𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 ↦ Kaz Brekker

viii. schemes

"Nina and Matthias?" Jesper asked. "Far be it from me to doubt anyone's professionalism, but is that really the ideal pairing?"

Kaz pointed a warning finger at Stasiaj before she could even make her comment, causing the girl to huff.

"You're no fun," She scowled.

"Matthias knows prison procedure, and Nina can handle any guards without a noisy fight. Your job is to keep them from killing each other." 

"Because I'm the diplomat of the group?"

"There is no diplomat of the group. Now listen," Kaz said. "The rest of the prison isn't like the holding area. Patrols in the cellblock rotate every two hours, and we don't want to risk anyone sounding an alarm, so be smart. We coordinate everything to the chiming of the Elderclock. We're out of the cells right after six bells, we're up the incinerator and on the roof by eight bells. No exceptions."

"And then what?" asked Wylan.

"We cross to the embassy sector roof and get access to the glass bridge through there."

"We'll be on the other side of the checkpoints," said Matthias, unable to keep a hint of admiration from his voice. "The guards on the bridge will assume we passed through the embassy gate and had our papers scrutinised there."

Wylan frowned. "In prison uniforms?"

"Phase two," said Jesper. "The fake."

"That's right," said Kaz. "Inej, Nina, Matthias, and I will borrow a change of clothes from one of the delegations – and a little something extra for our friend Bo Yul-Bayur when we find him – and stroll across the glass bridge. We locate Yul-Bayur and get him back to the embassy. Nina, if there's time, you'll tailor him as much as possible, but as long as we don't trigger any alarms, no one is going to notice one more Shu among the guests."

"So what I'm getting from this," said Jesper, "is that I'm stuck with Wylan."

"Unless you've suddenly acquired an encyclopaedic knowledge of the White Island, the ability to pick locks, scale unscalable walls, or flirt confidential information out of high level officials, yes. Besides, I want two sets of hands making bombs."

Jesper looked mournfully at his guns. "Such potential wasted."

Nina crossed her arms. "Let's say this all works. How do we get out?"

"We walk," Kaz said. "That's the beauty of this plan. Remember what I said about guiding the mark's attention? At the embassy gate, all eyes will be focused on guests coming into the Ice Court. People leaving aren't a security risk."

"Then why the bombs?" asked Wylan.

"Precautions. There are seven miles of road between the Ice Court and the harbour. If someone notices Bo Yul-Bayur is missing, we're going to have to cover that territory fast." He drew a line in the snow with his walking stick, as Stasiaj thought of her own plan. They could walk, and she'd have a nice carriage to ride off in. "The main road crosses a gorge. We blow the bridge, no one can follow."

Even Stasiaj had to admit that it was an annoyingly good plan, for Crow Man. Hers were normally better.

"It's one prisoner, Helvar," said Kaz.

"And a bridge," Wylan put in helpfully.

"And anything we have to blow up in between," added Jesper.

"Everyone shut up," Matthias growled.

Jesper shrugged. "Fjerdans."

"I don't like any of this," said Nina.

Kaz raised a brow. "Well, at least you and Helvar found something to agree on."

"What's she doing then?" Stasiaj looked up at Inej's words, her eyebrow raised.

"Me?"

"Snake is one of the back up plans. She goes straight into the embassy and keeps an eye from there, helps cause distractions if necessary," There were looks of outrage from the others.

"Why does she get to do that?" Jesper spluttered, as Stasiaj turned to look at him. "We have to go through the prison and she gets to waltz into the embassy."

"Well, Jesper, unless you have contacts that stretch to Fjerda, can act like a highborn, weasel information out of people, dance to a passable extent, speak multiple languages and get in an out undetected, then Snake gets to do that one," Stasiaj grinned at Kaz's words.

"Wow, Crow Man, anyone would think that you like me,"

"Shut up, Snake, or I will take you and swap you with Nina," Stasiaj laughed at the thought.

"Nice try, but my good looks don't stop nearly as many hearts as Nina does," 

∘☽༓☾∘

Hiya,

So, that's the plan and you can guarantee it's gonna go wrong at some point. Stasiaj is so much fun, and her and Kaz are sweet (he knows all of her qualities).

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx