Author's Note: Still don't own Assassin's Creed. I couldn't help it, I had this all written out and couldn't wait to post it. Enjoy, and pretty please review! I love hearing from you guys. :)

Chapter 3

The days were long and agonizing as I waited for some word on what was happening at Abstergo. Shaun and Rebecca continually assured me all was well, that there was no reason to be worried. Yet. During some down time, Rebecca pulled out a map and showed me where they were holding him. It wasn't far from us, but far enough that it would take too long to walk there when it was time to bust Desmond out. I'd already assured both that I would be going to free him, and that they would not stop me. And that they would tell me if his life was in danger. I would never let what happened to Clay happen again.

In my evenings, I went searching for suitable transportation. It was a slow process, but I finally found something to my liking; a motorcycle, a classic Harley style. Obviously it wasn't the real deal, some kind of Italian imitation, but I watched its owner go in and out of a nearby bar night after night over the course of a week. It ran well and was fast, everything I needed. One night, I followed the fellow into the bar. It was crowded and loud, and he never noticed me slip up behind him and take the keys right out of his pocket. I watched carefully for him to leave sight of the window before exiting, starting up the bike, and riding away.

I rumbled into the warehouse portion of our little hidey hole, parking it and heading upstairs to the office space. Shaun and Rebecca stared at me as I strode in, for once not doing anything at all.

"What the bloody hell was that?!" Shaun demanded oh so eloquently.

"Rae, please tell me you did not steal a motorcycle," Rebecca begged. "You know, it's already hard enough to hide us without the cops looking actively for one of our vehicles!" I smirked and lifted a bag with spray paint, various tools and a freshly forged license plate.

"When I'm done with it, they won't recognize it," I assured them. "No reason to panic." They looked apprehensive, but went back to their work. I left the room and headed downstairs, beginning my work to disguise my new ride. By the time I was done with it, it was now a bright white with silver accents, with a fresh new license plate number. I hung leather tassels from the handle bars, making it even more different than when I stole it. No one would ever suspect.

My work finished, I returned to the high up cat walk and powered up my own laptop. My fingers danced lightly across the keys, trying to gain control of the security cameras. To my disappointment, they all seemed to be offline, so I moved to other endeavors. I searched the internet for anything that might concern Abstergo and what they were doing. Nothing came up, but the person who's bike was now mine was raving on the news about his precious motorcycle. I'll return it when I'm done with it.

Sleeping was an impossibility while Desmond was held captive, so I stayed up, leaping around our little headquarters, keeping an eye out for Templars so the two other Assassins could sleep. I was counting on them, and they needed to be well rested. After they rose in the morning, I would find a patch of morning sun and doze lightly, instantly alert should either of them call me into the office. So far, all was going well. Unfortunately it left me rather useless, so I was often left to go on the 'housekeeping' errands. Food, mainly.

In the evenings before the other Assassins went to bed, but while it was dark, I would circle the Abstergo building restlessly, like a wolf on a scent, but with a mountain between me and my goal. Occasionally a guard would look down an alley or on a roof where I hid, only to blink and rub his eyes as though he'd been seeing things. I couldn't find a solid, unguarded way in, for all my searching. Disappointed, I would return home, nothing to show for my efforts. Heh, home. As if I had one of those.

What we expected to be the last night before breaking Desmond out, I started a small 'campfire' in the warehouse, cracking the windows to let the smoke escape. I ran my hand over my journal, then slowly dropped it into the fire. Should things go wrong, I could not leave it for them to find. I took my belongings and hid them in the ceiling of one of the office rooms, making sure no tile looked out of place.

Satisfied there was nothing else for me to do, I waited. I watched the moon rise and fall and hoped by this time tomorrow we would have Desmond back.

The next morning the two other Assassin's woke early. I was already preparing. Black jeans, gray shirt, leather boots, and my long, black coat with the eagle's beak completed my assassin ensemble, with the symbol delicately carved on my belt buckle and faintly embossed on the coat's back. I carefully fitted my hidden blades to my wrists, covering them with my sleeves. Two long, curved daggers I hid in two holsters on the inside of my coat. I took a single pistol and slipped it into a holster at my back, under the coat. To complete the look, I tied my hair back in a tight bun and pulled a thin, clingy tube of fabric over the bottom of my face, hiding all but my eyes. Not only to protect my identity from Abstergo, but also from Desmond. I wasn't sure I wanted to tell him I was an Assassin yet.

"Rae, get in here!" Rebecca called. I followed her voice into the office. Shaun was typing away on the laptop, while Rebecca furiously hacked at hers. Covering his tracks I assumed.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Lucy's busting him out today, as we planned, but sooner than expected," Shaun didn't even have time for a snarky side comment, so focused was he on his work. "You need to go. Now." I nodded and left. I kicked the motorcycle to life and headed to the Abstergo parking garage, where they would be coming out. No time for stealth, I shot the guard at the front and zoomed up to the floor where they would be making their escape. I screeched the motorcycle to a stop, quickly put up its kickstand, and burst into action.

Desmond and Lucy came streaking out of the building with guards on their tail, and more meeting them in the lot. I whipped out my daggers and leaped on the nearest one. The blood gushed as my blade found his throat, and I moved on, mumbling a quick 'rest in peace'. I twirled and slashed. Desmond threw sloppy punches as Lucy disarmed one and started beating the others with the baton. She ran over and popped a trunk.

"Quick, Desmond, get in," she called. His face was incredulous.

"Are you serious?" He questioned, hesitating.

"Please, trust us, just get in!" I called, lashing out at another guard. He tried to run, but I couldn't have him reporting to his bosses; I threw my dagger, and it landed with a thud in his back. I heard the trunk slam, and I ran to my bike.

"Take different routes back!" I called. Lucy nodded impatiently, and we peeled out, each going a different direction. I immediately had guards on their own bikes on my tail. I revved it into high gear and squealed around each corner, trying to shake them, but they were good. After an hour of chasing, however, they seemed to grow tired of this game, becoming sloppier. I took a few sharp turns down a few intertwining alleys when I was suddenly alone. Taking a deep breath, I turned the bike around and headed back to headquarters.

I arrived to see the car already parked, the engine already grown cold. She must've shook her pursuers much more quickly. I headed inside after slowly guiding and parking the bike inside. The car was generic enough, but the bike would stick out in their minds. I'd have to repaint it.

"Did everyone make it okay?" I called up, voice echoing off the walls as I climbed the stairs.

"Yes, no thanks to Desmond here," Shaun called back scathingly. I rolled my eyes, but did not remove my hood or mask as I entered the office area. The animus was already set up and ready to go, Rebecca muttering quickly about some new hardware Lucy brought her or something, her attention completely absorbed. Desmond stood nearby while he waited for her to finish. I let out a silent sigh of relief. I'd not failed after all, here he was, safe and sound. But I made no move that he was a familiar face as he smiled at me.

"Hey, thanks for the help earlier," he said graciously. I smiled, though he couldn't see it.

"My pleasure," I gave a tiny bow of acknowledgment. Rebecca glance over her shoulder and let out a surprised squeak.

"Rae! Oh, thank God, I though Abstergo had got you!" She called, standing and hugging my suddenly rigid frame. Desmond froze.

"Rae?" My eyes went to the floor. I pulled my hood back, released my hair from its bun, and pulled the mask down and away from my face. His eyes grew hard.

"Of course. Another Assassin. I guess my father sent you, right? Trying to drag me back to the brotherhood! I should've known you were a little too nice, just a little too smooth..." I felt tears threatening to well up behind my eyes.

"Desmond, please-"

"I don't want to hear it." He stormed from the room, eyes dark, frame rigid, fury flowing off of him like cold water.

"You don't understand!" I called, chasing after him. I reached out to grab his arm, but he snatched it away, turning to glare at me.

"Don't understand what? That you lied to me? That you were just using me-"

"Please, Desmond, you don't know the half of it, I was sent to find you, but not by your father. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to hurt you!" I cried. "Please listen to me!" He shouldered coldly past me.

"Whatever."