Chapter Fourteen
The Night Raid
JANUS
"Okay, guys. Classic good news and bad news situation." Tracy said to the rest when she and Janus met the others back on the building outside the fenced compound of the Fishermen's Wharf. "Which one y'all wanna hear first?"
"Whichever." Elsa said. She and the rest of the Warriors had been waiting for Tracy and Janus to conduct a quick reconnoitre of the Fishermen's Wharf. They had all teleported from Swynvort back to Turnsheim after dark. Without any sunlight, it was the most ideal time to strike.
"Good news is, looks like the Blue Wolves haven't made a move yet. The prisoners are still inside." Janus nodded at Jade to let her know that everything was fine thus far.
"How do you know?" Maui asked.
"Well that's the bad news." Tracy said. "The Blue Wolves wouldn't be guarding the place if they had already cleared out the sorcerers from transport. And we were wrong. The Blue Wolves didn't call in reinforcements. They called in the whole bloody Task Force."
Janus watched Elsa sigh in exasperation. Tracy was right. The fishermen's wharf was quite literally swarming with Blue Wolves patrolling the streets and the docks that lay on the other side of the warehouses.
He and Tracy, being the most sneaky and stealthy of the lot, had split up to skulk in the shadows to find the Warriors a way past the prowling Blue Wolves and into warehouse eight. The warehouse they were attempting to break into was all the way on the other side, at the end of a column of similar looking warehouses. And by the looks of it, breaking in wasn't going to be easy at all.
"So how do we get in?" Deirdre asked.
"Best case scenario, we stick to the roofs." Janus said. He had mainly stayed on the ground in the shadows to reconnoitre the compound. For one person alone to do it, it was possible. But seven of them? "If we move on the ground, we have a very high chance of being spotted. The patrols change shifts frequently to keep their eyes fresh."
"Okay, so we stick to the rooftops." Jade said.
"Yeah that's gonna be a problem. I saw snipers." Tracy hitched a thumb over her shoulder.
Janus looked at her. "On the other side?"
"Not just the other side. On the far end of each side overlooking the entire compound." Tracy pointed at the nearest fence. "Up here too."
"Hmmn." Janus frowned behind his mask. He found that he had gotten used to not wearing it to the point where he forgot that no one else could see his facial expressions now. "I can take out the sniper nearest to us, but my arrows won't be able to reach the other vantage point where the second sniper was. Too far away."
"Then we can't use the rooftops." Elsa said.
Tracy shrugged. "Guess not."
"The patrols on the ground change shifts roughly every five minutes. If you're going to move on the ground, it'll be really risky. You'll need to time your movements down to the second." Janus warned them.
In truth, he didn't like the idea of Elsa and the others having to risk navigating through the shadows and running the risk of bumping into one of the Blue Wolves. If even one sounded the alarm, the entire mission would be over in a jiffy. "If you get spotted, you better run like hell."
"We won't get spotted." Elsa said.
"I'll take out the sniper on this end here," he pointed to the nearest fence. "And then I'll try to manoeuvre to the other side to clear the other vantage point, so by the time you get there the skies are clear and you only need to worry about the men on the ground."
"Leave that to us." Tracy waved her hand dismissively. "You just take care of the snipers."
"Right." Janus looked over at the fence from the top of the building opposite the compound. "You see those two guards there?"
Elsa and the others turned to see where Janus was pointing. There were two Blue Wolves moving into place at the fence, replacing an older pair of patrols. They both carried muskets, and had their backs to the Warriors while standing behind the safety of the fence which had thick barbed wire at the top.
"Once I clear the way, you guys use this." Janus removed a pair of wire cutters from his belt and handed it to Maui. "We can't afford to leave a noise trail while breaking in." He looked at Maui apologetically. "No offence, I know you're strong enough to rip the fence apart with your bare hands but we need to be stealthy here."
Maui grinned. "None taken."
Janus nodded, and nocked an arrow. From where he stood, he aimed downwards at where the two Blue Wolves were stationed. He shifted his aim slightly to the left, sighting down the shaft, then let fly. The man on the left went down almost instantly. Before his partner could make a sound, Janus nocked another arrow in quick succession, shifted slightly to the right, and shot the man down. All in less than three seconds.
Janus drew a grapnel arrow from his quiver, nocked it and aimed at the vantage point closest to him where the sniper was perched. Releasing the arrow, a cable flew out together with it, and it wedged itself securely into the wooden wall structure holding up the elevated sniper's post.
He anchored the other end of the cable to the base of the rooftop, tied it to a sturdy pole. Hooking his bow onto the zip line, he turned to Elsa, and could see the anxiety on her face. "Count to fifteen and move. I'll see you all outside warehouse eight."
Without further hesitation, Janus stepped off the roof and began zipping down towards the vantage point, where the sniper nested within had his back turned to Janus and was watching the interior of the compound. As Janus descended to about five feet away from the opening of the vantage point, he unhooked his bow from the line and fell the remaining distance.
Before his feet could touch the ground, he had drawn a tiny dagger with a blade no bigger than his own fist. As he landed, he sank the blade into the side of the sniper's neck and he used the man to break his fall. Both dropped to the ground, with Janus landing silently on top. The sniper was obviously dead, and Janus examined the man's rifle.
It was a long range weapon with a longer than usual barrel, built for accuracy. He aimed it at the opposite end of the compound, where another vantage point had been erected at the edge where two sides of the fence met. However, as he had expected, the sniper on the other side was too far out of range. Besides, firing the weapon would result in a loud crack that would alert the Blue Wolves as to exactly where he was. No. I'll have to do this the hard way.
Janus stacked the rifle beside the dead sniper's body, and looked down from the vantage point. He could make the drop. Then glancing over to the fence nearest to him, he saw the Warriors cutting the wires of the fence. We might be able to pull this off yet.
ELSA
"Hurry." Deirdre hissed.
"I'm trying!" Maui fumbled with the wire cutters with his sausage-sized fingers.
Elsa glanced up at the vantage point where Janus had zipped off to. No doubt he was working on a way to take out the sniper on the other end. They would have to trust that he would be done by the time the rest of them got to warehouse eight.
Jordan motioned for Maui to let him take over, and the boy worked deftly with the tool to cut out a hole large enough for the Warriors to pass through. Before long, the work was done, and he held the fence open for the Warriors to pass. The Warriors filed through the gap and into the compound.
"Be extra careful now." Elsa whispered. "Remember the goal. Don't engage the Blue Wolves if you don't have to. Get the prisoners and get out. Once we've secured them all, Tracy, get us back to Swynvort."
"Gotcha." Tracy said.
"Alright," Elsa said, pulling on her thick dark blue coat tighter for good measure. She had traded her civilian disguise for her usual "work clothes". The spectacles had been left behind and the traditional braid was back, complete with a black blouse, grey leggings and boots. Ease of mobility was the priority here. "Let's go."
Somehow, the six of them managed to zigzag their way from shadow to shadow, evading the Blue Wolves at every turn. Elsa was actually rather surprised. Maybe they were just that good at stealth, or this batch of Blue Wolves were sloppy militia recruits taken from the dusty streets of Molcorra. Either way, the Blue Wolves didn't spot them, which worked well in the Warriors' favour.
There was once though, when Elsa had to pull Maui's huge body back into the shadows before a Blue Wolf could turn around at the crunch of a rock beneath the demigod's big foot. But other than that, the journey across the compound was a relatively trouble free one, though anxiety inducing nonetheless.
Arriving on the other side of the Fishermen's Wharf, Elsa and the rest hid in a dark alley between warehouses seven and eight. Elsa cautiously peered out of the alley when she was sure that the latest round of patrols had passed them by. Glancing up at the sniper's post, she saw that there was no more threat there. Instead, Janus was in the sniper's place, finishing off the man with a quick slice to the throat.
Elsa winced, even though she couldn't see the gory details from this far away. She still didn't approve of his vicious methods, but she couldn't argue with his effectiveness. It was something she had learnt to live with. We are at war, when all is said and done.
"The coast is clear." Elsa turned back to the rest who were still waiting quietly. "Janus took care of the snipers."
"Ever the proud girlfriend." Tracy grinned, and Elsa scowled at her.
"Not now, Tracy."
Tracy rolled her eyes.
"So what's our next step?" Jade asked. She was still impatient to ensure that Ramsey and Silva were reunited with their captured brother who was languishing somewhere inside warehouse eight.
"Why don't we split up?" Deirdre suggested. "The warehouse looks too big. They've got to be holding the sorcerers in a few different places."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Janus came over to join them, having scaled down from the vantage point and sprinted silently across the open street to the safety of the alley without being spotted. "We still have to be in groups. Can't afford to get ambushed and pinned down."
"Don't forget this could be a trap or something." Maui said. "They know we've been in Turnsheim already."
"If it is an ambush, then we'll need all the combined firepower we can muster against them before we mount a breakout." Jade insisted, and Jordan nodded his head in agreement.
"Alright. We'll stick together." Elsa said. "But inside, we face more of a danger than out here. "Stay close and quiet. We're going to find those sorcerers and get out as quick as possible."
At the centre of the alley was a side door leading into warehouse eight. Due to oversight on the part of the Blue Wolves or pure incompetence, the door wasn't guarded. This made it easy for them to enter the warehouse undetected. Once inside, Janus led the way, with Elsa close behind and the rest following.
Janus moved like a shadow across the ground without making the slightest hint of footfalls, and Elsa felt noisy behind him, pattering along in her boots even though she was even lighter than him. Silently, the ex-mercenary moved like a cat with one hand on the hilt of his katana, inching closer to a closed door that would lead to a larger room of the warehouse, presumably where the sorcerers were being held against their will.
"Watch out." Janus whispered to her, and pressed himself against the wall beside the door, putting one hand on the door knob. His other hand held his bow, and Elsa could see his gloved hand tighten its grip on the riser of the weapon.
She glanced over her own shoulder and nodded at the five Warriors behind her. They nodded back in acknowledgement. Everyone was ready.
Ever so slowly, Janus turned the door knob. Elsa winced as she heard the old, oil-deprived metal squeak with the motion. Thankfully though, no Blue Wolf pounced on them yet.
Janus pushed open the door, which protested constantly with a loud creak which refused to relent. The room beyond was dark and quiet. A perfect place for an ambush, Elsa thought to herself and caught Janus' eye. Apparently he was thinking the same thing.
Nonetheless, he crept slowly into the room, while Elsa and the rest stayed outside the door, bodies all still pressed against the wall in anticipation of a sudden shout or loud noise. But none came.
"Clear." Janus whispered as he appeared again suddenly, and Elsa had to keep herself from letting out an alarmed squeak.
One by one, they filed into the dark room. Sure enough, as Janus had reported, the place was free of Blue Wolves. But it was still too dark to see anything, and Elsa could barely see her hand held out in front of her own face.
Deirdre promptly solved that problem by lifting one hand and a ball of fire danced in the middle of her palm, sending a warm orange glow that illuminated the large room with bright orange flames and wriggling shadows. As hoped, this was exactly the place they had been looking for.
The room was a holding facility, a makeshift prison of sorts. Many cages meant for large animals like lions or tigers were being used to imprison men, women and even children. The cages were arranged side by side, lining three walls of the room, and there had to be at least twenty sorcerers in total.
"We found them." Tracy said triumphantly, though not too loudly.
Though indignant at what she saw, Elsa let out a small sigh of relief. "Alright. Start setting them free. Quickly." With that, her allies dispersed in different directions to begin unlocking the cages.
"Where's Carlos?" Jade looked around.
Elsa joined her in the search for the children's brother, and her eyes fell on a cage in the corner of the room. The boy inside looked slightly younger than Ramsey, with more freckles than his other two siblings and brighter red hair. He was evidently scared, though Elsa had to give him credit for trying to put on a brave front.
"Ightania tzaphon?" The boy said in his own native language as Elsa and Jade approached him.
Helplessly, Elsa looked at Jade who shrugged. She turned to the boy behind the bars of the cage. "We don't speak…" she realised she didn't know what language the Turnsheim locals spoke. "...Is your name Carlos?"
The boy looked apprehensive, but switched to broken English. "What if it is?"
"We met your brother and sister. Ramsey and Silva. They sent us here to help." Elsa said. "My name is Elsa."
"I know you." Carlos said. "Seen drawing. You Snow Queen. Pilgrim."
"Yes, yes." Elsa forced a smile. "My friends and I, we're here to help you escape. Hold on." She put her hand on the lock barring the cage door, and willed her magic to work. The lock froze over, growing into a brittle piece of ice that crackled with movement.
Then, with a firm jerk of the wrist, the frozen lock gave way and crumbled into tiny fragments of broken ice. Elsa swung open the cage door, which gave a groan, and extended a hand to Carlos, who sat inside. "Come on. Let us get you out of here."
Carlos took her hand, and Elsa pulled the boy to his feet. He might have been younger, but he was tall for a boy in his pre-teens. He looked at Elsa, and she could feel his eyes lingering on her chest for a little too long. She cleared her throat.
"Follow me." She waved a hand.
Elsa led him to the pack of prisoners that had just been liberated, and were now being herded to a single group so as to facilitate ease of transportation through Tracy's Crossing Point. All the sorcerers who were now out of their cages looked relieved and grateful at the prospect of being rescued out of Confederation jurisdiction, and were thanking their saviours.
A few of them, like Carlos, were still children, but most of them were adults in their twenties, thirties or forties, and there were even a few elderly locals who had been tossed into cages with the others indiscriminately. Elsa felt a stab of anger at how callous and merciless the Blue Wolves had been. The CAST had no regard for the sorcerers' lives, be it young or old, because these sorcerers were just monsters to them, innocent or not.
"Okay everyone, we're going to get you all to a safe place." Elsa said in a slightly hushed tone, though loud enough for everyone to hear. "I'm assuming you all know who I am-" she saw heads nod. "-we're taking you to the League's base till all this blows over. My friend here is going to teleport us there." Elsa gestured at Tracy.
"Alright, folks." Tracy wiggled her fingers dramatically. "Here goes." The seasoned Warrior criss-crossed her hands, and purple mist began to sparkle and form out of thin air. As the mist grew, it began to bond together, mingling and dancing around like a huge blob of colourised air.
Then, Tracy pulled her hands apart and stretched them in opposite directions. The mist mimicked her motion, and pulled itself open to form a large portal, wide enough for the sorcerers to walk through two at a time. Another portal opened up inside the Crossing Zone, leading out into the compound of Swynvort Tower.
The local sorcerers, who were by no means foreign to magic, filed through the Crossing Point and into the Zone without hesitation. Carlos, among the rest of the locals, made it through safely, drawing a breath of relief from Elsa and the others. The boy would be reunited with his siblings, thankfully.
"I think we did it." Maui said. "We pulled it off without a hiccup."
Elsa was about to tell him not to say that till they were in the clear, but she wasn't given the chance to. Since a young age, she had never a believer in superstition or any of that stuff, but this time, she was prepared to when a dozen Blue Wolves suddenly burst into the room brandishing their weapons and blazing torches.