Sorry for the long wait. I put Chapters 2 and 3 up on the same day, and I apologize for the much longer wait for this chapter. Thank you too everyone who reads my story and I'd be very grateful for feedback of any kind. Enjoy!
'Who the hell is this?" the man asked as the van sped away from the guards, who were firing pointlessly at the back of the van. Cracks appeared in the windows, but they did not shatter.
"Vigilante. Don't worry Vince, they're with me," Ethan answered.
"What about Grove?" Vince asked, "Did you get him?"
"Williamson here got him first," Ethan told him, "It was a good kill. The boy's got talent." Vince looked at me.
"Williamson?" he questioned, "As in Charles Williamson?"
I nodded. Here was another person who knew my father.
"I thought he'd gotten captured with the rest," Vince commented.
"He got away," Ethan explained, "and with his father's blade as well."
Vince looked down at my blade, and so did I. I had managed to escape with the hidden blade I now used all those years ago.
"That's not the only thing we got," Angela piped up, and handed Vince the Animus file. After skimming through it's contents, he said "Guess our insiders didn't know about this."
Ethan moved to the front of the van and said to the driver "Dave, take us to the hideout in Venice Beach."
"Hang on," said Vince, frowning, "That's not the plan. We're supposed to get out Los Angeles."
"It's worth the risk to make sure the others know that not only is Williamson alive, but we have his son as well," Ethan explained.
"Wait a minute," I interjected, "First off, why is my farther so important to you? Second, what do you want with me? Third, you can't keep us captive."
"We're not going to," Ethan assured us, "We'll explain everything about your farther when we get back to the hideout. If you wanna leave, go ahead, but the Templars are out there and looking for the guy who took out a major asset to their cause, and plus: you have a better chance of finding your family if you stick with us."
"Templars?" Angela piped up.
"Our enemies," Dave said, "Or maybe you know them as Abstergo."
I laughed, and said "Abstergo? Really? The tech company?"
"Tech company, yes," answered Vince, "And yes, really. Abstergo is involved in science and technology, but all that "better future" bullshit is a lie. They only use technology to ensure that they have everyone in the world under their control."
It was night time when we reached Venice Beach. As we drove around the area, I heard a voice on the radio.
"And earlier today, Aberstgo scientist Michael Grove was found murdered while inspecting a property on downtown Los Angeles. A single stab wound was found on the body, and police strongly believe that foul play was involved."
Finally, we stopped next to an old building, that looked like a run-down apartment. A few lights were on in the lower windows, but other than that,the place seemed empty.
"Here we are," Dave announced, "Move quickly, I don't want anyone seeing us."
We exited the van and Angela and I were whisked into the ground floor of the building. The entire floor was one room, and dimly lit by a few lamps. A single man sat at a desk in the corner.
"Evening gents," he said in a British accent, "Brought some guests have we?"
"If only you knew who we found," Dave muttered to the man as the five of us walked past the desk and toward a staircase leading down. Coming from the bottom of the stairs, I could hear several voices and footsteps, and the room below seemed more brightly-lit.
We found ourselves in a long, but wide corridor, with doors on either side. People came and went as we walked by, and several stared at my blade, with Grove's dry blood still on it.
At the end was a large room, and it was bustling with activity. Workstations were set up around the walls, with the exception of the large screen built into the front wall. Men and women sat at the stations, all with headsets, multiple monitors and computers that looked like they were supplying the world's internet.
At the end of the room, between two workstations, was a single wooden door.
"Alright Williamson," Vince told me, "You're about to get your answers."
Inside was an office with a desk at the back and two chairs on our side, and one at the other. A man sat in the chair, examining a report. He looked up, and said "Ahh, Ethan, you're back. I heard about Grove's death. Good kill. Now... as for-"
He stopped dead in his sentence when he saw me next to Dave and Angela.
"Is-is that?" he said in disbelief.
"Yep," Ethan confirmed, "Charles Williamson's son, and the guy who stole my kill today."
The man stood up form his desk and approached. he was an older man, maybe a bit older than Grove, but he seemed very healthy and fit for some his age.
"You must have several questions," he said, then invited me to sit down in one of the chairs, and motioned for Angela to do the same.
"So, you're the one who killed Grove?" he asked.
"Yes," I told him.
"I see," he paused, then said, "We're not sorry to see him gone; he was a target of ours for months. But what is it that you wanted with him?"
"He was involved in my farther's kidnapping," I explained, "Why does everyone here know him?"
"Charlie never told you?" the man asked in surprise. I shook my head in confusion.
"Christ Charles, what were you thinking?" he muttered to himself, "Where to begin? Okay. Ryan, I'll be truthful here, your farther was an Assassin. yes, I know you have questions." He saw me begin to interrupt.
"Your farther was one of us. We're a group of... well you could call us vigilantes. Our enemies are the Templars, known these days as Abstergo Industries. They're a corrupt organisation who wish for control over very man and woman on this earth, and we're the only ones standing in their way. Your farther was one of the greatest we had ever known, and we had hoped you would someday join our Order, but we can't force you to make a decision. It's your choice now. You wish to find your family, I know, but so do we, and I hope that you may fight alongside us and help us bring him back home. You'll have a better chance with us, as an Assassin."
I thought about it, then gave him my answer.
"I'm in. When do we start?"