Chapter XXV: Dies Irae
A/N: Sorry for the delay. Though in a way it came in handy as I came across some information that I liked. I changed some things on my end so they could match up. People can skip Captain Torrey's scene if they choose. I hope this turns out as well as I imagined it to be. Thanks go out to CowgirlBookworm, she helped quite a bit! Looking forward to seeing what you all think! SSD
September 2nd, 1912
In the weeks since Lucy and Erik's wedding everything had been calm. Everyone was working well, Cecily and Will's bickering was normal, even Roland joined in to switch the arguing to Spanish. When all three got involved, it truly sounded and looked like three siblings arguing, much to the amusement of all.
Today was his 53rd birthday. Mina had been the one to wake Albert first thing this morning. Once he was dressed, his younger sister remarked that by this time next year he could very well be on his way to being a grandfather and planning yet another wedding. According to her, Cecily and Harry's letters between each other were great in number and nauseatingly cute.
His birthday wasn't the only thing being celebrated today. It was also the Murdoch's 5th wedding anniversary. They too were also being nauseatingly cute, and according to Mina, Will was the only person who came anywhere near being as close to a fool for his wife as he had been for Maeve.
They'd gone to Durant's, a steakhouse. Cecily had housed a 16 oz ribeye with some oysters. She wasn't the only one to go the "surf and turf" route. Will, Ada, Matt, and Roland did as well. Mina just had steak and he'd had to order Antin, Malcolm, Max, and Adam to sit down and eat as well. Dessert was a vanilla cake with a spiced apple filling, glazed with brandy. Big enough for everyone to have a nice slice.
After a meal like this, all Albert wanted to do was to have a drink then go to bed. Maybe smoke a pipe. He knew Cecily wanted to finish a letter to Harry, Mina to Arthur.
He was so focused on getting home, he was considering falling asleep in the car.
As Albert was climbing into the vehicle, Antin tackled him as glass shattered.
"Get down and away, someone's shooting at us," he shouted.
"I know you two aren't used to running in your dresses, but can you hurry the hell up," Max shouted.
"Maybe we could try hiding instead of running," Cecily called back. She was considering ditching her shoes and stockings; and running in her feet. It'd be a damn sight easier.
"Don't you two have your pistols with you," Ada suggested pointing at her husband and Max.
"We do yes, but very limited ammunition," Will replied.
"Then let's make use of it. Will and Cecily are the ones they want. Why not hunker down and take shots at the ones who come at us," Max suggested.
They managed to find a stone wall of a reasonable height that would be suitable for them to hide behind. Both Max and Will began loading their pistols in preparation for taking their shots.
"I'd plug your ears if I were you," Will called out.
Cecily and Ada ducked. Will and Max were on either side of them.
Good against targets is one thing, good against the living that's something else, Cecily thought as she plugged her ears.
"Hearst must want you and Will dead badly," Ada shouted over the din.
"He loves his nephew Patrick, and we saw him screw up. No direct witnesses, no trial," she called back.
In her bag, Cecily felt something cold and hard in it. Only then did she remember that she had her Smith and Wesson pistol in it. Taking some time to load it, she kept it hidden in her purse.
When she saw a man sneaking up from behind Will and Max, Cecily aimed for the leg, hitting him in the knee bringing him down. His gun skittered across the ground.
Hearing a shot nearby them got both Will and Max's attention. They'd long since run out of bullets. But police bells were ringing, soon they'd be rounded up.
"Cecily why don't you give me the pistol? The police would ask less questions if I had it," Malcolm suggested.
"I was told Hell would rain down on me if I failed," the man looked her and Ada over like they were meat, "Never expected Hell to be so pretty."
Max stalked over to where the man's pistol was, emptied it as he walked over, then hit him across the back of the head, knocking him out, shortly before the police arrived.
The first thing Ada wanted to do after getting back to the house was bathe. When she and Will were on the way to their room, they started hearing gunshots and did not relax until they heard the distinctive Welsh cursing which signified the Lethbridges letting off steam.
With the water nice and hot, Ada could soak and think. She wondered what Will was doing. Most likely pacing and had acquired some of that moonshine. Ada didn't want him to say "I told you so" about the danger of coming to see him.
She would have to thank Cecily later for shooting the last attacker after Will and Max had run out of bullets. While Ada was shrugging on a robe, she heard a loud clunk in the bedroom. As she entered, she saw Will righting a chair.
"All I did was knock over a chair. Didn't mean to disturb you," he murmured.
"I was already on my way out. Share some of that moonshine," she asked.
"Gladly," be poured a generous portion into the glass.
Once she took a sip, Will came in for a kiss and began fiddling with the sash of her robe.
"Will, I don't want to think about what happened earlier," Ada moaned.
"As you wish darling," Will began working his clever hand inside the robe.
"I'm lucky you know," he whispered in her ear, "There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world, and yet I've got you right here in my arms!"
"Shut up and get on with it Will," she growled.
"Such a demanding wife," he chuckled.
Tired of her husband's delaying, Ada went straight for his weak spot and began nibbling at his ears.
"Ada, we don't have anything to worry about right now," he groaned and shifted his hips.
Noticing that her husband was still clothed, albeit disheveled. Ada found this to be highly unacceptable.
To remedy the situation, she clawed at her husband's shirt, scattering the buttons.
"Ada, God," Will said as he removed the wreckage of his shirt.
"I'll deal with that later, now lose the trousers before they get destroyed the same way," Ada ordered.
"Why don't you take them off for me? I like seeing you on your knees," Will purred, his burr thickening.
"Later I'll have you on yours," she clapped back before getting to work.
Will was groaning and cursing in relief as she slowly unbuttoned his pants. Once they were down and kicked off, he rushed her and pinned her to the wall by her arms.
"Yer a tease bhean," Will growled grinding his length against her thigh to relieve some pressure.
"Then perhaps you need to punish me husband," Ada teased shimmying against him and biting his shoulder.
Will growled, "bugag" as he lifted her up, pushed her against the wall as she twisted her legs around his hips. Their lips and tongues battled each other.
Whilst Ada was occupied with her husbands clever tongue, Will swiftly entered her. She could feel him so deep.
Will clearly felt that this time was for fast, hard, and filthy. Ada was in complete agreement and began to match his pace. He was growling and cursing as he thrust into her over and over again, grasping at her arse to hold her in place steady for him.
Ada felt herself begin to lose control. As she came, she bit Will's shoulder hard.
Which led to him snarling, "Damn it Ada!" as he released.
In a building that did not exist, Christopher Torrey was wearing dark clothes that could easily be disposed of. There were clothes for him to change into where he was going. Saying that he was angry was like saying the November Witches on the Great Lakes were nasty. People were nearly murdered in the streets and too many of the shooters got away.
"Is he talking yet," Christopher growled as he was walking towards a certain room.
"He's keeping mum sir. Perhaps you'll scare him straight," was the enlisted man's reply.
With a feral grin, he entered the room. A grimy, nondescript dark haired man was tied to a chair, having been beaten black and blue.
"I already told ya, I ain't talking," he lisped.
"I'm new tonight. And I'll be trying something new," Christopher replied.
He took out a pair of pliers from his pants and waved them in front of the prisoner's face, making sure the man got a good look at them.
"Tell me what was intended for Lieutenant Murdoch and Miss Lethbridge or your nails will be removed. Starting with your toes," Christopher snarled.
"I'm not sayin' nothin'!"
"Suit yourself." To the two petty officers behind him he ordered, "Take off his shoes."
It took the entire left foot and most of the right foot for the man amidst his screams, "Okay, okay stop! We were supposed to kidnap them and the lieutenant's wife. We weren't expecting them to be armed," he groaned in pain.
"If they hadn't been armed, I can only begin to imagine what your group would have done to the women. How much were you paid," Christopher asked.
"It was half up front, $3,000. The man who hired us looked like a clerk," the moaning continued.
"A clerk doesn't have 3 grand just lying around and given your targets… I can guess who really hired your group. Mr. Hearst is smart enough to hire a middleman no one can identify reliably," Christopher grumbled before asking, "Do you have any family?"
Getting the gig, the man said, "None worth mentioning. Could you make it clean at least? And a plot somewhere?"
"That can be arranged," Torrey replied. A knife up through the ribs to the heart and it was over.
One of the petty officers inquired, "Are you really going to have him buried sir?"
"Yes. He won't get a gravestone, but a decent burial will do. We're not savages here, and he did give information in the end," Christopher explained.
"I'm going to go shower and change. My wife will have a fit if she sees me like this!"
A few days later…
With the passengers finally all disembarked, and his duties done and over with, Harry found himself in the first class lounge.
He saw a newspaper, not bothering to look at the name of it, began to read it.
Chaos in the Capital by Forrest Brady
Harry only scanned parts of the article. It seemed as if Cecily, her family along with Will and Ada had been attacked by assassins of some kind!
He could almost feel the steam coming out of his ears when he read the part:
Miss Lethbridge was saved by her lover who killed many attackers threatening her and his wife. We can only assume both women showered him with gratitude!
"Fucking Bastards! It isn't enough that they tried to kill them, they have to drag them through the bloody gutter with this bilgewater!"
Harry saw Lights, walk in threw the paper at him snarling, "Have you seen this pile of steaming horseshit?"
"You and I are going to see the captain about getting some leave. NOW." The look in the man's eyes promised chaos and retribution to anyone who'd dared harm his friends.
On their way to the captain's sitting room one of the Marconi operators came up to him saying, "This just came up for you!"
It was from Cecily saying, We're all fine. Don't read the newspapers!
Captain Winters only looked up when the two of them entered his sitting room and asked, "What is it, Mr. Lightoller?"
"I need leave to visit Washington sir. Personal reasons," Charles replied.
"And I would assume you want leave to visit your sweetheart in Washington after reading what happened in the newspaper Mr. Lowe," he asked.
"Yes sir," Harry replied.
"I have no issues with you heading to Washington Mr. Lowe. As for you Mr. Lightoller, I am well aware of your long-standing friendship with Mr. Murdoch. I don't suppose you have anything to do with one of the pistols and a box of ammunition going missing," Captain Winters asked with narrowed eyes.
"I was anticipating needing it sir," Lights answered quickly.
"And for that your leave is denied. Mr. Lowe do send word, as I'm sure Mr. Lightoller will be anxious," Captain Winters suggested.
On his way back to his bunk, Harry heard Lights ask, "Lowe could you bring these letters with you? One's from me to Will, the other is from Sylvia to Ada."
"Of course," he went about to his packing.
"What are you going to do with Cecily when you get to Washington? I do hope you comfort her after what she's been through," Charles asked.
"Nothing I'm going to tell you," Harry muttered back.
"I would suggest you do whatever you did that made her scream. It would certainly take her mind off of things," the older man smirked.
"If a storm comes up, I'll consider it," he replied.
"You can cover her mouth with something Harold," Lights rolled his eyes.
A/N 2: And here is the end. Please go easy on me for Will and Ada's scene. This was my first go round with a scene like that. Looking forward to seeing what you all think!
Fancast:
Max Goldman: Jeremy Renner