Free The House of Grey- Volume 6 by Collin Earl

on it,” said Casey, already putting the device back in his suit. “If there is anything we absolutely need to know, contact us. Otherwise, radio silence.”
    Kylie’s response contained more than a touch of sarcasm. “Roger that, sir! Over and out.”
    Artorius chuckled. “I think you pissed her off, Case.”
    Casey shrugged. “She’s always pissed off. I swear she’s on a twenty-four seven period. I feel sorry for any future boyfriends.” He pointed down the hallway. “Come on. Let’s go save Cyann.”
    The boys half-ran, half-sneaked down the hallway, connecting with the white marble in a heel-toe sort of step that Artorius said would minimize sound. It worked pretty well when the boys were not slipping and falling and dropping their weapons in the silent hallway. This happened several times before they gave up on the heel-toe idea.
    As they moved closer to the main chamber of the Battlegrounds, they curbed their speed and proceeded with a silence that would have made any midnight burglar proud. Still, they found no one guarding, patrolling or waiting for them. The halls were empty and quiet. No one spoke until they were right outside the main doors of the Battlegrounds, and as always, Casey was the one to break the silence.
    “So what’s the plan, O Fearless Leader? Do we bust in, guns a’blazin’?”
    Monson started to answer but stopped to ask, “Hey, wait just a minute. Why am I the leader?”
    Casey shook his head. “Because you’re the only one with a cool title—the Being of Seven Bloods and all that.”
    “Very true,” agreed Artorius. “Until Casey and I get cool names like that, neither of us can be the leader. It’s in the rule book.”
    “So all I have to do is give you names and then one of you can be leader? Hmm…I’ll have to keep that in mind.” Monson’s expression became serious. “OK—any ideas on what to do? Because I’m drawing a blank. I gotta think that there’s a better way than just busting in like this.”
    Artorius flicked his head at Casey. “What about the locker rooms? There’s a point of entry right at ground level.”
    Casey rubbed his face in contemplation. “Now that’s an idea, but I don’t think we should all just go in on the ground floor, just in case they have like magical snipers or something.”
    Monson cocked the eyebrow. “Magical snipers?”
    Casey nodded vigorously. “Yes, magical snipers. And don’t raise that eyebrow at me. That’s the least weird thing I’ve said today, or did you forget that we just rode a dragon here?”
    “Dragoon.”
    “Whatever.”
    “Strange occurrences aside,” interrupted Artorius. “I think Casey has a point. We should go in at different levels and vantage points. I’ll hit the press box; it should be isolated enough to call in the cavalry and get some help without being detected.”
    “I’ll go in at the top and try to give you some sort of cover while you’re down below.” Casey unzipped his jacket and handed Monson the small device he had been using to converse with Kylie. “Artorius and I should be able to give you some direction—just turn it on low, and we’ll use it only if absolutely necessary.”
    Monson took the device but instantly saw a problem. “What about you? Doesn’t that leave you sort of blind?”
    Casey shook his head. “Your concern for little ol’ me is overwhelming, Mr. Grey. You’d better be careful or I might tear up.”
    Casey pulled out a second device before Monson could reply to his comments. “I brought a second one just in case something like this happened. I am a Boy Scout, after all, and we’re always prepared!”
    “Case, a week in Webelos doesn’t make you a Boy Scout. How many times am I going to have to tell you that?”
    “Shut up, Arthur; you didn’t even make it that long. Just because that girl from the Brownie troop beat you up the first day. That’s what you get for flipping up her skirt.”
    “First of all, she didn’t beat me up. I was