Feared

Twenty-Two: Plans

Charlotte tried to focus on Ethan's plan, chewing her lip. The papers were spread out across the table, detailed and exact. Using his alteration he had been able to recall the site they had traced James and the others to with precision. It looked good, promising even, but she could hardly keep her attention focused on his plans. Her mind was stuck on the fact they were still at the warehouse even though night had fallen. Every second longer they waited, it was more time James was in danger.

The others seemed to share her anxieties. They were gathered in the loft, nerves and panic clashing in the air above their heads. Anticipation was rife, an electric current cutting through the room, an impatient tremble to get underway. It was the pause before the onslaught, the calm before the storm. But it was far from calm. It was terrifying.

Wallace, Nathan and Callahan stood to one side, whispering their thoughts of the plan. Harris was hunched over his bag on the floor trying to sort out what resources he may need for their upcoming rescue attempt. Mary Abbott was grey, her pallor bleak beneath her freckles and fiery hair. Carrie paced back and forth, his heavy step echoing around the loft. Matt sat alone on the sofa his leg bouncing incessantly. They all knew that ever moment here, was a second longer that the others had to spend imprisoned with their enemy.

Charlotte felt Ethan's eyes on her as she looked over his plan. "We will need more transport than what we have," she offered, her voice a husk of a whisper.

"Ian and Ronnie are taking care of it," he replied. "They should be back at any moment".

Charlotte nodded glancing back on the blueprints he had drawn. They were being kept in a huge, abandoned prison south-west of the warehouse in Virginia. It was a mountainous region, blanketed in dense forest and with few local inhabitants. It was a perfect hideaway, close enough to Washington to be a threat, but far enough away to remain inconspicuous.

Ethan had counted thirty-seven altered patrolling the outskirts of the prison, occupying a large area between a massive fencing system and the building itself. What lay inside he could only hazard a guess, though from their scouting he had a solid understanding of the external layout. There had been no opportunity to examine it closer, but Nathan had tracked them to that point and could see no signs of movement out of the area.

"We don't even know what alterations are in there," she grumbled.

"We don't really have a choice but to hope we are stronger," Ethan replied.

"I know," she sighed, thrumming her fingers on the drawings. James wouldn't have risked it, but she was far more willing to take a chance if it meant saving his life. "How many of us will need to go?"

"As many as we can take," Ethan sighed.

"No, only take as many as we need," Wallace interjected. "Only take those that will be of benefit. We can't risk unnecessary lives. And we can't take everybody. Those left behind will need to have a patrol protecting the warehouse. If anything goes wrong we will need strength here".

"She's right," Charlotte agreed.

Ethan frowned, gazing back at his plan. Charlotte could see his eyes glaze over, darting this way and that seeing what she couldn't even begin to imagine. She had seen the same traits so many times in Iseult.

"You say who is needed. You know without being sentimental," she whispered.

Ethan nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. Charlotte wanted to go. She wanted to help, but she had to put James' life first. Ethan would know what he needed.

"Look, let's keep in minimal, keep it to us. Charlotte, Ian, Carrie, Ronnie, Nathan, Wallace, Harris, Callahan and myself," he said finally.

"I'm not going?" Mary asked. Charlotte was surprised to hear her voice sound so even when she looked so shaken, but she was a student of Kingston. She was bred to be strong.