THE FIRE WITHIN
Chapter Three
Later that night, Amsterdam got
up. He felt like someone was staring at him. Sure enough, it was Bill.
"What's the matter?" He
wiped his eyes and coughed a little.
"I can't sleep. I never
sleep too much. You know, I have to sleep with one eye open. I only got one
eye." He looked at him like a son.
Christa heard everything they
said, but she stayed still, as if she was asleep.
"Did you want something,
Bill?" Amsterdam asked.
"Nah. I just came to see
Miss Christa. I had no idea you two were together." Bill sat there, just
staring at him.
"We've only been together
twice," Amsterdam told him.
"I see. Well, Amsterdam, I
am glad she got you. She's a good bludget." Bill wondered why this girl
attracted him so much. He didn’t even know her.
"That she is. You know, she
is an American. She claims her mother lived here in New York. She never did
tell me who her mother was, though," Amsterdam mentioned.
"Do you love her, or is she
just someone in your bed?" Bill asked.
"I have taken a liking to
her." That was all he could say.
"Good. Keep it that way. I
will see you later." He rubbed Amsterdam’s head before going away.
He lay cuddled next to Christa,
but felt anger building up inside of him because of Bill.
"If you’ve got anything to
say, say it," he said to her.
"I have nothing to
say," she said in a low tone.
"I know you heard Bill. What
is he to you?" he asked her.
"Nothing. Just my employer.
Amsterdam, you are the only one who has touched me. Not even Tommy, my best
friend in the whole world, has had that pleasure." She didn’t want to tell
him he was her uncle, because if she did, she knew he would leave her.
"Christa, I want you away
from me from now on. I do not want you hurt in the crossfire. Do you hear
me?" He was afraid for her.
"Where do you wish me to go?
I have no money." She turned around.
"Don't worry about that. All
will be provided. I won't let Bill ever hurt you, Christa." He took her
hand.
"I love you,
Amsterdam." She meant it.
"I love you, Christa."
He kissed her and left to practice for his upcoming mission.
He went outside and threw his
dagger against a post, making sure he hit the same spot time after time.
*****
Christa packed what she had and
went to find Tommy. She couldn't find him, so she put her belongings back in
her room.
She ended up falling asleep. When
she woke up, someone was asleep beside her.
"Tommy?" She shook him.
"What?" He was
half-asleep.
"Where have you been?"
She had been worried about him.
"Out. I have been out."
That was all he would say.
"Well, we need to leave
today." She put her bag on a chair.
"Can’t we leave later? I had
a long night." He turned around and looked at her with those blue eyes.
"Sure." She cuddled
next to Tommy and fell asleep again.
*****
When she woke up again, it was
quiet. She touched Tommy's hair. It made her relax and not think about
Amsterdam.
Johnny came inside.
"Hello, Christa." He
smiled at her, took her bag off the chair, and sat down.
"Hi, Johnny. Seen Amsterdam
around?" She wondered where he had gone to.
"No. Haven't seen him at
all. Why? I thought he was with you." He looked at her. She was pretty,
but not like Jenny. He wondered what Amsterdam saw in her.
"He was, but said I had to
leave for my own sake. Oh, Johnny, I fear for him. I can't leave." She got
up, unable to sit still.
"Leave?" He wondered
why Amsterdam would tell her that. Then he figured it out.
"Yeah. He told me to stay
away from him." She looked at Johnny. He was acting strange.
"Aye. Well, see you later,
Christa." He got up and left.
"Bye, Johnny." She
waved.
She looked at Tommy, and he woke
up.
"Christa?" he asked.
"Well, it’s about time,
sleepyhead. We were supposed to be gone long ago. How was your night?" She
sat beside him, touching his face.
"Good. Met a girl." He
got up and pushed her hand away.
"That's good. I was hoping
you would." She felt hurt when he pushed her hand off him.
"Yeah. We should go."
He got up.
"All right." She knew
he was being distant with her, and she couldn’t figure out why.
She carried her belongings and
went out the door with him.
*****
"Why are you leaving,
Christa?" McGloin asked.
"Leaving? I ain't. I just
wanted to take my friend somewhere. Do you have a problem with that?" She
didn’t like McGloin one bit.
"No, not at all. But Mr.
Cutting wishes to see you." He took her hand and led her into the bar,
where Bill was sitting, waiting for her.
"Hello, Christa," Bill
said, a grin on his face.
"Hello, Mr. Cutting."
She bowed.
"Please, call me Bill. I
hear you are leaving." He looked at her, but she didn’t look at him
directly.
"No, I am not. Why does
everyone think I am leaving?" She wondered how everyone knew she was
leaving New York.
"Don't lie, Christa! I know
about you and Amsterdam and your agreement." He got mad and stood up from
the table.
"Agreement?" She felt
dumb, because she didn’t know about any agreement.
"McGloin!" Bill looked
at him.
He held Tommy by the neck, a
knife to his throat.
Christa saw and got up to defend
Tommy.
"What is going on? Please,
Bill, don't hurt him. He knows nothing." She had no idea what to do.
"Just tell me, is it true?
Is he a Vallon?" he asked her.
"I can't. Please, just leave
him alone." She feared for Tommy’s life. How could she have gotten him
into this mess?
"Now, Christa, do not try my
patience, or I will slit his fucking throat," he said in a loud tone.
"All right. Just leave him
be. As far as the things Amsterdam told me, he never told me his last name, but
he did mention something about you killing his father." She cried before
him.
"That's all I wanted to
know. Now, was that so hard?" Bill was angrier than ever.
Christa breathed a sigh of relief
when they let Tommy go.
"Tommy, leave! Get out of
here!" she yelled.
"I can't leave you
here." He was very worried. He didn’t know Bill at all.
"Don't worry, Mr. Ryan. She
will not be hurt. Leave, before I change my mind." He gestured to McGloin
to throw him out while he handled Christa.
"Tommy, go!" she
yelled.
"I'm sorry, Christa!"
he yelled back at her.
"It's not your fault."
She cried silently on the floor.
"Miss Christa, I am going to
show you what happens when you keep things from me." Bill took a knife and
threw it at her.
"Please, Bill, I know nothing
of this battle between you and the Vallons. Please, don't live to regret this.
You don't know who I am." She begged him not to hurt her.
"Don't worry, Christa. I
won't hurt you too bad. I just need to teach him a lesson." He wondered
why he was throwing his anger at her, when it should have been Amsterdam.
When he was mad, he always missed
his target.
She covered her face and cried
when he started to cut her and throw daggers at her, not directly hitting her,
but just scaring her.
He pulled her hair and cut her
face, as if to say she was marked by the Butcher. When he let her go, she lay
crying in the center of Paradise Square.
*****
Christa’s clothes were cut up and
she was the target of public humiliation. Amsterdam and Jenny came running out.
"Christa!" he called.
She looked up and saw Amsterdam.
She couldn't move. The cuts on her face and arms left her in utter pain.
Amsterdam picked her up and
settled her in his arms, carrying her to somewhere safe.
He took her down an alley and
into a dirt-covered hallway, which had doors. When he got to where he was
going, he lay her on a mattress. She curled into a little ball.
She had blood everywhere. Her
hair was covered in blood, and her dress was blood-stained, as well.
"Christa, can I see what he
did?" Amsterdam tried to turn her over.
"No. Please, just leave me
to die." She couldn’t let him see her this way.
"I can't, Christa. I love
you." He kissed her cheek.
She opened her eyes. They were
bruised, and the cuts were somewhat deep.
Jenny called in a doctor to fix
her up.
She told Amsterdam to wait
outside while Christa undressed and changed into something else.
The doctor tended her wounds.
There were several cuts on her face and one long slit on the right side of her
arm. As for her head, the blood had come from Bill pulling her hair out. She
looked like a mess, all bruised and cut up. She felt like she wanted to die.
"I promise, Christa, I will
get him for this." Amsterdam held her.
She held onto him and wondered
about Tommy. Was he dead? She couldn't think of anything, but fell asleep in
his arms.
*****
When she woke up, she lay there
like a piece of meat.
Amsterdam knew she needed someone
more than him.
"Jenny, can you watch her? I
will be back." He got up to leave.
"Sure." Jenny sat
beside her. "Don't worry, Christa. He will be right back," she told
her.
"I don't worry. He is
strong. It’s Tommy I am worried about. What if he is dead?" She hated to
even think it.
*****
A few minutes passed, and someone
was coming their way. Jenny got her gun ready.
When Amsterdam arrived with
Tommy, Jenny lowered her pistol.
"Christa?" Tommy ran to
her.
She got up slowly and looked at
him.
"Oh, God, Christa, I am so
sorry. I should never have left you." He felt guilty.
"It's okay. I am alive, and
I am glad you are, too." She hugged him, never wanting to let go.
"It's okay. I am gonna take
real good care of you." He cradled her in his arms.
Amsterdam watched, knowing all of
this was his fault.
Jenny watched his reaction. She
knew he loved her.
"Amsterdam, I want in."
Tommy faced Amsterdam.
"Sure, Tommy." He
nodded his head.
"In on what?" Christa
wondered.
"I am joining the Dead
Rabbits, Christa." He thought it was only right that he should be the one
to tell her that he was joining a gang.
"Dead Rabbits?" She had
no idea what this was about.
"Christa, my father was the
leader of the Dead Rabbits gang, which makes me the rightful leader now,"
Amsterdam spoke up.
"Why would he do this? Why
would he hurt me? Doesn't he know who I am to him?" Christa muttered
deliriously.
"What are you talking about,
Christa?" Tommy asked.
"My mother was Olivia
Cutting. She was his sister." She looked at Amsterdam.
"You mean, you’re his
niece?" Amsterdam asked.
"I have to see him now. I am
ready to confront the bastard." Christa was no longer scared of her uncle.
Amsterdam was in shock.
"No, Christa, not until
you’re ready." Tommy held her down.
"Tommy, I came here to see
what my mother left behind. Now that I have seen, I must face what she
didn't." She pushed him away and got up.