Caught Somewhere in Time

The escape from Newgate II

"Arthur" he called him, but he did not visibly react. He called his name again and gently shook his heaving frame. His eyes opened wide, as if he'd just woken from a trance.

"Please, don't hit me" he croaked out. His light blue eyes groggily scanned Sweeney's face when he realised he was none of the guards but someone vaguely familiar to him. "Don't I know you, father?"

"Barker, Eleanor's neighbour" he told him although he now knew who he was, Sweeney could tell he had no desire to entertain him and turned his face. "I've come to help you escape. So you and Nellie can run away and be happy. You don't deserve to be here."

"Nellie, Nell, Nellie... I love my Nellie. But love hurts, love is pain, love is death" he muttered and then all his attention turned to a rat gnawing on his rundown mattress. Sweeney sighed, it was no wonder the poor lad was feeling hopeless, and he knew he was the one to blame. He remained silent, thinking of how to get to him, until the sound of heeled boots approaching got his attention, as well as every other prisoner's. Those criminals could not refrain from catcalling Eleanor as she surveyed their cells looking for Sweeney and Arthur and he stood powerless, his blood boiling at every lewd comment thrown at her. These men surely deserved the punishment that awaited them.

One of them must have grabbed her because she shrieked and Sweeney sprung forward and darted to the bars, unable to control his impulse to help her despite knowing he could not do anything while the door was closed. "Leave her alone!" he shouted. The men just laughed but it distracted the one who was holding Eleanor long enough for her to get out of his grasp and run towards the right cell, following the sound of his voice.

She clutched the bars tightly, trying to catch her breath. Her frenzied eyes sought Sweeney's concerned ones. She seemed unharmed, at least physically. Without thinking, his hand moved to her face to tuck a stray curl behind her ear, grazing the soft skin of her cheekbone on its way. "It's alright" he whispered and she sighed. He could feel her leaning into his touch and that's when he abruptly moved his hand away and took three steps back. He didn't want to give her false hopes. He ignored her pull to bring him closer and when his eyes met hers again, they were hardened, inscrutable. It was her who recoiled this time.

"Saved by God, ain't ya, lassie?" the old man from the opposite cell jeered. Sweeney gave him a murderous look while Eleanor just ignored him. He seemed to shut up for the time being but he did not take his eyes off Eleanor.

He cursed himself for his major oversight. Even though he knew from experience that most prisoners were taciturn and withdrawn, half asleep most of the time, he had not considered how much the sight of some skirts would stir them up. Arthur's cell being at the end of the corridor was an advantage, for only one man had full view of what transpired there. But he was aware that it would be difficult to smuggle the lad out when this cell neighbour's eyes were on them and he could alert the guards as soon as he saw anything out of the ordinary.

"Got the key" she whispered, not beating around the bush and seemingly unbothered by the old man behind her. She fished for it in her bodice and deposited it in his palm. It was warm, warm like... nothing, he cut himself off.

"Arthur" he heard her call her lover, who did not seem to have registered her presence up until that moment.

When the boy looked up and noticed it was Nellie, his face lit up. He stood up and ran to her, but he tripped and fell flat on his face. There was some blood on his knees and the left side of his forehead was bruised but he looked unaffected. He crawled towards Nellie and began kissing her feet, his kisses climbing up her legs, to her stomach and further up. "I missed you, I missed you. God, I thought I'd never see you again. I missed you" he repeated in between kisses. He looked every bit like the excited Romeo starved off the sight and touch of his Juliet for far too long, but there was a manic look in his eyes. Sweeney brushed it off, and averted his eyes, trying to fight off his wayward jealousy.