Without A Trace

Fifteen.

Back at home in Birmingham Anna calls Lewis into their room. Lewis enters still visibly mad from earlier.

"The deals off. You're not going to jail. I need you somewhere else," Anna says to her husband before sitting on their bed.

"I guess I better thank my lucky stars eh?" Lewis says rudely sarcastic.

"Campbells gonna learn very quickly he cannot cross me, let alone our family," she says lighting a cigarette looking up at Lewis. "I do need you to go with John to the Lee's. Find out everything you can about where Campbell lives, what route he takes home, and who he sets to patrol and what times they patrol."

Lewis rolls his eyes looking away from Anna, tugging his tie down to loosen it, "Lovely," he says with a sigh.

"You either help me or sit on your ass at the races and stay in the background. Your fuckin choice Lewis," Anna says between her teeth before leaving their room.

Back in the office Thomas flips through all the papers on his desk before angirly throwing them down and resting his head on his hand. Aurthur enters the room and sits down in front of his desk, "We started a fund for the two boys's families. So they'll be taken care of in that aspect."

"Good," Tommy sighs before taking a swig out of his whiskey glass. "Anna is sending John and Lewis to the Lee's to get personal information on the inspector. In the mean time I need you to set up a meeting with Ronan for the girls, mainly for Anna. Do not speak a word of the meeting to her besides time and place," He says looking across the desk at Arthur.

Aurthur sits there for a second stunned before looking back over to him, "Are you out of your fuckin mind? You want me to set up a meeting for the girls with that bloody bastard? You're setting them up with a fuckin death wish Tom."

"They'll be fine. I'll be there keeping watch along with you and Michael. Nothing bad will happen to them. But Anna is craving revenge for what they did to Michael and Lewis. She needs to get it out her system before she gets us all fuckin killed," Thomas says growing agitated.

"You tell Cora who it is?" Aurthur asks his brother.

"No. And she won't find out until she fuckin gets there," he says coldly.

Aurthur shakes his head standing up, "I'll never understand why you fuckin do the shit you do. Especially to your own fuckin wife mate."

Thomas gets up aggressively, pointing his finger at Aurthur, "You will set that meeting up, and not breathe a word of this to anyone or I'll cut your fuckin tongue out myself. Thats an order."

Aurthur doesnt say anything else, he simply turns away putting on his at and walks out of the office slamming the door behind him.

Back outside I sit by the firepit with Ivy and Anna as per usual.

"I changed the plan," Anna blurts out.

"Did you tell Thomas?" I ask her looking in her direction.

"No. And he wont know until the inspector is dead," she says taking sip of her drink.

"What about Michael? Hes still a wanted fucking man Anna!" Ivy says getting upset.

"Michael will be fuckin fine Ivy-" she starts but Ivy soon cuts her off.

"If he goes to prison I will beat you until you see fuckin stars Anna," Ivy says coldly. "And thats not a fuckin threat. Thats a bloody promise," she says getting up and walking away.

"Fuckin hell this family," I say sighing rubbing my eyes with my head in my hands before looking at her. "You will go tell Thomas you changed the plan."

"I will not-" She starts before I get up and grab ahold of her face.

"Let me repeat myself. You will go tell Tommy you changed the fuckin plan Anna. Right now. Thats a fucking order," I say throwing her face away from me. "Get in that fucking office," I demand her.

She grips the side of the chair hard before getting up and storming into the house. She plows through the gambling room and whips the office door open, "I changed the fuckin plan. Lewis isnt going to jail, but that inspector is getting set up for a fuckin death wish. You can either help me or you can beat me when I'm done but I'm doing it either way," she says breathing heavily.

Thomas meets her gaze, "Sit down Anna," he demands. She sits in a chair across from his desk and he pours her a drink before handing it to her. "Now you sit there and think about what the fuck you just said to me, and remember your fuckin place in the totem pole.  I already knew you changed it. Word travels fast in this house. Who runs the family business Anna?" he asks her swirling his drink in his hand, staring at her with his ice blue eyes.

She takes a deep breath, "You do, Thomas," she says quietly.

"Aye, that I do. So next time when you come barging into my office and demanding me to help you like that, I'll let you feel like you're fuckin drowning, until you're almost out of air before I come in and save you. You will not ever come in here like that again," he says very darkly. "Am I clear with you Anna?" He asks burning his stare into her.

She clenches her jaw tightly, feeling the hot sensation of tears forming behind her eyes before nodding her head in agreement, "Yes Tom," she says as one tear falls from her face.

"Good. Now get out of my fucking office. And close the gambling room doors and lock them on our way out. I have a meeting here shortly and I dont need any more disruptions," he says taking a puff from his cigarette.

Anna gets up and does as shes told. She goes back to her room and throws the glass across the room, causing it to shatter against the wall. She lets her tears fall and she picks up her pillow and screams into it in frustration. She turns to the doorway after hearing a faint knock on it, "WHAT?!" She yells.

Aurthur stands there with a telegram and hands it to her, "Revenge is best served cold, with a brass casing on the ground," he says before walking out of her room.

She looks down at the telegram:

Tomorrow. 1900. The Underground. Don't be late.