Jacob was sitting on bench looking up at the sky trying to figure out what his next move was? while Iris was passed out sleeping on his lap when this little old "lady" waddled over to him. "Hello Freddy." Jacob chirped as the old lady looked up the reveal a full black beard as he glared annoyed at the younger man. "Mr Frye I've been looking for you." the inspector huffed holding a missing person's poster out to the assassin, who didn't even look at it. "Funny... I was just going to say the same to you." the hazel eyed man quipped Abberline cocked an inquisitive brow at the young man.
"See, I kind of need some help with uh...Reese here." he pointed down at Iris and nearly laughed when the Inspectors eyes bugged out of his skull. as he looked at the poster then girl the back at the poster flabbergasted."I was just.. how the-..but she!!" He struggled forming a coherent sentence before blurting out that Iris was the reason he was looking for one of the Frye's she'd been missing for four weeks and the police just got a ransom note from her kidnappers! "Huh, so I was right...and Evie says I'm thick and off-centered." Jacob boasted proud of himself the police inspector coughed snapping at him to focus!
"We need to find who took her and how she escaped, have you encountered any strange individuals?" Jacob nodded and told Abberline what happened not even an hour ago! To say Freddy was pissed was an understatement as he laid into Jacob about how he could've asked where the kidnapper hideout was! "Well sorry, I wasn't exactly thinking about that at the time."
He hissed hazel eyes looking down at Iris who had woken up from the two men shouting at each other and immediately both of them quieted down when they saw she had a guilty look on her face. "We're not arguing because of you Reese." Jacob assured her patting her head showing a side of himself that very few see, making Abberline feel like an arse now, it should've been obvious the assassin was just thinking of Iris's safety when they were attacked.
A few moments of collecting himself Frank took them to his home Mrs Abberline was nice host offered Iris sweets as Fred tried to coax the girl into telling him what her kidnappers looked like? Her gray eyes looked up at Jacob unsure he nodded telling her she can trust Freddie.
The little girl explained didn't recognize any of the men that Jacob had taken care of, But the ginger haired man he let go... She recognized his voice he was arguing with another man he kept mentioning money and her grandparents! Freddy then asked how she got away "a boy around my age with them..."
The blond admitted the boy; Peter was supposed to be watching her, but she guessed he started having second thoughts, he woke her up one night untied her arms handed her some clothes told her to get changed then he cut her hair and and snuck her out of the house, took her to the park and left her there. "I think he thought I'd go to the police...but I didn't know where to go, so I slept under a bridge."
She felt Jacob's hand on her shoulder as she stared at her feet. "Do you remember where this house is?" He asked keeping his voice even, his jaw was tight and his eyes were narrowed and focused, She shook her head and the assassin decided to go ginger hunting...he alerted his Rooks for a skinny Scotsman with broken ribs limping around the city.
The messenger boy was found within the hour the Rooks had him tied up in one of the back rooms of a tavern, he spilled everything he knew about the abduction and how they smuggled Iris into London. Of course Jacob already knew all about that! he wanted to know where the boss was hiding, the man was reluctant at first, but when Jacob started making threats on breaking more bones, which the gang leader did (he broke two fingers) the ginger haired coward coughed up the location, and old abandon manor in Whitechapel.
[The next day.]
Fred and Jacob stood in front of an old dilapidated manor half the place was burnt down and barely holding together, the two men cautiously walked up the porch as the assassin grabbed a brick and the two stood on either side of the door as Fred knocked on the door whilst yelling "Police! open up!" the inspector announced sure enough a shot went off and a bullet went through the door.
Jacob dropped the brick to the floor making a thud noise, who ever took the shot, opened the door to check and got a hidden blade to the neck as the assassin pounced on them. "Aw piss!" Jacob quietly cussed seeing the red clothes; Blighters the idiots hired Blighter to help them find Iris and guard the house! He shot Abberline a look and the inspector nodded and stayed outside. as Jacob went deeper into the house silently taking out the guards and blighters when he stopped under a vent and heard voices talking.
"My boys are getting restless Brian, you promised us the money two weeks ago! now where is it?" A woman's voiced demanded as the sounds of someone stomping their foot as a Scottish voice gruffly answered back "You'll get the money as soon as we get the brat!" the woman scoffed at him as Brian said his men were out looking an the found her, Ed just hit a wall is all.
"Yes a Wall...There's no wall idiot! you pissed off Jacob Frye and now my men are paying for it!?" The Scotsman told the Blighter woman to calm down but it fell on deaf ears "This kid better be worth her bloody weight in gold or else I'll off you and the little bastard!" She snarled before stomping out of the room.
Jacob hid behind the wall as she was stomping by but froze when she found the bodies in the hall and tried to run back to warn everyone only to get yanked in a room and getting her neck broken her body hit the ground with a thud tipping off the man upstairs that something was amiss, Jacob heard the guy cuss confused and walk out of the room and started calling out Marge? that's who Jacob assumed was the Blighter's name was?
The assassin came out of hiding scaring the crap out of Brian who aimed a gun at the imposing man "W-who the hell are you?" he stammered as Jacob cocked his head to the side. "Oh, I think you already know who I am..." Jacob said taking a step the man fired... but nothing happened and the assassin chuckled "I'm taking guess Margie here gave ya that gun, probably loaded it with blanks knowin' a little weasel like you would betray her." He said still walking towards the terrified man as he un-sheathed his cane sword, Brian dropped the gun and ran for it Jacob rolled his eyes and gave chase truth is he had no intentions on killing the guy just wanted to scare him before handing him over to Freddy.
"Look Brian come down here and fight me like a man or..." Jacob had Brian cornered in his makeshift office and the Scotsman jumped out the window! "..Bloody Weasel!" Jacob sputtered before running to window to to see Brian on the ground with an obvious broken leg and Freddy aiming a gun at his head. "Oi! Ask him where Peter is?!"
Jacob shouted from the window as Abberline nodded the Scotsman said something and one of the Bobby's Freddy had guarding the front went to a old rickety shed a few feet a away's and came out carrying a skinny shivering boy with the same bruises as Iris on his wrist no surprises these scum thieves would turn on their own! child or not.
the ride to the hospital where Brian and Peter were going to be treated at was eventful, the Scotsman shot daggers at Jacob & Iris as he confessed to Abberline why he had taken her, turns out he used to work for her grandfather he was fired after he was blamed for stealing property, obviously he took exception to that decided to take old man Adair's granddaughter as revenge "Wasn't going to give her back, she can rot in London for all I care.." he huffed he then glared at Peter who was clinging to Abberline said police inspector didn't seem to sold on Brian's confession.
"then this little git decided he wanted to be a hero..." he kept raving as Jacob gave Freddy a look that said 'Can I hit him, please?' but the inspector shook his head at him, the younger man frowned then an idea struck him, Jacob couldn't hit him, but Fred didn't say anything about the kids!~...
the assassin smiled with glee as whispered something to Iris, who smirked and accidentally gave Brian's broken leg a small kick causing the man to yelp in pain. "Why you little-!!!" the Scotsman snarled ready to lunge! only shut-up seeing Jacob hidden blade in his face, Brian backed off sunk into his seat and kept his head down the entire ride. Abberline had Jacob take care Iris until he could get word to her grandparents she was alright which could be a few days.
Evie was annoyed to be kept out of the loop when her brother finally turned up after missing for two days, And was even more so about him showing up at the hideout with a random child, She was skeptical when Jacob said that Iris or "Reese" asher brother has so affectionately dubbed the blond girl; was in his protective custody until her grandparents arrive, he even had it in hand writing as he had Abberline write a note to Evie explaining the situation to her.
Needless to say the older Frye twin was against it! they were assassins! not bloody nursemaids! Which annoyed her brother who insisted he can watch Iris! then his sister had to brig up the damn "guinea pig incident" See when the twin were nine their father decided to get them a pet.
A white and brown guinea pig named Louie, Evie was terrified of the poor rodent! so, he immediately became Jacob's pet... unfortunately poor Louie didn't last a month with them as Jacob soon got lazy with his responsibilities and their little fuzzy friend soon passed away after Jacob tried feeding him chocolate not realizing it was bad for guinea pigs...
"But Reese isn't a guinea pig Evie! And I've been doing a pretty good job thus far!" He huffed but his sister was still adamant that he was going screw this up somehow, But surprisingly she had her assumptions thrown back in her face as Jacob was ever patient and vigilant with Iris who rarely strayed from her brother, much to Evie's churning for the last week he and Henry spent their time entertaining the child the Indian assassin acted like tutor teaching her basic history,math, writing and much to the female assassin's jealousy showing Iris their flower collection...,
While Jacob was teaching the little girl how to free run and play poker. Evie did not like it; terrible as Iris's situation was, Jacob's the elder half was beginning to see the little girl as a hindrance. So, imagine her joy when a man showed up at the station claiming to be Iris's uncle, the man put on a convincing act of grieving uncle.
the female assassin didn't even think twice as she handed Iris off to him despite the girl's reluctance. "Can we wait for Jacob to come back? Please!?" the blonde frantically begged but Evie was having none of it they already wasted enough time playing guard dog! the Templars could've already found a clue to the piece of Eden! "I'll tell him you said goodbye, now go with your uncle." Evie pushed the child forward ignoring the way Iris winced when her uncle grabbed her hand tightly and the way she looked back at the female assassin terrified as she was practically dragged out out of the train station.
[Two hours later...]
Henry and Jacob had returned with Freddy and an elderly couple who the inspector introduced as Iris's grandparents saying they were there to collect their granddaughter... Which confused Evie "She's not here her uncle came and got her." she informed the air suddenly shifted as she watched everyone's faces contort into shock a sinking feeling settled in Evie's stomach.
"You sent her uncle to come get her, didn't you?" the grandmother was the first to break the tense silence as a devastated wail echoed through the platform, as the old woman accused Evie of killing her grand-baby. "w-Wha-" the female Frye stammered flummoxed at the old lady's accusation as her brother sent a heated look towards her.
"The uncle was the one who abducted Iris, He going to kill her Evie!" Henry snapped said as he and Iris's grandfather tried to console the old woman, Evie brows furrowed as she tried to process this. "w-why didn't anyone tell me?!" she demanded as Jacob who was barking orders to his Rooks tuned to her.
"I did."
"No you most certain-"
"Yes. I. Did... But you were to busy with your bloody curio search to listen!"
"Jacob..I"
"Don't. Just don't, you've done enough." Jacob croaked before one of the Rook's came running up to them with a note addressed to Iris's grandfather demanding he come to Radclyffe mill in Whitechapel, bring the deed to the family fortune and to come alone or Iris will be joining her parents... They devised a plan Freddy was to disguise himself as Iris's grandfather have Ned find someone to make a counterfeit deed and money, head Whitechapel; Henry and Evie will silently take out the guards and have Rooks who have recently joined and haven't yet discarded their old Blighter colors replace them. "Can you do that sister dear, or is it too much of inconvenience?" Jacob spat still upset with her Evie winced and silently nodded.
Sure enough the plan almost went off with a hitch until Jacob and Freddie got inside the inspector was standing nervously waiting for Iris's uncle to appear and he wasn't there... The two men though someone tipped the abductor off! But that thought was soon thrown out the window when a man's howl of pain echoed somewhere the factory.
Jacob and Freddie looked at each other before splitting up cautiously searching the dark factory, he could hear Freddy fumbling in the dark, while Jacob could see perfectly his eyes found a bloody screwdriver tossed haphazardly aside not far a blood trail leading to the darken loading area...
Meanwhile
Iris pressed her back against a wall a she silently tried to catch her breath... "Where are ya..." Her uncle hissed looking around the loading area for her, She pretended had to go to the toilet he untied and led them to a small room the little girl then acted like she needed to tie her boot and bent down as her uncle remind unaware of her taking a screwdriver she stolen out of Bob's tool box hidden in her coat, Before the greedy bastard even knew what was happen Iris stabbed him in the shin, He howled in pain dropping to his knees and she took off running as he snarled at her pulled the screw driver out of his foot and started limping after her.
A single flickering ceiling light was the only source of visibility Iris controlled her breathing and steady her heart rate, as she remembered what Jacob told her about using the shadows to her advantage should the situation happen where he wasn't able to help her. she noticed the pattern between the light flicking off and on saw a load of wood hanging from the ceiling an idea formed in the little girls head.
She heard her uncle's ragged breathing getting closer..."Ha!" he snapped looking behind the wall Iris had been just seconds ago! his brows furrowed bemused when he tiny foot steps above him... he grinned manically and started firing into the platforms above him, Iris had to time this right...
She jumped in the the wood load and like she predicted her uncle fire a shot it missed her! but it hit the rope securing the load to the ceiling, Iris ran along the logs and preformed a leap of faith she knew there was no soft landing waiting for her! she closed her eyes tight wait for the pain or death, but instead she felt the wind get knocked of her as she caught mid-air by an arm and pulled into a hard chest as before a second arm wrapped around torso and her head was under their chin as they entered a roll.
When Iris opened her eyes she saw Jacob was the one who caught her! Who kept his eyes narrowed at her uncle who clapped drowning the sound of the rope snapping above him "Bravo Mr. Frye that impressive act but I'm afraid thi-" He was cut of by a pile of lumber logs falling from the ceiling crushing him, Jacob covered Iris with his body an attempt to shield her from harm and the gruesome sight, luckily none of the logs came close to hitting them...
The assassin sighed before checking Iris over. "Are you alright?" She nodded he relaxed and hugged her Iris kept trying to look at the log pile,causing Jacob grimaced. "Hey! don't look there o'right, eyes on me!" he ordered her gray eyes went back to the hazel eyed man who told her to keep her eyes on him or his necklace until they were far from this mill.
Freddie showed up a few moments later baffled at the scene he saw the blood seeping out from under the log pile, and demanded an explanation, Jacob said he'll give him one once they're out of Whitechapel...
They made sure Iris sleeping Jacob made up a story that Iris's uncle chased her up into the loading bay observation platforms, Jacob confronted him and the deranged man tried to kill himself and Iris, but she kicked the stab wound she caused on his shin causing the gun to go off he shot the rope holding the logs he was standing on, "I caught Iris seconds before the rope snapped ... and well you saw the aftermath." the inspector grimaced just muttered about getting the girl back to her family, but Jacob made him stop the carriage first Freddie was confused.
What could Mr. Frye possibly want at a jewelry store? a half an hour later the assassin returned with a small box, he open it to reveal a silver and ebony hair pin with a tiny Rook on it. Freddie cock a brow. "Figured she deserved something nice to remember London by." The inspect lips not really believing the young man "Right London..." Jacob shot him a look as the station came into view, Jacob shook Iris awake she groggily looked at him then out the window to see her grandparents standing outside with Henry.
Iris nearly jumped out of the carriage before it stopped Jacob smiled as she ran over to her grandfather and hugged him the old man ws stunned at like he wasn't sure she was really there before wrapping his arms around her, followed by his wife burst into happy tears as she scooped Iris of the ground peppering her face with kisses much to the girl's protests!
Her Grandfather went over to Jacob the assassin assumed the old man was coming in for a hand shake, instead he was stunned when his pulled into a tight hug by the old Scotsman. "Thank you..." he wept before the assassin was bit baffled by this but luckily the old man pulled away going back to his family a few hours later after everyone had said their goodbyes
The Adairs were waiting at the platform waiting for a train to Holyhead and from there to the port to catch a ferry to Ireland her grandparent it would be best to relocate after everything that's happened. Henry gave Irish her own little book of flowers as she really seemed interest in botany.
Evie gave her her first flower to press in it a purple hyacinth... And told her to take care of herself, As they were about to board Jacob finally showed up! "Sorry lass few of the Rooks kept handing me thing for you." he said handing her a small basket that had little oddities, A bullet, necklace with a human tooth, marbles, a deck of cards and couple tins of sweets and small felt doll.
"And here's my contribution. " He took out the little box from the jewelry store out and crouched down to her level opened it Iris's widened at the the rook hairpin "I saw you eyeing it... after coming back from the fight club. " He gently placed it in her hair "You said it looked like the birdy on my chest, so figured why not?" he pulled his hand back examining his work and smirked.
"Looks nice take care of it, alright?" Iris hugged nodded and him he hugged her back as her grandma called her to hurry up! "I miss you Jacob." The blond girl said before giving him a small kiss on the cheek and joining her grandparents on the train. "I'll miss you too..." the Assassin hummed sadly as his sister came up behind gave him a hug before the two went back to hideout to finish their mission.
Little did Jacob know he would be seeing Iris again in the near future...
