Calumbra 23 - Book 1: The Maid

8 - Got the Guts

Trinidad sat up from the back of the car that Delaware had taken from Blackwood Manor as Tavit sat up beside him.
"Papa's gonna be really mad." He said as Trinidad put his finger over his mouth to shush his brother. "But, Trin-"
Trinidad glared at him and then climbed over the backseat to open the door. He hopped out, helping his brother down too when he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. He whirled around and shrugged his shoulder out of the person's hand.
"Young master Trinidad and Tavit... Your father sent me to look for both of you. What are you doing all the way in London?" Sullivan asked, angry that he had to fetch the boys and a bit fearful to be on the streets so late at night.
"Trin said that we have to help Del since you wouldn't help her." Tavit said, waving his arms up and down. "We have to be there for her if something bad happens!"
"Nothin bad will happen to Ms. Tate."
Trinidad rolled his eyes and turned to walk toward the alleys but was blocked by Sullivan.
"Oh no you don't!" he growled. "I'm takin ya back to your father this instant!"
Trinidad looked at him and then moved under his arm and continued onward.
"Young master Trin! TRINIDAD!" Sullivan yelled after him but the little boy was determined to get to Delaware.
He got a weird feeling in his gut as he walked the streets but he could hear Sullivan dragging Tavit behind him as they followed him all about, so he knew that he was safe for the time being at least.

**********************

Trinidad had no idea where he was going but a lurch in his stomach told him that he was close. He stepped around a corner when he heard the sound of a small splat under his shoe. He looked under his boot and saw a puddle under him. After sniffing, he realized it was blood and followed the small trail of blood when Sullivan came from the end of the alleyway.
"Master Trinidad! Come on!" he yelled.
As he did, a man in a trench coat stood up from the shadows of the alley and Sullivan stopped.
Trinidad looked down and saw a body and without seeing it, he knew it was Delaware's. He yelled and without thinking, tackled the man.
"Master Trin!" Sullivan yelled, running to his master.
The man put up a good struggle, but all Trinidad wanted was whatever he had been carrying in his other hand. The man had been unprepared for the attack by Trinidad and so he dropped it and ran away as quick as possible. Trinidad picked it up and turned to Delaware's body.
Sullivan put his hand over his nose as he smelled the freshly opened entrails and high amount of iron in the blood. He knew Delaware was headstrong but he didn't know that she was stupid enough to do this! Trinidad walked up to Sullivan and held something out to him.
"What is it?" he asked, still taking the thing.
He felt the slimy, wet thing that was handed to him and he knew it was some sort of organ. He swallowed his disgust for the sake of helping Delaware and walked over to the body. He turned her over and tsked at her lifeless corpse.
"Oh, Ms. Tate, what are we supposed to do?" Sullivan said.
"Arnold." Trinidad said.
"What?"
"Doctor Arnold."
Sullivan nodded and set the organ down beside Delaware's body.
"You two stay here. There is a phone box right over there so I will call that doctor. Stay with her and don't let anyone come near."
Trinidad and Tavit nodded as Sullivan ran to the phone box.
He dialed the operator and told her the name.
"Doctor Arnold, speaking."
"Hello, um, do you know of a woman named Delaware Tate?"
There was silence and then the man sighed. "She went through with it didn't she? Went after Jack the Ripper herself, right?"
"Yes."
"How bad is she?"
"He almost got away with an organ."
"Shite... Alright, where are you? Do you see a street sign?"
Sullivan told him the street and he told him that he wasn't far from there.
After the doctor hung up Sullivan decided to call Blackwood Manor to let Dominick know that Trinidad and Tavit were fine.
"Blackwood residence?" Angelica answered.
"Angelica, it's Sullivan. Can you please let me speak with Lord Blackwood?"
"Of course."
He waited for a while to be transferred and the phone picked up again.
"Is that you Sullivan? Where are you with my children?"
"I'm beggin your pardon, sir, but they hopped in the back of the motor car to follow Ms. Tate to Whitechapel."
"Whitechapel? What the devil is Delaware doing there?"
"Well, sir, she had some weird thinking that maybe she could catch Jack the Ripper."
"You have got to be joking me. And she took my boys with her?"
"No, sir, they snuck in the back without her knowing."
Dominick sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Alright... Sullivan just make sure that they are alright and please bring my maid home in one piece."
"Um... that's going to be a bit hard considering she's been gutted."
"Come again?" Dominick said, his graying hair graying just a little more.
"She was caught and is dead... for the time being. Seeing how she's immortal and all."
"You're telling me that my maid lied to me about a holiday in London so that she could go to Whitechapel to catch a serial killer and is now dead herself?"
"Yes, sir."
"I'm coming up there."
"Sir, a physician knows about Ms. Tate and is on his way to fix her up. I can call you when we get to the doctor's place so you know where to come."
"Alright then... Dear lord, I didn't think that woman was an idiot."
"Neither did I sir. If it makes a bit of difference, I was fully against everything."
"It doesn't matter really now, Sullivan." He said, hanging up the phone.

******************

Doctor Arnold came a few minutes later and Sullivan met up with him coming back from the phone box.
"Ah, you must be the young man I spoke to on the phone."
"Yes. I'm Sullivan... You must be Arnold."
"Unfortunately so..."
"How do you know Ms. Tate?"
"When she was normal her family and my ancestors were great friends until the plague hit. After that though her father would always shop at our bakery and then she would shop there too. That is until my grandfather took a turn to the medical side and we became physicians. She's haunted the family for a while..." he said, kneeling down beside her body. "This looks really bad. How are you related to her?"
"We are both servants to these two boy's father. They, as well as their father, know about Ms. Tate's condition..."
Arnold looked at Trinidad and Tavit as they stared up at him and he sighed again.
"Well, if you will all help me get her into my motor car, we shall be on our way."
The three men nodded and finally got Delaware to the motor car.