Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood by Oliver Bowden Read Free Book Online

hands tightened around her strong buttocks—she was pulling him up urgently toward her, when their lovemaking was interrupted by more than just the roar of cannon.
    Suddenly, the peace and the softness of the big room was shattered. The windows blew away with a mighty roar, taking a part of the stone outer wall with them, as a gigantic cannonball smashed in and landed, searing hot, inches from the bed. The floor sagged under its weight.
    Ezio had thrown himself protectively and instinctively over Caterina at the first instant of danger, and in that moment the lovers transformed themselves into professionals and colleagues—after all, if they were to
remain
lovers, they first had to
survive
.
    They leapt from the bed, throwing on their clothes. Ezio noticed that apart from the delicious vial of oil, Caterina had concealed a very useful jagged-edged dagger beneath her skirts.
    “What the hell—?” Ezio cried.
    “Go and find Mario,” said Caterina urgently.
    Another ball flew in, shattering the beams over their recently vacated bed and smashing it to pieces.
    “My troops are in the main courtyard,” said Caterina. “I’ll find them and get them around the back of the citadel and see if we can’t outflank them there. Tell Mario that’s what I’ve decided.”
    “Thank you,” said Ezio. “Stay out of sight.”
    “I wish I’d had time to change,” she said, laughing. “We’d better book into an
albergo
next time, eh?”
    “Let’s make damned sure there
is
a next time,” rejoined Ezio, laughing, too, but nervously, and strapping on his sword.
    “You bet!
Arrivederci!
” cried Caterina, rushing from the room without forgetting to blow him a kiss.
    He looked at the ruins of the bed. The Codex weapons—the double-blade, the poison-blade, the pistol—were buried under it, in all probability destroyed. At least he still had his hidden-blade. Even in
extremis
he would never forget that. His murdered father’s last bequest.

EIGHT
     

    Ezio had no idea what time it was, but sense told him attacks usually began at dawn, when the victims were still confused and wiping the sleep out of their eyes. He was lucky that his training had bestowed on him, even after he’d reached the age of forty, the alertness and agility of a wildcat.
    Once outside and on the battlements, he scanned the landscape around the little town. The town itself, now below him as he skirted around, was in flames in many quarters. He saw where the tailor’s shop was burning and Angelina’s house, too.
    There would be no birthday party for poor Claudia tonight.
    He ducked as another cannonball smashed into the ramparts. For God’s love, what guns were their attackers bringing to bear? How could they reload and fire so fast? Who was behind this?
    Through the smoke and dust he made out Mario, dodging toward him through crumbling masonry. Ezio leapt off the ramparts to land in a crouch near Mario and ran to join him.
    “Uncle!
Che diavolo
...?”
    Mario spat. “They’ve caught us on our back foot. It’s the Borgia!”
    “Fottere!”
    “We underestimated Cesare. They must have massed to the east during the night.”
    “What must we do?”
    “The main thing is to get all the townspeople clear—those who haven’t already been killed. We’ve got to hold them off until we’ve done that. If they take the town with the people still inside it, they’ll kill them all—everyone in Monteriggioni is either an Assassin or an Assassin’s abettor, in their eyes.”
    “I know the route out. Leave it to me.”
    “Good man. I’ll muster our defenders and give them everything we’ve got.” Mario paused. “Look. Let’s take them on first. You go and command the cannon on the ramparts.”
    “And you?”
    “I’ll lead a frontal assault. Take the battle to the bastards.”
    “Caterina is going to try to take her forces around the flank.”
    “Good. Then we are in with a chance. Now
hurry!
”
    “Wait!”
    “What is it?”
    Ezio lowered his