"The old buzzard's out of the house. The street's empty." Christophe
reported.
Chaumérey poked his head around the corner. The street was empty and relatively dark. Only one street lamp was lit. "Good." He murmured. "Christophe, you stand guard out here. Louis is already around the back. If Gautreau comes back, fire off one warning shot. Mathieu and Guchard, you come with me. Have you got those pistols?" Mathieu held his up, and Guichard nodded. "It's an easy job-in and clean in ten minutes. And tomorrow, we'll be all the more well off!
He gestured his head toward the street and winked to Christophe. The boy sat down at his beggar post on the street curb, tucking his own pistol under his coat. Mathieu, Guichard and Chaumérey started across the street toward the apartment.
The door's lock was an easy one to pick-Guichard had it open in less than a minute. He swung the door open and then crept in, motioning for the other two to follow. Mathieu took a good look at the street around before slipping inside and pushing the door closed.
Immediately Chaumérey took care to light a lamp. He picked it up and the trio made their way silently to the stairs. If Gauteau had a housekeeper, he wasn't in that night-all the better for the robbers.
Upstairs, Guichard and Chaumérey went right to work with the old man's possessions and cash, heaping them into a sack. Mathieu kept watch at the top of the stairs, hidden behind the wall. He had a clear view out the hallway window-he would see Gautreau if he happened to come up the street.
~*~
Unfortunately, so would Christophe. And that happened to be the only place the boy was watching.
Hobbling along, old Gautreau didn't see the boy crouching in the shadows across the street. He went for his key and put a hand on the doorknob-and was in for a sure surprise when it opened. He was certain that he had locked the door before he left. Hadn't he? Shrugging it aside, the old man slipped inside.
Christophe whirled around, hearing the door close. He stared for a moment. "Chaumérey?" he whispered. "Mathieu?"
There was no reply; the street was empty. Perhaps his ears were fooling him, the boy mused. That had to be it. Nevertheless, he fingered the hilt of his pistol, ready to fire off a shot into the night.
Suddenly, from inside the house, a light flared to life. It was bright-why would Chaumérey light something so bright? He wasn't that stupid.
Christophe jumped to his feet and pulled out his gun. Closing his eyes, he aimed into the air and pulled the trigger.
~*~
Inside the house, Mathieu heard the warning shot and froze. In the light of the room across the hall, he saw the silhouettes of Chaumérey and Guichard halt as well. Mathieu cocked back his pistol and peeped out from the hallway.
What in hell was Christophe thinking?
This was the thought that ran through Mathieu's mind when he saw the old man coming up the stairs. He gave a yell that was half-surprised and half a warning, and pulled the trigger to his pistol. As the sound of the explosion passed, he heard the tell-tale sound of a limp body sliding down the stairs.
Suddenly Guichard and Chaumérey were behind Mathieu. Breathing hard, the killer realized he still had the gun pointed at the staircase.
"Mon Dieu, Claquesous!" Guichard whispered. "You murdered Gautreau."
The door at the bottom of the stairs flew open, slamming against the wall. Christophe ran in, looking bewildered. He took no immediate notice of the body lying crumpled and bleeding at the bottom of the stairs, instead looked up at the three crooks.
"I'm sorry!" he squeaked. "I didn't see him till he was inside the house!"
Mathieu stared wide-eyed at the body. Christophe followed his gaze down to the floor and gave a yell of fright. He jumped back, bumping into a table. "You've shot the old man!"
Chaumérey pushed past Mathieu and bounded down the stairs, clearing the body. "Shut up!" he hissed to Christophe. He crouched down, peering out the windows. The street was still silent. "Lose the baggage, Guichard. We gotta get out of here. /Come on/, Mathieu! The time for guilt is once we're clear of this place!"
Christophe was already gone. Mathieu shook his head and ran down the stairs, Guichard close behind him. They all slipped out the door and fled down the street.
~*~
From her bedroom window, a very confused Madeleine stared at the street below. A gunshot had awoken her, she was sure of it. Just after she got up from bed, a second gunshot had given a sharp report against the sky. It sounded as though it had come from the apartment next door; Gautreau's place.
*Maybe I was dreaming it all,* she mused. There was nothing there, nobody in the street.
Until three bodies ran past, taking fast flight against the night. One she clearly recognized, the one with the pistol in his hand.
It was Mathieu.
===== A/N: Yay for a reviewer! Hehe, glad you like it so far. Yep, I imagine Christophe would've been one of Gavvie's boys.dunno how he would've known though, didn't think about that.hmm. But yes! What to do with Patron- Minette without Javert to chase them around.keep reading, there's a Javert/Juliette/Etoile cameo-thing coming up soon.dun dun dun!
Chaumérey poked his head around the corner. The street was empty and relatively dark. Only one street lamp was lit. "Good." He murmured. "Christophe, you stand guard out here. Louis is already around the back. If Gautreau comes back, fire off one warning shot. Mathieu and Guchard, you come with me. Have you got those pistols?" Mathieu held his up, and Guichard nodded. "It's an easy job-in and clean in ten minutes. And tomorrow, we'll be all the more well off!
He gestured his head toward the street and winked to Christophe. The boy sat down at his beggar post on the street curb, tucking his own pistol under his coat. Mathieu, Guichard and Chaumérey started across the street toward the apartment.
The door's lock was an easy one to pick-Guichard had it open in less than a minute. He swung the door open and then crept in, motioning for the other two to follow. Mathieu took a good look at the street around before slipping inside and pushing the door closed.
Immediately Chaumérey took care to light a lamp. He picked it up and the trio made their way silently to the stairs. If Gauteau had a housekeeper, he wasn't in that night-all the better for the robbers.
Upstairs, Guichard and Chaumérey went right to work with the old man's possessions and cash, heaping them into a sack. Mathieu kept watch at the top of the stairs, hidden behind the wall. He had a clear view out the hallway window-he would see Gautreau if he happened to come up the street.
~*~
Unfortunately, so would Christophe. And that happened to be the only place the boy was watching.
Hobbling along, old Gautreau didn't see the boy crouching in the shadows across the street. He went for his key and put a hand on the doorknob-and was in for a sure surprise when it opened. He was certain that he had locked the door before he left. Hadn't he? Shrugging it aside, the old man slipped inside.
Christophe whirled around, hearing the door close. He stared for a moment. "Chaumérey?" he whispered. "Mathieu?"
There was no reply; the street was empty. Perhaps his ears were fooling him, the boy mused. That had to be it. Nevertheless, he fingered the hilt of his pistol, ready to fire off a shot into the night.
Suddenly, from inside the house, a light flared to life. It was bright-why would Chaumérey light something so bright? He wasn't that stupid.
Christophe jumped to his feet and pulled out his gun. Closing his eyes, he aimed into the air and pulled the trigger.
~*~
Inside the house, Mathieu heard the warning shot and froze. In the light of the room across the hall, he saw the silhouettes of Chaumérey and Guichard halt as well. Mathieu cocked back his pistol and peeped out from the hallway.
What in hell was Christophe thinking?
This was the thought that ran through Mathieu's mind when he saw the old man coming up the stairs. He gave a yell that was half-surprised and half a warning, and pulled the trigger to his pistol. As the sound of the explosion passed, he heard the tell-tale sound of a limp body sliding down the stairs.
Suddenly Guichard and Chaumérey were behind Mathieu. Breathing hard, the killer realized he still had the gun pointed at the staircase.
"Mon Dieu, Claquesous!" Guichard whispered. "You murdered Gautreau."
The door at the bottom of the stairs flew open, slamming against the wall. Christophe ran in, looking bewildered. He took no immediate notice of the body lying crumpled and bleeding at the bottom of the stairs, instead looked up at the three crooks.
"I'm sorry!" he squeaked. "I didn't see him till he was inside the house!"
Mathieu stared wide-eyed at the body. Christophe followed his gaze down to the floor and gave a yell of fright. He jumped back, bumping into a table. "You've shot the old man!"
Chaumérey pushed past Mathieu and bounded down the stairs, clearing the body. "Shut up!" he hissed to Christophe. He crouched down, peering out the windows. The street was still silent. "Lose the baggage, Guichard. We gotta get out of here. /Come on/, Mathieu! The time for guilt is once we're clear of this place!"
Christophe was already gone. Mathieu shook his head and ran down the stairs, Guichard close behind him. They all slipped out the door and fled down the street.
~*~
From her bedroom window, a very confused Madeleine stared at the street below. A gunshot had awoken her, she was sure of it. Just after she got up from bed, a second gunshot had given a sharp report against the sky. It sounded as though it had come from the apartment next door; Gautreau's place.
*Maybe I was dreaming it all,* she mused. There was nothing there, nobody in the street.
Until three bodies ran past, taking fast flight against the night. One she clearly recognized, the one with the pistol in his hand.
It was Mathieu.
===== A/N: Yay for a reviewer! Hehe, glad you like it so far. Yep, I imagine Christophe would've been one of Gavvie's boys.dunno how he would've known though, didn't think about that.hmm. But yes! What to do with Patron- Minette without Javert to chase them around.keep reading, there's a Javert/Juliette/Etoile cameo-thing coming up soon.dun dun dun!