again has... I apologise for my... You do not....”
“Hey! There’s no need to explain anything pal.” interrupted Jake. “Not to us. You have nothing to prove to me, or anyone else here. Now, what can you tell me about the mine?” he asked, deliberately trying to get Verastus to focus on the job in hand.
The Falorian thought for a second or two, composing himself before replying. “I will tell what I can, Jake. Those are the pits where the slaves live, but they will be largely empty at present, apart from the sick and dying there will be no one there. The workers will all be below in the mine.” he stated, pointing at the numerous cages. “Krar... Over there!” he said, shifting his extended finger in the direction of a large wooden hut which was situated near to the mine entrance. “That is where the soldiers sleep, or rest when they are not on duty. They work in shifts, so there is always someone in there.”
Jake nodded an acknowledgement and thought to himself for a moment. A plan was formulating in his mind. He was about to speak to the group but he was beaten to it by Verastus, who was obviously thinking along similar lines.
“It would be better to wait for nightfall before attacking the mine, Jake. We need all the slaves in one place, if we are going to free them. And the only time that happens is at night, when they are all returned to the pits. They will be chained, the soldiers who guard them will be few, while the others sleep, it is our best chance of freeing as many of them as we can.” he hissed enthusiastically.
“Yes, I think you’re right ‘V’.” whispered Jake in reply, for the first time abbreviating Verastus’ name as if he was one of his mates from back home. It puzzled the Falorian, he wasn’t used to such familiarity, but he said nothing as Jake continued talking. “I don’t like the delay, but I think we have no choice. It’s risky. But we have to try to free all of the people working here.”
Jake asked Zephany to pass him the map of the region she had in her hand, the Princess handed it over, looking puzzled.
“Hmmn...” The youngster thought to himself again for a few seconds, whilst his bewildered companions looked at him and each other. Then he gestured to them all to gather around the map, which he had laid out on the ground. “Okay. Everybody listening? This is it. This is the plan. We have just over a hundred soldiers, right? Four mines. Can we do it with only twenty five men? Hit all four at nightfall, at the same time I mean?” he asked, staring straight at Verastus, who was kneeling beside him.
Verastus was shocked by the audacity of such a suggestion. It was a response that was obviously shared by the remainder of the group. They were all open mouthed and staring at Jake as if he’d gone mad. But, Verastus began to consider the proposal in more depth. He thought it through several times in his own mind.
‘Simultaneous attacks? It is dangerous and it is risky. It seriously depletes our strength and weakens our force. But... If the guards are sleeping and we manage to achieve the element of surprise, if we can somehow neutralise the soldiers in the huts? It just might work!’ he conceded, ‘and it would reduce the risk of anyone warning the guards at the other mines following the first attack.’
He looked at Jake. “Yes. I think we can do it!” the Falorian stated firmly, as his expression changed and a smile formed on his face.
Jake smiled back, then he looked around at the faces before him. ‘Oh my God!’ the teenager thought, ‘this is unreal. I can’t believe I’m here. What am I doing?’ Jake thed that he’d changed beyond all recognition from the boy he was. ‘The dangers and the responsibility on my shoulders should be scaring me to death right now,’ he thought, ‘but they’re not. Far from it, I’m actually enjoying myself! Oh heck, if my mates could see me now. Geez, that part of my life, at school, seems like a million miles away. As if it was in another lifetime. This is all... Oh I don’t know... The risks, the consequences of failure. I know what’s at stake. But... Lord forgive me, it’s exciting me in a way I never thought possible. I