Out in the Open
Chapter 1: Seedy Jobs are a way of Means.
If anyone says that Australia isn't a nice place to live I'll tell them they're wrong. Why yes, its population is made of both the Dutch in the West and English on the East, and descendants of criminals sent away from the mainland -but it's not that bad of a place. It's a lovely place really if you excuse the poisonous insects and snakes. It's beautiful through and through.
Cecil yawned deeply for the ninth time that night. The heat of the night always seems to make him sleepy. Well, every summer night it is hot and stuffy. Tonight is no different, it rained pretty well during the day but there were few puddles remaining on the gravel around him. He would think living this long on the continent he would be accustomed to the amount of heat the sun produced that day. Which, he thinks, it does quite enough. He shook his head to clear the drowsiness. He was standing outside a warehouse near the docks of their town. The enormous and worn sign on the wall of the structure read 'Crawford's Shipping Co.'
Someone sneezed a ways a bit. But with his superb hearing the sneeze sounded right nearby. And then another sneeze went off; poor chap, he mused, guess he too is suffering from tonight's conundrum. Looking to his left and noticing no one, Cecil, looks to his right and sees standing at the end in a darken corner was Daniel Harker. A young boy with trim dark hair parted in the middle looking the perfect image of a well-mannered school boy. His violet eyes stand out vividly in the night. But at least his tidy appearance compliments his organized and coy personality.
Cecil and his crew, which consists of three others, were on a job that evening. And Cecil is in charge of his lot. The job they had was to provide security and perhaps muscle if the moment calls for it, while two gangs broker a deal between themselves. The meetings been ongoing for the last two hours and finally, from the sounds Cecil picked up from inside, they were getting down to business. Fun and laughter first then work at the very end. Silly idiots. Sighing, Cecil moves over to the only door that leads in and planted his self in front. Using himself as a shield, his intention is to protect the ones inside while preventing anyone from interrupting on the outside. Which would be awfully tough since they would have to go through him; that is if they were able to get past his crew first.
Relaxing in place he let his mind drift. He can afford to after all. Bringing himself back to the moment, Cecil found himself staring at his reflection in the puddle next to his foot. His bright blue eyes stared back at him twinkling and his ginger hair fluttering in the wind. His boyish face set in a lazy smile. "Ahhh, the moon is getting on full, isn't it?" He said out loud. His ears caught the ends of a remark around the corner. Cecil looked over at where Daniel was standing moments ago. But Daniel was gone, most likely as Cecil knew, to patrol the perimeter for any sign of constables or trouble.
But so far, tonight's job has been going smoothly. Last time it wasn't so. Louis had gotten careless and missed his timing during the watch and trouble found them; which would have lost them their job and damaged their credentials. Elliot ended up berating Louis too harshly that Michael had to step in and break it up. Those two are on another mission this evening; Elliot and Michael. Out scoping the city for potential jobs for our group, assumed Cecil. Sounds of running feet brought Cecil's attention to the gravel road in front of him. That road itself leads out to a thoroughfare that intersects and connects all the warehouses at the docks of Brisbane, the city they live in.
Brisbane is an expanding and developing city on the coast up north in Queensland. Citizens originated from all corners of Europe, yet a good portion of them did hail from England. So it's a prosperous City but it's currently in the throes of salvage. Though, more like repairing now after last year's disastrous flood. The Flood of 1893 was indeed terrible but it gave multiple opportunities of work for Cecil and his group granted by the denizens of the night. Anyway what's important now, fixated Cecil, is who's heading my way.
Keeping track at the form ahead he was able to tell it was Louis; Louis, a recent addition to their small band many years ago -also making him the youngest and naïve member of their little gang. Cecil relaxed his posture and waited for Louis to come to him. After all it wasn't Cecil's place to go after another unless he was meant to.
Louis Tobin is another youngling close to Cecil's age in appearance. He was a red head too, but auburn instead of Cecil's gingerness. A sweet face fellow; it suits him really for the fellow has great courage within that goes well with his naïve and carelessness. It doesn't change that the chap is also a worrier which Cecil could see from the look on his face that he's worrying yet again.
"A couple of men were snooping around here! I assumed they wanted a crack of the action inside or at least know who's talking with whom. And they were getting awfully close to the area," he whispered all the while showing his neck out of respect. "So I took the liberty to give them a scare. They ended up running off. But there's a good chance they might come back."
"Right, then it would also be good to expand the perimeter patrol. Let's stretch it further past the next warehouse. Go inform Daniel to make changes in the formation. Albert should be headed my way shortly so I'll tell him," Cecil ordered. Louis nodded; his worry abated for now and took off in a trot in the direction that Daniel went by earlier. It was only a moment after that his shirt tail whipped out of sight around the corner that the last member of tonight's crew walked around the opposite end of the building.
Albert Saville casually made his approach while wearing a small smile on his pretty face. Coyly, he shows his neck and waits for Cecil to speak. Cecil lets out a heavy sigh. Albert is a cute boy that any mother would be proud to put on display. With his honey brown fluffy hair and golden eyes he was very easy to approach. Which in turn he uses his looks to his advantage when he wants something; all anybody would see though was a sweet and cute child which he plays the part up pretty well. Annoyingly well.
"Louis found a pair of meddlesome fools getting too close. Never mind who they are or who they work for. Louis gave them a big fright and chased them away." Declared Cecil leaning against the door, "But they might come back. You and the rest will be expanding the patrol area. Let's make sure no else gets close."
"Oh myyyy. I wonder what Louis did to give'em a good scare. Maybe he tripped onto his face and spooked them when he attempted to be a big bad…" teased Albert.
"Be off with you now," waving him off Cecil settles to wait out the rest of their shift. Laughing softly, Albert wandered away into the shadows leaving Cecil alone to guard.
After another hour pass the crooks meeting ends. Another job well done for Cecil and his crew; no mishaps on their part and even better no constables came around. Whistling loudly, Cecil signals his crew to gather round to collect their pay from a short thick man who emerges from the warehouse.
"Good form and a job well done, eh lads?" said the thick man in a gravelly voice. He was a slouch of a fella with a mean background that no one should get into. Cecil took the bag of money and after feeling the weight of it lifted it in thanks. Pocketing it safely, Cecil meant to turn away since business between them was completed and no further conversations are needed. But their exit was blocked when another member of the gang moved across their path. A large and ugly blonde man smiled wickedly at their group and addresses to the thick man, "What's special about them, these boys Eddy? Why these children are needed to be our designated muscle-our security? Don't make a lick of sense to me. I could have spared our money by threatening any street urchin to work for free. I could have done it instead of these boys if I knew beforehand. What a waste of money." He shook his head in a mockingly way at them. Cecil felt the others bristling next him. Cecil had met men like him. But it was easy to ignore him as it was easy to hear him.
He only had his eyes on the man name Eddy. After all, their group's business partners are the ones that are aware of their status and it falls to them if they chose to inform their own thugs.
The man named Eddy looked at the blonde and gave him a scathing look, "Don't tell me you haven't figured it out? This here lot always-always comes through for us. I can vouch for them and so does the majority of our gang. This lot here is werewolves- they can take care of themselves."
Stunned the thick blonde could only gape at them as if he were a fish on land; gasping at the realization before him. And how wrong it is.
Mildly satisfied, Cecil and the rest of the pack leaves for home.