She nodded. “Is this the part where you finally show me the plan?”
“I couldn’t very well send you into that place with my precisely thought-out plan bouncing around in that head of yours. Not when you were about to go and speak to one of the most notoriously intrusive Psionics this side of the Atlantic.”
“He tried, you know,” Seline said, waving a hand. “But the stone worked to keep his grabby hands at bay.”
“I had a feeling it would too, but I couldn’t chance it.”
With a gesture of my hand, and a little concentration, I pulled up a lightshow that hovered in the center of the room like a hologram. Colors and lines danced in midair, blooming like a flower to create an accurate representation of Harrowgate prison that shimmered as it gently rotated.
“Impressive,” Seline said as she examined the display.
“Straight from my noggin to your eyes,” I said. “This model of the prison is to scale. Notice the little guards standing around for comparison. Now, as far as I’ve been able to tell, the layout inside hasn’t changed since the last time I was there; what’s changed are the systems, the protocols, and the overall feng shui of the place. The guards are better armed, cellblocks are more tightly secured, etcetera.”
“I noticed the guards were using fully automatic rifles and Kevlar vests,” Aaryn said. “Military grade.”
“Better than military—it’s magically enhanced. The rifles fire bullets that can round corners and seek their targets, and their vests will just about stop everything that comes at them.”
“They sound hardcore,” Seline said.
“They are. But, and this is the good bit, the guards are all they have. Back when I first broke into the place there were literal ghosts patrolling the walls.”
“Ghosts?”
“Yup. I don’t know where the hell they’ve all gone, but they aren’t there anymore, which means the only things standing between us and our targets are a couple of guards and some doors.”
“You make it sound easy.”
“Because it is. I mean, it should be. Nothing’s ever that easy.”
“If all we need to get through are a bunch of guards, then you’ll be happy to know they probably won’t pose too much of a threat.”
“No?”
Seline shrugged. “The few I saw all looked tired and run down, like they hadn’t slept in days. And the Warden said the prison was locked down.”
I looked over at RJ, then back at Seline. “Did the Warden say why? Was there an attempted escape, or something?”
“He played his cards close to the vest. I was never going to get anything out of him of any value, though. Speaking to him was a waste of time.”
“Maybe, but you got to go inside and feel the prison out for yourself. It’s a beast, isn’t it?”
Seline shook her head. “A monster. I hated that place.”
“You’re supposed to. The walls themselves sap your will to live, slowly, over time. It makes you tired, and weak. Weak people don’t rebel.”
“Does it have the same effects on the guards?”
I tapped my nose. “It shouldn’t.” I looked over at my hologram again. “So, here’s what I’m thinking. We know for a fact that Six and Alexa are being held in D-Block.” The hologram shifted, spinning around and magnifying D-Block so it could be prominently seen.
“That’s where Six is…” Seline said, staring intently at the colorful display in front of her, the light from the hologram reflected on her face. “If you would’ve told me—”
“—you may have done something reckless and stupid.”
“Agreed,” Aaryn put in.
Seline wasn’t sure which one of us to scold first, so she bit her tongue.
“So, D-Block,” I continued, “This is her cell. If we want to get inside, there are two routes; the main corridors, or the yard. Both will likely be heavily guarded, especially if the prison is on lockdown. Now that the prison is under new management, magic is usable within its walls; when I was there the last time, this wasn’t the case. So, that will make it easier for us to infiltrate it, but it will also make the guards and staff more dangerous. They’re all mages.”
Seline nodded. “I suspect they’ll know we’re running around their prison using magic, if that’s the route we take?”
“Technically yes, but not necessarily. Not if we’re good at what we do, and we are. Plus, they’re gonna be too busy dealing with the distraction I have in mind. But first, the matter of infiltration. The fact that the prison is on lockdown will make it impossible to breach through the main doors, and difficult to go through the yard. Our best bet is to use the roof access and go from there.”
“Can you open it?” Aaryn asked.
“I can open any door, and break any magic ward. I can probably do it without being detected, too. Anyway, getting in will be the easy part. It’s getting out that’ll be tricky, especially considering we’ll have baggage.”
“Six can handle herself in a fight if needed.”
“Alexa can, too,” RJ said, “She’s a fighter.”
“And Azlu,” came a soft voice from high above.
I jerked my head up, my heart slamming into my throat. “Fuck,” I yelped, “I totally forgot you were there.”
Ezree, the Arachnon, hung from the ceiling like a spider. He was a short man, with sharp features, pale skin, and a slight body. It was dark in the room, which meant he was mostly wrapped in shadow—the only truly visible feature being his large, reflective eyes.
“How do you do that?” RJ asked.
“Pheromones,” came the reply, soft and almost melodic. “Azlu is not a fighter, but she should not be underestimated. No one will even notice she is gone.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Is that something that can be replicated?” I asked. “Your pheromones, I mean.”
Ezree shut his eyes and made his head sway softly from left to right. A tense moment later, his eyes popped open again. “Mother thinks we can help you,” he said, “But we doubt the effect will be as complete with you as you are not Arachnon.”
“I’ll take any help I can get.” I turned my eyes on the hologram again. “So, we’re gonna get in through the roof, travel down these corridors to reach the cell block, pull Six and her friends out of her cell, and get out without being spotted.” I kicked my feet up. “It’s gonna be a walk in the park.”
“As much as I appreciate your optimism,” Seline said, “You may be underestimating the Warden and his abilities. There’s also the Horseman to consider.”
I scoffed. “Horseman-Shmorseman. I don’t know why everyone’s so scared of him. He’s just a man, and men can be hurt, or even killed.”
“I don’t know if he’s just a man,” RJ said, his voice low. “Not anymore, anyway. If he’s around, he’ll make it difficult for us to get in or out. I’m not saying we can’t put him down if we needed to, only that we shouldn’t underestimate him, either.”
“We won’t. But it’s they who will underestimate us, and that’s why we’ll win.”