Lord Day and Lady Night

17. The Turbanator

Threatened with superior fire power, Patrick clenched his teeth. Amy grinned as he reached under his tailcoat and pulled out a second pistol.

"Do you even know how to use one of these?"

"Sure. I can even tell ye 'ow dey work. When da trigger frees da 'ammer, it strikes the cap, and da chemical thingamies explode the mercuric fulminate to explode. And then it gets really interestin'! Because when da fire from da explosion goes down da tube in da nipple—"

"All right, all right!" Patrick held up a hand. "I believe you!"

Amy's grin widened. "Are ye sure ye don't wanna 'ear about 'ow it plunges into the barrel, where it ignites—"

"No! Not necessary, thank you."

Patrick held out the pistol. "You hold it like this, and—"

He cut off when she grabbed the pistol, swiftly checked for bullets and aimed to check the weight and barrel.

"Hm. Single shot? Well, it'll 'ave ta do." Deep inside, she formed a determination. The moment Lilly gets back, I'll squeeze a revolver out of her!

Just then, Karim emerged from the door of the broom cupboard.

"I've bound and gagged the two," he reported in a low voice.

Amy grinned. "I knew ye're a kinky fellow deep inside."

"I shall now proceed down the left corridor, as discussed," Karim continued, his eyes on Patrick, completely ignoring her. Or at least trying to. "Since this is a covert operation, I shall attempt to move silently. However, I shall not refrain from using deadly force. Do you object?"

"Not in the least." Eyes glittering dangerously, Patrick popped a bullet into his pistol and cocked it. "Use it to your heart's content." His eyes flitted to Flo and then, shifting towards the corridor, turned hard and cold as steel. "For what they've done, they deserve to burn in hell!"

Suddenly, Amy felt a mad, wild desire flood over her. A desire she'd never, ever felt before.

Except maybe once.

Last night.

Don't kiss him again! Don't you dare kiss him again!

"C-come on!" Grabbing him by the arm, Amy started to drag him forward, making sure to keep her flushed face turned away. "Let's go!"

They set out down their assigned corridor. The last thing before they turned the corner was Karim grimly marching down the hallway, tightly gripping his sabre.

A grim smile flitted over Amy's face. God 'ave mercy on dose bastard kidnappers! 'cause 'e sure as 'ell won't. She glanced up at Patrick's face, whose eyes, somehow, were even harder and more unrelenting than Karim's. And neither will we.

Let's kick some bastards in the bollocks!

***

"Keep still, ye little bitch!"

Slap!

"Aaah!"

Clyde grunted and drew his hand back for another slap. And he'd make it a good one! That little bitch deserved it. He only wished he could give her a good, hard—

"Argh!"

The next moment, he received a good, hard, knee in the bollocks!

"Bloody midget! Take dat!"

Wham!

"Ow!"

"Now," he growled. "Are ye gonna hold still and do as I say, or do I have to become nasty?"