Y O U R C R U C I B L E
"May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead."
Lottie Thorne, sister of the notorious Freddie Thorne, is counted as part of the Shelby family. And her loyalty is...
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"Fuck"
Lottie entered the large tent with her boys following her lead; her eyes darted across the room, taking in every man and woman, every policeman and every shadow. Her guard was up, and she was nervous. She stopped by a table, Nic and Maxim on either side, while Arthur and John went ahead to the betting counter. It wasn't long before Sabini entered; Lottie had only seen his photograph before, but in life he looked like a strange scorpion with his sharp features and dark eyes that said can't stop nature. He was followed by a long trail of people as if he was a king. He probably thought himself as king and kings fall onto chopping blocks every day. John and Arthur returned having noticed Sabini, too. A silent agreement passed between the five of them. They had their orders. "Let's go," said Lottie.
"Alright," nodded John.
The five of them left the tent the way in which Sabini had entered. Then. Like a spider crawling up her spine, Lottie felt eyes on her. Discreetly as she could, trying to hide her sudden wave of panic, she turned her head backwards, her eyes scanning the room under the shadow of her hat. But all she could see was a haze of uniforms and dresses. Lottie continued out of the tent, but she couldn't shake the feeling that a predator had spotted its prey. As the small group left, a man with a sharp black hat, black suit, dark hair, and hollow eyes turned back to his drink. A smile formed on his lips as one word filled his mind, Lotitia.
***
The horses were pacing within their enclosures, their long strides lean and dangerous. Lottie watched them as they walked past, joining Johnny Dogs. Soon, they were joined by the rest of the Shelby herd as they overlooked Sabini's pitches; sheep unprepared for the foxes. Lottie took out her gun and let her coat hide it. Arthur looked around the men. "Keep them fucking guns ready," he said. "Keep your guns ready."
Lottie looked to John. "The coppers aren't moving."
"They will," said Maxim. "We've got to trust Tommy."
"They're stood there like fucking gargoyles," muttered John. He looked back at the group. "Keep your wits about you, boys, alright."
A voice on the speaker announced the start of the race, the noise followed by the steady stampede of people as they left to go to their seats. The national anthem spread across the space, people's voices echoed as they sang along. Lottie shivered. She had a bad feeling, and that feeling was only made worse by the strange hideous feeling of being watched in the tent. She heard Arthur say, "Come on, Tommy," but she was losing her mind. She hated London. She wanted this business done so she could go back home. She didn't know why today she was feeling so anxious, she hated it. Maybe once they were busy, she'd fall back into her usual stride of confidence.
