Under The Crescent Veil

16. Shock

Trigger warning: there is a slight mention of medical abuse, read at your own risk.

"We were wondering if you could share any intel on their tactics?"

Nyx was surprised, to say the least. She looked down at her feet, then her hands, and then back at Silas. She didn't know how to answer that question. Her opinion on the matter if children should be protected during war was very clear. They were innocent souls. But giving intel would be a traitorous thing to do.

She stood up from her chair and started to pace, weighing out her options and morals. A headache started to come up.

"What are you thinking?" Andrew asked. Nyx stopped.

"Children are innocent. A standard and moral I keep high. But giving you intel goes against everything I have learned. It goes against my nature, you could say. Also, it annoys me that Silas is going back on his word."

The Alpha looked apologetic but maintained his posture, not retreating his words.

"Don't you think several innocent lives outweigh going against one's nature?" Beta Claus asked.

Nyx didn't know what to do. The only thing she could think about was when she was a child and her parents were just dead. She didn't want any child to fall victim to this war like that.

The headache started to worsen, needing to sit down. Her nerves grew with the second. If she was going to be back at the headquarters how could she ever look the Major in the eye? At the same time, she didn't know if she would have carried out these kinds of missions would she had not been captured weeks ago.

There was no doubt about it, she wouldn't have agreed to it.

"Fine, fine... The soldiers caring out these missions are most likely part of my former corps or something alike. They are trained to be absolutely silent, and this is drilled over and over again. It's what I did, even during my free time, giving me the nickname 'The Black Veil'. The only way to overcome this is to set multiple small, subtle booby traps in the houses where children are living. These need to be as small as making a step on stairs lose so it creeks. We were good, but not that good." A sharp stabbing pain flashed through Nyx's head, making her wince.

"Are you alright?" Silas asked worried.

"I am fine. Now they always arrive early in the morning, between 3 am and 6 am. It is during this time most people are in deep sleep and it is too early for most to start their day. So you could either post more of your men during these times in neighborhoods or tell one of the parents to stand guard." The pain intensified, but she pushed through.

"I told you, I am fine. Now the numbers of these groups differ, but if you want to abduct around three to four people you need for each person three or two soldiers. Now, we are dealing with children so it could be that you only need one soldier for one child, plus maybe one or two lookouts." Another stabbing pain. Nyx held her head.

"Are you sure you are alright?" The Alpha asked again.

Nyx waved with her hand his concerns away. "And... And there is one final thing you need to know. These soldiers, or well some of them, are trained for what to do when captured. By that I don't mean how to keep their mouths shut... But how to get intel while knowing several different ways how to escape..."

Another sharp pain, but this one lasted for much longer. Nyx fell to the floor from her chair. She screamed it out. Immediately Silas was to her side and Claus ordered Andrew to get the medics.

Suddenly flashbacks of memories Nyx didn't recognize unveiled themselves in her mind.

She was trapped in a room. There were screams. She could feel electricity going through her body at a painful rate. She was shown pictures and videos, but they were blurry. It overwhelmed her.