The Unwitting Thief

Chapter 3b - The Winking Flame

They walked into the Winking Flame, and Thomas glanced around the crowded room.

Despite being located in the slums, the Winking Flame never went without customers. It was known as the filthiest place in Aeredale, though not for a lack of cleanliness. Girls paraded themselves, and offered their services to men plied with drink. Some men were regulars, and would be attended to in dimly lit corners, whereas some were more discreet, or rich, and would be led up the stairs to private quarters.

Thomas could see one of those men now, and clenched his fists as he saw the girl that led him.

Samantha.

He would never get used to this. His baby sister had been lost to him for years as he served his time within the Asthaean Spiders. A forfeit he paid for too many escape attempts, along with the lashes that left scars which crisscrossed his back. Scars that had taken years to fade to the faint pink lines they were today.

He didn't have the courage to talk about what had happened while he was gone. He knew their father had sold her into the whoring trade as soon as their mother passed away, but he was scared she blamed him for her situation, and was too afraid to hear her put the accusation into words.

How many nights had he lain awake dreaming of what could have been if he had just left when she had asked him to?

The reality was that they'd probably both have ended up in similar situations or dead, but he didn't think like that. In his head everything worked out, and they were safe and happy. It was enough to drive him crazy some nights.

He didn't realise he was staring at her until she turned and locked eyes with him.

He blushed. She didn't.

Her eyes were vacant, features frozen in place. Every time he saw her, she grew more distant. He wondered if she was taking something, but dared not ask. When she'd finally started taking money from him, he was relieved to be able to help, and tried to ignore what he was helping her afford.

Quickly, he looked away, and moved toward the table in the corner, where Jeff and Wez had settled. Wez couldn't decide where to look, and instead his gaze darted everywhere. In stark contrast, Jeff relaxed into a lounge position, where he radiated charm and attracted more than a few glances from the working girls. Thomas sat down, and deliberately shoved Jeff, who nearly toppled off his chair.

"Would you stop it? We're here to meet a client, not for a hook up."

"Maybe you can't multitask, but I can." Proving his point, Jeff winked at a scantily clad girl, with only a few purple rags clinging in the just the right places to preserve her modesty, well what could pass for modesty here. She didn't hesitate to wink back as she beckoned him over.

"See?" Jeff made a move to rise from his seat, but Thomas grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and yanked him back down to earth.

"Putting my distaste for this place aside, we are here to work, not to play. So, put it back in your pants, and lets order some drinks."

With a scowl, Jeff waved the girl over. It was pretty clear that she was undoubtably more disappointed in her loss of earnings than an opportunity to bed Jeff as she stalked off to the bar to fetch their drinks.

They sipped their drinks in silence, and scanned the crowd for an unfamiliar face. They were always told to be ready and waiting for the client, but this job had come directly from Martin, and so they had made sure to arrive in plenty of time, even more so than usual.

Thomas couldn't help but feel anxious. He always tried to operate as far away from Martin as possible. Leave him alone, and hope that, in return, Martin would do the same. He knew that going unnoticed was the best way to survive as a Spider. Taking this job seemed too large a risk. It placed him back on Martins radar, but Jeff had jumped at the chance to earn more than the usual pathetic pay.