He inclined his head slightly and left several Bow Street Runners behind to guard her.
Then events unfolded with startling speed.
Lord Stanley issued silent instructions to the remaining men.
The Bow Street Runners surged forward.
The door burst inward.
Shouts erupted.
Gunfire thundered.
Chaos followed.
Charlotte flinched at every crash and shout, her nerves stretched nearly beyond endurance as she waited with batedbreath, unable to know who might emerge wounded—or not emerge at all.
Then, after several agonising minutes, silence fell.
When no one appeared from the chamber, Charlotte could bear it no longer.
Ignoring the Bow Street Runners attempting to stop her, she pushed forward. Something in her expression must have halted them, for no one physically restrained her.
She crossed the threshold slowly.
Inside, several guards had already been subdued whilst Lord Stanley searched the pockets of one unconscious man.
The girls remained locked safely inside the cages.
Relief nearly made Charlotte weak.
‘Miss Charlotte!’ Sarah cried.
Lucy and the others broke into relieved exclamations at the sight of her.
Lord Stanley tossed her the keys.
‘Here.’
Charlotte caught them with trembling hands and hurried to the nearest cage.
One lock sprang open.
Then the next.
And the next.
‘You are safe now,’ she whispered urgently as the girls clung tearfully to her.
One by one, she freed them all.
By the time the final cage was opened, the Bow Street Runners had already begun escorting the captured guards from the chamber.
The girls were quickly guided back through the tunnels, some requiring assistance to walk.
But one thought lingered heavily.
Falcon—the Captain—remained at large.
