The rescue preparations were almost ready in the afternoon, but Altair was far from liking them: his arms were crossed against his chest, his posture was tense, and his face was frowning.
"I already explained what everyone would do to secure a quick exit from New York after the rescue…" Connor said, approaching, but after one look at Altair, he stopped explaining. "I know you don't like it, but we don't have time to do better than this…"
Altair took a deep breath.
"I know…" He said. "But knowing this won't make this better…"
"It will work, Altair…" Maria said, putting a hand on his arm. "Trust us…"
Altair nodded even though he knew it wouldn't work… he would only relax when she returned.
Minutes later, they said goodbye to each other and Maria walked to the carriage where Connor was waiting. As soon as she seated, they parted with a large entourage behind.
Turning himself, Altair said to Achilles:
"Don't put me on this position again…"
"You're right…" Achilles said. "I won't…"
They both went to the house.
X ~ X ~ X
At night:
It was already night when Connor, Maria and the others arrived in New York. They had stopped in the middle of the trees, so the guards, dogs, or guardhouses couldn't see them at the city's entrance. Descending from the carriage and their horses, they extinguished the torches and picked up their weapons.
"How are we going to enter the city?" Maria asked.
"We'll enter from the side…" Connor said. "We only have to be careful with the patrols…"
Maria nodded.
"Before we enter, I have to give you some things…" Connor said, picking up a few things on the bag he brought. "You'll need this…"
Maria saw that he held a knife in his hand. She picked it up… it was bigger than the one she trained when she was a Templar… but this one served too…
"Pick some throwing knives also…" Connor said. "Is your aim good?"
"Yeah…" Maria said, guarding them.
"Great… let's go then…" Connor finished.
Maria followed Connor and the others into the left side of the city. They walked fast among stones, grass and water. When they entered this part of the town, they started to hide among shadows the houses and buildings. There were guards with dogs everywhere.
Taking care not to be seen, they moved forward.
When they saw a guard with a bayonet, Connor made a sign to Maria, who nodded. In silence, she walked behind the guard and with one movement, she covered his mouth with one hand as the other stabbed him on the back, keeping it there until she felt his body limp.
Connor helped her to drag the body behind. Maria retrieved the knife and cleaned the body as Clipper and Connor threw the body inside a well.
"Let's go…" Connor said.
They continued to sneak until they arrived at the tunnels' south entrance, where Kendall was waiting for them.
"Kendall…" Connor said softly.
Kendall looked at him and his friends as they approached. He didn't expect a woman with them… a gorgeous woman…
Maria noting he was looking at her, just ignored him.
"I was beginning to worry…" Kendall said.
"We had some problems…" Connor said, calling his attention.
Kendall nodded.
"Before we go, I need to handle this for you…" Kendall said, picking up a key. "I changed it for another when I returned to my post yesterday… come on, we don't have time to waste…"
Guarding the key, Connor helped Kendall to open the door to the entrance of the tunnels.
"Come on, quickly…" Kendall said.
Everyone entered quickly and Kendall closed the door. The tunnels were illuminated, indicating the presence of Templars…
"Stay alert…" Connor said.
Kendall started to walk in front of them. He took them to a labyrinth of tunnels, sometimes going up and down wooden platforms, pulling levers and killing Templars who were there on the way.
"Very well, we're here… after this door, there's a small corridor that takes to another door… this second door takes to the main corridor to the cells George Washington is…" Kendall said when they entered a room. "Let me solve the puzzle…"
Kendall quickly resolved the Templar puzzle and gave some space to Connor, who knelt and, with too small irons, broke the lock and opened the door seconds later…
"Let's go…" Connor said. "Thanks, Kendall… go meet the rest of us in the woods outside the town… I already told them about you…"
Kendall nodded and said, turning:
"Good luck…"
The six entered the small corridor… Duncan was the last one and closed the door behind him… the passage was poorly li, but it was enough to see…
"I'm glad he left…" Maria said. "I caught him several times inappropriately looking at me…"
"I saw…" Connor said. "We'll keep an eye on him when we get back…"
Maria nodded.
"Ok…" She said.
They started to walk to the other door, which was locked with a thick padlock. Connor quickly opened it and looked to the corridor to see if he spotted anyone…
Neither seeing nor listening to anyone, he was the first to exit, followed by Maria and the others…
"Let's stick to the plan…" Connor said.
"What he looks like?" Maria asked.
"Achilles gave me a description… he is tall, has white cut and trimmed hair more or less this size…" Connor explained.
Everyone nodded and took their places, as Connor and Maria looked for their target on the cells, breaking up to save time…
Maria was quicker and found him first.
"Connor…" She called.
He looked at her and approached, seeing George Washington sitting on the bed.
"George Washington?" Connor asked.
When George looked up, he saw a man and a woman.
"Who are you?" George asked.
"My name is Connor and this is Maria… Achilles sent us…" Connor said. "We come to rescue you…"
George Washington got up from the bed and walked to the cell bars, asking:
"How did you know I was here?
"Samuel Adams alerted Achilles you were arrested…" Connor said, opening the cell door with a key. "But we had to investigate to find exactly where you were…"
George Washington thanked Connor and Maria.
"They are going to discover you escaped soon…" Maria said. "We have to go…"
They nodded.
The three walked back to the corridor where they came. When they were almost arriving at the entrance, they heard screams and noises of shots. Jacob and Duncan came running as Clipper and Jamie were still shooting.
All of them ran to the door and entered quickly.
"Let's go… I know the way to the exit…" Connor said.
As they ran, the voice of Templar guards behind them could be heard, besides shots. For several minutes it was like that until they arrived at the entrance of the tunnels.
They quickly ran upstairs and closed the door behind them. After, they stopped a little to rest.
"We made it…" Maria said with her hands on her knees.
"But… we have to… go…" Connor said. "They must …have… alerted the… others…"
They nodded and started to run back the way they had come, carefully not to be seen by the guards. They could hear the alarm in the background.
Twice they entered into a conflict and forced to defend themselves.
When they arrived at the same point they used to enter the city, they saw many guards and one more patrol.
"What we do now, Connor?" Duncan said.
"You stay here…" Connor said.
"Are you going to face them alone?" Maria asked. "I'm going to help you…"
"No, you stay here… if you hurt yourself, any further Altair will kill me…" Connor said.
Maria looked at him… her English side was starting to show off.
"Bloody hell, I'm going…" She said, getting up.
The men looked at each other and Connor sighed exasperatedly. He got up, ran to her, put a hand over her mouth and picked her with his other arm. Maria started to struggle and even bit his hand, but Connor took her back.
He put her in front of men, sitting.
"Connor…" Maria said outraged.
"Shit Maria, you really bite…" Connor said. "Stay here… theses are captains… stronger than a common patrol…"
"I had faced men like that before…" She said with clenched teeth.
"I know, but not with me…" He said. "Tie her…"
Maria started to protest as the man put her hands back and put a gag on her mouth… they also tied her feet…
"It's for your safety…" Connor said. "You can kill me later…"
Connor turned himself to face the captains. Minutes later, he killed the last one and made a sign for his them… they picked Maria and went to Connor… he picked her up and put her on his shoulder and started running with them…
Getting to the woods, where most of his friends were, he put her down on the ground. She was looking at him like she had a fire in her eyes…
"Rest a little…" Kanen'to:kon said.
"What happened to Maria?" Zio asked.
"She was… causing trouble…" Connor said, straightening himself.
They rested as the others, which would guarantee their exit, picked their weapons, arcs and arrows and were on standby.
"Get ready…" Kanen'to:kon said about five minutes later, starting to shoot.
"It's time to go…" Connor said. "But first, you need to put this on, George…"
"Why?" George asked.
"For our safety…" Connor said.
George nodded and Connor put a sack over his head and tied his hands back. They put Maria on the carriage and then George Washington. Connor e Zio got up on the front and they followed the others...