Devilish | Moriarty The Patriot

Chapter 12 | Lady Death

*Disclaimer: mentions of sexual abuse*

Everyone in the carriage had to bite down their tongues. She was the victim of the exact evil they were fighting against, murdering, one by one. Moran thought she was a psychopath, but from the small peak into her backstory, he now saw a powerful grown woman. She smiled as she spoke. 

Louis watched William watch her with his usual compassionate gaze. But if he were to classify the look on Louise's face, there was no pity for herself nor comfort that she felt from William's embrace. Her violet eyes contained a soft flare that radiated confidence and... fatigue? This was the moment that Louis realized how tired she must have been. His brother walked into the dining room with a refreshed face, but she was not as energetic ever since the morning. Louis had no idea what kind of person she actually was, but the blatant concern that his brother displayed was alarming enough. He needed to keep his eye on her. 

Soon, they arrived in the driveway of their next target. The mansion was far away from the heart of London. Faintly in the distance, the rushing sound of water flowing in a grand fountain could be heard through the cracks of the carriage window. 

"Is there a map of the mansion which I can see?" she asked. 

Fred opened the suitcase and handed her a rolled-up sheet of kraft paper with a printed floor plan of their mountain. She unrolled it quickly and spread it wide over her lap and onto William's as well. She paid no attention to the obvious discomfort on his behalf. Louise swept her index finger over the main hallway, craning her neck to peer at the smallest corners and hallways that branched off.  There were two wings to the main building and the mansion was large and convoluted.

William spoke over her shoulder. "Our target's henchmen will also be there today. Think of it as a heist. We're going to rob our human trafficker of his life and anybody who gets in the way will be eliminated." 

She hummed, "So we get to assault the sinners." 

"Precisely."

"Can I have my ax and knife back?" 

"Fred." 

Fred then pulled out her thigh holster which her knife nestled in. Then, he pulled out the hand-sized ax that had terrorized them the night before. 

"Interesting weapon of choice," Moran said. 

"Knives are weak and I'm also weak, so I need a weapon that I can yield with brute force." 

None of them thought that Louise was weak. She could throw a grown man over her shoulder. That was not the feat of a common person. 

William silently handed her a pistol and a pack full of ammunition. 

"So," she smiled, "exterminate on sight?" 

Everyone swallowed their words. She talked about the murder so lightly they were taken aback. Doing the killings as the Lords of Crime had become routine for them, but here she was, easily accepting the inhumane behavior that they took for granted. To William, the act resulted in his elation, however, it always left a bitter aftertaste of being a sinner himself. Did Louise feel this as well? There was no justification for murder. None at all. Who were they to play god? 

William could only nod. 

The sun was setting, splashing a palette of red, orange, and pink across the sky as the world around them grew dimmer by the minute. The mansion was brightly lit, and several men lazily stood by the entrance. 

The Lords of Crime and Louise stepped quietly towards the backdoor of the servant's quarters. After Moran slammed the wooden door open with his rifle, the house erupted into a state of alarm. Bullets rained in the hallways and punches and kicks were thrown savagely. The bones of their opponents cracked, vases shattered upon impact. This was one of the most brutal assaults on their opponent that the Lords of Crime had experienced.