Jacob frowned in concern as he and his sister made their way to the office of Grand-Master Altair. They had been on a mission, when they had received a message stating that the Headquarters of the Assassin's guild had been attacked earlier that day, in a bombing.
Upon entering Master Altair's office, they were immediately met by Ezio, Connor, Arno and Malik, who gave them all specific details on the attack. Once finished, Evie frowned, "How could the Templars attack our headquarters, I thought they weren't aware of its location?"
Altair sighed, "It's worse than that…"
Frowning Ezio shuffled from side to side, "How can it be any worse, we've been attacked!"
"Everything is on the table…" began Malik wearily, "…we have to consider the possibility that this was an inside job…possibly conducted by an Assassin."
Altair nodded in agreement, "If this was an Assassin….then they can no longer be considered one of us. They are on the same level as our enemies…"
"I-I…" stuttered Connor in surprise, "…I can't believe that an assassin would even think of attacking the headquarters! It's practically sacred ground!"
"We'd like for you five to lead the investigation…" ordered Malik, "…You are the most trusted members of the young assassins, and you can get to places that many of our older Masters cannot. We cannot trust anyone who was here…and you will provide an impartial view on the situation, making no assumptions."
Arno nodded, a stern expression on his face as he processed this heavy burden. "We'll do everything that we can…"
"You must be careful…" ordered Altair, "…if this attacker is willing to attack our headquarters, then they'll go to desperate measures in order to make sure that they're not caught."
Jacob grinned, "Then we'll go to even greater lengths in order to catch them!"
…..
At the crime scene, the young assassins took a step back…some of the bodies of fellow assassins still remained on the floor (or splattered against the wall). Evie frowned, shaking her head as she hoped to get rid of the horrible smell. "Do you guys really believe that an assassin could have done this?"
"Maybe…" admitted Ezio, "…not every assassin is happy with the new order…some even hold ideals that are very close to the Templar's. Remember Abbas?"
Abbas was an assassin around the same age of Altair, who tried to steal the Piece of Eden in order to change the order through force. He committed many terrible acts before he was eventually shot dead by Altair.
"B-but a traitor?" stammered Evie
Ezio shrugged, his attention soon being grabbed by a suited gentleman. "Excuse me Sir!" he yelled, "Can we help you?"
The man turned around…to reveal Haytham Kenway. Connor took a step behind his friends as his Father smirked, "Children…Master Malik has insisted that I help with the investigation. I'll be interviewing the witnesses in order to relieve some of the burden."
"Why are you interviewing them?" grunted Connor, his arms folded as he frowned at his Father. They had been having troubles recently, ever since Connor officially became an Assassin and found out that his Father had once been on the side of the Templar's.
Haytham smirked, "Because many people believe the rumours that an assassin was responsible for this attack…we wouldn't want them to be nervous around you now would we?"
Rolling his eyes, Connor shook his head. "You're over-exaggerating, as usual. There were assassins killed in this explosion, as well as average citizens…take Jacob with you. He's one of the more…approachable members of this team. Find out anything you can."
Jacob saluted his friend and followed Haytham…who clearly wasn't happy with this arrangement.
…..
At the village's hospital, Jacob and Haytham began to interview workers who had been injured in the blast. "Did you notice anything unusual in the hanger?" asked Jacob.
The worker sighed, "Not really…but I left five minutes before the bomb exploded."
"Did everything seem okay before that?"
"…Everything seemed normal…Is it true that an assassin may be responsible for the attack?"
Jacob desperately tried to school his expression, "Nothing is for certain at the moment…" He and Haytham moved away as Jacob sighed. "I can't believe all this distrust, some of these people have worked here for years!"
Haytham sighed, "Fear can make even the most trusting of individuals…irrational."
"I know who did it…" came a voice from behind them, causing the pair to spin around to see another worker, "…I know who set off that bomb!"
Jacob strode over, "Who?"
"I-I believe it was Jacopo…"
"Jacopo?"
"H-he is one of the maintenance crew…"
Jacob's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why do you think it was him?"
"I passed him when I was starting my shift…he had been working all morning in the section that the blast came from. It was the last place I saw him…."
Haytham nodded, his eyes focused on a phone screen, which he then twisted around to show the worker. "Is this him?"
There was a rather plain looking man on the screen, but the worker nodded. "Yes."
"I need to know…have you seen him since the explosion."
"No…truthfully I didn't see much of anything after the explosion."
Jacob nodded in thanks and the pair left. "Well…" began Jacob, "…it looks as though Jacopo is our main suspect."
As they were leaving, the rest of the group entered. Jacob frowned at the frustrated look on their faces, "Find anything?" he asked.
Arno shook his head, "No…but the rumour that it's an Assassin is growing. People are getting angrier, and everyone in the creed is confused."
"Well, Haytham and I have a lead. We're looking for a worker called Jacopo…"
Haytham nodded, "A witness saw him near the sight of the blast moments before it happened…and we haven't been able to find him since."
Ezio scoffed, "Ridiculous, nobody just disappears!"
"Unless it was well planned out."
"It would've had to have been well planned out for them to get past assassins…" muttered Ezio, "…I'll go and talk to the guards."
…..
As he made his way out of the hospital, Ezio spotted a small crowd that had congregated in order to protest the involvement of assassins in day-to-day life. He strode up another, low ranking assassin. "Friends and family of the victim?"
The other assassin nodded, "Yes…they want answers."
Ezio pulled out his phone, which had the picture of the suspect sent to it, "This is the man we're looking for. If you see him, alert me immediately."
"Well…" a young woman was pointed out, "…I believe that's his wife. She was showing guards a similar picture, saying that she hadn't seen him since the explosion."
Ezio glanced at the woman and nodded, slowly making his way over. "Ma'am…I need you to come with me."
…
In the interrogation room, the woman, called Leanne, was clearly not pleased. "You have no idea where Jacopo is?!"
"No…"
"You're an assassin…" sneered Leanne, "…and you can't find him?!"
"I…understand your frustration but-"
"Don't. Just find Jacopo…"
Ezio sighed…this was going to be a long interview. "Signora, do you think that Jacopo could do something like this? Blow up a part of the Temple?"
Leanne sneered, "Do you know what you have to go through to work anywhere near your precious Temple? Jacopo dedicated his life to the assassins! It was his dream! He passed all of the entry exams needed!"
Ezio held up his hands in surrender, gently smiling at her in an attempt to calm her down. "Okay, I had to ask…at the moment, everyone's a suspect."
"Jacopo would never do anything like this…" she bowed her head in despair, "…please, find him."
….
Meanwhile, Jacob and the rest of the young assassins were reviewing security tapes from outside of the bomb site. They were being assisted by Leonardo, a young artist who also was a mathematical genius. "Hmmmm…." Mused the young, blonde artist, "….based on the trajectory, the bomb was most likely placed near the centre of the building, slightly to the right."
Haytham frowned, "Why was no bomb residue found?"
Connor shook his head, "This is the garage…someone triggered a car or another vehicle to explode."
Nodding in agreement, Leonardo held up a shard of plastic, "It is the most likely outcome…"
Jacob sighed at this, "The witness said Jacopo was seen in the area…maybe he planned to do this all along and just kept quiet?"
"Or…" prompted Evie.
"…or it really was an assassin."
Haytham, who was reading through files, frowned. "I've discovered an anomaly….something that should not be here. Debris found close to the blast zone had a strange chemical on it…a volatile one."
"How volatile?" asked Arno.
"Extremely….but it is also very common."
Jacob winced, "Great…now we've got to chase chemical paperwork."
Arno nodded, "Monsieur Kenway, Evie, Connor…can you see if Jacopo went to any other part of the Temple….Jacob, let's see how Jacopo could have gotten his hands on these chemicals."
…
Upon looking through the worker files, Jacob instantly spotted an interesting fact. "He was a munitions expert…."he muttered, skimming through Jacopo's file.
Gently taking the file, Arno frowned. "He was the foreman in charge of guns, bombs and other explosive weaponry…and his speciality was explosive chemical warfare!"
"We need to find this guy…"
….
In the security room, Arno and Jacob joined the rest of the group….who were watching Haytham scan the footage.
"Have you found Jacopo?" asked Arno.
Haytham shook his head wearily, rubbing the gap between his eyes in order to try and relieve the pressure. "No…nothing."
Ezio, who had finished his questioning of the suspects' wife, frowned. "I'll take some assassins and search the Temple. If he's still here, he may be planning another attack."
Haytham shook his head, "I'll send some of my own men…they'll get it done much faster. Jacopo will be expecting assassins."
Reluctantly, the group agreed and the young assassins made their way back to the Grandmaster's council room.
…
In the council room, Malik did not seem happy with their results. "So…you've found nothing?"
"We have a lead we're following up on-" protested Jacob.
"-but we still don't have answers." Finished Evie.
Altair and Malik glanced at each other, and Malik shook his head. "The truth needs to be found soon…there are rumours, whispers that the military police force will need to get involved with the investigation."
"They can't do that!" cried out Jacob, barely registering his sister's grip on his shoulder.
"Soldiers were killed in that explosion…innocent civilians. When individuals such as this are the victims, outside agencies tend to take notice…no matter where they happen."
Before any of the group could answer, Connor's communicator began to beep. Upon answering it, his Father's voice filtered through. "We have found Jacopo."
"Seal the exits…" ordered Connor, "…make sure he doesn't escape."
"Of course…" the sarcasm in Haytham's voice was clear, "…because I didn't think of that."
Connor cut him off in frustration, and the group turned to leave.
…
Striding into the room where Haytham was waiting for them, Arno glanced around…and frowned. "Where is he?"
Haytham smirked, "Well…part of him is over here."
"This is not a time for your jokes or riddles!" growled Connor, as his Father led them all over to a nearby table…where a single hand lay.
Haytham gestured at the hand, "This is all that was left of Jacopo."
"A hand?" questioned Evie.
"Indeed….the rest of him exploded."
Jacob frowned, "Because he was so close to the bomb?"
"No…because he was the bomb…" Haytham led them over to a microscope, "…look at this. Leonardo collected this sample from Jacopo's bloodstream."
Ezio took a quick glance through the microscope, before letting Jacob have a look. "What is it?"
"The connection that we've been looking for about the explosion…"
Jacob stared through the microscope, "Is…the chemical that was found on the bomb fragments? What was it doing in his blood?"
Wearily, Arno rubbed the gap between his eyes as if trying to ward off a headache. "This just keeps getting better and better…we're going to have to search Jacopo's house for evidence."
…
Ezio and Jacob were volunteered for the job, and within the hour, they were entering the apartment block where Jacopo used to live.
Ezio scrunched up his face in disgust at the smell and the sight of rotting rubbish. "This is not the nicest place…"
"Hmmmm…" Jacob nodded in agreement, "….you'd have thought working for the Assassin's would pay better."
They knocked…only to be met with silence.
"I thought you said the wife was sent back home?"
Ezio nodded, turning to Jacob….who was giving significant glances to the lock. Grinning, Ezio released his hidden blade and quickly unlocked the door. Upon entering the dark apartment, Ezio called out for the wife.
"Leanne!" ….silence.
"Search the apartment for the chemicals…" Ezio told Jacob, "….but remember, he was a munitions expert. I really don't want to set off anymore explosions today….I'll see if he left a note."
Whilst Ezio was doing that, Jacob used his Eagle Vision to try and see any clues…quietly, he strode through the apartment, eventually ending up in a pitch black corridor. He flicked the light on to see a door at the end of the corridor.
Thankfully, the door was unlocked and Jacob crept through into a kitchen…"Leanne?" Suddenly, something in the room caught his eye….
Meanwhile, Ezio had found some disturbing Anti-Assassin propaganda on the victim's desk. He was about to examine it further when he heard Jacob call out from a far room.
"Ezio!"
Ezio sped into the kitchen, where Jacob was examining some dust on the outer rim of a bowl. "I think the chemicals were in the food…all he would have had to do was drink a bit of hot tea and the chemicals would have exploded."
Ezio nodded, "I guess now the question is, did he swallow them willingly or did someone force him to take them?"
"What are you doing here?!"
The pair spun around to see Leanne standing in the kitchen doorway. Ezio took step forward, "We've found that Jacopo was involved with the bombing."
Leanne shook her head in disbelief, "T-that can't be true!"
"Jacob…check her hands for chemicals." Ordered Ezio, watching as his friend stepped closer to Leanne, gently taking her wrists and scanning her hands.
"Chemicals?"
Jacob shook his head, "She's clear…"
"What do you mean chemicals?!"
Sighing, Jacob explained. "Someone may have set Jacopo up…and made him the bomb."
Leanne's eyes filled with tears, "I-I don't understand…"
Knowing that the woman was about two seconds away from a full blown panic attack, Ezio took control. "We'll need you to come with us…maybe you can help us to make sense of all of this?"
Wrapping her arms around herself, Leanne nodded. "I-I'll answer any questions I can…."
As they were leading her through the streets…Leanne took her chance. Suddenly, she kicked the back of Jacob's leg, sending him to the ground, giving her chance to leap onto a passing bus.
"Leanne!" cried out Ezio, "Leanne wait!"
Leanne climbed to the top of the bus as the pair chased her, Jacob limping slightly at first.
"Take the roofs Jacob!"
"On it!"
Using his rope launcher, Jacob shot up onto the rooftops and pursued the bus from above, leaping from roof to roof as Ezio pushed people out of the way down below. After around five minutes, Leanne leapt onto a bus stop roof and jumped to the ground, racing into an alleyway.
Before the young lady could reach the end of the alley, Jacob leapt onto a bin lid in front of her. "Leanne stop!" he cried out.
She turned to leave the alley…only to come face to face with Ezio. "Let me go!" she yelled.
"Running tells us that you know more than what you're telling us." Pointed out Jacob.
"Jacopo is dead and you're trying to pin his murder on me!"
Ezio frowned, taking a step closer. "Nobody ever said that he was dead Signora."
"But…" Jacob climbed down from the bin, "…running proves that you had something to do with the bomb!"
"You don't know what you're talking about!" spat Leanne angrily
"People blamed Assassin's because of you! People were killed because of you!" yelled Jacob accusingly.
Leanne grabbed batted Jacob's hand away, "You can't prove anything!"
"Did you put the chemicals into Jacopo's food?" asked Ezio.
Silence.
"ANSWER ME! NOW!"
Leanne glanced from one Assassin to the other….before sighing. "I did feed the chemicals to Jacopo…"
Shaking his head in disgust, Jacob frowned. "You set up your own husband to die?!"
"You are dealing with things you do not understand!"
Jacob chuckled, grabbing the woman's wrists and handcuffing them behind her back. "Don't worry, where you're going, you'll have plenty of time to explain it to us."
….
Arno and the rest of the investigative team walked with Malik and Altair, as Arno explained the situation. "We're keeping Leanne in a cell below the temple in order to await further questioning."
From around the corner, Haytham appeared. "I am pleased to report there are no more chemicals found in a sweep of the Assassin Temple…I am also pleased to report, that from the security footage, Jacopo acted alone. Which means that no Assassins were involved."
Connor nodded his thanks, "Thank you…Father."
Acknowledging the thanks, Haytham walked away. Malik sighed wearily, "Has she told you what her reasoning behind the attack was?"
Jacob shook his head, "No, not yet. But we're working on that."
"We should be able to get some motives easily enough…" stated Malik, "…but public opinion is swaying against the Assassins. That much is clear….our actions are becoming less and less popular the more we persist."
With those final words, Malik and Altair strode away, leaving the group on their own. Jacob sighed, "I'm glad we solved this case, but-"
"-what if it had been an Assassin?" finished Evie.
"Yes. I don't know how I would have felt if an Assassin had been behind this…."
Waiting until the rest of the group dispersed, Evie tugged her brother into a side corridor. "There are going to be Assassins who disappoint us…" she whispered, "…but remember that there are good Assassins, and everything will be worthwhile."
