Updated: Monday 4/09/2023


Chapter 3: A Bit of Thievery


Several Shadow Runners moved through the night of the day after their Leader was bought to them half dead. Some didn't think he would make it the night and day. But as many knew Charles was stubborn as hell and always put up a fight. So, he was fighting like hell to live. Even with his broken body and his fever ravished body.

Apolline and Stephen still didn't know if he would live. But as this was Charles/The Shadow of Miracles they were talking about there was a good chance he would survive.

But now they had some things to clean up and make sure disappear for a while. As NOBODY could know the Shadow of Miracles still lived/breathed.

Even to his new Musketeer Brothers. They knew when they found out it wouldn't be pretty. But Charles had managed to give an order through an informant that if he fell and survived that NOBODY was to know he survived, not even his Brothers. As it would be the only way to protect them, while trying to find out who was setting this all up.

If he did find out they wouldn't know at the moment still Charles awakened. And Stephen and Apolline said that might be a while. Because he wouldn't be coherent yet with his fever raging.

"We go to his room and pick up the few things that NOBODY should see or have", one of them whispers to the others.

"We know Matthew", a woman states.

"I can't believe we are busting into the Musketeer Garrison", another mutters.

"Not like we haven't done it before", the woman from before shrugs.

They chuckle. That was true.

"Their security is a bit lapse up top, isn't it?" another female asks.

"I agree Stella. But let's not tell them that yet. It works well for us", Matthew tells them.

They climb onto the rooftops and made their way across them. Silent as the night and blending into the shadows of the night.

The team of Shadow Runners consisted of Matthew the team Leader, Chelsea, Stella, Eric, Desdemona and Hayden.

They watched the Guards at the Garrison gates carefully for several minutes.

'Throw the rope now', Matthew says in Shadow Hand.

Shadow Hand was their own secret languages of hand gestures. Nobody but them would know what they said and it was subtle enough that people would hardly notice it.

They throw the rope and it hooks onto the Garrison's roof. Matthew gestures for them to go and they quickly make their way across the gap by the rope. All confident at what they were doing. They had done this plenty of times before.

Desdemona takes the led across the rooftops of the buildings of the Garrison. Sticking to the deep shadows on the buildings to make sure they weren't spotted.

They get to the side where Charles's room was. Desdemona nods and goes to lean over the roof. Eric and Matthew take her legs.

She was lowered to the window of Charles's room. She was a good lockpick. Not as good as Charles. But she could do it upside down like he could. But not as fast. She works on the lock and she heard the two men grunt.
"Will you hurry up?" they hiss.

"You try picking a lock upside down", she hisses back quietly.

She curses them silently and then she hears the click of the lock. She opens the window and grabs the ledge and nods at the men. They let go and she falls but her grip on the windowsill was solid and she pulls herself in graceful.

She puffs and rolls her shoulders. That kind of burglary always did leave her breathless. The others all slide in graceful.

"Charles is very neat, isn't he?" Stella asks.

The men snort.

"Not if you see his room at home", Hayden chuckles.

"Lets get what we came for and go. We don't want to tempt fate", Matthew orders them softly.

They nod and split up.

"We are basically stealing from the 'dead'", Stella says.

"I am sure he'll forgive us", Chelsea says chuckling drily.

Chelsea goes to the floor and traces the wood to find the loose floorboard.

Matthew goes to his wardrobe and finds the hidden compartment.

Stella was going the secret compartment in his bedside draw.

Desdemona picks up a few articles of clothing that she hoped wouldn't be missed. They looked like they beloved to Charles's brothers and she thought that Charles might need them to give him strength.

Hayden was look out and Eric was on the roof looking out for them.

What Chelsea pulls out is a handcrafted box and inside in it were letters and other items of value for Charles and to some people that might find these documents incriminating.

Matthew also pulls out a box of documents and several knives that had been gifts from some special people.

Stella removes a Time Piece from the secret compartment and a knife that was gifted to Charles from his Father. Even at 4-years-old Charles showed talent with knife throwing. The Time Piece belonged to Charles, Great Grandfather and had been handed down. It was one of the few things that had been found on his body. A beautiful silver chain was on it. On the clasp was the initials OA. And Charles told them of a boy he remembered that visited two of the Summers he could remember. Oliver d'Athos…

"Shit", Stella curses.

"What?" Matthew asks her.

"The Time Piece chain. It is from Oliver d'Athos right?" Stella asks them.

"Yes…", Desdemona says slowly.

"Athos", Stella empathises the name.

Their eyes widen in realization.

"Do either of them know?" Matthew asks softly.

"Charles might have. Don't know about Athos. As Charles was what…4 when he would have last seen him?" Stella asks rhetorically.

They nod that sounded about right.

"We need to bring this to his attention anyway", Stella muses.

"We will. When he is not lying on his deathbed", Matthew replies.

"Then we better get out of here. I believe we have come for what we needed", Chelsea replies.

"Make sure everything is back perfectly", Matthew says softly.

"Should we leave the hidden knives that are everywhere?" Stella asks.

Matthew shrugs, "We have the ones that actually mean something to him. I believe leave them there. We can't have this place looking suspicious or that someone has broken in"

They nod and make sure everything was back in its proper place before they slip out the window. Eric holding the rope firm as they climb back up.

Desdemona was the last one and relocked the window. Thankful she didn't have to do THAT upside down.

"Should we hurry back to Court?" Hayden asks.

"Actually, I believe Des should stay. We need someone watching the Garrison from above. We can switch her and the others out every few hours", Matthew decides, "You up for it Des?"

She nods, "I'll be fine. Take these", she hands him the things she had collected.

They nod and slip away as Desdemona takes a place in the shadows of the rooftops. To watch the Garrison below.

She didn't know what she would witness.

But maybe if she had known she might have given this job to someone else…


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