“She is still at the home of the man who placed the advert.”
Oasis gaped at him for moment, before she exploded in a litany of profanities. She swiped the glass off the table and sent it crashing into the wall. After a few moments of staring at the wall to regain her composure, she turned to Burton. The man was staring at her with an odd, little smile on his face.
“That woman will be the death of me.” She reached for her guns. “Let’s go rescue her, so I can scream at her.”
They made it back in time to see a rotund man escort a tall, modestly dressed woman to a carriage. The woman looked around, her actions jerky. Oasis felt her heart constrict at the fear she knew Tia must be experiencing at the moment. She’ll make sure to knock that man’s teeth down his throat when she caught up to them.
They followed the carriage as it made its way out of London on the road leading to Oxford. She always had men following Tia and she had seen them passing both carriages on horseback earlier. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.
“When are you going to tell her?”
She cracked her eyes open and glanced at Burton. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
Burton smiled and looked out the window. “The one who wishes to see through a disguise rarely does.”
Oasis stared at the large man, unsure of what to do next. She had met men like him before. Men, whose loyalty to their masters was legendary. Their characters were unwavering and she was glad that Tia had one such friend to protect her. Even if it meant protecting her against Oasis. She sighed and looked out the window at the passing moonlit landscape. She never wanted to think that far, but the time was here now. What would happen once she had managed to seduce Tia? Would the wilful woman be satisfied with a few stolen moments here and there? Or would she want to pursue something a little more permanent?
She shook her head. This was not the time for daydreaming. It would serve her well to remember that Tia was way out of her league.
“They seemed to have turned off somewhere,” Burton said as he pulled his head back into the carriage. Oasis could hear the alarm in his voice.
“My men are following them. They’ll come and get us.” She thumped the door of the carriage and the carriage decelerated down. “Slow down and look for a turnoff.”
VII
‘The Dark Veil II’
Tia was terrified.
She stole a glance at the man sitting opposite her and almost immediately wished she hadn’t. He was looking at her with a lecherous gleam in his beady eyes. He sat up straighter and extended his leg so it brushed against her foot. She quickly pulled her foot away and the man smiled. He stroked his beard as he studied her in the flickering light of the lantern swinging wildly overhead.
“I must say that you are an incredible beauty, my dear.”
Tia swallowed hard. “Thank you, milord.” She would give anything to have Burton here with her now. The carriage came to a stop and peering out into the darkness, Tia stared up at a dark imposing structure. She swallowed again. Oh, Burton!
She was hustled out of the carriage and up the stairs. The doors opened and she was led down a dim-lit hallway. Next, she was hurried down a set of stairs. She looked around trying to memorize as many clues as she could lay her eyes on. The further down the stairs they moved, the danker the air became. As soon as they reached the last steps, Tia heard a footfall behind her. Just as she was about to turn around, her head exploded. With a soft cry, she succumbed to the ensuing darkness.
***
Oasis checked her pistol and looked up when Burton came to stand next to her. The large man looked worried.
“They outnumber us two to one. The only way to get in is to use stealth.” He looked around and back at Oasis. “Most of the guards are patrolling the back of the estate, which leads to the forest.”
“Well,” Oasis shrugged. “Then we’ll go through the front door.” She holstered her gun and pulled off her mask. She was dressed for the part, after all. Burton didn’t look at all shocked by her true identity. “Let’s go.” She was eager to get Tia away from this place and somewhere quiet where she could scream at the stubborn duchess. They mounted the steps to the front door and Oasis daintily used the brass knocker. It took at least a minute before the door opened. A greying butler peered around the door. Oasis felt herself being thoroughly assessed. With his inspection complete, he took a careful step back.
“We had not been expecting you, milord,” he said, his upper lip barely moving as he spoke. “I will show you to the others.”
Oasis smiled and when the door opened a fraction wider, slowly moved passed the butler, allowing Burton enough time to stage his ambush. She walked into the large foyer and looked around just as a soft thud sounded, followed by the sound of a heavy object being dragged off. Burton joined her as they listened for any sounds to determine the whereabouts of the nobles. The house was quiet. That could mean only one thing. The group would be in a place, where the sound would not carry. She pulled her mask back over her face.
“We need to check the cellar first. The others can clear the rest of the house.” There was a door located under the staircase and Oasis made a dash for it. Her thoughts were overrun with images of Tia, hurt and bleeding on a cold floor somewhere. She took the curling stairs, careful not to make too much noise, her guns aimed straight ahead. She came to an abrupt halt at the sound of male voices up ahead.
***
Tia opened her eyes and almost immediately slammed them shut again. The pain that lanced through her head made her stomach roil. She turned her head slightly and expelled the eggs she had eaten at her ‘host’s’ house earlier. She carefully tried to sit up. The room was dark. So dark, in fact, that she couldn’t make out her hand. She felt around her and sighed. The room wasn’t tiled, which meant it was some sort of a storage area with no ventilation. She looked at the door. There was a thin sliver of light shining through from outside. On unsteady feet, she made her way to the door, feeling around for the door handle. The door was locked. No surprise there. She needed to find a weapon or a tool to use when they came for her. Slowly, using the wall for support, she made her way around the room. She had almost gone full circle, having found the room bare of even the most basic of essentials, when she tripped over something. Bracing herself for a hard landing, she was surprise to find herself falling on top of a something soft. After swallowing the nausea that was brought on by the jarring action on her injured head, she cautiously began to run her hands over the softness underneath her. She squeaked when she encountered an arm. She had landed on a person! Tia carefully heaved herself off the body.
“Hello.”
When there was no answer, she leaned closer. “Are you okay?”
“She’s dead.”
Tia gasped and crawled away from the voice which sounded so close to her. How was it possible that she could have missed the presence of another person in here? Of course! She had been searching the outer edges of the room.
“Who…who are you?”
“Name’s Lily.”
Tia swallowed hard. “And the…who is she?”
“Didn’t quite catch her name. I found her here.”
“Like…like that?”
. “No, not like that. She died sometime yesterday. They will come by later to remove the body.”
Tia shook her head and regretted the act instantly, when pain exploded in her head, leaving her dizzy. She waited until the dizzy spell had passed. “What happened to her?
Silence.
“Was she sick?”
“Sick of being here, yes. But that’s not what killed her. She had angered them somehow.”
They did this to a defenceless woman? Tia wondered who these people were that were capable of such cruelty. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek. It was a personal tribute to the brave woman who, even with the odds stacked against her, had been defiant to the end. She paid with her life for it but Tia knew that she would never forget this woman. Now sh
e needed to get out of here so she could make sure that these animals were caught and locked away someplace where no one would ever find them again.
“I need your help to get out of here.”
The woman snorted. “No one gets out, unless it’s in a pine box.”
Tia nodded in the dark. That’s what she was hoping for. When they come for the body, she’ll be ready.
“How long have I been unconscious?”
“Ten, maybe twenty minutes. You have a hard head, it seems.”
Doesn’t feel like it, Tia thought as she fought off another wave of nausea.
***
“…not sure if I can stomach it anymore, Clive.”
“Don’t you dare leave me alone with this. You were the one who said it was easy money, Jamie.” The second voice sounded angry.
“Yes, but burying these lassies like animals in shallow graves, it…” The voice broke. “I’m starting to see them in my dreams. I can’t do this anymore.”
There was a short scuffle. “List…Listen to me, you idiot. What do you think will happen to us if they find out that we took off?” The scuffling continued.
“I don’t care about them.”
“Well, you forget that they’ve met our families.” The scuffling stopped abruptly. “If we leave, you might as well dig a shallow grave for Ella and Ann. Is that what you want for your daughters, huh?”
Oasis held her position as she listened intently. These two were the men who got rid of the bodies. Their testimonies would be worth a lot. She lowered her gun.
“I’m sorry, Clive, but we are in this for as long as they need us. Now, pull yourself together and let’s go get the lass and take care of her.”
Oasis felt her heart skip a beat. There was a dead body? It couldn’t be Tia. She’s only been in the house for less than thirty minutes. She heard a soft footfall behind her and spotted Burton. She signalled for him to keep quiet as he came closer.
“Ok, as long as you carry her dead body. I’ll dig the grave.”
“That’s fine by me. Now, let’s go.”
The men moved further down the stairs. The sound of a key slotting into a lock could be heard, followed by a door creaking open. There was a moment of silence.
“What the hell! Why are there two bodies, Clive?”
“I…I do…don’t know. Why’re you asking me?”
“Because you were the one who hit the new girl over the head. It seems you must’ve hit her too hard.”
At hearing that, Oasis felt her heart jerk to a stop. Tia was dead?! No, it could not be possible! Before she could react, she felt Burton’s bulk push passed her, spurring her into action. The scene that greeted their eyes, was of two men, one holding a lantern high as they knelt next to a prone figure. A deep growl filled the room and Oasis was shocked to find it came from her. She leapt into action. The man holding the lantern dropped it abruptly and the spilled oil caught fire. In the light of the toppled lantern, she saw Burton reach for the other man. She turned to her own man and it was with great relish that the she drove her fist into his stunned face. As she hit him over and over again, she could feel tears beginning to course down her cheeks. No matter what, nothing would bring Tia back to life.
“Milord.”
Oasis pulled her fist back to deliver another punch.
“Milord, she’s not dead.”
Not dead? Tia was alive?! Oasis dropped the unconscious man and crawled over to where Burton was cradling Tia in his arms. She could only stare in disbelief and immense relief. She reached out a shaky hand and placed it on Tia’s back. The blonde head turned and those penetrating blue eyes met hers. She tried to smile, but knew that the emotional turmoil of the past few minutes was still visible on her face. The blue eyes widened in confusion before her face registered recognition. Tia slowly pushed out of Burton’s embrace, her hand reaching out. Oasis knew that there was no way she could stop it.
The moment has arrived.
Tia’s fingers hooked under the mask and she began to lift it.
***
Tia stopped breathing as she held the eyes staring at her from behind the terrifying mask. She couldn’t help but feel that she knew those eyes. Knew them quite well in fact. Nothing prepared her for this moment. For what she was about to discover. For a moment, a very brief one, she wondered if she really wanted to do this. But those eyes were almost daring her to continue.
The silence of the room was abruptly pierced by the sound of shots fired nearby. Burton jerked her back into his arms.
“Noooo!” She had been so close!
Burton had already swung her up in his arms and was stalking to the door. “We need to get you away from here.”
“No, wait! There’s another girl in here. I’m not leaving without her.”
Burton turned around and they spotted the girl huddled in the corner, her eyes on the flames.
“Come on, we need to get out before this whole place burns down.”
The Maverick came to his feet. “You go. I’ll take care of the girl and the men.” His mask was back in place and he was once again the feared King of the Underworld. Tia couldn’t help but regret the missed opportunity. She doubted she would ever have another chance to get that close to finding out The Maverick’s identity.
“Be careful,” she whispered to him and he nodded curtly.
Burton rushed her out of the room, up the stairs and outside to their carriage. She sank into the soft seat with a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. The carriage lurched into action and she felt Burton moving closer so she could lean against him. Tia opened her eyes and looked up into Burton’s dark ones.
“I know you’ll scold me for this, but I want you to know that I thought I could handle the situation.”
Burton snorted at the statement. “That’s not the first time I have heard you say that.”
Tia blushed and looked away. “I know.”
There rode in silence for a few minutes. Tia used the time to evaluate her involvement in their current case and came to the harsh conclusion that she had not been as helpful to the case as she thought she would be. In fact, she found that her presence had made an already bad situation worse. Thanks to her, Burton and The Maverick had to rush to her rescue with no plan of action. That could mean that the men who were responsible for those cruel atrocities, might not be apprehended. She felt tears of shame burn in her eyes and flow down her cheeks. She sniffed softly and felt Burton’s arm curl around her shoulders to pull her even more tightly to him. Tia snuggled closer, feeling her sense of despondence lessening gradually due to the tender attention of her beloved ‘brother’. She placed her hand over his heart.
“I love you, Burton.”
He inhaled deeply, his massive chest lifting with the action. “I love you, too.”
Feeling warm, safe and loved, she allowed the swaying of the carriage to lull her into a doze.
***
Oasis studied the men through the slits of her mask. She had spoken to both Clive and Jaime as soon as they had regained consciousness to find out what they knew of the activities that took place at this castle. They couldn’t tell her much, except that since they had started here, they had buried four girls. The body of the fifth was being transferred to London.
Here she was now, facing the cowards who brutalized five young girls. She knew them all from the soirees she had attended at the Royal Palace. They were men of great power and privilege. Most notable was Lord Basil Wirth, the Duke of Emerton. He was a close confidante of the king and someone who held great sway in the House of Commons. Oasis walked over to where the middle-aged man stood, his back turned to Oasis. He was whispering urgently to his five collaborators. Her men had found the noblemen barricaded in an upstairs study. It seemed that they had all been indulging in a few drinks before their ritualistic rape and sodomy session. Thanks to the doorman, who was quite cooperative when she had questioned him earlier, Oasis could piece together what the last moments of the dead girls were like. She felt
bile rise in her throat as she focussed her attention once again on the leader of the pack. The well-connected Duke.
To break this case, she needed to break him first.
“To whom does this property belong?” Lord Wirth’s shoulders stiffened, but he didn’t turn around to look at her. Oasis shrugged and kicked the back of the man’s leg. With a groan he fell to his knees. The other nobles stared in shock at their esteemed leader kneeling before them. “I’ll ask you again, Lord Wirth, to whom does this property belong?”
The man stubbornly held his silence. Oasis grinned behind her mask. She loved breaking these arrogant types. She turned to the others. “Do any of you gentlemen know who owns this property?”
Silence again. She walked over to the desk and grabbed a few sheets of paper, an inkpot and quill.
“Well, I did give you an opportunity to cooperate.” She picked up the lantern and smashed it again the desk. She heard them gasp as flames began to lick their way from the desk down to the carpet. She did the same with the second lantern and walked to the door. If they didn’t want to tell, then she’ll smoke it out of them.
“You can’t do this,” Lord Wirth shouted as he eyed the flames. “You’ll hang for this.”
Oasis chuckled. “Not if you’re dead, I won’t.” She left the room amidst the hysterical calls from some of the men to have mercy. She locked the room and leaned back against the opposite wall. One of her men came over to her. “How many?”
“Four dead and seven alive, but injured.”
“Good. Have you sent someone to get the constabulary?”
“No yet. We thought to check in with you first.”
She nodded. “Give me ten minutes.”
***
Tia’s eyes flickered and opened. She blinked as she looked around the room. She sniffed the air again. Yes, that’s what woke her. Smoke. She sat up and looked at her fireplace. The fire had burned out with only glowing embers left. Then, if it wasn’t the fire…?
Worlds Apart Page 10