RESURRECTION, t. shelby.

chapter four.

then without warning, the sharp trill of a whistle pierces the air, breaking the struggle between the two in a moment of alarm. diana's eyes dart towards the far end of the alleyway to see a sudden burst of motion as people pour into the main street like a broken dam. the sound of police whistles echo further into the neighbouring avenues and diana is left to find she has no idea why.

the gunman's gut reaction causes him to loosen his grip against diana's throat as he stumbles back in nervous apprehension. diana spares no time to wonder whether a copper would come barging into the alleyway. instead, she barrels her heel into the gunman's knee and promptly snatches the firearm from his grasp as he flounders to the ground with a gutteral yell. she doesn't bury a bullet in his face in fear of being tracked down — she simply runs.

...

the day slowly passes with agony as law enforcement carry out a police raid across small heath. diana fears that if she returns to her lodging, agatha would surely turn her in out of fear. yet garrison lane lies beset with coppers skinning out each row home that lines the street. diana has no protection from the law who'd begun infiltrating each turn and sharp corner, and she was terrified that at any moment she could be questioned. she soon finds herself back in the huddled crowd of women occupying the wash house, accusations and fearful chatter echoing against the walls.

she hears the name shelby resonating in the air; their name being met with disdain as soon as it's mentioned. diana listens with grave curiosity as they exclaim how the peaky blinders could allow the police to commit such vile acts on its own people. the thought lingers in her mind; how could tommy let this happen? had a man who prided himself on being one with the people deserted his community during all of this? the thought doesn't press on her for much longer. diana knows tommy well enough to realise that this was not his doing.

she hears a new name being thrown between conversations. the name inspector campbell doesn't conjure a single memory or recollection; nothing to create a face for her to picture. diana is certainly painting him as a tyrant in light of the chaos brewing in the streets, and the idea of being caught radiates fear. this is a man that seems determined to face the wrath of the peaky blinders; a police raid is something she hadn't seen in small heath since she was a little girl. diana quickly grasps that she'd have no chance of remaining on the run if she were to ever cross his path: and she'd much rather take a bullet to her skull than return to hollymoor asylum.

diana manages to slip into the wash house after the police enters the premises; a room of wash tubs littering the floor, now covered in soapy water. in a near corner she spies a pile of her clothes scattered across the bench, thankfully untouched by the water pooling the ground. with a flustered sigh she goes to retrieve them. within the hour the sound of whistles and clamouring havoc outside have drowned out into nerve-racking silence, and diana makes the decision to leave.

her walk is somewhat aimless as she isn't quite sure where to head. the fear of being caught by police still scratches beneath the surface of her skin as she passes each street, and her heart still pulses frantically after the events that had unfolded before. the evening breeze brushes past, and the feeling of the gunman's barrel feels cold against her temple once more. it's in this fleeting moment of apprehension that she pictures tommy.

her younger self would have run straight to his house, knowing he'd have a gun to his head before dusk. she imagines his scent lingering in the crook of his neck as he pulls her into a tight embrace; a memory that diana shamefully clings onto from time to time.

it bothers her that she holds on to these past memories as a sense of comfort. it bothers her, because the warmth that comes from remembering them is fleeting; it doesn't take long to remember that those memories are dead. that the tommy she once knew and loved no longer exists, and the version of her that was capable of loving that deeply doesn't either. now all they have become are terrible people capable of doing terrible things, and there's nothing comforting in that.