Heero and Trowa entered the darkened room. At first they were unable to
make out any of the faces of the people around them. But as their eyes
grew accustomed to the dark and gloom they could see Zechs, Quatre and Duo
standing in the room. Next to a smouldering fire stood Noine and Hilde.
"I take it the first part of our plan went well?" Duo asked them. Heero nodded and strode across to the fire to warm his cold hands.
"She'll be alright." Noine whispered, reading Heero's troubled thoughts. "She knows the dangers. And she is strong, stronger than many of us could understand."
"Are the others in position?" Trowa asked Quatre.
"Wufei and Treize left a few hours ago." Quatre said. "We can only assume that their part of the plan is going well, otherwise we would have heard the signal."
Trowa nodded. Everyone knew that if at any point they heard three gunshots in the night, that part of the plan had failed. If this happened then Relena would surely die.
"I think we should make a move then." Zechs said, picking up some dark coloured cloaks and handing them out to the people in the room. "Hilde and Noine, wait until we are out of sight before you head off to the harbour. Don't let anyone see you."
Hilde and Noine nodded. They understood their part in the scheme and were willing to do anything to succeed. Duo hugged Hilde quickly before he left to check that the coast was clear. After a few moments they heard a low whistle. Quickly Heero, Trowa and Quatre left through the open door, picking up backpacks as they went. Zechs remained for a moment to kiss Noine goodbye before he too disappeared into the night.
Hilde rushed to the window and watched the five shadowy figures move off into the night. When she could no longer hear them she and Noine left the house quietly, heading down the hill in the opposite direction.
The five shadows flitted through the darkness like wraiths, never stopping for long enough to be clearly seen. They moved as separate bodies rather than one large group, keeping to the shadows wherever possible. When the came to a moonlit area they crossed it quickly, one at a time, each watching out for any unwanted company whilst the others were exposed.
Finally, they reached the foot of the towering cliff above which The Fort stood tall and menacing. Only now did they speak.
"Let us hope that Treize kept his part of the bargain." Zechs said, fumbling around in the dark. After a few minutes he found what he was searching for. He beckoned the others over and together they leaned against the solid wall of rock. But this wall was not so solid. Under their combined weight it began to move slowly inwards, revealing a damp and musty passage inside. They slipped inside the cavernous tunnel and closed the door behind them. Now Trowa lit a flaming torch and the light danced off of the rocks, illuminating the eerie scene.
"This is the right place." Heero confirmed. "Look at this." He pointed to the floor, which was damp and covered in small crustacean bones. "Relena told me that underneath this mountain is an underground sea. Sometimes, if the guards want to get rid of a woman they throw her down into this tunnel. When the tide rises she is trapped and drowns."
The boys shuddered at this thought, but continued their long journey. The tunnel sloped downwards and the walls and floor were slippery. Several times one of the party fell over and slid several feet down the passage. Eventually, just as Trowa was helping Quatre to his feet, they found what they were searching for.
The passage evened out into a large circular room. Around the wall chains were attached to the rock. Quatre recoiled in disgust when he saw a heap of bones in one corner of the room. The room smelled of damp death.
"This must be where the women are chained up to drown." Zechs said bitterly. "What a horrible death."
"Now we wait." Duo said, sitting down on a damp rock and stretching out his legs. "I'm just glad that I trust Wufei, he literally has our lives in his hands now."
"Lets hope that we can trust him." Heero said quietly. "And that he gets to us before the tide rises."
Meanwhile, several flights of stairs up from where the boys sat, Relena sat miserably on the floor. Her head hung on her chest and she shuffled her arms and feet uncomfortably. The chains that were attached to her wrists and feet to stop her from even moving much bit into her limbs painfully. Anyone watching would think that there was no hope for this girl. Her death had already been arranged; even now the guards and some prisoners were erecting the large gallows where Relena would be hung at daybreak.
But Relena did have hope. A hope that she clung on to with all her might. Because concealed in her clothing was a single piece of metal. This piece of metal was a large, heavy key. The master key that would open any door in The Fort. Treize had given this to her earlier that day, knowing that she would need it. He had taken it from The Fort without anyone knowing when he had retired from life there to live as a spy.
Now, the spy sat concealed just outside The Fort, also awaiting his signal to move. Inside the grounds of The Fort, Wufei stood supervising the erection of the Gallows. Everyone involved knew that there was a lot resting on this one night, and if one thing did not go according to plan then at least one person would die by the morning.
"I take it the first part of our plan went well?" Duo asked them. Heero nodded and strode across to the fire to warm his cold hands.
"She'll be alright." Noine whispered, reading Heero's troubled thoughts. "She knows the dangers. And she is strong, stronger than many of us could understand."
"Are the others in position?" Trowa asked Quatre.
"Wufei and Treize left a few hours ago." Quatre said. "We can only assume that their part of the plan is going well, otherwise we would have heard the signal."
Trowa nodded. Everyone knew that if at any point they heard three gunshots in the night, that part of the plan had failed. If this happened then Relena would surely die.
"I think we should make a move then." Zechs said, picking up some dark coloured cloaks and handing them out to the people in the room. "Hilde and Noine, wait until we are out of sight before you head off to the harbour. Don't let anyone see you."
Hilde and Noine nodded. They understood their part in the scheme and were willing to do anything to succeed. Duo hugged Hilde quickly before he left to check that the coast was clear. After a few moments they heard a low whistle. Quickly Heero, Trowa and Quatre left through the open door, picking up backpacks as they went. Zechs remained for a moment to kiss Noine goodbye before he too disappeared into the night.
Hilde rushed to the window and watched the five shadowy figures move off into the night. When she could no longer hear them she and Noine left the house quietly, heading down the hill in the opposite direction.
The five shadows flitted through the darkness like wraiths, never stopping for long enough to be clearly seen. They moved as separate bodies rather than one large group, keeping to the shadows wherever possible. When the came to a moonlit area they crossed it quickly, one at a time, each watching out for any unwanted company whilst the others were exposed.
Finally, they reached the foot of the towering cliff above which The Fort stood tall and menacing. Only now did they speak.
"Let us hope that Treize kept his part of the bargain." Zechs said, fumbling around in the dark. After a few minutes he found what he was searching for. He beckoned the others over and together they leaned against the solid wall of rock. But this wall was not so solid. Under their combined weight it began to move slowly inwards, revealing a damp and musty passage inside. They slipped inside the cavernous tunnel and closed the door behind them. Now Trowa lit a flaming torch and the light danced off of the rocks, illuminating the eerie scene.
"This is the right place." Heero confirmed. "Look at this." He pointed to the floor, which was damp and covered in small crustacean bones. "Relena told me that underneath this mountain is an underground sea. Sometimes, if the guards want to get rid of a woman they throw her down into this tunnel. When the tide rises she is trapped and drowns."
The boys shuddered at this thought, but continued their long journey. The tunnel sloped downwards and the walls and floor were slippery. Several times one of the party fell over and slid several feet down the passage. Eventually, just as Trowa was helping Quatre to his feet, they found what they were searching for.
The passage evened out into a large circular room. Around the wall chains were attached to the rock. Quatre recoiled in disgust when he saw a heap of bones in one corner of the room. The room smelled of damp death.
"This must be where the women are chained up to drown." Zechs said bitterly. "What a horrible death."
"Now we wait." Duo said, sitting down on a damp rock and stretching out his legs. "I'm just glad that I trust Wufei, he literally has our lives in his hands now."
"Lets hope that we can trust him." Heero said quietly. "And that he gets to us before the tide rises."
Meanwhile, several flights of stairs up from where the boys sat, Relena sat miserably on the floor. Her head hung on her chest and she shuffled her arms and feet uncomfortably. The chains that were attached to her wrists and feet to stop her from even moving much bit into her limbs painfully. Anyone watching would think that there was no hope for this girl. Her death had already been arranged; even now the guards and some prisoners were erecting the large gallows where Relena would be hung at daybreak.
But Relena did have hope. A hope that she clung on to with all her might. Because concealed in her clothing was a single piece of metal. This piece of metal was a large, heavy key. The master key that would open any door in The Fort. Treize had given this to her earlier that day, knowing that she would need it. He had taken it from The Fort without anyone knowing when he had retired from life there to live as a spy.
Now, the spy sat concealed just outside The Fort, also awaiting his signal to move. Inside the grounds of The Fort, Wufei stood supervising the erection of the Gallows. Everyone involved knew that there was a lot resting on this one night, and if one thing did not go according to plan then at least one person would die by the morning.