Nerida placed her foot on Johnny's back and slid him down her glaive's shaft. Once he was down on the ground, she yanked it out. Ann gabbed the phone a wiped it down. She opened it carefully. The screen was slightly cracked, but other than that the phone was okay. Ann bypassed the password with a couple swipes and checked the data.
"That's strange," Ann showed Nerida the screen. "He didn't delete any of his info. Not even his browser history, or call log."
"Than what was that last, dramatic button push for," Nerida asked as she drew closer.
Ann tinkered with the settings and pulled up the last command made. It was a remote activation command, but to what she couldn't tell. She tried to get the phone to give up more of its secrets, but it command was untraceable. Ann gave up and began to look through the Johnny's texts. The text he had received from an unknown number right before his attack caught her eye.
"Project Knight is go. Activate tracker, kill leader." Ann read out loud. "What does that mean?"
Nerida shrugged. They stepped around the body and walked inside the check on the others. Joy was crying as Lightning gently closed Michael's eyes. Lazerus had helped Sol to the infirmary, and had then disappeared into the jungle. He came back as Ann and Nerida started telling Lightning about what they had discovered on Johnny's phone. With Lazerus came a tall blond, with light green eyes and a surfer's tan. Lightning recognized him as Jack, the pilot of the helicopter that had dropped her off in Paris. She chose to ignore him and focus on the task at hand.
"Jack and I will take care of the bodies," Lazerus said as he approached. "Michael deserves a proper send off."
"I'll help," Joy whipped her face and rose slowly to her feet.
"I'll check on Sol," Lightning said. "Ann, Nerida, come with me so you can finish telling me about what you found."
"Ann can do that," Nerida turned away. "I'm gonna go search Johnny's room."
Lightning nodded and lead Ann towards the infirmary. Nerida quickly jogged down the hall. As Lightning and Ann entered the infirmary, they were pleasantly surprised to find Sol sitting up in bed. She looked a little pale, but you could see the wheels turning in her head. She looked up sharply when she saw them approach.
"How are you feeling?" Lightning asked.
"Fine," Sol replied with a slight smile. "I'm guessing you dealt with the bodies?"
"Laz and some new guy named Jack are handling it," Ann answered. "We found some information on Johnny's phone, and want to discuss what it might mean."
"What did you find?" Sol's brow wrinkled in curiosity.
"He activated some sort of tracker device somewhere, but the signal is untraceable. And the last text he received mentions something called Project Knight." Ann explained.
"I heard about Project Knight while in Paris," Lightning's eyes grew wide. "That's their mind control program."
"MIND CONTROL!" Sol exclaimed in disbelief. "That's science fiction last time I checked."
"That's what I thought too," Lightning nodded slightly. "But while I was in Paris, I ran into one of my Assassin Brothers who had been captured during the first wave of attack. His eyes looked blank and distant, like all the life had been sucked out of him. One of his close friends tried to talk to him and he shot him. It took three of us together to put him down."
"Blank and lifeless," Ann muttered fear creeping onto her face. "That's how Sol looked sometimes while we were in that Templar camp. She would have spells of lifelessness."
Sol's eyes grew wide in shock. It can't be... me... mind controlled... She dropped her gaze into her lap as she tried to come to terms with this new development. The Templars had tried to use her to kill her friends, her family. We there nothing they wouldn't try to gain control of the world? A gentle knock on the door tore Sol's attention away from her strife. The door opened slightly and Nerida poked her head in. She smiled gently at Sol before stepping inside. She had a small bag in one hand.
"Johnny's body has been disposed of," Nerida said. "And Michael's body is ready. We need Lightning to perform the ceremony."
"Let's go send him away then," Lightning smiled sadly. "Will one of you stay here with Sol for a little while? She shouldn't be walking around after such a hard knock to her injured head."
"I'll stay," Nerida offered. "When it's over, bring everyone in here. I found something interesting in Johnny's room."
Lightning nodded and turned to go. Ann gave Sol's hand a squeeze before following her out. Once they were gone, Nerida hopped onto the bed next to Sol. She laid back calmly. Sol looked over at her with puzzled expression. Nerida made a quick motion with her hand to ask Sol to join her. With a shrug, Sol lowered herself back slowly. She sighed in relief as the slight spinning that trying to sit up had caused disappeared. Nerida smiled, she knew how hard it was to sit up after a head injury.
"Better?" Nerida asked. "I figured you wouldn't lie down if I stayed standing."
"Yeah, it's a relief actually," Sol turned her head slowly to look at her. "How did you know this would help? How did you know I was dizzy?"
"I've been hit hard in the head before," Nerida shrugged. "But that's a story for another time. My past isn't something I love talking about."
"I understand," Sol smiled. "Even I have things I won't talk about."
Nerida smiled back. The faint smell of smoke drifted through the air and reached the girls in the infirmary. Sol jumped at the smell, but Nerida kept her from getting up. She explained that the fire was from Michael's funeral ceremony. It was an Assassin custom to cremate bodies so they couldn't be used by the Templars.
An hour later, the smell had vanished and the other Assassins had begun to trickle into the room. Nerida helped Sol sit up as they entered. Everyone was grim faced. Jack came with them. Sol recognized him instantly as the pilot who had helped Lazerus save them in Montreal. He came in leading the still crying Joy like a proper gentleman. Sol and Jack exchanged silent greetings as he entered. He led Joy to a chair and sat her down. Lightning stepped forward.
"Michael's lose was a terrible tragedy," Lightning began. "But we have a greater problem right now. We need to deal with Johnny's betrayal, and the danger we might all be in. Ann has disabled the GPS on his phone, so hopefully the Templars haven't found the shack. Nerida, what did you find in his room?"
"Two things," Nerida opened the bag and pulled out a small box and a piece of paper. "The first was this box with Sol's chip inside, and the second one was a list of names."
"Let me see," Lightning took the list and opened it. "It's a list of possible candidates for the Project Knight experiments. It even has marks for candidates that have already been captured. It says they've captured Sol's mom."
"That's what drove her nuts," Sol interrupted as she realized what must have happened.
"The other is a girl named Mary Caride," Lightning finished.
"They have Mary!" Lazerus exclaimed in shock. "No..."
"You know her?" Lightning asked.
"It's his sister," Sol muttered as she saw the look on his face.
Lazerus shared a look with Sol. It was a secretive look that told him she knew what he was feeling, and that she lived in fear of it. He decided that he would have to ask her about it later. He nodded to affirm what Sol had correctly guessed. Lightning handed the list to Sol. She read the numbered list carefully.
"Your name is on it too," Lightning sighed. "That confirms our suspicions."
"It also has Lazerus's name," Sol examined the list. "and Andy... and my dad! It seems like whole families are on the list. There must be a biological component to this."
A line under her name caught her eye. It wasn't a name like the others, it was a short sentence. Knight #4 and #5: location unknown. Under the line, Johnny had scribbled a note. Check local orphanages. Sol winced as she read this. They had found her out. She sighed sadly and turned to hand the list to Ann.
Ann had been quietly tinkering with the phone in the corner while the others discussed things. She came closer when she noticed Sol was holding the note out to her. As she approached, the phone in her hand began to make a small beeping noise. She frowned down at the device. Sol lowered her hand.
"What's wrong, Ann?" Sol asked.
"I was trying to reverse the signal on the phone so that I could find out what he activated," Ann explained. "Since this device is just the on switch, I wasn't sure if it would work, but then it did. Whatever Johnny activated just before he died is in this room."
Everyone froze. Lightning motioned gently for Ann to sweep the room. Ann started from one corner and slowly moved around the room. She made sure to sweep possible hiding place. When she approached the bed near Sol, it beeped again. Nerida helped Sol to her feet and away from the bed. Ann swept the phone over the bed again, but the device failed to react. That's when Ann realized it. She turned, grabbed Sol, and held the phone next to her. It beeped.
"They put something else in Sol," Ann gasped.
"Quick, we need to find it," Lightning flew into motion. "Do we have something to take x-rays with?"
"We can use the live x-ray technology to find it," Joy got up and moved towards one of the shelves. "I can set up, but I'm going to need some help, and space."
The others got the message and began to trickle out of the room. Lightning stayed behind to help. She looked expectantly at Lazerus, but he muttered something about needing a drink before slipping out the door. Nerida was the last one out. She helped Sol lay down on the bed before turning to go. She closed the door behind her.
* * *
Sol woke up for the second time from her medically induced sleep to see Joy's concerned face over hers. She smiled slightly at the sight of her. She remembered what had happened. Joy had brought out the machines and they had quickly found the large dog tracker that had been placed in her left arm. Lightning had voiced all over their concerns. This confirmed their suspicions. The Templars definitely knew where they were. Lightning had called for the instant removal and destruction of the chip. Sol could see the bloody and broken chip sitting on a tray next to her bed.
"How long was I out?" Sol asked and she gently tried to push herself up with her right arm, she couldn't feel her left.
"About two hours," Joy replied. "It's about lunch time, so I made you a sandwich."
Joy held out a small wrapped package. Sol thanked her, took the sandwich, and opened it up. Turkey and cheddar, My favorite. She took a bite and groaned in relief. She hadn't had breakfast that morning; she hadn't noticed how hungry she was. Joy watched her eat carefully. She was worried about Sol's arm. Once the anesthetics wore off, Sol's arm was going to do a little more than sting. There had been a bit of muscle damage from the tracker, but the damage from cutting it out was much worse. If the area around the cutting went numb, then Sol would be able to use her arm normally to an extent, but if the pain receptors in her arm where still working, she would be unable to move it till it healed. Joy gently poked the area next to the line of blood on Sol's bandage. Sol's arm twitched in response.
"Did you feel that?" Joy asked. "The anesthetic should be getting weaker."
"Yeah," Sol nodded. "It's kinda tingly."
"That means the wound if going to heal with no nerve damage, but a lot of pain," Joy smiled sadly. "You're going to have trouble moving your arm without it hurting for at least two weeks."
"Ugh..."
Joy assured her that the pain killers she had prescribed for her head should also take the edge off the pain in her arm. Maria came sauntering into the room. She held the bag Nerida had put Johnny's stuff in. Joy bent over and gently picked Maria up and placed her on the bed. Maria dropped the bag on Sol's chest. Sol peeked into the bag and nodded to Maria. With a quick series of hand motions, Sol gave Maria a series of instructions. Maria blinked and jumped off the bed. Joy watched her leave with curiosity.
"What was that?" Joy asked Sol.
"Just asked her to get something," Sol shrugged.
Maria returned a moment later dragging a blue medical sling behind her. She jumped up onto the bed by herself and dropped the sling. Sol thanked Maria with a scratch behind the ears. Joy was amazed by the Maria and Sol's relationship. It was a bond that went beyond master and pet. Maria and Sol where as much comrades in arms as she and Michael had been.
"Can you help me put this on?" Sol asked, extending the sling to Joy.
"You have a smart cat," Joy commented and she took the sling and began to untangle it.
"She's the smartest," Sol grinned.
Joy gently lifted Sol's arm and slipped it into the sling. Once she had adjusted the strap to Sol's liking, she turned to return to her desk in the back of the room. Sol gently lifted herself off the bed and made her way towards the door. Joy went to stop her, but Sol shook her head. She placed her hand on the doorknob, she turned back momentarily and met Joy's eye.
"Thank you, Joy, for taking care of me," Sol smiled sadly. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you, but don't worry. I promise I'm gonna help you through whatever comes next."
With that, Sol turned and left. Joy stood there for a moment more, stunned, then sat at her desk and let herself sink in to everything that had happened. Jack passed by Sol on his way towards the infirmary. Sol smiled at him, she recognized the love lost look in his eyes. With a shy grin and a thumbs-up, Jack opened the door and lipped inside. She didn't know Jack well, but He seemed like a nice guy. Sol hoped his high spirits and cheery nature might help Joy. As Sol passed by the front door, she noticed Lazerus sitting on the porch steps. She frowned when she noticed the three empty bottles of whisky on the ground next to him. She approached him as he took a swig from the forth bottle in his hands.
"Lazerus?" Sol questioned as she approached. "What are you doing?"
"Do not disturb," He's words where slurred. "Whisky town... hic... is not taking visitors."
"You look terrible," Sol commented with a frown.
"You should see me high," He gave her a goofy grin. "How did the... hic... surgery go? Good... yeah?"
"I'm fine, thanks for asking," She crossed her arms. "You need to stop drinking."
"Whaaaaaaaat? Whyyyyyyy?" Lazerus leaned towards her. "You look pretty blurry. You look... hic... like some sort of... hic... angel."
"Right," Sol took a step back. "Why are you drinking?"
"Because I don't want to think about Mary," He answered slowly.
"If you want to save her," Sol was suddenly furious. "Get off your butt and do something. Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go find a way to save my family. You're not the only one who has something to lose in this war."
Sol turned on her heals and stalked back into the house. What an idiot! His family is in danger and instead of trying to help them, he got drunk! I CAN'T stand this guy! With a frustrated groan, she walked down the hall to her room and sat down at her desk. Unlike a certain drunk looser, Sol was going to try her hardest to pick apart Project Knight. It was time to examine the evidence.
* * *
Sol burst from her room and dashed into the kitchen. Nerida sat at the kitchen table with Lazerus. She was sharpening her glaive. Lazerus had sobered up in the last couple hours and was now enjoying his third cup of coffee. Sol raced into the kitchen and slammed her good palm down on the table. Lazerus jumped, But Nerida just sighed and looked up.
"Guys!" Sol exclaimed. "I did it!"
"Did what?" Lazerus asked as he tried to compose himself and regain his cool.
"I figured out how the stop the project knight chips! Joy helped me with a bit of the biological aspect. We figured out how the chip work, and how to stop it."
"How?" Nerida's brow furrowed in curiosity.
"It's electromagnetic! The chip sends impulses of a certain magnitude to force the brains decisions. That's why there's a biological component. If the chemical makeup of the brain isn't right, then the transmission gets lost in translation."
"That's..." Lazerus started, then it hit him. "That's genius. That way you can get the person to do almost anything. But it would be pretty painful."
"Oh, it is. That's what the system works. Your brain goes numb and you just start listening to the chip because it hurts less."
"how are you gonna stop it?"
"Electromagnetic pulse of the right magnitude should fry the system without hurting the person. All I need are a couple batteries and it'll be ready."
"Wow, you're a genius, Sol. It's in_"
"Here," Nerida cut him off and tossed Sol the batteries. "And, theoretically, what happens if you don't know your family so you don't know if you're on the list?"
"I don't know, Nerida," Sol gave her a sideways look. "Thanks for the batteries. Let's give it a go."
Sol quickly pulled a small black box out of her sling. It looked kinda like a Taser. She opened a panel with her good hand and then slipped in the batteries. She hooked them to the mini generator she had built. Then she pulled out her chip and set it on the table. She flipped a switch and the black box began to buzz violently. She touched it to the chip, everything fizzled, and then the chip popped. It had worked.
"Perfect," Sol grinned. "20 watts to match the brain activity and an extra two to kill the chip. It'll leave the victim with a major headache though."
Sol began to discuss the specifics of the box with Lazerus. Nerida went back to sharpening her weapon. What Sol had failed to notice with her excitement was how the time had passed. It was now close to midnight. The pitch black of the jungle had closed in around them long ago. The sky was cloudy, blocking out the stars, but not the moon. And it was in this pale moon light that Jack saw him. As Jack made his way outside for a breath of fresh, he noticed the earie darkness of the night and the dead silence that seemed to prevail in their clearing. He stepped out onto the porch and gazed into the vast shadows. A small light caught his eye. A click followed as something suddenly rolled into the light.
"FLASH BOMB!" Jack shouted back into the house as he covered his eyes.
The bomb was so powerful, Jack could see the light threw his arm. Once it faded, he looked back at the clearing to find a Templar army at their doorstep. The leader of the group caught his eye. Clad in black and blood red camo, his eyes dead and lifeless, stood the one person no one expected to see. His hair was longer, he was sporting a new scar on his right cheek, and the Abstergo logo stood proudly on his chest; but it was definitely him.
"ANDY!"