Rookery ~ Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Chapter Sixty

(A/N) it's ten past midnight but screw it, it's still the next day

~~~~

Meeting Freddy the next morning was a strange experience. He rubbed his temples from stress, rustling a newspaper around. He tapped a finger on the table in front of him and chewed on the inside of his lip.

"Something troubling you, Freddy?" I asked.

"Ah, Mrs Frye, Miss Frye. Please tell me you found the Ripper." He tossed the newspaper our way.

" 'Murder at Owers Manor' ?" Evie mumbled.

"People continue to be murdered on my watch - I cannot protect you or your Brotherhood forever. Witnesses saw someone matching your description, Evie. I should lock you up." Evie then cast her eye over the publishers of the newspaper.

"Weaversbrook Publishing..." She smacked my arm lightly. "The man from the photograph at the manor owns this newspaper."

"We need to go visit him before the Ripper does."

"Explain yourselves! What on Earth is going on?" Freddy was furious, clearly from feeling completely helpless on this case.

"We will catch the Ripper, Inspector. But first, you must help us find Weaversbrook before Jack does." He sighed, defeated, and cracked open a window.

"This way. Neither of you can be seen." Evie hopped onto the ledge then turned to hear Freddy's information. "I believe Mr Weaversbrook had a residence near St. Paul's. Now go. Both of you." Evie jumped from the ledge, landing to the cobbles outside. I stepped onto the ledge after her. "Mrs Frye, I must warn you that the police are looking for Miss Frye and anyone who may be working with her. Be careful." I nodded.

"Thank you, Freddy. But how many times must I tell you to just call me Carina?" He chuckled.

"You had better follow Miss Frye."

"Alright. See you later on." I clambered down beside Evie. "Off to find Weaversbrook, then?"

"Just as soon as I find a carriage."

~~

St. Paul's was beautiful. However, a protest outside, and a riot just a small travel away ruined the experience. The atmosphere was so full of tension that there was no way I could enjoy the view. Of course, I had seen St. Paul's before, but not for a very long time. I had decided to take Eli on an outing one afternoon. That would have been about four years ago now.

Nonetheless, Evie stopped the carriage by a small square. We used our grapples to get to the roof of one of the houses and peered over the edge. Evie used her Sense to find Weaversbrook. Below us, three Templars were attacking a man.

"I'll do whatever he asks. Please, don't hurt my boy." Instantly, I wanted to save the man. Even if he hadn't have been Weaversbrook. The Templars continued to yell abuse at him for refusing to print Jack's letters when he should have been. I shot down from the roof, knocking one of the men out. In the shock, Evie was able to take on one of the others. However, Weaversbrook was already running.

"Evie?"

"Catch him. And take this." She tossed me the photograph. I gave a nod and set off after the man.

I reached the end of the alley and spied him entering a walkway. He looked around him before setting off down it. The poor man looked terrified. I caught up with him and gave a light tap to his shoulder. Out of fear, he toppled over. He crashed to the cobbles with a light thud and groaned. Fear flashed in his eyes. He was obviously worried about being hurt. He picked himself up slightly and held onto the wall beside him. I held up my hands to show that I wouldn't hurt him.

"What do you want?"

"My sister-in-law and I are hunting Jack the Ripper..." His eyes widened. He forced his way up the wall to stand on his feet. My hands were still raised.

"No!" He yelled. "Stay away! He sees and hears everything!"

"Jack has my son, Mr. Weaversbrook." I said calmly. He furrowed his eyebrows. "My son and my husband. I need to find them, but I can't do that without your help. My name is Carina Frye."

"Mr. Jacob Frye is your husband?"

"Yes. You knew him?" He nodded.

"He warned me not to print the Ripper's letters." I showed him the photograph of the men with their faces scratched off.

"What happened to these men?"

"Gone, taken, dead! Please, the Ripper has my son. He will kill him!"

"I understand, Mr. Weaversbrook. I feel exactly the same way about my husband and my son." I took a deep breath to calm myself. Panic was beginning to wash over me, and Mr Weaversbrook's hysterical state was doing nothing to make matters any better. "We will find your son and bring him home, sir."

"But first you must come with us. Now." Evie spoke as she stepped into the tunnel. Weaversbrook looked at me, as if asking if he was able to trust her. I nodded.

"I-I will accompany you to the location where my son was last seen..." We lead him to our carriage. I sat in the back of it so that Evie may find some more information from Mr Weaversbrook.

He lead us to the docks near to where some of the old hulk prison ships were still stood. I got out to look around slightly.

"Wait here, Mr. Weaversbrook. We will return with good news before you know it." Evie said with a smile. I had already grappled up to one of the roofs nearby and had taken out the nearest Templar. Evie then came up as well. "We will need some information." She used her Sense to find someone who may have been able to provide us with something of use. "Over here." She grappled to the next building and crouched close to the roof. "He has orders from Jack... Let me go and procure them. We will also need extra information. Perhaps you could try to find one of his Lieutenants." I used my Sense to spot one of his Lieutenants. One man stood alone. I tossed a Fear bomb his way and quickly grappled to his location. He stood frozen in fear. I then grabbed his collar.

"I want information. What does Jack plan to do with his prisoners?"

"Don't kill me! Mr. Jack uses the old hulk prison ships to keep his captives! Please... I'm just a hired gun. Speak to Warder Billingworth. He runs a private prison for Mr. Jack in the old Deptford garrison." I thanked him and went back to Evie who was now surrounded by a small group of unconscious bodies.

"You were busy." She nodded. "Jack uses the old hulk prison ships to keep his prisoners in. He also mentioned someone by the name of Warder Billingworth. Something about a private prison in the old Deptford garrison."

"And these orders tell us exactly where Mr Weaversbrook's son is. He is being held on a cargo ship nearby. We will free him and then we can investigate the hulks." She gave a wide, toothy smile. "We could be one huge step closer to finding Jacob and Eli."

"Let's hope so."

We arrived at the ship to see five men surrounding a prisoner. Luckily, they all stood in a position that enabled a Fear bomb to be able to affect all of them at once. Evie tossed one and then jumped down to the deck. From up high, I threw two knives to cause two of the men to drop. Evie got the other three just by using her Fear tools. They sprinted away at such a pace that I couldn't track them for very long. I made my way down so that I was beside Evie.

"Many thanks, Miss..?"

"Frye. And this is Mrs Frye." Evie gave a smile as she sliced the ropes around Mr Weaversbrook's son's wrists. "Your father sent us."

"And he will reward you both handsomely for your bravery."

"It is you who should be commended."

"Did you discover anything which could help us to stop the Ripper?" I asked. He noted my urgency, discovering that there must have been a more personal reason for this investigation than just wanting to make London safe.

"My kidnappers call him Mr. Jack. I overheard them mention the Deptford hulks, where I was to join other hostages."

"Thank you. Be safe, Mr Weaversbrook." We both set off towards the hulks, using another ship to reach the section of land which they stood by.