See No Evil (Anthony Lockwood)

chapter 13

Violet had finally found one downside to having more members in the agency. Cab rides when they were all going. Not enough seats. And unless someone wanted to have an awkward time riding shotgun with the cabbie, someone was riding on a lap.

They had started pulling sticks to avoid the argument. This time Violet got the short stick. But Lockwood seemed all too happy to have her sitting on his lap the whole time with his arms wrapped around her waist to keep her secure. He had been the first to volunteer his lap to her so they didn't even bother drawing the sticks for that. Violet, however, didn't like nearly smacking her head on the roof of the car every five seconds.

After Violet and Lockwood had- very reluctantly- concluded their date, they had hurried right out. They had taken up a lot more time than they had intended to and it was now dark out.

"Ok, let's keep our wits about us. We do not want to get jumped by relic men," Lockwood said.

"Who even keeps those assholes in business? I don't understand," Lucy muttered.

"There's a lot of rich, twisted bastards out there who want something to scandalize their equally twisted mates," Lockwood replied.

Violet put one hand above her head as she almost hit the roof again, "Screwed in the head bastards. They need a wake up call."

"But it's not surprising," George said, "Sources are fascinating and illegal. Put those two things together and there's your black market."

Lockwood nodded, his grip tightening on Violet, "A ruthless one at that. Relic men are the scum of the earth. I know one notable exception, but by and large...they'll kill you without hesitation. So, if you see one, run."

Violet ducked her head to look out the window at the crowd of people protesting outside of the cemetery, "God. Out they come like cockroaches."

George nodded, "These lot are almost as crazy."

"Who are they?" Lucy asked.

"Ghost cult. They think instead of fighting visitors, we should be welcoming them in. They're the Venn diagram intersection for noisy, angry, and deliberately thick."

Lucy gasped when an egg splattered against her window. Violet leaned over and stuck out her middle finger to that side of the crowd, nearly falling over George as she did so.

Lockwood pulled her arm back, but also took a turn at mocking the crowd, "So kind, honestly. Sorry, there's no autographs tonight. Thank you, though."

The cab made its way through the cemetery gates before they closed behind them to lock out the Ghost Cult.

Violet made a face as she got a weird feeling, "God, I really hate cemeteries."

"You hate a lot of things, Vi," George told her, "Cemeteries, funerals, rich people, old people, young people -you know what, all people really- salty foods, spicy foods-"

Violet reached over and put her hand over his mouth, "Ok, I get it, George. I complain about a lot of things. Start a list. You're no better than I am."

The cab stopped and Violet immediately fled the space, nearly falling over as she climbed off Lockwood's lap. She loved the boy dearly, she really did, but cramped spaces were not her thing.

The group were quick to grab all their things, eager to get this job done and leave as soon as they could. They all lit their torches and began walking the rest of the way to where they were supposed to meet with Sebastian.

"That was horrible," Lucy commented, still able to hear the cultists screaming insults at the gates.

George shrugged, "You get used to it. It's this bit I don't like. I know most of the dead here are properly dead, but-"