Deceits Façade
There was a crowd of soldiers around Annie's ship, waiting for orders. She storms up angrily, pushing though the men.
"JACK!" She yelled the captain's name, which she only did when enraged. She pushed the remaining man in her way to the side, and saw Captain Smith standing on the docks. He crossed his arms when he saw her shove through the crowd. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"I am not under your command anymore girl," Smith answers nonchalantly,
"Excuse me? This is my ship, you're under my command!" She ungracefully stomps up to him, and jabs a finger into his coats.
"Not any more, Charles Lee has claimed it and has commanded this ship and all its men to New York."
"This is bollocks! This is my ship!" Annie pushes the offhand captain as she yells.
"Not anymore," he growls in annoyance, "Now, I need to get going." He shoves past her, and stops when he feels something thrust into his back.
"I will kill you where you stand." She rumbles venomously, pressing the sword harder against him.
"You are a fool, get her under control," he demanded, and the soldiers crowded around her as Smith slowly disappeared.
Annie feels hands grab her shoulders, so she turns around and hits him in the forehead with the handle of her cutlass.
He falls down and the others advance. I always seem to find myself in bad situations, she mumbles to herself as she knocks another one out.
Trying to hold them off without killing them, she didn't notice a group of men approach the chaotic scene. One of the Officer's blades collided with her arm, causing her to drop her cutlass. They took advantage of her unarmed stature, and the man behind her kicks the back of her claves making her fall. She lands on her hands and knees, screaming in pain as someone drives a small dagger into her thigh to keep her down.
She felt betrayed; these were her father's men.
Despite the excruciating pain, she managed to sit up on her knees. "Where is Charles Lee?" She yells, panting.
The crowds of soldiers move apart, and three men come from the parting.
Charles Lee, Haytham Kenway, and Thomas Hickey emerge. Great, she thought.
"Back off," Haytham warns the men as he approaches.
"Quite the mess you've made," Charles Lee pointed out, motioning towards the unconscious men.
"You have no right to take my ship." She spits, glaring at Lee while grimacing in pain.
"I'm just doing what needs to be done. We need all the ships, men, and guns we can get. I'm sure you'll understand. Besides, that ship was your father's property, I'm just reclaiming it."
Annie looks at the dagger lodged in her, and pulls it out with a gasp of pain. Then she throws it at Charles' feet, and tries to stand, but falls immediately.
Haytham comes to her side to help her up. Hickey had wandered on to the boat, and Charles Lee walked up to her with his Chin in the air.
"I am sorry about your father, truly," he says earnestly.
"Shut up," she snarls, trying to pull out of Haytham's grip, but to no avail. Charles looks at her wound and back at Haytham.
Haytham nods and Charles simply walks off.
Haytham picks her up, and walks away from the docks into the city. Her eyes were squeezed shut in pain and her grip around his shoulders was tight.
"Almost there," he says in comfort. She gives him a small nod, and opens her eyes to see her blood dripping to the ground below. Annie groans, her face gradually getting paler from blood loss.
Haytham turns to a large brick building with a large window. Someone who was loitering nearby opened the door for them. Haytham nodded a 'thank you'.
The middle aged doctor noticed them right away, and led them into a medium sized room with cabinets and posters covering most of the walls. Haytham gently laid her on the white bed, and then the doctor ushered him out.
He sits on a chair outside of the door while the doctor cleans her leg and puts in stitches. He hear her breathes of pain and looks around, and then leans back. The doctor eventually comes out to explain how to cleanse the wound that he can now see her. Haytham thanks him, and hands him a couple of pounds.
Annie looks over at him as he sits beside her.
"Well, you're going to live,' he says while taking a deep breath out.
"Oh really?" She rolls her eyes, looking out the large window opposite of him.
"I understand why you're angry, but really? Attacking a whole station of men? I don't think I'll understand that one."
"I was mad, I still am. That's my ship your imbecile friend is taking." She says still not looking at him.
"He was once your friend too."
"Once."
He nodded and sucked in a breath, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
"Yeah," she finally looks at him, seeing his tan face and noble features.
Connor… she thought. They look so much alike, it was alarming. She wondered if Haytham even knew that he had son. Or if that Connor, his enemy, was his son. She bit her tongue, and decided not to ask. It was not her place, even if she was angry with him.
She looks away again, squinting at the rays of sunshine beam through the window.
"Is there anything you need?" Haytham asks as he leans back, and the wooden chair screeches.
"No, you can leave now."
"Eager to get rid of me? Sorry, I'm not that easy sweet heart," he says with a small grin.
She rolls her head to glare him, "I'll be fine on my own. I'm an adult you know."
"Barley, you're what- twenty?"
"Twenty-two," she says matter-of-factly.
He lets out a small laugh, "You're still a child. Now I'll ask again, is there anything you need?"
She looks at her hands for a bit, "Some water would be nice."
"Of course." He gets up and walks to the counter that had a bottle of alcohol on it, along with a pitcher of warm water. Opening the cabinet, he pulls out a cup and fills it with water. He hands it to her and sits back down.
"Thank you," she mutters before drinking it down in two swallows. Haytham looks at her with eyebrows raised.
She hands the cup back to him and he puts it besides his chair. "You should rest, the salve may be working now, but it's going to be far more painful when it wears off."
"It's two in the afternoon; I don't think I could sleep even if I tried."
"I could."
"Yes, but you're old."
He gives her an offended look, "You think I'm old?"
"I know you're old." She adds with a little smirk.
"Just how old do you think I am?"
"I don't know, sixty?" She was kidding and he knew it.
"You sure know how to break a man's heart," he says melodramatically with his hand placed over his heart.
"Oh whatever, you could still beat me in a sword fight old man."
"Of course I could," he smiles and stands up, as she playfully glares at him. "Now I'm going to run some errands, I'll be back later to check on you."
"You don't need to, I'll be fine."
"I insist."
"Fine, but I won't here," she says crossing her arms.
"Well it's not like you're going to get up and walk out here, so be a good girl and stay here. Just rest and you'll be able to walk perfectly in no time." He tipped his hat in farewell, and left swiftly.
Annie sighed, she hated being bed ridden. But she eventually drifted off into sleep, though she could have sworn hearing footsteps linger on the roof above her.