A secret society of spies and saboteurs led by Thaddeus Huggins, an aristocratic man of the people. Working as chimney sweeps, the Sweepers gain access, leverage and shattering secrets so that the most powerful, most corrupt and untouchable, become touched.

SYNOPSIS:

A young man later known as WILLIAM WRIGHTMAN is a pickpocket and skilled thief living in London, circa 1860. An older man later known as THADDEUS HUGGINS watches the young man intently as he steals from a group of rich people at a funeral for a high society dame.

Thaddeus Huggins approaches William with an offer; instead of stealing, he can make an honest living as a chimney sweep for his company; during the conversation, William gets his pocket picked. After a few days of staving, William takes him up on the offer. What William does not know is Thaddeus was interested in William's sharp eye and attention to detail, as well as his ability to move undetected.

On his first day, William is sweeping the chimney at the house of MATTHEW GORDONSON, the widower from the funeral. When Thaddeus suggests paying 'particular attention' to the ash during his work, William finds fragments of bone and gold jewelry from the lady from the funeral.

Mr. Gordonson's new maid MAGGIE keeps a sharp eye on William, letting him know it is her first day as well, and she intends to keep her job.

William sneaks around undetected and finds the bedroom of the widower and sees evidence of another woman there. William looks around and finds a letter written to the widower by his secret lover and how she will kill his wife just as he killed her husband on the boat.

William narrowly escapes being caught by security and dogs and follows The widower goes to the home of another high society dame, ELLEN WADE, whose husband was killed in a boating accident a year before.

William meets HARGIS SMITH, a Black chimney sweep who works for Thaddeus Huggins as well. Hargis gives William a wedding ring from the ash and tells William that he is doing a great job at 'clearing all the soot' and will make a great sweeper one day. William finds all of the items and gives them to Thaddeus, who goes to the CONSTABLE.

When Mr. Gordonson arrives only to find Thaddeus, who shoos Maggie out of the room. Thaddeus lets Gordonson know that 'The Constable is on his way..." and explains the crime. Thaddeus offers Gordonson a way out; apologize and make a large 'donation' (most of the money) to the Cambridge Orphanage. The Constable arrives arrests Gordonson on suspicion of murder for profit.

Thaddeus explains to the Constable that Gordonson cooperated and gave much of the profit away. Much of Gordonson's money was mysteriously missing, some later to be found in the bed of a dead Ellen Wade and a note admitting to the murder-suicide.

Later, the Constable, followed by a procession, announce that they have solved the case and that Gordonson's money (minus a small amount) has been placed into the care of the Cambridge Orphanage at the West End.

On Gordonson's first night in jail, three figures in black hoods grab Gordonson and wrap a rope around his neck and kill him, making it appear to be a suicide by hanging, with a note of apology left behind that appears to be Gordonson's handwriting, but placed on the body by another female hand with a burn on the back in the shape of a triangle.

William is finally taken to the West End Orphanage where Thaddeus takes him to an elevator that leads to a secret training center and lab run by STEVENS, a man in a wheelchair with a mute assistant named NATHAN where steam-punk gadgets are made. Another area reveals team members practicing fighting arts and stealth.

Thaddeus introduces William to the rest of the group, including his supervisor, Hargis Smith. Maggie appears from a hallway and as William and Thaddeus walk into a room, they see a trove of forged documents being written by ELLE, a former slave who used her resourcefulness to forge a ships manifest with her name and manumission date on it. Elle's hand has a triangle-shaped burn on it from her treatment as a slave in America.

William is sworn in as a member of the group with above all, a special mandate --

The New World may be plotting to overthrow, or worse yet, assassinate the one day Queen of England and there are English who may be helping them.

They are to be stopped -- at all costs.

FADE OUT.