Bye Bye Blackbird

"Alright Dillinger," I said nodding at the prison. "I hope your acting skills are up to par." He shot me a very annoyed look as I put the hand cuffs on him.

"You’re enjoying this aren’t you?" He grunted as I made them nice and tight.

"Not at all."

Homer grabbed him roughly and led him to the doors so as to make it look like he was a police officer leading a criminal. The plan was; while the were in there, at the opportune moment, they would take over the releasing room and hold up the officers in there. Daddy and whoever else was breaking out would take their clothing and put it on so it wasn’t obvious they were a bunch of convicts breaking out in their stripes. Then they would run to the car. I could spot a few hiccups in that plan but it wasn’t mine so I didn’t point them out.

After a few minutes of waiting Homer was the first one back to the car. He grabbed his gun, ready to shoot when the time came. Then came that wack job "Baby Face" Nelson, a con I didn’t recognize, and John quickly afterwards. Finally Daddy came out with two more cons I didn’t recognize. Suddenly the alarm sounded and gun shots rang from the guard wall.

"Shit." I muttered under my breath and started firing. They managed to shoot down one of the cons I didn’t know. That’s when I became more than determined to make sure Daddy got here safely. All I could focus on was shooting.

Soon they made it to the car and Red took off while Homer and I were still hanging on, still shooting. Once we got out of range I ducked back into the cramped car. I noticed John squatting down leaning precariously out the other door. He leaned back and I heard a flapping sound. He sat down looking grave. I was confused. He turned to the man next to him.

"Because of you Walter Dietrich is dead." He accused. I felt my eyes widen in shock.

"No." I breathed.

"Homer?" John asked.

"It’s up to you." He said calmly.

"Red?"

"Your call." He said more focused.

"Frankie?" I couldn’t even find the words to tell him how badly I wanted to see that man dead. All I could do was give the slightest nod.

He nodded back to me. Suddenly he elbowed the man in the nose and punched him across the face before pushing him out the door. I heard the flapping sound again. That’s what it had been. Walter’s body rolling away from the car.

I turned my head and hid my face with my hat letting silent tears fall. No one said anything but I felt John’s pinkie tracing a pattern on my thigh. It was a small gesture, but a comforting one.

After we dropped Nelson off at a brothel outside Chicago I was finally able to take off my hat and wipe my face since the cons I hadn’t recognized were the rest of his gang, Pierpont and Hamilton.

They of course were surprised to see Frankie Dietrich with them, crying and a woman, but John cleared it up straight away.

Back at the house, I went to my room, stripped down and crawled in bed. I sobbed into my pillow as quietly as I could. I didn’t hear the door open or the carpet muffled footsteps until the bed sank down.

I wiped my face as fast as I could. "Oh... Sorry, John." I murmured.

"Don’t worry. It’s ok to be sad." He said in a soft voice. That only made the tears come harder. I rolled back over so he wouldn’t see. He stood up and I figured he was leaving but after a few moments more weight was added to the bed. The rolled me over so I was facing him. He was laying next to me in his boxers and an undershirt.

"You were much closer to him that anyone else he’s trained." He stated pulling me close to him. I nodded slightly.

"He took me in after my father went to jail." I whispered. "If a father is what you can call him. That bastard nearly beat me to death twice after Momma died. Daddy D took me in and loved me the was a father should." The sobs started again. He shushed me, stroking my hair, I tucked my head under his chin, not caring we were both half naked.

"You sleep now my fragile Doll." And that was all it took.