[i]Quebec City
3 January 1776:[/I]

William stood in the shadows of an alley across from the Hôtel Dieu, watching soldiers and officers of the Continental Army go in and out of the makeshift hospital.  The facility's most famous patient -- General Benedict Arnold -- was inside with a shattered leg, and William was going to ensure that when the man left, he would do so on a stretcher with a sheet over his face.

After the fall of Boston in June, the Continental Congress had made the decision to invade Canada, then called the Province of Quebec.  [url=https://slmc.uottawa.ca/content_images/234003e.gif]Quebec at the time[/url] had extended much farther south, including all 5 of the Great Lakes and all the land surrounding them.  The Congress's hope had been that the French-speaking citizens in Quebec would join the English-speaking rebels in rising up against the British Crown. 

Historically, Arnold had arrived at Quebec City with barely more than 600 exhausted, demoralized, starving troops.  A couple of weeks later, General Richard Montgomery would arrive from the east with an equivalent force, and together they would conduct an unsuccessful attack that would result in Montgomery's death and Arnold's injury.  The Fort would hold, and the Rebels would withdraw.  But, as would come to be known, the Americans would ultimately win the war and all would be well.

Of course, that was before Washington's death.  And William knew that the changes in history for which he was responsible had led to Washington's death and, likely, a British victory.  He couldn't let that happen.  Despite not knowing what the precise, exact effect would be, William was determined to help the Rebels beat the British and, thus, save the Rebel Cause. 

With his [i]conscription[/i] into the Massachusetts Second Regiment as a Lieutenant, William found himself becoming an advisor directly to Colonel Harding.  After secretly using his knowledge of the future to lead the Second to a handful of surprise victories, William found himself the subject of Arnold's attention.  And soon afterward, he became an advisor to the future traitor.  William had been tempted to kill Arnold the first time they'd been alone together, but William knew that at this point in time, Arnold was an affective and loyal rebel officer.  So, instead, William advised the General about the hazards he and his Army would face on their long arduous march north through Maine to Quebec City.

The result was that Arnold arrived on the banks of the St. Lawrence not with 600 men but almost 3,000.  Rather than being outnumbered 2-1 by the British -- who, of course, were behind the walls of a fort -- Arnold's army outnumbered the Redcoats 2-1.  The fort and the city itself were besieged, and after weeks of civilians fleeing the starvation and disease spreading across Quebec City, the force surrendered without a shot fired.

Historically, Arnold was seriously injured in the battle that now hadn't occurred.  Despite avoiding the fight, the General had instead fallen from his horse to crush his leg.  Which put him inside the walls of the hotel.

William waited until sundown, then approached the hotel in bloodied clothing.  He told the guards at the door that he'd been hurt in a building collapse, which got him inside the hotel.  After idling milling about for an hour or so, inconspicuously spying the security and movement of armed guards, he found a way to get to the hallway outside Arnold's room without drawing attention.  He found a seat and pretended he needed rest, then when the guard on Arnold's door wasn't watching, William slipped inside.

"You don't look like a man whose name will become synonymous with betrayal," William said when the sleeping Arnold detected his presence and opened his eyes.  William pulled a bayonet from his sleeve and corrected, "[i]Would[/i] have become synonymous."

It took the General a moment to realize that something was horribly wrong.  He tried to call out, but William clamped a palm over the man's mouth ... and stuck the long blade into his throat.  Blood spewed all over: onto the bed, floor, and walls; onto the quickly dying man; onto the actor-turned-assassin.  When Arnold's thrashing slowed, then stopped, William backed away.  He looked at Arnold's lifeless body, then at his own blood covered body.  He felt sick and wanted to puke, but sound in the hallway told him he needed to get the fuck out.  He shed his jacket and rushed out a connecting door, slowing to a less conspicuous speed as he emerged into the hallway.  Before William had reached the first floor, the alarm was out.  

He rushed for the exit and was almost out when an officer -- ignorant of William's approach -- stepped into the doorway, causing the two to slam into one another.  As William gathered himself, he looked to the other party: it was Colonel Harding, and he was being accompanied by the Second Regiment Sergeant ... both of whom knew William all too well ... as well as where he lived.

......................

[i]9 May 1776:[/i]

For months, William had been on the run, hunted not only by British troops who had become aware of his contributions to the Rebel Cause; but by Continental Army who wanted him for the assassination of one of their greatest heroes.  William had been desperate to get back to Lexington before the rebel hunters, but he'd had to radically change course three times and had spent two weeks hiding in a barn recovering from injuries sustained after being attacked by a pack of wolves of all things.

Now, finally -- after having left the road for fear of discovery and trudged through the forest for almost three miles -- William emerged at the edge of Edward and Keziah's farmstead...