Infiltration // T.S

five

Pearl had tossed and turned all night, fretting that by morning everyone would know who she was and the Peaky Blinders would oust her from the city. For a brief moment, around three-thirty, she contemplated silencing Grace forever but quickly passed on that idea, thinking it would cause her more trouble than it was worth.

By the time dawn broke, miraculously, no one had broken into her room and cut her a smile. Pearl couldn't get back to sleep so decided she might as well get up. She dressed quickly and decided she would go early to set up The Garrison so started to head downstairs.

She opened the front door and greeted the morning frost, pulling her shawl slightly tighter over her arms. She stepped out of her door and walked down the empty street watching as the morning light cast blue and pink shadows across the houses.

And then it all went black. She felt leather-bound hands cover her eyes and mouth and drag her backwards. She stumbled against the loose stones on the street and tried to pry the hands off of her face before hearing a gun cock and felt the barrel press against her temple.

Tommy knows. That was the last thought she had before she was knocked out cold.

~ God knows how much longer ~

The chill hit Pearl before anything else. Goosebumps were covering her arms and neck. She tried to rub her arms to create some warmth but on trying to move her hands she felt rope rub around her wrists. Pearl's heavy eyes half opened and her vision focused on her ankles which were tied together beneath her. She also spotted her shawl discarded across the floor just beside her feet. Then a large boot was swinging towards the leg of the chair that Pearl was tied to.

"Wake up!" The boot made contact with the chair and Pearl was sent jolting back.

She finally raised her head and saw two men standing before her; one wide and burly and the other somewhat smaller. Pearl blinked until her vision was fully focused and she realised she was sitting in a cramped, dark room with no windows and a singular lamp turned on in the corner.

There was a silhouette standing in front of the light and she watched as smoke bellowed towards her. Then the silhouette moved closer and she made out Chief Inspector Campbell.

"I told you we'd talk again soon" she could hear the smirk on his lips. "And don't think you can shoot your way out of this, we've already confiscated your weapons" he motioned to her gun sitting atop the table.

"What do you want?" Pearl breathed.

He bent his knees so that he was eye to eye with Pearl. "I know you're caught up in this"

Pearl practically rolled her eyes. When was he going to give this up? Surely he had more important things to do than detaining her.

"Grace already tried this on me yesterday. So i'll ask you, with what fucking proof?" As Pearl spoke her breath was disturbing the strands of hair that fell in front of her face.

Campbell straightened his back and clasped his hands behind his back, "We don't need proof. We need a confession"

He nodded towards the men standing on either side of Pearl. She looked to the side and noticed a knife within the grasp of the burly one and a gun holstered in both their belts.

"You have nothing on me. You have, however, unlawfully detained me - I wonder what the 'Birmingham Evening Dispatch' would have to say about that. A poor, innocent civilian tied up and tortured by the big, bad Inspector Campbell" she seethed, leaning forwards towards Campbell.

"You will say nothing of the sort, if you want your secret identity to remain a secret"

Pearl stared at him blankly, "Why haven't you told anyone yet?"