April 5, 2022

Edward jerked at the straps securing his hands to the bed. He wasn't particularly opposed to bondage, but he was opposed to having another male tie him down. He looked up at the man standing a few feet away. He was older, with graying hair and a scar running down the left side of his face from temple to jaw. He was battle hardened, tough. Edward noticed that straight away. What Edward didn't know was if he was friend or foe.

"You wanna maybe take these off now?" he ask, eyeing the man.

"In time, Mr. Kenway." The man spoke with a deep, lightly accented voice. It was a region Edward couldn't place. Not British, but something similar.

"Well, if I'm gonna be tied here the least you could do is have a woman visit me."

Jack made no reaction to the joke. He only watched Edward with interest. As if he was sizing him up, deciding how much of a threat he could pose. The thought made Edward grin. His unintimidating appearance had often worked to his advantage. Everyone underestimated him. They didn't think him capable of what he could do until they saw him do it.

"I'd like to ask you some questions," Jack spoke. "If you're cooperative, I'll see about removing your restraints."

"Ask your questions, Mr. Wilkinson. But don't expect answers"

Jack stepped closer. With a better view, Edward was able to tell just how cunning the man was. His eyes were bright, perceptive. He had all the qualities it took to make a good pirate. Or a good Assassin. Edward hadn't believed Jack when the man had told him they were both members of the Brotherhood. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"What year is it?"

Edward laughed. "I'm not answering that."

"Why not? It's a simple question."

"Simple?" the pirate repeated. "It's a trick question. No matter what answer I give, it won't be the right one."

Jack watched Edward with the hint of amusement on his face. "You're more clever than I gave you credit for, Mr. Kenway."

"Don't tell anyone. I've got a reputation to keep."

"Allow me to rephrase," Jack continued. He didn't look as tense as he had, but there was still a wariness to his stance. One that made Edward grin again. "What is the last year you remember experiencing?"

Edward sighed deeply. "The last thing I remember," he spoke slowly, "is that bastard Roberts trying to kill me. Seventeen twenty, I think that was."

The answer satisfied Jack. He gave a short nod. "Are you married?"

The pirate scoffed. That was not information he was willing to give. His relationship with Caroline was his own business. No one else needed to know about it. He turned the question around on Jack, wondering if the man would give him an honest answer.

"No," he said. It was the truth.

"Guess we have something in common then," Edward stated.

"Do you have any children?"

"I've already told you I'm not married."

"We both know you don't have to be married to sire children, Mr. Kenway."

"True," Edward agreed. "But you first. You got any kids?"

Jack nodded. Again, Edward was surprised at how willingly the man had given such information. Knowledge was a double-edged sword, capable of killing easily in the right hands.

"None that I know of," Edward answered.

"Are you a member of the Assassin Brotherhood?"

Edward sighed again. This was the second time Jack had asked him that. He gave the same answer as before. "I've no idea what you're talking about, mate."

Jack walked to the edge of the bed. He leaned down and watched Edward closely. If the pirate hadn't been bound so tightly, coming this close would have been a bad idea. As it was, Jack was far enough away Edward could do nothing, but close enough to adopt a threatening countenance.

"I don't like being lied to, Mr. Kenway."

"If you're going to insult my honor, you can call me by my given name."

Jack chuckled. "Pirates don't have honor, Edward."

"Who said I was a pirate, Jack?"

It was Jack's turn to sigh. He stood up, began to pace the room, speaking while he walked. "I know you are Edward James Kenway. Born in Swansea, Wales on March 10th,1693. You moved to Bristol at age ten. Later, you married Caroline Scott and joined the Royal Navy. Unhappy with such meager earnings, you turned to piracy not long after. In 1715, you became captain of the Jackdaw."

Jack paused and turned back to Edward. No doubt to see what effect his words had on the man. Edward tried to reveal nothing but found it difficult. He had never told anyone all of his past before. It wasn't plausible for Jack to be aware of such things.

"Did I leave anything out, Mr. Kenway?"

Edward started to make a smart comment. Given his present situation, that might not have been a good idea. Jack was already losing patience with him. And Edward had no idea where he was or how to go about escaping.

"All the Assassin shite."

"That began with Duncan Walpole. Another of your get-rich-quick schemes that wound up changing your life."

"Sounds like you already know everything about me."

"Not everything." Jack moved back over to the bed. "I need to know if I can trust you, Mr. Kenway."

Edward shrugged. It was difficult with the restraints, but he got his point across. "Whether or not you trust me is entirely up to you, Mr. Wilkinson."

"I'll leave it up to you."

Edward got an understanding of Jack's motives. He knew now why the man kept him locked up in this one room. And why he had approached Edward in the first place. "What do you want with me?" he ask.

"No more than you've already done."

Edward met his gaze, gave Jack a hard stare. "Which is?"

"Kill Templars, Mr. Kenway."

"There must be a fair number of Templars," Edward guessed, "if you've resorted to asking a pirate for aide."

"More than a fair number," Jack admitted.

Edward watched him for a while. "How many of us are there?" There was no point in pretense any longer. Jack knew what Edward was. To have a purpose again would not be a wholly bad thing. Edward could use a distraction. At least until he could figure a way out of this mess.

"Enough."

A vague answer. But Edward had not expected a number. Trust wasn't easily given, especially not by people in their line of work. It had to be earned.

"Are they strong?"

"Maybe even more so than you."

That did intrigue Edward. He had no delusions about being unmatched, but he had yet to meet many people who could best him. Edward was formidable. Of that he was aware. To meet someone stronger – someone on the same side of things as he was – would almost be worth whatever price he was forced to pay.

"Alright, Jack. I'll help you."

Jack gave a small smile of relieved gratitude. It surprised Edward that he didn't try to hide it. He must have been wagering a lot on the pirate joining him, to show such emotion now. "I'll get someone to take out your IV. And release you."

Edward wondered how long he would be waiting as Jack left the room. If it were him, he would keep the captive waiting just a little longer. Remind them who was in charge. Jack struck him as someone with a similar personality. Edward doubted their mindsets were that much different.

He began to sing softly while he waited.

"I dreamed a dream the other night…"

Edward was about to begin another shanty when he heard voices outside the door. One was Jack's. The other belonged to a woman. He lay still, listening.

The woman was in the middle of saying something. "...sedation without me present. That was our agreement."

"Our agreement, Clair, was for you to decide what was best for everyone else but leave Faith to me."

There was a loud sigh. "You just can't stop yourself from screwing up, can you?"

"Don't make this about us."

"How childish do you think I am? This has nothing to do with us. This is about her, Jack! For once, could you think about what's best for her."

"That's all I've ever done!"

There was a short pause before Clair spoke again. "Just forget it."

The door opened. Edward stared at the woman who entered. She had blond hair and vivid hazel eyes. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she introduced herself and moved beside the bed. When she began to undo his restraints, her scent filled Edward's nose and he couldn't keep from smiling.

"It's nice to meet you, Clair. Please call me Edward."

She smiled at him as he sat up. She had a lovely smile.

"Are you a member of the Brotherhood?" he ask.

Clair shook her head as she pulled on gloves and took his hand. She began to remove the sticky strips holding the small, clear tube to his skin. "I'm just an ally."

"That's too bad. I was looking forward to working closely with you."

The way Clair laughed let him know she knew he was flirting. But knowing didn't keep the blush from her face. Edward glanced at Jack. He had assumed by the way they argued there was something between them, but Jack was acting indifferent toward Edward's advances. And Clair just seemed receptive. Edward could only conclude that the nature of their relationship was casual or in the past. He hoped the latter. A man like Jack was not good enough for someone like Clair. Edward wasn't good enough for a woman like that.

"Maybe we will get to work together, Edward."

It was cute, the way Clair returned the banter. It held complete innocence but was coercive enough to let him know she liked it and wouldn't mind for it to continue.

"I can't wait."

As Clair left, she shot an icy look at Jack. He either didn't notice or didn't care. The door shut a bit harder than needed, making sure Jack knew that Clair was thoroughly pissed at him. Edward only smiled. Better the other man than him be at the wrong end of her temper.

"When do I meet the others?" he ask Jack.

"Soon, Mr. Kenway. Very soon.