𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮 ➪ 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱

𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲. 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹

* tw: small mention of suicide and somewhat of a large one of rape towards the end of the chapter. I'll be putting a - before and after if you'd like to skip!*

THE FOUR PARTNERS WERE
taking the elevator at Fairfax Iron.
"so your big, radical plan is a job at Fairfax Iron, for work we can't legally do?" George questioned, of course Lockwood would do something certainly irrational and illegal. Agnes was certainly not surprised.

"George, this negativity, it's why I don't tell you things in advance." Lockwood  responded, Lucy stole the journal from Lockwood's hands.
"you didn't tell me either, you know."  Agnes mumbled.
"you're not the most positive person in this enterprise either, Agnes." he raised his brows before letting them falter, flashing her a quick smile.
Lucy read the circled section of the paper out;
" "agents required for unusual supernatural investigation. money commensurate with danger" I'm guessing that means a lot of danger, right?" Lucy looked at her colleagues.

"better be at least sixty's grand worth." George took the paper. the doors opened revealing employees from Fairfax Iron, so Lockwood & Co. were corned on the elevator.
"closed places and big crowds make me claustrophobic, you know?" Agnes whispered into Lockwood's ear, he smiled nervously.

"when we get up there, we need to be at our absolute best. totally professional. so I'll do the talking." Lockwood forewarned.
"I saw Sir John Fairfax once. he donated my school's iron defenses and gave a speech in assembly and everything. Miss Kingston got her hair done special." George commented.

"I've met him a few times too, when I was a child. he was just like all the other rich bastards who'd do anything for money and have their secrets silenced." Agnes clicked her tongue, an employee in front of her stared at the teenage girl; who gave a death stare in return, raising an eyebrow judgmentally, finally intimidating the woman.

"yes, that is exactly the sort of thing we don't want neither of you saying or doing." Lockwood glanced at both employees.
"when you said see a man about a ghost, do you have a name for who we're meeting?" Lucy asked, looking at the floors going up.

"no. just the floor...twenty." Lockwood replied. Agnes widened her eyes in realization, top floor, meaning they'd be meeting the founder, John Fairfax, the same son of a bitch who scolded Agnes when she let a glass of wine shatter as she served him; in her own house.
"top floor. you don't think it's..."
"it's exactly who we're all thinking about, Luce." Agnes furrowed her brows. he knew her face well, he knew her parents way too well. apparently Lockwood was truly trying to get his company and his self killed.
they'd reached the twentieth floor. George whistled, "straight into the office. that's a classy move."

Agnes's breath shivered with each step she took in his office, she looked over the window.
- this fall surely would kill me. she contemplated jumping. -

"this is Sir John Fairfax's office." Lockwood admired, hoping that someday he could achieve something like that. "this doesn't make sense. John Fairfax doesn't need us. he's famous, he's rich. he built Fairfax Iron!" George listed as Agnes rolled their eyes.