I was still mad at Edward for asking if I knew a fast way to New York. I'm sure he would feel the same way if I asked if he knew a fast way to Tullum.

   I was amused that Archer had managed to make Altaïr mad. Like Aveline had said, Altaïr didn't seem like a person who could be easily angered. There was something about Archer that made people get mad at him for even the smallest things. The knife that had hit his shoulder was proof of that... maybe.

   That night we stood just outside of New York. The home of Shay Patrick Cormac. I had a sinking feeling that it wouldn't be as easy as Edward made it sound. I could tell that a large number of the group felt the same way. Aveline stood at my right and Ezio stood at my left. Arno, Archer, Edward, and Altaïr were behind me. Archer had lost all of his usual energy and had exchanged it for a hint of dread. I could see another assassin not far off. That must be Shadiya. If I counted her, we had pretty good odds. If I didn't count her... I didn't know why we were even trying.

   "I'll open the gates," Aveline said. "Connor, I'll need your help."

   "Need? Or want?" Ezio asked. Aveline punched his arm. "Okay, okay. Need his help. Got it."

   Aveline and I jumped through the trees to the wall. Aveline stood guard while I opened the gate. The lever was old and rusted so I had to push really hard to get it to move.

   "Are you done yet?" Aveline asked impatiently.

   "Almost," I said, shoving the lever harder. The gates squealed on their hinges as the lever finally clicked into place.

   Arno, Altaïr, Ezio, and Edward moved silently inside. I guessed that Archer had most likely been inside the city since Aveline and I had started to open the gates.

   We made our way cautiously through the city, breaking frequently into small groups. I was usually alone. On one such time, I slipped into an alley to see a man in black robes with a white Templar sign at their hip. I followed carefully. I should have gone back to find the others. The next thing I knew someone had their hands around my neck, pinning me against a wall. Not for the first time, I wished I wasn't alone.

   My breath came in ragged gasps as I struggled to breathe. Whoever was holding me was very strong. "You picked the wrong place to be, brother," the voice was silky and menacing, and they said brother like it was the worst insult in the world.

   Well, I'd found Shay! Unfortunately, he was killing me.