After finding the right question, it was not long before the vampire cracked under Willow's fists.
"There are five... five places," the vampire said in between breaths.
Willow sucked her breath in shock. She has guessed at least 3 breeding houses. But five... five means she is missing two places. Two places where there could be 200 more hungry captives.
"Where? Tell me where they are?" Willow shouted, losing her patience.
The vampire uttered the addresses before losing consciousness.
Willow dropped her grip from the vampire's shirt she unintentionally grabbed during the interrogation.
She has placed. But she needs time. When to attack... something big is going to happen in the coming days... but what?
She is missing something. Willow paced the room as she thought hard. What's going to happen in the coming days?
She gripped her hair in frustration.
"Fuck! Fuck! You bastard, tell me what the big event is!" Willow shouted at the top of her lungs. Alas, there is no response from the vampire.
She closed her eyes and tried to think whether she had missed anything during her stay in the kingdom. Is there any fair or celebration going on? She didn't see any banners hanging in the market.
Her eyes then landed on the calendar. Of course. How could she have been so stupid Eclipse? There is going to be an eclipse in two days. And it's not a normal one either. It's the Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse.
Winter solstice and lunar eclipse falling on the same day. Which is very rare, so much that it's a first in 372 years.
Something is brewing. If her guess is in the right direction, then the mage or witch who is behind this is doing something big on that day.
But what? Willow called Brenda on her phone.
"Willow. You called at the right time. I was just about to call you. I found the solution. I found it," Brenda said excitedly.
It took Willow a minute to comprehend what Brenda is saying. She is talking about the runes on the cages.
"That's great. When can you send them to me?"
"Uh... I found them but I need some time to tweak them to what we need"
"We don't have time Brenda. In two days, everything is going to finish"
"Two days... you mean-"
"Yes. The Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse. They are planning something big on that day. I'm not sure what. Do you have any idea about the rituals done on that day?"
"I... I have to check. Give me a minute"
After few tense seconds where Willow peeked into the room and checked if the vampire is still bound, Brenda said, "there is something here"
"Oh my god!"
"What?"
"There is something on dark rituals"
"Dark magic? Isn't it forbidden"
"Yes. But not everyone follows the rules. It says if the mage or witch sacrifices a supernatural on that day, that person will gain its power"
"But they can normally gain power by other means. What's so special about it?"
"They will become immortal, Willow"
"Fuck!" Willow swore. It seems that all she is doing lately is swearing.
"Not only that"
"There is more?"
"Yes. There won't have any side effects"
"You mean to say..."
"Yes. That person won't be allergic to any metal, sun, or give in to her inner beast. In other words, he or she will be invincible with all the power at their hands"
"Oh my god! This is more twisted than we thought. And they have more than a thousand captives under them. Is this their plan all along? Harvest their blood and then sacrifice them?"
"Willow... if they sacrifice all of them at the altar... do you know how much power we are talking about? Even if they are drained and starved, their bones remember the power the body possesses. A drop of such power from each of them of that group is enough to make an army invincible"
"You mean to say... if we don't stop them now, that person or the bad guys can raise an immortal army without the weakness of the Supernaturals?"
"Yes"
"Dammit!"
"My thoughts."
"You know the situation now. How soon can you arrange the runes for me?"
"I will fax them by tomorrow"
"Can it unlock all those cages?"
"Oh ya... after I tweak it, it can unlock more than a thousand. In fact, it can unlock any supernatural bounded by the runes"
"Thanks, Brenda"
"Don't thank me. I'm just a desk clerk. You are the one who is going to the battle"
"Boy, do I know that"
"Rip their throats for me Willow"
"I will. And Brenda, tell Reagan that Rox asked for her"
"I will," Brenda replied, oblivious to the tension.
Willow then called Rox, the Fae king, and related her findings.
"I will send my men with you"
"Can you send one to this address now?" Willow looked at the bound vampire and poked him with her sneakers. No response.
"I have some baggage you might need. He is a mere pawn, but you might find something where I couldn't"
"Interesting. I will send my men"
Willow cut the call and looked at the vampire. She didn't feel any pity for him. Because she saw with her own eyes those starved kids in the cages.
She didn't have to wait long as within 1 hour a knock sounded at the door. She checked to make sure it's the guards of the casino and opened the door.
"Your luggage," Willow extended her arm in a flourish towards the bound vampire.
The two guards who came to retrieve the vampire looked at the mess. One of them whistled admiring her handy work.
"Someone was playing with her dolls too much," the guy who whistled said looking at her tools.
Instead of replying, Willow folded her arms and tapped her foot in impatience.
Noting the signal, the guards did a quick job of packing and lifting the vampire. Within minutes, they were out of the door.
Once they were out of the door, Willow made sure they left the premises, before cleaning the mess. She doesn't want any vampire to come looking because of the stench of this blood.
She cleaned everything thoroughly including her tools. She then took a long, hot shower removing the scent from her skin.
Once dressed in another pair of pants and a tank top, Willow drove to her temporary home.
After eating a cold sandwich that she made, Willow stared at her journal. She needs a plan.
She knows where, when... but not who or how many. She has to think of every possibility before setting things into motion.
She started writing in her journal.
-attack separately. Take them out one by one.
Pros-
This way, the risk will be less.
Everyone will be safe.
No need to get involved again. She can concentrate on the mission she actually came here to do and focus on her revenge.
Cons-
She has to trust others to handle the other warehouses. Which is a big 'no'. She can't risk the lives of these people.
Will never know who is behind this. What if they kidnap more? Who is going to stop them? They will be more infuriated than anything, taking their wrath on the next group they abduct.
This will never end until the head honcho dies.
-attack during the ritual
Pros-
Everyone will be in one place.
Will know who is behind this. Perhaps her only chance to find out?
Will get the chance to kill the head honcho.
Cons-
Too risky... for captives, to rescue them. For everyone.
Guards will be there. She can't sneak and rescue them. It must have to be a full-on-slaughter. If they sense it, those innocent captives' lives can be in danger.
No matter from which angle she looked, she has to take a risk.
Willow decided it would be best to rescue them before the ritual happens. That way, if anything goes wrong, she would have saved their lives. And they wouldn't have to face an army to rescue them.
Having decided, Willow started arranging everything for her plan the next day. She informed her plan and details to the Fae king. She is gambling by informing him everything but she can't see any other option.
The sun has started to set, its last dying rays coloring the sky in fiery red. It's the Winter solstice lunar eclipse day.
Willow stood beside the ten guards the Fae king sent with her looking at the map. She has expected more but she has to make do with them. She also expected them to be Fae but the group is a mix of both Fae and vampires.
Willow looked at the pins that marked the warehouse locations. They are far away from each other but their route merges at one point and is dispersed into different paths.
Willow pointed out the place where they merge.
"Here. We will attack here"
"Are you sure? What if they take a different route?"
"No chance. They have to go through this one. All others are blocked"
"Really? I don't think they are"
"Oh, trust me. They are blocked. By me"
The guard, Blaze, who has been there the two times she had dealt with the Fae king nodded at her.
Willow notched her arrow and settled on the top of the tree. The others also are scattered around the place. It's 10 pm. If her guess is correct then the ritual will take place at midnight. They have to take them down before that.
The sound of trucks alerted her from her thoughts. Good. It's time for some action.