Power & Control

Chapter 3 ~ Hooded Woman

Weapons prepared, and engines revved up and ready to go, everybody separated into two cars. Bert and Cec took Dot in their cab, and Jack drove Hugh and Mr. Butler in the police car.

Thunder rumbled loudly as the clouds rolled in, and the darkness crept in. The house, well, mansion really, where Miss Fisher was supposedly being held hostage wasn't too far away, and they reached it just as the rain began to fall on the ground. By the time they reached the door, the small group was almost drenched, and Dot was shaking, but no one was sure whether or not it was because of the cold rain, or because of the obvious fear. Knocking sharply three times on the door, Jack took a deep breath in, and wrapped his fingers firmly around the pistol in his pocket. Cec smiled, he'd never seen the Inspector quite so nervous. "Scared, are we?" he teased, and the only reply he got was an extremely unimpressed glare from Jack.

The door creaked open, but nobody was standing behind it, however when Dot stepped forward, and put the money on the doorstep, the clicking of high heels on polished wooden floor could be heard coming ever closer, louder. Before long, a shadowy figure could be seen, face hidden under a hooded black cloak, and a gun aimed directly at the small party. "Come any closer and I shoot." The girl said, and voice cold as ice, sent chills down their spines. As Jack pulled out his gun, she pulled the trigger, and the shot sounded throughout the quiet night, flying close to Jack's hand, the bullet sending his pistol flying backwards.

Bert chuckled, "How thick do ya think we are?" he said, nodding for Dot, Cec, Mr. Butler and Hugh to pull out their guns, and they pointed them at the mysterious lady.

"Well, honestly, you're quite thick to think I would face you all without any backup." She sighed, almost seeming bored, as a large group of people appeared behind her, all holding guns perfectly aimed at the group of friends. They were outnumbered and they knew it, so they threw their guns to the floor, and put their hands up. "Good, now let's take you to your Phryne, shall we?" The woman said, and just when the group was about to follow her lead, Dot spoke up. "I can't speak for us all, but I think we'd feel more comfortable if you left your... Backup behind." "Fine." She nodded quickly, and the large group dropped their guns and disappeared.

She led them down a million halls, like a maze that's seemingly neverending. She stopped when they reached a pitch black room, and turned around. "Where is she?!" Bert yelled angrily. "Oh please, you all knew it was a trap, and you came anyway." She pulled her pistol out of her pocked and cocked her head to the side, signalling for Jack to move, and, as he had no gun, thus no way to stand up for himself, he did so.

She spun around, gun pointed at him, ready to pull the trigger, and a gunshot sounded through the silent house for the second time that night.

But, it wasn't her gun, in fact, she was the one with a bullet in her chest, and Dot began to cry. She hadn't dropped her gun when the others did, instead she had slipped it into her pocket, feeling that she may need it later, and for the first time in her life, Dorothy Williams wasn't afraid to kill a person.