VIRAGO

Toy soldiers

Zoey found Tommy quite a difficult person to read at first. Both of them put up a false visage when dealing with business, but for Zoey business was a means to an end with Thomas Shelby however she noticed it seemed to be all he did- even his relationships with women were only in his interest if it lends him to something of value.

Most people would find this the typical behavior of a workaholic, but the younger women could tell there was more to that. It was almost as if he needed work like he needed oxygen, as though he wouldn't survive without it. She found this a comfort in a way because now Zoey knew the only thing she needed to do to remain under his protection was to always be useful, which was embedded in her own survival instincts already.

"I heard you like horses." Zoey sparked up a conversation from the passenger seat. She despised awkward silence more than small talk, Tommy was quite the opposite but he was inclined to indulge her, especially if the topic would be based on one of his interests.

"You heard correct," He grunted from behind the wheel.

"Suppose you'll be at the horse fair in victoria's baths then?" She continued with a cheeky smile spreading across her face, observing how he could hardly be bothered with this conversation but did so out of politeness.

"That I am," he admitted, pulling the car to a stop.

"Perfect, you can take me then seeing as Alfie had to cancel." She grinned, jumping out of the car before he could deny her. At this, the older man grumbled silently shaking his head and sticking a fag between his lips before getting out himself.

"Alfie darling!" Zoey greeted him cheerfully, heading into his office while Tommy went off with the newly enrolled bakers.

"Zoey Richardson," He welcomed her with a small hug after getting up from his chair.

"I hope you took good care of Benny," She pulled away letting her eyes scan around the office, in search of her beloved dog. She had sent Benny to go stay with Alfie the first week after the funeral, seeing as even when she was with her husband Charles Sabini often threatened to decapitate her dog and leave the head for her to wake up to. She was not going to risk anything when it came to her Benny, he was more precious to her than her own family.

"Of course I did love, the lovable mutt's somewhere around here with Cyril." He assured her, "Tell ya what, we'll find them after I welcome the newbies yeah?" He told her as the two began to exit the office, stepping in sync with one another.

"This should be good,"

"All right boys, you've now all been enrolled as bakers." Thomas had announced to the men, pacing in front of the crowd with an undeniable dominance and cigarette in hand, "In the Aerated Bread Company of Camden Town." Zoey found herself not hidden away but for once not in the spotlight, she sat close to Alfie in one of the wooden chairs, smoking calmly with an engrossed gaze. "If anyone asks, that's what you do. You're Bakers. The coppers in Camden Town are on our side." She let herself study the men, they all looked like toy soldiers and in a way they were, all of them held the seldom seriousness that came with growing up war-torn world. "But north or south, you show them that piece of paper. Tell them you've come down from the north to find work. To break strikes. Tell them you're fascists if you have to." The whole setting of the brewery made her feel transported back to the war, it was the first time she had viewed the situation as such as well. And that's when it clicked for her, why Tommy works non-stop and is always looking for another goal or business venture- this man's body may have made it out of the war but his mind was still the mind of a lieutenant much like how Alfie still behaved very much like a captain. "We're finding lodging for you, but for now you'll sleep here in the bakery. Don't touch any of the bread, it'll most likely explode. Any questions?"

Zoey thought Tommy had explained everything quite clearly but a man in the first row still raised his hand with certainty. "Yes?"

"I haven't even seen any bread." She winced at his joke, while the others may have laughed. They didn't know who they were dealing with just yet and she knew Alfie well enough to know this wasn't going to end very well for him. Tommy stared at them all blankly before looking to Alfie, while Zoey rolled her eyes at their juvenile behavior.

Clearing his throat, Afie stepped forward off the pillar he was leaning on. He marched past Zoey who was still sitting comfortably on her chair with her legs crossed, muttering under her breath 'here we go.' He came to stand toe to toe with the comedian, his arms still folded and his eyes planted on his for a moment or two before out of nowhere, Alfie strikes the man standing next to him in the face causing him to release a scream as he fell to the floor. Zoey flinched slightly at the suddenness of his actions, which caught Tommy's attention, while Alfie turned back to his target again quite calmly. "He'll wake up," Alfie told him, tapping his crowbar lightly on his chest. "He won't have any teeth left. But he will be a wiser man for it. And the last thing he will remember is your funny little joke. Won't he?"

Zoey suppressed a small smirk at this, she had to admit that Aflie had a way when it came to intimidation. She had never met someone so calm yet so unpredictable, his behavior reminded her of the ocean, an untamable force of nature. "Right!" His abrupt raise in volume was enough to shock anyone yet all the men had no reaction, "There are fucking rules here, yeah?" Zoey watched as Aflie wandered around the men, like a shark circling his prey "There are fucking rules for a fucking reason. Quite simply they have to be obeyed. All right?" He paused, emphasizing the importance of what he had to say before he continued, "Rule number 1. The distinction between bread and rum... That is not discussed! Rule number two. Anything, that your superior officer says to you or any of your other fucking superior officers say to you, yeah? Not discussed! Rule number three." He stopped, looking at each man before raising his finger to point at Zoey who'd be doing nothing but observing til now. "You see this woman, yeah?" He didn't remove his eyes from the front row, "You see her?" He asked the jokester seriously, the poor man hadn't known what to do so he just nodded unsurely, "No you fucking don't!" He screamed in his face ferociously, "As far as any of you fuckers are concerned she is fucking invisible! Do not speak to her unless she speaks to you! And finally Rule number 4,5,6,7,8,9. I don't care...For the rest of your fucking miserable, measly lives yeah? Because I like you, I am also a complete fucking sodomite. Jewish women. You do not go anywhere near them because Jewish women for you are off the fucking menu. I think that's fair." He looked to the head baker, staring the men out for what felt like a while but in reality was probably only a minute, before humming and turning to look down at the man who'd been knocked out and then back to Tommy. "Hm... Oh, that's it then. Forgive me. I interrupted you." And with that, Aflie came to stand beside Tommy leaving the men in a suspenseful silence.

"Pick him up," Tommy instructed the joker with a quiet authority, to which he instantly obeyed along with a few others. Zoey tossed her cigarette to the floor, stapping it out with the toe of her heel as Tommy leaned into the ear of the head baker ordering him to "Get them out of here and make this fucking work."

"Don't fucking wait! You're meant to be fucking soldiers!" Zoey moved to stand between Aflie and Tommy as the tall man herded the men out like cattle. "You're a fucking disgrace! Go!"

"That was quite the show," She commented as the room cleared, "What now?"

Tommy sparked up his cigarette before offering her one, "Go fetch your dog, Miss. Richardson. You're going to Small Health."