“Are you certain you don’t want to stay in the hackney with Pippa?” Glory asked.
Due to her advanced pregnancy, Pippa was on surveillance duty with Mr. Devlin. The pair would discreetly circle the environs while the other Angels searched the property. At any sign of trouble, Pippa would alert her fellow agents with a whistle that emitted a shrill and distinctive sound that resembled a bird’s call.
“I am not missing out,” Fi said firmly. “I want to have as much adventure as possible before I get as big as a house. No offense to Pippa.”
Pippa’s dry reply came from the carriage. “Why would I be offended to be likened to an edifice?”
“We’ll reconvene here in an hour,” Livy said to Mr. Devlin.
“If you’re late, I’ll be chargin’ you for me time,” he grumbled.
Glory admired the way he stayed in character; it reminded her to readjust her tatty apron and make sure her wig was in place. After he and Pippa drove off, the remaining trio headed to their destination. Dusk was falling, bringing along drifting fog as they crossed a rickety bridge. Crammed jowl to jowl, the buildings they passed had sagging roofs and peeling paint, drying linens hanging limply from poles extended out the second-floor windows. There were occasional storefronts, light flickering through the dirty glass. Everywhere, babes were squalling, adults shouting, and even animals joined in on the ruckus.
Glory’s ears pricked at the sound of barking in the distance.
“Do you hear that?” she said. “It could be Sir Barkley.”
“It sounds like more than one dog,” Livy replied. “Perhaps we’ve found the dognappers’ stash.”
Excitement shot through Glory as they approached the two-story building at the end of the street. It sat on a larger lot than the others and was enclosed by a rusty iron gate. There was just enough light to make out the faded sign: “Seyfried & Sons Leather Dressers.” The boarded-up windows and ramshackle state suggested that the place had long been abandoned.
“This is the final place on the map,” Livy confirmed.
After a quick glance around, Glory discreetly checked the gate. Locked.
“Let’s go around back,” she said in an undertone. “We don’t want to invite attention.”
The Angels continued along the side of the building. The fence ended where the place butted up against a ditch, a wooden gallery extending over the rivulet of sludge. Here, there was no one to witness them making their entry. Glory sent FF II to do some initial scouting. He easily scaled the fence, his long, furry body arcing as he leapt onto the gallery. He bounded along the perimeter of the wooden deck, then stood on his hind legs and made a dook-dook sound.
The ferret equivalent of a thumb’s up.
“Good boy,” Glory whispered. “Looks like the coast is clear.”
She went first, the other Angels following her onto the deck. With expert speed, she picked the lock on the back door, and the trio crept into the shadowed interior. The former tannery had a rotting odor distinctive from that of the sewage outside, no doubt from the years of animal carcasses being treated and stored within its walls. Grabbing a lantern from a hook, she lit it.
Glory’s breath caught as the light gleamed off metal bars.
“Heavens,” Fiona breathed. “This has to be where they are keeping the dogs.”
The massive cage took center stage in the cavernous room. The cell went halfway up to the high rafters and was wide enough to keep dozens of animals. As Glory walked around the cage, she saw dark stains soaked into the floorboards, and her throat clenched.
Behind her, FF II let out a low hiss and scampered off.
“Where are the dogs now?” Glory’s voice trembled. “Do you think they are all right?”
“Who knows?” Livy said darkly. “Whoever took those dogs is a monster, and this place is a veritable dungeon of horror.”
Shuddering, Glory thought the description was apt. Like the floor, the thick posts that supported the rafters were also splattered with unidentifiable gore. The tanner’s old tools still hung on the walls, and the double-handled fleshing knives, hooks, and skivers added to the unnerving ambiance.
“We should check the other rooms—”
She was cut off by a warning shrill.
Pippa’s whistle.
“We have to go,” Livy whispered.
Livy and Fi ran for the back door, but Glory couldn’t find FF II.
