In Bleak Midwinter

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Right, well... if that's the case, you better share it with me, alright?" Alfie noted.

Emily looked around precariously and pondered momentarily. From outside the door, she could hear muttering from whom she assumed were guards, and listened to their footstep patterns. Her eyes winced as she sighed slowly, actively conveying her deep sense of thoughts to the clueless Alfie Solomons. He waited for her to make a noise other than a sigh.

"If you listen carefully enough, the corridor beyond this wall is evidently much longer than the average house corridor, which must mean we're in some sort of warehouse" Emily spoke.

Alfie brushed his hand through his beard and groaned in agreement.

"How long have I been in this room with you for, Alfie?" Emily quickly changed the subject.
"Hmm" Alfie thought. "Approximately 3 hours, I imagine".

Emily nodded.
"Right, so that must mean there's a guard changeover every three hours. I've just heard the change from outside those doors. I've also concluded, judging by the unfortunate lack of coordination of that pile of wood, we must be on the second floor. Footsteps would not be so prominent if we were on the ground floor" Emily added whilst pointing at a boarded up window.

"How do you we're not on the ground floor, and that there isn't a cellar?" Alfie interrupted.

"Because, if we were on the ground floor, the footsteps would be much sturdier, and, if we were in a cellar, there would not be any light, though disperse, emerging from the cracks in those boards"

Alfie nodded in eventual agreement.
"So, what is your plan?" He asked justifiably.

"We wait for the changing of guard. Cause havoc in here so that the guard comes in. You attack the guard, steal his weapon, and then we both make a run for it"

Alfie brushed his hand through his beard.
"Is that it?" He asked.
Emily stared blankly at him.
"That is the most predictable plan I have ever heard, love. Thomas needs to teach you in the art of planning" Alfie joked.
Emily rolled her eyes. "You come up with a plan then?"
"No, because that would require me to think" Alfie turned away.
Emily flapped her hands in the air in an act of frustration. "What? Do you have something better to do Alfie?!"
"I'm going to write an opera".

Emily lay down on the floor in a big sigh. She contemplated how much time had passed; she was worried about Tommy. She had no idea whether he had sustained serious injury from the bullet.

—————

Emily sat up abruptly to a prominent creak emerging from the other side of the wall; it was becoming increasingly louder with every second. She turned and looked over at Alfie who was asleep on the floor.

"Alfie!" Emily shouted, attempting to wake him up,
Alfie stirred but did not fully open his eyes.
"Alfie!" Emily shouted again. This time Alfie abruptly sat up.
"The fuck is going on?" Alfie sat up.
"Listen!" Emily instructed.
The pair listened carefully to the noise.

Without further contemplation, the room door burst open in a colossal explosion. Both Emily and Alfie immediately ducked, covering their heads with their arms shards of obliterated door and wall blew over. 

Emily coughed and gasped desperately for the clear air that had escaped the room. She scrambled to her feet and searched around for Alfie. As she reached for him, a figure appeared from within the cloud of smoke.

"Alright love, up you get, i'm running on a limited time schedule" the figure announced. 

"You've got to be joking me" Emily coughed. 

James reached his hand out and helped Emily to her feet before handing her a gun which he had pulled from his back pocket. 

"Where's Tommy?" Emily abruptly asked. 

"He's at home. Trust me, he wanted to be here. Polly wouldn't let him" James responded.

"Is he okay?" Emily said, watching James help Alfie to his feet.

"He's okay, don't worry. Arthur, John and Micheal are holding off the others down the corridor, so more explanation to what has happened will come, but for now, we need to be quick" James insisted.

Emily nodded and checked on Alfie who was in an unsteady daze from the explosion. They then followed James down the long corridor and entered the crossfire between the Peaky boys and the joint Kimber and Sabini followers...