Connor and Emilia trotted through the snowy Boston streets towards the house. Emilia now rode high and proud, not feeling the need to hide herself. She used the street children to bribe the town callers and the corrupted officials and was no longer wanted by the British. Connor noticed a little smile gracing her lips as they rode through the falling snow. This must have been the first time in a long while she could freely move about Boston without being spotted and shouted at.
Arriving at the stables at the back of the house they noticed something off with the air around it. The air was still against the falling snow. Connor and Emilia glanced at each other before quietly dismounting their horses. They cautiously moved towards the back entrance to the house and slowly opened the door. The smell of blood tickled their noses. They silently stepped in, closing the door behind them. The teens moved through the corridor as silent as they could. Their ears pricked to the sound of pained groaning.
The pair looked at each other before moving towards the noise. They stood beside the ajar kitchen door. Emilia peered in. Connor watched as she gave the signal to quietly move in. Connor saw Betty lying up against the stove with a large bleeding gash on her head.
Emilia kneeled next to her. "Betty, what happened?" She asked hushed as Connor kept an eye on the door.
Betty's head lulled a little and she blinked rapidly, trying to see through the semi unconscious haze. "Millie... I don't remember." Betty said sluggishly. "It happened... so quick."
"Do you remember anything?"
"He... he was wearing a hat and a scarf covering his face."
"What of Jake and Tom?" Emilia asked still with a hushed voice.
"I think... they're upstairs..." Betty answered.
"Thank you, Betty. You can rest now." Emilia stood up as Betty fell to unconsciousness. "Let's go and stay together." Emilia said to Connor.
He nodded and they scuttled out of the kitchen. Ahead of them was the main atrium of the house and more signs of a struggle. Knocked over candles spread about the floor, blood dotted the wood, and carpet flooring, and cuts in the wall looked like they were from a sword. A bullet had imbedded itself in an old painting of Halon and his family. They moved as quiet as they could up the old, creaky staircase, following the sword marks and occasional bullet hole on the walls.
Connor and Emilia stood at the end of the corridor. All the doors were open except Tom's bedroom door. Sword and bullet marks continued along the walls. A bitter, cold wind gust through the exposed corridor. Longer streaks of blood stretched on the floor and walls to the open doors. The two carefully made their way to Tom's closed door, checking on the other rooms when they past them. All showed signs of a big struggle.
They stood outside Tom's room. Emilia looked at Connor and reached for the door handle. She turned it and the door swung open. Tom was not in his bed nor was Jake in the room but the window was wide open and the curtains flapping in the wind.
Emilia stepped into the bedroom, looked around and turned to face Connor. "What the hell happened here?"
Connor was about to open his mouth when something struck Emilia hard on the back of her head. She fell to the floor, unconscious. Behind her stood a tall figure with a scarf covering their face and a hat obscuring their eyes. Connor ran. But something hit him on the head and he fell into darkness.
Connor's head spun. Blinking his eyes open everything was in pairs and blurry and just wouldn't stay still. He felt his warm blood trickling down his forehead. He tried to move but found his hands and feet bound together by whoever knocked him out. His eyes focused long enough to a discarded hat and scarf resting on a table. Connor blinked. Wait... he knew where he was. He was the basement of Halon's house. He looked around him. Emilia was lying unconscious on the other side of the room with blood in her hair. He looked for Tom and found him strapped to a wooden chair with a large knife stuck in his thigh, he was bleeding onto the floor and looked worse than when Connor first met him. But where was Jake and why did they leave Betty in the kitchen. Did whoever did this think she was dead?
Tom seemed to notice Connor looking right at him and he nodded his head towards the table. It was then he realised he was unarmed. Connor searched the table for a dagger or something sharp to cut himself free.
"Connor." Tom whispered, barely audible. "It's-"
The basement stair door swung open and their captor sauntered down the stairs. Connor stared on in disbelief. It was the woman he and Emilia terrified when they dashed into her house but someone else was walking behind her. Doctor Walton.
"Hello, boy. Tom. It's good to see you're both awake." The doctor said. He glanced at Emilia, who still hadn't roused. "I think we should wake her." He stepped towards Emilia and kicked her firmly in the side.
She shouted in pain and jolted upright. She tried to hold her aching side but her hands and feet were tied. "That-!" Emilia stopped mid sentence when she saw Walton standing over her. "Oh."
"Hello, Emilia."
"Walton! But why?"
Walton laughed lightly and paced as he spoke. "Jeremiah is a good friend of mine... Or was since you and that mongrel killed him."
Emilia's nose flared and her jaw clenched. Connor ignored the insult. "He was my husband." The woman now spoke. Emilia stared at her. "I am Margaret Blackwell."
Emilia's brain worked to comprehend everything. "But- but we ran into a random house and you helped us escape the guards."
Margaret nodded. "I follow you and I was told to play along and help."
"Of course you were." Emilia said with a sigh.
"Doctor, you helped me through my fever." Tom said calmly. "And I assume it was so I could watch my friends die when I was better."
Walton nodded his head, "That is true."
Tom wore a horrified expression. "You sicken me." Walton laughed.
"Why on earth are you doing this in the first place?" Emilia asked. "Other than killing Blackwell we've done nothing to you! I mean, yeah, we," she did her best to gesture to Connor, "sort of broke into your house but that's really it."
"You left me widowed with two children!" Margaret exclaimed, storming to Emilia. She grabbed the adolescent's collar and hauled her off her feet. "You killed the love of my life!"
"He murdered innocent men, women and children all across Europe. For money." Emilia said calmly. "He is a murderer. I'm sorry but he was not a nice man."
Margaret's face formed a twisted smirk and she dropped Emilia onto her knees, she grunted in pain. "I know."
Emilia paused and blinked at the older woman. "What?"
"What?" Tom asked.
"Excuse me?" Connor asked staring at the woman.
"I knew he did that. And I helped him." The room was filled with silence. After a moment Walton laughed loudly. Margaret revealed a necklace around her neck. It bore the Templar insignia. "It's a family business. Going around Europe, eliminating those a threat to the Templar cause."
Walton clapped his hands together. "Anyway, Maggie, let's start with what we were intending to do."
"Kill us?" Tom asked.
"Yes."
"I thought so." He said nodding. "I've already got a knife in my leg so I'd appreciate you hurrying up."
"Where's Jake?" Emilia asked trying to find a comfy position to sit in. She fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Let me just say he won't be bothering anyone anymore." Margaret responded.
Emilia's jaw clenched. "You're horrible."
"I know, darling. I know."
"At least tell us where Jake's body is located." Connor spoke. "Give us peace of mind before you kill us."
Walton laughed a little. "You're right. He's hung in the bathroom."
"Thank you." Connor said. With their backs' turned Connor glance to an unsure looking Emilia. They had already checked the bathroom and there was only a lone noose hanging from the ceiling. Now they hoped Jake was somewhere thinking of a way to get them free. And with Betty, Connor hoped she was still alive in the kitchen. Connor noticed Emilia fidgeting again. The drop to her knees must have hurt quite a bit.
Walton turned around and marched towards Connor with a dagger in his hands. He lifted Connor onto his feet and held the knife to his throat. "First things first, what's your name, boy?"
"Connor."
"Where are you from?"
At that Connor stayed quiet.
"Oh, you can tell me. I won't hurt your friends there, Mohawk."
Connor didn't say a word. But Margaret did. She screamed. Walton spun with Connor still in his hands. Emilia had got free from her restraints with one of her daggers from her boot and held Margaret with it to her throat. Tom watched on from the middle of the standoff.
"Let her go." Walton demanded.
"Let Connor go." Emilia replied. "Then we'll talk."
Walton chuckled. "It's seems we're at a stalemate. I move, you move."
Emilia nodded at him. "It seems we are." For a split second Connor saw Emilia rapidly glance behind him. Then he remembered. He stood in front of the outside cellar doors.
"How about we let them go at the same time?" Walton suggested.
"I'm not five, Walton. The both of us won't let go or one will and be killed." Emilia replied.
Walton nodded. "You're correct, that would happen."
Connor felt something cold on the back of his arm and wondered if Walton felt it too but with him being too busy talking with Emilia he thought not. Emilia seemed to notice too, Margaret, not so much- she was too busy not having her throat slit.
Connor was shoved forward and landed on his hands and knees on the cold floor. He quickly turned to see Jake standing behind Walton. He carried a dagger in his hand. He also sported a red rope burn around his neck where the noose was tightened. Jake didn't look happy.
"You nearly killed my sister." Jake growled.
"She was in my way." Walton replied.
Jake yelled and charged. Connor's head snapped around to the sound of a body dropping to the ground. Margaret started to sport a bruise on her temple. Emilia stepped over her body and walked to Connor. She helped him stand.
Connor watched as Jake pushed Walton back. Back towards Emilia. "You hurt my sister and friends. Now you shall pay." Walton opened his mouth to speak but Emilia grabbed his arms. Jake thrust his dagger into his heat, killing him instantly. He collapsed in a heap on the floor beside Margaret.
"It looks like I'm going to have to find a new Doctor." Tom joked. Jake, Emilia and Connor looked at him. "Now get me out of this damn chair."