"I don't trust her." Jacob growled. Looking over his shoulder at the Shailene Cormac, her nonchalant attitude infuriated him as he saw gazing around the train car as though looking a butterflies.
"Neither do I…" Evie agreed. She too looked over at Shailene before shoving past her brother and walking towards the person whose intentions were being questioned. "How do we know we can trust you?" She asked Shailene, who looked up in interest at the female assassin.
"Why else would I be here? Do you think I enjoy getting captured, even if I'm held in a lovely place like this one? The Templars are a weed that is choking the life out of London. If they are not pulled by the roots they will continue to fester and grow."
"We thought we had done that when we killed Starrick." Jacob said confused, he had joined his sister's side in front of the girl.
"Starrick… a pawn in a larger game, his death was an inconvenience to be sure, but you only threw sand into the gears, I want to take a sledgehammer to them. Unfortunately I can't do that by myself in my current position, so I've come to you."
"Why would you want to? You're a Templar born and raised"
"I was born in England to a Templar family your right, but I spent half of my life in America. There I learned about my family's unfortunate past, I decided to change my thinking. After all we Cormac's are pretty adept at being traitors" All three chuckled at the comment. "Look," Shailene continued "Just join me on one mission, if you find that I am trustworthy then we can continue… if not we'll both pretend this never happened. Deal?"
Jacob nudged Evie towards the corner so they could talk privately. "Maybe we should go. We could truly see what's going on from inside the Templar organization for the first time."
"What! And risk it being a trap that gets us both killed? I don't think so, no we should keep her here and question her further." Evie harshly said. When she heard this Shailene let out a loud and exasperated groan.
"Look, I'm doing this mission tomorrow with or without you so will you please decided I'm on a time crunch. Oh and one of you needs to work on your knot tying skills." She raised her hands that had previously been tied as if in surrender but before the twins could even move she ran out the door and scampered up the side of the train.
"Shit! I'll go after her that way, go to the front of the train to cut her off." Jacob ordered his sister, already moving to the door. Climbing up the side of the train he could see Shailene stopped about in the middle of the train looking towards the front of the train off into the horizon.
When she saw that he had caught up she smirked at his angry expression before looking back at the horizon. "Sorry for the dramatics, but your decision making was taking too long and I have places to be and people to visit. Should you decided to join me let's meet in the City of London by St. Paul's Cathedral at noon… oh and only one of you go, I don't need you to be noticed where we are going and let's be honest assassins stick out like a sore thumb."
"What no! You're coming back into the train with me." Jacob sputtered taking a step towards her.
"It's cute that you think you can make me do something, truly it is. Ah and here is my ride now, well gotta dash. I have no doubt I'll see you tomorrow, just remember what's at stake Jacob." Jacob now saw what she had been looking for, a large crane stuck out over the railroad tracks low enough to jump onto.
Jacob tried to jump after her but was too late and it fell just out of reach. He looked on as the mysterious blonde girl pulled up onto the top of the crane and jumped to the building next to it.
"...I hate her…"
"Got away from you did she" Evie asked as Jacob jumped back into the train with a huff, she was pouring him and herself tea.
"Well I can see that you tried hard to get her back." He accepted the tea and sat in the chair opposite her.
Evie sipped her tea before answering, "Why catch her? She made her point clear, and she could have escaped at any time but she wait until we had heard her proposal…" She sipped her tea again, "I think we should go your right the only way we are going to see the full picture of the Templars is through the eyes on one."
"She only wants one of us… and besides why are we going to trust a Cormac?"
"I don't trust her, but she raised a few interesting points… I wonder why only one of us? That does complicate things I don't like that we will have to split up, especially with so many unknowns."
"She thought two of us would be too noticeable… maybe to hide her cover, the Templars probably haven't realized they have a traitor, if indeed they do have one."
"Why don't you go? She seems to have taken a liking to you… and if she does run away you do seem the most adept at catching up to her." Evie smirked into her tea before gulping the rest down.
"Yes and as I'm out with the traitors Templar, you can be hear with Agnes, I'm sure you have loads to talk about." That wiped the smirk off Evie's face.
The next day Jacob stood at the appointed time and place… well kind of. He stood at the top of the basilica looking down on the streets on London, awaiting her arrival. And he waited… and waited… and waited. It was far past noon, Jacob was past edgy and thinking of leaving, then he heard a thump behind him. Turning around he saw Shailene climb out of the hay bucket and walk towards him brushing herself off. She had the same coat waistcoat on as yesterday but a black undershirt. Taking off his top hat he gave her an exaggerated bow "The queen is never late, everyone else is just early, that right my dear?" He snarked at her.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, I got held up." Shailene said guiltily. He straightened up and seeing her senerier look he turned serious.
"It's fine, where are we headed?" He noticed a piece of straw in her golden hair, moving closer to her he brushed it out. Her hair was so soft.
"Thank you, and to a warehouse down the street a few blocks. It's recently been shipped a case of opium, if lost somehow it would be a huge blow to the Templars finances in the drug trade."
"Then we should make sure it gets lost."
"My thoughts exactly… we are going to burn it, the entire warehouse." They scaled down the Basilica and ran along the London streets. She skidded to a stop in front of a medium sized warehouse before turning away and crawling up a building next to it. Jacob followed suit and together they looked down on the doomed building.
As he looked at the building Jacob could clearly see the scurry of the enemy's gang members, many of them openly wearing the Templar cross. "Are there supposed to be that many?" He asked, there was a good thirty men just on the outside of the building.
"No… shit. This is going to be harder than I thought." She sat for a few minutes calculating a new battle plan. When Jacob tried to ask her something she shushed him still gazing intensely. "Alright I got it, they still think I'm a Templar, I'll go in as if i am inspecting the supply. While I'm inside jump on the roof and I will open the first window on the left side for you to get in a light a few bundles on fire. They will all run out, I can collect the documents I need and help you set the rest ablaze. Got it? Good. "She started jumping down before Jacob could respond. He saw her scurry across the busy street and put something white on her arm. Jacob cursed under his breath this was the worst plan he had ever been a part of. If one little thing went wrong the entire thing was shot. He saw Shailene approach the guards in front of the building and held his breath in anticipation of what they were going to say. When they bowed and let her pass before following themselves Jacob let the breath out. Shooting his grappling hook at the warehouse he swung over the street and softly landed near the appointed window.
As he sat crouching, his hood covering his face, Jacob could hear voices approaching him. Huddling closer to the wall so as to not be seen he focused his eagle vision to listen in. "Madam all is accounted for I can assure you."
"Can you though? The assassins are gaining a larger foothold then we could have ever dreamed. This trade is the last thing truly untouched by them and it must stay that way… God it is stuffy in here, foreman open a window before i collapse from heatstroke." Jacob heard Shailene snap at the poor man whimpering beside her. He almost felt sorry for him… almost.
"Of course my Lady." Jacob heard the creak of the window beside him opening. When he was sure they were far enough away he lightly slide into the building. After letting his eyes adjust back to their regular vision he started looking around for the boxes of drugs. Not that they were hard to find, as they were rather large and gathered in one group. When he opened one of the boxes he saw that the drugs were in several burlap bags in the box… and burlap does burn wonderfully. Lighting his match and letting it fall into the box Jacob watched it catch alight before he started jogging back towards the window, his part of the job completed. It was rather fortunate he did run because in the heat of the fire the drugs started exploding sending flaming debris everywhere.
"Shit Shailene." Jacob thought, he couldn't just leave without her… even if he did hate her. Jacob turned from the window and back into the burning building. The smoke was horrendous, Jacob couldn't see a meter in front of him. Coughing he frantically looked through the burning building desperate to find her.
"Jacob! I'm here!" He heard Shailene scream as her arm appeared in the smoke reaching towards him. Grabbing his hand they ran in the direction of the open window. Jacob could feel her grip getting weaker as they struggled through the smoke, he pulled on her hand trying to get her to move faster but she just wouldn't.
"God damm it you gotta move." Jacob slung her over his shoulders, one of her arms in his hand and a leg in his other hand. Finally he got to the window, jumping out he landed on the balcony outside of it before scaling down the wall making sure to hold onto Shailene. When his feet touched to pavement he started off in the direction of the nearest ally, pushing through the people in his way who were gawking at the sight of the flames.
The ally he choose was small even by London standards, setting Shailene down he scooted down the wall to sit beside her, exhaustion hitting him like a brick. Introduced to fresh air again it didn't take long for her to start coughing and to open her eyes. "Thank you Jacob, it seems I owe you a debt." Shailene whispered struggling to her feet. "I trust you believe that I am truly trying to help you."
"Perhaps not trust but getting there." Jacob responded with a groan struggling to his feet as well. When she stumbled and looked as though she would collapse Jacob grabbed her arm and lifted her to keep her standing, "Maybe you should sit down again you after all where in a fire a minute ago."
"Thank you, but there is somewhere I need to be. I shall meet you at your hideout today or tomorrow." Her emerald blue eyes met his brown ones and she grabbed his hand, squeezing it she said. "Thank you again." Before running off in the direction of the City of London.
Her boots clicked on the stone floor sending an echo down the cold hallway. That's why she hated this place… it was always so cold. She brushed a piece of her hair off her shoulder making it join the rest that cascaded down her back. Her bangs covered one of her emerald blue eyes annoying her greatly. Blowing them out of way she approached a great solid wooden doors flanked by two guards. "You're late miss" one of the uttered at her.
"No my dear everyone else is just early." She replied cracking him her best smile. The people in the room all went silent and turned towards her as the door thudded shut behind her. Smiling at them too she walked around the table and sat in the empty seat to the direct right of the head. "Well I appreciate the warm welcome everyone gave me, it's so wonderful to feel loved."
"And there she goes again, dear Shailene always joking, you are ten minutes late do you expect us to wait for you to grace us with your presence?" A man in the middle of the table growled at her.
"Well if I were you I wouldn't say too much… after all it wasn't me that lost us control of the Thames river. "
"Why you little-"
"Silence!" The man at the head boomed. "Shailene, don't be late again, and you Captain keep your tongue in cheek. Let us continue please."
"Of course Grandmaster. As everyone should know the warehouse in Whitechapel was burned to the ground today and foul play is expected. Several witnesses claim to have seen one Jacob Frye near the vicinity. A women cracked, her voice hoarse and uninviting.
"Of course it was the damm Frye's, but I also heard another rumor. Miss Cormac, is it true that you were in the warehouse at the time of the explosion?"
"Yes I was… I was making sure all of the supplies were there and unharmed. The blast of the explosion blew me off of the second floor and knocked me out, if it wasn't for the heroic efforts of one of the employees I would have suffocated. Shailene replied, but she didn't speak to the Captain, she instead spoke directly to the Grandmaster. "I believe that we should double the guards at each of our warehouses, one more loss like this and the Orders grasp on London might be lost for good." The table nodded in agreement to her statement.
"Well if that is all, you may go." The room echoed with screeches as chairs moved from the table. "Except for you Shailene." As the room cleared Shailene moved around to behind the table to grab a glass of wine. "I don't know how much more I can take, I'm only 25 and the Grandmaster of the order in London. None of them respect me."
"Then make them respect you." She put the full glass in front of the man before hugging his shoulder around the chair and putting her chin on top of his head. "My dear brother you worry too much they will respect you in time, you must prove to them that you can reconquer London, Shay you must believe you can."
"You smell like smoke, please take a bath as soon as you can and it's not that, it's this damm name I was cursed with. All anyone sees is the traitor, not the loyal member of the Order. No matter that he betrayed the enemies, a traitor is still a traitor." Shay shrugged her off and stood up, taking his glass he gazed out the window at the street.
"I bet our grandfather never expected to hinder us the way he has." Shailene chuckled grabbing a glass for herself.
"Why do you always say grandfather? You know he was our great grandfather."
"Too many words." Shay chuckled at that. "Besides I don't even know why you agreed to this position"
"To help the Order, it was my duty."
"Why help an order that never helps us all they have ever don't is gossip behind our back and laugh at the traitor family trying to make a name for themselves." The whistling of the thrown glass gave her just enough warning to duck, the glass smashing on the wall behind her.
"Don't you ever insult the Order!" Shay seethed. Before striding over to her, still on the floor in shock, and picking her up by her throat till her feet no longer touched the floor. Slamming her against the wall he whispered in her ear "I hope for you sake that you were doing what you said you were doing at the warehouse. Because I swear to God Shailene if you betray me, I'll kill you myself in every way I know you fear, don't test me just because we are family. He dropped her back onto the floor and walked towards the window again, grabbing another glass of wine. "Leave me." He whispered. Coughing hysterically Shailene stumbled out of the room. As the door closed behind her she could hear her brother whistling a merry tune.
Thank you so much for reading this. It means so much, sorry for the late chapter update but things have been so crazy with SAT's and the like. Thank you again and I will post again soon.
Love you lots