Chapter 26 #2
When Peter rounded the next corner, he spotted some dangerous looking thugs crowded next to a building. They stopped their discussion and glared toward him, all frozen in place.
Peter sent Gordon a swift glance to ensure he was right at his side before declaring, “We're here in the name of Bow Street. Any trouble you cause will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.”
The men shrank back, showing no hint of interfering before they swung away and vanished through a doorway.
A scruffy dog trotted along next to Peter before disappearing into the darkness. There wasn't far to go now. A little bit up ahead they’d take their positions and hold them.
With Gordon at his right shoulder, Peter soon arrived at the corner of the building from which he’d have a clear view of the meeting spot Finn O'Leary had chosen: the exact center of the rookery and the perfect spot from which the crime lord could protect himself.
* * *
Accompanied by Murdoch and one of his men, Edward kept his wits about him as he strode through the narrow alleyways that would take him to his designated spot.
Working together with Kendrick, the dukes, and Adrian, they would surround O’Leary and his men and hopefully launch a rescue.
By pinning O’Leary down and leaving him with no chance of escape, they’d be able to threaten him instead.
What it would all come down to was leverage.
If all went well, they would have the upper hand and no harm would come to either Samantha or Murry.
Water splashed beneath Edward's feet as he continued forward with purpose. Murdoch ambled along at his side, his bulky figure making for a slower pace.
Rain dripped from every roof line, splashing against the ground.
Caught in the darkness of encroaching night, everything looked dimmer, the poverty less striking than it likely was during the day.
Edward had never been in this part of the city before.
He’d never dared since it was renowned for housing London’s criminal underworld.
Something clattered somewhere in the distance behind him, and he flinched, paused, and glanced over his shoulder, the lantern he carried held high in an effort to peer through the drizzle.
“Don’t pause,” said Murdoch. “Keep moving.”
Heeding his advice, Edward fell into step beside him once more and continued past a building so crooked it stood out despite the shadows of night.
Something scurried along beside him. A rat, no doubt, the sound cut off by a soft scraping noise, then a hiss as an angry cat darted out of a corner and scampered away.
The mutterings of the poor echoed around him. People who couldn’t even afford to pay for a roof over their heads in this part of the town were crouched against house walls and doorways. Their bodies were huddled together in silhouettes resembling hills and valleys in the countryside.
“Snuff out your light,” Murdoch said. “We’re almost there and the last thing we need is for Finn O’Leary and all his men to see us coming.”
Edward did as he was told without asking twice, plunging them into inky blackness.
He blinked, allowed his eyes to adjust to the purplish hues that settled around him until he was able to make out occasional shapes within the alleyway.
Neither he nor Murdoch uttered a word as they maintained their progress toward the end of the alleyway and the corner that awaited them — a section within the slums known as The Devil’s Tail.
This was it. The spot where O’Leary had told Adrian to come and surrender all of his power.
Murdoch nudged Edward sideways, indicating that he should stick to the left while Murdoch himself took his position at the right. They would stay here, standing guard, preventing anyone who wanted to flee from doing so until they were certain the situation had unfolded as Adrian wished.
There was still plenty of time, at least a good half hour by his estimation, until the designated hour. This would allow him to settle in for the wait together with Murdoch. Time he could use to ready himself mentally for what lay ahead.
The sound of approaching footsteps a few minutes later caught his attention.
Was O’Leary already here? Had he brought Samantha?
Was he planning to make preparations in advance, and if so, would he spot Edward and Murdoch or any of the other men whom Edward knew were hidden away in the surrounding alleyways?
If so, it could ruin everything. If O’Leary so much as sensed that they were there, ready to act, it could have terrible consequences for both Samantha and Murry.
Their well-being depended on this going smoothly.
Edward glanced across at Murdoch but saw no indication that he had taken note of the sound, so he switched his attention to the area ahead, wondering if any of the other men would make their presence known.
When no one else showed any hint of movement, he too kept still and simply watched, waiting to discover who was about to arrive.
Perhaps it was merely a vagrant or one of the rookery inhabitants making their way out for the night to steal or worse.
If it were a gang of cutthroats they might all have trouble on their hands before the main event of the evening unfolded. He shuddered at the thought, already retreating farther against the side of the building to keep his presence concealed in the shadows of night.
The footsteps grew louder and yet remained an almost silent tread, gentle as they approached. The person they belonged to finally came into view. It was a young boy, based on the figure’s size and shape. Edward watched quietly while holding his breath.
Another figure emerged from the darkness, then a third, their body types similar to the first. All appeared to be young lads dressed in jackets and breeches with caps pulled down over their heads.
One of them held up a hand, halting the others. They stopped to listen, as if they were one united unit working together. This did not seem to be a simple band of thieves. This seemed to be something else entirely. Possibly something related to what was about to unfold here this evening.
And then one of them turned. And stepped into a beam of moonlight shooting down from the sky, casting an almost eerie glow through the water droplets filling the air. The light illuminated the person’s face, just enough for Edward to suck in a breath as surprise struck him straight in the gut.
It couldn’t be. Why the hell would she be here? And yet there could be no doubt that the person who stood there, dressed in men’s clothes, was none other than Miss Melody Roberts.