[ Glow ] ~ Anthony Lockwood x OC

XXVI - Real Agents

"You get used to it. It's this bit I don't like." George murmured back.

"I hate graveyards. . .they just feel so. . .unsettling." Daniel agreed, nodding slightly with her words. 

"I know most of the dead here are properly dead, but-" George continued.

"It still feels like enemy territory." Lockwood's voice came out quiet, just loud enough to be heard over the gravel crunching under their steps. 

"Jesus. . ." Lucy breathed out, seeing all the people who'd set up for the night. 

"Like the man said, the cemetery really comes alive at night." 

"Who are all these people?" 

"It's the security. And the, uh. . .gravediggers. Proper, honest blokes, you know? Real salt of the Earth." The sarcasm in Lockwood's voice was clear, even through his quiet and somewhat uneasy breaths. 

"Just like us for tonight." Daniel grinned, bumping Lockwood with her shoulder. 

"You've never even spoken to them." George practically glared at Anthony. 

"Yeah, well, they're a bit scary." He reasoned. "Night watch. Lowest pay, lowest life expectancy in the business." Lockwood mentioned as they passed another different group of people. 

"They need to unionize. I've told them a thousand times." George huffed out a slight laugh. 

"You come to the cemetery. . .often?" Daniel shot him an uncertain look, biting down her snickers. George made a face and shook his head, like a child taunting their sibling. She stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation.

"That could've been me." Lucy said sadly when they walked past a group of night watchers, cutting off George and Daniel's silent bickering. 

"But it's not, luckily. You've dealt with sensitives before, right?" Anthony asked, keeping his eyes straight.

"No. Why?" Lucy also kept watch of the people they passed as they walked.

"They're basically listeners too scared to pick up a rapier." 

Daniel scoffed at George's words. "Not all of them are scared, some of them just have other opportunities. I could've been a sensitive, not because I'm scared but because I've got enough money from my parents to not need to work." 

George rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but you're not. You know why?" 

"Why's that?" 

"Because you're not scared. And you'd be bored if you weren't an agent."

Daniel stayed quiet for a minute before scoffing in defeat, knowing he was at least partially right. 

"Anyways. As I was saying, or too posh to need to. Like our dear friend Daniel over here." George grinned. This lot, anyway. Highgate sensitives."

"That's completely disrespectful." A sensitive off to their side said. Daniel jumped slightly, not expecting her - or anyone - to speak at that moment. 

"Go write a poem about it." George called back, stopping to turn and look at the girl and her friend. She scoffed. 

"You all signed contracts! Legally binding! Risk is exactly what I'm paying you for." Mr. Saunders yelled at a group of night watchers just as the team walked up the steps he was standing at top of. "Ah, Mr. Lockwood. Just in time." He stopped yelling, glancing at Anthony and moving over to talk with the team. "These troublemakers are refusing to let their teams work." 

"It's not safe, and you know it. You call it risk. I call it suicide." One of the night watch team leaders said, clear worry in her voice. 

"Even I can sense it, and I haven't been able to see a visitor for thirty-five years!" Another night watch leader called.

"Which is exactly why we have hired these agents, the best of the best, to deal with the whole situation." Mr. Saunders pointed at Lockwood, a cheery tone to his voice despite the circumstances. 

"Where's their uniform? Where's their supervisor?" The man questioned, disdain in his tone.

"Myself and my team refuse to work near that grave until it's made safe." Another night watch leader responded to Mr. Saunders. "It's making us ill." 

"Ignore them." Mr. Saunders turned back to Lockwood, shaking his head. "Let's get inside." 

Daniel hesitated as the rest of her team walked toward the building, she turned to the last night watch team leader who'd spoken. "It's making you ill? Like. . .physically?"

Before the woman could answer, Daniel heard Lockwood's voice boom behind her. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Anthony Lockwood, of Lockwood & Co., and I'm here tonight with my team to assist you all." George waved slightly as the workers looked over to the three of them. "Now, let me assure you, your safety is our number one priority."

"Get us proper agents! Get us Fittes! Get us Rotwell!" The man who hadn't seen anything supernatural in thirty-five years yelled.

Daniel let out a sigh, stepping up in line with Lockwood. "Hi- Uhm. . .My name's Daniel Aiken, you may know of my parents. They were both Fittes agents before they died and I, for a good two, years was also a Fittes agent. I assure you our team here is just as good, if not better, than any Fittes team they could send your way."

Murmurs broke out between the team leaders at the mention of her last name, but nothing clear enough for anyone to hear. Anthony smiled at Daniel before turning back to the crowd. "As my colleague, Ms. Aiken has said, I guarantee you that we are the best agents in London. And the only reason you haven't heard of us is because we don't do our work for applause or attention. No, we do our work discreetly and bespokely. Now, I am certain that no one knows this cemetery quite like you do." Anthony walked down the steps to be closer to the man who had been haggling them. "So, we will do nothing without a full consultation on what you have seen. And, Miss, you have clearly had a terrible experience. So please, take all the time you need, and when you and your team feel strong enough, you will have my undivided attention." He told the woman who'd claimed that her team had grown ill from the visitor.

"Fine." 

Anthony laughed slightly, grinning as he turned away from the crowd and back toward Daniel. He walked up the steps, shooting Daniel a smile before going straight past her to Sebastian. "Saunders."

"If we ever really get famous, he'll be absolutely unbearable." George sighed as both him and Lucy picked up their kit bags.

"What? He isn't already?" Daniel quipped, skipping up the last step and following behind Lockwood and Mr. Saunders.

"Never said that." George smirked, him and Lucy falling right next to Daniel as they entered the building. 

————————————————————————————————

Word Count - 1,589

————————————————————————————————

Published - October 2, 2023

————————————————————————————————