I gave him a small smile of thanks before turning to the rest of the camp. More people than ever, faces both familiar and new, all waiting. The weight of it pressed down, but I'd carried worse.
"Alright," I said, my voice cutting through the restless noise. "Nicole and I met with Nadia and Marcus. We've formed a temporary alliance. They've agreed to fight with us against the goblins in the food court."
That alone set the camp buzzing. Some eyes lit with hope. Others narrowed in distrust.
I explained everything we'd talked about in that coffee shop—what Nadia knew of the Shaman, how Marcus pushed for Dawn, why we agreed. I didn't hide the details. I laid it bare. Some people nodded, convinced. Others stayed tight-jawed, unconvinced.
Most of Nicole's people—and Eli—fell into the latter. It made sense. They knew Nadia personally. They had reason to distrust her.
Viktor just grunted and shrugged, Sol checked his bowstring without comment, Mitch and Kyle leaned against the wall like it was just another mission. Amber cracked a joke under her breath. They didn't care because they knew I wouldn't put them in unnecessary danger.
Josh and Liz just looked tired, their faces saying what their mouths didn't: they just wanted out.
I had to admit—to myself, if not them—that one of the biggest reasons I was pushing for this was personal. I wanted to get out of this place and find my kids. All of them scattered. Raine, Taylor, and Skyler should be at the school, caught in a dungeon of their own. They just needed to survive long enough for me to reach them. Robin and Cameron… they were the ones I worried about most. Cameron is stuck in a prison, fighting inmates, guards, and monsters alike. Robin is out in the wild, alone. God knows what she's facing.
I shook my head, forcing myself back to the present. Focus. One fight at a time.
"Any questions?" I asked.
Hirose raised a hand, his voice calm but firm. "How are we dividing the group? There should be a clear division of labor so there are no mistakes."
One of Wei Shen's men spoke up too, his tone hesitant but respectful. "Yeah. We know our role is extraction, but what about everyone else?"
I gestured to the map, rolling my shoulders once before answering.
"We have forty-three fighters total. Wei Shen brings ten, but four stay at base—his wife, daughter, and the two women. That leaves six fighters joining the assault. From our side, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta give us twenty. We've also got Eli and the other man we pulled out, making two extras. Nadia and Marcus add fourteen fighters of their own."
"Wait, why am I not included?" Lian interrupted. I paused, but Wei Shen immediately cut in as well.
"You aren't coming, it's not safe. Battlefield extractions aren't training exercises. One mistake and you're gone," he said, shaking his head.
"It's not safe anywhere. I want to get stronger. Teach me not to make mistakes. If not now, when?" Lian glared at Wei Shen, who glared back before his wife stepped in.
"Let's not make a scene. Let Jasmine finish," Mei said, pulling Lian back.
I looked between both of them, and Lian was giving me pleading eyes. "If she wants to join, that's fine, and I apologize for assuming. If Lian joins, she will be on your team anyway, Wei Shen, so you can keep an eye on her."
Lian and Mei give me a grateful smile, and Wei Shen narrows his eyes before nodding.
I don't have time for another family's personal drama, but I do believe Lian should have the opportunity to grow stronger. She is 17 or 18 years old, and even Karen, who is 12, is already fighting. She needs to be able to defend herself, but it's not my place to tell Wei Shen how to raise his daughter.
I continue explaining the plan by shifting my finger to the ring of corridors leading into the food court. "Logan and Mitch move first. Their teams shadow patrols, mark chokepoints, and confirm the hostage pen and the altar setup. They don't engage unless they are discovered. Once they're done, they circle back and meet us here."
I tapped west, then north. "We split the diversions. The west corridor goes to Marcus's people, seven fighters hitting loud, making noise, dragging some goblins to their side. The north corridor belongs to Nadia and five of hers people, and they'll start a fire or a big enough ruckus, creating chaos. We want the goblins to have too many things to focus on so that they won't be able to help the shaman. Maybe I'll loan her a pair from our side if she needs it, but their job is to create a distraction only. Hit, run, and vanish."
My finger pressed down on the neon café marker. "Rescue and extraction falls to Wei Shen, his men, Eli, and the man Mitch rescued. That's eight combat-ready. Once the diversions pull goblins, you strike the hostage pen. Get those women out and fall back to the safe corridor. By the way, what's your name?" I said, directing to the man.
"Me? Ummm, my name is Henry." He said stuttering.
"Nice to meet you, Henry. Are you and Eli fine with this arrangement?"
Henry glanced around nervously before nodding. He probably felt pressured with everyone looking at him, which is why I assigned him the easiest job, which shouldn't affect the outcome of the battle.
"As long as I am not working with Nadia, I am good, and I might find some people from my old group there," Eli said with his arms folded. I stared at him for a few seconds before nodding. I can tell he still doesn't agree with working with Nadia, but as long as he doesn't fuck up the mission and just does what he is assigned to do, then. I honestly don't care.
I straightened, sliding my finger to the east corridor. "The main strike is us. We drive straight to the boss. Nicole, Sol, Liam, Viktor, Giselle, Hirose, Laney, Jordan, Sloan, Briar, Josh, Liz, Jesse, Devan, Karen, Amber, and I. Logan and Mitch rejoin after recon. Marcus brings his strongest eight with us. That's 28 fighters aimed right at the Shaman."
My voice lowered. "Once he's exposed, everyone converges. The Shaman's buffs are the priority: interrupt them, break them, and don't let him cast freely. He falls, and the dungeon should let us out."
I tapped the last corridor on the map. "Containment falls to the diversion team. They block reinforcements from the east and hold the fallback corridor for the extraction team."
I stepped back from the map, letting the silence settle. "That's the breakdown. Everyone has a role. Everyone has a job. Execute clean, and we walk out alive."