Chapter 5

"That's the enemy camp," the veteran leading the way whispered, his voice hoarse and a little shaky.

I peeked out for a look.

Damn, those tents just went on forever, couldn't see the end. The place was blazing with lights, and I could barely make out soldiers patrolling back and forth.

"Let's circle around to the back," I whispered.

We crept low, using the cover of night to sneak toward the rear of the enemy camp.

We walked for another hour, and then another.

And then it hit me...

We were lost.

"Where the hell are we?" I muttered, staring at the pitch-black woods around us, completely confused.

The moon was swallowed up by clouds, and it was so dark you couldn't see your own hand. The forest was eerily silent, except for the occasional screech of some unknown bird that sent chills down my spine.

"No clue," the veteran said, just as lost as I was. He glanced around; his brow was so tight it could squash a fly. "We should've hit the back of the enemy camp by now. Why haven't we seen a single tent?"

"Did we mess up the route?" I whispered.

"Beats me," the veteran replied.

I was getting anxious when I suddenly spotted a light up ahead.

"Over there," I whispered, pointing at the glow. "Let's take a look."

We snuck over, and as we got closer, we saw it was a tent, not just any tent.

This tent was massive and decked out, with flags planted outside. On one of them was a huge character for "Commander."

Two guards stood outside, dozing off, their heads bobbing and their spears barely upright.

Something clicked in my mind.

Wait, could this really be...

I whispered to everyone behind me, "Stay put. I'll go take a look."

"Miss Parker, that's way too risky..." the veteran said, grabbing my arm.

"Relax, I'm just gonna take a peek," I said, shaking off his hand. I crouched low and quietly snuck over.

I crept around to the side of the tent, used my knife to carefully cut a small slit in the canvas, and pressed my eye to the gap to spy inside.

And then I just stood there, stunned.

Inside, a middle-aged man dressed in lavish robes was sprawled out on a low bed, snoring so loudly you could hear it from a mile away.

His armor was set aside nearby, swords and blades hung neatly on a rack, and the table was covered with maps and command tokens.

A wild thought shot through my mind. No way, was this the enemy's top commander?

Just then, the man rolled over and muttered, "More wine... I can still drink..."

Then he rolled over and started snoring again.

I was just speechless.

Was he totally hammered?

I crouched there, my mind racing.

The enemy commander was right there, sleeping like the dead, and outside were just two guards, both nodding off.

This was a golden opportunity dropped right in my lap.

But all I had was a crew of thirty old, weak, and sickly guys.

If we woke anyone up, we'd all be dead meat.

What the hell should I do?

I bit my lip, my mind spinning. Suddenly, a spark went off in my head. I quietly slipped back, rounded everyone up, and whispered my plan.

"Wait, what?" The veteran's eyes nearly popped out. "You want to snatch the commander?"

"Shh." I slapped a hand over his mouth. "Keep your voice down."

He yanked my hand away, still whispering but totally freaking out. "Miss Parker, have you lost it? That's their top guy. We're surrounded by enemy troops."

"I know," I said.

"But look, he's totally wasted, passed out, and there are just two guards outside. We sneak in, tie him up, and slip out the back. Nobody will know a thing."

"But..."

"Just think about it," I cut him off, whispering fast. "If we grab the commander, the enemy's got no one in charge. We win. We'll be heroes, rolling in cash and feasting every day, no more risking our lives out here."

The veteran hesitated, and the others stared at me, their eyes full of mixed feelings.

I took a deep breath and kept my voice low. "I know it's crazy risky. But we were sent here to die anyway. We're dead either way, so why not gamble? What if we actually pull it off?"

Everyone went quiet. Dead quiet.

I clasped my hands together, looking at him with a pitiful, pleading expression.

The veteran saw my face and, in the end, couldn't harden his heart. He nodded. "Alright, we'll follow your lead, Miss Parker."

The others slowly nodded as well.

I finally breathed out in relief.

Time for action.

I took the two youngest with me and crept up to the tent entrance. The two guards were still nodding off, completely clueless.

I gave the guys behind me a signal.

They snuck up, each grabbed a guard, covered their mouths, and slit their throats, quick and clean.

I froze for a second, never expected even these so-called "old, weak, and sickly" guys to be so ruthless. But now wasn't the time to hesitate.

I lifted the tent flap and slipped inside. The air was thick with the stench of alcohol. The enemy commander was passed out on the bed, snoring loud enough to shake the tent, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth.

I walked over and gave him a shove. He didn't budge.

I tried again, pushing him a little harder, still dead to the world.

I shot a look at the veteran who'd come in behind me.