Constantine Capers: The Pennington Perplexity Natalie Brianne (best summer reads of all time .txt) 📖

like an aristocrat. If you can’t manage then don’t speak at all.” He let go of her wrist. Mira silenced herself but walked closer to him being more aware of her surroundings.

A putrid stench of rotting food and meat with stale urine and fecal matter surrounded them. At first, she found it hard to not grimace, but eventually her senses gained immunity to it. The sounds of crying babies and wet coughing filled the air. The buildings closed in on either side, the walls so close to each other that Mira could reach out and touch both sides of the alley at the same time. Her breath became rapid as claustrophobia entered her mind. Selene led on.

Farther down the alleyway, a large animal lay still on the side of the street. Mira stepped to the side so as not to trip on it, as she had the old woman. As they approached, she realized something was wrong. The squalid air brought on a new scent, which grew unbearable. The animal was unrecognizable, the chest cavity open, and face disfigured and rotting. Rats gnawed at the decaying flesh, and maggots crawled under what was left of the skin. Bile crept up Mira’s throat, and they walked deeper into the Pit.

After about two hours of walking, Selene stopped them just before they reached a tunnel and pulled them into an alcove.

“The meeting place is down there. It’s a small club, and you need to have the password. I’ll go in first so as not to arouse suspicion,” she purred.

“Seems like you’ve done this before.” Byron raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve had some time to think about this since you first offered me my freedom, Detective.”

“What is the password?”

“Ordered Chaos. Say that and they’ll let you right in. No questions asked.”

Byron nodded, and Selene nodded back before heading down the tunnel. Mira squinted trying to see through the darkness. Then a small shaft of light appeared. She could faintly make out Selene’s face. She heard muffled voices, and then a larger shaft of light illuminated her whole body. Then it went dark again. She took a step forward and then Byron stopped her with his hand.

“We need to wait a minute or so before going in.”

Mira nodded and leaned up against the cold, brick wall. Byron looked at her, studying her features.

“I’m sorry I ever doubted you, Miss Blayse.”

“Please. Call me Mira.”

“Of course. Mira. It would seem you were right about everything.”

“I don’t blame you. If I were in your same situation, it would be rather hard to believe.” She looked up at him and realized how close they were to one another. He was less than a foot away from her and staring deeply into her eyes. Her heart threatened to burst from her corset.

“I do have to say, despite not remembering you, there is something familiar.” He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, and she held her breath.

“There is?”

He took a small step closer, and she felt his warmth. “It’s less of a memory and more of a feeling. I can’t really explain it.” He shook his head and looked back towards the tunnel. Mira opened her mouth to speak and then thought otherwise. They stood for several minutes; the silence punctuated by the sounds of rats scurrying in the darkness. He cleared his throat, and she jumped, startled.

“It’s time to meet with Selene and the evasive Molly Bridges.”

He stepped away from her and out of the alcove, starting down into the tunnel. Mira’s breath returned, and she followed him, hoping she knew what she was getting into. The tunnel turned out to be a larger alcove with a brick wall blocking any passage to the other side. A door was placed in the center of that brick wall. Byron knocked on it. A slot in the door opened and a blinding light shot through. Mira blinked a few times and tried to make out the figure standing at the door. Just two slanted brown eyes.

“Password?”

Mira frowned at the familiar voice.

Byron slipped into his cockney accent. “Ordered Chaos.” The man with the slanted eyes nodded and closed the slot in the door. The door opened, and the man stepped to the side. Mira swallowed. Broad shoulders, tall stature, shirt sleeves rolled up to reveal a rippling tattooed forearm: Joe the smuggler. She ducked her head hoping he wouldn’t recognize her and followed Byron into the club.

Concentrated fumes from cigars, pipes, and hookahs bathed the room in a hazy fog. A mixture of perfumes added themselves to the air, creating a distinct floral note amidst the stale putridity of smoke. Mira found herself gasping for air.

The room bled shades of crimson which drenched carpets, crept up walls, and slipped through female lips. At first glance it seemed to be nice, but once Mira’s eyes adjusted to the haze, she found bare spots in the carpet, drooping wallpaper, and stuffing spilling out of the mismatched chairs. An unsettling yellow light flickered out of the gas lamps on the walls.

A large bar with many types of alcohol, cheap and otherwise, stood at one side. A case full of glass needles and vials of multicolored liquids sat next to it. A rickety staircase led to a door, presumably an office. She could just make out the inside through the window that looked out onto the club floor. Someone would always be watching. Another staircase robed in red carpet led up to another unknown door. Laughter could be heard coming from it. Couches and overstuffed pillows lay on one side of the room, the occupants seeming to not be aware that the world even existed. Another room towards the back contained tables surrounded by men. She couldn’t quite make out what they were doing.

The people varied as much as the types of smoke. Some dressed like Byron and Mira, but those were few and far between. A few people looked like Selene, only they had knives strapped to their legs and pistols at their belts.