Chapter 4: Diffidenza
The next day, after the Animus session concluded, it was time for Desmond to test the waters. Lucy was out getting food, and Rebecca was absorbed in something at the computer, so he approached Shaun.
"Hey, Shaun? These memories are making me wonder... What do you usually do to recruit people these days? I'm guessing it's no longer as easy as asking a troubled peasant 'You wanna come fight for the Assassins?'"
He looked up from his cluttered desk to address Desmond. "You're right, it is difficult. The Templars have a huge advantage in that regard, having Abstergo as a cover. People fall all over each other to work there. Then the higher-ups can pick and choose whom they allow into their inner circle. The Brotherhood has no such public face. I think most Assassins these days were born into it, like you and Lucy were. Then there are some, like yours truly, who inadvertently got into hot water with the enemy, and had to be rescued. I know your father recruited a few people, but I don't know the details." He turned his attention back to the documents he'd been reading.
"Huh..." Desmond pondered this information for a moment, then pressed on. "Do they have to, like, pass some sort of test first?"
"I just told you I don't know the details," came the annoyed reply. "Why are you asking about this, anyway? Maybe you didn't notice, but we have bigger issues right now than human resources."
Tread lightly... "Suppose I knew a person," he said slowly. "Someone I really trusted. I mean, it wouldn't hurt to have more people on our side, right?"
Shaun shot him a piercing look. "Bloody hell, Desmond. This isn't hypothetical, is it? Who've you been in contact with? What have you told him?" Across the sanctuary, Rebecca had been focusing on her screen. But upon hearing Shaun's raised voice, she was concerned. Removing her headphones for once, she headed towards the two men to see what the commotion was about.
Desmond shrank away from the sudden volley of questions. Crap. He saw right through me. "An old friend, from New York. I haven't told her too much. Just the broad strokes."
"Oh, well, as long as you didn't tell too much, I guess that's all right then!" Shaun's rage reverberated off the chamber's stone walls. "Never mind that any communications outside Hephaestus are insecure, making it trivial for Abstergo to pinpoint their origin! For Chrissake, man, I knew you were daft, but foolishness of this magnitude borders on treachery!"
Rebecca looked shocked.
"Hey, calm down, I'm not an idiot! Of course I wasn't emailing her."
"Cell phones aren't any safer, twat!"
Almost yelling now, Desmond spat, "What about just conversing, face-to-face? Oh, but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Mr. Antisocial?"
Rebecca stepped between them. "Hey, chill out, the both of you. Screaming insults at each other won't solve anything. Desmond, you've been meeting with someone? When?"
"Of course! His midnight excursions! Why did we decide to allow that nonsense?"
"Guys, she's completely trustworthy! I can tell when someone's on our side or not. Eagle Vision, remember?" He hadn't expected this much of a negative reaction. "Maybe if you met her, you'd understand."
"You are not bringing some stranger here to our last safe hideout."
"Well then you can go to her, okay? And she's no stranger, she was my girlfriend back before all this started! I've gone to see her the last three nights. If she was going to kill me or rat us out to the Templars, wouldn't she have done it by now?"
Rebecca spoke up before Shaun could formulate another angry retort. "I said, chill out! Where is she, Desmond? And what exactly does she know?"
"She's in Monteriggioni on vacation. The rental cottage across the way from the bank." He now realized he had, in fact, told her quite a bit more than 'just the broad strokes'. "I told her Abstergo kidnapped me... they're actually Knights Templar... they wanna take over the world... they're looking for the Apple... they invented the Animus..."
Shaun snorted. "Perhaps it'd be faster to just list the things she doesn't know yet."
"I didn't mention anything about the First Civ, or the doomsday, or the temples. And I didn't give away this location. And she probably doesn't believe the stuff I told her, anyway!" he lied, in a vain attempt to salvage the situation. "For all she knows, I just went insane, moved to Italy, and got really into nighttime parkour."
At that point, Lucy returned. "Hey, crew! Who's ready for pizza?"
"It'll have to wait, Lucy! First we have to deal with 'Loose Lips' Miles here." Shaun made Desmond stay seated where he was, while he and the other two conferred privately across the room.
Desmond hadn't had much practice eavesdropping since he was Altaïr, but even without trying to, he couldn't help overhearing a few things from their huddle:
"...getting all chummy..."
"...tell William about this..."
"...got to sever all ties..."
"...love-addled fool!"
"...too harsh?"
"...damage control..."
"...even more suspicious..."
"...worst-case scenario..."
"...have to deal with the fallout..."
"...some damn good..."
Eventually, the three Assassins appeared to come to a consensus. They approached him, and Shaun spoke.
"Here's what's going to happen, Desmond." His tone, although even, was a bit condescending, like that of a no-nonsense father talking to his wayward child. "First we'll eat. Then Rebecca and I will go pay your friend a visit. Lucy will stay here and make sure you behave. If there's even a hint of trouble with... er..."
He didn't even bother to ask her name, the prick. She's not a real person to him, just a security risk. "Alexis." Desmond supplied tersely.
"Right. If there's even a hint that anything's dodgy with Alexis... you know what we'll have to do."
No! He couldn't... "You don't mean, like..." Desmond couldn't even say it. He flicked his wrist, miming the activation of a Hidden Blade, his face bleak.
"Yes." Shaun was stonefaced, his voice cold. "I don't like the idea any more than you do. But I will do it, if necessary. We're not in a position to take risks."
"...What if it's not necessary?" he dared to ask. "If you decide she can be trusted, after all?"
"If that's the case..." He hesitated a bit too long for Desmond's comfort. Did they even consider that as a possibility? "...She knows too much now. Even if she doesn't believe what you've told her, there's still the likelihood that she'll let something slip to the wrong person, and unwittingly give the Order information they can use against us."
"So you'll kill her either way?! Just to be sure!?" Desmond leapt to his feet, furious. Shaun didn't flinch from his position.
"...I didn't say that. If you're right about her, she's an innocent. 'Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent.' I may be an egotistical bastard, but even I don't consider myself above the Creed." Desmond was mollified. "Speaking of which, I do seem to remember something in there about not compromising the Brotherhood. You seem to have forgotten that part."
Having been briefly pacified by Shaun's earlier words, this accusation maddened Desmond again. "Hey! I haven't compromised anything! You take that back!" But Shaun was ignoring him, choosing instead to help himself to pizza.
Lucy took hold of Desmond's shoulder and spoke softly to him. "There's no use getting angry. You want your friend to remain alive after Shaun visits her? Riling him up won't help your chances. You want him to be calm, so he can assess the situation properly."
Breathing heavily, he tried to contain himself. Shaun, if you dare harm her, I'll never forgive you. He had no appetite. The pizza seemed to taste as bad as the pig livers from two nights ago. He wondered how Alexis would react to Rebecca and Shaun showing up instead of himself. How exactly do they plan to test her allegiance?
The group finished their meal in silence. Shaun left the table, heading to his work area. He removed a metallic white suitcase from a nook. From this he produced his own Hidden Blade. "I suppose you told her about these, too?" he shot over his shoulder as he affixed it to his wrist. "Doesn't matter, I guess. We've nothing else to do it with." He tugged his sleeve down to conceal the device.
Desmond felt sick. It sounds like he's already made up his mind. I should have left well enough alone. Should have known they'd never go for it. Should have just had fun with Lexie this week, then let her leave, and forget all about her. She had a good life in New York. After this, she won't have a life at all. And it's all my fault. I had to be selfish, had to try to bring her with me into this whole fucking Assassin mess.
Shaun called to Rebecca. She followed him out, briefly giving Desmond a pained look. Once they were outside, she turned to Shaun. "Are you trying to make him hate you?"
"I am trying to make him reconsider taking such rash actions in the future."
"You might try going a little easier on him. He's still kind of a noob."
"He's not really," Shaun countered, irritated. "He lived on the Farm for sixteen years. And even after that, he was in hiding. You would think he'd be better at keeping secrets."
"Well, I agree with you there. But you could have tried to keep a better handle on your temper."
"You girls are too soft on him."
They walked in silence for a minute or so, then Rebecca pointed ahead.
"That'll be the place. There's a light on; she must be expecting him. So, what's our game plan here?"
"We'll flank her. I'll take the window; you go to the door. Strike up a conversation while I look around inside. I'll be listening in, so if you get in trouble, use the code word," he thought for a moment, "...'moonlight'. That'll be my cue."
"And if there's no trouble? If she's on the level?"
Shaun sighed and adjusted his glasses. "Then the code word will be 'You have to come with us, because you know too much.'" He went to the side of the house and, with some difficulty, started up the wall. Oof, it's obvious it's been a while since he did any climbing, Rebecca mused. When he finally made it onto the roof, he gave her a thumbs-up. She approached the door and knocked.
"Coming!" a sing-song voice called out from the upper floor as footsteps thumped down. The door was opened by an excited-looking young woman, auburn hair slightly askew, dressed in a faded cotton nightgown that almost reached her slippered feet. Not exactly what I picture when I think 'Templar spy', Rebecca thought. But, what did I expect? Abstergo Industries t-shirt? White tunic with a giant red cross?
When she saw Rebecca, the girl's smile almost instantly morphed to a quizzical look. "Uh... buonasera... Posso ayutarla?" she said, her pronunciation faltering.
"Hello there! How ya' doing?"
"Oh, you speak English. That's good. I was about to go grab my phrasebook. Um, how can I help you?"
"Yeah, I've just had a derp moment and locked my keys and purse in the car," the Assassin gestured to a vehicle down the road, "and I was wondering if I can use your phone?"
Alexis surveyed the stranger's outfit. What's with the jumpsuit? Why's she only wearing the one glove? "Sure," she replied after a moment. "Landline okay? I don't want to use my international minutes." She shifted aside to allow the strangely-dressed woman entry.
"Hey thanks." Rebecca strode in, surreptitiously taking note of the surroundings. "My name's Laura, by the way."
"I'm, ah, Sandra. The phone's over here."
Using a fake name? Or is 'Alexis' the fake? So as not to leave behind fingerprints, Rebecca lifted the phone with her gloved hand. Using her fingernails, she dialed a number she knew was dead. After pausing, waiting for an imaginary ring and an imaginary answer, she said "Hi, Aaron? It's Laura..."
Meanwhile, Shaun had quietly entered through the window, which had been left unlocked. Presumably so Desmond can get in... The upstairs, consisting of a dining area, bedroom, and bath, appeared ostensibly normal. The remains of a dinner for one laid on the small table. He pulled on a pair of thin gloves and began to poke around. There was nothing incriminating in the cupboards, nor in the kitchen drawers or fridge.
"...All right, let's meet up in about, say, ten, fifteen minutes?... Yeah, the fountain by the church." That should give me and Shaun enough time. 'Laura' hung up the handset and turned to speak to 'Sandra'. "My friend's going to come pick me up in a bit. Okay if I wait here until then? It's chilly out." The other woman was looking out the window. She nodded noncommittally.
Having convinced himself the kitchen held nothing of interest, Shaun set about investigating the bedroom. There was a large suitcase on the floor, opened, the contents partially scattered. On the bedside table, beside a dog-eared paperback titled Rick Steve's Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary, he spotted a phone. Bingo.
The password lock was easily bypassed by the small device Shaun plugged into the headphone jack. Let's see... recent texts... The last one sent was"Taking off!", from four days ago. Before that there was a conversation with someone named Anne... "i rly think u'll feel better after the vacay", "get ur mind of of wilson 4 once." Templars are all about 'order', I'd have thought they wouldn't go in for bloody textspeak. He switched to the email app. Flight confirmation... reservations... your order has shipped... Hello, what's this? A long email thread with the subject line "Desmond Wilson case". Whoever this girl was, she had been contacting the NYPD. He skimmed the thread, starting at the newest reply.
To: Alexis Chandler: Nothing solid at this time, Ms. Chandler. If we need anything else, I'll have one of my men contact you...
To: Captain Disher: I put up more flyers this weekend. Have you gotten any new leads?
To: Alexis Chandler: It's possible. We're not discounting anything at this point...
To: Captain Disher: I think it was somewhere in South Dakota. He ran away from them almost a decade ago, and hasn't had any contact with them since. Do you think they're involved?
To: Alexis Chandler: I can't disclose anything from those interviews. You mentioned he had connections to a cult organization. Do you recall any details?
To: Captain Disher: I've attached some photos. The tattoo is pretty distinctive... Did you get any leads from his coworkers?
Gears were shifting uncomfortably in Shaun's head. The image he had conjured up, of a cold-hearted Templar spy using feminine wiles to deceive the naïve Desmond into betrayal, was beginning to seem ridiculous. He glanced at the thumbnails under the message. Excited Desmond, his hands in the air, at a music concert. Laughing Desmond, trying on a funny-looking hat. It sure looks like she was his friend. I can't let my guard down, though. Giovanni thought Uberto was his friend, and we saw how that turned out.
He tapped "abstergo" into the email search box. She could've deleted anything incriminating, but it won't hurt to check. No results. He tried "assassin": nothing. "animus": nothing. "apple": ...A forwarded cobbler recipe, and deals on iPads. "Order" brought up "Your order has shipped" again. "brotherhood" and "templar" came up empty, and so did "father of understanding" and "piece of eden". When "p.o.e." gave him "FWD: OMG this poem is soo beuatiful!" he closed the app in disgust.
"So where are you from?" Rebecca asked, acting casual. The two women were seated on the couch, an undercurrent of awkwardness between them.
"Atlanta." she replied, giving another furtive look out the window, which Rebecca pretended not to notice. "Oh... I'm from Chicago. Just graduated UIC Engineering this year." She checked her watch, wondering about Shaun's status.
"Engineering, huh? I'm no good with that kind of stuff. I'm better with people than machines."
Shaun opened the contact book and scrolled through. A familiar face was pinned to the top as a favourite, labeled "Desmond Wilson". William's son... He sure picked a stupid alias. Lucy had given him a list of some people at Abstergo, but none of those names were in Alexis' contacts. He briefly checked the internet history before tossing the phone back where he found it.
He rifled through the suitcase. No weapons, no dossiers, no suspiciously cruciform jewelry. If she's a Templar, she's spectacularly good at hiding it. After a perfunctory look around the bathroom yielded a similar lack of evidence, Shaun descended the stairs.
"Well, Aaron is probably at the church by now. I'll go meet him there. Sorry for the intrusion." Rebecca was just getting up from the sofa when she saw Shaun coming down.
"You can drop the act, Rebecca. It seems she's legit."
"Gah!" Alexis yelped, jumping at the unexpected voice. She whirled to face him. "Wha- How did you get in here?!"
"The window's unlocked," he answered matter-of-factly. "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. Unless you give me reason to."
"You're..." She looked at his wrists for a second, then back to his face. "...are you Shaun?"
He gave out our names, even? He hadn't expected that, and it threw him slightly. Trying to maintain control of the conversation, he countered with "Are you Alexis?"
"Eh... yes." She seemed slightly calmer now.
Rebecca stayed behind Alexis, keeping her between them in case she made any sudden moves. "Find anything up there?" she asked.
"Just normal vacation stuff, it seems. No red flags."
"You were looking through my stuff? ... Oh, I get it. You didn't trust me... You had to check me out, even though Desmond vouched for me."
"What do you know about Desmond?" Rebecca asked her pointedly.
Alexis chuckled. "Probably more than you do. But you don't mean like his favorite bands, you're only asking about the stuff I learned this week, right?" She sat back down. "Ah, where should I start... I know he's with you guys because you busted him out of Abstergo. You're a secret organization that he was born into and you fight Abstergo, who are secretly power-hungry tyrants. And they secretly invented some machine that replays memories from the past. And this machine is supposed to help them control the world. But you built another machine," here she pointed to Rebecca, "and Desmond goes in it and does stuff in medieval Italy, which somehow helps y'all stop Abstergo."
"You're off on a couple of details, but that's about the size of it." Shaun sighed. "All right then. Pack your stuff."
"Right now? You mean I'm in? Just like that?"
"In what? In the Brotherhood? Christ, no. In custody, more like."
"What do you mean?"
"He means you know too much," Rebecca explained. "You're no spy, but you might spill the beans to someone who is."
"Like Anne, for example."
"Desmond told you about Anne?"
"Yeah." Shaun fabricated, deciding she didn't need to know the full extent of his snooping. "It was her idea for you to come here, right? Here's a theory: She's working for Abstergo. She knows you're close with Desmond, and Abstergo knows he's still in Italy. She arranges for you to have an Italian vacation, in a spot with historical ties to the Assassins, hoping we'd brought him there and you'd 'coincidentally' meet him. You wouldn't be able to resist telling her you finally found your lost boyfriend. Then they have confirmation of our location, they send in their troops, and bam, we're all dead."
"That- that's not a theory. That's a hypothesis."
"Well if we're going to be pedantic, it's Renaissance Italy, not medieval Italy. Get your stuff together and let's move. Leave your phone and any other electronic gizmos; they can be tracked. You might want to change out of your pyjamas."
Endnotes:
This chapter was originally to be titled "Scoprendo".
"pick and choose who they allow into their inner circle" - Ref. ACIV: Few people who worked at Abstergo Entertainment were aware of the parent company's true motives.
"like yours truly, who inadvertently got into hot water with the enemy" - Ref. ACIII database entry about Shaun. (What an egomaniac. Made a database entry on himself, but not on any other modern Assassins.)
"your father recruited some assassins..." - Ref. ACR: The Lost Archive. It's likely he recruited others besides Clay
Hephaestus is the Assassin's email system. But you already knew that if you were a real AC fan.
"He removed a metallic white suitcase from a nook. From this he produced his own Hidden Blade." In ACB, Lucy, Rebecca, and Shaun each have such a suitcase near them. It seems feasible to suggest this is what's inside...
"Nothing incriminating... in the fridge": Why did Shaun waste time looking in the fridge anyway, did he think that she would have, like, special food that only Templars eat? Maybe he was looking for yogurt.