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24
Shouts of strike rung around them as loud as gunshots as John walked through the factory with Arthur by his side. The smell of the cigarette on his lips was drown out by the metallic smell that coated their clothes from the minute they stepped into the building. It was cleared within seconds, the shouts merging into background noice before dropping off completely, being masked by the shoulder of their hearts beating, almost out of their chests.
It was finally happening.
"This locomotive couples in 15 minutes," Arthur breathed out. It was troubling him the most. "If we don't hear word by 10:00, we blow it up."
"There's men on board arthur."
"Yeah, 6 men on board Charlie. Driver, stoker, and four men I handpicked myself." John watched as he moved along, a flask in his hand being held out as her reached him. "Me and John picked those men. And it's me and John who pull the switch."
He paused. "The rest of you men can go home."
The bombs along the tracks were set as darkness clouded the sky, as heavy as the black heart that pumped in Arthur's chest. John slid into the wooden hut by the side of the rails, seeing Arthur already drinking, his back already pressed hard against the crippled walls. The cold but their faces.
It was finally happening.
"Distract me, John boy," Arthur said, mere minutes from 10.
"With what?"
"Something, I don't know." Arthur managed to conjure up a chuckle. "The girl."
"What girl?"
"The girl you've been drooling after for the past months."
John his a scowl but complied. "Ana, she's the sister."
"Go on then," Arthur nudged him, a smirk on his face. "Was she good?"
John coughed, letting his leg kick out and boot connect with his brother's knee. Arthur winced un pain but hid it with a laugh.
"God, John. You must like her," he exclaimed.
A few minutes past in silence until Arthur hobbled to his knees, shuffling toward the switch that laid in the middle of the room. His hands wrapped around the stick that would be pressed, his eyes closing and breath becoming less and less steady by the second.
"Who wants to be in heaven, eh? Who wants to be in heaven when you can be sending men to fucking hell?"
John frowned, pushing his way forward. "I'll do it, Arthur. I'll do it."
"I told tommy I'll do it. So I'll do it." His hands wrapped tighter. "We'll be alright soon. Bathing in diamonds and out of this mess."
Arthur's words rung around John's brain until he remembered what they mirrored. Anastasiya's own words to him the other night.
Soon there will be diamonds up and down my wrists. A home to go to. All I have to do is help my mother.
Then the clock hit ten and Arthur collapsed upon the switch, the sound of an explosion rippling through the air, sending John crashing toward his brother, covering him from the blow of glass that shattered around their huddled bodies. They were too late. The crash wavered through their bones, bringing up memories they longed to suppress.
John scrambled to his feet, hands scraping against the shard of glass that littered the floor. His arm landed on Arthur's heaving shoulders.
"I have to go," he muttered. LFinn's here. Finn's here."
He was running to her, for what reason, he didn't know. But things couldn't have been going more horribly wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to be so involved. But for some reason, he knew she was.
Anastasiya hurried through the doors into the library where she and her sister had spent their days together. Tatiana day by the window, lips bitten and nails chewed in anticipation. A book and full cup of tea had long been discarded onto the wooden bench of the open panes.
"Tatiana," she said, loud enough to gain her attention even in her worried state. "Where is she?"
"Mother," Tatiana gasped out, already knowing why she was asking. She was on her feet in seconds.
"No, No, No, No."
Ana was panicking. Neither of them had seen their mother since early morning. Tatiana gripped her sister's arms.
"She couldn't have worked it out."
"Couldn't she?" Ana brushed her off. "You remember our Grandmother's watchful eye. She was as much her mother's daughter as we were our father's." Her gaze snapped back. "How were you getting the jewels?"
Tatiana países, swallowing back a lump that had formed in her throat. She had never felt so anxious. "A tunnel. On one of the gypsy camps. It was placed so they could dig straight through."
"That's why he wanted a look at the treasury," Ana breathed out. "Where is the camp?"
"Fifteen minutes on the northern path then right onto the fields. You'll see it. Just like any other camp."
Tatiana edged to follow after her as Ana headed for the door.
"I'll go. The minute she sees you, she'll run straight in the other direction," Ana said, not leaving her any room to argue.
But Tatiana stopped her with a shout, her voice shaking for once. "Ana. Walk, or take a horse. Just don't drive. I don't trust the men who drive cars."
