The Silver Helix

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 7

Maldue turned to his visitors and let his eyes wander the room, observing each of them quietly.

There was Carter Jacobs who had just poured himself a glass of wine. His short blond hair was pointing in all directions making it look like a hedgehog. He was quite lean but very athletic making it easy for him to climb up almost everywhere. He was the lookout man.

On the chair closest to the fireplace on the right hand side sat Richard Brown. Although if you called him that, you would probably end up with a broken nose. At 5 foot 6 Ricky was the shortest man of the group. Although he made up for that with the amount of muscle he carried around with him everyday. That guy was bulging and even under loose clothes you could still see the curves of his bicep. His hair was a dark brown and his face came close to the shape of a square. He was the type of guy who could throw himself in front of a carriage pulled by two horses and get away with a few scratches. He was "the stopper".

Christopher Weeber stood close to one of the covered windows gazing into space. He was an inch taller than Ricky and his hair a dark shade of ginger. He too was lean but behind his appearance there lured a strength no one could estimate. He was quiet but when he said something, it often sounded like the smartest thing Maldue ever heard. Christopher was the distraction.

Rebecca Aberforth. Her and James had practically been glued together their whole life and ever since James had lost his parents they managed to become even closer. Her long brown hair reached below the shoulder blades of her petite 5 foot 5 figure. Looks tended to mislead because Becky threw punches that would hurt for weeks. Maldue spoke of experience. Her aim was extraordinary. This made her ideal for her position: Archer.

James Ansley. In Maldue's opinion every man and woman's wet dream. He stood next to Becky at the sofa directly across the fireplace. He was the tallest of the group with a striking 6 feet. His dirty blond hair was probably about shoulder length but it was hard to tell since he wore it in a bun or at least tied back most times. His shoulders were broad but not too broad to look like he trained regularly. His legs were the legs of a runner. Muscular and trained and his strong thighs together with his hips almost gave him curves. He was fast and utterly intimidating when in action. He was THE highwayman.

And then there was he himself. Maldue Hendrix. Just a bit shorter than James with 5 foot 11, he still cut an impressive persona. His almost bleach blond hair was long. Very long. It went down to his hips and was held back with a leather tie. He himself was lean but his clothes made him look a bit broader than he actually was. 

His role was different. 

He wasn't necessarily active in many of the raids. He was always present and sometimes even played the bunny, but his actual role was different. He was the one responsible when shit went down. If someone got hurt, he would be the one to give them first medical treatment and then make sure to rush them to the nearest doctor. He made sure that everybody was always healthy and stable enough to be let loose. Mentally and physically. He was also the one who paid. From clothes and equipment to the regular visits at the medico. It wasn't like the others couldn't do it for themselves but he felt responsible for it. Since he was 17 he had been very active in the burglar scene and had made quite the name for himself amongst criminals. This was how he more or less met his friends and since he was the one to convince them to work with him, he just felt like he should be the one to help them if they needed support. It was the least he could do because without his group, he'd be nothing but a pick-pocketer.

"Thank you all for coming here today." he said, earning everyone's attention. "Come on Mal. We've waited long enough. Skip the whole how have you been part and get to real business! What is it that you wanted to inform us about?" Ricky's rough voice interrupted and he looked at Maldue with knitted eyebrows. Ricky always sounded really pissed off by the world and everyone in his path but he was a big softie if you got to know him better and a great friend. Maldue smiled. "Well, you know I am a man of many connections and a little bird has told me that our city is expecting a big day. To be more precise our beloved duke and his dutchess are." Maldue, almost out of reflex, looked over at James. He wasn't surprised to see that the latter had his hands clenched together in fists which turned his knuckles white. If anyone would agree to this absolutely crazy idea Maldue had, it would be James. Just so that he had the chance to get one over on the aristocrats. "In a few months time a befriended lord is celebrating his oldest daughter's marriage. Of course our all time favourite couple are invited and they will travel there in a carriage stuffed with gold and presents. And if you are invited amongst royals then you will make sure that they are worth more than a shiny penny."

It was quiet. Everyone just stared. Christopher was the first to speak up. "You want to target a royal carriage?" He spoke so hesitantly as if he wasn't sure that he understood correctly. "Yes, that is what I've been thinking about. I know it might seem crazy at first-" "Crazy at first?!" Carter interrupted. "That is not crazy, it is impossible! And straight up suicidal if I might add!" "Carter might not be the brightest but I must agree with him on this one." Becky earned himself a glare from across the room. "Targeting a royal carriage is straight up mad. There will be a whole armada of guards who are just waiting for a reason to shoot. They are probably trained to survive the end of the world with ease. We don't stand a chance. It truly is impossible." she shook her head.

"Not with the right preparation." 

Word count: 1084