Ammunition To Be Had (Ponine)

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

As soundlessly as she possibly could, Mylène tried to steer the wheelbarrow down the alley and around the corner towards where Eponine would be working. Even the ragpickers knew they better didn’t disturb the people of Paris while they slept if they didn’t want to be faced with some ‘gifts’ from above, so that hopefully wouldn’t be suspicious if someone happened to pass by. Then again – if someone caught them on their mission now, their professions would be the least of their problems. If someone attacked a guard, whether a barmaid, a thief or a ragpicker, they were in serious trouble, and if they were caught stealing powder, they’d find themselves executed for high treason. Dun think o’ that!! she chided herself inwardly, shaking her head as she pushed on.

When she arrived on the scene, she saw that Eponine hadn’t waited on her with opening the storage and arranging the guard so that you could pass him as slacking on his duty. And really, even Mylène who had knocked him out with her own hands would not be able to tell much of a difference, which was of course a good sign. Then again, Eponine’s move had been risky, yet necessary as they were pressed on time. Both had to do everything they could do as fast as possible if they even wanted the slightest chance of getting out of this succesfully. And the ‘professional’ Eponine was – it just had to be said – with overseeing the coups of her father and his gang from her childhood on was now showing in the effective way she prepared the ‘stage’ for Mylène only to arrive on.

The young woman pulled the wagon up in front of the door, took another careful glance around while her heartbeat was racing frantically again, and then grabbed hold of the spare back-barrel Eponine had left when she had been flirting with the guard, slipping inside the storage room. She came just in time to see her friend already pulling the other guard inside as well, who was gladly still out cold. “Woah… that’s wha’ I call effective…!” she whispered under her breath, throwing Eponine an impressed glance. When the glance then wandered over the stacks and stacks of barrels with powder and the little sacks with bullets neatly piled up on racks, a slow hissing sound escaped her lips and she added: “An’ tha’s wha’ I call a storage. Ponine, we’ve hit up on a goldmine. Let’s make use o’ it!” Handing her the one small barrel, she then slowly turned on her heels, biting her lower lip. “Wha did we say… first fill up the powder in the two back-barrels an’ the one with the rags…? I’d say so cause they’re the driest ones. We shedn’t risk gettin’ any powder near the barrel wi’ water. An… wha ‘bout the bullets?”

Then she kneeled down and started to open the first powder barrel, surprised that her fingers didn’t tremble. This grey powder looked so innocent and harmless, yet the tiniest spark added to it could end your life or render you disabled for the rest of your years. The thought of not being able to move or losing a hand did range not far below the dread of dying for Mylène, sometimes she thought it was even worse a fate.

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

Eponine's heart jumped into her throat when Mylene whispered behind her, and she nearly leapt out of her skin, cursing her own apprehensive twitchiness. As the relief that they had not been caught washed over her, she chuckled softly and dropped the unconscious guard in the corner of the room, nodding to Mylene. "Yeah, I don't think he's waking up any time soon." As Mylene's gaze wandered away, Eponine took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus, to calm down. She had to find that part of herself that her father had trained, molded into the perfect cool-headed criminal. This was nothing like anything she'd ever pulled before, she knew that. But she could still draw on what she had been taught. If she didn't and she lost her head, it could very well mean the end for her and Mylene. And Eponine wasn't willing to risk that.

Taking the barrel that Mylene offered, Eponine nodded to her, speaking quietly. "Of course. The last thing we want is to get all this only to have it ruined before we can use it." Chewing her lip, Eponine carefully opened a barrel, peering inside. Seeing the volatile powder with her own eyes sent a shiver down Eponine's spine. SHe wasn't fool enough to believe that the guards were their only danger on this job. The very stuff they came to get was more dangerous than any man. It couldn't be reasoned with, distracted, or bribed. It didn't choose sides. As such, it could kill the two of them just as easily as the two guards. Steadying her hands, she lifted the barrel carefully, pouring the powder into the smaller barrel she was to carry out on her back.

With a glance at Mylene, she spoke again. "The bullets... we could put them in the wet barrel. They don't exactly have to stay dry." With any luck, the wood of the barrel would muffle the sounds of the metal balls as they made their way back through the city. And it would keep them insulated from the powder. Eponine didn't know much about firearms, she'd never even so much as held a gun, but she knew that striking metal together could create a spark. And that's the last thing they wanted if they had to run for it.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

It would be best if they kept their voices to a low whisper, Mylène guessed as her eyes warily darted around. Loud words might not only attract unwelcome attention, it might also cause the passed-out soldiers to come round sooner than was good for both them and the girls. Of course, they could always be knocked out again, but what if they both were too busy with their task, maybe outside loading the barrels back onto the wagon while the one inside woke up? If the lad had half his wits about him, he could turn this situation into a dangerous trap for Ponine and her! But, what if…! Suddenly another thought occurred to her, a finishing touch she had not thought of yet, and it made her chuckle under her breath beside the situation. “Ponine, darlin’, have ye wasted any thought on wha te do wi’ the set o’ keys? It might either be a good idea te take it wi’ us an’ lock both doors so one guard’s locked inside an’ the outside one is locked out? Tha’ could create additional confusion. An…” she pointed to the passed out guard her friend had draggd inside, “if we sumhow could manage te make HIM look guilty o’ wha’ we did? dunno how though…!”

Mylène’s face lit up shortly at Eponine’s suggestion. It was really the best solution there could be thought of, and she was right. As little as she knew about shooting guns – the one time Courf had shown her how to hold one had been her first ever experience with it – she knew that bullets of course far easier to dry should they ever become wet. Simply drying and polishing them with a piece of cloth would do the trick there. “Wha’ a great deal o’ bullets we could take then!” she exclaimed in a hushed tone. “An maybe… put some o’ the rags I had in the other barrel aroun’ them so they dun make such noise?”

With Ponine by her side, she could trust them to work effectively even as they talked, and so they were silently pouring powder into the small barrels on their backs until they had reached their fill. Now it was time to bring in the bigger barrels, and this was when it would become risky again. For the first one, someone could go and fetch it alone, but even then someone could pass by and get suspicious, and it would be even worse for the second one. Mylène had hardly been able to lift it on the barrow again the first time after she had filled it with water, she’d rather have Ponine by her side so she did not slip and break it – now that would be a desaster!
"Eh bien…” she whispered. “Who goes to fetch the second barrel for the powder, an who stays inside? I dun mind either!”

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

Eponine could have kissed Mylene. The girl was a genius, thinking of a way to slow the men down in a way that had completely escaped her. They had the keys, they could lock the men in or out or both, creating even more confusion and buying them time to get away. Once they were far enough away, all they had to do was ditch the keys in the river and never have to worry about them again. After all, they planned on destroying what stock they couldn't take with them. The powder here would no longer be of any use to anyone and Eponine wasn't stupid enough to try for the same storage twice. "That's perfect, Mylene," she whispered, grinning at the barmaid. "Perhaps we could make sure the kind monsieur's hands were damp, as if he'd tossed the water. Before we go." She motioned to the guard in the corner, checking once more to be sure he was still out cold.

Securing the lid back on the barrel she had just filled, Eponine set it aside and nodded to Mylene. Putting the rags around the bullets would muffle the sound, but it would also take up space that could be used for more supplies. She supposed that was the trade off. The less it sounded like they weren't actually transporting water, the better. If they were caught no amount of extra supplies would make it to the boys and the whole operation would be a bust. "Alright. The last barrel for the bullets then. And pack them carefully with the rags."

Eponine raked her hair back, taking another deep breath. This while thing was going much smoother than she anticipated. The guards had been a slight snag but nothing too damaging. And now they had yet to be interrupted while getting the barrels filled. She was afraid to wonder too much on their luck, in the fear that it might turn if she got too cocky. "You, Mylene. I hardly look like a rag-picker anymore. And should this one wake up, well... the other one's already seen my face. No need to risk them being able to identify you too." Eponine handed her barrel to her friend, pushing her gently towards the door. "I'll get the other barrels open and ready for when you get back. Promise. And make sure this one stay out." At the door, she bent to grasp the discarded log that had knocked the last guard out and gripped it like a club, taking a position between the two. Should either of them stir, their awakening would be short-lived.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

Mylene`s eyes flashed with barely contained excitement as she heard Eponine’s whispered praise. There you coul see what an excellent team they were! Eponine had made sure the framework of their plan was securely in place and would promise a maximum of success despite any obstacles they could have to deal with, and Mylène was happy to provide little snippets of ideas here and there that fleshed out their plan and made it even better. She was the spontaneous kind, she improvised in the moment, but just because she knew every base step of the plan was provided for, she could bring her mind to such wicked heights. Snickering, she kept her hands busy, until her own little barrel was filled, then threw the guard on the ground another glance. He was young,probably in his mid-twenties, and not even that bad looking, he had a hint on his features that reminded her a little of herself, as if they looked alike in some kind. Tearing her eyes off him she shook her head to clear it of these thoughts. It was idiotic, what she was thinking, just because this young man here looked like he could be one of her brothers didn’t mean she now should go soft on him. Nevertheless, what was on her mind escaped her mouth half-seriously: “ye know… ye could almos’ pity ‘em. They’ll be in serrous trouble when this comes out!”

Nodding, she received Eponine’s directions as well as the barrel she had just filled. The barrel felt heavy in her hands, as if not only filled with powder, but with their grave responsibility and the risk as well. This powder was an instrument of death, but in the hands of the lads it hopefully would not only bring violence, but true change as its fruit. The fate of France, if you wanted to be so dramatic, rested on these wooden structures filled with gunpowder. If it only would be enough! The guards still would have at least the double amount at their command, it would be a tight affair where bluffing and saber-rattling was as important as the actual strength they could show. Once again, Eponine made it clear she wanted to keep Mylène out of any blame there could be, but even though she disliked that notion, now was not the time to argue. It was also not a time for sentimentality, however, Mylène could not keep herself from throwing her friend an understanding and grateful glance.

Then, as she saw Eponine take the log though, another chuckle was barely contained. Roi d’Enfer, she looked fierce alright! “Dun wanna be yer enemy when ye look like tha’!” she exclaimed in a hushed tone, meaning it as much as a compliment as a joke. She sneaked out then, carefully checking the street up and down before she approached the waiting wheelbarrow. Putting the two smaller barrels on the ground for a moment, she took a deep breath, careful to use the mouth and not the nose, and heaved the large barrel upwards. Even though it was only filled with rags for now, the wood and the iron bands alone were heavy for a girl like her, even with her athlet and barmaid arms used to carry heavy trays or pull herself up ledges. Just as she was making a careful step towards the door, she heard male laughter from around the corner, another voice trying in vain to shush the joyous person, and then the first voice starting to sing. Only a second later, two young men, students by how they looked, came staggering into view, both keeping hold of each other to not fall.
” J'en boirai cinq ou six bouteilles
Une femme sur les genoux
Une femme, oui oui oui… »

It was too late for Mylène to creep back through the door, and for a moment her heartbeat stopped as the two came to a slithering halt in front of her. “Tha’s FAR t’heavy for a youn—young girl to cawwy!” the second one protested, grabbing hold of the barrel with trembling hands and staggering even more under its weight. The other student was leaning against the house wall, had stopped his singing and looked like her was about to be sick. “Inshiide?” her cavalier asked, then stumbled through the door, apparently blissfully oblivious to everything that was really going on here. All Mylène could do was casting her friend a helpless glance, pleading her forgiveness.

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

Eponine looked down at the unconscious guard as Mylene went for the barrel outside. She supposed maybe she could feel sorry for them. They were awfully young, likely just trying to make some money to survive themselves. But all that pity evaporated when she thought of Marius and Combeferre and the rest of their friends facing down the Guard tomorrow and the purpose this powder would be put to, bringing a violent bloody end to the rebellion and the young men who led it. If ever her resolve wavered, that's all she had to think of, her friends in a hail of bullets, and it made her even more sure they were doing the right thing. These guards were the enemy, plain and simple, and that's all she needed to know.

Eponine peeked around the door frame, hearing voices in the street. Her heart fell to her feet, seeing a rather drunk student taking the barrel from Mylene. She was sure she had heard another voice, but couldn't see anyone from this angle. And she didn't dare come out of the storage and risk being found out. Instead she slunk back into the shadows just inside the door. She returned her friend's apologetic look, shaking her head at her. Why couldn't things just keep going according to plan? She knew there was nothing Mylene could have done to discourage the young man, not as far gone into drink as he was. But still they needed him out of there, as soon as possible.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the man set the barrel down, long before the guard at the back of the room would be in his view. Cautious, Eponine stayed in the shadow, gripping the log tightly. If she had to, she wouldn't hesitate to knock this man out as well, even if he wasn't a member of the Guard. He was jeoparizing their plan and therefore put himself on the wrong side of the right in her opinion. Hoping to catch Mylene's eye she tilted her head towards the door, motioning for her to get the man out of there. Fast. They were running out of time.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

Mylène’s heart was beating frantically against her ribcage all the time she watched the drunken student carrying the barrel inside. She had no idea how far he really was gone and what his befuddled brain would realize once he saw one of the guards lying on the ground. Things like that could get a man sober within seconds, and then things would just become too difficult. Knocking out two guards and having them here was one thing, dragging two innocent drunkards into this was a completely other! If things came to the worst, they would have to knock them out too, and then what would they do?! They had seen Mylène now, but maybe there was a slight hope they had drunken so much they would remember nothing of their previous night and never think again on the girl they had seen and actually realize that this was a gunpowder storage of the National Guard.

“Thank ye so much, cheri!” Mylène whispered as the student hat put the barrel down and took a moment to steady himself against it. “But now ye need te go, d’accord?” “Bu-but… thereee’snuther ou’ there!” the young man protested half-heartedly, now leaning against Mylène for support. “I can manage, really, dun worry!” she assured, rolling her eyes in Eponine’s rough direction, then tugged at the man’s arm. “Yer friend outside needs ye, by the retchin’ sound I hear. Ye better get him home safely!” She even went so far as to give the man a kiss on his stubbled cheek, which he seemed to accept with a blissful, fey smile. Once he reached his friend, they went on their jolly way, soon resuming their offkey singing, now apparently switching to “Choix des dames”, a song she had heard the lads singing often in the old times as well, before their cause had made them too serious.

Wiping her brow in relief, Mylène mobilized all her strength and took hold of the last barrel filled with the sewer water and some unspeakable rotten things she had picked up on the way. Having the stink so close to her nostrils made her gag, but she grit her teeth. Gladly it was only a few steps towards the door, and she put down the barrel with a sigh, putting her hands on the small of her aching back. “How’s the powder comin, dear? Nearly done or need me hand?”

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

It took all the willpower Eponine could muster not to jump in and end the student's ramblings with a quick blow. Seconds were ticking away and he was making no attempt to be quiet, making it more and more likely the guards would wake up. He was ruining everything, and that alone was enough to anger her. But one look from Mylene was enough to tell her that her friend had it under control for now. Eponine was sure the barmaid had plenty more experience dealing gently with drunks than she did. Most of her confrontations with them ended with the man curled up on the pavement, either through her own doing, or 'Parnasse's if they were on the job. Knocking this drunk out would mean having to stash his body as well as dealing with his friend outside, adding more time to their already tight schedule. So she stayed hidden, lurking in the shadows should the man not take the hint and leave. Only once Mylene had tugged him outside did Eponine leave her cover and begin filling the barrel he had carried in.

This one was much bigger than the one she had filled before, and one look told her it would take both of them to get it back out to the wheelbarrow. As scoop after scoop of the powder fell into the darkness at the bottom of the barrel, Eponine listened for the retreating voices of the two students. Hopefully they were too far gone to remember where they had been tonight and what they had seen. Even so by the time they sobered up, Eponine and Mylene would be long gone from here and the supplies would be safely in the hands of Les Amis. Eponine upturned a smaller barrel, letting the dark grains drain into her supplies before setting the empty one aside to open another.

The barrel was nearly full, at least three quarters to the top when Mylene came back in, struggling under the weight of the foul water. The stench quickly filled the room, making Eponine cover her mouth and nose with the back of her hand. "Almost done. I'll pour this last one in and you work on the water. We have to hurry. A smell like this might just wake him faster." Her heart already racing, she glanced at the guard, praying to find him still out as she poured the last of the powder into the barrel and put the cover back over it. As soon as Mylene was done destroying what was left, they'd carry the barrel out and hopefully make it back with no more problems.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

It was truly a blessing she could count on Ponine to work efficiently to a fault even though they were pressed for time and obstacles were thrown in their way at random. She fervently hoped it would be the last one for tonight and that they would reach the headquarter at the Rue de la Chanverrerrie without a desperate chase or anything of that sort that would maybe even cause them to lose their load. She would not be able to stand it if all their efforts tonight and in the previous planning would have been in vain! But at least the students were soon well out of sight and earshot and she hoped they would return home safely, wherever it was. So peculiar to think that while one part of the students of Paris still celebrated their life of leisure, another part was planning to overthrow the July monarchy and set the people free, it was almost like watching two separate lives going on at the same time – and somehow Mylène and Ponine were in the middle of it all.

Now was not the time for much philosophical musing however, so when Mylène saw that Ponine had stacked all the powder she still wanted to use around her, she quickly worked on destroying the rest. It gladly was simple enough, just pouring all the remaining powder on a large heap that seemed to capture her once again in its innocent looks and yet highly deadly reality, and then she tilted the large, stinking barrel carefully and let the waste water souze and soak it thoroughly, until the powdery heap had transformed into a melange of dark grey gook seeping everywhere, adorned with the occasional rotten cabbage core and other things she had picked up from the streets. The stench seemed overwhelming for a moment and Mylène carefully made an effort to only breathe in through the mouth. This powder would not be used anytime soon if ever again. Something swelling inside her, she hardly could resist a cry of sheer triumph that wanted to break out of her, but she knew she had to save that until later.

Then she quickly put the barrel down, grabbed the rags Eponine had discarded earlier and began to turn them into packages filled with bullets, which she stuffed into the still damp barrel. One of the larger wine barrels she had nicked from the Musain could hold around 117 liters of liquid, but she had no idea how many bullets that would mean – just that it looked like much already. Still, there was a great deal of bullets left in the storage and since each of those could mean the death of someone she cared for, it tore at her heart to leave them here. But there was no easy way to destroy them, therefore there wasn’t much they could do about it. “I’m done”, she broke the efficient, worksome silence and glanced at Ponine. “Let’s get out o’ here, shall we?”

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

Eponine nearly gagged as the foul odor filled the small room. Still a grin spread across her face as the powder transformed into a ruined unusable muck. While she knew this would barely make a dent in the Guard's formidable supplies, she sighed in relief, knowing that at least this powder could no longer be used to injure or kill her friends. It would no longer be something to fear when their barricade was built. Apart from a few relatively minor snags, the whole operation had gone rather quietly, for which Eponine was eternally grateful. There were so many ways everything could have gone horribly awry, how those minor hiccups could have turned to disaster, but as evidenced by their now full barrels, it hadn't. Proud as she was about her ability to plan a caper, she knew that was only partially responsible for their success thus far. A large portion of that honor fell on her partner in crime. If Eponine was the master at planning, Mylene was the expert at thinking on her feet, something completely invaluable when things took a turn for the unexpected. She had no doubt in her mind that things would have fallen apart before they even began if Mylene had not been with her. More than that, her friend's easy-going jesting nature lightened Eponine's serious and grim mood, making this all feel more like an evening out on the town rather than a dangerous mission. It lifted a huge weight off Eponine's shoulders.

As Mylene turned to her, saying she was ready to leave, Eponine nodded, making sure the top of her barrel was secure. They couldn't possibly carry both barrels at once, so a decision had to be made. If things took another turn, they might not be able to come back for the other one. Biting her lip, Eponine peered quickly at the two and waved Mylene over to her, motioning for her to take one side of the powder barrel. They were already leaving bullets behind, and bullets were of no use without the powder to propel them. It was no good if they destroyed all the supply only to leave behind the massive barrel they had just filled. So with a nod to Mylene, Eponine lifted the barrel. Between the two of them, although it was slow going, the barrel finally landed in the wheelbarrow with a thud much louder than Eponine would have liked. Sucking in a tense breath, she glanced at the officer by the door, making sure he was still asleep. Not seeing him stir, she went back for the other barrel, hoping Mylene would follow. As she crouched down at the far side of it, she whispered to her friend. "As soon as this loaded, you started out. Take the first route we practiced. Don't run, it'll attract attention. I'll take one of the little barrels on my back and make sure everything is secure here. Once I toss the keys into the river, I'll catch up." She hoped Mylene wouldn't argue. The boys needed the supplies and it wouldn't do for Mylene to be waiting around while Eponine locked all the doors up only to have her get caught.

[MYLÈNE LACOQUINE]

Mylène could almost see the process of decision-making in her friend’s eyes, as Ponine was looking between the two barrels. They had already encountered people outside on the street and they could not count on it being two wasted students again. Next time it would be someone noticing what they were doing and then they had only one chance: run. There would be no returning for the second barrel, and therefore the decision as to which would be the more important one was easily made. They first and foremost had come here for the powder, the bullets were just a nice side effect that ought neither to be over- nor to underestimated. Nodding almost inperceptively, Mylène took hold of the barrel and stemmed it up with Eponine’s help, slowly moving outside. Her heartbeat picked up again immediately as they stepped into the open street and towards the waiting barrow, basically waiting for that one sharp voice laced with authority to call them out on what they were doing – just that it gladly did not come. The street remained dark and dead, not even the passed-out soldier woke from his forcefully induced slumber. Apparently the fool’s luck was still holding for both of them – or should they rather go with fortune favour’s the bold?

As swiftly as she could, she followed her friend back inside to take care of the second large barrel containing the bullets, which was equally heavy if not even more so than the first one. She could feel tiny drops of sweat on her forehead, probably making lines through the grime and coaldust she had put there to look just like the last scum of the streets, and she was glad for her strong and trained arms. This would have been much easier with a male addition of strength, but thieves couldn’t be choosers, and she was proud already they had come so far – only to hope that pride would have a fall this time.
She almost had guessed that Ponine would say something like that, and she had a right mind to argue, knowing that Ponine’s part was equally risky, if not even more so. The longer they lingered here, the greater were the chances to get busted after all. But there was no time for arguing, so she only rolled her eyes and gave a soft relenting sigh. “A’right…I’ll go firs’. An’…” she gave a low chuckle which turned into a grunt as she lifted her part of the second barrel. “Ye show me how te run wi’ a wheelbarro’ full o’ powder an’ bullets… that’ll be a day te remember. So… no worries!” She let it be followed by a reassuring glance. Mylène might not always walk the way of lowkey, but she knew when she better did not stick out and had learned to do it. This was important, she could do her part!

Finally the second barrel was securely set on the barrow as well, and Mylène swiftly bent down to put the straps of her own smaller barrel over her shoulders, trying not to think about the fact she might be carrying death on her back – her own, if anything went awry, or that of the lads, if she failed to deliver these goods to them. “Gimme a hand wi’ pushin’ the rear end up while I take the drawbar!” she commanded in a low voice, then tensed her muscles to balance out any teetering. Once she was set, she threw her friend one last glance and a cheeky smile. “See ye in a bit, an’ then the fun starts, cherie!”
Slowly at first, to get a feel of the now filled and heavy barrow, Mylène set out into the night, carefully listening to any sound out of line, shouts or footsteps. Her heart nearly stopped once when she heard the shrill trilling of a police whistle in the distance, but it was far enough away to not mean any trouble. Other than that, only the crunching sound of the wheels on the cobblestone were her company.

[EPONINE THENARDIER]

It didn't take any convincing for Mylene to start off on her own, for which Eponine was thankful. She dearly didn't want to waste any of the borrowed time they were already operating on, and that's all arguing would have done. And wasted plenty of it, judging by how stubborn each of them were. Eponine was fairly certain that between the two of them, they could draw out a stalemate for days if they weren't careful, neither of them willing to back down. Even if it was only to look out for each other, it would do them no good to be caught now. Now that the powder was in their possession they couldn't feign ignorance or having just stumbled on the scene. They'd be arrested and executed for treason. As she watched Mylene's retreating back, Eponine shivered, praying everything went to plan as well as it had so far and she wasn't sending her friend to her doom. Or saying goodbye for the last time as she went off to her own.

As soon as her friend was out of sight, Eponine leapt into action. Quietly as she could she made her way through the storage, stepping over the unconscious guard within. Wincing with each rattle of the keys, she locked the rear door before turning back towards the man. She hadn't ever searched him, having been too busy making sure the two of them got as much powder as possible. She hadn't even thought about him having another set of keys until now. Their plan of locking them apart would fall to pieces if he could get himself out with no problem. Gingerly, she reached down, rifling through his coat pockets. A couple times he groaned and she froze, sure he was waking up. But he never did. All she managed to find were a few coins and a lock of hair tied with a pale ribbon. Figuring it was sentimental, she left it. After all, she'd taken everything else from him, possibly even his job. She wouldn't dare deprive him of a lover's token.

As soon as she made it outside, Eponine locked the door behind her and turned down the path she had sent Mylene down. She knew she'd have to take a detour, a couple extra turns to take her over the river, where she could toss the keys into the water. But still she could not run to catch up with Mylene. That would only lead to her getting caught. So settling the smaller barrel on her back and trying to push aside the thought of what the barrel contained, she set out, turning off Mylene's route just a few blocks in. So far, so good. If everything held to plan, they'd be dropping off the supplies with the boys within the hour.