Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

Grim watched through his telescope as chaos erupted in the elven camp below. Torches blazed to life. Guards ran in every direction. Shouts echoed across the valley.

His distraction had worked. The aurora energy from Echo had drawn attention away from Huangyan's escape route. Now he needed to know if she'd gotten what they came for.

"Movement in the treeline," Captain Wei reported from his position. "Coming fast."

Grim turned the telescope toward the forest. A figure moved through the shadows. It was small and quick.

She reached their position twenty minutes later. Her elven armor was gone. Blood stained her shoulder where an arrow had grazed her. But she was alive.

"Report," Grim said immediately.

"She's there." Huangyan pulled the black iron key from her belt. "Lianna. Central prison block. Third cell from the entrance." She said in short sentences as she tried to catch her breath.

"Guards?"

"Heavy security. But I have help inside." She sat heavily on a fallen log. "Captain Theron. Lost his cousin to one of your ear collections. He wants revenge against his own people."

Captain Wei frowned. "Can we trust an elf?"

"We can trust his hatred," Huangyan replied. "He gave me this key. It leads to the service entrance to the prison. Guards change at midnight."

Grim examined the key. It was old but well-maintained.

"What else?" He asked.

"The transport moves tomorrow night. Not in two days. Tomorrow. They're moving the high-value prisoners to the mountain stronghold. After that, we'll never get them back."

"How many prisoners total?"

"Twenty-three confirmed. But the high-value group is only five. Lianna. Two Yanyu officers. And the officers with Lianna."

"Security response to your infiltration?"

"Complete lockdown. They know someone was inside. Morvain is suspicious of everyone now." Huangyan winced as she adjusted her wounded shoulder. "But they don't know our real numbers."

Grim studied the elven camp through his telescope again. The activity was starting to organize. Patrol formations were being established. Defensive positions were being reinforced.

"They're scared," he observed. "Good. Scared enemies make predictable mistakes."

[The timeline is compressed,] Caius noted. [Tomorrow night doesn't give you much planning time.]

"It gives us enough time," Grim replied aloud.

Sergeant Liu looked confused. "My lord?"

"Nothing. Thinking out loud." Grim turned back to the group. "Here's what we're going to do. Two teams. Two objectives."

He gestured for everyone to gather around. Captain Wei and his sergeants formed a circle. Huangyan leaned forward despite her exhaustion.

"Team One will be the distraction. Create chaos. Draw attention away from the prison. Make them think they're under full assault."

"Who leads Team One?" Captain Wei asked.

"I do." Grim's expression was cold. "My reputation precedes me down there. When they see aurora energy and start finding more elven ears, they'll assume I'm launching a major attack."

"And Team Two?"

"Huangyan leads Team Two. Prison infiltration and prisoner extraction. Use the service entrance. Get Lianna and the others out while Team One keeps the guards busy."

Huangyan nodded slowly. "It could work. But the timing has to be perfect."

"Timing is everything," Grim agreed. "Team One strikes first. Fire, explosions and chaos. Make them think hundreds of soldiers are attacking."

"What targets should we aim for the distraction?" Sergeant Zhang asked.

"Supply depot. Communications center. Guard barracks." Grim pointed to each location on an improvised map. "Hit them fast. Hit them hard. Make them think their entire operation is under assault."

"While they're responding to that..."

"Team Two uses the confusion to reach the prison. Extract the prisoners. Rally point is here." Grim indicated a location north of the camp. "One hour after Team Two enters the prison, both teams converge for extraction."

Captain Wei studied the plan. "What if Team Two runs into trouble?"

"Then Team One escalates. I'll personally assault the prison if necessary." Grim's voice carried absolute certainty. "No one gets left behind."

"Equipment needs?" Huangyan asked.

"Team One needs noise makers. Explosive charges if we can improvise them. Anything that creates fire and confusion." Grim looked at the imperial soldiers. "What do you have for that?"

"Alchemical charges," Sergeant Liu replied. "Small but effective. We have six."

"Perfect. Team Two needs to move silently and fast. Can you handle five prisoners who might be injured?"

"If Theron helps from inside, yes. If not..." She shrugged. "We improvise."

"Backup plans?"

"If the extraction fails, Team One becomes a full assault. We fight our way to the prisoners and kill everyone between us and them." Grim's expression didn't change. "If the distraction fails, Team Two aborts and we try again another night."

"Another night means the prisoners get transported," Captain Wei pointed out.

"They'll be scared to travel with a butcher out and about." Grim said with a wide grin.

Silence settled over the group. The weight of tomorrow night's mission was becoming clear.

"Questions?" Grim asked.

"What about this Captain Theron?" Sergeant Zhang asked. "How do we coordinate with him?"

"We don't," Huangyan replied. "Too risky to establish contact again. Either he helps when the moment comes, or he doesn't."

"And if he betrays us?"

"Then we kill him along with everyone else," Grim said simply.

Captain Wei cleared his throat. "My lord, what about after the extraction? The elves will pursue us."

"Let them try." Grim smiled coldly. "I haven'tcollecetwd any ears lately. Time to show them what happens when someone hunts the hunter."

"Escape route?"

"Northwest toward the border. Fast march through difficult terrain. The elves will expect us to head straight back toward Yanyu territory."

"That's going to be hard on injured prisoners."

"We get them out alive first. Deal with everything else after."

Huangyan leaned back against a tree.

"And if something goes wrong?"

"Everything will go wrong," Grim said. "Plans fall apart the moment fighting starts. That's why we keep it simple."

"Simple?"

"Team One kills elves and breaks things. Team Two saves prisoners. Everyone meets at the rally point." He stood and checked his equipment. "The details will sort themselves out."

Captain Wei exchanged glances with his sergeants. "With respect, my lord, that's not much of a plan."

"It's exactly enough of a plan." Grim looked down at the elven camp. "Complex strategies require perfect execution. Perfect execution requires everything to go right."

"And if everything goes wrong?"

"Sometimes the best plan is refusing to accept failure." Grim said as he turned around.

Huangyan struggled to her feet. "I need to rest."

"Get some sleep. All of you." Grim returned to his telescope.

"What about you, my lord?" Sergeant Liu asked.

"I'll keep watch. Make sure our friends down there don't try anything clever." Grim adjusted the telescope's focus. "Besides, I want to count how many more ears I'll be collecting tomorrow."

The team dispersed to prepare for what promised to be a very long night. Each member understood their role. Each knew the stakes.

Below in the valley, the elven camp continued its heightened security measures. Guards walked doubled patrols. Lights burned in every building.

They knew something was coming. They just didn't know what.

Grim smiled as he watched them scurry around like ants in a disturbed nest.

None of it would matter when Team One struck tomorrow night.

He had promised Lianna's father he would bring her home safely. He had promised the empress that elven operations would be disrupted.

Most importantly, he had promised himself that every elf in that camp would pay for taking human prisoners.

Tomorrow night, all those promises would be kept.

One way or another.