Tainted Blood

Chapter 16

The table stretched across the dank attic of the barn, soldiers, leaders, and civilians alike lined its sides, each waiting for Jonathon standing at the head to begin talking. His hair was tousled from his hands running through it all night. The couple had spent the night in separate parts of the bedroom, Spencer tucked in the small bed, Jonathon against a damp couch in the corner. They hadn't spoken a word to each the entirety, both feigning sleep to avoid it. Things had changed, they both felt it, but neither would admit to it first. Now they stood at the table, moth-eaten maps laid out in front of them, each circled red with notes lining the margins and legends.

"We now have more information regarding Hennessey Mercer's plans," Jonathon announces, his voice booming over the room. "It appears that in order to minimize the number of causalities on both sides, we need to move up our timeline."

"He plans to move at the founding festival in 12 days," Emily interjects, "that means, we need to gather our supplies faster, prep our men quicker and breach the wall no later than 5 days from now."

"We breach the wall, get to the compound, and integrate our numbers with that of Leader Anna and Will. They have walked us through their plan and their time frame they need. We are currently alerting them through the device that Hennessey is planning to move quicker and that they need to stay sharp." Jonathon points to an abandoned warehouse within the Pit, "the first batch of our supplies is here, we need a team to move out tonight against the cover of darkness and retrieve it. It's important we get those supplies in the next day to continue our communications with the Metropolis."

"Do we have any volunteers?"

"I'll go," Spencer announced, noticing the look forming on Jonathon's face, "I'm more then capable of retrieving supplies." She bit.

"I can go with her, make sure she stays out of trouble and on task." Elias counters, "I know firsthand she likes to play the hero."

There was hesitation in his voice as he answered, "very well, we'll brief you on the details after we settle the remainder of missions we need completed. Tomorrow, we pack to move, we have reason to believe that the Master is tracking us."

"It appears we have something she wants." Emily hissed, her eyes connecting with Spencer's briefly. The maps were passed around as Jonathon issued a list of demands, weapons to be sharpened, bullets made, provisions prepared, and unnecessary housing packed. Soon, the room was emptied, the only people remaining Jonathon, Emily, Elias, and Spencer. The map laid out before them detailing the alleyways, sewer drains, exits and entrances of the buildings. The plan was to get in and out, the south quadrant of the pit was a hair's breadth from the supplies. The mono's confined ensure that no stragglers or looters ransack them. Jonathon explained that the packs include medical supplies, mechanical parts and chemicals needed to breach the wall.

"You get in, you get out. You don't dawdle, you don't play hero. Elizabeth has her people our combing the streets for you. If she finds you-"

"She'll kill me, I know."

"She won't just kill you, Spencer," Jonathon interrupted, his voice just above a whisper, "you don't know about the trials, about any of it; she will pull you apart and you are nothing but a shell of woman you are now and when she's done. She'll put you back together and do it all again."

"In and out."

"You need to take the north entrance, the lock is old, finnicky, you should be able to kick it in. The supplies are in a crate marked explosives; they are in the west wing of the warehouse. We have precautions in place for thieves. In the south and east wings there are mono's, they're chained but very much armed and very much dangerous." Emily smirks as she continues, "and we happen to have a bad habit of not feeding them."