CHAPTER EIGHT ─── ❛ schemes ❜
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𝕿here wasn't much in the world that Stasiaj liked more than she did her schemes. Often, the teenager found herself at her desk, a bowl of sweets and a cup of coco at her side, planning out an elaborate negotiation for hours on end, the gears in her brain whirring away.
The only thing that Stasiaj liked more than schemes were hot baths and good food, both of which were going to be hard to come by on this trip, so scheming would be her go to relaxation method when the others undoubtedly started to get on her nerves.
Before they had left the ship, Stasiaj had given letters to the captain onboard (that she owned) and told him to send it as soon as they reached the next available mailing centre. Once those letters got to their recipients, Stasiaj would find a dress, mask, invitation and carriage awaiting her just before the Ice Court. From there it was an easy in and an even easier out, for her.
She couldn't care less what the others were up to.
"Snake, pay attention," Stasiaj raised an eyebrow at Kaz, who was starting to lay the plan out to the other members of his rag-tag little group. They watched him with wide eyes, as if they could not even begin to comprehend the scale of the strategy that Kaz was laying out. It was adorable, in a naïve sort of way.
"I am. Do continue, Crow Man," He rolled his eyes at Stasiaj's smirk.
"If we get this right, we're going to be in and out of the Ice Court before the Fjerdans ever know their prize scientist is gone," Kaz said as they shouldered their packs and continued to push south. "When we enter the prison, we'll be taken to the holding area beneath the men's and women's cellblocks to await charges. If Matthias is right and the procedures are still the same, the patrols only pass through the holding cells three times a day for head counts. Once we're out of the cells, we should have at least six hours to cross to the embassy, locate Yul-Bayur on the White Island, and get him down to the harbour before they realise anyone is missing."
"What about the other prisoners in the holding cells?" Matthias asked, looking glum.
"We have that covered."
"Don't get any ideas, Wolf Boy," Stasiaj told Matthias, a grin on her face. "You double cross us and prevent me from getting the things that I want, I shall end you and you'll never be able to return to Fjerda without being shot on sight."
"Once we're out of the cells," Kaz continued, ignoring Stasiaj's threatening tone and Matthias' pale face, "Matthias and Jesper will secure rope from the stables while Wylan and I get Nina and Inej out of the women's holding area. The basement is our meet. That's where the incinerator is, and no one should be in the laundry after the prison shuts down for the night. While Inej makes the climb, Wylan and I scour the laundry for anything he can use for demo. And just in case the Fjerdans decided to stash Bo Yul-Bayur in the prison and make life easy on us, Nina, Matthias, and Jesper will search the top level cells."
"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,"
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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