Chapter Text
Lockwood, George, and Lucy were not having a good day. Of course it had all started with minor inconveniences such as there wasn't time to get George a coffee, Lucy and Lockwood had collided in the hallway, and the Skull had been making faces to curb even George's appetite over breakfast. The trio managed to grab a taxi only a few minutes before a meeting with dangerous relic men. Soon after they exited the taxi a few streets away from the meeting point.
“Flo is absolutely sure about this?” George asked Lockwood, who was walking the fastest in order to make his coat swish.
“Of course. She's absolutely, 50 percent certain.” Lockwood said.
George stopped in his tracks briefly before hurrying to catch up. “Only 50 percent?”
Lucy also looked uncertain. “Those aren't exactly great odds, Lockwood.”
They had almost reached the designated alley, the many side streets connecting in shadow from the lowering sun.
“Look, it's the best we've got," Lockwood said, "I mean, how many relic men know when Winkman's auction will be, and are willing to trade for the information with agents, and are trustworthy? Not many! This is our best shot at recovering the stupid gemstone for Barnes. He's got to get Winkman back in jail, preferably for something his lawyers can't get him out of as easily.”
They fell silent as they turned into the alleyway, two men standing opposite. The alleyway was dank and musty, lined with crates and bins, with a rusty van parked at the entrance from the other end. The men and their attire, similar to the mud-caked attire which Flo Bones was known to wear, made it so that they might've been trying to blend into the scenery and it took all of George's self-control not to say as much.
“You're late.” One of the men said, eyeing them suspiciously. Lockwood flashed his charming smile. “Sorry about that, busy morning, I'm sure you understand. Not to worry for as promised, we have the relic you asked for.” He waved a hand towards George, who produced a small silverglass box from his pocket and offered it up quickly. “Don't open it.” He warned seriously.
The man took it, smirking. “I'm not an idiot.”
George feigned surprise. “Oh, my mistake.” Lockwood tried to cough a warning at him. Luckily, the man was too preoccupied with inspecting the box to notice, and upon satisfaction stepped back as if to leave.
“So where's the auction, then?” Lockwood asked. “And when?”
An attempted subtle glance between the relic men.
“Oh right, that. It'll be tonight in an hour, in warehouse four over by the docks.” They backed away a little more, wisely keeping steady eyes on the rapiers carried by the trio.
“An hour? That's barely enough time to get there!” George exclaimed. “You've done this on purpose, haven't you?” Lucy had put a hand on her rapier, but Lockwood held up a hand.
“You'll excuse us then, as we have an auction to get to. C'mon, let's just go.” He took George's arm before he could try and argue further. They turned round, walking briskly away with hopes that the information was true and they would get there in time. Their only mistake was letting Lucy walk behind them, for one of the relic men snuck behind and grabbed her in a bear hug. She shrieked in furious surprise, making Lockwood and George whirl about, blades drawn.
"Put her down." Lockwood demanded calmly.
The men didn't comply. Instead, they backed away all the quicker, the captor squeezing Lucy harder the more she struggled. It was clear it was difficult for her to breathe in her position and it was infuriating her.
"The information we gave you was really valuable and really, I think this is the best way to settle that imbalance." The man holding Lucy stepped behind his partner, allowing him some cover as he clambered into the van parked at the end of the alleyway.
"Lockwood! Lockwood, do something!" Lucy yelled before the slamming van door muffled her voice. The remaining man darted into the driver's door as Lockwood and George charged. Rapier hilts banged against the locked door, barely denting it before they were forced to move out of the way as it departed. A puttering engine accelerated the van anticlimactically out of the alleyway and awkwardly into the small rush of traffic accumulating before curfew.
"George, I-" Lockwood started, his rapier arm dropping as he grasped for what to do. George rested a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll get her back. With some luck it'll be before they discover the relic we gave them is fake." He smiled reassuringly at Lockwood. It didn't help.
It has taken some convincing on George's part in order to get Lockwood to come after the gemstone at all. He had been all for abandoning it, Winkman's case and helping Barnes, just to find Lucy. George had to not only convince Lockwood that going after the gemstone was what Lucy would have wanted, but also threaten him bodily harm. This was, he had argued, their only chance before losing track of the stone and it's connection to Winkman, but also that Lucy was indeed Lucy Carlyle and bloody well capable of taking care of herself until they found the time to rescue her. Lockwood objected to the phrasing, but ultimately agreed that they had to do this tonight. George was pretty sure that Lockwood's overprotective nature was the real deciding factor once George mentioned that Winkman had it out for him and Lucy ever since the boneglass, and she was honestly probably safer with a couple of relic men.
George and Lockwood made it to the warehouse without any difficulty, getting in was much harder however. Dodging guards, the two boys managed to stack wooden boxes under a window and Lockwood climbed onto George and then through the window. George was pulled through after, scrambling as quietly as possible, which wasn't very quiet so it was a wonder the guards didn't hear from the other side of the building. The boys were crouched on a platform inside the warehouse once through the window, and holding their rapiers so that they didn't scrape the metal grate floor, they crept deeper in.
a much smaller group then the last auction was gathered in the main part of the room, hooded, robed, hidden. Julius Winkman was standing at the front of them all, on a slightly raised wooden platform, speaking grandly about something or other. Lockwood and George crept forward on the metal walkway, keeping an eye out for the gemstone and for any other guards. As they reached the corner of the room, where shadows blessedly hid them from the sight of the patrons, they had a view of the platform Winkman stood upon. It was large, and as he was speaking there were others bringing the artifacts out for display on little tables and stands scattered about the thing. All of them were covered, and there was no way of seeing which item might be the gemstone. The best they could do so far was eliminate some of the larger covered boxes as probably not the palm sized stone.