"You'll have to go in your bat form," Alex said. "I'll make a small opening in the barrier. You glide through, take the monitoring gear with you, and scout the place from inside.
After about an hour, I'll reopen the hole in the same spot to bring you back. While you're in there, I'll keep studying the barrier, maybe I'll figure out a way to break through it without setting off any alarms."
Shalltear paused, considering the plan. Then Alex leaned in slightly and asked in a low voice, "So, what do you think? Ready to sneak inside and find out what they're hiding?"
"Of course!" Shalltear said right away, her usual confidence flaring up.
But a second later, a flicker of doubt crossed her face. "Wait… what if someone inside notices a bat flying around all of a sudden? Wouldn't that look suspicious?"
Alex smiled softly at her concern. "That's actually why I think we'll be fine," he explained.
"The surveillance spells in place are designed to detect intruders above a certain size. A little bat slipping through won't even show up on their sensors."
He motioned toward the shimmering barrier in front of them.
"The magic here isn't perfect. Think of it like a giant net, it's designed to keep out big threats, not tiny creatures.
A bird or bat flying through once in a while wouldn't be unusual. As long as you don't zip around too sharply or erratically, no one will pay attention."
He gave her a moment to let that sink in before continuing. "But the real problem is getting back out. That's where it gets tricky."
Shalltear narrowed her eyes, focusing on his words.
"This barrier isn't just one wall, it's layered," Alex said. "It's not just for keeping people out, it's also meant to keep things trapped inside.
The inner layer is way more sensitive. If you touch that part, even by mistake, it'll set off alarms right away. I think it's meant to stop magical creatures from escaping."
He glanced toward the curve of the dome-shaped barrier. "And there's more. The entire thing seems to mess with your sense of direction.
Even the link I have with the little Thunderbird is acting strange in here. It's like the magic circle is twisting space around, messing up distance, direction, everything.
Your navigation spells might not work. Even Muggle tools like a compass would be useless."
As he traced his fingers along the hidden doorway in the structure, Alex frowned. Despite the Thunderbird's senses, they still couldn't get a solid read on where things were.
The whole area was clearly under some complex enchantment. If someone inside noticed them and fully activated the defenses, a dozen well-trained wizards might not even make it through the first room.
That would give the enemy just enough time to react, send alerts, or even call in reinforcements. Alex had brought shielding jammers and communication blockers to try and cut off normal magical communication, but he knew some methods couldn't be stopped. Patronus messages, for instance, or owl-based communication, would still slip through.
Come to think of it, the small hole in the barrier might have been left open on purpose, to make sure owls and other small creatures could come and go easily without raising suspicion.
"But what if I get stuck in there?" Shalltear's tone darkened. "Wouldn't that be it for me?"
Alex shook his head quickly. "You'll need to mark the entrance somehow, leave a sign, something only you would recognize."
That seemed to calm her down a bit.
"But remember," he added, "I can only keep the opening open for ten seconds at a time. The timing has to be perfect. If you don't make it out in time, we'll need to go with one of the backup plans."
Shalltear had barely begun to relax when Alex gave one final warning, his expression serious. "And if you really don't come out…" His voice trailed off, heavy with unspoken weight.
Shalltear looked at him nervously, her usual boldness faltering as the reality of the mission sank in. Sensing her hesitation, Alex held up two fingers. "Right now, I've got two plans," he said calmly.
"First option, you stay inside for a while. You've seen how massive this breeding base is. They've tried to keep it so secret that there aren't even that many guards patrolling the place.
If you stay in your bat form and keep low, especially blending in with other magical creatures, it's not as risky as it sounds. Meanwhile, I'll work on getting a way to pull you out."
To show he wasn't just talking, Alex pulled a tiny tactical vest from his bag, custom-made for her bat form. He began slipping small packets of food and tiny gear into hidden compartments.
Shalltear shivered slightly as she watched, it felt like he'd already prepared for the worst, like he truly believed she might not make it out easily.
"That's your first plan?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light but unable to hide the unease in her voice. "It kind of sounds like you're planning to abandon me."
Alex just smirked. "The second plan's simpler," he replied. "If something goes wrong, forget the mission and just break out. Your safety comes first."
He explained that the magical shield inside wasn't running at full capacity, at least not yet. It was strong, especially against intrusions, but not completely impenetrable.
If Shalltear needed to escape in a hurry, she could probably break through in bat form without drawing too much attention. Most people inside would just assume a magical creature slipped out through a gap, annoying, but not enough to send them into panic mode.
Still, the inner part of the barrier was extremely sensitive. If any magical creature touched it, alarms would go off immediately.
That kind of reaction could alert the whole base, possibly ruining their only chance at a stealth operation. But even with all that at stake, Alex wasn't going to risk Shalltear's life just to get intel. The raid on the silver wand breeding base was important, but not worth losing her over.
"Got it," Shalltear said at last, piecing it all together.
"So, best case: I slip in, get what we need, and get out. If that's not possible, I stay hidden. And if everything goes to hell, I run. No questions."
"Exactly," Alex said with a nod.
"Also, once you're inside, the first thing you need to do is set up the transmitter. Bury it near the inner side of the magic shield, somewhere close but hidden. Otherwise, our monitoring spells won't work."
He handed her a small metal device, no bigger than a finger.
"I set up a matching one inside their headquarters' lounge. They're connected like a paired anchor, and the signal between them is strong enough to get through most enchantments. But it only works if the second one is planted on the inside."
"Understood," Shalltear replied, her voice more focused now. "I'll finish the mission."
She wasn't doing this just for Alex or the operation. This was personal. She hadn't forgotten what had been done to her, how she'd been trafficked like livestock, taken from the U.S. to the U.K. by smugglers with no regard for her life. Now, she finally had a chance to take revenge.
"All right," Alex said, pleased with her resolve. "Time to move."