@unionblueassassin
It’d taken them a few days to really track down a stable place to stay, finding a shitty motel in the interrim between the escape from Abstergo and settling on some abandoned house far away from Templar headquarters in London. All who were left from Madrid - Moussa, Lin, Matty, Cal, and a handful of others - stayed in the heart of London long enough to steal back the Apple and leave, securing their place firmly on Abstergo’s watch list (as if Cal hadn’t been on several of those in his lifetime), and possibly gaining themselves a few new enemies in the process.
(Cal tried not to think about Sofia’s allegiances, what all of this could mean to her. She’d make an incredible ally, and a formidable enemy, but he knew that she had to make her own choices. Her stubbornness was subtle but there, and if anyone tried to push her in one direction or another, she might resist. He had to be careful, if he decided to confront her again.)
The house had several rooms, the reason they’d chosen this place over others - abandoned, but not small - and on getting in, they’d scattered, claiming bedrooms and exploring the halls, but ultimately they’d still end up converging. Solitude in a place like Abstergo could breed camaraderie outside of its walls, and while Cal was a solitary creature, he could appreciate the need for socializing in a setting that wasn’t monitored by guards. A place where they could talk freely, no hushed voice or code words to convey their meaning. He’d never heard any of them laugh as they did now. It was enough to almost make Cal smile.
Cal often found himself a victim of the nights. Sleep evaded him, especially when he knew the nightmares would set in, and he found himself in the kitchen, figuring out the coffee machine that had been left behind while also pouring himself a shot of whiskey. There’d be more to put in the coffee once it was made, but he wasn’t exactly known for his patience, and this thing was wearing down what little he had. Why couldn’t it be like those shitty ones in motels, fast and easy?
“Didn’t expect anyone else up so late,” he said with a glance over his shoulder when he heard soft footsteps enter the kitchen behind him. “You want a drink, or just passing through?”
