Chapter 10:
"'December twenty-third, twenty-twelve.
Sample Recovery Unit Team-Lead Fisher Case, reporting on Subject Seventeen…
Desmond Miles.
The Subject was deceased and unattended.
Time of death was placed around zero hundred hours and seven minutes, with conditions favourable for DNA sample recovery.
We had some initial concerns about interference in the vault but given the skill and talent of this team, we were able to capture useful data.
I personally retrieved the Subject's backpack and extracted a number of objects of interest, to undergo detailed analysis… There was, to note, a torn notebook with writing barely distinguishable to the eye, forensics will be able to interpret the writing and assess it's usefulness… a cracked mobile phone with no dial tone nor power, our experienced hackers should be able to easily access the information stored on the phones memory… and finally, a torn photograph - the Subject is pictured with another male and two females in a location that we were able to determine as this very vault. We have been unable so far to locate the remaining three individuals in the photograph for information regarding the Subject. Further inquires into the individuals will made at a later date.
Continuing... the Subject displayed burns to the right hand, severe enough to fuse the bones, indicating some kind of spontaneous, intense burn trauma… honestly, we have never seen nothing like it before.
Head, neck and torso remained in good condition.
I hand-selected recovery agents to retrieve fluid samples – blood and saliva.
We then commenced material extraction, and were able to preserve several exemplary samples…
"No… no…! Don't touch him!" Finally, I could voice my outrage.
Data analysis and sequencing is already under way, and I'm told, proceeding with exceptional ease…
"Please… please don't… leave him alone! Desmond!" So... why didn't they answer? Why didn't they react?
Thanks to the cloud database – "Stop! Stop talking!" – and the work of Abstergo – "STOP!" – Sample Recovery Unit 3, the legacy of Subject Seventeen will continue uninhibited as Sample Sevent-'"
"His name is Desmond!" I scream. Yet, my voice merely ricochets off the never-ending nothingness that stretches out in a black abyss, the man's monotone, and computerised voice vibrating within my brain. "His name is Desmond," I repeat, my voice trembling, on the cusp of becoming a sob.
No response.
Why no answer?
Why won't they answer?
They're right there in front of me.
"Desmond," I call out, reaching for his distorted image, fuzzy like a camera facing major interference whilst recording.
"Please… please don't leave me…"
And, as I expect, no one replies. And then... the world seems to dissolve into static and my body fragments, drifting away on a non-existent wind.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Tess… Tess… "
"Ngh," I bury my face into my elbow, attempting to escape the little voice whispering my name repeatedly into my ear. Annoyingly, the voice persists, taking on a coaxing tone despite my obvious reluctance to open my eyes.
"Tess wake up, you can't fall asleep on the ground no matter how tired you are."
"Shut it… too early…" I groan, rolling onto my side as I do. The scent of fresh dirt and the unmistakable aroma of the sea and… was that the scent of gunpowder? And… musk? A hint of rum? The enthralling fragrance of saltwater was the most mistakable of all the scents that invaded my nostrils, making my head swim with… desire? Impossible. I must still be dreaming about Desmond.
Desmond didn't smell of seawater however… he smelt of summer and warm chestnuts and the enthralling odour of his spicy cologne bought for him and Shaun for their birthdays – celebrated late of course.
"Who…?"
"Tess," Edward waves his hand in front of my blurry gaze, clicking his thumb and forefinger to get my frayed attention, "wake up, we need to get moving and I'm pretty sure that sleeping on the ground is hardly as comfortable as you make it out to be."
"Ed… ward?" I mumble, rubbing my eyes as I slowly sit up, blinking at the sudden sunlight that attacks my senses, "what… what are you-"
"Snap out of it Tess," he laughs, ruffling my hair which probably resembled a bush with all the leaves and twigs and dirt that was clumped into the usually silky mass.
Pushing his hand away, I arrange my features into a half-hearted glare and repeat a sentence I was so used to reiterating it was almost second nature. "My name," I tell him, unable to prevent the smile from breaking out upon my face, "is Tessa, Kenway and you need to stop forgetting it."
"Good to see you're back to normal," he offers me a hand and helps me to my feet, his eyebrows knitted together in unease, "are you okay? It didn't look like a pleasant dream."
It was more of a nightmare, I silently agreed but gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "It might be something to do with the fact that I was sleeping on the floor," I tease and then frown as I consider what I just admitted to, "by the way, how the Hell did I end up curled on the jungle floor? I think I feel asleep on the Jackdaw."
"Kidd brought you down from the ship," Edward explains, releasing my hand in favour of throwing a muscled arm around my slender shoulders, "nothing woke you, not even when Thatch fired the Galleons cannons – and I mean all of the cannons – before setting off for Nassau."
"He left already?"
"Took off this morning with the Galleon in tow… told Kidd and I that we should find some good use for this Cove now that de Casse is dead."
"de Casse is dead?"
I shouldn't be surprised that that had been the outcome and to be honest, it wasn't the fact that de Casse was dead that shocked me – the bastard deserved what he got – it was more the fact that I hadn't been aware… I must have been out cold.
"Does that bo-"
"No, it doesn't bother me," I interrupt, kicking at the leaf-covered ground. We walk along the length of the beach, my eyes absorbing the new sites and sounds that the Iguana had to offer, my hand gently tracing along the rotting wood of the old plantation storehouses which in turn spurs forth my next enquiry. "So," I begin, looking up at the pirate and brushing my fringe out of my eyes – I really should think about cutting it – so to see his face, "what's the plan? What are we going to do with an abandoned plantation?"
"I thought we could keep a fleet," he explained, his expression lighting up at the idea, "give the place a fix up, you know… a tavern, a consignment store, a brothel-"
"Cause every town is in desperate need of a brothel," came my sarcastic reply.
"It'd be decent place to call home," he continues, ignoring my cynicism. "I might even try to convince my-" he suddenly stops, opening and closing his mouth as he struggles to come up with an end to his sentence.
"Your?"
"Nothing."
"Okay," I answer, a hint of uncertainly colouring my remark, desperate to find yet another topic to discuss once the conversation dies out. "Uh… so… where's Kidd? Did he head back with Thatch?"
"Desperate to get rid of me," the very man in question calls, lounging against a discarded crate on the pier, waving his hand in greeting as Edward and I make our way towards him, back facing the iridescent sea. "Or," he laughs as I run over to receive the hug he offers, "did you miss me?"
"Both," I giggle, slapping his chest playfully, "always both."
"Kidd…" Edward growls from behind my petite form.
"Is hugging illegal Kenway?"
"Guys," I sigh, rubbing my forehead as I feel the beginnings of a headache commencing to rear their head, "what the Hell is going on here?"
"Nothing," Edward hastily assures me.
"Nothing," Kidd answers at the exact same time, his storm-grey eyes looking out at the horizon, looking out at anything as long as it wasn't Edward or me.
"I don't understand men," I mutter, pushing past them with the single purpose of boarding the Jackdaw, maybe curling up in a corner or in one of the crew's bunks so I could continue my nap – hopefully without the terrifying nightmares about Desmond. "Never have, never will… you're all so… confusing."
"Is she having a nervous breakdown?" Kidd asked.
"I… I'm not sure," Edward confessed.
"Oh for God sakes," I complain, turning on my heel and glaring at the mischievous pair, "I'm going to go have a nap, the two of you can continue doing whatever the Hell it was that you had planned."
"Well then, I'll say my goodbyes," Kidd answers, nodding over at a ship pulling into the cove as swiftly and as silently as the rising sun, emitting strong, pulsating rays of light as the day reached its midpoint, "my ride is here."
"Leaving already?"
"I reckon this cove suits you better, Kenway," Kidd chuckles, patting his friends shoulder as he moves past his lean body, strolling towards me and the incoming ship, "better than that costume does."
"Don't tell him that," I chuckle, rolling my eyes and dodging Kidd's hand as he attempts to ruffle my unkempt hair, "you're going to wound his ego."
"Come now Kidd," Edward interjects, making his way towards the two of us, his expression light-hearted and playful, "we're pirates. We take as we please and become whom we like. Self-made men!"
"Is that what it's called?" I mumble, squealing when Edward grabs me around the waist and tickles me mercilessly for my sarcastic indiscretion.
"That look ain't you," Kidd informs the other pirate, shouting to be heard over my cries for mercy, "it's not who you are."
"Who am I then?" Edward questions, setting me down on my own two feet after I nearly elbow him the eye, rubbing his cheek where my elbow had connected instead.
"Hard to tell some days," he admits with a roll of his stormy eyes, "all I know, and I'm sure Tessa here can agree, is that you like dangerous prizes."
"Ain't that the truth," I grumble, shooting Edward an impish smile of my own making.
"Like the Observatory?" Edward turns to me and gives my corseted back a nudge in the direction of our ship, looking over his shoulder to analyse Kidd's expression at the mention of the fantastical prize.
As far as I can tell, James Kidd does not flinch at the casual discussion of the otherwise confirmed myth. Instead, he watches his ship pull swiftly up to the pier and seems to ignore Edward's callous remark. Maybe he knows nothing – but I now know that nobody knows nothing if they're a pirate. Perhaps Kidd was after the treasure for himself and didn't want to let Edward and myself in on the prize. I was more inclined to consider the possibility that Kidd was simply reluctant to discuss a possible prize that may or may not exist.
Pirates like to chase treasure proven to be fact, I conclude, dancing out of Edward's grip only to find myself trapped against his chest a moment later, his strong arms wrapped around my torso, pinning my arms to my chest. They'd rather hunt what they know than go after what they don't… curious… not as wild as I thought… hmmmmm, this is rather ni – STOP right there!
"Edward," I whisper, struggling in the steel grip that was his hold, "can you, uh, let me go now?"
"I think you know more about that than you let on in Nassau," he continues questioning Kidd, opting to ignore my frantic struggle and converse with Kidd.
Maybe he's doing just to piss me off… who am I kidding, this is Edward you're talking about, of course he's doing it to piss you off.
"You noticed, did ya?"
"Wait… you have information regarding the observatory?"
"That's right, Princess," Kidd confirms, giving me a devilish smile and quick wave as he makes to board his ship. "Kenway," he calls over his shoulder as his crew raise the plank and already begin their preparations to depart the Great Iguana's crystal, silent cove, "meet me at twenty degrees, three minutes latitude just off the coast of Yucatan. I'll have something to show you – the both of you – in a few weeks time."
"See you then," Edward replies, raising one hand in farewell as Kidd's small ship rapidly sets sail for whatever destination it had in mind… maybe he was heading to the place he just revealed.
"Yucatan?" I ask.
"I know the place," Edward reassures me, finally releasing me from his warm encirclement and I find myself missing the natural warmth his body had produced and the feeling of safety his embrace had held.
"Oh, good," I sigh, placing my hands on my hips and leaning my weight to one side as we stare at one other, "no wild goose chase."
"This 'goose chase' paid off."
"True," I reluctantly concede, biting my lip as I do. "So... I assume that since you said 'see you then' that you're going to take Kidd's offer?"
"Of course. If he has information about the Observatory, then I want it, no matter how little that detail may be."
"You're really set on this," I note, studying his face with my large, sea-green eyes, "I can't decide whether to call it a passion or an obsession."
"How about you call it as you see it?" Edward offers with a careful smirk, his mesmerising eyes glinting with subdued mischief.
"Too difficult... are we going to get going then? Or do you want to stay and scope out the place?"
"We'll head out," Edward informs me, looping his arm around my waist and tugging me towards the marooned Jackdaw, "there's nothing to see on this island that I haven't already seen... did I tell you that de Casse has a pretty nice looking mansion up on that hill?"
"No you didn't."
"Might fix it up... it's going to take a couple of reales to get it in working condition though."
"So, is that what you're going to use the money you'll get from selling off the Observatory? That is, if it exists," I add on as an afterthought.
"It does exist," Edward scoffs, elbowing my side playful as he does and then giving me what could only be classified as an 'innocent, puppy-dog' stare when I glare at him for the unforgivable action. "Maybe I will but I want to save the gold I get from that sale for as long as I can. The point I was trying to make before you rudely interrupted me-"
"I didn't interrupt-"
Edward halts my speech by pressing a finger to my lips, his eyes sparkling with mirth, "shhhhhh, little love, shhhhhh."
Rolling my eyes, I snap my mouth shut and raise my eyebrows, folding my arms over my chest as I wait for him to continue.
"This place will make a good home," he taps the hull of his ship and grins up at the masts that stretch towards the endless blue sky, "I can tie the Jackdaw up nice and safe here in the cove, get rum flowing endless at the tavern-"
"Don't forget hundreds of beautiful and very willing women ready to wait on you're every beck and call."
"Oh," Edward smirks, reaching around my body in a way that sees me trapped against the rocking bulk of the ship, his strong arms like steel bars caging me. Feeling my face burn with our proximity and feeling as if my stomach held a million butterflies waiting to be set free, I tried to avoid looking him directly in the eye as he leaned close and breathed into my ear, "jealous?"
"Hardly," I whisper, rather breathlessly though.
"No?"
"No."
"Why won't you look at me then?"
"Because you're squishing me against the ship and your chest," I feebly retort, placing a hand on his chest as if to push him back. However, the moment I touch him I know that it was a mistake; my hand tingles from the contact - as it had been whenever we seemed to touch - and my heart thuds wildly in my chest. I try to swallow, to come up with another argument but the words die in the back of my throat when my eyes meet his intense gaze.
"I... I, um," I mumble, stumbling over the simplest of words, unable to articulate what I wanted.
What do I want?
"Yes, Tess?"
"Tessa," I remind him weakly, bracing the cold wood of the Jackdaw with one hand, my other - the one on his chest - slide down the length of his torso, feeling the ridges of his muscles hidden beneath the thick blue and grey-white material before sliding back up to rest on his shoulder.
"Tessa," he breathes in answer, bumping his forehead against mine, "can I help you? You look a little... flustered."
"Yeah," I whisper in agreement, the word slipping out before I can stop it.
What the HELL are you doing?!
I honestly don't know, I thought in reply before my mind goes blissfully blank the moment Edward touches my cheek, then trails his calloused fingers down the side of my face to my exposed throat, his fingers curling around the leather cord and pearl.
"Can you believe it's been a year since I found you passed out on the beaches of Cape Bonavista? You've changed a lot since then..."
"A year?!" I gasp, interrupting Edward the moment the reality of his statement hits me. Honestly, the guy may as well have slapped me hard across my face; the metaphorical beating was even more painful, in my personal opinion, than the physical action.
I must have heard him incorrectly... yeah, that's it, must be. My head's all fuzzy from all this... flirting? Yes, yes, he can't have said a YEAR!
"Yeah... it's 1716, Tess..." he studies my expression, "you okay? You look as if you've just seen a ghost."
"I'm fine," I tell him, blinking rapidly to clear my thoughts, "fine..."
"You sure?" he questions, releasing me from his tempting hold.
"Yes... yes, I'm sure." Touching my forehead, I once again fold my arms over my torso and hug myself tightly, trying to keep the panic reeled in - I didn't want to lose what little progress I had made. Clearly my throat, I look at Edward and then incline my head expectantly in the direction of our ship, "are we going to set sail or what?"
"Or what."
"Ha-ha," I say, rolling my eyes at his sarcastic reply, giggling at his failed attempt to keep a straight face, "let's get going Kenway, we need to catch up to Kidd if we wanna get that information he promised. He did say he'd tell the both of us, so... I don't about you, but I'm ready to high-tail it out of here."
With us in complete agreement, we quickly board the ship and prepare the boat for travel; Edward barking out orders to each crew member, murmuring the plan to Adéwalé whilst I helped the crew out the best I could, clearing up empty and discarded bottles, tying up loose ends, helping to unfurl the sail upon Edwards cry for need of it. It felt, as I did each of my chores, as if I was in a dream - or some sort of twisted nightmare. What Edward told me swirled around and around in my head, repeating in his deep, rough voice the same date over and over.
It was almost like being back at square one.
When had I stopped trying to work out my method of escape? When did I become comfortable living the life Kidd, Thatch, Adéwalé and Kenway lived? When did it all become as normal and as easy as breathing?
When had this become my life?
"Tessa!"
"Uh, yeah?" I call back, looking over my shoulder from where I stand hunched over a heavy-duty broadside cannon, securing the weapon as well as I could to the side of the ship, to where Edward stands handling the helm, annoyed when my heart flutters when I meet his gaze.
"Come here."
Handing the knot-tying to another crew member, I make my way to the upper deck as fast as I can, knowing from Edward's tone of voice that it was important. "Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
"Gods Edward, from the way you sounded this conversation seemed to be a life-or-death situation."
"I... I just wanted make sure you're-"
"Okay," I cut in, "yeah, yeah, I told you already... I'm fine."
"With what happened down on the pier..."
"Let's forget it happened," I tell him, knowing that was the best option for the both us - particularly since I knew Edward was possibly the biggest flirt I knew and also because I was still-
"Yeah," Edward agrees, turning his attention back to the sprawling sea.
"Can I sail?"
"You want to pilot my ship?"
"Well... can I?" I repeat, offering a friendly smile and desperately hoping that we can put the scene at the Cove behind us. Plus, learning to steer a massive ship might come in handy one day - almost as handy as Edward agreeing to teach me how to fight - and it would most likely be a marvellous distraction from the pounding headache brought on by Edward's revelation.
"Sure."
With a pleased grin, I manoeuvre myself around Edward in order to position myself at the Helm, my tiny fingers gripping the in comparison massive wheel as tightly as I could, deeply afraid that I could loose control.
"You've got to loosen up," Edward instructs me, once more looping his arms around my body in order to place his firm hands atop my dainty ones, "just let you're instincts guide you."
A lot harder than driving a car, I remark thoughtfully as the ship tugs my arms to the right, the weight of the wheel preventing me from being able to keep a firm grip.
"Relax," Edward whispers in my ear, his warm breath tickling the back of my neck as he does, the action resuming the tingling sensation across my body and encouraging the frantic rhythm of my pounding heart.
I thought we were putting this behind us, I think but subconsciously find myself leaning into his chest, relishing the feeling of his skin against mine, his firm chest supporting my weight with an ease not many could manage. Oh... what's the harm? I eventually decide, content to let the feeling of peace and warmth continue, particularly since I could barely manage to steer his ship without Edward's immediate help. There was no harm in the friendly gesture, even if my body trembled with the proximity. It wasn't like Edward considered me anything more than a friend - maybe a friend with benefits - but I wasn't even going to go there.
Yet, in the back of my mind, a small part of me was screaming... screaming for something I had long since lost.
A single name.
Desmond.
A/N: putting my authors note at the end of the chapter... a first for me. I hope you all read this because it is my sincere thanks for keeping up :) I'm glad that you've all enjoyed reading up to this point and I can tell you that I enjoy writing each chapter knowing that each one I post you'll read ^_^ Anyways... I seriously enjoyed this chapter (as you can probably guess... aren't Edward and Tess cute?) and I can't wait to write the next one... maybe I'll have Edward teach Tessa finally how to fight... I mean, she does have some skill in it (she did do fencing for a bit, which is harder than it can look, I would know since I do it) but she's very uncomfortable with the idea of hurting another to save her life. I mean, she never directly judged Desmond - which she eventually admits to herself - for doing just that to survive but she openly does to Edward and I think, after Edward teaches her how to shoot and load a pistol, that she kind of gets why...
Wow, I wrote a lot... soz guys...
Anyways, see you next update ;)
- AshTree13 xoxo