenched teeth, rubbed his face.
"This is how you treat your friends, huh, Blue?" he grumbled, pinning Danny with an only slightly bleary stare. "I go outta my way, put my ass on the line, just 'cause I think you're a poor sap who got cut with a raw deal. I coulda gotten killed for that, you know. I interfered with Mafia plans. For you. Just to save your damn limey ass. You'd'a been up shit creek if I hadn't told you to change the bet." He chuckled again. "Man, I shoulda just let your ass get pinned to the wall and gone on 'bout my business. Ain't my gut Mister Kelly's lookin' to split. No reason I should get ripped a new one tryin' to cover your sorry ass anymore."
Levering himself off the crate, Jensen stuffed his hands in his pockets again and ambled toward the mouth of the alley.
"Might wanna reconsider your grip on life, there, Miss Waltz," he said as he passed the girl. "You got yourself a two-bit thief wanted by the mob, and a professional bodyguard. Guess which one you just chose to walk you home? Better check your pockets when you get there. If you get there. 'Night."
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Post by dannyblue on Jul 4, 2009 20:03:24 GMT -5
Danny was already walking off with Waltz when Jensen spoke again. They hadn't been friends for very long and Danny wasn't stupid enough to break the few bonds he had in New York. Especially ones who didn't want him dead for no other reason than just not quiet fitting in.
He turned, watching Jensen as he spoke, letting him finish before taking his turn to explain. Apologize. Cor blimey, was Flynn sensitive ...when drunk. Danny could smell it as Jensen moved closer and passed the two of them.
All that name dropping and Waltz would probably take off and rat the both of them out. Jensen had cut Danny's smoothing things over for the both of them work out that was for sure.
Danny grabbed Jensen's arm when he was a good two steps away, but didn't turn him around or anything overly hostile, "C'mon, Jen, I didn't mean it all like that." Danny sounded as sincere and apologetic as he could, then looked to Waltz, "Don't mind him, love, he's a real joker, and a little sloshed." Danny gave a bit of a 'what can you do' look, attempt to ease the obvious tension Jensen had created.
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Post by waltz on Jul 4, 2009 21:54:46 GMT -5
Waltz gasped, her eyes flickering between the two, shocked that her escort home was indeed a criminal, especially one that was involved with the Mob. Jensen Flynn's words had scared her. Sure, he seemed a little drunk, but intuition told her to believe him. Instinct said she had to get away. Find the police- anyone. And now.
For the first time that night, Waltz saw Danny for what he was. A smooth talker, a con. It was never about helping her, was it? Waltz wanted to cry. She felt so stupid.
"Stay away from me," She sputtered. "Or I'll scream, I swear it!" Only that she feared she wouldn't even be able to open her mouth. She was afraid this time. Afraid for her life.
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Post by Jensen Flynn on Jul 5, 2009 11:38:52 GMT -5
"That would be a really bad idea, lady," Jensen warned, trying to writhe out of Danny's grasp. When Danny's grip on his jacket proved too tight, Jensen snapped, "Boy, let go of me!" With his left arm, he pawed awkwardly inside his jacket for a moment, then grumbled and came up with a fist. Shifting his body around, he swung at Danny while he was looking at Waltz--he wasn't so drunk that he couldn't recognize a chance to take advantage of the situation--catching him under the eye.
As Danny dropped his arm, Jensen turned to face him again, reaching into his jacket with his right arm now. "Remember, of the three of us in this-here alley, only one of us has heat, and I'm pretty sure it's--" He pulled out his Derringer, inspecting it, and nodded. "--yeah. Still me." He dropped his arm to his side, the gun pointed lazily to the ground. He wasn't that drunk. Or stupid.
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Post by dannyblue on Jul 5, 2009 17:57:57 GMT -5
Danny gave a frustrated, pained grunt, doubling over and holding his cheek for a moment before righting himself. His scowled at Jensen, the cut under his eye blossoming with blood. But seeing the gun, his look turned more concerned, "Jensen, hold off, mate. Let's not do nothin' we'll regret, all right?"
He took a slow step towards Jensen, "She's scared, I don't blame her. Now you're wavin' a gun about ain't helpin'."
"You could run, but would you rather take your chances will a con and a drunk or someone potentially worse? The devil you know and all..." Danny glanced to Waltz, but kept his eyes on Flynn and the Derringer.
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