Chapter 29: Behind the curtain
Krieger jerked awake and found himself laying on the floor "What the bloody hell was that?" He looked at the bottle of rum tipped over next to him and groaned "That's it, I quit drinking."
"I highly doubt that," said Mr. Leeson standing in the door way.
He sighed as he laid his head back down "Am I dreaming again? I dreamt that you were in my room rambling on about you know who I am or some such bullshit, so am I dreaming again?"
"You are not dreaming and I actually do know who you are," he said walking to a chair and sat down. "I know who you are, Krieger. Probably more so than you know about yourself."
Krieger chuckled "Are you cracked old man?" He sat up as he rested his elbow on his knee "What can you possibly know about me, that I don't?" He groaned as he stood up and walked over to the table and poured himself a drink, "Want one?"
"Thought you quit drinking."
"I lied. Do you want one or not?"
Mr. Leeson shook his head "No, but thank you."
Krieger nodded then took a drink, "So, out with it. What do you know about me?"
"How about we start with how you know Asha's stepfather?"
Krieger choked on his drink then looked at Mr. Leeson, "How did you-,"
Mr. Leeson sat up straight and looked at Krieger with serious eyes. "Doesn't matter how I know, but what does matter is that you better tell Asha soon, before she finds out in a different way."
"Why are you here? To create trouble for all of us?"
"To help save some of you as I could not save Asha's Mother. You know what Asha's mother was, she doesn't. Her whole life is a secret, a part of it is a lie, and no one has told her the truth and even you, you don't know the whole truth. You've suspected, but you never pursued it."
"Because...because I-,"
"Is it really that hard for you to believe?"
"Where is Asha?"
"She went to her old home. My guess is she will most likely stay there. Go tell her all that you know before someone else does."
/
"I'll be back tonight, I swear," said Tavington as he stood with Asha on the porch, "Are you sure you don't want one of us to stay? I can spare Bordon or Ban, or Wilkins. You know I would stay, but-,"
Asha nodded "My Uncle won't allow that. You still have a war to fight. Just be careful heading back."
Tavington kissed Asha then smiled "I'll see you soon." He walked down the stairs and stopped in front of Karissa "Look after her, huh?"
"If you look after my man," she turned around and smiled at Bordon.
"And mine," said Denise chuckling gripping Ban's arm.
"You two realize how much of a job that is right?"
"Nonsense, I'm the best there is," Ban smiled then kissed Denise. "I have something to tell you before I go."
"What's that?" asked Denise.
"I um...," Ban sighed, "I love you. There. I said the one thing I never thought I would." He held her hand, "But I do."
Denise smiled then kissed Ban "As I love you. When you come back tomorrow, I'm going to-," she whispered something into his ear which caused him to raise his eyebrows, "My little vixen," he chuckled. He looked to his commander, "We should hurry there so we could hurry back."
Tavington rolled his eyes and laughed, "We'll be back late tonight." He looked at Asha one last time and rode off with Bordon, Ban, and Wilkins.
Denise and Karissa stood behind Asha as they watched their men ride off. Karissa laughed causing Denise and Asha to look at her, "What's so funny?" asked Asha.
"I never thought the lot of us would find someone that actually makes us happy or that we would find someone who wasn't an assassin to be with."
"We got soldiers instead," Asha smiled, "And that's fine by me."
"Let's head inside, we still need to look through the house and find out what we can about...whatever that drawing was."
"Hey, I just thought of something. You remember that man we ran into? Um...Mr. Greyson, I think. He said had a whole archive of things. Maybe we'll find something at his place. He left me a key."
"Wait, when was this?"
Asha snapped her fingers, "Um it was shortly after the assembly hall, when Karissa and I split off from you. He recognized me and told me he knew my Mother and had stuff that she had saved at his place. He didn't trust leaving it in the old house because of my stepfather, so you up for a trip? It's only about a few miles I think."
"Alright, let's go," said Karissa. They then got on their horses and rode off.
/
"So...you're in love?" smiled Tavington looking towards Ban.
"Shut up," he chuckled.
"Didn't you love that one woman um...Charlea?" questioned Bordon.
"Well, I loved her, but I didn't love her."
Bordon blinked "What?"
"I mean, I wasn't in love with her. I am in love with Denise. I could actually see myself you know...living a long life with her."
Tavington and Bordon both laughed after looking at each other. "I never thought I would live to see the day," smiled Bordon.
"I hate you two," said Ban smiling as Tavington and Bordon laughed.
/
Asha, Karissa, and Denise walked through Greyson's house and coming up empty. Denise sighed, "How come I never met this Greyson?"
"He liked to stay hidden most of the time. Basically, he didn't like people," said Asha going through a desk.
"And you two never...you know?" smiled Denise.
"Are you kidding me? Gross!" exclaimed Karissa. "The man was like a hundred years old."
Asha scoffed, "He was 42 at the time I met him." She paused "And it was one time."
Karissa looked at her friend shocked "Oh my god!" She laughed, "How was he?"
"Karissa!" Asha laughed. She looked at her friend who was looking at her intently, "Alright, he was...pretty good. Now, would you two continue to look?"
/
Sean was going through some papers on a desk and getting more frustrated by the moment. He sighed then slammed on the top and out popped a hidden compartment "Son of a bitch," he whispered, "and here I thought violence wasn't going to solve anything." He looked through the papers in the drawer and came across something. He unfolded the piece of parchment and looked at it intently "What the hell is this?"
"What do you think you're doing?" asked Stephen walking in.
"Sir!" Sean turned around sharply with the paper behind his back.
"I figured it would only be a matter of time before you got too curious and you wouldn't be able to resist." He walked closer, "So, did you find it?"
"Find what?"
Stephen backhanded Sean in the face "Try again. Did you find it?"
"Yes, sir," he swallowed. He looked at Stephen, "Is this true then?"
"Yes, it's true and I'm the man behind the curtain of it all."
"What you were going to have me do," Sean shook his head," Why?"
Stephen chuckled, "Oh, Sean." He punched him across the face into the desk, then slammed him into the wall, then kicked his stomach. "Because you're a part of my plan." He punched Sean continuously in the face until he was out cold, "and you're just the beginning of my plan."
Two men came into the room, "They're at the house, sir. They should be on their way as soon as they find the parchment that we planted."
"Good. Take Sean here and tie him to a chair in the bedroom."
"Sir," both men nodded.
"And boys? Prepare for our guests," he smiled to his men. He looked out the window, "I will stop at nothing until I get my revenge, on everyone."
