"So how likely would it be for us to get him out of there unnoticed?" Metas asked with a measured voice.
"Oh, well.. that's.." Ajax started as his face paled. He didn't want to give Metas wrong information, so he wasn't entirely sure what to say.
"Is it impossible?" Metas prodded further in hopes to help the silver-haired man make a decision.
Ajax narrowed his bright peridot colored eyes and stared to the floor in deep contemplation, and then answered calmly, "mmm.. no, not impossible. Improbable, suicide mission, extreme spelunking, whatever you want to call it - but not impossible."
"Do you go in pairs, or just by yourself?" Metas continued to lob questions so that he could formulate a plan.
"One stands guard at the entrance, and one goes in. If we could somehow dress Joss here up as a guard...or someone Silas doesn't recognize, then perhaps Veltar can be moved...but here's the thing, Metas - how do you know he'd be down there? If he's being used, don't you think he'd be somewhere easily accessible to Harbinger and Silas?"
The Alpha just stared at him with realization and grumbled a curse word under his breath before he replied, "I don't know he's down there. Good point. Maybe someone could snoop around and figure out where?"
"If you already told Syrana about this, I have every confidence she's already looking for herself," Joss interjected.
"I can help her if she is. They think I've disavowed you, Metas...and I'm saying some nasty things about you as well, so sorry. I just want to be able to keep helping you," Lara added.
"Don't apologize to me, Lara. We've said worse to each other in jest, I'm sure" Metas replied and gave her a soft smile.
"I'm helping her - but to be clear, I'm still mad at you, so my insults might be a little honest," Ajax said truthfully and shrugged his shoulders. He had always been brutally honest, and while most hated it - Lara and Metas found him endearing, and trustworthy.
"That's fine. I understand - we're all supposed to be friends, and we should have let you in on it earlier. Back to what we're talking about, though. Lara, if you could help her search and report back to me where his location is should it be found, we can take steps to save him from that point," Metas redirected them back on track. It was nice to not think about such heavy topics - but they couldn't afford that right now.
"Has Silas treated you two any different with his new status?" Metas looked to Joss with sympathetic eyes.
"Yes. He's had Jyriah put in a tough spot. We at least can keep our home, but my poor fireball has been relegated to standing guard at the palace gates. It's certainly a slap in the face, as he has to bow to Silas every time that bag of shit walks in or out. He's really intolerable," Joss answered with a sigh.
"It gets a little bit worse, Mets..." Lara added timidly, but approached the subject as fast as she could just to rip the band-aid off.
"Silas has cut off the top tunnels from the low tunnels. He's made it to where each class must stay in their own place, and he's torn mates apart that haven't accepted one another yet. The upper crust is so happy, but those who follow you are wondering when you're going to usurp that false king. Gerald is even trapped down there, now."
"Barbaric" Metas spat.
"I know it's not what you want to hear, but it is our unfortunate place on the board at this time," Lara finished and frowned at her best friend's twisted face of agony.
"We'll fix it. Let's just think carefully and keep our wits about us. Gerald is keeping a pipeline of information open for us, so the lower tunnels are not entirely cut off. We'll make sure that keeps being the case for as long as we can," Ajax assured his mate more than he did his Alpha, and he put his hand on Lara's shoulder to console her.
"Very well, then. Lara, I want you to introduce yourself to Syrana and become her friend. Tell her who you are. The two of you should snoop around very carefully. Maybe pretend to give her a tour. My instincts tell me that Veltar is alive. It's the only explanation that fits the current scenario" Metas directed and then looked at Joss, and then Ajax.
"You two, please keep your ears up, and your eyes open for any mention of a special prisoner, and please ensure our people that I am alive, well, and have not run away. Like you said, Ajax - we'll fix this."
"We fight to our deaths," they all said together and put in their hands together to keep their solidarity strong.