Charles glared at Church. He’d planned against this. He’d planned...
Master Kenway snarled from where he was next to him.
“Our ideals, our Order, all we’ve been through...you betrayed us!”
“Grow up Haytham. We’re not children anymore, playing at ideals and orders.”
Charles glanced nervously at the bevy of guards surrounding them.
All of them were loyal to Church, and Charles wondered if they were the reason Church was still alive after he sent his men after the traitor. His agents had all failed to return, to a man, and Charles mourned their loss.
“What of our oaths? Our commitment?”
Charles had not been present the last time Master Kenway had confronted Church, and he had never seen his mentor so enraged.
Church snorted in contempt.
“Spoken like a child. I’ve grown past that Haytham. I’ve grown past you and your faithful little dog.” He glanced spitefully at Charles.
Master Kenway took a furious step forward, hesitating when 20 muskets suddenly trained on him.
Church chuckled.
“For all of your powers, your ‘special eyes,’ the training Reginald gave you, mere guns still give you pause.”
He looked fondly at the rifles surrounding them.
“And for all of your intellect, you failed to see the trap that I laid for you.”
“You knew that we would investigate why our messages were being waylaid, why the shipments that we worked to get disappeared.”
Church looked back at Master Kenway.
“Oh yes. You always had to have control. Over everything. And since you’ve decided to throw all our strength behind this foolish continental army of all things and deal with the Assassins, I knew that you couldn’t resist personally investigating.”
Church’s eyes narrowed.
“And if anyone’s the traitor, it’s the two of you, not I. Assassins, Grandmaster? Though I might have known you’d have a soft spot for your misbegotten son, of all things. But I expected better of Charles over there, what with his distaste of the Natives.”
Charles stiffened.
“I do whatever is best for the Order, and offering this alliance is in our best interest. Peace can be gotten no other way.”
Church sneered.
“Peace? Ill gains gotten off the backs and the hands of English labor, you mean. You know as well as I that the English treasury is depleted because of the war that the crown fought on the colonies’ behalf, to drive back the Natives. And that sorry, ungrateful lot has the gall to complain about the taxes levied to pay back that very war! Which they cried and begged for. And where are your Assassins? Nothing came of it! No answer in three months, that half-breed boy of yours never even had the decency to get back to you!”
“That is neither here nor now. That which is done is done and the continuation of this war does no good for anyone. If the crown wins, there can be no peace for anyone here, and you know it.”
Church looked away again, almost bored.
“What care have I for the colonials? Low society scoundrels who would thrive off of the wisdom and success of their betters.”
Master Kenway spat at him.
“To think that you would finally allow your greed for recognition and money drive you from reason, loyalty and order.”
Church looked amused at that.
“You merely lament that I am not the mindless devotee your dog over there is.”
Another baleful look at Charles.
“I have my own mind, and I have my own ambitions. And to my mind, the crown deserves my loyalty far more than these low-born colonials do. They have not class nor money nor society, and there is nothing for me here.”
Charles spoke up then, for the first time since their mission had gone disastrous.
“You sell your own brothers for your greed.”
Church looked again at him.
“You look surprised, dear brother. But was it not you who sent those agents to kill me more than a month ago?”
Charles pursed his lips and did not speak.
“Really, if anyone’s betrayed anyone, it was you first, Charles. You sent those men even before the communications and shipments went missing.”
Yes, Charles had. And if they had succeeded, then they wouldn’t be having this problem now.
“You were clearly plotting from even back then.”
“Clearly?” Church looked surprised. “I suppose I must credit you with more observational skills than I had expected.”
His knowledge of the future. But it still hadn’t been enough. This threat still existed.
Master Kenway glared at Church.
“Enough! This had gone far enough.”
Church looked back at Master Kenway and grimly nodded.
“Indeed. It has gone on enough. We are in agreement.”
The doctor then look at his men.
“Deal with them.”
And the gunmen trained their rifles and...
A sudden hiss.
Smoke filled the room.
Only one thought entered Charles’s mind.
Assassin!
Sure enough, he could just make out a shadowy form darting to and fro in the smoke, silently eliminating all 20 of the men who had been about to kill them.
Church cried out.
Charles coughed and looked blearily through the thick smoke.
Almost offhandedly, he wondered which one of the Assassins it was.
He had not heard back from Connor since he released him from prison, over three months ago, and he wondered what it meant that one of them would show up here and now.
If it meant that Connor had accepted his proposal or rejected it and decided to take the opportunity to kill them all.
Charles knew that he took a big risk in what he had done, and if he calculated incorrectly...
The shadowy form neared him, and a firm but strong arm wrapped about him, gently leading him away from the smoke.
He knew that white-clad arm.
“It was a close call there.”
Charles leant against that warm body, still feeling weak from the smoke. A hacking sound in front of him, and he looked to where Master Kenway lay in similar state, coughing out the last of the smoke bomb.
“I am surprised that the two of you would find yourselves in such peril. From one of your own, no less.”
The other white-clad arm gestured to the side. Charles followed that gesture and saw Church lying there, restrained and unconscious.
“Is he dead?” he managed to gasp.
“No. There are questions I need answered, about the missing supplies.”
Ah yes. Of course Connor would be interested in that.
“So you are here about the supplies?”
Charles wasn’t sure why he was feeling so disappointed. He’d hoped his plan would work, but, well...
He knew that Connor had no fondness for him or for the Order.
The arm about him tightened, then relaxed.
“No. I came to tell you, both of you, that the Brotherhood agrees to your alliance.”
In Pursuit of Happiness 10
Chapter 10 - Trapped
“You betrayed us.”
Charles glared at Church. He’d planned against this. He’d planned...
Master Kenway snarled from where he was next to him.
“Our ideals, our Order, all we’ve been through...you betrayed us!”
“Grow up Haytham. We’re not children anymore, playing at ideals and orders.”
Charles glanced nervously at the bevy of guards surrounding them.
All of them were loyal to Church, and Charles wondered if they were the reason Church was still alive after he sent his men after the traitor. His agents had all failed to return, to a man, and Charles mourned their loss.
“What of our oaths? Our commitment?”
Charles had not been present the last time Master Kenway had confronted Church, and he had never seen his mentor so enraged.
Church snorted in contempt.
“Spoken like a child. I’ve grown past that Haytham. I’ve grown past you and your faithful little dog.” He glanced spitefully at Charles.
Master Kenway took a furious step forward, hesitating when 20 muskets suddenly trained on him.
Church chuckled.
“For all of your powers, your ‘special eyes,’ the training Reginald gave you, mere guns still give you pause.”
He looked fondly at the rifles surrounding them.
“And for all of your intellect, you failed to see the trap that I laid for you.”
“You knew that we would investigate why our messages were being waylaid, why the shipments that we worked to get disappeared.”
Church looked back at Master Kenway.
“Oh yes. You always had to have control. Over everything. And since you’ve decided to throw all our strength behind this foolish continental army of all things and deal with the Assassins, I knew that you couldn’t resist personally investigating.”
Church’s eyes narrowed.
“And if anyone’s the traitor, it’s the two of you, not I. Assassins, Grandmaster? Though I might have known you’d have a soft spot for your misbegotten son, of all things. But I expected better of Charles over there, what with his distaste of the Natives.”
Charles stiffened.
“I do whatever is best for the Order, and offering this alliance is in our best interest. Peace can be gotten no other way.”
Church sneered.
“Peace? Ill gains gotten off the backs and the hands of English labor, you mean. You know as well as I that the English treasury is depleted because of the war that the crown fought on the colonies’ behalf, to drive back the Natives. And that sorry, ungrateful lot has the gall to complain about the taxes levied to pay back that very war! Which they cried and begged for. And where are your Assassins? Nothing came of it! No answer in three months, that half-breed boy of yours never even had the decency to get back to you!”
“That is neither here nor now. That which is done is done and the continuation of this war does no good for anyone. If the crown wins, there can be no peace for anyone here, and you know it.”
Church looked away again, almost bored.
“What care have I for the colonials? Low society scoundrels who would thrive off of the wisdom and success of their betters.”
Master Kenway spat at him.
“To think that you would finally allow your greed for recognition and money drive you from reason, loyalty and order.”
Church looked amused at that.
“You merely lament that I am not the mindless devotee your dog over there is.”
Another baleful look at Charles.
“I have my own mind, and I have my own ambitions. And to my mind, the crown deserves my loyalty far more than these low-born colonials do. They have not class nor money nor society, and there is nothing for me here.”
Charles spoke up then, for the first time since their mission had gone disastrous.
“You sell your own brothers for your greed.”
Church looked again at him.
“You look surprised, dear brother. But was it not you who sent those agents to kill me more than a month ago?”
Charles pursed his lips and did not speak.
“Really, if anyone’s betrayed anyone, it was you first, Charles. You sent those men even before the communications and shipments went missing.”
Yes, Charles had. And if they had succeeded, then they wouldn’t be having this problem now.
“You were clearly plotting from even back then.”
“Clearly?” Church looked surprised. “I suppose I must credit you with more observational skills than I had expected.”
His knowledge of the future. But it still hadn’t been enough. This threat still existed.
Master Kenway glared at Church.
“Enough! This had gone far enough.”
Church looked back at Master Kenway and grimly nodded.
“Indeed. It has gone on enough. We are in agreement.”
The doctor then look at his men.
“Deal with them.”
And the gunmen trained their rifles and...
A sudden hiss.
Smoke filled the room.
Only one thought entered Charles’s mind.
Assassin!
Sure enough, he could just make out a shadowy form darting to and fro in the smoke, silently eliminating all 20 of the men who had been about to kill them.
Church cried out.
Charles coughed and looked blearily through the thick smoke.
Almost offhandedly, he wondered which one of the Assassins it was.
He had not heard back from Connor since he released him from prison, over three months ago, and he wondered what it meant that one of them would show up here and now.
If it meant that Connor had accepted his proposal or rejected it and decided to take the opportunity to kill them all.
Charles knew that he took a big risk in what he had done, and if he calculated incorrectly...
The shadowy form neared him, and a firm but strong arm wrapped about him, gently leading him away from the smoke.
He knew that white-clad arm.
“It was a close call there.”
Charles leant against that warm body, still feeling weak from the smoke. A hacking sound in front of him, and he looked to where Master Kenway lay in similar state, coughing out the last of the smoke bomb.
“I am surprised that the two of you would find yourselves in such peril. From one of your own, no less.”
The other white-clad arm gestured to the side. Charles followed that gesture and saw Church lying there, restrained and unconscious.
“Is he dead?” he managed to gasp.
“No. There are questions I need answered, about the missing supplies.”
Ah yes. Of course Connor would be interested in that.
“So you are here about the supplies?”
Charles wasn’t sure why he was feeling so disappointed. He’d hoped his plan would work, but, well...
He knew that Connor had no fondness for him or for the Order.
The arm about him tightened, then relaxed.
“No. I came to tell you, both of you, that the Brotherhood agrees to your alliance.”