22

The small team started to spread out to cover the station after leaving the initiates to take out any scouts on the perimeter. Evie zip lined up onto the roof, heightening her senses as much as possible to locate Hunter or Annie. She picked up Annie's voice coming from what looked like a personal train car. She was giving orders to one of her followers.

Henry and George appeared by her side

"I've located Annie" Evie whispered to the others "Hunter?" she questioned

"We can't locate him" George replied "but then we don't have your vision, he could be using the shadows"

Evie looked down at the car "I believed he would be near Annie but I've got nothing. Stay alert, I'm going to end Annie. If he appears we'll need to fight together to take him down" she answered

"I'll take the north of the station" Henry whispered "George, watch the south"

George nodded and left. Henry took Evie's arm

"Be careful" he said gently and left to scout. Evie lowered herself into the station after the Templar had left and silently entered the car.

Annie was sitting at a table facing the door of the luxurious car when she saw Evie enter. She sat patiently. Face blank of expression. Evie stood, discarding her hood.

"Well well, come for your revenge my dear? I must say I'm surprised to see you, considering Hunter will be raining hellfire down on your little hiding place by now" Annie said as she smiled

"What do you mean" Evie replied suddenly turning cold.

Annie laughed and suddenly pulled a pistol from under the table, firing at Evie who quickly dodged and launched herself at Annie pinning her up against the wall with the hidden blade at the ready

"Do it" Annie seethed "become the monster I remember. The monster that cut the tongues from the Templars that disobeyed me!"

Evie's grip tightened on Annie's collar as she pointed the blade dangerously at her throat

"Shut up" Evie hissed, but Annie continued

"The monster that drew her own brother's blood.…. The monster that beat her betrothed unconscious!"

"SHUT UP!" Evie shouted, unsure why she couldn't run her blade across Annie's throat. Instead, she suddenly threw her wildly across the car. Annie picked herself up off the floor and glared at Evie grinning

"So... I did break you after all. You see how love makes you weak? With my help you would have become the most feared assassin of all. Alas for your bleeding heart!" she drawled mockingly. "Tell me Evie, what good is an assassin that can't kill?"

Evie just stared at the floor. Her hands trembling. But then noticed a shift in the shadows behind Annie

"My family looked down on me and were ashamed. Well they are gone now!" Annie screeched "My followers wait to present me with something that will make me immortal and the whole of the world shall tremble at my feet. Family be DAMNED!"

Annie let out a maniacal laugh which was suddenly cut short as a blade burst violently from her chest. She looked down confused, coughing up blood as a tall women from behind pulled close to her ear

"Next time send more than three hunters, I barley had any fun at all" the shadow teased with a Grecian accent. The shadow then withdrew her blade from Annie's back and pushed her to the floor. Evie backed up staring at the stranger, not sure what to expect and the women stood, noting Evie's caution and spoke.

"You have nothing to fear from me child... you are the blood of my blood" and with this the tall women disappeared into the shadows and was gone.

Evie was sitting on the train car floor staring at nothing when George and Henry found her, both quickly observing Annie's dead body. Henry crouched beside Evie

"Are you alright?" he said softly.

She gave a small nod in response but continued to stare at the floor.

"Where is that damnable Hunter!" George growled. Evie finally spoke.

"He was never here….. Jacob went back alone... and I let him..."

"What are you saying?" George asked suddenly becoming concerned.

Evie finally looked up with broken eyes "Hunter found the safe house..."

George leapt up shouting for the others to make haste. Henry gently helped Evie up

"I've become a liability to you all..." she said trailing off

"What do you mean?" Henry questioned

"After everything she did to me I couldn't kill her... I told Jacob I wouldn't fail and I couldn't kill her…" Henry looked at the body confused but recognized the pain In Evie's eyes. Pain he was familiar with so very long ago

"That women has broken something inside me and I fear It may never mend" Evie said quietly.

Even though George ran the horse to exhaustion the journey back to the safe house felt painfully slow. Evie leapt from the carriage as it came into the courtyard. The West of the house now smouldered in the rain and bodies were littered across the yard. There her eyes fell on Hunters battered corpse beside her. She crouched down and glanced upon Jacob's shilling lying amongst the stones. She picked it up and examined the cut leather lace and blooded coin.

"Jacob!" she shouted anxiously whilst looking around "Jacob, where are you!"

George joined her side and observed the carnage around them

"God's" he gasped

"Evie" Henry shouted from the brush "this way"

They both followed him through the trees, being lead towards the little groundskeeper's house by one of the initiates. Evie raced forward and barged through the door making the children huddled around the fire start.

"Jacob!" Evie cried

"In the back room" Agnes said guiding her.

She entered the room and he was sitting up on the couch. Battered and bruised with Lilly gently tending his wounds, looking like he'd decided to pick a fight with a train. His eyes locked onto hers

"Evie" he said Horsley "please tell me you brought some celebratory ale with you?"

Evie quickly crossed the room and pulled him into an embrace

"Ow,…owww" he groaned and she pulled away

"I'm sorry, I'm just glad you're alright" she said tensely

"Would have been better with alcohol" he sulked and she broke into a huge grin and nudged him lightly.

"You seem to have lost something" Evie said gently, placing their mother's once lucky shilling into his hand. Jacob closed a fist around it and managed a small nod

"Annie?" he questioned

"She's finished" Evie replied.