Even after the sun had set the heat on Tulum did not abate. Helene Moreaux felt herself sweating beneath the thick cloth of her shirt and breeches. They were among the few belongings she had brought from France and were completely unsuitable to the climate of the West Indies.

Tediously creeping through the ferns and brush of the jungle she felt envious of the assassins' attire. The loose fitting light cloth and bare midriffs would have raised eyebrows in Europe but were far more sensible in the island's climate. Helene came ashore when the sun had set and crept through the assassins' camp looking for her target. The evening deepened during her careful search but she'd known Ah Tabai was there.

Crouched amongst leafy ferns and bushes for a spell, she felt her knees growing stiff. The night air buzzed with insects- including fat mosquitoes which seemed to be doing their best to disrupt her an opportunity while the guards changed shift, she scampered from the security of vegetation and into the ancient Mayan ruins. The crumbling stone was not as easy to hide amongst but she sensed she was getting close.

Fortunately the interior of the ruins seemed deserted for the most part. Helene ducked into stone doorway and found herself in a narrow corridor. The stone of the walls were cool to the touch and the air was dry and dusty. She heard soft voices echoing from a chamber ahead and continued her path.

"Anne Bonny will have her child here - and she is welcome to stay as long as she chooses", Helene made out the unflappable and stern voice of Ah Tabai before an impolite scoff interrupted her.

" Is she to join your order?"

" Her welcome here is not dependent on her joining us" Ah Tabai answered patiently, " And I am more interested in what you intend to do next-Or should I have left you on that tavern floor?"

" Is it gratitude you're expecting, then?"

" Hardly. I have known you for too long Captain Kenway."

Helene lingered outside the doorway listening the conversation between the two men. She'd heard of Kenway- Mary had mentioned him in a letter some years ago. A friend and fellow pirate- but also an insufferable trouble maker.

She felt something dark and heavy bloom uncomfortably in her chest as she listened to Ah Tabai's voice. Recalling the reason she was in the West Indies she grit her teeth and burst into the chamber.


Edward had never been able to picture Mary living among the assassins at Tulum. Being back on the island was different now. He was constantly reminded of her- here were the people and creed she'd valued so highly. He wanted to remember her as Mary Read, otherwise known as James Kidd- a cunning scoundrel, fellow pirate, a friend with the annoying habit of rousing his conscience at inopportune times.

Part of him wanted to sail away on the Jackdaw and never return, smaller part of him wished to stay and learn more of her order. More than anything, though, he wanted to forget that Mary Read or James Kid had ever existed. Edward was tired of losing people he knew - to death, greed or betrayal.

It seemed every step closer to The Observatory came at a dear cost- yet after all this time his prize still lay past his grasp.

Facing Ah Tabai in the ruins of Tulum his body ached with fatigue and the after-effects of too much rum and too little food. He thought of how he'd come to be sitting with the mayan assassin.

Some days ago Ade had found him passed out in a tavern in Kingston. His former quartermaster then unceremoniously dragged him back to the Jackdaw where they'd discovered half his crew had deserted. Whilst Edward had been maintaining his rum-soaked bender it seems they'd gotten tired of waiting around with no pay. Ade offered neither comfort nor admonishment - for which Edward was grateful, he couldn't decide which reaction would have been worse.

They'd sailed the Jackdaw to Tulum, Edward spending the majority of time in his cabin, making generous use of the hard-won stores of rum on the ship- to the annoyance of his remaining crew. He remembered once telling his Hornigold he had no need for a helmsman - it kept him sharp to be at the Jackdaw's wheel. What would his friends have said about the state of him then? He imagine Thatch in particular would have some choice advice and colorful language to share.

Ah Tabai needed to see him- or this is what Ade had claimed when they'd begun the hike into the jungle and to the assassins' camp. But so far though, sitting in the dimly lit chamber in the ruins, the conversation with him had been of trivial matters.

He'd not had drink since he'd come ashore and found himself growing short tempered with Ah Tabai's calm demeanor. After everything that'd happened, recently...

" Is it gratitude you're expecting, then?" he offered the man bitterly as they continued their conversation.

" Hardly, I've known you for too long Captain Kenway"

Just then he saw a look of surprise flicker on Ah Tabai's face and felt a blow land on the back of his head. He stumbled from his seat with a groan before turning to face his attacker. Before he could draw any weapons he felt something small and needle-like pierce his side and staggered back in surprise.

Almost immediately his vision began to blur and his knees weaken. He collapsed on the floor and looked up.

A women was aiming a flintlock at Ah Tabai. She was dressed plainly, dark hair bound in a simple plait, her nose and cheeks were sunburnt and her eyes were steely.

Whatever drug had laced her blade was working quickly, he could feel heaviness setting into his limbs and his chest began to tighten. Though paralyzed, he still remained conscious. He watched the woman take a step closer to the old assassin.

" I thought you might come", said Ah Tabai calmly, though he was perfectly still as he faced the barrel of the pistol.

" You traitorous bastard", the woman said softly to him. She had a strange lilt to her accent that Edward recognized vaguely as French in origin.

" So you have come to kill me then, Helene? I expected you might." The woman offered no reply to this, " Did you decide this before or after your trip to Kingston?" Ah Tabai finished and Helene narrowed her eyebrows,

" You've been keeping tabs on me?"

" Word has traveled of that massacre regardless." Ah Tabai replied, " You have left a trail of bodies on your journey through these islands"

" They didn't give me what I was looking for- and the answer to your question is; before. I decided to kill you before Kingston- only now it will be in payment for two lives instead of one.".

Ah Tabai stiffened almost imperceptibly.

" And what would Mary say? Do you think she would approve of this course of action?"

" How can you speak her name so calmly?" The woman said, her voice low and strained. She took another step toward Ah Tabai but kept herself , and her pistol, out of his reach, " This is suppose to be a brotherhood, you were suppose to look out for her- and now..." She trailed off.

" Mary was an assassin- not an easy or a safe life but she chose it knowing the danger-"

" Ce sont des conneries" the woman swore to herself before adding venomously, " She didn't die fighting Ah Tabai! You left her to rot in prison while you cowered in this godforsaken jungle! All these bloody people here and you sent no one to help her? Her death is on you! - her and her child!".

It made sense to Edward now - why he had been called there. After Mary had died Ah Tabai told him the assassisns intended to look for Mary's daughter. So the babe was dead then. He writhed on the floor, resisting the effects of the drug.

At the noise, Helene glanced in his direction and Ah Tabai saw his chance. He lunged for the pistol but the woman pivoted and stabbed him in the forearm with the wristblade of her free hand.

" You're getting slow" she said, leveling her pistol at his head again, " You killed her Ah Tabai, and now I'm going to kill you".

Her aim was steady as she was about to take the shot. Blood was bubbling darkly from his wrist and splashing on the dusty stone floor. Helene wasn't stupid, she knew killing Ah Tabai would not soothe her grief. It was a start, though.

She squeezed the trigger-

Something heavy collided with her as the shot went off, sending the bullet into the stone next to Ah Tabai's head.

Edward Kenway had tackled her to the ground, half-drugged and stinking of spirits. Disorientated for a moment, she tried to extricate herself from her scuffle with the pirate.

They both grappled for a weak point but he was slow and still heavily drugged. Helene sent her knee sharply into his stomach and he rolled away on the floor, gasping for breath. She leapt to her feet and drew her sword- it was too late though, scores of assassins flooded the chamber.

" Do not harm her!" Ah Tabai shouted at them as they overpowered her and bound her wrists and feet.

" A pox on you Edward bloody Kenway!" She spat at the pirate, " You've robbed me of my revenge!"

The assassins dragged her out into the jungle as sensation began to creep back into Edward's limbs. He began to struggle back to his seat, deciding that his visit to Tulum was now officially over.


The drug had worked its way quickly out of his system and Edward was back on his feet only a few minutes after the assassins had taken Helene away. Only his hands still felt stiff and clumsy as he clenched and unclenched them. He and Ah Tabai were headed back to the Jackdaw. Edward was planning to make for Havana.

" We only discovered the child's fate recently" Ah Tabai told him as they walked. " A baby girl - she was born too soon and too sickly."

" I see " Edward said simply, not quite knowing how he should react. They remained silent for the rest of the hike. Ah Tabai was stern and expectant and Edward thought he knew what the man wanted to hear; but whatever mistakes he'd made and whatever he owed the assassins Edward still found himself reluctant to throw in his lot with the order. He was still too raw after Mary's death.

What the woman Helene had said in the ruins made a some amount of sense and Edward realized he too had been harboring some resentment toward Ah Tabai. Why had he chosen then to intervene and not sooner?

" Who is she?" he asked the man as they drew closer to shore and the Jackdaw.

" My would be assassin? Helene Moreaux. She was a close friend of Mary and a former pupil of mine. They met during Mary's time in the military. When she began to train with us so did Helene"

" She's part of your order?"

" No. She left before she was fully initiated."

Edward took a moment to ponder this information and realised how little he actually knew of the assassins.

" Why?"

" I cannot answer that for certain. She took to the training, and to the work...but she had trouble with the creed- always too cynical and independent"

Edward had nothing to say to this and so they continued on to the Jackdaw in silence. The ship was anchored a little off and he could see some lamps had been lit on the deck and glowed cheerily.

As they rowed to the ship he watched the figure of Ah Tabai retreat back into the island's jungle. He decided that ,yes, there was indeed truth to what Helene had said. Ah Tabai was to blame in part for Mary's death, and so too was he. For too long he'd been obsessed with his fortunes and blind to the needs of his friends. Now he had no friends left alive.


Helene sat with her back against the tree the assassins had bound her too. She was furious and bored...and her nose was bleeding - a souvenir from an overzealous assassin. She had a few similiar souvenirs in the forms of bumps and scraps but all in all she'd been in far worse positions.

The torches flickered as a figure lumbered into view. A redheaded woman approached her, she was heavy with child and although beautiful in a wild, unkempt kind of way, her cheeks were flushed and she was out of breath and snorting like a bull.

" Damn this giant bloody child of mine" she said, her irish accent sweetening her curses. Helene immediately took her for Anne Bonny and couldn't stop a small smile from creeping onto her face. She could see why Mary liked her.

" Evening, you must be Miss Anne Bonny"

" Oh, That'd be me- and you're the one all these folk've been talking about. Heard you tried to do in old Ah Tabai"

" Oui"

" Well I can't fault you much for that. Though I don't quite understand what're your intentions behind such a murder. It won't do much people around here any good to lose him, fusty old codger though he may be.

Helene scowled and grumbled at this. Anne smiled wryly.

" Aye, I think heard of you. Though Mary called you Elly not Helene". Helene was caught off guard and stared at hard at Anne.

" It's a nickname, from when I was younger", she said absently.

" Suits you, it does. Mary told me you got her in all sorts of trouble back when you were lasses together "

" Mon deiu, that was a bold faced lie. She was twice more wild than I in those days." She said laughing, " Mad too. I have the broken bones and bad memories to prove it".

The two women laughed a little and Anne smiled warmly,

" I've a favour to do for you, Elly" she said, " Though I need one in return - or two to be exact".

" And what can you do for me Anne Bonny?" Helene asked slyly.

" Well I can get you off this island for a start. There're some fishing dinghies anchored in a little cove nearby. I'll set you up with one of those - and some supplies, also a heading for the nearest port."

" And why should I accept this favour of yours? I doubt Ah Tabai means to kill me- I need only wait for a chance to escape". At her words Anne whooped and laughed.

" Now you're a tough one to please," she laughed. " Though you'd be right- I don't think Ah Tabai'll kill you. Here's the rub, I heard he's planning to keep you prisoner on this here island- forever, like. And unless you've an invisible ship anchored somewhere 'round the corner I'm doubting you even sailed here yourself-meaning you've no way or direction back to where you came from."

Helene swore elegantly in french.

" The mad bastard - I have no idea what goes on is head- so you may be right. I don't think its sat well with him that all these years I've used my skills doing what I please. What's your bargain then lass?"

Helene used the term sardonically and it came out strange in her accent but Anne laughed nonetheless.

" Well Madame- the first favour I don't think you'll like. Though I suspect it'll be easier to keep than you think"

" And what is it?"

" Hold off on your feud with Ah Tabai - for now at least. It'll achieve naught. If you must, aim you're vengeance in a more fitting direction. Them bloody british navy- think they own the damned sea. Not a month goes by that I don't see a brother or sister swing for exercising their God given freedom...". Anne scowled, shaking her head as she trailed off. Helene watched her carefully.

" It would be foolish to try again so soon anyway - to kill Ah Tabai. So very well, I'll stay my blades for time. What's this other favour, then?".

Anne smiled nervously.

" Its of a more personal nature. You've heard of Jack Rackham, I take it? He's this child's father" she said, laying hand on her swollen belly. " In a week a British convoy plans to ship him back to England for another trial. Seems while they had him locked up more evidence as to his many, many crimes has come to light" Anne gave a small sigh, " Rackham's a scoundrel, aye, and one day'll have to face judgment for his deeds - I just can't stand it that this child's going to come into this world while his Da's off being hanged across the sea".

" You want me to rescue Rackham from a British convoy?" said Helene incredulously, " If I could work miracles I wouldn't be tied up here, would I? And Ah Tabai'd certainly not be walking about with his heart still beating."

" Ahh, but British convoys're soft- its the Spanish you need to watch for" Anne said helpfully, Helene looked disbelieving, " And its not like you won't be getting nothing out of it- You get your share of the loot. I'd do it myself if weren't fat as cow and twice as useless. Please... Mary'd have done it for me".

Anne's red hair glowed in the torchlight. She looked at Helene with an open face and pleading stare. Her eyelashes were slightly wet and Helene wondered if she'd gotten teary during their talk. She was hunched over her swollen belly and her feet were bare and dusty. She looked grotesquely pregnant. Helene gave a defeated sigh. She'd come to kill Ah Tabai- and that had failed but she knew it wouldn't amount to much in the way of making up for Mary or her child's death. Perhaps helping Anne and Rackham, her friends, was something Mary'd have wanted.

" And what'm I meant to take this convoy with? I don't suppose I can attach some cannons to that dinghy you're going to give me?". At her words Anne looked so relieved and grateful Helene was afraid she might swoon.

" My dear, I've no clue about that. Its the one part of the plan I may admit to having some trouble working out. Mary was such a resourceful woman, not to mention conveniently light-fingered- I expect you're the same sort"

" A purse is one thing, a ship is another matter - never mind finding a crew".

" Don't go underestimating yourself, dear, " Anne said, as she freed Helene form her bonds, " You crept in here with all them assassins about. I expect you'll find a way".

Anne and Helene quickly got lost in the foliage of the jungle as they made their way to the cove and Helene's escape.

Anne's goodbye was brief, their flight through the jungle had taken its toll on her. They agreed to rendezvous after Rakham had been rescued. And then Helene was off, the dinghy sliding silently through the black water.

Havana was hot, dusty and teeming in an exciting and exotic way. Helene immediately found herself charmed. The docks were noisy and bustling, a host of different languages mingled together until they were all as indecipherable as the seagull cries overheard. It was difficult to imagine Europe, now she thought.

During her voyage from Tulum she had some time to consider Anne's request and found she couldn't believe she'd agreed to any of it. She could hardly back out now, though. She'd given her word to a pregnant woman and the life of Rackham, father to the child and friend of Mary, was in her hands.

At least some sort of plan beyond " find a ship" had taken shape in her mind by the time she'd arrived in Havana. What she needed was not just a ship, but also a crew. She had some idea where to find one and the promise of loot was always guaranteed to pique interest - Helene was even willing to forgo her share so long as the job was done and Rackham was retrieved.

With her task clear in her mind she began to search for the seediest tavern Havana was cursed with. Luckily she didn't have to look long.

Strolling through the crowded labyrinth of the city she found an area that looked promising. It announced its presence with the smell of piss, rum and rotten fish. It was a potent aroma but Helene had grown up on the streets of Paris and London, so with a fresh sea breeze blowing about, the odor was more than tolerable.

She followed the sound of bawdy drinking songs to a tavern calling itself "The Golden Gibbet". Both the exterior, and she discovered, interior, of the establishment were rickety and run down. Wood was rotting or splintered and rusted nails from hasty repairs stuck out, ready to snag or pierce flesh. Stepping inside, she entered a haze of sweet tobacco smoke and the dull roar of drunken men singing, shouting and swearing over one another. There were broken bottles on the floor and somewhere beyond the smoky haze and cacophony she could hear a reedy voice and sharp fiddle belting out a lively ditty. She squinted through the smoke, Helene had found exactly what she needed - a bevy of sea-worn men gambling and drinking rum - both in inordinate amounts.

She made her way to the bar to get a drink, always a good start. The barkeep may have quirked his brow a fraction when she ordered but a dead-eyed scowl sent him scurrying. She was lifting her drink to her lips when a croaky voice interrupted her.

" Well hello," said a man who looked to be twice her age with a graying asymmetrical beard that made him look a few cannons short of a frigate. He stood tall and upright though, like a young tree; which was surprising not only for his age but also his level of inebriation - he radiated a miasma of rum and spirits.

Helene gave a perfunctory nod and drained her glass. The liquor burned its way down her throat and dropped into her stomach like a lump of hot lead.

" And what is your name, fair lady?", the man asked her and then belched indelicately. Helene resisted the urge roll her eyes.

" I will make you a deal, sir. First, you tell me where I might find some men, keen for a bit of coin and who're no friends of the British Navy, if you take my meaning - and then you shall have my name"

" Oh I take you're meaning" he said slyly. " But I first come a little closer"

He shifted uncomfortably close to Helene. His breath washed over and she could make out the yellowing corners of his eyes. " I make it a point never to go into business with anyone I don't trust...intimately". Helene could feel her patience rapidly draining. Nimbly, she shifted and side-stepped him.

" On second thought, I don't think you can help me after all." She said and she heard an amused guffaw as she turned. Helene was about to take a step when she felt a light pat on her rear followed by a drunken chortle. She froze, then turned and grabbed the giggling man by the collar. Evidently his previous composure had failed him.

" You better'd been trying to lift my purse, you mangy scut". She released her grip forcefully and he jerked back. The man swayed on his feet for a moment as if buoyed by a strong breeze then he stumbled back one step, then two, then three and - crash- down he went with a table full of liquor cards and reales.

They glinted for a moment against the sodden, splintered floorboards and silence descended. A woman who had right before been dancing a jig was the first to dive for the coins, I cry of outrage was loosed from a one of the men next to the table, followed by most everyone else in the vicinity leaping upon the floor's treasure.

And so, abruptly, chaos broke out. Murderous shouts began to circulate and Helene found herself dodging blows from every direction and trying in vain to keep track of exactly who was fighting who. The answer soon became apparent- everyone was fighting everyone else. Tables were being flipped and spirits were flying. Vaguely she could hear cheering from the outskirts of the brawl.

She dodged as many fists as she could and gave as good she got, grinning when her blows landed.

She heard someone cry out in surprise before three shots rang out in quick succession. Just like that, as quickly as it had begun, the fighting ceased. For a moment the only sound that could be heard were groans of pain from those who'd fared badly in the melee. Helene had a moment or two to survey the damage the brawl had cause to the establishment before a platoon of extremely agitated Spanish soldiers began arresting everyone.

Talking rapidly to each other between shouting orders, they herded everyone out of the tavern

and into the street. Helene had spent some time in Spain but her Spanish was spotty at best and she soon lost track of what the men were saying.

And just like that she found her self being marched efficiently in the direction of what looked to be a barracks or guardhouse and grumbled at her bad fortune.


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