It took almost a week for Rob to make the changes to the car and provide the false documents needed. If they were stopped, they would have a new identity and new licence plates on the motorcar, which would mean it couldn't be traced back to Mr Masters. Kit thought Rob had done a good job and couldn't have been more grateful to him for being willing to put his freedom on the line to help them escape. He could have just turned them both away without a second glance.

Meanwhile, Kit and Emily spent the same week trying to devise a way out of the city that would leave them with fewer chances to get stopped along the way. They poured over a series of maps that Rob kept in the garage and drew out a long, but hopefully safe, route. Kit wondered if it might have been better to drive the motorcar through Mayfair and the richer parts of the city. Fewer questions would be asked then if they drove the Rolls Royce through the East End, and he thought they wouldn't be stopped as often.

Mr Masters wouldn't think of them staying so close to the very place his daughter had left from.

Emily agreed. She knew her father better than anyone and had informed Kit that he would be searching the poor parts of the city. The information Rob obtained on his day out had confirmed it. It might have been a little risky driving the car around so openly, but they would be less likely to draw attention to themselves.

The ring had been sold; the money hidden in the lining of Kit's jacket with a portion of it going to Rob as a thank you for keeping them safe and fixing the motorcar for them. All the pieces of the puzzle were in place.

All that was left to do was say their final goodbyes to Rob.

"How do I look?" Emily asked.

She stepped out of the backroom dressed in a pair of black trousers, a shirt that might have once been white, and a black jacket. Her hair, which she had cut to her chin, had been tucked up inside a dark grey flat cap. She had even gone as far as to smear grease from the garage onto her face. If Kit didn't know any better, he would have thought her to be a regular street thief.

There was still something strange about the way she looked. A closer look at her face would reveal that she wasn't the young male thief she appeared to be. Her face was too gentle, her eyes too soft, and someone would have to be blind to not see what was staring them in the face. Kit just had to hope that no one got too close to them to see the truth.

"Perfect."

"I never thought someone would say such a thing to me when I had grease and oil covering my skin."

"First time for everything."

"Right, there's some food in the motorcar for you, a blanket if you need it, and some bandages." Rob shrugged. "You never know. Reckon you might need it for that leg of yours."

"It'll be fine once we're on the road. All the pacing through here and sleeping on a straw mattress ain't helped.

"There's something else."

Rob grabbed him by the shoulder and took him towards the small kitchenette, leaving Emily to play with her clothing until she was happy with it. Kit watched Rob reach into a cabinet. He pulled out several jars before he removed a folded-up white cloth. Without Rob having to unwrap the cloth, Kit knew exactly what it was.

He hoped he would never have to use one for its intended purpose. Oftentimes he used it for show, to get people to do as he pleased because losing their life was worse than losing their motorcar or store wares. Still, Kit knew why Rob would offer it to them. If all else failed, they needed something that could guarantee their escape.

The gun was that guarantee.

"You sure you want to give it up?" Kit asked, eyeing the still-folded cloth.

"Your needs are greater than mine. I can get another one once the others are out, but you need it more than me."

"Never thought you'd do a selfless thing like that."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later."

Kit laughed, accepting the small parcel. He was still surprised by how light it felt despite the damage it could cause, and he prayed he would never have to use it to aid his and Emily's escape. With any luck, they could make it through the city without having to remove it from the cloth and once they were free of the ever-imposing brick walls, they'd never have to use it.

He tucked the parcel under his arm and turned back to Emily, who tugged on the bottom of her jacket. She furrowed her eyebrows a little, a small thing she often did when thinking or nervous. Kit had seen that look the whole week they were pouring over those maps. He hoped that once they were on the road, once they had escaped London, that nervousness would wash away.

They were headed to a new place, to a new adventure. Kit's body hummed with excitement, fighting the small nerves building in the pit of his stomach that they might not make it out of the city with their lives. This was the big itch he'd been desperate to scratch for all those years. It was the job he'd been building up to; his last task. Once they left the city, they would be free.

For the first time in his life, he would be free.

"We're really doing this," Emily said.

"We are. Your freedom awaits, your highness."

Kit bowed, unable to stop the grin forming on his face. Emily smiled, that nervousness disappearing from her face. She nodded.

"Thank you, Rob," she said, "for everything."

"Look after Jonesy for me. I don't know how he's going to survive without me wherever you end."

Kit laughed. "You and I both know that it's s'posed to be the other way round."

"No, I'm right. Send me a postcard or a letter from wherever it is you end up. I want to hear all about it."

"We will." Kit held his hand out to Rob, who accepted it, shaking it with a small, sad smile on his face. "Take care of yourself, Rob. Don't you get yourself caught."

"Never. Go on, get. The longer you hang around here, the harder it'll be to leave your best friend."

Kit laughed, tightening his grip on the gun still wrapped in the cloth. He looked at Emily, holding out a hand to her and being grateful when she took it. Wherever he ended up next, he was glad he wouldn't be doing it on his own. He wouldn't be starting completely from scratch. The freedom they both craved was waiting for them and Kit was more than ready to seize it with both hands.

With one last look at Rob, and a glance around the rooms they had called home for the past week, Kit and Emily slipped through the front door and towards their freedom.

~~~

First Published - February 6th, 2024