Shake it out
(Sorry for such a long update. I've been ridiculously busy. Plus my Xbox broke, so there will probably be mistakes in this chapter, and may stray a bit from actual quotes and story line. Just correct me, if so. It may seem a little rushed, but that will change next chapter. This was a fast event, really sudden too. But anyways: voilà!)
They were at it again; it seemed their arguments have been becoming more frequent. Annie shook her head as Achilles walks back up the stairs from the hidden basement.
She had greeted a stranger at the door, and Achilles told her to let him in. As she introduced herself, Achilles retreated downstairs to retrieve Connor. Annie could hear their sarcastic and harsh words through the floor. It was obvious the stranger, who introduced himself as Benjamin Tallmadge, could hear it too. She was embarrassed, and looked around with her arms crossed; ready to give cross looks as the men emerged.
Achilles came first, with a nonchalant look, walking into the kitchen, as Annie and Benjamin stand by the door.
But Connor came up stomping like a bull, yelling.
"Or you could just admit you are wrong!" Connor bellows from the other room.
"Oh child please, you've killed two men. One more salesman than solider. You're going to have to try a lot harder than that to impress me."
Annie sighs as Achilles comes hobbling through the room to them, Connors heavy footsteps following.
"Is that so old man? Or perhaps we should step outside; I would gladly demonstrate how easily I could-"
Connor turns the corner, now aware of Annie, Achilles, and Benjamin staring at him. Well, Annie was glaring, rather than merely looking.
"Trounce…" he finishes, throwing confused looks around.
Achilles gets a cup of tea from the table, now smiling. "Connor, this is Benjamin Tallmadge; His father was one of us, and I think there is something he wants to say."
Benjamin steps up towards him, and Connor was avoiding Annie's incredulous scowls.
"Achilles tells me you've uncovered a plot to murder the commander-in-chief." Benjamin says, stepping closer again.
"Yes, but I have only false starts and dead ends to show for it." Connor looks at him wearily.
"Not anymore," Benjamin turns and walks back towards Annie again to put down his cup of tea, "my friend." He turns and walks back up to Connor, placing a hand on Connor's back, ignoring Connor's jerks to pull away. "Thomas Hickey's your man, and I aim to help you catch him."
"How?" Connor asks without looking at him.
"I'll explain on the way, you and I are going to New York." He leads Connor towards the door before Connor stops.
"Annie is coming with us." He says shortly. It was a sudden decision, but he could exclude her. Not after all the training and practice he put her through.
"Your partner?" Benjamin asks, looking at Annie.
"Yes."
"Really, Connor?" she walks up to Connor to look in his eyes. Her anger had almost completely dissipated.
Achilles answers before he could, "Go get on your new armor."
Annie smiles and runs up the stairs, holding the hem of her dress.
Benjamin takes a deep breath, "As you wish, Connor."
…
They rode to the market on horseback. Annie rode beside Connor as him and Benjamin talked. She wasn't listening; rather she was busying ignoring the tightness of her new armor. It was a brown leather top with greaves. She had boots to go, and the buckles and harnesses for her weapons were taking a while to get used to. But Annie couldn't complain, the armor held her feminine frame. She could have sworn she caught some stolen glances from both Connor and Benjamin.
They were talking about assassin business, but Annie ignored it all. She studied the landscape around her as they rode back onto city streets.
She picked up Benjamin talking about wanting children, thus him not joining the brotherhood. The further they rode into the city, the more nervous he seemed to become.
"I do not know exactly where Hickey is, but the market place is your best bet." With that Benjamin leads them to a trough with a post to tie their horses. "Wander about, you are sure to find something," Benjamin says.
Almost as if on que, there was commotion.
One of the merchants began yelling, "This isn't money! This is colored paper! This is the last time you fuck me over with your schemes!"
Connor was paying close attention, and was on high alert. "Annie follow behind me slowly, do not be direct."
That was all the warning he gave before he sprinted after the counterfeiter.
Benjamin had stepped away to avoid getting caught up in the mess. Annie walked quickly, watching all around her. The guards seemed to be busy chasing down Connor and the criminal.
So she cut corners to follow them, she ran through the dark alleys, chasing the fleeting footsteps. The guards quickly lost track and had been scouting the area when she got a glimpse of Connor again. The fleeing man ran between two houses, Connor following suit. Annie blended with the crowds before darting after them.
She was pleasantly surprised to see that they weren't followed, and that Connor had pinned the man down.
His hidden blade was flush against the man's neck, causing him to stop struggling. As Connor questioned him, Annie stood watch. Connor got what he wanted from the man: he learned that two men were on their way to see Hickey now.
"Should I kill him?" Connor asks aloud.
"No, I don't think he will run to report you, because he would turn himself in as well." She looked into the man's dark brown eyes. "But run off to Hickey," she pulls out her dagger and runs it along his fingers that lie beside him, "You'll lose a hand. Don't think we won't find you." Annie pulls away with a hand on Connor's shoulders.
The man nods furiously before standing up and fleeing into the country side.
Connor turns to Annie, "I am going to find the men he spoke of. You should try to find any information, and bring it to me should I be unsuccessful. We do not have much time; I am sure he has eyes all around, ready to tell him we are after him."
She nods, "Do you want me to follow as I did?"
"Yes."
"And meet you where?"
He looks around, spotting the large chapel. "The Chapel."
"Alright," she says he was off.
While he made his way through the city without looking conspicuous, she questioned merchants. She wasn't able to get anything from them, for they only had eyes for costumers. She followed several paces behind and away from Connor, relying on him.
It was a good thing Connor was great at what he does, and quickly discovered the two counterfeiters. Annie watched him stealthily follow behind them, eavesdropping.
He follows them to a house that they walk into, clearly locking the door behind them. Annie walked through the crowded streets, keeping an eye on Connor. His lingering catches the guard's attention.
She caught him looking around for her, finally spotting her, she raises her hand to give him the okay.
Approaching the guards that were watching him; she tries to distract them as Connor kicks down the door to infiltrate.
"Excuse me; do you happen to know where the closest tailor's at?" She fakes an Italian accent, but the patriot guards don't seem to notice how bad it is.
"Go down to tha end of this street and turn to tha right, I think that's tha right, and then keep goin', you'll see a sign. It's right by tha doctors." The one without facial hair answered.
She gave them a large, boisterous smile. "Thank you so much!"
As she walks down the street, she heard them talk about her.
"Oi, what kind of lady wears trousers?" One asked.
"Who cares," the other one disregards.
Annie sighs when she hears more guards shouting.
God Damnit.
She sees a familiar face dart out from behind a building in front of her, knocking down multiple people. It was Hickey.
Pursuing him was Connor, who had nearly two patrols of soldiers after him. There was no way she could get them off of his trail. But Connor was contempt on catching Hickey, so she was contempt on finding a way to him.
Hickey was avoiding the teeming streets, running through the back roads. But eventually Connor had caught up to him, tackling him and shoving him against the door of a house.
The guards were still after him, so she had to go around the larger side to see what was happening.
Annie runs around the corner, her heart nearly stopping at the sight. Both Thomas and Connor were in custody.
"I had nothing to do with that." Connor yells to guard holding the bag of fake money. Annie was approaching slowly and discreetly, watching intently.
"'Course not!" The guard says sarcastically.
"Listen," Connor tries to reason, "There are more important things at stake here. This man is planning to-"
The guard behind him hits him promptly in the back of the head, knocking Connor unconscious.
She stopped herself from screaming aloud and running towards them, slaughtering them all. But she approached quickly, hands shaking. She was not expecting a bad outcome.
She walks up to them, placing herself between the guards and Connor's comatose body.
"What the hell is going on here?" She asks incredulously, getting in the guard's face.
"An' who tha hell are you?"
Thomas smiles, "O' I know who dat is, its ole' John's daughta. Here ta rescue ya boyfrien'?"
Annie's eyes widen, her cover already blown. She turns to him, and back hands him hard across his face.
Turning back to the guards, she lifts her chin.
"Where are you taking them?"
"Jail, thay got ta date with Lee."
Her lip twitches as she looks down at Connor.
"I am coming with you."
"I don't think-"
She moves closer to the guard opposing her. "I am going with you. Try to stop me, and you'll end up a bloody corpse." She turns back to Hickey, who had a smile despite his bloody lip. "I'm not done with you." She growled, but his smile only grew.
What had she gotten them into?