As Connor promised, they located Church’s trail in 5 minutes and followed it to the man’s location within half an hour. And he was not really trying hard to hide. The man had apparently gotten his shirt wet and had strung it on two branches to dry.
The problem was, the man himself was in a cave. A cave guarded by a dozen armed men.
A quick glance with Connor’s eagle vision told him that the men were armed with the ammunition stolen from the continental army.
Connor’s father turned to him irritably.
“I thought you said that the supplies stolen were bandages and medicine?”
Connor shrugged.
“The commander did not mention it, but they may have combined those with one of the earlier shipments of ammunition that went missing.”
It was now Lee’s turn to glance at Connor irritably.
Why, Connor did not know. The Alpha was one of the generals in the army. The stole ammunition should not surprise him.
“Heaven help us if Washington is responsible for all debriefings.”
Connor nearly cursed.
Of all the ludicrous statements, could the Alpha not put his enmity with the commander aside even over something as trivial as this?
“We hardly have the time to discuss the commander’s merits, Lee. I suggest we focus on the task at hand. You may bemoan the commander when Church is recaptured, out of my earshot.”
And why was it that Lee looked strangely put out by that?
“Gentlemen,” his father cut in. “If you would pay attention to the matter at hand.”
Chastised, Connor turned back to the cave.
The guards had changed. Shifts then. In twos. Both armed with rifles.
“Are those actually Templars? Can you not explain to them?”
His father looked rueful as he shook his head.
“They are actually recent deserters. We had meant to—retire—them,” and Connor understood the implications of the word, “but we were busy and they were of little importance. By the time our time freed up, they had disappeared.”
“It appears,” Lee continued, “that they have been hiding here this entire time.”
Deserters.
So, “they would not be missed then.”
“No, they would not.”
That certainly opened up options, though not by much. They were still outnumbered, outgunned, and Connor did not even know if Lee could fight in such conditions. The man was clearly classically trained, but Connor doubted he would know what to do in this jungle-esque setting.
They could try a frontal attack, but the guards would simply retreat back into the cave and shoot from the entrance, where they would have an advantage against any incoming attacks. And it would alert the other guards still in the cave, allowing them to fight back and increasing the chances of casualties.
Again, Connor was fairly certain that his father would be fine, but Lee seemed far more at ease in one-to-one fights or on horseback directing an army.
What they needed was something to draw everyone in the cave out of it. Something to make the cave seem dangerous to stay in. A diversion.
Connor blinked.
“Wait here,” he instructed his two Templar companions before slipping quickly back to the camp.
He had a plan.
----
Charles stared agape as the Assassin slipped off before he could make a single reply.
Wait?
What did he mean by wait?
He looked to Master Kenway, hoping his mentor would have some insight into his son’s strange actions.
All he got was the same questioning stare thrown back at him.
Belatedly, Charles realized that he had spent a year with Connor where this Master Kenway had only spent a couple of weeks.
But, it wasn’t as if he knew his wife’s warrior aspect. There certainly hadn’t been any occasion for Connor to strategize and fight in Charles’s manor.
Except against him, that is.
So it made sense for Charles not to know his wife’s thoughts.
There was really no reason for Charles to have any better idea what was going on than Master Kenway himself.
Really.
It made sense but it was disquieting. How much did Charles really know his wife? Was what he knew even real?
Or was it all a part of his manufactured world? A consequence of locking his wife up?
Charles didn’t know. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Because it implied that the wife he loved wasn’t real. That the tenderness with which Connor rocked their Alpha son and the soft smile on his face as he cradled that tiny baby could never be gotten back.
That Charles’s struggle was futile.
And he couldn’t deal with that. He’d already finally given up his longing for Master Kenway. To be forced to give this up too...
He clenched his fist and kept watch on the cave, waiting for the moment his errant wife would reappear.
----
“The Aquila will shell the cave.”
Charles blinked, uncertain if he heard right. Apparently, Master Kenway was having the same problem.
“You want to bombard the cave,” Master Kenway began.
“With us not 500 feet away,” Charles continued.
“And expect us to be able to retrieve the supplies?” Master Kenway finished.
The Assassin looked at them both.
“I do not see the problem.”
Of course he wouldn’t.
Of all the stupid nonsensical ideas...
“Do you plan to leave this island alive?” Charles asked.
“Of course.”
Not from where Charles was sitting.
Master Kenway pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
“Son, this is an extremely dangerous undertaking. The chances of failure are high. Surely there is some—easier—plan?”
Connor looked at them again.
“Unless you can think of a way to actually draw them out of the cave where they cannot simply pick us off one by one, there is no easier way. I have instructed my crew to use the densest cannonballs we have. They will not explode on impact as some of the others might. We need not worry about shrapnel.”
Oh.
That was better.
“They will also not be using any fire-based ammunition. I recognize the dangers of using fire in this setting.”
Master Kenway did not look convinced.
“While that is all very well and good, there is still the problem of aim. Surely you cannot expect me to believe that your ship can guarantee that the cannon hits the cave and not something else. Such as us.”
Connor nodded his head.
“My crew is very experienced in aim. This is not the first time they have provided cover for me in the form of bombardment, and their aim has always been impeccable.”
Strangely enough, that did ease the worries Charles had somewhat, even if it raised new questions about his wife’s hobbies. And sanity.
“Where do you want us then?”
Charles tried not to feel such pleasure from the grateful look Connor shot him.
“I want you two there and there.”
He pointed to two distant trees, on opposite sides of the cave.
“Be ready to fire when the bombardment starts. We want to take advantage of the confusion before they catch what is going on. I will pick off the survivors.”
Master Kenway grabbed Connor’s arm as the Omega made to walk past.
“And if Church is crushed before we can get to him?”
Charles’s wife looked evenly at his father.
“Then we have the supplies, and Church will have died a more painless death than I am sure the two of you will deign him.”
Loathe as Charles was to admit it, it was likely a true statement.
In Pursuit of Happiness 20
Chapter 20 - Hunt
As Connor promised, they located Church’s trail in 5 minutes and followed it to the man’s location within half an hour. And he was not really trying hard to hide. The man had apparently gotten his shirt wet and had strung it on two branches to dry.
The problem was, the man himself was in a cave. A cave guarded by a dozen armed men.
A quick glance with Connor’s eagle vision told him that the men were armed with the ammunition stolen from the continental army.
Connor’s father turned to him irritably.
“I thought you said that the supplies stolen were bandages and medicine?”
Connor shrugged.
“The commander did not mention it, but they may have combined those with one of the earlier shipments of ammunition that went missing.”
It was now Lee’s turn to glance at Connor irritably.
Why, Connor did not know. The Alpha was one of the generals in the army. The stole ammunition should not surprise him.
“Heaven help us if Washington is responsible for all debriefings.”
Connor nearly cursed.
Of all the ludicrous statements, could the Alpha not put his enmity with the commander aside even over something as trivial as this?
“We hardly have the time to discuss the commander’s merits, Lee. I suggest we focus on the task at hand. You may bemoan the commander when Church is recaptured, out of my earshot.”
And why was it that Lee looked strangely put out by that?
“Gentlemen,” his father cut in. “If you would pay attention to the matter at hand.”
Chastised, Connor turned back to the cave.
The guards had changed. Shifts then. In twos. Both armed with rifles.
“Are those actually Templars? Can you not explain to them?”
His father looked rueful as he shook his head.
“They are actually recent deserters. We had meant to—retire—them,” and Connor understood the implications of the word, “but we were busy and they were of little importance. By the time our time freed up, they had disappeared.”
“It appears,” Lee continued, “that they have been hiding here this entire time.”
Deserters.
So, “they would not be missed then.”
“No, they would not.”
That certainly opened up options, though not by much. They were still outnumbered, outgunned, and Connor did not even know if Lee could fight in such conditions. The man was clearly classically trained, but Connor doubted he would know what to do in this jungle-esque setting.
They could try a frontal attack, but the guards would simply retreat back into the cave and shoot from the entrance, where they would have an advantage against any incoming attacks. And it would alert the other guards still in the cave, allowing them to fight back and increasing the chances of casualties.
Again, Connor was fairly certain that his father would be fine, but Lee seemed far more at ease in one-to-one fights or on horseback directing an army.
What they needed was something to draw everyone in the cave out of it. Something to make the cave seem dangerous to stay in. A diversion.
Connor blinked.
“Wait here,” he instructed his two Templar companions before slipping quickly back to the camp.
He had a plan.
----
Charles stared agape as the Assassin slipped off before he could make a single reply.
Wait?
What did he mean by wait?
He looked to Master Kenway, hoping his mentor would have some insight into his son’s strange actions.
All he got was the same questioning stare thrown back at him.
Belatedly, Charles realized that he had spent a year with Connor where this Master Kenway had only spent a couple of weeks.
But, it wasn’t as if he knew his wife’s warrior aspect. There certainly hadn’t been any occasion for Connor to strategize and fight in Charles’s manor.
Except against him, that is.
So it made sense for Charles not to know his wife’s thoughts.
There was really no reason for Charles to have any better idea what was going on than Master Kenway himself.
Really.
It made sense but it was disquieting. How much did Charles really know his wife? Was what he knew even real?
Or was it all a part of his manufactured world? A consequence of locking his wife up?
Charles didn’t know. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Because it implied that the wife he loved wasn’t real. That the tenderness with which Connor rocked their Alpha son and the soft smile on his face as he cradled that tiny baby could never be gotten back.
That Charles’s struggle was futile.
And he couldn’t deal with that. He’d already finally given up his longing for Master Kenway. To be forced to give this up too...
He clenched his fist and kept watch on the cave, waiting for the moment his errant wife would reappear.
----
“The Aquila will shell the cave.”
Charles blinked, uncertain if he heard right. Apparently, Master Kenway was having the same problem.
“You want to bombard the cave,” Master Kenway began.
“With us not 500 feet away,” Charles continued.
“And expect us to be able to retrieve the supplies?” Master Kenway finished.
The Assassin looked at them both.
“I do not see the problem.”
Of course he wouldn’t.
Of all the stupid nonsensical ideas...
“Do you plan to leave this island alive?” Charles asked.
“Of course.”
Not from where Charles was sitting.
Master Kenway pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
“Son, this is an extremely dangerous undertaking. The chances of failure are high. Surely there is some—easier—plan?”
Connor looked at them again.
“Unless you can think of a way to actually draw them out of the cave where they cannot simply pick us off one by one, there is no easier way. I have instructed my crew to use the densest cannonballs we have. They will not explode on impact as some of the others might. We need not worry about shrapnel.”
Oh.
That was better.
“They will also not be using any fire-based ammunition. I recognize the dangers of using fire in this setting.”
Master Kenway did not look convinced.
“While that is all very well and good, there is still the problem of aim. Surely you cannot expect me to believe that your ship can guarantee that the cannon hits the cave and not something else. Such as us.”
Connor nodded his head.
“My crew is very experienced in aim. This is not the first time they have provided cover for me in the form of bombardment, and their aim has always been impeccable.”
Strangely enough, that did ease the worries Charles had somewhat, even if it raised new questions about his wife’s hobbies. And sanity.
“Where do you want us then?”
Charles tried not to feel such pleasure from the grateful look Connor shot him.
“I want you two there and there.”
He pointed to two distant trees, on opposite sides of the cave.
“Be ready to fire when the bombardment starts. We want to take advantage of the confusion before they catch what is going on. I will pick off the survivors.”
Master Kenway grabbed Connor’s arm as the Omega made to walk past.
“And if Church is crushed before we can get to him?”
Charles’s wife looked evenly at his father.
“Then we have the supplies, and Church will have died a more painless death than I am sure the two of you will deign him.”
Loathe as Charles was to admit it, it was likely a true statement.