Dark Remains: A Maggie Power Adventure (Maggie Power #1)

Chapter 14 - The Plan

Chapter 14 - The Plan

After nearly a week of being holed up inside the gang's hideout, Jack came to see them one afternoon - as he regularly did during their time as captives. Their conversations always seemed to revert back to the idea of escaping London, finding Sanctuary, Jack's mother, the children's father.

Yet it always ended with Jack becoming agitated and leaving in a huff, as if the idea of leaving his current life was a step so close, as to be too dangerous a move ever to be contemplated.

On this particular day, however, he didn't leave in a restless or troubled state. Instead he informed them of a strange encounter. Earlier that day, while out with Charlie - looking for an opportunity to arise - two men had stopped and questioned them. These two men were particularly keen on the whereabouts of the two missing street children - as had been reported in the newspapers earlier in the week.

He described the men. "His nibs, a real gentleman like. Oily as a snake though. The other, a kind of foolish oaf. All smart remarks and threatening growls. Funny name, too. Sounded to me like a dog of some sort."

"Beagle? His name is Beagle, I remember now," said Maggie.

"Yeah, that's right. How d'you know?"

"Go on please," begged Maggie. "This is really important. A matter of life and death you could say."

He continued describing the men in more detail. It had to be Beagle and his fellow murderer, thought Maggie. They asked Charlie if he had known the whereabouts of two such children and showed him the newspaper article. Charlie was cagey and gave nothing away, Jack explained. They hadn't spoken to Jack, but eyed him suspiciously, especially the oafish Beagle.

"But as we moved back into the crowd, Charlie said they was tailing us. We pulled a few tricks and gave them the slip. We then doubled back on the two sneaky coves, turned the tables on them, and began to follow them. Do you know where they ended up?" This was purely a rhetorical pause. "They ended up back at the peelers' crib. They went in through the traps' bleedin' private entrance. Of all the places in the world, would you believe it? And there's something else you need to know." Here he moved in close enough to whisper. "Charlie was talking on the way back and he told me he was thinking about selling you out, of cashing you two in. He's offering a handsome reward, this cove Whitmore."

That name, Whitmore! Why hadn't she remembered it and told Inspector Blake? How had she forgotten the men's names? She reprimanded herself. She urged Jack to continue.

"Anyways," he said looking to Maggie, searching her face, she felt, for some sort of reaction.

"Charlie reckons you've been nothing but bad for business, so he thinks he should get the reward for all his troubles."

"What should we do now, then?" asked Maggie. She felt desperate. The thought of falling into the hands of those two, cold-blooded murderers...

"Leave it with me. I've got a plan. But we might have to move sharpish," Jack replied. "And don't say a word to anyone else. This is our way out, I think. All we've talked about. Right?" His breathing became heavy and he had difficulty trying to keep his words at a whisper.

"All we've talked about, our leaving and all. It'll have to be sooner rather than later. I need to make sure we get a head start on Charlie."

He left them alone once more.

Maggie turned to Tom. "I think things will turn out all right, this time, Tom, "

"I do hope so, Maggie," he replied.

***

Later that evening, just as dusk was falling, the house fell silent. The gang left under Charlie's orders - to do a spot begging around the theatres. Jack was not amongst the members who left that evening, and Charlie did not remark upon his absence.