“That… could work.” Olinara bobbled her head from side to side.
“And if we need pass phrases, we can use a binding toget them from the guards, assuming we take them alive,” Lhorine added. “There’s only one problem, and it’s a big one.”
“What?” Koar growled.
“The next shift change isn’t until five o’clock,” I stated. “Which leaves us only three hours to get in, find Bayn’s sister, get out, get back to campus, find Bayn, then free Izzy and Myel.”
“Fuck,” Koar swore.
“Exactly,” I agreed.
“Three hours isn’t a lot of time, but it should be enough,” Olinara said, her hopeful tone sounding forced.
“But it also means we’re doing everything in broad daylight, not under the cover of night,” Lhorine added.
It wasn’t great, but it was the best plan we had.
As we waited, we came up with contingency plans and alternates for various scenarios. Then we tried to get some sleep. I couldn’t rest. My thoughts wandered down morbid alleys. I had to believe our plan to save Izzy would work, but a part of my brain kept toying with the what-if’s.
What if we didn’t get there in time?
What if Izzy had to fight Saldrea?
What if she… failed.
What would my mental link do then?
It had been hard enough hearing her thoughts when she was in pain. Hearing her dying thoughts…
Anyone who thought mind-reading might be fun or informative, was sorely mistaken. Most thoughts were mundane and trivial. On the rare occasion when they weren’t, it was often intimate details that you really didn’t need to know. And hearing someone’s final thoughts…
Well, I tried very hard not to imagine what that might be like.
Those who had slept wereawake before dawn. We set up our ambush and waited. With the four of us, and the element of surprise, we managed to capture four guards before they could shout for help. Once again, Lhorine used a binding on each of them to get what we needed.
Olinara took the form of one and put a very convincing illusion over the rest of us. Then, we headed for the compound.
Given the men we were impersonating worked here — and we had their faces, and IDs and pass phrases — it was surprisingly easy to get in. I had a feeling after this, once it was discovered someone had escaped, security was going to get a lot tighter.
Fuck, no, not again!Izzy’s thoughts echoed in my mind. I stumbled, nearly falling down a flight of stairs as we made our way deeper into the underground complex. Thankfully, Koar caught me.
“Izzy,” I hissed to let the big man know why I was suddenly out of sorts.
His eyes widened with concern.
“Catch me if I stumble again, I’m going to try to talk to her.”
He nodded and we continued on down the stairs.
Izzy?I sent to her.
Rook? Oh… right… your mind-link-thing. Now’s not a good time.
Me neither. But I wanted you to know we’re coming for you, we just need a little more time. Are you okay?
I was, but Saldrea and her crew just returned. I didn’t think they got up this early. They weren’t happy that I was completely healed. Not sure how that happened. Saldrea isblaming Golana, but the dwarf doesn’t seem to know anything about it.
Your grandmother did it, afterward. She’s with us now.
