The Scientist's Cultist

ix - you and me.

- - - - - - AUGUST 31, 1888 - - - - -

Whitechapel, London 8:00 p.m.

"WHAT'S THE PLAN?" Theo asked, glancing behind him to make sure Thomas hadn't followed them out.

"What do you mean?" June hissed. "The plan is to not die!"

"Well, duh," added Theo unhelpfully. "I would rather not die either, but we can't exactly ignore him."

"Dammit, I know that," said June with a huff.

Theo forced himself to take a deep breath, burying his hand in his hair. They had no choice but to go back in there and continue speaking with Thomas. It was dangerous, but at the end of the day, wasn't that their mission? "Okay," he said as calmly as possible. "Tell me what you know about him."

"Thomas was an only child raised primarily by his mother, Clara, when his father walked out unexpectedly. Clara was very religious and even thought to have neurological disorders that started to show in Thomas as well. He suffered from behavioral problems, even pushing one of his employers down the stairs." June took a shaky breath. "When he lost his job, he would spend his days reading medical books and his nights wandering around Whitechapel. Some articles say he contracted syphilis from prostitutes around this time, resulting in aggressive, eccentric behavior. Sometime this year, he will be locked in an asylum, only to escape four days later. He is convicted of stabbing two women in 1891 and confined indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital. He dies at 37."

The more June spoke, the more details came together in Theo's head. The medical books, the religious mother, his eccentric and aggressive behavior... how had the police not made the connections before?

"Let's just go back in there and keep talking with him," Theo finally said. He couldn't even believe the words coming out of his mouth.

"What?" There was so much fear in June's eyes that Theo was tempted to grab her and carry her right out of this terrifying situation. Before he could overthink it, he pulled her arm towards his and pressed his skin against her shaking fingers.

"Listen, June. If we leave now, we'll be losing our chance to find out what he's up to. He doesn't know we know who he is and what he's capable of. He won't try anything on us in a public place, okay? He wouldn't give himself away like that."

Beneath his grip, he felt June's muscles relax just slightly. "Okay," she said.

"I've got you," said Theo. "It's you and me, okay? You and me."

June gave him a half nod. It was enough. Gently, Theo pulled her back toward the pub entrance, surprised when she grabbed onto his arm tightly. As soon as they passed the threshold, he watched as she straightened her spine and the fear disappeared from her features. Theo wondered how she was able to shut off her emotions like the flip of a switch. He'd always worn his heart on his sleeve, but it seemed like June was used to hiding things.

"Are you quite all right?" Thomas asked June once the two of them had returned to the table. Their drinks remained almost entirely untouched, though Theo certainly didn't trust that they hadn't been tampered with.

"Yes," said June. "I simply needed some fresh air. It is rather stuffy in here, wouldn't you agree?"

"I rather enjoy it," responded Thomas. Theo resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course he did. "It fascinates me... all this life in one room, yet at least half of them do not deserve to be here."

"What do you mean?" Theo asked.

Thomas's cold blue eyes met Theo's. "Do you want to know why I am well known among the townsfolk?"