So nobody gets hurt

Who: Laura and Pepper
When: Morning
Where: Under the 6th st bridge

The big black car slowed, splashing through a large puddle as it pulled off the street and stopped. For some time the two people in the front seat sat talking, sometimes animatedly, or at least the passenger, who was by far the smaller, was animated. Some of those hanging out around the bridge were probably beginning to get a little nervous by the time the kid, wearing a slightly too large sailor's pea coat and a cap pulled down low, got out of the car and closed the door just a little too hard.

Many street people recognized the kid who went by Culligan, and most of them believed she was a boy of about twelve because it was safer roam the streets that way. Pepper had found out otherwise the second time they'd met when tough talk and punches had been exchanged and she hit Laura hard enough to knock her cap off. In the time since they'd developed a working relationship that neither really considered friendship, but that was probably due to the fact that neither of them was likely to really consider anyone a friend.

Culligan paused to light a cigarette, and to cast a glare at the big man who had emerged from the car to stand and stare after her. There would be hell to pay for the attitude later, but she believed it was worth it sometimes. She also believed that giving him an excuse to let off steam would probably keep her alive longer. Mutt's dark hair was neatly cut and slicked back and he was dressed like a business man, but something about that didn't sit quite right. Maybe it was the company he kept, or maybe the scar across his crooked nose, or the hard look to his eyes. Maybe it was that he wore too many rings, or just the fact that he was standing along side the 6th street bridge.

Laura was looking for Pepper. She talked to everybody and she'd know who might take Mutt up on his offer.

Pepper had been sheltering back in the depths under the bridge all night, well away from the road. She hated the rain. She'd been considering taking Helena up on her offer for most of the night - but that would have meant going out in the rain to find the lady's address, and she didn't want to do that, especially since the street weren't exactly safe at the moment. She'd heard about the discovery of another body, and whilst death was something that often stalked the streets and tunnels, this was different. This wasn't starvation, or sickness, or a mindless fight. This wasn't even someone who'd got on the wrong side of the mob. This was some sick bastard who killed for the fun of it. And he had Pepper scared.

So, she was curled up on an alcove, half way back under the bridge, well away from prying eyes, her coat wrapped around her knees, which were drawn up against her body. The flat cap she had was today pulled low over her eyes, covering up her shaved head. All in all, to someone who didn't know her, she looked like little more than a pile of old clothes. To those who did know her though, she was pretty much recognisable - Pepper didn't have anything else to wear, so people were used to seeing her through her clothes.

Laura muttered something filthy under her breath as she ducked past the fat drips coming off the edge of the bridge. She didn't enjoy the cold water streaming under the collar of her coat and down her back, but in a weird way she liked it anyhow. The cold wet feeling would make it even better when she could get warm again. The cursing was actually directed at Mutt.

After a quick look around at the assorted groups gathered for company, safety, and shelter, Laura muttered another curse, having not caught sight of the familiar raggedy coat. She was about to turn and go when her eyes swept over the bundle that was Pepper and Laura did a double take. She took a long drag, glancing back at Mutt again, who was still standing next to the car with water dripping off his hat and rolling in beads over his black coat, then she casually walked over to squat next to the other girl, politely offering her the cigarette.

Pepper's actual position was out of sight of the road, hidden behind detritus and in a broken inner section of the bridge, an alcove created by some unknown past event that had taken down a large chuck on the brickwork. It was one of her favourite shelters, safe from the wind and the rain, even in the worst of weathers. Her eyes raised to the familiar shape of Laura as she watched quietly. She didn't speak until the other grl had sat down also. "No thanks," she said, declining the offer.

Laura only sat and smoked for a few minutes, glad that they were far back and sheltered from view. Pepper knew it was business. It always was, really. Laura wasn't one to hang out under bridges or in patched trousers and clunky boots if it wasn't. That was no reason to rush things or rudely jump straight to it, though. "Hell of a storm last night..." Business wouldn't start until the cigarette was gone. Especially since Mutt was waiting out in the rain for her.

Pepper pulled her cap off her head and stuffed it into the inside pocket of her coat, before running a hand over her scalp. her dark hair was beginning to grow again, giving her a soft brush of stubble. "Yeah, all night - lightning and everything," she agreed, knowing that Laura would get to the point sooner or later. Everybody always wanted something, it was just the way of the world.

Laura took a more careful look around at the people gathered under the bridge. She dropped the butt on the ground in front of her and twisted the toe of a boot over it. "Makes it rough for the ones that are outdoors... especially the ones that got used to being dry, warm and fed." There was a sizable population of vagrants who were only criminals when the weather turned bad because the jailhouse had heat and three meals a day. "You know anybody who's talking about wanting a vacation?" There it was. In boy's clothes or girl's, Laura was known around the neighborhood for her O'Malley connection. They were looking for someone to take the heat for something.

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Vacation?" she asked, playing dumb as she always did. She didn't like selling her friends out. And, in the end, the people she lived with were her friends - they were her only family. She didn't have much in her world, and if she gave over names, they would have to be names that she knew would want to be given.

"Burglary. Probably get about six months for it. It'll be warm when he comes out. Needs to be a man. Or if it's a woman she'd have to be a big tough one. There'd be something extra in it too, for the favor." It was a sweet deal. There were people who would break store windows on a cold night and stand around waiting for the cops to show up. This saved them the trouble and there was a bonus. Not to mention the gratitude of the mob, which could come in handy later.

Pepper looked away, out over the people huddled under the bridge, then back again. "You know, I thought your guys were professionals. Why'd they need people to get caught anyhow? What's wrong with a job that leads to getting away with it and a cut of the proceeds?" she asked, bluntly. She didn't see why someone had to go down. Enough people seemed to get away with shit in this town, why did it have to be hers that always got caught up with the cops.

Laura rubbed her eyes a little. "Some are more professional than others. This is about a guy who isn't supposed to have a record. He needs to be clean, but he thought he could impress somebody and get a promotion. They're on him and we need someone else. I suggested this because it helps everybody. A guy who is outdoors gets food and shelter and nobody gets hurt." She doesn't clarify the getting hurt part, though there is more riding on this than just a six month stay in jail. "Come on, Pepper. We're looking for someone who wants to go. There'll be somebody doing something stupid to get in soon anyway. This just makes it easy."

Pepper bristled, not liking the way this was going. She wasn't into this kind of thing - she never had been. "well, it can be easy for someone else. you want someone to be your fall guy for that kind of thing? You can ask around yourself - I'm not doing your dirty work for you, Laura," she said, standing up and brushing brick dust and dirt off herself - a lot of good that did for her.

"Shit... Pepper... Please." Laura had never said please before. "Look... go have a look at the guy standing next to the car by the street. Just don't let him see you. No matter what happens with this.. help me or not... don't ever get in that car or get to close to him. I'll start asking around, Just figured it would be quicker and safer if you knew somebody that would want it. The fewer people know, the better. I might as well set up a damn billboard."

This wasn't going as well as she'd hoped. Some people didn't understand those that wanted to be in jail, even when they were living in the same situation. Laura had never really understood it. She just accepted it. And now she accepted that Pepper wasn't going to do this. Laura was pretty well screwed, but pushing would probably only mean she was less likely to help with the next thing. She sat, lighting another cigarette and looking around the crowd for faces she knew. That would be the best place to start. And with luck, she'd find one before Mutt came in after her.

Pepper looked round and down at the other girl as she stood, not even glancing towards the road. "I'm not gonna go look at any guy in any car. So, he's got you doing his dirty work for you," she summarised. "That doesn't mean I'm gonna do yours for you." Pepper had always sworn that she wouldn't be that kind of a girl, and Laura bringing up that subject just meant Pepper was even less likely to play ball. She had her standards and being used by someone was the thing she wanted to avoid above everything else - she simply wouldn't do it. She'd prefer to go hungrry first, and she very often had done. She glared at the other girl for a moment, before relenting. "Look, over there - you see the group of guys around that fire there. Try there. No promises though, and if you bring my name into it, I'll break your nose this time," she threatened.

"You gotta get a look at him. His name is Mutt. He breaks people, Pepper. He said somebody ought to make you be a girl, and he doesn't mean wearing dresses and baking cakes. He might have been just trying to get me to pop off, and I did... but don't ever get in a car with him no matter what. I don't think he'd sell you because you are useful, but he'll get a hold of you and..." Laura seemed to run out of words. Then she clicked her mouth shut. How could she explain to someone like Pepper what Mutt would do? She'd only end up disgusted with Laura and she wouldn't understand that he'd do it and he'd make her like it.

Pepper looked at her with an air of impatient patience. "Firstly, I'm not gonna look at no man by no car, cos I have no reason to. I'm not stupid enough to ever get in a a car with no guy, just 'cos - that's just asking for trouble and I know better." Clearly, Laura didn't, and thought the whole world would make her mistakes, but that wasn't Pepper's problem. "And as for what he wants to 'do' with me - well, he can go do that to someone else, cos if he wants to find me, then he'll have a job and a half. I can disappear like you wouldn't believe and none of your lot would ever dare follow where I could go." After all, the tunnels, to the extent that she knew them, was way off limits, even for those who thought they had mob ties. "Also - last thing I heard, you was working for Joey O'Malley, and from what you're telling me and what I heard of that guy, you should get rid of your little 'minder' and concentrate on the other," she advised. Not that she would talk like that in front of anyone who mattered but if Laura was going to try and hand out some advice, then it was tit for tat. After all, a girl couldn't do her job with somebody breathing down her neck like that. Not unless the mob didn't actually trust her - which was possible, of course - but they'd have to really not trust her to send her out everywhere with a car and a minder. that was some kind of real expense for this kind of thing. That was part of what had Pepper on edge about everything. Lack of independence always made her twitchy.

Normally Laura took care of business on her own. She often couldn't get a ride from someone like Mutt no matter how far she had to go. Today was a little different. "I'm working for Joey because of him. He's second in command. He does those things to someone else all the time and he probably wouldn't go to any trouble for any one girl, but if he came across a chance to get you to go with him... Damn it! I'm just trying to give you a heads up and you're acting like I'm doing something to you. I'm gonna fucking pay for popping off and I just wanted it to be worth something." She stood up throwing the half done cigarette down and turned toward the group of men Pepper had pointed out. Nothing had gone right so far this morning. She'd come up with this idea to keep them from sending some dumb kid off to jail when there were people who wanted to go. Mutt hadn't really believed her, or believed she could easily find a person like that and time was short, so there he was. Nothing was just working out. Should just keep her damn mouth shut and let people figure things out for themselves.

"You're not doing anything to me, no," Pepper said, rolling her eyes a little. "But I wasn't born yesterday either. Look, Laura, thanks for the tip, but I've lived out there my whole life. That guy? Isn't the only guy who's 'dangerous' around here. I can take care of myself," she advised. After all, she'd been living on the streets since she was a kid, and whilst she rarely made a thing about the downsides of life when you had no home, she knew that it was only due to a combination of wit and luck that she'd actually survived. She might be a teenaged girl, but she was a street hardened and street savvy teenaged girl and she believed in her own ability to take care of herself. Laura's advice was nothing she didn't already implement across the board anyhow. "But I don't want to get you in trouble - so you should get going. Maybe come back some time when you haven't got some hardass breathing down your neck?" she suggested, though she knew that this kind of place wasn't the kind of place that people like Laura liked to come just to hang out.

Laura didn't turn back to look at Pepper. She sighed regretfully at the half of a cigarette that lay in a suspicious looking puddle in the dirt and reached for another one. "I never lived under a bridge, but there was always some mean son of a bitch that was probably going to kill me. Mutt's the meanest one I ever met." She paused for a moment to light up before continuing. " I figured you ought to know who he is because he knows who you are." There really wasn't anything else to say. They both knew Laura would be back sooner or later, but it would be business that brought her around. It wasn't that she didn't like Pepper. It was more that they always ended up in some bullshit argument because they didn't quite understand each other somehow. "Thanks for the help."

Laura pulled the cap down a little lower and started off to recruit a willing patsy.