Assassin's Creed: Winter's Falling

Chapter 6

The plane ride was long, but thankfully uneventful. The team arrived weary and stiff, but no worse for wear. They were all glad to stretch their legs as they walked up the tunnel into the terminal.

"Finally!" Sol stretched as they climbed out of the car in front of the den.

The den was a small building with two apartments; one on top of the other. They knocked and where kindly received by an elderly woman. She showed them to the apartment upstairs. She introduced herself as the den leader's mother, and pointed to a very busy man in the corner of the room. They approached the den leader and announced themselves. The den leader looked up quickly, tossed them a key, and pointed back out the door. His mother then led them to the apartment downstairs. It was a two room flat: the first room had a TV set, a couch, a dining table, and a small kitchen; the second room was a bedroom with a single bed and bathroom. The team dropped their things and gathered around the table to plan their next move.

"So, how are we going to plan this?" Lightning asked, looking at Andy expectantly.

"Do we have the plans of the building?" Sol asked, looking around at the group.

"Well, is there security? If so, then I can hack into the system and get you guys in there without raising alarm by disabling the traps. I'll even keep a look out for trouble outside for you guys."

"Okay. The building is designed to be Assassin proof: no climbable surfaces, enough guards for a small army, and mounted turrets."

"No, I meant actual building schematics. We might be able to find a way in that won't get us killed." Sol explained.

"AND less killing too," Lightning agreed, understanding what Sol meant.

"Exactly. We need to find those plans."

"We could use them to find a hidden stairwell around the building," Lightning suggested.

"We don't have schematics, just some pictures from failed missions." Andy sighed.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a series of printed images. He dropped them on the table in a messy pile. Everyone began sorting through the pictures, trying to get a sense of what they were about the get themselves into.

"Say there where plans, where do you think they'd be, Andy?" Sol asked.

"They'd very likely leave it in the maintenance office, in case they need to make repairs to the building," Andy said.

Sol looked at the pictures in her hands. It was obvious no Assassin had ever made it past the first floor of the building. Everything important must be on the second floor and above. That meant that without the plans, there was no way they would be able to find the information in time.

"I have an idea," she said.

"What is it?" Lightning and Andy asked in unison.

"What if we attack the building in parts?"

"YOU MEAN EVERYONE BY THEMSELVES!? THAT'S SUISIDE!" Andy panicked.

"NO, NO! I mean, we attack the maintenance and then retreat. Then we start attacking the building bit by bit." Sol explained. "We'll make it look like a desperate attempt to destroy them. That way we won't die and they won't know what we're after."

"It's like attacking a whale. One bite at a time." Andy relaxed.

"Exactly! We attack bit by bit, covering our search for the observatory as we go." Sol nodded.

"How many floors are there?" Lightning asked.

"Seventy," Andy said, thinking through the newly forming plan. "Okay. I say we attack the back and go for the maintenance room, then get out. Once we get the plans, then we work our way to the observatory data."