In which a girl attempts to outrun her past only to catch the attention of the ruthless leader of the Peaky Blinders.
or
In which the arrival of the new brown-haired barmaid at the Garrison should have been the canary in the coal mine for the trou...
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Tommy
Derby day had come and Tommy was finally going to see El. Things had been busy in Small Heath getting everything ready for the races; Arthur had finally been released and the plans had been finalized.
Tommy looked around at the men he had gathered. It wasn't as many as he would like but it would have to be enough. He gave a whistle summoning everyone's attention.
"Gentlemen, today, we are not fucking about. I hope you've all obeyed instructions and brought loaded firearms with you." He asked to a chorus of affirmations before continuing, "Very good. You will all know that if you are lifted on a racetrack these days with a loaded weapon, you get 20 years. That's all right. Today, you won't get lifted. Because today, there will be no coppers around to lift you. At exactly 3:00, there will be an incident in the owners' enclosure and all the coppers on the track will be diverted. All of them. They will be looking for someone. So you will be free to operate at will."
"Looking for who?" Arthur asked.
"Me. They will be looking for me. Now, while the coppers are busy with me, you will make your move on Sabini's pitches. You will confiscate his takings, you'll destroy his licenses, and you do it at gunpoint. He usually has police protection, so they won't be armed. We should aim to complete the takeover without a shot being fired, understood? And remember, the licenses are more important than the takings" Tommy finished explaining the core of the plan to the group.
"All right. Before the fun begins, you can all lay 10 bob on Nom de Guerre. I hear she's going to win" Tommy said jumping down and handing out coins, "Only beer beforehand, boys, and plenty of time for rum and whisky after. And remember, do not make a move until 3:00. When the coppers leave. That is all."
As the men went about their final business Tommy pulled his brothers aside. While he laid out the core plans for the group, Arthur and John would have a more critical task today, Elena.
"Incident? What are you going to do that's going to make every copper at the Derby look the other way?" Arthur asked before Tommy could get a word out.
"Trust me, brother. Listen, your number one priority today is Elena. I don't care what goes down, what happens, you make sure she gets away from Sabini and you get her home, understood?" he explained seriously. He knew between the assassination and confronting Campbell he needed help in ensuring Elena's safety and there was no one he trusted more than Arthur and John.
"We'll get her home Tommy" John promised seriously meeting his eyes. He and John had kept their distance the last few days both wanting to avoid another conflict. Tommy eyed the bruise on John's forehead from when he slammed him into the wall. He didn't regret it and he was still furious at John for leaving Elena alone but he knew his brother would not fail him this time. They would not fail Elena, they couldn't
