Chapter  343

ZADE "Only tactically," Xenois said. "We expected defenses. Now we know they're fresh and actively manned. That means we adjust timing----hit them during a shift change or meal break when attention is divided. And we move faster than they're expecting. Get in, get my parents, get out before they can organize a proper response." "When do we move?" I asked. Xenois checked his watch. "Two hours. Gives scouts time to confirm guard rotations and lets us approach under cover of dusk. Nightwalkers are strongest at full dark, but twilight is a transitional period----they're not at peak power yet." "And werewolves see perfectly well in low light," Marcus added. "Gives us an advantage." We spent the next hour going over every detail of the plan, identifying potential problems and creating contingencies for each one. What if the ventilation system was blocked? What if Samuel and Silvia had been moved? What if Jerome had set traps specifically designed to counter werewolf tactics? By the time we f