The Immigrant

Chapter 30| July 17 1799

I heard shouting outside my window as I snapped out of my dark obis. I listened for a second, only to hear more shouting and screaming. I sat up as I looked around my dark room in confusion. From the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of light coming from the window. It almost looked like day. I stumbled out of bed and made my way to the window. I peered outside as I gasped. A house on the other side of the street was engulfed in flames. The flames roared out the windows and smoke billowed into the night sky. I stepped back as I rushed to my bed, getting dressed I made my way outside.
I was met with a panic, people ran up and down the street carrying buckets of water as they dumped them onto the flaming house.
"You there!" A man shouted to my right.
I turned to his direction.
"Help us poor some water on the house!" He yelled as he threw me a bucket.
I looked around as I followed some men who were running to the end of the street. A man was pumping water frantically into some empty buckets and we grabbed those and left our empty ones to be filled.
We were given instructions to focus on the lower part of the house so it wouldn't collapse. Sweating with the heat and running I made a couple rounds back and forth.
"Ezio!" A voice called from the other side of the street.
I turned to see Burr hurrying towards me. 
"What the hell happened!" Burr yelled above the roaring flames.
I shrugged as I dumped a bucket of water on the burning wood as it almost seemed to make it larger.
"All the information that I was given was that I just started up a little while ago, the cause unknown." I shouted back.
Burr gave me a steady glance. All of a sudden a loud crack came from the house as burning wood crashed down into the street scattering embers in every direction.
"Put them out, we don't want any other houses to catch!" The man who spoke to me before yelled.
"I'd advise you to pick up a bucket and follow me." I hissed looking back at the burning house.
Burr nodded as he was handed a bucket. We ran down the street as we came to the pump.
Our buckets were filled to the brim as we scampered back trying not to spill the water. The hot flames and smoke burned my eyes as I blinked away tears. After jarring hours of work the flames still roared on.
My worrying thought was that the flames were going to catch onto other houses and pretty soon the whole city would be set aflame.
At last the house couldn't take it any longer as it collapsed to the ground. Burr and I were well away from the house when it did collapse, but unfortunately some men were crushed by some falling wood as their bodies burned quickly under the piercing heat of the flames. As early morning set in the house was nothing more than ash. Smoke still rose from the foundation of some standing frames.
The man ordered us to gather around before the house. Once in the early light of the morning I could see his facial features a bit better. He had a clean shaven head with brown eyes and dark skin.
"Thank you men for helping tonight." He spoke.
"Unfortunately we couldn't save the house and we lost a few of our men who got trapped under the rubble of the collapsing building, death was certain under the immense heat." He sighed bowing his head.
He looked up as he gazed around the ground, he looked eyes onto me with a unfriendly scowl.
"For those who don't know me, my name is George Eacker, chief of the fire department here in New York City." He announced.
I looked at George Eacker with narrowing eyes as he finally turned his gaze to the rest of the crowd.
"And with that, thank you for your help." He murmured.
The group departed as a lot of them went into the rubble to comb out any valuables.
I felt very tired as my eyes stung and body ached. Burr gave a long sigh as he turned his head back to his own house across the street.
"So much for sleep." He grumbled as he looked up at the lightening sky.
I nodded in agreement as I followed him inside. We were met with a worried Theodoisa who was walking out of the kitchen.
"My god are you two alright?" She asked.
"Everything's fine." Burr reassured her.
Theodoisa gave her father a hug as her eyes flickered over to me with a calm glance.
"I saw the fire out my window last night and when I was going to alert you you were gone." Theodoisa sighed turning her gaze back to Burr.
Burr gave a slow nod.
"Ezio was the first to see it, he ran out and I followed him a couple minutes later." Burr explained.
I gave a tired breath as I looked over a Burr.
"Do you suppose the press will look into this?" I asked.
Burr stared at the floor then nodded.
"I would suppose so." Burr replied.
I gave a long sigh as I though about the news spreading down at City Hall and the press barking at my heels for a story to put into the paper.
"Well I must get going." I sighed.
Burr looked at me with narrowing eyes.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"City Hall, I guarantee that the whole city is gonna be down there barking at me." I sighed.
Burr gave a huff of amusement.
"Well you got a story to tell them." Burr shrugged.
I rolled my eyes.
"It better be a damn good one too." I said with a small smile.
I walked to my room to wash myself from the ash and redness that stained my face. Grabbing a folder I walked downstairs and out the door.
The morning sun peered through some clouds as the city began to awake from its slumber.
I hurried down the streets as I made my way to City Hall. Surely enough a large crowd of people crowded before the doors bickering loudly. I shadowed my face as I tried to get to the doors unnoticed. I was halfway up the stairs as a mans voice called from the crowd and had everyone turn to my attention.
"Mr.Auditore!" He called.
I swore under my breath as I turned to him.
"Mr.Auditore, do you know what happened last night with a report of a house fire!" Another voice chimed in.
The crowd of people began to shout on top of each other as they tried to swindle answers from my mouth.
I took a sharp breath as I looked out into the crowd.
"The cause of the fire is still unknown, I was just a witness and tried to help put out the fire!" I announced.
"You here this prick!" A voice shouted from the crowd.
I turned to see George Eacker make his way through the now silent crowd, his eyes stared cooly up at mine.
"You sir....Mr.Auditore have nothing to say on this!" Eacker spat as he turned to the crowd.
"Sir?" I hisses irritably.
"You sir, have no right to speak on the behalf of the fire that took place last night." Eacker shouted.
"So why don't you go and hide inside those walls like you do everyday, I am the one for questions." Eacker looked back at me with a jeering smile.
There was some laughter in the crowd as the scratching of quills filled the air. I looked back at Eacker with utter shock and dismay.
What a selfish, dishonorable prick.
I clenched my mouth shut as I turned my back to the crowd. I opened the doors as I walked inside, anger burned through my skin. I could hear the crowd pick up again as I closed the doors behind me.
I went straight to my office as I sat heavily down in my chair. Thoughts raced my mind about George Eacker. How dare he talk to me like that. What did he have against me? Deep inside of me I knew my business with him wasn't over yet. I wondered if he had fights with the mouth he talked with.
Drowned away in my angered manner I didn't hear my door open.
"Mr.Auditore." Mr.Lockton announced.
I snapped out of my as I looked up at him.
"Sir." I murmured.
"There's a big crowd in front of the building sir." He said.
I bit my lip as I waited for him to carry on.
"Anyways I was wondering what we are going to do about them, they are causing a problem for bystanders trying to get into the building sir." Lockton huffed.
I rapped my fingers on the desk as I gave a sharp breath.
"We are no monarchy, but I will not have anyone question me about that damn fire understood!" I growled.
Lockton nodded slowly.
"Alright sir, what ever you say." Lockton sighed as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
I closed my eyes as I brushed my fingers through my hair, burying my face into my hands as I gave a deep breath.
The summers heat warmed the room as I glanced over at some papers that sat on my desk waiting to be drafted. I took off my coat as I propped open my windows trying to get a cold breeze through.
The morning tucked into the afternoon as I scratched down furiously on the papers that laid in front of me. My head throbbed as I had to set down my pen for a few moments rest as I tired to blink away the pain in my head. The hum of crickets buzzed outside in the bushes as the sky grew dark.
Writing by candlelight I sighed and filled out the last of the documents. I neatly put them in the folder and waxed them shut. I put on my coat as I blew out my candle, fumbling through the darkness as I reached my office door. I dropped my papers to the mail room as I made my way upstairs. My footsteps echoed across the main hall as the light of the candles casted eerie shadows on the walls. The door of the hall silently clicked behind me as I made my way through the empty streets.
The thought of Eacker still brought tension in my head.