30. Adrian Westergren #2
“At the risk of being the coldhearted bastard in the room,” Shey began, tipping his head up, “what happens to Damardor, Uris-Oladul, or New Rosanthe after the death of Chancellor Feng is not our immediate concern. If Caspagir has a problem with New Rosanthe, then we settle it at the negotiating table or the battlefield. Taking out Feng is about crushing a darker plot that goes beyond countries and governance.”
Tyche loosened one hand from where he held his mug in a death grip and placed it over Shey’s, threading their fingers together. “Agreed.”
“What plans do we have lined up to take advantage of Feng’s itinerary?” Shey’s voice warmed, and everyone seemed to breathe easier.
“Jules?” Nigel prodded.
The young man stood and lifted away the map on the table to reveal a second map that was a close-up of the capitol square.
Adrian shifted closer to the table to take in the layout.
It was designed in something like a horseshoe with the main government building in the center to the north and a large opening south of it.
A pair of long, narrow buildings flanked to the east and west.
Quill stepped up and started motioning to spots on the map.
“The main entrance into the square to view the ceremony is from the south. The military will block off the entrances to the east and west, though we have it on good authority that it will be Damardor soldiers on the eastern entrance. Final assignments won’t be announced until tonight, but I think I’ll be able to get our people on the spot as a backup escape route.
We’ve made no progress on the western entrance, so avoid it if possible. ”
“What about the south entrance? You promised me holes,” Hayden cut in.
Quill shot her a grumpy look, but Hayden didn’t retreat an inch as she waited for him to continue.
“The south entrance will be a mix of local and New Rosanthe soldiers. There will be holes in security, but as we agreed, they won’t show until after the chaos has started in the square.
” He turned his attention to Adrian and the others.
“They are allowing in supporters of Feng and the Federation of Order. No protestors.” Quill narrowed his eyes at Hayden.
“Do you have your people trained to pass as supporters?”
Hayden waved a dismissive hand in the air.
“Yes, yes. They’ve all been trained on things to say.
We also have our hands on a stockpile of pro-Order T-shirts and hats.
Our goal is for at least sixty percent of the crowd in the square to be our people.
Noisy, angry protestors will surround all entrances.
They will be ready to push into the square as soon as the outbreak of protests inside the square distracts the guards. ”
Jules reached out and tapped a finger in the center of the map.
“Our thinking is that we are going to need two teams. The first team is the decoy team that makes a show of getting tangled up with the guards on the western exit. They start as the protests get underway in the main square and run into the crowd. We will have people standing by to disguise them and hide them. We will move them out of the square and into the city through the southern entrance as the exterior protestors force their way in. As the first team is escaping and reinforcements are called to all the exits, team two—dressed as local police—will make their way into the building to intercept Feng and kill him.” He paused and lifted his hands, looking a bit helpless.
“The only part I haven’t worked out is the escape.
I know the routes, but I can’t guess how people are going to react.
Once we’re out of the capitol building, there will be people standing by to help us escape into the city, but… ”
“Getting out of the building will require a little luck,” Tyche said, his mouth twisting into a dark smirk. “I think I’ve got that covered.”
“No,” Shey snapped.
“Shey—”
The prince shook his head. “I know the argument that you’re going to make. That I’m going to be recognized or Adrian will be recognized. That we’ll drag Caspagir or Erya into a war. Well, we’re already at war. New Rosanthe is always searching for an excuse to attack Erya.”
“And there’s no reason to hand them one on a silver platter,” Tyche cut in.
“I’m unique in that I am a creature of no country, but I can represent all of them.
My people are the ones who are most at risk right now.
It is my right to take the risk and kill Feng.
Besides, I also have the best chance of surviving and escaping. ”
“I want to go with you.”
“No.”
“Actually,” Jules held up one slightly trembling hand.
“If Ty is part of team two, the other person who would accompany him is me. The best way to do this is with a small incursion party. Too many people will draw attention. The easiest way to move fast is with just two people. I’ve memorized the layout of the capitol building.
All of it. The floor plan and all the exits.
I swear to you, I will get Ty out of the building after leading him in. ”
Shey frowned at Jules, but there was a bit of softness in his gaze. “Don’t make promises you can’t possibly be sure of keeping.”
Tyche reached up, grabbed Shey’s jaw, and forced the prince to look at him. “Then I promise to get us both out safely, but that’s only going to happen if you, Haru, and Adrian are outside making a big fuss.”
“Let me go with Ty in place of Jules,” Adrian suggested.
“What?” Haru gasped. His hand landed on Adrian’s shoulder and tightened to the point of pain. “You can’t.”
Adrian ignored him and leaned forward. “I can do it. No one can match my memory for directions. I can memorize the various routes through the building, plus I have more combat training than Jules. If there’s a fight, I have a better chance of keeping Ty safe.”
Tyche closed his eyes, his lips pressed into a hard line. There was a faint tingle in the air, and Adrian suddenly felt the urge to pull on the magic that he drew from Caelan. The urge to conjure a blade was almost an all-consuming itch, but he tamped it down.
“No,” Tyche said in a somewhat faraway voice.
His eyes opened, and he blinked twice as if clearing his vision.
Adrian wasn’t sure what Tyche was doing, but he had a feeling that he was sorting through odds and luck.
“No, the best chance is for Jules to accompany me. Adrian, Haru, and Shey will work in the square. Haru will get Adrian and Shey out if things go wrong.”
“But—” Adrian argued, but Shey cut him off.
“Very well, but you have to survive this.”
Tyche snorted. “Of course. I’ve already started making plans for my apartment in Sirelis. It’s going to have a balcony that faces the mountains and I’m going to sit out there every day while I drink my morning coffee.”
Shey smiled, but it was tinged with sadness. “Okay. We’ll work on that as soon as we’re done here.”
Adrian swallowed against a sudden tightness in his throat. Come hell or high water, he was going to make sure that happened for Tyche.
By the time they escaped to their bedroom on the second floor, it was nearly midnight. They’d gone over the planning repeatedly, working through every possible complication and potential shift so that they were prepared.
Since Jules and Tyche would try to pass themselves off as police, Quill put them through hours of drilling, making sure they walked and stood as someone with training would.
He gave them a variety of phrases to use to get them through potentially sticky situations that would remove them from suspicion.