Chapter Four:

Like a Sore Thumb

London, England, 1943

The journey to London had been uneventful for Mary and Katherine. The two had retraced their steps to the Maginot Line and stopped for a few nights there to re-supply and report their progress to Hall. Once Mary had felt she'd made ample connections and confirmed that, indeed, London was their destination, the two set off again and managed to secure travel across the British Channel. London was only a day or two's journey after.

Katherine had packed her suitcase to prepare for another night in a ruin, but when she'd stated that to Mary the Scot had laughed at her, then led them to a pub the moment they arrived in London.

It was called the Lamb and Flag. British soldiers, officers, and aspiring politicians all congregated there in a mass of liquor and cigar smoke, and the occasional whiff of pipe tobacco. The two rented a room in the pub and made it their new base of operations to find Andrew Lee, but as Katherine made preparations to find him, Mary lounged on her bed and prepared to have a nap. Their room was cozy and Katherine had to admit she desired some rest as well, but it infuriated her that Mary could so easily put their mission aside and give in to those temptations.

But before Katherine could speak her mind, Mary asked, "What time is it?"

"Midday," answered Katherine.

"Ach. Good. Ye can sleep a bit."

Katherine crossed her arms as she glared at the lazy form of Mary. "I'm not sleeping until we've made a plan!"

"I've got a plan already, lassie. Sleep."

"Absolutely not! Not until you share it with me!"

Mary opened her visible eye and gave Katherine an annoyed look. "Miss Prince, we're waiting for an Assassin tae appear at the pub. That's all."

"I doubt it." Katherine's arms moved to set firmly on her hips. "In Vienna we were looking for clues around my brothers' deaths, but you ran out chasing Cole. If I hadn't grabbed anything we'd have nothing! And then Father MacPhee! You could have told me you knew him instead of give me a heart-attack!"

The Scot wore a smug grin on her face. "Lassie, there's a reason I dannae share everything, and it's because of the Templars. I have no doubt Cole knows we're looking for the Assassin-hunter, and that means our job's harder now. It also means that, if either of us are captured, only one of us can die with the whole of our mission while the other knows just enough tae continue."

"Mary, we're partners! I'm risking my life, too!"

"Then be patient, Miss Prince," chided Mary. "Andrew Lee frequents this pub, no doubt tae drown his sorrows or guilt. We'll get information from him."

"And if he's working with the Assassin-hunter?"

"Simple: we kill him."

Katherine frowned darkly at Mary. "You'll have to tell me more sometime."

"When ye show that ye'll not try tae rush after the hunter, I'll consider it, lassie."

"I didn't leave Maginot without Hall's consent."

"That's Hall. This is Mary MacKenzie yer dealing with. Ye'll find that I dannae much care for lone wolfing."

"Oh, like you did with Cole?"

A dark glare settled in Mary's eyes, and had every bone in Katherine's body scream that she was crossing lines that she absolutely shouldn't be. "Richard Cole is a primary target for all Assassins in Europe, Miss Prince. Under the circumstances it was the right decision tae pursue him. I know we almost left behind that information, but if Cole was allowed tae escape—which he did, naw thanks tae yer fast footwork or the way ye dealt with those wounded guards so slowly—he'd inform the Assassin-hunter, and since he most certainly has, our job is now much more difficult." The glare faded as quickly as it had come. "So before ye go ahead pointing yer finger like a dolt, think of the way yer actions speak as well. Like Hall said, I'm not here tae instruct ye or teach ye, but if ye insist on acting like a trainee that's how I'll be treating ye."

But Katherine wasn't done pushing, the arrogance of youth clearly showing in her defiance. "You and Richard Cole have history, don't you? Your encounters were more than just a few snide remarks about Assassins and Templars and bloody noses."

"Ye want tae pry? Pry away then. Richard Cole not only stole my sword, but also masterminded my accident in Edinburgh." She sat up. "He had those names on that list because he's the one who sends the Assassin-hunter oot tae claim the lives of our allies!"

"Then why not just shoot him?!"

Mary grinned. "Ye want tae know why, lassie?" She shrugged off the left side of her overcoat, unbuttoned her vest and opened her shirt enough that Katherine could see her shoulder. Two harsh bullet scars were forever cut into her, one above and one below her collarbone. "Cole's got some fancy First Civilization piece that deflects bullets. I shot him twice, and instead I was the one wounded. Fancy that." She slipped her shirt back on and began buttoning the vest again. "I learn from my mistakes, lassie. Richard Cole dies by a blade or old age, and I promise it'll be the former."

The conversation ended there with Katherine stammering for something to say, but when nothing came she turned her back on Mary and began studying what notes they had on Andrew Lee while she stewed over the Scot's words. In fact, she was so preoccupied with the bickering she'd done she hadn't even begun reading the notes until she realized she was acting like a child who'd just been told off by a parent.

Katherine cleared her mind and began to hone her focus. Andrew Lee was the son of a police officer and joined the Assassins in his mid-twenties. Now nearing forty, Lee hadn't yet seen himself become a Master Assassin but was renowned as a sharpshooter. His leading skills were inadequate though he took orders well. The only mission he hadn't seen through was the one in 1938—the one he didn't show up for.

That annoyed Katherine a great deal. It was like a blot of ink on an otherwise clean paper, that last mission. His superiors had been too busy dealing with the aftermath of that failure and beginning of the war to properly reprimand Lee for his inadequacy. What had kept him from it? What was so important that he abandoned his team and possibly aided in their failure?

With these questions in mind Katherine laid in her bunk and stared at the ceiling. Mary was already sound asleep. She made no noise whatsoever, which had made Katherine think her dead, but her chest rose and fell to display her breathing. Sighing, Katherine tried to seek answers for the questions she wanted to ask both Lee and Mary, but found none for either one. But Katherine wouldn't give up on either, and while it seemed she would gain answers from Lee far sooner than Mary, she felt that, for at least one night, she'd learned enough of Mary.

Though Katherine did wonder how many scars Mary truly possessed. What was under all those bandages?

In the late evening, Mary had supper delivered upstairs and chose to awaken Katherine with the aroma of chicken hanging over her nose. Mary grinned when Katherine's eyes fluttered open and met hers.

"Yer drooling, lassie," Mary joked (though Katherine brought a hand up to her mouth just to make certain of it). The Scot casually walked to the small table in their apartment and set Katherine's plate down in what the American assumed would be her spot. She was correct, as Mary took the seat opposite. "Well? The Devil likes his food hot. So would ye."

Katherine huffed but approached and sat in her seat. The two ate their meal in relative silence, which Katherine was beginning to become accustomed to. Mary, though quick-witted and fairly talkative when she got going, seemed to have to be prompted a bit to engage in a conversation. With how boldly Katherine had seen her fight, the younger woman found it odd that Mary could shut down and be a completely different person. At least, that was how Katherine saw it. Mary didn't desire to speak to someone who'd find something to complain about so easily.

Is this what all Americans are like? wondered the Scot. Naw wonder they had that wee spat with Britain two-hundred years ago...

Once their meal was finished, Mary took the plates and walked downstairs to the kitchens. She didn't immediately head back upstairs, but instead chose to mingle at the bar with some of the men there. Of course they were all keen on her bandages, but Mary waved them off with her usual bombing excuse. While Katherine waited twenty minutes for Mary upstairs, the American's impatience practically screamed forth. On missions she was usually calm, cool and collected, but that had been in the United States with Assassins she was supremely familiar with. Not having Mary on a schedule left an uncomfortable knot in Katherine's stomach. She could hear no sound downstairs but the muffled conversations being had over food and drink. But without a doubt she could smell the smoke, and it made her eyes water and her nose wrinkle.

Half an hour into Katherine's waiting, she finally left their room and made her way down to the first floor. At first glance it looked like the men were simply conversing, and then Katherine rolled her eyes when she saw Mary partaking in a drinking game. Shots of whiskey, from what Katherine could tell. The American couldn't imagine what was more pathetic: that Mary was drinking on the job or that she was winning the game.

"Och, ye done already, laddie?!" Mary grabbed a glass and emptied it in a single gulp. "Ah!" she breathed, as if she was drinking air. "That's a good brand ye have here! I might have tae buy some for myself!"

Katherine shook her head when she witnessed money exchange hands. Instead of bursting to the front of the crowd like she wanted, Katherine held back and observed it. There was a chance Andrew Lee wouldn't recognize Mary, since Katherine knew for a fact she'd never met Lee. If Mary was right and Lee was crawling into a bottle to alleviate his guilt, he wouldn't even be aware that Assassins would be in the pub waiting for him. If he noticed Katherine, she'd be impressed. Then she'd figure he had Mary's drinking constitution. Already three men were passed out on the floor around the table.

Mary's grin never faded. "Another round? Or have ye all had enough of a bonny lass?"

"My turn!" a man declared and practically shoved his drunk mate onto the floor. "I'd love to have a go at you, dearie."

"I'm not sitting here tae disappoint, laddie," Mary replied, "but I'd be careful with yer words."

"Why? Looks like it's been a while since anyone's ground your corn!"

Katherine noticed a subtle, intimidating look settle on Mary's features. The smile remained. "Put yer booze where yer mouth is."

He took a drink, and it was promptly followed by Mary. The man grinned again. A navy man, from the look of him. He was rough-looking and stout with a thick beard on his face, and Katherine noticed he'd smoked a fair bit of pipe tobacco. She could yell from his yellowed fingernails.

"Trouble at home?" the man asked. "Husband ain't satisfying you no more?"

"Drink." He took a drink. Mary took a drink.

"Figured. Why else would a lass like you be out here and not caring for the little ones at home?"

"Less talk, laddie. Ye take instructions like a wee bairn!"

Two more drinks were consumed. Katherine's interest was piqued. Mary was pushing away his words with the same light-heartedness she did with Katherine... Mary was intentionally avoiding the subject of her family. Why?

"Aye, maybe, but you aren't answering my questions!"

Mary leaned forward. The man was already swaying. Katherine wondered if the whiskey had been distilled at all. "Ye want tae know about my private life then? Here's the condition..." Mary pushed the bottle of whiskey towards the sailor. "Drink up, laddie. If ye finish this before I finish a new bottle, I'll let ye know everything ye want tae know."

He grinned lecherously. "Like what it takes to make a Scot like you scream?"

"If it takes yer fancy."

Not in my room, you won't be, growled Katherine inwardly.

The sailor felt as though victory was in his grasp. He grinned and connected his nearly-finished bottle with Mary's full one. "I'll have a lot of questions, then!"

"And I'll make sure ye stew over every one!"

In a flash, Mary had her bottle opened and tossed her head back to drink the contents. The sailor had less than half left, but by the time he had a quarter Mary was finished half her bottle. She slammed the empty whiskey bottle on the table, burped like a man and grinned triumphantly when the sailor finished a whole ten seconds after her. Katherine wasn't sure if she should be disgusted or in awe.

"You cheated, you wench!"

The sailor practically leapt over the table to get to Mary. Katherine began to move in to help but saw that, even a little drunk, Mary was more than a match for him. She flipped the sailor—who was twice her size—over herself using his own drunken momentum and had him smash into a wooden table not far away. He was knocked out from the shake and the liquor.

"Am I the winner?" Mary asked.

More money exchanged hands, and all continued as if no woman had thrown a burly sailor over her own head. Katherine couldn't help but wonder if it was a common occurrence. And then the bell to the door rang as the door slowly swung open.

Katherine didn't know Lee by face, but she knew enough of the way he held himself and the care he took in controlling the motion of his hands that she knew the man who walked through the door to be an Assassin the moment she laid eyes on him. She didn't even have to glance at the hood he was removing.

The cheery dingle of the bell instantly had Mary's attention, and the Scot managed a peek through the bickering and excited crowd to see Lee. She grinned, and just as Katherine was moving in to subdue him quietly, Mary leapt onto the table she'd been drinking on, sending the shot glasses and bottles flying, and laughed wildly.

"Andrew Lee! About bloody time ye made it here, laddie! Yer twally arse couldnae have come at a better time! Have a drink, will ye?!"

Katherine nearly tripped and hit her face on the floor, struck by the older woman's idiocy. Mary was a bit drunker than she'd thought.

Lee backed towards the door, his eyes locked on Mary. And Katherine, despite being nearly floored by Mary's complete lack of subtlety, saw the pure terror clear as day in his eyes.

"Shit! Don't come any closer!" And then Lee was out the door.

"Mary!" Katherine exclaimed, and bolted after him.

Mary was right on Katherine's tail, her trademark grin splitting her face with eagerness. Katherine, worried, glanced over her shoulder and expected to see the Scot stumbling against the cobblestones of London, but the Scot had, somehow, pulled herself together from the drinking. Or maybe she was barely drunk at all and just a moron. At least, that was Katherine's guess.

As they chased Lee through narrow streets with the Assassin shoving boxes and barrels in their way and their Assassin expertise making his attempts but a simple obstacle, Lee managed to began climbing to the rooftops of the city. Mary sprinted past Katherine with a sudden burst of speed and skidded to a stop in front of a low building, then clasped her hands in front of her.

"Here's a boost, lassie!" called Mary.

Katherine ran, planted a foot in Mary's hands and let the Scot send her flying to the top, where she continued the chase. Lee had nothing to separate himself from the Assassins but a few gaps in the buildings, and his only hope was if Katherine tripped and fell off. Even then, Mary was hot on their tail from the ground.

Lee saw his chance and leapt into a farmer's cart filled to the brim with straw. The farmer felt the impact, softened as it was, and hollered at him as he scrambled out. Katherine knew the jump was too far for her to make since the farmer continued on his way, but unwilling to lose Lee she leapt as far as the could to the nearest building, smashed into the side and used the wall to leap to another wall, and again and again until she had slowed her impact to the ground. She'd certainly scraped herself but it was a small sacrifice.

Katherine had lost sight of Mary, so Katherine dared not lose Lee. But as he ran through an alleyway and began leaping on boxes, the highest toppled over as he leapt across the gap. Katherine would either have to go around or try to make it over the barbed fence he was clearing. She was in the middle of cursing her luck when, swinging from around the corner of the building on the arm of a construction beam, Mary kicked Lee in the chest and sent him flying backward into a pile of dirty sacks. Lee was disoriented from the sudden fall, and Katherine used that chance to block his escape as Mary, who hand landed much more gracefully and on her feet, strode over to Lee with her hidden blade extended.

The moment Lee saw the blade he tried to scramble away, but found he was blocked on all sides, and before a plan could come to mind Mary tackled him hard to the ground. In desperation he put his hands up in front of his face.

"Please, God! Don't kill me!" he shouted, avoiding Mary's eyes. "Please! I heard what you've done! I don't want to end up like them! Oh God!"

Katherine's brow furrowed, and Mary's grinning face quickly became a stone void of emotion, excepting the lethal look in her eyes.

"Dannae ye speak of that, Mister Lee," growled Mary. Katherine took a few cautious steps forward. Mary was like a different person. She felt different. "If ye dannae want tae end up like them, ye'll tell me everything ye know! Why did ye leave yer team?! What happened?! Who's the one killing Assassins?!"

Lee glanced up at Mary very carefully. "W-... What are you talking about? You mean—?"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YE THINK I'M TALKING ABOUT?!" Mary's hidden blade deactivated, and she shook him harshly. "THE ASSASSIN-HUNTER!"

"Please! Stop!"

"Mary! That's enough!" Katherine put a hand on Mary's shoulder. It was immediately shrugged off, but when Mary glanced over at Katherine she appeared to calm down a little. "We need the information!" pressed Katherine. "Innocent until proven guilty. Stop it."

The handfuls of Lee's overcoat Mary had bunched up in her fists loosened, and she took a deep breath. "Aye. Yer right." If she wanted to add anything, she chose that it wasn't the time and refocused her attentions on Lee. "Start from the beginning, laddie. The mission ye never went on."

Lee's terror seemed to calm, and after he looked to Katherine for some sort of reassurance, he nodded slowly. "I-I was asked to go on a mission and provide sniper support," he admitted quietly. "At the time, I wasn't told any specifics. It wasn't important, and, yeah, it still isn't, but I brushed it off as something that didn't need me because of all the Assassins that were going on it. I-I thought it was some sort of training mission for new recruits. I wanted a break, so I didn't go and sent a letter to my superiors that I was ill. A-And then..." He gulped. "Oh God... All seven of them..."

"Aye?"

He shook his head, as if to clear it. "W-When I heard they'd died, I-I just... I couldn't believe it. I wanted to redeem myself, but all I could do was crawl into a bottle... But then some men came to the pub—the Lamb and Flag—and talked about a secret facility beneath a camp. They were in British uniform, but I recognized the Templar on them. So I dug into it a bit."

"And you found something," declared Katherine.

"I did," Lee admitted. "You two would have heard of the camp by now, but even before it was announced it was used as a secret training facility and... they conducted terrible experiments there... That's where the Assassin-hunter came from!" Lee meekly looked at Mary. "I-I thought since you'd been gone, you might be the Assassin-hunter. That's why I ran. The hunter knows that I discovered where he was created!"

Mary narrowed her eyes at him. "And why dinnae ye tell yer superiors?" she asked.

"After I sent them a letter telling them I was ill and skipped out on a mission that cost seven lives? God, it would be nothing short of a miracle if they believed me if I said the Earth was round!"

"The camp you mentioned..." Katherine came just a bit closer. "What's its name?"

Lee gulped. "Auschwitz."

"The German camp?!"

He nodded quickly. "Yes. The horrors you've heard are true, but they also use those people for experiments to see if they can enhance the Assassin-hunter."

"Do ye have names, Lee? People we can link tae this place?"

Another nod. "Y-Yes. I recognized one, and I-I managed to connect him with the attack in '38: Richard Cole."

Mary white-knuckled Lee's coat. "Cole, ye fucking minger..." Mary released Lee and stood over him. "Ye keep yer ass away from the Assassin base. Move around. Get the fire under yer ass alight. If the Assassin-hunter's after ye, coming tae the same pub every night int gannae keep a low profile. Get on the run!"

Lee practically plastered himself against the wall, slowly rose up and began moving towards the entrance of the alley. "T-Thank-you. I'll go now!"

"Ye'd better."

He was gone in a flash, leaving only Mary and Katherine in the alley. It had taken Katherine a while, but she'd realized Mary had shouted at Lee intentionally to have him run. The alley was completely deserted, and a much better choice than asking questions in a local pub, where any and all ears could hear their conversation. So Mary's blunder was actually a strategic move...

Then what caused her to lose control over herself so easily? And what had Lee meant when he mentioned others?

Mary turned, and Katherine noticed she was rubbing her right arm a little bit. Her fist was clenching and unclenching.

"Mary—."

"I know what ye want tae talk about, lassie, but I'm not in the mood."

Katherine let Mary pass by her and didn't say a word about it. She followed the Scot all the way back to their room, and even though some rain had started and they'd gotten a bit wet, neither of them sped up. Katherine stayed behind to keep an eye on Mary, and Mary simply didn't seem to have the energy to move faster. By the time they reached the Lamb and Flag both were soaked thoroughly.

As soon as they finished trudging up to their room, Katherine asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

Mary shook her head and began to lower herself into bed.

"Mary, you need to take your coat off. And your boots. And everything else."

The Scot paused. "The cold feels too good," was her ominous reply. "I'll change in a spot. I just need tae lie down."

Katherine began to build a fire in lieu of conversation. When it was loud she hung her overcoat up and removed her boots.

"I'll get us some tea," Katherine announced. Mary didn't reply, but Katherine hadn't been expecting one.

Not a few moments later, Katherine had returned with two cups and a pot of tea. Mary had since hung all of her wet clothing on a line near the fire and changed into her spare set of clothes. Katherine noticed a bundle of bloody bandages stuffed into the wastebasket.

"Is your arm—?"

"I took care of it," Mary muttered dismissively.

Katherine kept her gaze set firmly on the tea and poured the two cups required. She then pushed Mary's cup over to her spot. "Here," she said. "It's going to help with the chill."

She seemed hesitant, but Mary slowly forced her body up from the bed and made her way to the table. Katherine noticed how Mary reached for the cup with her left hand.

"Are you all right, Mary?"

Mary seemed just as keen to avoid Katherine's gaze as the other way around. She absently played with her teacup instead, as if hoping it would provide a decent enough distraction.

"I appreciate yer worrying, and... I'm sorry, Katherine."

And that was all Mary would say on the matter that day.