Rain lashed against the roof of the Sanctuary pub. Water poured from the gutter, landing on two already drenched figures standing hidden by a sodden tree. The shorter of the two kicked a brick in the back wall of the building and a section gave way to reveal a hidden passage. The figure motioned to his companion to follow and went inside.
Hyde dumped the girl from his shoulder onto the cold stone floor and looked up at the ceiling. “Hmph… There should be a door to the attic somewhere….” he mumbled to himself as he pushed a crate under a suspicious part of the ceiling and climbed on top.
“Come on,” Domino griped, “We don’t have all night!”
“I’m working on it!” Hyde snapped. He managed to reach the trap door and pulled down an unfolding ladder.
“You could have pointed. I’m taller.”
Domino smirked, happy to see that her little quip had earned her a steely glare from Hyde. If he hadn’t asked her to help him, he would have chewed her out on the spot.
But no, he had better things to worry about than a small annoyance. “You’ll have to help me with the body on this one…” He told her, “You go first. I’ll pass her up.”
“Ok fine. Let’s go.” Domino climbed the ladder and reached down as Hyde lifted her head first. The pirate grabbed under her arms and hauled her up with Hyde pushing from below. He climbed up after her and tossed the girls bag on the floor.
Hyde closed the trap door and turned to Domino “There. Moldy doesn’t keep track of this area of the pub. We should be safe.”
“I hope so, she doesn’t like me.”
“Me either!” Hyde glared at the unconscious girl on the floor. “The bitch tried to stab me when I caught up to her!”
Domino looked sceptically down at the body. “This one?”
“Yeah! Bloody strong too. If she had seen me a second sooner, I would have missed her…” Hyde glanced about the sparsely furnished room, looking for something to bind his captive. “…You got a rope or something?”
Domino shrugged, “Yea, not with me.” She paused to look around the room. “Got anything? If not, maybe there’s something in the bag.”
… Or on him, now that he thought of it. Hyde had gone to the brawl wearing a scarf and a mask he found in a condemned building near the Gut. Nothing he would miss. He removed the scarf and cut it in half with his knife.
“Oh yeah…” Domino smirked as she removed the scarf that was tied to her neck, “Good idea.”
The pair made short work of binding the hostage’s hands and feet. Hyde blindfolded her for good measure.
“There…” Hyde grunted as the pair lifted the bound prostitute into a nearby chair. “Now then… The bag… Lemme see that…”
Domino crouched by the unconscious woman, prodding her arm. “Strong one you said?”
Hyde wandered over to where the bag had been tossed into the floor “Yes, Domino. Why?”
“Doesn’t feel that strong.”
Great. She’s mocking him again. “She’s muscular enough for a woman,” Hyde replied tersely as he opened the bag…
He paused for a moment, staring at the contents. “Ooh? Missy, come have a look at this.”
Domino wandered closer to the bag Hyde was holding open. “Why, what is..”
Money. Plenty of money, enough to fill the bag. “I thought Nick didn’t pay his girls too much…” Hyde muttered, half to himself…
Domino’s eyes widened at the cash. “Is that Nicky’s stash?”
“Half of it, maybe!” Hyde grinned, “I get it, the bitch was trying to get away with the cash while he was out. We could use this against her.”
Domino took a moment to grumble about some gray haired woman… Marie something, Hyde knew. First thing that came to mind besides seeing her at the Gangplank was the expedition to the north…
Hyde also knew Domino was still wanted for murder… “Hey Missy?” He looked at her thoughtfully, “You need a place to stay, yes?”
“Probably,” Domino bitterly replied, saying that Book knows about Skusting and the hideout at Ruby’s.
“Well then. How about if you keep an eye on little miss Avarice and make sure she doesn’t run off while I’m away, then I can arrange for an extended stay. I’m sure Moldy won’t mind the company.”
“Here.. with her?” Domino pointed at the woman in red.
“I can’t exactly trust anyone else.”
“You tellin me I’m trustworthy?” The pirate laughed, “Have you met me?”
“Let me put it this way,” Hyde bluntly started, thinking of all the people who were involved in this mess to begin with. “Russell would take pity on her, Wright would either kill her or send her to the militia, the urchins are all kids…”
He paused for a moment, as if listening to an interjection, before continuing, “And I can’t have anyone from the hospital find out about this. Jekyll’s already pissed about the “bar fight.””
Domino giggled, grinning playfully. “Sure I won’t just take the money and run?”
“…. Eh… No.” Hyde was getting rather tired of this pirate’s tittering gibes. “If you did, she might not speak to us.”
The pirate glanced at the woman in the chair, then looked to the trap door. “Well, you’re right. I’m going to need your help to get out of the city.”
“… Yeah.” Hyde figured Bookworm would have increased Domino’s bounty soon enough. “We can deal with the money itself later. As long as she thinks it’s there.”
“Ok, what about her?” Domino wandered closer to the woman, prodding her leg a bit.
“… Like I said, you’ll have to keep an eye out until I get back. Make sure she doesn’t see that we have the money until we start asking questions.”
Domino pointed to the corner of the room where a couple of flour sacks were stacked haphazardly. “Just put it behind the sacks over there.”
“You sure?”
“Yea, cover it with something”
Hyde closed the bag and dragged it to the corner. He moved the sacks aside, put the bag in their place and dumped the pile on top.
“Now then…” Hyde turned to face his partner in crime, lips curled into a menacing grin. “If you let her escape on purpose… Or mess with the money too soon…”
Domino could feel a threatening tone in his voice, instinctively reaching for the knife she had strapped to her thigh. “Then what? Hmm?”
“… Consider a fate worse than death.”
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