When it came to hazardous equipment, Glory could be a bit reckless.
“I accidentally set off a canon thatone time.” Glory scowled. “I know what I am doing.”
When she turned to check the smoke-emitting devices, the rest of them exchanged wide-eyed looks.
“Give us ten minutes to set things up with Hawker and Mrs. Peabody,” Livy said.
Glory and Pippa bobbed their heads in agreement.
Then all of them leaned in and whispered their motto for luck. “Sisters first.”
Fiona headed out with Livy to the carriage, where Hawker and Mrs. Peabody were waiting. The tension between the butler and housekeeper was thicker than the fog. When Livy explained the plan, the pair left to take their separate posts without exchanging a word.
“What was that all about?” Livy mused.
“What do you think?” Fi rolled her eyes. “At this rate, they’ll be married by Christmas.”
She and Livy took up their patrol. Fi kept careful watch on the buildings flanking the Lyon’s Den. To the left, occupying a corner lot, was a boarding house, with weary-faced men coming and going. A pawn shop sat to the right, lights out for the night. Next to that was an establishment with shuttered windows and no identifying sign. The pair of painted, scantily dressed women lounging in the entryway conveyed the nature of the wares.
“Looking for company, gents?” one of the prostitutes cooed at Fi. “Me and me sister ’ere are free for the eve. Or the hour.”
“Already spent me week’s wages, dove,” Fi replied.
The light-skirt lost interest. Fi and Livy circled back toward the pub.
Shouts punctured the night. “Fire! Fire!”
Smoke and people began pouring out of the Lyon’s Den. Knowing that Hawker was posted out front, Fi swept her gaze over the adjacent buildings.
“Come on, Lillian,” she murmured. “I know you’re here somewhere…”
As the raucous crowd filled the street, Fi craned her neck to keep watch on the entrances. Then she saw them: Mrs. Lyon, along with a man with a bandaged arm and a slight, dark-haired woman. They were not pushing their way out of the Lyon’s Den like the others but exiting from the boarding house.
Glimpsing the young woman’s face, Fi felt her heart thump with recognition.
“I see Lillian,” Fi whispered excitedly. “The boarding house.”
Livy whipped her head in that direction. “Good work. Let’s go.”
They dashed toward their target, grabbing Hawker along the way. They pushed through the throng of people, which wasn’t easy since most were drunk and some still drinking from the tankards they’d brought with them.
“Hurry.” Fi saw Lillian and her companions veer into an alleyway. “We’re going to lose them.”
Like Moses, Hawker created a path through the sea of people. They broke free of the horde and headed down the dark vein between buildings. The scent of rot enveloped them. Her breath loud in her ears, Fi led the charge as the alley drained into a large moonlit courtyard with a coach house at the far end.
Livy shouted, “Watch out!”
Fi dove to the ground as a bullet whooshed overhead. Shouts followed, and she rolled to her feet, running to take cover behind a nearby barrel. Pulse racing, she scanned the environs. Livy and Hawker were both unharmed, sheltered behind bales of hay.
With a shock of confusion, Fi saw that a melee was underway in the courtyard. A dozen or so men were brawling with fists and other weapons. She had no idea who they were or why they were fighting.
“Lillian is in the coach house.” Livy’s shout broke through Fi’s paralysis; the former had her pistol drawn. “You’re closest; we’ll cover you.”
With a nod, Fi eyed the building, only several yards away. Taking a breath, she made a run for it, keeping low to avoid gunfire. She sprinted through the open doorway, seeing stalls and a bay that contained a carriage. A woman was madly harnessing horses to the vehicle.
Fi said softly, “Lillian O’Malley.”
The woman spun to face Fi, pulling out a gun.
