They saw

Moving with practiced efficiency Brenan headed for the far end of the alley away from the crime scene, and any possible backup that might be following. He had a heart quickening jolt as he spotted movement where the alley turned behind the building, but even before he could reach for his knives, he recognized the two brothers who were supposed to be on their way to the 'Drunken Sailor' by now. He'd have to remember these two didn't follow orders well. At least they had guts and loyalty; Brenan figured it is easier to teach crewmembers to trust him and follow orders than it was to watch each other's backs when things got dangerous.

"You were supposed to be half way to the 'Sailor' by now boys." Both brothers seemed paler than usual and Brenan wondered how much of what had happened in the alley they had seen.

"Sorry Captain, I thought you might need some help, and I didn't want James wandering into trouble by himself." Julien's answer made a certain amount of sense, but Brenan needed to know that he could trust his crew to follow his instructions.

"Do you believe I can take care of myself now?" He asked as he walked past the brothers pulling them further from the carnage. The brothers nodded and judging by James' ashen face Brenan guessed that they had seen at least some of his knife work.

"Those poor bastards didn't have a chance." Julien responded. Brenan wasn't sure if it was a compliment or a condemnation of his actions, but at least the boys didn't have any ridiculous expectations of him.

"They got what they had coming to them. Trust me, they would have done the same to you two if they got a chance." He eyed Julien's sword "That blade of yours won't do you much good if you wait for your opponents to challenge you to a fair fight." Julien's hand mooved to the pommel of the sword in readiness and Brenan nodded his approval. "Soon as I get a chance I'll run you through some drills on board the ship so you get used to fighting in less than ideal conditions." Brenan turned to James and added "Mostly I want you training with the big guns, but we'd better get you a flintlock or two just in case we get boarded."

The three continued in silence until they reached the broad street that ran along the harbor's edge. Brenan stopped the men in the shadows and turned them so they faced him; staring them in the eyes he asked them directly.

"The 'Drunken Sailor' is that way. Are you two going to do what I tell you this time?" Taking their silent nods at face value Brenan laid out the plan.

"James stays out front and watches for anything unusual. Julien goes in first and gets a drink, but keeps his mouth shut." Brenan paused to reinforce the last part. "I'm going to circle around back and if everything looks good I'll be through the front door in a minute. Don't acknowledge me, don't talk to me, don't even look at me! It's your job to cover my back so I want you watching everyone else, see if any of them appear to react to me. And be ready. Got it?" The brothers nodded again and Brenan slapped them on the back. "Good, let's find Sasha."

The three men separated and moved into the assigned positions. Brenan wandered through a trash filled alley that was so narrow that at times he had to turn his broad shoulders sideways to avoid rubbing against the grimy stonework of the building. The alley smelled of urine and puke and Brenan would be glad to be clear of the building. A few small windows were visible on the second floor, but all of them had heavy iron work securing the rooms inside. The small door in the back of the building also had heavy iron reinforcements but the larger door on the far side for kitchen deliveries was standing open trying to catch some of the afternoon breeze. The inn looked as normal as Brenan had hoped; no sign of spying eyes or hidden fighters. So far so good, now to see if Sasha is even here.