Chapter 160: The Great Escape
Grim slipped out of his cell as quietly as possible. The sounds of battle above masked his escape. The remaining guard was positioned at the end of the corridor, his attention divided between watching the detention level and monitoring the increasingly frantic battle reports coming through his communication crystal.
Moving through the shadows cast by the thermal vents, Grim made his way toward where he believed Lin was being held. The stronghold’s layout became clearer to him—the detention level was organized in concentric circles, with the most secure cells at the center.
As he navigated the heated corridors, fragments of conversation continued to drift through the thermal vents, painting a picture of a battle that wasn’t going as the rebels had expected.
"...loyalist forces are better coordinated than anticipated..."
"...they’re using tactics we’ve never seen before..."
"...request immediate reinforcement of the northern defenses..."
The attacking force was clearly more formidable than the rebels had prepared for, which meant the battle could go either way. If the loyalists won, Grim and his companions would be discovered as infiltrators. If the rebels won, they would be trapped deeper in enemy territory with their cover stories increasingly compromised.
He found Lin’s cell just as General Huoyan returned, her armor showing scorch marks from the battle above. Grim could hear their conversation clearly. He was around the corner waiting.
"The situation has changed dramatically," General Huoyan was telling Lin. "The attacking force isn’t just loyalist dragons. They’re being led by someone with intimate knowledge of our defenses."
"What do you mean?" Lin asked, though Grim could hear the concern in her voice.
"Coordinated strikes on our weakest defenses," General Huoyan explained. "Either we have a spy in our ranks, or someone who used to be one of us is now working with the loyalists."