Chapter 24

I sat by the window, staring out at the endless desert rush past the car. The only thing on the horizon was cacti and a few mountains. The rough tan landscape depressed me more and more. We had been driving for a few hours now. Heading to God only knew to get away from Vegas. When we came to the next small town, I had bought a Ford Expedition with some of the money we had won. It was Ezio driving, while Jenna sat next to him. I was in the last bench with Altair's head on my lap. Desmond was with Jakob and Tom while Dawson rode with us in the middle bench.

My wounds have nearly healed. They were all superficial, but Ezio's leg was still tender and sore. Altair was still asleep. His wound was more serious than we first thought. The bullet had ripped through the soft tissue on his side, causing internal damage. I knew he would be out for a few hours if not the day. Then, even after he came to, he would be down for a few days following.

I absently ran my hand through his short hair as I kept my eyes out the window. I hated just sitting in a car. The atmosphere was depressing and somber. It was as if we were heading to a funeral. I hated going to them.

Ezio cleared his throat, causing me to look forward. "Where are we heading?"

"I don't know. We can not go to my place in Los Angeles. They will have that monitored. Montana is too far. It is your call." Leaning my head against the warm glass, I closed my eyes for a moment. I just shut the world away for a few minutes. I did not want to think, or to even be there.

"Alanna."

I sighed and reopened my eyes. "Yes?"

"Do you think we will make it to Utah before we are caught?"

Why was he asking me? I was not the Abstergo expert. "I don't know. Call Shaun. He would know."

He chuckled. "I would, but you have the phone."

I mentally slapped myself. We were down to one phone per car. Our others we ditched when we went on the run. "Sorry." I grabbed it from the cup holder and dialed the Brit's number.

It rang three times before he answered. His voice was sleep heavy. 'Hello?'

"Shaun, it's Alanna. I need a favor."

That woke him up when he heard my name. 'Bloody hell! We have been trying to find you guys since yesterday. Abstergo has put out hits on your heads. They do not care if you are dead or alive.'

"Well, they will not get either. I need to know what they know." I sat up a bit straighter, trying not to move the sleeping man in my lap too much.

'Like what? They are out to kill you. They want your bloody head.' I could hear him begin to type on a keyboard.

"Do they have any clue as to where we are? I have an idea on where we can go, but I need to find out if they have a place in Utah monitored. My places will be, I know that. I am public enemy number one most likely." Well, I was in the top three. Along with Ezio and Altair. Desmond fell a few pegs when we showed up.

I heard a sigh and an exhale. "What in the world is in Utah?'

"Altair had a place there. Ezio's place is in New York." My hand rested on Altair's chest.

'They are not in Utah and I don't think they know about his place. Is it in his name?'

"Hey Ezio, is Altair's place in his name?" I looked at our driver.

"Hell if I know. I just know where it is. The man never tells anyone anything. It could be in anyone of his identities. He has like four at a time." The Italian headed for the next turn off.

"He doesn't know, Shaun, and I can not ask Altair because he is out of it right now." I leaned back against the glass. "Anything else you want to tell me?"

'Yeah, they found Sebastian's body in a dumpster on the strip. Three more bodies were in the same area. They are all assassins working for him.'

I sighed and closed my eyes. "Well, I am just glad I got Jakob, Tom, and Dawson out of there when I did. They would have been there with those guys."

'I know.'

"How's Rebecca coming on that new piece?" Ezio and Jenna had dropped off another POE before heading to find us.

'She had not been able to get the bloody thing to do anything. Are you sure it is what they say it is?' I heard a curse in the background with a loud thump.

"What was that?"

'Rebecca falling out of the chair she fell asleep in. It was entertaining.'

"She is going to kill you for laughing at her." I chuckled a bit. They would never admit it, but I think they liked each other.

'I believe you are right. Now, anything else before I die?'

I let out the laugh I was holding. "No, that should be it. Thank you and tell Becca not to kill you too much. I may still need to pick your brain later."

'No, I want to pick yours. You have lived through much and I want all the facts.'

I rolled my eyes heavenward and sighed. "When this is over I will let you pick my brain. Oh, and for an added bonus, I will give you Altair and Ezio as well."

Ezio looked at me through the rear view mirror. "What am I being volunteered for?"

"You have your brain picked by Shaun." He shook his head, and looked back out the windshield. "Have a good night, Shaun and thank you."

'Goodnight Alanna, and say a nice speech at my funeral.'

"I will. Bye." I hung up the phone and placed it back into the cup holder. "We are heading to Utah."

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

My first impression if Altair's place was it was fitting. The cabin was set back far from the road and you had to cross a bridge to get to it. It was quiet and rustic. A place I could see him owning. He was solitary by nature and the way he lived was no different. When we were together all those years ago, we lived like nomads. We stayed away from large crowds and only entered cities for provisions. We may be immortal, but we still had to eat.

Pulling up in front of the cabin, Ezio killed the motor. I took in the beauty of the landscape. Trees littered the property and the mountainside. It was breathtaking.

I was so engrossed in looking at everything I did not hear them call my name. It wasn't until Ezio tapped me on the shoulder that I turned. "Hey, welcome back. Thought you were off in la la land there for a moment." He smirked at me.

Turning slightly in my seat, I stuck my tongue out at him. "Shush. If I was, it was to escape you."

He clutched his chest in mock pain. "You wound me with your barbed and childish tongue."

"You two could ruin a wet dream." Came the mumbled voice from my lap.

I looked down to see Altair's eyes slowing open. I smiled at him. "Welcome back to the waking."

He hissed in pain and touched his side. "Nope, not a dream. I hate being shot."

"Come on. Let's get you inside and comfortable. We have a few days before we have to plan anything." I placed my hands under his shoulders and helped him sit up.

He winced at the movement, but did not make any louder sound. Ezio had laid the seat down, and I helped him slide out of the SUV. Once we were on solid ground, he pulled his arm from me. "I am not an invalid, Alanna, I can walk on my own." With that, he marched into the house with his head held high, but a slight limp in his walk.

I just stared at him with wide eyes. Ezio laid his hand on my shoulder. "It's alright. The man does not take help well. You above everyone should know this."

I hung my head and sighed. "I know, I know, but sometimes I wish I could get through to him that a bit of help would not hurt him."

The younger man chuckled and shook his head. "That, I'm afraid, may never happen, and you know that as well."

I shook him a dirty look and grabbed my back out of the hatch. "I hate you for stating the obvious. You are an asshole to me."

He laughed harder. "I try to be, but I will never surpass the Master in that area."

I laughed at that one, because I knew it was true. "Come on, before he starts yelling at all the people invading his house."

"This is not a house. This is his hideaway. He comes here to escape the world, not have the world invade him. So, he will be a little testy for awhile." He walked Next to me as we entered the main room.

The play was bigger than the outside let on. It was an open floor plan with a loft for a sleeping area. The floor was hardwood and stained a deep mahogany. It gleamed like it had been freshly waxed. Even the furnishings fit in with the rustic theme if the cabin. I was impressed that he actually had some kind of taste. I would have thought of his place as a hodge podge of things thrown together, but maybe time had taught him something, or he hired someone to do this for him. Either way, it was nice.

The guys, Jakob, Dawson and Tom, sat on the couch, not really knowing what to make of all of this. Jenna was sitting in one of the chairs next to the couch. She nodded her head at us to acknowledge our arrival. Desmond was nowhere to be seen. That worried me a bit. Altair was not in the main room as well. Those two were like water and oil. They could not coexist.

"Where are the other two?" I asked as I sat my bag down.

Jenna uncurled her long legs from beneath her and stood. "Altair walked upstairs as soon as he came through the door, and Desmond is around here somewhere."

"He's in the bathroom." Altair's voice came from the loft above.

I looked up to see him come to the rail and lean against it. "Well, one issue down. Tell him to hurry up. We have some planning to do."

"Who died and left you in charge? I believe this is my home, and I believe I have the right to say what is being planned?" He glared down at me.

What the hell crawled up his ass and died? He was shot once through the side. I was electrocuted multiple times. Oh, and also beat. He had better quite getting shitty with me. "Excuse me. I am not planning anything. I was going to see about sleeping arrangements, and going for supplies. I wanted everyone's input on it."

He shook his head. "Fine." He disappeared from the rail.

I clinched my fists in anger. I wanted nothing more than to go and punch him in his face at that point, but a hand rested on my shoulder. I turned to see Ezio's chocolate eyes watching me. "He is not worth it, Alanna. Let it go."

I breathed in, closed my eyes and breathed out. I let the anger flow from me like a breath. It was a teaching that was as old as the Order itself. An assassin must always be calm, in control. If not, the mission will not be successful. I knew this to be true in missions and in life. Anger clouded better judgment and let to rash decisions. One should not jump headlong into anything with anger in their hearts. It will not end well.

"Thank you." I smiled halfheartedly at him.

He smiled back. "Any time. I am just here to keep the peace, and occasionally blow things up. It is a good life."

I laughed a bit. "With me and him, you are always on your toes."

He shook his head. "Not really you two anymore, but him and the boy. They are far too different to get along."

Before either of us could say another word, Desmond came walking down the stairs, but Altair came back to the rail. I looked back up at him. "You want to come join?"

"I am fine up here."

"I do not know this place. I do not know how many rooms is in here. You should make out the sleeping arrangements." I turned the power over to him.

He looked down at all of us. "Fine. There are two guest rooms in the back. People are sharing beds though. One has a twin, while the other is a queen. The couch is free and that's it, unless you want to sleep on the floor. My room is off limits." With that, he walked off again.

"Wow, someone has a stick scrammed up his ass." Desmond mumbled under his breath, but I heard it and smiled.

It was true. He was in an awfully pissy mood. I turned to the others. "So, who wants to do a food run? We should have done that before we came here, but oh well."

Ezio stepped forward. "I will. I know where we are. I will take two others with me. That way we can get it done faster."

Jenna, of course, volunteered and so did Dawson. Grabbing some money from the duffel, I handed them a wad. I did not care how much was in it. They gaped at me like I had two heads. Dawson looked at the money then back at me. "You just hand out this much cash without caring? You wanna buy me a new rifle?" He gave me a sideways grin.

"If you can find one. And you guys have to get enough stuff to last awhile. That's why you got that amount." I handed a stack to Ezio. "Make sure they do not go hog wide on stupid things. We need the basics and, well you know. We have been here before."

He smiled as he recalled. "November of 1503. That was a month to remember."

I chuckled, recalling that time in our lives. "Much wine, and I running around the streets of Roma wearing that damn outfit. You still owe me for that."

"I rather liked that outfit." Altair called from upstairs.

"It speaks and not in a yelling tone. Wow, some things can change." I yelled back.

"Shut up." Was the response I got.

"Mature, Altair, real mature." The Italian chuckled next to me. "Good luck while we are gone. Do not kill each other."

I rolled my eyes. That was not going to happen, because he would most likely stay in his loft and sulk, and I would stay down here, and sleep. I was so tired. Oh, and shower. I needed a shower. I felt gross.

"Don't you worry your dark head over that one. I am staying down here and he will stay up there. No way we can hit each other when we are on different floors. Now get going." I waved him off.

"Be good children." He ruffled my hair and I drew back to hit him, but his quick feet danced backwards until he was at the door. "See you in a little bit."

The door closed and I sighed. I yelled up to Altair. "Please tell me there is a bathroom on this level."

"Yeah, but it does not have a shower in it." He walked over to where I could see him.

Damn, that meant I had to go upstairs. "Ugh." I grabbed my bag and walked up the stairs. He was laying on the bed, already changed, watching something on the TV. "You seem to have gotten comfortable."

"Well, it is my place. Why did you guys decide to come here?" He turned and looked at me.

I threw my bag on the floor near the bathroom door. I took a corner of his bed and began to remove my boots. "One, it was closer than my place in Montana. Two, it was closer than New York, and three, no one knows about this place other than Ezio. I knew because Ezio told me. It was a tactical decision. That was all."

He thought about it for a moment and nodded. "Alright. Now, when do we get rid of the three jokers?"

"They have names you know." I laid my boots next to the bed.

He shrugged and went back to watching the TV. "Don't really care."

Heaven help me, the asshole was back. I swear he had more mood swings than a menopausal woman. One minute he's biting everyone's head off for something stupid, then in the next minute, lounging on a bed watching, I looked at the TV, basketball? Seriously? He was catching up on the college hoops while we are hiding out from the world. Why does everyone obsess over that? I would never understand the other sex for as long as I live, and that is going to be for a very long time.

"You are messed up in the head. You know that right?" I stood up, and watched towards the bathroom door.

He never looked at me, but a ghost of a smile played at his scarred lips. "You should know that by now, Alanna, none of us are truly right in the head. I chalk it up to seeing too many things we should have never seen."

I thought about that and shrugged. "I am getting in the shower. Leave me alone for awhile." With that, I walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.