Chapter 180

It was decided it was too risky to stay so close to the Spider den for too long. That night Fletcher, Tanith and the Dead Men prepared themselves and left to go into the mountain. It was far colder than in Las Vegas, reaching minus one degree Celsius in the evening when they began walking and predicted to get significantly colder into the night. Even Fletcher stayed quiet, wearing a new coat Ghastly had made him quickly that was protective. It looked good and the others had complained that they hadn't gotten the same treatment. Then Ghastly had called Fletcher their 'get away boat' and Fletcher hadn't been so happy about the gift, but the others thought it was funny.

The road they took was nonsense and not a real road. Crux seemed to have no idea where he was going on the two occasions he had travelled to the Spiders and instead had roamed until he ended up where he was meant to be. They still chose to retrace his steps on the off chance he had actually had some plan though it didn't seem that likely. A small part of them thought that he potentially knew how to evade being noticed by the Spiders on his way there, which was why they wanted to copy his steps, but Valkyrie felt like a wild goose chase.

With no real intel other than Crux's mind, they had trusted the Sensitives and taken their word on what Crux had experienced. The first location he'd visited had been busier, and the second mostly quiet. With that in mind, they went to the second place he went so that they might get around easier – and that was assuming it was all connected underground, which it may not be. But they had all spoken and voted that it must be for ease of staying hidden from mortals as well as sorcerers, plus it aligned with that they knew of other large Spider dens.

The main thing they didn't know was how many Spiders lived in the mountain or how well they could detect and fight intruders.

"Are we nearly there?" Fletcher asked.

"Think so," Valkyrie answered very quietly. She held the map, just a sheet of paper out of a map book with a drawn-on line that they were following. "Right around this rock."

They hunkered down and, after Ghastly checked the area with the air and indicated where the entrance should be, Valkyrie crept forwards with Dexter to find the opening. It was just a rock, but Dexter's keen eyes found a small signal on the edge and pressed it, and the rock faded away. The entrance was just dark, no lights or sounds at all. The others came closer and they all walked in, looking closely for signals on the wall that could alert the Spiders or set off traps.

Dexter put an arm out and stopped her from stepping on a signal, and she stepped back to let him and Ghastly deal with it. It didn't take them too long, but after that came several more they needed to stop for. Ten minutes after entering, they came to a room, a round opening with several doors and arches leading elsewhere. Saracen pointed and they went where he said. Through that corridor and further downwards, hiding behind a corner as two people went from one room to another and closed the door. They continued, going right, and then left, leaving their fate entirely in Saracen's hands as his magic guided them somewhere they needed to be.

This left them in a small room they closed behind them, not able to move without touching at least one other person.

"Where are we?" Fletcher whispered.

"I don't know," Saracen replied quietly, "but there's a gathering."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know," he replied again, "but I do, so shut up."

Valkyrie cracked a smile as Erskine finished picking the lock of the next room and they very quietly tiptoed onto a balcony, pressing themselves against a wall and staying quiet. Spiderwebs were freely displayed in here unlike the hallways they'd been in so far, but no spiders or Spiders were on them. Below was a quiet commotion. Valkyrie crouched down and lay flat, pull herself to the bannister with barely a rustle to look below.

There was a stage, not with any curtain for dances or shows, but with a large painting on the back and small fires all around the rim to light up the people. Three people were sitting and one stood to the side, talking loudly but not enough for Valkyrie to hear exactly what he was saying. She wasn't even sure he was speaking English. It was so far below her she felt as if she was getting vertigo. The hall was full of people, at least two hundred or more, all dressed well in black, red and dark green. They were on the walls in Spider form too, but all close to the floor and stage.

She pushed back and stood, shaking her head and indicating to continue. Saracen took them across the entire balcony and through into a similarly small room, but this one was not locked, and then they very quickly continued, wanting to get out before the gathering finished and all those Spiders poured out. It was the perfect scenario should they pull it off.

This time they went deeper, and Valkyrie knew they were going towards the work area. There was no name for being a leader in the Spider Community, as all Spiders were equal in name, but the status was there, and that office was what they needed to work out what plans the Spiders had. The rooms became cleaner and signals on the ceiling gave off a soft glow. There was no artwork on the walls that could be knocked by long legs, and she hadn't seen any lights elsewhere. Even the doors were larger, more grand.

Saracen's fallible magic only took them so far into the nicer area, but it was clear to see where to go. They followed the niceties until it took them to a double door that looked that much grander. Tanith pressed her hand to it and the lock broke. They stole in, leaving Saracen next to the door they almost closed so they wouldn't be immediately detected. It made Valkyrie nervous, not having Anton's magic to protect them, but she trusted Fletcher and her family.

The office was large, but not painted or warm, just like the rest of the caves. There was a giant desk and Valkyrie went straight to it, pulling open the drawers and looking over the papers. "What language is this?" She asked, pushing some paper towards Anton.

He looked it over. "Latin," he told her. "This is a stock list."

"Read the others," she ordered, going over the English papers herself. There was nothing useful in the desk, so she moved to the books, and the cabinets, getting whispers from Saracen that he could hear movement coming closer.

Erskine began to get panicked and Dexter was demanded they leave. They got everything they could together, all the war plans and important documents, the safe in the floor Ghastly ripped out with his magic, all gathered into their arms within five minutes of getting in there.

"Anton?" She whispered. "Come on!"

"I found something," he said simply, staring at a book.

"Well bring it with you, they're coming!" She pressed.

He snapped it closed, looked at the small stack of papers and another book on the shelf beside him and grabbed that too before going to the others, putting a hand on Valkyrie's shoulder – a moment later they were back in the living room of their rented house.

"Oh my god," Fletcher breathed. Valkyrie could see his heart beating through his clothes.

"That went really well," she grinned.

Tanith laughed and pulled Erskine in for a hug, and he folded into her.

"I have news," Anton said, putting his books and papers on the sofa. "I know what is holding the Spiders from attacking immediately."

That got their attention. "What is it?" Valkyrie asked. He sighed, sitting on the sofa and rubbing his face. Valkyrie's eyes widened in fear and she snatched up a book but it was in Latin. "Anton?"

"Do you remember we found the Sceptre of the Ancients?" He asked from behind his hand. He moved to sit up, passing around the books and papers. "I don't remember if we ever told you that there are other supposed weapons of mass destruction in the same manner as the Sceptre."

Valkyrie sat heavily, hearing Nadia's soft feet padding down the stairs. "What do you mean?"

"There was the Sceptre, which we destroyed. But these papers are correspondences and logs of tracking down the others. I didn't realise what I was looking at until I noticed it mention looking for the Sceptre and a plan around retrieving it. That whole book, the red one, is a log of plans where the Sceptre could be and if we have it. The leader here seems in favour that we do but I didn't read much more. But the loose letters focus on the other weapons."

"There's more?" Valkyrie asked faintly, picking up a piece that had a detailed drawing of a bow on it down to the colouring of the wood. Nadia came around the sofa and pushed between Valkyrie's legs to sit. The others lowered themselves onto surfaces to listen.

"The Bow, Dagger, Spear and Sword," he listed. "We've all heard rumours about them every so often, but I never took it seriously, just as I never believed the Sceptre existed. But we know the Sceptre was real, so if the Spiders are waiting on making their move in order to find these weapons first, we should take it seriously."

There was a long silence. "Um," Fletcher said slowly. "What's the Sceptre?"

There was some explaining and Valkyrie took some deep breaths to calm herself as Nadia rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. The conversation worked itself back around and Valkyrie listened as a plan was formed. They needed to get away and find them. They needed to pull all their contacts to do it. They also had to stay in America while they waited for their political contract to end or else risk more issues for their Sanctuary and wider country.

"We could split up?" Valkyrie suggested.

"It could still cause problems. The Americans asked for the Dead Men and we come as a package," Saracen said, rubbing his face. "We could ask Solomon but he needs to focus on the Necromancer stuff for you."

Valkyrie nodded. "Me, Tanith and Nadia could go though?"

There was a short silence, and then a lot of arguing for and against. Other names were brought in, the Monster Hunters and Aurora, what would happen to Laila, if it was safe, if Tanith and Laila should leave altogether until the weapons and contract were finished.

Valkyrie rubbed her face, feeling the tension. "It's going to be our best option," she continued. "I'm not a real Dead Man, and it would be easy to say that me and Nadia couldn't cope with the pressure and that Tanith had to leave for the baby. We can explain it away. As long as you're here they won't care."

"It's not that easy," Ghastly said, obviously trying to kerb his frustration. Nadia looked away and started braiding a section of Valkyrie's hair, so Valkyrie put a hand on her knee comfortingly. "Obviously someone needs sending but how soon?"

"They're all going to know immediately, we were hardly subtle even if we did get in and out without detection, which is a fucking miracle in and of itself," Valkyrie said seriously. "We took all the paperwork we saw, I'm sure they'll send their best out to retrieve the weapons. Any single one of them could mean winning or losing for either side, no questions asked. This is probably why they've been quiet these last few months. They're not just training and gathering followers; they've been tracking down these. We need to send a team in the next day and begin."

"I don't know if that's possible," Erskine said, forehead in hand, staring at the ground with wide eyes.

"Of course it is," she argued with fake confidence. "Me and Nadia for sure. Aurora will follow, so would the Monster Hunters, and there are other allies. I know Tanith, you'll want to come." Tanith nodded. "But you also need to think of Laila. So we can't be sure what you'll be doing quite yet. Your brother may want to help though; his help would be invaluable."

Consideration started to fall between the cracks and they began picking up ideas of where to go and what to do. Anton and Dexter poured over the papers and books to see what ideas the Spiders had of where the weapons were while Ghastly and Tanith went upstairs to talk – or rather, argue very quietly – about what was going to happen with Laila. The others began making calls, searching for information from their friends.

By the time the first light of dawn was coming through the window, they had their plan. Valkyrie, Nadia and Tanith would be leaving the Dead Men and Fletcher to finish their contracts in America while they hunted the Weapons of Mass Destruction. A true race against the clock.

I am not happy with this chapter but it is what it is. Please use all of your imagination powers to think up an awesome breaking and entering into the enemies territory, and a cool escape, that would mean a lot to me. I just can't. But you got the point! Sorry guys. The rest is not as crap, I just truly suck at fighting and didn't want to do it, I stalled on this for so long.