"I'll gouge out your eyes, Jacob."
"I'll leave you to bleed out."
"You cannot stop me."
"You can't escape."
He was haunting them. He hid in the shadows, fed off of the pain and bloodshed. Whitechapel was a war zone people refused to leave their homes and even then no one felt safe.
He knew where you slept, he knew everything. He had eyes and ears everywhere and no one could be trusted. The Rooks once loyal to the assassins looking over London had turned on them and sided with the traitor.
They sided with the man the public had named, Jack The Ripper. He targeted the "Ladies of the night." They were murdered by sadistic butchery, suggesting a mind more sociopathic and hateful than most citizens could comprehend. Jack the Ripper didn't just snuff out life with a knife, he mutilated and humiliated women, and his crimes seemed to portray an hatred for the entire female gender.
So it was no surprise to Jacob that the streets and alleyways of Whitechapel were just about deserted. Sure there were a few younger men lingering about, talking about how they'd kill the Ripper and hang his body for display. They'd be heroes and be the most bad-ass men in England.
"The Ripper is some Flapdoodle, can't get none of it," A man laughed. "That's why he's killin' em,' He nudged the man next to him. And just got scowl in response.
"Not saying anything about that monster," Another replied.
The man scoffed and got in a fighting stance, "Not scared of the ripper, he's just a joke. He's nothin to be'fraid about!"
Jacob stopped in his tracks and looked over at the man who seemed so certain he could defeat The Ripper. He wanted to laugh at that fool and it ridiculous how cocky he was. But that would be hypocritical as he was like that once.
Young and dumb and so very certain he could defeat every damn obstacle in his way. And for a little while it had gone like that he'd defeated Crawford Starrick the disgusting excuse for a human, the one man standing in the assassins way of winning London back from the Templars. Of course he didn't do that alone (He'd like to believe he did but that was very untrue) Evie had played a bigger role in it. And if she hadn't been there to clean up the messes he made, Starrick would have definitely killed him and slowly the working class.
Jacob took a deep breath and continued to quietly walk down the dark alleyway. It was depressing to Whitechapel in such poor shape again, more homeless people then ever and gang violence at an all time high. The area was falling apart and the people were giving up, they were giving in.
It was a cesspool of crime, and the poor were living on the living and fighting to survive. He recalled reading an article in the paper, about how Whitechapel was a place for savages and monsters. And every breath being in this damned place live in constant fear...the fear of being the next victim.
It doesn't have to be this way, it never had to be this way. Jacob was desperate for this to all end, this was a complete disaster. And it was all his fault.
Nothing could take away the sick feeling he had in the pit of his stomach and nothing could get rid of the guilt he was carrying on his shoulders.
"Jacob!"
He frowned and turned to look behind him, "Nellie!?" Jacob hissed. "You shouldn't be out at this hour!"
She frowned, "T-Theres been another one, another victim!" She seemed about ready to faint. She was as pale as a ghost and she was trembling.
Jacob was silent, no no no. Not again! He couldn't lose anyone else! "Where!?" He asked quickly grabbing her arm, "Nellie bring me there right now!"
Nellie took a deep breath, "Follow me."
It was a painful trip, the entire time he was fighting back the urge to scream in frustration, throw things and drink away the pain and misery all of this was causing.
"Out of the way!" Jacob hissed pushing through the crowd that was gathered around the scene.
"You can't go here," An officer snarled.
"Sod off," Jacob muttered easily pushing past him. He ignored what the officer had to say in response and just focused on looking for Abberline. After a moment of pushing through more people and officers he saw Fredrick Abberline standing alone. The poor man looked like he was dragged through hell and back and it seemed that sleep wasn't something he got much off.
Jacob definitely knew how that felt. Sleep was something he hadn't been able to do since this started, "Jacob," Abberline frowned. "I..." He sighed, "Another victim was found just before 1:00 am," He said frowning.
"Has she been identified yet?"
Abberline shook his head, "Not at the moment, but I've heard there's a possible witness. So it's only a matter of time." He paused, "The body is over there," He said pointing over to his left. "My men will let you through."
Jacob wasted no time. He needed to get to the body and look at it before any evidence was ruined by the press.
He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the worst. He had made sure to stop all plans of reasoning with Jack after what happened to the first two assassins he sent for Jack... he didn't want a repeat.
God damnit.
It was a grotesque sight. Her intestines had been torn out and placed neatly by her shoulder, her throat was gashed deeply and there was so much blood... so much. She had suffered a great deal.
This didn't have to happen, she didn't have to die.
Jacob clenched his eyes shut. Oh God no! He felt as if he was going to vomit, scream and cry all at the same time.
Two assassins dead.
Two Women he had sent to their deaths. It was because of him they were dead. He had made these plans, to disguise assassins as prostitutes to lure Jack out from the shadows. Reason with him...
But after the first attempt failed. He started to try and work on a new approach, to make it an ambush of some sort. He wasn't even done figuring out how it should go! Why did she come out here!?
More blood was on his hands. He had put those girls up to this! He'd made them bait and look where this got them, where it got him!
He was losing everything. His assassins, his apprentice's were fleeing, the Rooks. Even his wife had fled. He was just about alone in this fight. A fight with a psychopath and a gang that had turned on him.
Jacob grabbed the assassin ring off of cold still finger and he rushed past Abberline ignoring his questions. He was going to find Jack and end this.
He had to end that man's life. No matter how much it hurts to do so.