30 - The Plan

The dim candlelight flickered against the walls of their War room as Aldric leaned forward, hands clasped on the table. Before him, his operatives. The objective was clear: locate and secure two wanted fugitives before the Esmoran Spy, all without revealing Ravensbourne's involvement.

Aldric's silver eyes swept the room. "Let's hear it," he said. "How would you go about finding them?"

Mara was the first to speak. "We start with the usual channels—information brokers, whispers in the back alleys. These fugitives will need safe houses, supplies, and contacts. We lean on our network, pressure those who profit from hiding people like them."

Tobias adjusted his spectacles. "They might have altered their identities. We should check falsified documents, inconsistencies in travel records. If they're hiding in plain sight, it won't be through brute force but through clever paperwork."

Gerrod cracked his knuckles. "Black market's a good place to start. You want to hide, you need forged papers, food, weapons. I know a few fences who handle that kind of work."

Royce added, "We could also monitor Esmoran patrols. If they've got a lead, they'll tighten their searches in certain areas, and we follow their movements rather than search blindly ourselves."

Red smirked. "The problem is speed. We don't have weeks to chase trails. If we do this too slowly, the Esmorans will find them first. We need to know where they're going before they get there."

They had good suggestions—smart, methodical. But Aldric saw the gaps.

Aldric tapped the table lightly, drawing their attention. "All good points, but you're thinking like hunters tracking prey. That takes time. Instead, we make the prey come to us."

Lucien raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you plan to make two fugitives, who are actively avoiding capture, walk right into our hands?"

Aldric smirked. "By creating a problem only we can solve."

He leaned forward, his voice measured and precise.

"The fugitives are running. That means they have needs—shelter, money, food, and most importantly, trustworthy contacts. We don't waste time combing through the city. Instead, we disrupt the very resources they rely on."

His fingers traced invisible lines across the table as he laid out the plan:

1. Control the Black Market Flow – Gerrod and Royce would quietly manipulate the supply lines, ensuring that anyone offering fake documents, transport, or safe houses starts experiencing sudden disruptions—arrests, rumors of informants, or key players mysteriously disappearing. The fugitives would quickly find that their usual channels were collapsing.

2. Set a False Trail – Tobias would fabricate rumors through controlled sources, suggesting that a certain merchant in a neutral quarter was discreetly helping fugitives escape Esmoran detection. In reality, this merchant would be an unwitting tool in drawing them out. The fugitives would believe they'd found a way out—only to walk into Raven'sbourne's web.

3. Shadow the Esmoran Authorities – Rather than avoid them, Aldric wanted to use them. Edgar and Mara would track the Esmoran patrols' movements to gauge where their intelligence was weakest. The fugitives wouldn't go where the search was strongest—but they might make a desperate move where they thought the guards were blind.

4. Create a Crisis – If the fugitives still didn't move, Aldric had a backup plan: an 'anonymous' tip to an Esmoran official about their last known location—a place they had already fled from. The increased pressure would force the fugitives to scramble, making mistakes as they rushed to escape, drawing them straight into Raven'sbourne's waiting hands.

Silence followed his explanation, but it wasn't hesitation—it was calculation.

Mara let out a quiet laugh. "You're not just chasing them. You're herding them."

Tobias adjusted his glasses. "This isn't about finding them at all. It's about controlling the conditions around them until they have nowhere left to go but the path you've created."

Edgar gave Aldric a look of newfound respect. "Clever. You're using their own fear and instincts against them."

Lucien grinned, shaking his head. "You always did have a talent for turning the board in your favor. Fine. Let's get to work."

Aldric stood. "You have your tasks. Move fast, stay quiet. We take them before Esmoran ever realizes we were even in the game."

With that, the operatives dispersed, each slipping into the shadows. The hunt had begun—not by chasing the fugitives, but by making sure there was only one direction left for them to run.