Jack lay still, listening to the steady, rhythmic humming for a moment before he realised what it was. He began to stretch, twisting his head to the side before a sharp pain made him stop, wincing. His eyes opened momentarily, before he closed them against the light in the cabin, lying still once more and trying to understand where he was and what was happening. The last thing he remembered was being accosted outside Alice's flat. The suits had surprised him and, even with the training he'd received at Alice's class, he had been no match for them.
He heard footsteps coming closer and peeked through his eyes again, narrowing them to slits as he saw Agent White approaching with a disdainful look on his face. "Time for you to face the music," he sneered. "You got some of my best men in trouble when you deceived them and took the ring; you know the Queen is not merciful. Did you really think leaving it with that oyster would hide it from me?"
Jack ignored the jibe, considering this news. Agent White had the ring. Did that mean he had Alice too? He must have seen her to get the ring, but had he taken it forcibly from her. The image of Alice surrounded by suits made his heart beat a little faster, and then it clenched as another disagreeable thought surfaced. Had she been so cross following his inelegant attempts to persuade her to join him on the trip that she had simply handed over the ring to be rid of him? She didn't like being made a fool of, when she found the ring it was bound to have made her angry. Possibly angry enough to turn it over without a second thought? He succumbed to these dejected thoughts for a few moments, foreseeing his life without her in it full of dull, restrictive boundaries, and recoiled from the image.
He gave himself a little shake and sat up; he needed to concentrate on his current situation. The plans of the resistance had obviously not borne fruit, there had been no coup. Now the ring was back in the hands of the White Rabbit and he was revealed as at least untrustworthy, if not a traitor.
He should have left the flat as soon as the message came through, but had been reluctant to be without Alice. His weakness had put them all, Alice included, in danger. Was she safe? He was impatient to know, but he was dammed if he was going to give Agent White the satisfaction of asking. As far as the suits were concerned she was just another girl, they couldn't learn the truth of the threat she posed to the casino. The resistance could still use her help. If she saw Wonderland it might make it easier to prevail upon her to stay and build a future with him. Unbidden, the thought of Alice in danger seized hold of him again, images of her in distress flooding his mind. Maybe she was safer left alone. Jack was torn between his own goals and his need to keep her safe.
For a second time he dragged his thoughts back to his impending interview, it wouldn't be long until they reached the casino and her. He needed to find a convincing way to explain Alice and taking the ring. He might not have blown his cover if he could think of one, he'd need to be convincing! At the very least it was crucial to get a message to Caterpillar, any other plans needed to be halted so no-one else was discovered. They could try to protect Alice too! Jack closed his eyes against the insistent pain, considering when he might get chance to despatch a message and plotting his justifications.
OoO
Agent White studied Jack as he sat, incapacitated, on the bench. Reading people under pressure was a stock in trade for him, but the knave was impossible to read. Whatever was going on in his mind was hidden behind a mask of superiority, he didn't appear worried. If it weren't for the restraints this could have been one of any number of previous trips from the city.
Jack was a regular traveller the city, strutting around on casino business and leaving the dirty work to the suits in his organisation. Along with his privileged position went passage through The Looking Glass, sometimes long trips, he went out with a fishing party and didn't return for several days. No one had noticed when he swiped the ring on his last trip till long after he left, in fact the suits on duty hadn't realised it was missing till the Aces from the casino had come looking for it.
The whole organisation had been under threat, two suits sentenced to lose their heads and the rest of them given one day to set things right. He allowed himself a satisfied sigh, thankfully he had managed to resolve the whole mess in one trip, the thief apprehended, the property retrieved and the only oyster witness suitably neutralised. He might even have managed to restore his standing with Her Majesty.
Agent White turned from his contemplations and paced towards the front window. Halting behind the steersman he peered forward, searching for a glimpse of their destination. As they left the city the scarab turned up a steep valley, wooded hills on either side of a long, deep lake. The casino stood at the head of the water, the shimmering expanse separating the lucky inner circle from the less fortunate citizens of Wonderland in the city.
Instead of the familiar drab grey stone, the casino was bright, a modern steel and glass tower, built in a series of offset horizontal sections which resembled a stacked deck of cards. Bright neon signs blinked day and night, proclaiming this, The Hearts Casino, to be the heart of Wonderland. Even from this distance it proudly proclaimed its gaudy nature. Glancing over his shoulder Agent White saw the prisoner had not moved. Leaving him to ponder his fate, Agent White resumed his observations, watching as the Casino slowly moved closer.
OoO
Thirty feet below his feet Alice frantically felt around the box she found herself trapped in. The walls and ceiling were made of the same white padded material; the floor was the same grey, hardwearing plastic she had seen the other captives laid on. She still didn't understand how the large room had shrunk to this small crate, just large enough for her to sit in and no more, she was just desperate to get out.
As the crate had moved she spotted light pouring in through the bottom, this had to be where the joint was. If she could find and spring the catch, maybe she could escape. Feeling around the edges Alice became more and more anxious, she couldn't find the catch! Was it too far out? Had she missed it? As her hands came together at the front of the box she felt the edge of a metal piece. It was too far to get hold of, she needed something longer to move it with, but she'd run out of the house with nothing.
Unthinkingly, she raised her hand to run through her hair, as she often did when she was thinking. Her fingers caught and she remembered her hair grips. She removed one of the long pieces of metal and pushed it through the gap. It caught and Alice hurriedly jiggled it backwards and forwards with no success. On edge she jerkily removed it and tried the other side, silently pleading with it to move. As she felt it begin to move her erratic movements dislodged the pin. Taking a deep breath she slowed down and started again. This time the catch gave way and the floor fell away. She dropped the hair grip and grabbed the sides of the crate, her gaze drawn to the lake far below.
She was a long way up. Frantically, she tightened her grip, but it did no good. Her fingers slipped as her grip gave way and she plummeted towards the water, hoping it was deep enough to break her fall.
OoO
A burst of movement on the dock caught Agent Whites eye and he strained to make out what was happening, suits and clubs exiting the building and gathering together, waiting for their arrival. The Aces calm and still, the club keeping his distance from the others. Withdrawing his gaze Agent White turned and gave orders in preparation for their arrival, before retracing his earlier steps to where the captive sat.
"Here we are, back at the casino. On your feet." he instructed his passenger, who didn't deign to respond. Not unusual, except that now Agent White was the one in charge. He motioned to two of the suits to get Jack on his feet. They lifted him between them and he stood calmly. The customary arrogant look he usually wore back in place. It wouldn't do him any good this time, even the knave couldn't talk himself out of trouble. With a soft bump the scarab reached the ledge.
As they disembarked a waiting club stepped forward. "Agent White, the king asks that you wait in the lobby, he will call for you when he is ready to speak to you. The prisoner is to come with us, to be kept secure. Three here, will take charge of the oysters for the gaming room," he instructed, gesturing to another employee, who was dressed in the protective plastic of a tea grader. The club, messages delivered, turned on his heel and led the knave away. Agent White remained to supervise the unloading determined to have nothing else go wrong on his watch.
Crates from the scarab were resting on a lower ledge, down a flight of stairs. Two suits approached each crate in turn and released the lock. Dazed oysters were hauled to their feet and administered a spray which woke them just enough to stand unaided, but kept them docile. Oysters stood motionless until one of the tea graders men led them up the stairs to the waiting line. As Agent White watched the first few oysters being offloaded, a suit came hurrying towards him. "One of the crates is open and empty sir."
"How? They're all put under using Carpenters sprays." He broke off, his mind treacherously adding, all but one this time. He quickly scanned the growing line of oysters with a sinking feeling, Alice was missing. She had got out. How? Insecurity made his stomach twist uncomfortably, this could be the detail that was the end of him. He needed time to deal with the situation, one oyster couldn't cause too many problems, and she would be turned in for a decent tea as soon as anyone saw her. He thought quickly.
"That's your lot, take them away," he commanded the Three of Clubs. Turning to his suit he lowered his voice before continuing, "Don't mention this to anyone."
"But Sir, there's a loose oyster out there!"
"Do you want to lose your head too?" he demanded in a vicious whisper, watching as the colour drained from his subordinate's face, who shook his head.
Agent White took pity and reassured him, "Get some rest and have the scarab serviced. As soon as I'm done here we will return to the city and tie up this loose end." He turned and strode into the casino.
He wouldn't mention the escape, saying that he had left the oyster on the other side of the looking glass after he had taken the ring from her. Only a handful of his suits knew she had ever stepped foot into Wonderland. He could still return the knave and the ring as commanded. He reached the lobby and sat at one of the small tables, trying to convince himself everything would be fine.
AN: Sorry this has taken a little longer to post, I've been trying to figure out chapter orders and what goes in them. Struggled to get the fragmented parts of this to sound right and flow from each other too, gone through a number of drafts. Hope you enjoy.