Home Alone 2: Lost in New York pdfdrive com

December 23

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New York City
2 P.M.
In the backseat of a taxicab crawling through traffic, Kevin studied a New York
City street map. He'd just visited the World Trade Center and done some
sightseeing in Chinatown. Central Park was his next stop, but as he got out at the
corner of 59th Street and Fifth Avenue, his attention was diverted by a grand-
looking hotel with tall columns and polished brass doors. A well-dressed man in
a gray topcoat and a woman wearing a fur were standing under the flag-lined
portico.
"The Plaza Hotel." Kevin imitated Ben Brenner's voice. "New York's most
exciting hotel experience!"
Kevin was just about to cross the street into the park when he saw a woman with
long stringy gray hair and dirty disheveled clothes coming toward him. A bunch
of mangy New York pigeons were perched on her head and shoulders, and
dozens more clustered on the sidewalk around her feet.
"Oh, sick!" Kevin was disgusted by the sight, and quickly turned away. He could
visit Central Park later.
Not many blocks away two other recent arrivals to the Big Apple were taking in
the sights. Wearing stolen clothes and wool caps, the escaped convicts Marv
Murchens and Harry Lyme strolled through a bustling Manhattan fish market
past dozens of white-coated workers unloading cargo from trucks.
Harry stopped and sniffed the cold winter air. "Smell that, Marv?"
Marv wrinkled his nose. "Yeah."
"You know what it is?" Harry asked.
"Fish." Marv replied, looking around.
"It's freedom," Harry said.
Marv scratched his head and sniffed again. "No, Harry, I'm telling you it's fish."

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"It's freedom," Harry insisted. "And money."
Marv suspected the year they'd spent in jail had affected his partner's mind in
strange ways, but he knew better than to argue.
"Okay. It's freedom and money. But it's also fish . . ." Marv pointed at a man
pushing a hand truck loaded with crates of fresh cabbage. "And cabbage."
Harry gave Marv a look. Sometimes he couldn't believe how dumb the guy was.
"Come on, let's get going."
"Where?" Marv asked.
"Someplace where it just smells of freedom, not fish," Harry said.
The two escaped convicts left the fish market and walked along a street lined
with tall buildings.
"So what's the plan?" Marv asked as he wrapped some double-sided masking
tape around his fingertips.
"We gotta get out of the country before the cops track us down," Harry said. "I
figure we have time for one big score. Then we buy some phony passports and
split for good."
Ahead of them on the sidewalk, a man wearing a fake white beard and a Santa
suit was ringing a bell.
"Please contribute to the New York Children's Hospital," he said, pointing to a
small bucket full of change on a folding table. As people passed they dropped
coins into the bucket. As Marv and Harry passed, Marv stuck his hand into the
bucket.
"How do you like that?" Marv asked a few steps later, showing Harry the coins
stuck to the tape on his fingers.
Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. Stuck to his partner's fingers was a
dime and four pennies. "That's really smart, Marv. Bust out of jail, hop a truck,
ride seven hundred miles to New York to swipe fourteen cents off a Santy
Claus."

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"Every little bit helps." Marv peeled the coins off. "And you know what? Now
we got ourselves a new name. No more Wet Bandits. From now on, we're the
Sticky Bandits."
"That's very cute," Harry said, rolling his eyes. It was moments like these that
made him think he should be working alone.
Not far away, Kevin was also walking down the sidewalk, unable to get the
memory of that disgusting pigeon lady out of his mind. It was so gross. Why
would anyone let pigeons hang all over them like that? The thought made him
shiver as he waited in a crowd of holiday shoppers for the light to change. The
streets were backed up with traffic, and everyone was honking their horns. The
"walk" light came on and Kevin followed the other pedestrians weaving in and
out of the cars stuck in the intersection.
Across the street, Harry and Marv also stepped off the curb. Seconds later, in the
middle of the intersection, Kevin squeezed between the bumpers of two cars and
brushed past the escaped cons. Suddenly Harry stopped and turned around. He
caught a glimpse of a kid with blond hair.
Naw, he thought, it couldn't be.
"What's the matter?" Marv asked.
Harry shook his head. "Thought I saw something."
Marv looked over his shoulder. Seeing nothing, he turned and accidentally
bumped into the back of a woman wearing a short, dark coat.
The woman turned and glared at him. She had straight blonde hair and
sunglasses and looked like a fashion model.
"Oh, uh, sorry," Marv automatically apologized. But when he saw how pretty
she was, he grinned.
Whap! She slapped him in the face and walked away.
"Hey, Marv." Harry couldn't help smiling. "Anyone ever tell you ya got less
brains than a toadstool?"

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