Souls' Collision | ✔

I N F I L T R A T E D

~ Chapter Fifteen ~

Akra was a mess.

The streets were cracked and dismal. The buildings were small squares, beaten and bruised, seemingly dropped wherever. Some stood feet apart, in other spots there weren't any at all. It almost looked abandoned — surely nobody could live in a place like that — but that was what it was designed to make passer-byers think. That was the mistake many made, thinking Akra was a city made to live in. It wasn't. It was a pit-stop; the epitome of all illegal activity within Bern.

And knowing that, the sight was rather impressive.

The old buildings were encircled by a wall made of sandstone, slate and impenetrable save for a modest gate with two guards propped outside. One was leaning against the wall, scratching his chin lazily and gazing towards the surrounding tree line. The other was cleaning his sword, trying to get a few murky stains out.

Liz spared the view a few more seconds before backing into the woods. She saw that the huddle of wolves was still there, discussing heatedly behind her. She stopped a few feet away and listened in, only to discover much hadn't changed from five minutes ago. From what she understood, nobody wanted to send Red in there — but Red was too proud to stand back. Furthermore, the warriors would be easily recognizable with their trained steps and expensive clothing and couldn't just enter either.

They needed someone that could pass for a lone wolf; someone with a knack for blending in.

"Why not her, sir?" Abraham asked, making the rushing conversations brake. "She could probably slip by unnoticed."

Red threw a look over his shoulder, seeing Liz, and then glared at Abraham while hoping she hadn't heard him. "Absolutely not."

"Perhaps we don't have a choice, sir."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he growled at the warrior that had spoken.

"Well... anyone of us go and start asking around for one of the most infamous wolves in there, things won't end as we want them to."

"And what do you suggest? That we send a human into a nest of crazed wolves?"

"With all do respect, sir, she has something that we all lack," Pontus interjected, taking their alpha's eyes off the poor warrior.

"And what is that?"

"Charm."

Everyone murmured agreements.

"I think she might be the best choice — the only choice — if we want to gain information about your brother's whereabouts as smoothly as possible."

The alpha was oddly quiet before he argued, "But she'll get killed."

"We should offer her the chance. If she doesn't want to then... Ryssen will go."

Ryssen gulped, but was quick to nod as Red's eyes landed on him.

"Very well." He turned around. "Liz!"

She bit off a piece of beef jerky she'd taken from her duffel and held up a lazy peace-sign. "You're done?"

Red gave his group a final look.

"What is it?" Liz asked, now worried. "You're scaring me."

He bit down on nothing in particular, felt his nails turn sharper by the second. "We need you to... infiltrate Akra."

"I thought... Wait. You mean alone?"

"We thought it might be best," Pontus explained. "If any of us go in we're afraid it could ruin the entire operation. You aren't recognizable, which makes you invaluable. If you think you're capable."