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Troy's team handcuffed us and led us through the dark hallways of the building. The corridors, brightly lit hours ago, looked eerie and desolate. Some of them were blackened, wood and metal scattered all over, from the fires and explosions. We didn't bother trying to run. If we did, we'd be dead in seconds. I wondered what had become of my team, and the bomb.
Troy and a Templar guardsmen opened the doors to the Senate Chamber. It was similar to the House of Representatives, but smaller and decorated in red. The table and Speaker's chair were in their usual place, as were the seats. Troy's guards freed one of our hands each and cuffed the other to a different leg of the table. He then withdrew a small package from which he conjured up a small capsule-like object covered in wires and a timer set for ten minutes.
"The bomb!" I said, shaking with a mixture of fear and rage.
"Yes, the bomb," Troy replied setting it on the table where we could both see the timer.
"Troy, you'll destroy an entire city!" Charlie pleaded. Troy made a sound like a buzzer.
"Sorry, Williamson, wrong guess. IT's not that powerful, that was just a ruse to get you here. It'll destroy Parliament House though, and when they find the remains of Ryan and Charlie Williamson- two respected Assassins- in the rubble, your brotherhood won't be welcome anymore."
"Why, Troy?" I asked, "What made you betray us?"
Troy sighed. "Jones never told you about me, did? Well, I'll tell you. I remember your father before he went missing, when he was the greatest Assassin known to mankind. I looked up to him, just like everybody else when he got kidnapped and you went missing, the position of top dog was mine to take.
"I was the new respected Assassin. Everybody knew MY name for once. Then you chose to come out from your rock and take down Grove.
"Suddenly, you were the famous one, and nobody remembered me. And when your washed-up father came back, it got even worse. My team abandoned me, and I became a nobody. Then I had my chance at the WTC, to kill Meyer and get the glory again, and you ruined it. You were a traitor, Ryan. Your lack or respect for your fellow Assassins shows show that you have no loyalty to the Assassins."
"You're one to talk," I spat. Troy smacked me across the face.
"Shut up. I left because I saw who really were the hero's. You only joined the Brotherhood to find your family, and you rejected the cause once your bit was done."
"You're insane!" Charlie burst out.
Troy turned to him. "Oh look, I have zero fucks left to give," he said to us, before starting the timer and leaving, followed by his guard. The doors slammed shut, and everything was still.
This is where I'll die, I thought to myself, handcuffed to a table in an unfamiliar country.
The minutes ticked down. Nine minutes, eight minutes, seven minutes. It all went by so fast.
"Do you have anything that could cut through these cuffs," Charlie asked hopelessly.
"Nope," I replied dully, "These blades can't cut through shit."
"There's got to be something," Charlie replied, looking over the table. A thought came to me.
"Maybe the we can cut through the wood," I suggested. We tried, but could only make small dents in the wood. I slumped against the table.
"This isn't working," I said gloomily. Charlie looked around, then down at his cuffed hand. "There is something."
"What?" I asked. Charlie looked at his hand again, then at my blade. I understood what he meant.
"No," I stated firmly.
"It's the only way."
"Absolutely not!" I protested.
"If I can get to the gun over by that bench, I can shoot the chain and free you," he replied.
"You'll die!" I said.
"If we don't do this, we'll both die anyway! Besides, if you bandage it up, I should be okay as long as we can get out of here without trouble!" Charlie explained.
"I won't do it!" I told my father.
"Fucking hell, Ryan! Angela's pregnant for God's sake!"
I stopped.
"W-what?" I choked out. Charlie looked at me.
"You didn't know?" he asked. I shook my head.
"Christ, she said she'd tell you on the trip to Sydney. I thought you already knew. Ryan, you know what happens if Miles and Jones find out."
I paused and thought. Jones had said that any pregnancy had to be terminated if legal. If it wasn't, or the woman who was pregnant refused to do so, she would be discharged from service.
"Ryan, get out of here. For your son's- my grandson's sake."
I looked at him, then nodded in defeat. Sighing, I took out a roll of think gauze from my back pocket and handed it to him. Then, I moved toward him and ejected my blade.
"If this doesn't cu
t through, you probably won't make it," I said before bring the blade down on Charlie's wrist.
The blade sliced clean through, severing Charlie's hand form his arm. He briefly howled in pain, standing up, before cradling his stump of an arm and staggering for the gun. Running back, I pulled my wrist back, giving him a decent shot. Aiming as best he could with his left hand, he fired one shot, which severed the chain, freeing me. Wasting no time, I grabbed the roll of gauze and started wrapping Charlie's wrist in it. THe flow of blood turned into a small drip, and he seemed okay, but in extreme pain.
"You okay Dad?" I asked.
"Yeah... just fine," he said weakly, "Christ, I can still feel my fingers." I looked down at the floor. Charlie's hand lay on the floor by the table in a small pool of blood. The trail went from the table to the bench where he'd retrieved the gun. I checked the timer.
"Oh shit, four minutes!" I exclaimed.
"Fuck, let's go!" Charlie said before turning and staggering towards the doors. I followed, exiting the chamber with him. The hallways and corridors were deserted, and we met nobody as we took the marble steps two at a time and ran out the front doors of Parliament House.
Outside was a scene of chaos. Police ran to meet us as we put as much distance between us and the building.
"Get back!" I shouted, "It's gonna blow!"
Right as we made it to the police barriers, the bomb went off.
A roaring sound filled our ears. A shockwave flung us forward over the blue and white barriers, and debris flew past us. We hit the ground, and I looked behind me to see the hill that the building was built into collapse in on itself, leaving only a dust cloud and the ruine foundation behind.
I only recall being half conscious as I was led to an ambulance not far away. Paramedics place Charlie on a stretcher and loaded him into a different ambulance nearby. Sirens blaring, it took off away from the ruined Parliament House.
My anxious team waited for me was I was cleared and taken to a medical tent. Angela ran at me and pulled me into a rib-cracking hug. Ethan patted me on the back and said, "Well-fucking done!" Vince and Dave just smiled.
"I'm sorry guys, we couldn't stop it in time" I said as Angela let go.
"Don't worry about that, Ryan," Dave replied, "Nobody was inside as far as we know, and the CFA's saying that most of the building's still intact."
"What about Charlie?" Angela asked.
"Troy tricked us. He handcuffed us to the table in the Senate. Charlie made me cut is hand off so he could free me" I explained.
"Christ," Ethan said simple.
"He was bleeding pretty bad, but I bandaged it up as best I could. He seemed okay when we left," I told the group.
"I'm sure he'l be fine," Ethan said, "I remember him from when I was a recruit. He's the real-life equivalent of Rambo."
"Well, either way, this went better than I thought it would," Vince said, "Who's up for some drinks tonight?"
"Jesus Vince," I siad, laughing.
"Well come on!" he replied, "You can't visit Australia and not get drunk!" I sighed.
"You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up."
As they left I whispered to Angela, "Stay behind for a second."
The others left us alone, and I closed the tent flag.
"Ryan, there's something I need to tell you," she said immediately.
"I already know," I said.
"What? How?"
"Charlie told me, when we were handcuffed. I wouldn't cut his hand off, so he told me."
She paused, comprehending this for a moment.
"So why discuss it now?" she asked.
"Because there's no way this can stay a secret,: I replied, "Angela, if they find out, you'll get kicked out of the Brotherhood."
"I know that," she told me, "I thought about terminating it, but I can't bring myself to do it."
"Then we need to confess," I said, "Getting discharged is like public shaming. We should resign instead. If I get shamed for getting you pregnant, Keith and Julia are gonna face hell from other Assassins."
Angela sighed.
"Okay, but when?"
"Jones is flying to Canberra in a few days. We'll tell him then," I suggested.
"Okay, that's fine with me," she said, ending the discussion.
"In that case, we should at least enjoy ourselves while we're here," I suggested.
"Sure then," she replied, walking for the door.
"Just stick to soft drinks though," I advised, following her out.