Game of Iniquity, page 16
Gabriel thought about her request. He did not know any sailors that could bring her across safely, but he knew one person. Hugo. He had told him he frequently traded with China, so he must be able to offer transport on one of his ships. Gabriel held out his hand. ‘Only if you can guarantee you can break into the Silverton.’
Xing’s eyes gleamed boldly as she shook his hand.
*
‘Excuse me?’ exclaimed Alexander with wide eyes. ‘What were you thinking?’
‘We have no other option, Wakefield.’
Gabriel had returned to the Wakefield residence to notify Alexander of Xing Yang’s participation.
‘And therefore you employed a Chinese criminal to help us? Someone who has broken into Buckingham Palace and stolen from the queen?’
‘Well, technically, she stole from Princess Beatrice. I am certain that old hag has enough diamonds to—’
‘That is not the point, Ashmore,’ snapped Alexander. ‘We are going against everything we stand for—’
‘What we stand for does not matter if people keep dying,’ hissed Gabriel. ‘What do we become if we are not willing to do what is necessary? We would be the same as the police force, useless and afraid. This is what sets us apart; we are willing to do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes, Wakefield.’
Alexander sighed, running his hands through his hair. ‘How much money does she want?’
‘She does not want any money. She wants safe passage to Guangzhou.’
‘How are we—’
‘I will arrange it.’
‘How?’
‘My brother. He is a merchant.’
Alexander paced across his library. ‘Well, I suppose we have no other choice.’
‘Are you two done arguing now?’ said Xing Yang, strolling into the library.
Alexander’s eyes widened, a mortified expression plastered upon his face. He turned to Gabriel.
‘You had her present this entire time?’
Gabriel pressed his lips together. ‘Well, I did not think you would have such an aversion to the idea.’
Alexander shot Gabriel a look of annoyance. ‘I am truly sorry, madam. I was not aware—’
‘Oh, save it,’ said Xing. ‘When is the soonest you can get me on that ship?’
‘Next week,’ answered Gabriel.
‘All right. Let us get started on this right away, then.’ She marched towards the table, picking up a large sheet of parchment and sketching large lines upon it. She wore a jumper and a hooded black robe on top of it, with the same trousers Gabriel had seen her in earlier. She had long boots on, which reached to her knees. People seeing her on the street must have assumed her to be a man, which Gabriel believed was exactly her intention. Her sleek hair was pinned at the nape of her neck.
Gabriel and Alexander neared her, peering over her shoulder to see what she was drawing. They noticed she had sketched the Silverton Club, with all of its windows and exits.
She pointed at the front doors. ‘Two guards are stationed here. Another guard patrols around the building.’ She pointed to the roof of the building. ‘I believe there may be an entrance here that I can gain access to.’
‘That is six floors up,’ stated Alexander.
‘Yes, I am aware,’ said Xing. ‘With the guard patrolling around the building, I would only have a total of ten seconds to climb the wall, which is impossible. Therefore, I shall need you two to distract the guard for a total of sixty seconds. That is all I need. After you have done that, I can make my own way out. I shall meet you two back at this house.’
Alexander raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. Gabriel shot him a glance, stating ‘I told you so’.
‘If I do not arrive back at this house an hour after my entry, then you must assume I am dead.’
Alexander looked at Gabriel with a slightly horrified expression.
Xing leaned back in her chair. ‘Now, tell me what I am exactly looking for in the Silverton Club.’
‘Well, that is a great question. An excellent question, really,’ said Alexander. ‘We would be—’
‘We do not know,’ stated Gabriel simply.
Xing raised an eyebrow.
‘We are looking for something in relation to the Erebus – the Black Opium on the market. Anything that links Blythe to it, or any other clue in relation to the substance. I am assuming you have a certain skillset in locating items?’ Gabriel thought back to the yellow diamond necklace.
Xing nodded.
‘Well, that could come in useful for this task. Is everything clear?’
‘Most certainly,’ stated Xing. ‘When do we start?’
CHAPTER XXVIII
The Silverton Club
Their carriage halted a street away from the Silverton Club. They had arrived at four in the morning. An hour after closing time. Gabriel, Alexander and Xing stepped out of the carriage, all dressed in black. Xing had a hooded cloak on, concealing her face.
Gabriel inhaled the cold air, letting it prickle his lungs. The three of them remained in the shadows as they made their way to the club. The Mayfair streets were engulfed in a deep silence: a city drowned in deep slumber, yet to awake.
As they rounded the corner of South Audley Street into Deanery Street, the Silverton Club appeared in the distance. They saw the faint outline of two guards before the entrance.
Gabriel took out his pocket watch, before turning to face them. ‘Xing, make sure to be where you need to be at exactly ten past four. Alexander and I shall cause a commotion in nine minutes. I estimate the guards shall take around a minute to investigate this, which gives you the opportunity to strike.’
‘Shall we decide on an emergency call?’ asked Alexander.
Both Gabriel and Xing turned to look at him. ‘What?’ questioned Gabriel.
‘A specific sound we produce if we are in distress. Like a mating call, but for the opposite purposes.’
‘If we are in that much distress, then we’re already dead,’ stated Xing.
‘All right,’ muttered Alexander.
‘Alexander and I shall break the windows of the house beside the Silverton. That ought to distract the guards long enough for you, Xing.’
‘What if it does not? What is your back-up plan?’
Alexander scratched his head, looking at Gabriel for guidance. Gabriel blinked.
‘Well, that is pretty much the only plan we have got,’ answered Alexander.
Xing sighed. ‘You better make it work because I am not dying in this godforsaken country.’
‘Why do you reside here if you detest it so?’ questioned Gabriel.
Xing’s jaw tightened. ‘I am not here out of choice, Mr Ashmore.’
‘Then why are you here?’
Alexander shot him a frown, dismayed at Gabriel’s blunt inquisitiveness.
‘I was taken from my family in Guangzhou,’ Xing said. ‘I was only four years old. I have been here ever since.’
Gabriel’s mouth went dry. That is why she wished for passage to China. ‘Oh, I am sorry.’
‘That must have been very difficult,’ said Alexander sympathetically.
‘Yes. It was,’ said Xing. She did not say another word as she pointed at her watch, and then disappeared into the shadows.
Gabriel sighed as they started to head towards the club. He watched Xing head to the east wing of the building, her agile body flowing and morphing with the shadows around her. They stayed hidden in the doorway of a large mansion, peeking at the guards. They leant on the door, their faces sporting bored expressions.
Gabriel checked the time on his pocket watch. Eight past four.
‘Something tells me this plan shall go horribly wrong,’ muttered Alexander, taking out a handful of rocks from his pocket.
‘It certainly shall,’ stated Gabriel. He looked at his watch. Eight past nine. ‘Ready?’
‘As ready as I shall ever be.’
They stepped out onto the pavement. They pulled their shoulders back, gaining traction, and then slung two large rocks into the shop beside the Silverton. The glass shattered like ice, creating an ear-deafening sound as it rained upon the street. Gabriel and Alexander disappeared around the corner, just as the guards’ heads whipped towards them. They listened from behind the wall, the voices of the guards coming closer and closer. They stepped further down the street in an attempt to remain hidden, before suddenly halting.
The third guard stood behind them. He must have taken a shortcut, through the back of the houses. He grimaced at them, baring his crooked teeth as he stepped closer. He was intimidatingly tall and broad, towering over the two of them.
‘Causing unrest now, are we?’ he growled.
Gabriel swore as they both stepped back.
‘Well, you two are coming with me.’
Just as he reached forward to grab them, Gabriel saw something whizz before him. The guard fell back, groaning in pain as he clutched his forehead.
Gabriel frowned, turning to look at Alexander. He had thrown a rock at the guard’s face. Voices, then footsteps, sounded behind them.
Alexander looked at him, with panic yet also excitement shining from his eyes. ‘Run.’
And so, they broke into a sprint. They ran down the street they had come from. The guards followed behind them. They weren’t as fast as Gabriel and Alexander, but they had stamina. After several minutes, they found themselves back in South Audley Street. The carriage stood in the distance. Gabriel panted, his lungs burning as he forced his legs to go faster.
They had finally reached the carriage. Gabriel glanced at Alexander, his face red and blotched, and then looked back at the horses. ‘Are you thinking what I am thinking?’
Alexander coughed, nodding his head. ‘Let’s do it, Ashmore.’
As the guards finally reached them, Gabriel and Alexander had climbed atop the horses. The guards looked at them with wide eyes as they began to gallop down the street. They jumped out of the way as the two horses charged past. Gabriel held on to the black horse’s long mane as he headed back towards Deanery Street, Alexander following closely behind on the white one. The cold wind blew through his hair and shirt, lighting his nerves on fire. The guards ran after them. They came to a halt before the Silverton. Gabriel looked up at the building. Xing was nowhere to be seen, which meant she had succeeded. She had broken into the Silverton Club.
The edge of Gabriel’s lips quirked into a smile. Alexander came to a halt beside him, a grin plastered upon his face.
‘We did it, Ashmore,’ he chuckled. ‘We did it.’
Several moments later, the voices of the guards rang through the street again. Gabriel and Alexander repositioned themselves on the horses, shooting one last glance at the club, before galloping away.
CHAPTER XXIX
The Letter
Thirty minutes passed before Xing arrived. Gabriel and Alexander were waiting in the Wakefield library. Alexander paced continuously, and Gabriel impatiently bit his nails as he looked out the window for any sign of her.
‘Thank God,’ exclaimed Alexander, as she strolled into the library as if she had merely gone out for a walk. Her long hair had become loose, falling down her shoulders. Her cheeks had a red tint to them. She had a letter in her hand, which she threw upon the table.
‘How did you escape?’ asked Gabriel.
‘The guards are idiots,’ she stated, cracking her knuckles. Gabriel noticed that her hands were covered in cuts and bruises, her fingernails split and broken. ‘They did not even notice me come down until I hit the ground. After that, it was easy. I just ran. They could not keep up with me, so they gave up eventually.’
‘We are glad you are all right,’ said Alexander. Gabriel could tell he meant it.
Xing only nodded awkwardly.
Gabriel grabbed a hold of the letter. It appeared old, slightly crumbling at the edges and discoloured due to sun exposure.
‘It is written by a doctor named Heinrich Wagner.’
Alexander took the letter from Gabriel, his eyes moving back and forth as he read its contents.
Dear Mr Blythe,
I hope this letter finds you well. The delivery of the trial product has been scheduled for Monday. It ought to arrive in a wooden crate, no later than the afternoon. Please let me know how the product fares and if any complications present themselves.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Heinrich Wagner.
His eyes lit up. He looked back at Xing.
‘Thank you for your services,’ said Alexander.
‘Where did you find this?’ asked Gabriel.
‘In a safe.’
Gabriel raised his eyebrows. ‘You managed to crack into a safe?’
‘Yes.’
‘How? Harvey Blythe uses the most advanced safes—’
‘There was a locksmith near the orphanage I grew up in. I helped him out in his shop and in return he taught me a few tricks.’ She smiled slightly. ‘I still occasionally visit him.’
Alexander poured them all a glass of gin. He brought the glasses back to them, handing one to Xing and then to Gabriel. He raised his glass. ‘This calls for a celebration.’
Gabriel shook his head.
‘Oh, come on, Ashmore. We have progressed massively in our case. We deserve a drink.’
Gabriel looked back at Xing, who had already drunk the entirety of her gin. She looked at them blankly.
‘You two were taking too long.’
Alexander sighed. ‘Right, come on.’ He held up his glass, raising his eyebrows at Gabriel. ‘Just this once.’
Gabriel rolled his eyes, before clinking his glass with Alexander’s and swallowing the burning liquid.
Alexander scrunched up his nose, smacking his lips together. ‘God, I always forgot how strong that gin is.’
Gabriel picked up the letter, re-reading it. ‘We must go back to the library tomorrow and find out whatever we can about this Dr Wagner.’
‘Certainly,’ said Alexander, sinking into an armchair. ‘Do you wish to join us, Miss Yang?’
She shook her head. ‘I must prepare for my departure.’
Gabriel took out a note from his pocket and handed it to Xing. ‘This is my brother’s name. Meet us at the given location. The time and date are on there, too. Keep in mind that the journey takes around six months or more, dependent on weather conditions, so prepare accordingly.’ Gabriel had not asked Hugo about it yet, but he knew his brother would agree to it.
Xing nodded. ‘Thank you, Mr Ashmore.’
‘Good luck,’ said Gabriel. ‘I hope you make it to your family.’
Xing smiled. It was not a half-smile, nor was it a smirk, but it was a genuine smile which transformed her features into something wonderful.
CHAPTER XXX
The Doctor
‘Here,’ said Gabriel, pulling out a large leather-bound book from the shelf.
They were back at the London Library at St James’s Square, occupying a corner table filled with gaslight and the burning smell of candles. Gabriel seated himself beside Alexander, placing the book upon the table.
The Principles of Dissection, written and researched by Heinrich Wagner.
Alexander raised his brows, glancing at Gabriel. ‘Ah, he seems like a lovely individual.’
Gabriel leaned forward, letting his eyes skim the text. ‘Apart from creating deadly opium variants, our doctor also appears to have a great passion for dissections.’ He pointed to the third paragraph on the page. ‘Here he even makes the argument that the medical sector ought to increase the number of human dissections they perform.’
Alexander pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He raised a quizzical eyebrow. ‘And it appears he is also an advocate of human experiments. God. Let us be careful not to end up on a surgical table.’
‘Indeed. Have you found an address within it?’
Alexander leaned back on his chair. The candlelight cast shadows upon half of his face, whilst accentuating the sharp angles of the other. He sighed. ‘No.’
Gabriel rose from his chair, heading back towards the bookshelf. He brushed his fingers over the spines, before finding another book with Dr Wagner’s name upon it.
‘These concern surgery,’ stated Gabriel as he passed the book towards Alexander.
‘Ah, so he is a surgeon as well. What a talented individual we have here.’ He flicked through the pages of the book.
‘Yes, a man of many talents…’ muttered Gabriel, rolling his sleeves up as he looked over Alexander’s shoulder.
After several minutes of flicking through each page, Alexander slammed the book shut. Dust particles rose up in the air, right where a sliver of daylight shone in. ‘No address.’
‘There must be some sort of indication of where he is based within the text itself.’
‘Yes, and that would require we read about 1,800 pages in total. Since he appears to also be an active surgeon, I say we go directly to St George’s Hospital and enquire about him there, someone must know of him.’
Gabriel furrowed his brows. ‘You want to visit St George’s?’ He chuckled. ‘You must have a death wish.’
Alexander waved his hand dismissively. ‘Oh, come on, it cannot be that bad.’
Gabriel scoffed. ‘It most certainly is. Have you ever set foot in there?’
‘Well, no, but—’
‘The smell alone is unbearable. It makes your eyes water the second you step foot in the building. Then, let us not forget the actual diseases roaming every inch of the place like rats. Moreover, be prepared to carry the lingering smell of rotten flesh with you for several days.’
Gabriel still remembered the horrors he had witnessed when he was desperate to find Adelia medicine. She had become unwell during the night, and so it was the only place he could obtain something to soothe her pain.
