"Right here," Aria said, tracing the map to a point marked "SAMH," "is the complete layout of the northern Upper District, where Second Advisor Minister Theron Blackwood's home is located."
Griffin shuddered. "A high official's home? We're robbing a high official's home?!" Aria and the others nodded, offering him an awkward gaze.
Ironhaven is ruled by a Council of Elders, a group of four powerful individuals who hold ultimate authority over the City. Above the Council's direct management are two key advisory positions: The Chief Advisor - this individual holds the highest advisory position, basically the Council's right hand. They have momentous influence over policies and decision-making. Second Advisor Minister: This position is held by Theron Blackwood, who sits directly below the Chief Advisor. While not as powerful as the formal, he still holds powerful sway. He has the total responsibility over specific areas of the government; finance and internal affairs. And he also possess considerable political clout. His opinions are also valued by the Council, and many officials tend to act as loyal dogs to him.
Griffin spoke once again, recalculating the position of this minister. "Given his prominent position within the power structure, robbing his home presents a significant risk. His residence would be heavily secured, regardless of his presence."
He gestured to the Minister's home, marked on the crude cardboard map, trying to emphasize his point. The five others exchanged confused glances before turning back to Griffin, whose negative reaction to the target was palpable. He'd expected a less prominent—and less secure—location.
"This guy's got a bull's head!" Rayden muttered, crossing his arms and fixing a hard stare on Griffin. "He hasn't even listened to the plan, and he's already freaking out. He'll blow the whole thing."
Aria laughed, a deep, throaty sound that shook her shoulders. Finally, catching her breath, she grinned. "Listen to the plan first, before jumping to conclusions."
Griffin, reconsidering his outburst, nodded for her to proceed.
She tapped the cardboard map, a very detailed rendering of Minister Thorne's mansion. She began in a low and precise voice. "The mansion is L- shaped, with the main house forming the longer leg and a smaller wing - the west wing in precise - connected at a right angle. The security is clumsy; the main security is focused on the front, facing the road, so we'll use the west wing."
She then pointed to a small, barely indiscernible gap between the west wing and a high, overgrown hedge bordering the property. "Right here, is our entry entry point. It's narrow, overgrown, and might require some maneuvering, but it's largely unseen from the main house and the road. The hedge will provide an excellent cover."
"The guards... change shifts at 2: 46 PM," Aria continued, circling that time on the map with a red pen. The current time was "1: 10 PM" as mentioned by Eleanor. "We need to be in and out before 3:30 PM. Minister Thorne, his three sons are surely out for the day. Elara, his youngest daughter - she's the one entering the Range Academy in a month time like us - she's likely with them, though it's possible she might be home studying. But we can avoid at the very least.
"Once inside," Aria explained, tracing a route on the map with her index finger, "we'll move quickly through the west wing. It's mostly unoccupied - just a few storage rooms and guest bedrooms. The main target is his study, located on the east side of the main house, just across from the grand hall."
She indicated the potential difficulty of this section. "The west wing is relatively easy to navigate, but the... route to the study through the main house is the tricky part. The hallway is heavily secured by two guards, though we have a trick for them. The success rate of this heist is about 78%."
The plan was cleverly laid out, and Griffin was convinced. However, he wondered how they'd acquired such intimate knowledge of the house—it was as if they'd lived there themselves. Every layout detail and potential hazard was known to them with unnerving precision. He also questioned how they planned to access the Upper District and reach the mansion undetected, though he assumed they had a similarly ingenious solution. Griffin's eyes scanned the map in seriousness.
He also wanted to understand their reluctance to reveal more secrets, particularly the hidden room. He assumed this was a security precaution, stemming from a lack of complete trust. The possibility that they suspected him of being a Watch spy was a valid concern; he wouldn't have trusted himself fully either if he were in their position.
Aria went on, "The back exit is less secure than the front," pointing to a section of map that displayed a less-guarded area near the gardens. "While it's not ideal, but it's still our planned escape route. If we encounter issues, our fallback is to use the hedge again. There's a small chance two heavily armed guards could be walking the property but it is unlikely."
"Overall, the risk is high," Aria conceded, her gaze swept across the assembled faces. "But the timing and the layout we've identified will improve our chances. This is a calculated risk, not a reckless one as you claimed." She focused on Griffin, who retained a calm and thoughtful look.
"So, any questions?"
Griffin answered after taking a deep breath. "Well, this detailed plan accounts for the location, the timing, potential obstacles, and escape routes. The high percentage success is not confirmed, right? But it's highly possible with this plan, we won't get caught, so I'm in."
Eleanor and Aria clapped their hands together with a smile, while the three other boys prepared for the least danger that could occur.
Now that Griffin agreed with the plan, it was time for them to move out. By the edge of the room, six empty backpacks lay scattered on the floor—a jumble of faded canvas and worn nylon, some showing frayed straps and scuffed bottoms. It was the first time he'd actually seen a backpack in eight years.
He'd also meticulously mapped the entire Upper District in his head, devising a completely separate escape route in case theirs failed—he wasn't ready to be caught. His sole reason for joining them was to earn money and gain the knowledge his father demanded.
They each silently selected a backpack. Eleanor brushed off hers with a hand, she did so sharply. Beside her, Rayden hefted his pack, the worn canvas strained slightly as he backed it. Liam examined his pack with a critical look, checking for any holes - none was found, then he checked the straps before slinging it over his shoulder. Kai, Aria and Griffin picked theirs up quickly without any thorough check.
Forthwith, they moved in a unit towards the exit. After coming out, Aria left the door unlocked, likely she'd a defensive trap for any rascal who might try to access it - it might even be a deadly one...
"Wait, how do we access the Upper District without passing through the gate?" asked Griffin in a low voice, barely above a whisper. Aria didn't reply to his question, she trailed out of the alley with the three boys following closely behind, Eleanor remained with him.
She answered, "Good question! There's a secret, underground path used to access the Upper District, undetected.." She slid her finger through her hair, and ran to the others, Griffin followed instantly.
Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the Old Well. Griffin's jaw dropped. Their brisk thirty-minute walk was a wide disparity to the three-hour-plus trek he'd endured returning home yesterday. Unbeknownst to him, a shortcut existed, astonishingly reducing the 15 km distance. This concealed route traversed three streets in the Lower District.
The shortcut rested on a previously unnoticed alleyway, nestled between Cobblestone Lane and Ironmonger's Row. From there, it wound through a narrow passage behind the busy marketplace, finally bursting out onto Weavers Way. This presumably insignificant network of backstreets bypassed a large portion of the circuitous route Griffin had taken. His route had involved numerous turns, passing caravans thoroughfares and adding tiring distances.
However, the shortcut was cut across these meandering paths, shaving off at least 12 Km - perhaps even more - allowing for a 30 minute walk instead of the hours he spent.
The second shocking revelation was the well being a secret path to access the Upper District, quite a smart and undiscoverable route. The well appeared innocuous at first glance, twenty-six feet deep to the ground. By its left hand wall was a dugged passage hidden behind a perfectly fitted wooden plank. The passage extended for four kilometres, cautiously tunnelled towards the Upper District. At its far end was a second opening, climbing twenty-six feet upwards, and roughly the size of a large rabbit hole but capable of accommodating even a large person.
All this was worth making Griffin freeze, unable to even detect touch on himself. This was all mind- blowing.
BWAHHHHH! (Massive explosion sound for dramatic effect)
Aria snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, waking him back to reality. He shook his head abruptly, and held his backpack tightly.
The iron plates clinged to the well's lip, yielded to the floor with a groan under Aria's effort. Once removed, the well's darkness yawned open, a twenty-six foot drop into the ground. Kai was first; he located the initial intrusion, a small hole in the left-hand wall, just below the lip of the well. Gripping the edges with his hands, he cautiously wedged his right leg into the opening, his weight was supported by his arms braced against the well's edge. With a grunt, he lowered himself, his body slowly disappeared into the blackness beyond. He reached further and found a small foot hold for his left foot, then another hand hold for his left foot. Inch by inch, he worked his way down with calculated movements - one careless entry and he would be done for.
Eleanor, who was smaller and nimbler, followed. She went in with fluidity in her movements as she copied Kai's technique. She located the hand and footholds easily, her body was slim enough to go through the tight confinement. She followed the same route down, her feet finding purchase on the holds - she was smoother than Kai.
Rayden, who was taller and broader than the others had a harder time. He found the initial handhold a bit of a challenge, needing to twist his body at an awkward angle to fit in. Successfully inside, he used his strength to leverage himself downwards - his progress was a bit slower than the other two.
Griffin looked at the darkness inside, still able to slightly see Rayden's movement before he disappeared completely. He crossed his heart and prayed inwardly while jumping in one spot for a while as if preparing for a marathon.
"Another way of courting death... Maybe I'm the long, lost son of death and now the nightmare being wants me back. Lately, he's been to close... Sorry, spiritual father, but I can't die yet... " He muttered, going in with forced confidence. Liam rolled his eyes dramatically. He followed the other three movements and was now familiar with the climbing method; he carefully did what they had done - being more precise and calculative of each step.
Aria waited, giving Griffin ample time to descend far into the well, out of her reach. Soon, she began stretching her hands and legs, then she went in; her movements were swift.
Last came the final person standing, Liam. By this time, the climbing proved easy for him. He followed the established method of climbing, using the hands and footholds.
One by one, they descended into the ground, the scrape of their boots and the frequent grunt echoed in the well. Finally, they all reached the bottom, jumping to the ground one by one with a *Stomp!*. Kai shifted the wooden plank and went into the hole with a slightly bent back, the bag shifted a bit as he passed through. Next, followed: Griffin, Eleanor, Liam, Rayden and Aria.
Precisely fifty-two minutes later, they arrived at the second opening, a bit fatigued. The six of them didn't even for once engage in any form of conversation throughout the long walk. Due to the darkness, Kai struggled to find handholds and footholds on the upward climb. Griffin, however, saw through the darkness effortlessly, as if it were daylight. Spotting the next handhold and foothold, he squeezed past Kai, grabbed the higher hold, and pulled Kai forward, guiding his hand and foot to the correct placements. Impressed by Griffin's ability to see in the darkness, Kai, and the others following, watched in astonishment.
Is he awakened? Eleanor wondered. Is that his ability…?
Eleanor followed Kai, and one by one, they ascended the remaining twenty-six feet. Griffin was the last to climb up, shortly after Liam. His enhanced vision was also surprising to him.
Reaching the lip of the chasm, Kai stared up at a circular disc of dark wood. It was set into the ground, acting as a lid over the rabbit hole. He managed to recognise it due to the thin sunlight that protruded through the tiny, broken holes on the lid. He shifted it away from the rabbit hole, throwing in a shaft of blinding sunlight. He squinted his eyes as his first hand shot out, fingers grasped the sun-baked ground beyond the lip of the hole. His weight shifted, and his second hand found purchase instantly. With a powerful heave, he pushed himself upwards, his legs scrambled for support. He tumbled out onto a small, verdant plateau, the sun's ray caught him full in the face, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut against the intensity. The heat scorched his skin.
Little by little, the others followed, each of them were greeted by a gasp of surprise and a hasty shield against the sudden, bright light. Eleanor braced herself up before helping Aria up. Rayden was next, helping Liam up then Griffin, he extended a hand but received no response. Suddenly, Kai grabbed his hands and pulled him up with a emotionless face.
"Thanks!" Griffin appreciated with a grin, while Kai turned around and waited for Aria's next command along with the others. Griffin stood up and went with them. The small, verdant plateau basked in the warm afternoon sun, few pollen grains whisked past them. They were at the backyard of a finely built two story house - this was classified as the least expensive and large buildings in the Upper District.
It was enclosed by a fence: ten foot - high planks of dark, pressure - treated wood, spaced narrowly enough to deter any type of climber. Every plank was capped with a slightly outward-curving top, increasing the layer of difficulty.
"Time?" Aria asked Eleanor, her voice held urgency. Eleanor produced a silver pocket watch from her hip pocket. The watch was small and detailed, it had a filigree design around the bezel and a worn leather strap. Its face was slightly scratched, but showed the time clearly: 2:33 PM.
"Quick, we're climbing over the fence," Aria commanded. "We have no time to waste. Move like the grand army!"
Before any of them could react, Aria launched herself at the fence. Her movements were fast and surprisingly strong. She grabbed the topmost plant with ease, her feet found purchase on the narrower spaces between the boards as she hauled herself up with the skills and agility of a climbing monkey. Within seconds, she was perched atop the fence and down to the other side.
Griffin's eyes widened at the unbelievable display of speed and athleticism.
"Was... was she in the military before?" Griffin asked Eleanor, his voice trembling.