"You mean there's a Floo Network connecting this place to the outside world?" Jason's eyes lit up, but then he hesitated. "But you also know that while the defenses here don't look very strict, the surroundings are actually full of those invisible Silver Spears. Even if there really is a fireplace, how can we guarantee a safe arrival there?"
Their understanding of alchemy and the Floo Network was actually very superficial; they thought that as long as there was a fireplace connected to the Floo Network, they could move anywhere, not realizing that such alchemy equipment could actually be modified. There was indeed a fireplace in the warehouse stronghold, but there was only one movable location: a safe house. Besides being a transfer station to the outside world, it was also a stronghold where Moody and others rested. They would also work in two shifts, patrolling the warehouse. If they really went into that fireplace, they would only fall directly into their encirclement.
But at this moment, Bob had no idea of this situation; instead, he saw it as a path to escape. So, with an excited glint in his eyes, Bob continued to egg on Jason, "I also know that the defenses here appear loose but are actually tight, so I didn't fantasize about successfully escaping in a short time. But this is still an opportunity, isn't it? What we need to do now is observe!"
"Observe? You mean…" Jason seemed to be starting to understand Bob's meaning.
"Exactly. Even if those Silver Spears are brutal, they are still people. There will definitely be times when they show flaws. As long as we seize the loophole, we might just have a chance to get away!"
"I understand what you mean." Jason nodded almost imperceptibly. "So you mean we should lie low quietly first, pretend to be obedient, and then act when their guard is down?"
"Precisely!" Bob grew more excited as he spoke, but he still tried his best to control himself and lower his voice. "Besides seizing the opportunity, we also need to make some preparations beforehand!"
"Preparations? You mean trying to get a wand?"
"No, getting a wand is too difficult and too risky." Bob calmly shook his head. "What I mean is, use this time to hone our wandless magic skills. Do you understand the essentials of wandless magic?"
"Essentials? I did learn these theoretical things in magic school before, but I've never tried them myself. Wandless magic is really too difficult; it's not something you can do just by knowing the principle," Jason replied with a frown.
"Even if you don't have experience, you have to try! Otherwise, we can't even break through these iron chains in front of us. My wandless magic level isn't great either, so I've decided to practice diligently in secret during this time. If you want to regain your freedom, don't give up this opportunity!" Bob's eyes were full of determination, and this determination influenced Jason as well.
"Alright! There's no hope anyway, so I'll give it my all!" Jason gritted his teeth fiercely at this moment. In fact, casually trying unfamiliar spellcasting techniques was very risky, with the potential for accidents at any time. But now they were pushed to a dead end, and Jason didn't want to become like those captive magical animals, at the mercy of others.
"That's the spirit." Bob nodded excitedly. "But you must be careful. The patrol team members are in cahoots with the Silver Spears. Besides being wary of those Silver Spears, you also need to watch out for them."
"I understand. You be careful too. Oh, and besides the two of us, should we gather the others? After all, there's strength in numbers!" As a good-natured person, Jason thought of his other companions, especially the somewhat reckless Jimmy.
"This… I'm afraid it's not quite suitable." Bob pondered with some difficulty for a moment, then shook his head and refused, "For every additional person who knows, our risk of escape increases slightly."
"What about the others who are still imprisoned? We can't just leave them behind." Jason and the others hadn't even successfully escaped yet, but they were already thinking about what to do after getting away.
"Are you silly? These Silver Spears suddenly capturing people from the breeding park must be because they are wanted by the Ministry of Magic. Once we get away, we just contact the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic and let them rescue everyone." Bob was speechless seeing Jason being so slow-witted.
"You're right!" Jason also felt foolish for not having thought of such a simple truth.
The two then exchanged a few more words before dispersing. They didn't dare to stay together for too long, lest they arouse the suspicion of the guards. But what these two didn't know was that shortly after they huddled together, the first Silver Spear who appeared came to their cell and heard their conversation clearly. And this brutal-acting Silver Spear was, of course, Moody.
Since Alan was afraid of other Aurors revealing themselves, he specifically instructed them to speak as little as possible. Given that, Moody simply told them not to speak at all and to remain invisible normally, not even needing to appear in front of everyone except for specific tasks. As for communicating with these prisoners, it was basically all left to Moody. To be honest, this severely tested his acting skills. But it was as if playing the role of a Silver Spear had activated a special switch within him; he found himself getting into character exceptionally quickly and becoming more addicted the more he acted. When mocking and tormenting these people, there was almost no trace of falsehood.
It was precisely because of his vivid performance that he planted the seeds of fear in so many people's hearts and established the impression of the Silver Spears as evil and cruel. And Moody himself was very satisfied with his previous performance, so much so that he even wanted to really start an organization to play around with after retirement.
As for Bob, Moody had actually been paying attention to this guy from the beginning. He genuinely liked brave and fearless people, so he had kept an eye on him after going invisible. Who would have thought this guy was so bold? He had just been taught a lesson, and now he was discussing escaping with someone else. However, after discovering this, Moody did not immediately expose them. After all, he was not a real Silver Spear, and there might still be room for maneuver with these two's conspiracy. Of course, Moody would have to meet and discuss this with Alan again before making a decision.
And the time for their next meeting quickly arrived, on the fourth day after Moody dealt with these captives, which was one day after Alan and his team finished clearing the breeding parks. Alan, Moody, and Director Andre gathered together at the safe house. This was something they had agreed upon beforehand: to meet every few days to exchange information on various matters.
"You're here, Alan, come and sit!" Director Andre, who had arrived first, immediately greeted Alan warmly, leading him to the small reception room in the safe house after seeing him emerge from the fireplace. Director Andre's attitude toward Alan now was not just obedient, but one of complete trust, so he was very enthusiastic. After all, during the previous Concentric Circles operation, Alan personally taught Director Andre what true professionalism was. That kind of foolproof, meticulous plan simply left him in awe.
It was worth noting that during the few days of their previous joint operation, most of the work he did was attending meetings, traveling, and moving things. The actual time he spent drawing his wand to fight added up to less than an hour. So, in Director Andre's eyes, Alan was now a symbol of reliability. Director Andre would certainly support any plan he devised without hesitation.
"You're too kind, Director Andre." Alan, whose spirits had recovered after a good day's rest, sat down with Director Andre and glanced around, then asked, "Where's Moody? Has he not arrived yet?"
"He's still keeping an eye on things in the prison. It's very convenient for Moody to come over; the fireplace there leads directly here. He said to notify him once you arrive, and he'll be here immediately." With that, Director Andre pulled out his communicator and sent a message to Moody.
Indeed, they didn't wait long before Moody, still dressed in his Silver Spear attire, limped in. To conceal his limp, he had never moved in front of the captives before, usually just appearing directly to speak and then immediately going invisible afterward.
"Oh, isn't this Lord Flubberworm? Your suddenly not wearing a mask really makes me a bit unaccustomed." As soon as Moody entered the room, he jokingly teased Director Andre with his foul mouth. This was their favorite joke recently.
Hearing Moody's words, Director Andre rolled his eyes exasperatedly, "I think you've gone mad from playing a Silver Spear, Lord Tebo Warthog!"
"Haha." Hearing Director Andre's sarcasm, Moody smiled indifferently, "You know what, pretending to be a Silver Spear is really quite interesting. I've even gotten a bit addicted to it lately. Stop talking nonsense, quiet down, you idiots! Eat your food obediently, no fighting!" Moody then vividly demonstrated it to the two on the spot.
Director Andre looked at Moody's possessed state and turned to Alan, somewhat speechless, "I think maybe we should just get rid of this guy, lest he really runs off to pledge allegiance to the club one day."
"Just let him play for a couple more days. I think Moody knows his limits." Alan shook his head dismissively, then looked seriously at Moody, "How are things at the stronghold? Are those wizards behaving themselves?"
See Alan bring up serious matters, Moody put away his playful demeanor and took off the mask on his face. "The situation with those guys is still stable, and because of the small incident that happened at the beginning, they have now split into two factions internally. One faction is primarily composed of the club's former collaborators. They were mostly patrol team members in the park. These people are more compliant than the others, and they even side with us at every turn. I estimate they hope to show their loyalty this way, so we'll release them."
"The other faction consists of the remaining civilian wizards and Muggles. They have many grievances and sometimes clash with the other faction, but with our timely intervention, no unexpected situations have occurred."