extra henchmen, they marched toward the doors of Newgate, weapons at the ready, their wits protected from Fionnula’s treacherous lullaby by earplugs.
A brutish smile curved Oxley’s mouth as he thought of his waiting target, Stone, now safely trapped in a cell.
Easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
But the last thing Oxley expected as he stepped around the corner was to come face to face with the Guardian himself.
CHAPTER TEN
(Bad) Luck of the Irish
Meanwhile, a little bit earlier that night, Dani had been unable to sleep, even though she was exhausted. In a few more hours it would be morning, and then she’d have to go to work. But sleep wouldn’t come. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was the awful picture in her mind of the bailiffs taking poor Jake off to jail, along with that scary, scruffy fellow, Derek Stone.
She kept thinking about the promise Jake had shouted to her as the policemen had dragged him away, that he would find a way to get out soon. Obviously, he was referring to his strange talents for moving things with his mind.
But could he really accomplish this, even with his supernatural powers? Escape from the prison fortress that had thwarted the fiercest criminals in England?
She had a terrible feeling the guards might shoot him if they saw him trying to escape. She tossed and turned, wondering if he was dead or alive—but one thing was certain. If he did somehow escape, Jake was going to need her help when he came out, because of how sick and weak he always felt after using his weird ability.
Of course, she was not sure it was smart of her to help an escaped prisoner, but the blockhead was still her best friend. If she didn’t help him, nobody would.
And so, unable to stand the suspense anymore, she hopped out of bed in the middle of the night and got dressed, determined to go find out what was happening. She pulled on her boots, then swept her cloak on around her, fastening the clasp at the throat.
Of course, it was dangerous out on the streets of London in the wee hours before dawn, so she brought Teddy along for protection. True, he was just a little dog, but he was very brave for his size.
He wagged his tail at her, ready to go. She clipped on his leash and led him toward the door, tiptoeing past Da’s room and all her brothers, snoring on their various cots and hammocks around the messy apartment.
None of them awoke as she and her dog sneaked out. Not that they ever cared much about her comings and goings, so long as she got her chores done like their own blasted Cinderella.
Drawing her cloak nearer around her, Dani set out into the dark, foggy streets of London, Teddy’s nails clicking on the pavement as he hurried along beside her. The familiar tap-tapping of his strides and his general good cheer made her feel not so scared.
The city seemed so strange at this hour. She kept telling herself it would be light in a couple of hours. Nevertheless, she kept to the shadows so any of the bad people who roamed the streets at night would not notice her. She was glad of the wrought-iron street lamps.
They did not burn very brightly, but they helped her keep up her courage as she and Teddy hurried from one pool of light to the next.
Now and then delivery wagons rumbled by as the milkmen and coalmen and all the other deliverymen brought Londoners their supplies for the next day.
What a horrid old place, she thought when she finally reached the corner across the street from Newgate Prison.
Spooked by the great, hulking fortress, she picked up Teddy and held him in her arms, cuddling him a bit as she waited uncertainly for she knew-not-what, any sign of Jake.
After a few minutes of nothing happening, her heart sank as she gazed at the massive outline of the jail looming against the black night sky. How could anyone escape from such a place? It was impossible—even for Jake.
Dani leaned against the brick wall of the building, feeling hopeless and exhausted as she
A brutish smile curved Oxley’s mouth as he thought of his waiting target, Stone, now safely trapped in a cell.
Easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
But the last thing Oxley expected as he stepped around the corner was to come face to face with the Guardian himself.
CHAPTER TEN
(Bad) Luck of the Irish
Meanwhile, a little bit earlier that night, Dani had been unable to sleep, even though she was exhausted. In a few more hours it would be morning, and then she’d have to go to work. But sleep wouldn’t come. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was the awful picture in her mind of the bailiffs taking poor Jake off to jail, along with that scary, scruffy fellow, Derek Stone.
She kept thinking about the promise Jake had shouted to her as the policemen had dragged him away, that he would find a way to get out soon. Obviously, he was referring to his strange talents for moving things with his mind.
But could he really accomplish this, even with his supernatural powers? Escape from the prison fortress that had thwarted the fiercest criminals in England?
She had a terrible feeling the guards might shoot him if they saw him trying to escape. She tossed and turned, wondering if he was dead or alive—but one thing was certain. If he did somehow escape, Jake was going to need her help when he came out, because of how sick and weak he always felt after using his weird ability.
Of course, she was not sure it was smart of her to help an escaped prisoner, but the blockhead was still her best friend. If she didn’t help him, nobody would.
And so, unable to stand the suspense anymore, she hopped out of bed in the middle of the night and got dressed, determined to go find out what was happening. She pulled on her boots, then swept her cloak on around her, fastening the clasp at the throat.
Of course, it was dangerous out on the streets of London in the wee hours before dawn, so she brought Teddy along for protection. True, he was just a little dog, but he was very brave for his size.
He wagged his tail at her, ready to go. She clipped on his leash and led him toward the door, tiptoeing past Da’s room and all her brothers, snoring on their various cots and hammocks around the messy apartment.
None of them awoke as she and her dog sneaked out. Not that they ever cared much about her comings and goings, so long as she got her chores done like their own blasted Cinderella.
Drawing her cloak nearer around her, Dani set out into the dark, foggy streets of London, Teddy’s nails clicking on the pavement as he hurried along beside her. The familiar tap-tapping of his strides and his general good cheer made her feel not so scared.
The city seemed so strange at this hour. She kept telling herself it would be light in a couple of hours. Nevertheless, she kept to the shadows so any of the bad people who roamed the streets at night would not notice her. She was glad of the wrought-iron street lamps.
They did not burn very brightly, but they helped her keep up her courage as she and Teddy hurried from one pool of light to the next.
Now and then delivery wagons rumbled by as the milkmen and coalmen and all the other deliverymen brought Londoners their supplies for the next day.
What a horrid old place, she thought when she finally reached the corner across the street from Newgate Prison.
Spooked by the great, hulking fortress, she picked up Teddy and held him in her arms, cuddling him a bit as she waited uncertainly for she knew-not-what, any sign of Jake.
After a few minutes of nothing happening, her heart sank as she gazed at the massive outline of the jail looming against the black night sky. How could anyone escape from such a place? It was impossible—even for Jake.
Dani leaned against the brick wall of the building, feeling hopeless and exhausted as she
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