Page 7 of Ashes To Ashes
"You take the smaller one," Lincoln told Seth.
Seth caught his jacket sleeve. Lincoln glared at him until he let go. "Are you mad?" Seth hissed. "It's broad daylight! We'll be spotted."
"Pull your hat brim lower."
"That's it? That's your suggested disguise?"
Lincoln adjusted his hat and pulled up his coat collar.
He left Seth and wandered over to the burlier of the two guards. The man's thick neck bulged over his collar and his eyes almost disappeared into the surrounding fat.
"This is a restricted area," the man said. "Move along."
With a small twist of his arm, Lincoln dropped the knife he kept tucked up his sleeve into his palm. He showed it to the guard. "Youmove, or I will kill you."
Seth had decided to join in, and snuck up behind the other fellow. He must have shoved the point of his knife into the man's back because he lurched forward. "No harm will come to you if you move now," Seth said to his man. "If you don't, there'll be chaos, and I don't think your bosses will appreciate the bad publicity."
The two men exchanged glances, but neither moved. They didn't look particularly bright. The stupid ones usually needed decisions to be made for them. Lincoln thrust the blade forward, causing the big fellow to spring back on surprisingly nimble feet and swear loudly.
Lincoln dodged to his right and, when the guard moved to catch him, changed direction and slipped in behind him. He thrust the knife into the man's back as Seth had done to his opponent. It wasn't lost on Lincoln that his employee had chosen a better approach than he had. He pushed harder, digging through the layers of clothing to skin. The music drew closer. There was no time for delay.
"To the wagon," he said, hustling the guard toward a small, crimson wagon with gold lions, mermaids and tigers painted on the side. Lincoln recognized it from the parade. "Get inside."
"We just want to talk to one of the girls," Seth told them as he hustled his guard forward too. "No harm will come to her or anyone else."
"Then why not just pass us some ready?" his guard said. "We arrange meetings between the girls and toffs all the time."
"Is that so?" Seth growled, no doubt for Lincoln's benefit. "How much?"
"For you, two quid each."
"That's bloody robbery! We only want to talk."
"That's what they all say."
"One," Lincoln said. "Or we do this our way." He let his fellow go, but remained sprung, ready to attack.
The man simply held out his palm. When Lincoln didn't move, Seth paid him.
All four returned to the doors. A group of children approached, excited grins on their faces. "Git lost," the thick-necked guard snarled at them. "You ain't allowed back here."
"We only want to look," said a sandy-haired boy with freckles.
"I said, git lost!" The guard raised his hand, but Lincoln caught it.
The children scampered away and Lincoln let go.
"I weren't going to hit him," the guard mumbled. "Just give him a scare."
The doors opened and performers spilled into the wintry sunshine. Further along, the animals and their handlers used an unguarded exit.
"Do you know Ela the dancer?" Lincoln asked the guard.
The fellow's gaze narrowed. "You a lord?"
"No."
"Rich?"
