“I think we should recharge as many as possible,” Liz said. “The last thing we want to happen is for us to run out of them in the middle of the campaign.”
“Speaking of recharging them, I noticed something that looks like a power plant inside the city,” Nora said. “That might be something.”
“Isn't it in another district?” Liz asked.
“Yeah, but we might be able to grab that district next,” Nora suggested.
“We can't base our strategy around it. We have no idea if it operates, or what we need to do to operate it even if it does work.”
Yusuf agreed. “It might have merit, but we need to plan in case it doesn't.”
Nora nodded. “I agree. So, fusion batteries are in place but might be a little tight. Good to know. Anyhow, we have our choppers, river craft and our aircraft all set, though they might have limited use because of the defenses.”
“How's that going?” Paige asked.
Liz shrugged. “We've taken out about half the guns in the city. They take about a week to be rebuilt, but we can forget about the rest. Going that deep into the city with raiding teams is suicide.”
“We're hoping that Bravehart and Griffon can take them out at range, but it won't be a complete disaster if they can't,” Nora said. “We can deal with having just infantry and armor support. We took this place with just infantry.”
“They also didn't have a thousand troops here,” Liz said.
“And we didn't have armor, so it evens out,” Nora said.
Liz nodded. “Yeah, at least I didn't get stuck scouting the place this time.”
“What, didn't want to get caught on the roof of a building again?” Nora asked. “Ethan was worried about that when they were hunting the AA guns.”
“Yeah, I can't say I blame him,” Liz said. “Not fun.”
Nora turned back to Yusuf and Paige. “How long is it going to take to get everything down to the supply depot?”
“Probably a few more days. We're going to make sure everything is organized before we move it down there,” Yusuf said. “That will make it easier to move into the city when we need it. We sure could use you to help out.”
“Sorry, but I'm not going to have internet access this weekend,” she told them. She was going up to her family's cabin with Zach for three days, hiking one last time before the cold weather set in.
“Eh, too bad. We have a lot to get done.”
“Who's going to be in charge of the forward depot?” Liz asked.
“That would be me,” Paige told her.
Besides the depot on the far side of the reservoir, they were going to create an additional one in the city once they gained a foothold. The customized transport boats weren't just for infantry; after the beach had been secured they would be used to carry ATVs, ammunition and fusion batteries into the city. They would use the ATVs to move supplies up to the front lines where they were needed. Hydra might lose, but it wouldn't be on account of running out of ammunition.
“Do we have a spot that we're going to put the depot?” Liz asked.
“Do we want to go over that now?” Nora asked.
Yusuf shrugged. “Might be a good time.”
“Then we're going to need the map,” Nora said, standing up. The holographic map projector was in the command center. She headed out of the conference room and across the hall, the others in tow.
The table was already in use. Zach, Anna, David and Bryce were looking over the map. They greeted Nora's group.
“Trying to figure out where to put the depot?” Anna asked.
“It was that obvious?” Paige asked
She nodded. “Well, the person who's in charge of the thing is here, along with my adjunct, our logistics expert and our production company commander.”
“OK, I'll admit that's pretty obvious,” Paige said. “What are you guys doing?”
“We're getting the little details of the amphibious assault all set,” Zach said. “You might want to join us, if you're here about the depot.”
The others made room around the map table, though it was so big that it wasn't much of a problem. Nora saw that they had several sections of the shoreline marked. The section of shore they had explored was labeled Red Beach.
Zach started to explain the plan. “Alright, see the section labeled Red Beach? Griffon and Bravehart are going to hit it with a ten minute bombardment. As soon as it lifts the ranger company goes in. Black Wolf will be the first unit to land in the city, followed by Redd Foxx. We'll taken and hold the beach, and then form a perimeter. Once that happens the larger transports will bring in the second wave of troops. Marauder will make landfall and head straight for the gates. Part of Sacred Sword will be coming across with them. They'll help us to hold the beach while the third wave comes in.”
“When can we establish the depot?” Paige asked.
“It's going to be a while,” Zach said. “The most efficient way to get supplies across the reservoir is to use the transports, and we need them to get all of our troops across.”
“Can we use the bridge?” Yusuf asked.
Anna shook her head. “The first priority is the armored company. After that maybe, but there's the danger of traffic jambs. Plus, landing supplies by boat puts them right where we need them.”
“I don't think we have to be all that fast anyhow,” David said. “We'll be carrying enough ammunition to supply us for quite a while. I can't see us needing to resupply unless the battle goes several hours.”
“Which it could,” Yusuf said.
“Sure, but I'm guessing that you can get everything across in an hour. That gives us plenty of room for error.”
“Who's guarding the depot, is the next question,” Paige asked.
“It's going to have to be your guys,” Zach said. She was going to take half of Hephaestus Company south to act as laborers.
“We're not the greatest at fighting,” Paige said.
“Which is why you're going to be in the rear,” Anna said. “We really can't spare any combat troops.”
“Question. What's the heaviest vehicle that one of the transports can carry?” Bryce asked.
“An ATV,” Yusuf answered him.
“Yeah, the mortar carriers will need to go with the rest of the armor support,” David said. “I don't like it, but the bridge is the only way across.”
“Which is why taking the gate is so vital,” Anna added. “We're all dead if we can't.”
“Are you sure Marauder is up to the job?” Paige asked.
“I take it you haven't seen them in action?” Liz said.
“No, I'm not the fighting type,” she said.
“Well, put nicely they're ferocious. Some people would say that psychopath is a more accurate term, but regardless they're really good at storm attacks and the like. I think they can handle whatever is guarding the gate,” Liz said.
“How are we coming for air support?” Nora asked.
Anna frowned. “There's still eight AA guns we can't get to, and that's going to ground Raven Flight until we take them out. We're going to have to take out some of them on the ground.”
“Yeah, we're going to be busy taking out the gun towers and then making the bombardment,” Bryce said. “We'll get to them when we can, but it will be faster for everyone on the ground if they can take them out.”
“Well, we've been able to fight without air support before,” Liz shrugged. “I don't see why we can't do it again.”
“Are we going to have a command post?” Nora asked.
“Like last time?” Zach asked. “No, there's way too many moving parts this time, and we're going to need every person we can get on the front lines. There's going to be a command post, but the control is going to be looser. It was so tight last time because we hadn't worked together much and we couldn't afford to make mistakes.”
“I imagine that it would take a lot of fusion batteries to run a command post like that again, considering we're eight times bigger,” Liz said.
“Who's going to be the overall commander?” Paige asked.
“That would be me, by process of elimination,” Bryce said. “Since I'm going to be the only one on the other side of the reservoir, they decided that I should be in command.”
“Oh, you're plenty qualified,” Anna said. “You commanded fine during the attack on Lerna Bastion.”
Bryce smiled. “Yeah, there was that. But you guys are going to be the ones that are going to make it happen.”
“That's how it always is,” Zach said. “The commanders on the front lines are the ones who end up getting the job done.”
Nora nodded. It was up to the unit commanders to win the battle, but it was their job to put them in a position to win. And right now, everything was falling into place.
“Is everything in place?”
“Yes, everything's either in place or is getting there. You're not going to turn into one of those psycho control freaks, are you?”
Nora laughed. “Oh come on, I'm not that bad.”
“We'll be fine. We're going on this trip so we can relax, right?” Zach said over her speakerphone.
“Yeah,” Nora opened up her dresser drawer and started to sort through her selection of t-shirts, trying to decide what to pack. They would be gone for three days, and she was probably going to sweat while they were hiking, mild weather or no. She decided to pack six of them.
“You're still thinking about it, aren't you?” Zach asked.
“Aren't you at least a little bit nervous?” Nora asked.
“It's a game,” Zach said. She thought he sounded unconvincing, however.
“For us it's more like a work project.”
“OK, that's true,” Zach said. “Now you're starting to make me a little nervous.”
Nora opened up her closet and grabbed a pair of hoodies. “Sorry, but there's just too many things that could go wrong right now, and all of them are going through my head.”
“That's one of the disadvantages of this being our job,” Zach agreed.
“Well, I'd probably be just as nervous anyhow. Maybe more so. If this doesn't work then we just threw months of our time down the drain.”
“That really doesn't sound like you,” Zach said. “What happened to the person who thought that if she had to quit playing today, she would remember all the adventures she had?”
“That's still true,” Nora said. “But I don't want to fail. We put a lot of hard work into it.”
“Yeah, I don't want to fail either. I've put hard work into it. We all have. But we had a lot of adventures getting to this point as well. That fight against the Valkyries? That was a slaughter, and it might have been the most fun I've had in the game. It was just so thrilling. And I think everyone else had fun with that as well.”
“Selene didn't.”
Zach laughed. “Selene had plenty of fun. She just hates losing.”
“Does anyone actually like losing?” Nora asked.
“Yeah, but it's just disappointment for some. For people like here they take it as a personal offense,” Zach said. “You've seen her play basketball. Heck, she's part of the reason I was so good at track in high school.”
“Yeah, I can see it,” Nora said. She had never liked losing, but if she did lose she tended to move on quickly. She just worried about if beforehand.
“This is going to be a blast no matter what happens, win or lose. But we'll win.”
“Ah. Do you have another inspirational speech up your sleeve this time?” Nora asked.
“What, the one where I make up stuff on the spot? That's Bryce's job this time. I'm getting shot at.”
“You got shot at last time,” Nora pointed out.
“That was after everything went wrong. I was supposed to sit in the command post directing traffic, and somehow I managed to get stuck trying to make and blow up a bomb while I had a tank trying to kill me,” Zach said.
“At least you didn't die,” Nora said.
“Yeah, that's more than I can say for Selene or Danny.”
Nora continued to pack. “I still feel kind of nervous,” she said.
“Well, maybe this will help you to forget. When your legs are burning you don't think about much else,” Zach said. “Everything will be fine. We've got plenty of other reliable people.”
Nora laughed. “Right.”
The air was mild, pleasant. There was a gentle breeze rustling the canopy above, and a hundred bird calls filled the air. It was so far away from the hustle of the city. So far away from the chaos, from the virtual world, from the questions about the meaning of emerging technology. Everything there came and went so quickly. In this wilderness the trees had been here for years, decades, centuries, and would continue to be here for years to come.
It was kind of sad really. People were so absorbed in fads, grasping for the newest fashion or gadget to come out. They focused on whatever the market was offering them, and they forgot that this was out here. Like she had said many times before, people were so focused on moving ahead, running in the rat race that they forgot many of the small things in life.
It was too bad. The night life, the glitz and the glamor, they had their allures, but there was something to be said for just sitting back in a chair, drinking coffee and watching the sun creep up over the trees. Or for taking a walk through the forest.
She heard Zach grunt behind her. “Tired?”
“Nope, feeling good,” Zach said. “It's just that we're at the worst part of the trail.”
Zach and Nora were climbing the lake trail, which stretched for around eight miles. They were on the fourth mile, where the slope became very steep. It had been hard to do early in the year, when they had been out of shape from being stuck inside during the cold Chicago winter. Now though, they were in good shape after a summer of basketball, swimming and hiking, even with the amount of time they had spent inside World at War.
“This is probably going to be the last time we'll be able to see this before winter sets in,” Nora commented.
“Yeah, I definitely want to enjoy it while we're here,” Zach said. “I have a feeling that we're going to end up very busy.”
“Well, the change of season has one thing going for it. I'm not going to feel as guilty about spending so much time inside the game world when it's snowing and freezing outside.”
“Eh, it's like any other job,” Zach said. “I remember going crazy looking out the window when it was a beautiful day out and wondering what I was doing cooped up inside.”
“At least you don't have that problem now.” She pushed herself up the hill toward the top. They were getting close now.
“Take the time to stop and smell the roses. Way too many people forget about that,” Zach said.
“That's just what I was thinking about.”
They reached the top of the trail and stepped off a bit, to the cliff that overlooked the lake. Zach took a seat on a large rock. Nora joined him.
“Speaking of smelling the roses,” he said.
Nora nodded silently. Even with a whole virtual world to explore, there was so much to discover in the real world as well.
CHAPTER 18
Poker Face
We might have a problem on our hands.
Selene had sent him that message on Sunday, and Zach still had no clue what it meant. He had tried to contact her, but she had responded that they needed to talk inside the game world.
A million possible disasters went through Zach's mind. What was going on? Was Ragnarok on the move? Did something happen in Indianapolis? Would they need to delay the attack?
We might have a problem on our hands.
He wished that Selene had elaborated more. Something, anything. Zach was really starting to worry.
&nbs
p; Whatever the case, he was going to find out soon. Zach took his neuro-helmet off the shelf. He sat down, put it on and activated the system.
Zach materialized inside of Black Wolf HQ and immediately headed for the board room in Hydra Headquarters like he had been instructed to. Nora would meet him there, along with a few others.
The bastion wasn't as busy as other days. Many of their forces were out in the field, either training or getting themselves set up for the attack on the city that would take place next weekend. They would field the largest force Hydra had ever assembled at one time, and they would use it to do something no one had done before; to take a city. At least, he hoped they would.
Selene and Nora were waiting for him in the board room, along with Danny, Liz, Gray, Anna, Gina, David, Yusuf and Robbie. That was an interesting mix, Zach noted to himself. It was all of the founding members of Hydra, along with the officers from the ranger company.
“So, we have a problem? Zach asked. “I'm guessing it's a pretty big one, judging by the people here.”
Gina spoke up first, looking visibly annoyed. “The attack on Indianapolis might be compromised.”
“What?” Zach said, trying to keep his voice under control.
Danny moved to settle his fears. “The attack itself isn't compromised. We're on schedule, and everything is running smoothly.”
“Except for one thing, is that it?” Zach said. He wasn't looking forward to finding out what that one thing was.
Liz sighed. “Ronin reached out to us. As expected, people noticed that something was up when we stopped selling ammunition in the markets. So, Sam and Tafari contacted us and asked us a few questions. Everything was fine, but then it ended up spiraling out of control.”
“You're being pretty vague,” Nora said. “Just how bad is it?”
“Well, Levi ended up getting involved,” Anna said.
“And?” Zach asked in an annoyed tone.
“Well, you see, well...”
“Oh, fine. If you guys aren't going to give him a straight answer then I am,” David said. “Levi thinks we're holding back ammunition because we're preparing for an offensive, which is true. You can't hide the kind of buildup we've been doing. But he thinks that we're preparing for an offensive against Ragnarok.”
Howl: A World at War Novel Page 20
