Carnage City: A World at War Novel (World at War Online Book 6)

by Mitchell T. Jacobs

  “Could we infiltrate by boat?” Logan suggested.

  Selene shook her head. “That's probably not a good idea. Even since we pulled off the amphibious assault during the initial attack they've been watching the shorelines closely. The only way to get onshore is to blast through some of the defenses with firepower, and we don't want to do that.”

  Zach nodded. Lighting up an enemy position completely defeated the purpose of a stealth infiltration.

  “Here's a better question,” Ryan spoke up. “Who's going and how many troops are they going to have? And likewise, who's staying behind and holding the tower?”

  “That's undecided as of now,” Zach said. “Thought about this, anyone? Opinions?” He looked over at Danny and Selene. “One of you is probably going to be spearheading the raid. What do you two think?”

  A thoughtful look crossed Danny's face. “Well, you said that Redd Foxx is going to use this spot as a launching pad for their attack, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Then we can use them as backup. I think it's safe to assume that Ragnarok knows we have a supply line to the outside world. So do we really need to hide that anymore? We can bring in Redd Foxx to reinforce our position and free up troops for the operation.”

  “Speaking of them, why aren't they the ones assigned to the commando raid?” Gavin asked with a frown. “Seems like it'd be a lot easier than shifting us around.”

  “Because they want time to prepare for their attack,” Nora said. “To the rest of command we're just sitting here holding our ground, so we're not heavily involved in the offensive operation. That gives us time to focus on preparing the raid to take out the jammer.”

  “Huh, as if.”

  Zach held his hands up disarmingly. “I know, I know, once again we're in one of the worst positions possible, but that's just who we are, isn't it? We're always in the thick of the toughest fighting, right?”

  “Oh, I'm not complaining about that. I'm just wondering whether they're making the right choices to win the battle.”

  Zach could sympathize, though part of the problem was the differing perspectives between low level and high level command. What could be viewed as disastrous by one could be a godsend for the other, mostly because they were looking at different things. Tactical command focused on a specific area, like the fight around the tower. While that might seem to be going badly from their perspective, from a strategic standpoint everything worked out splendidly. Ragnarok was being tied down, forced to fight a strong position and waste a considerable amount of resources.

  It was up to the mid level commanders to bring the two disparate sides together, and that was one of the place where Hydra's leadership truly shined. They had plenty of excellent company commanders who could balance between the tactical and strategic. Was he among them? Zach was hesitant to say, but he'd need to perform at that level to ensure his company survived the coming fights.

  “Anyhow,” Danny continued, “if we bring in Redd Foxx to help us hold our positions we could free up a platoon or more for the raid.”

  “We're going to have to ask about it, but that seems like our best bet right now,” Zach agreed.

  “Again, how are we getting behind their lines?” Ethan asked.

  Miko leaned over the map table and zoomed in on a spot. “Well, we could always sneak through a squad at a time during some of the less active hours. We could find a quiet spot back there and hang out until the right time to launch the operation.”

  “Won't we run the risk of getting spotted by snipers?” Gavin pointed out.

  “That's always a risk when we're traveling aboveground in this city,” she shrugged. “We can do our best to avoid them, but it's not going to be foolproof.”

  “What about going underground then?” Logan asked.

  “Do we have a route?” Danny said.

  Selene spoke up. “Oh gosh, we do.” She walked over to the map table and made some adjustments, then fed some information in from her wrist menu. “I completely forgot about this until now, but we might have a way to get behind them without running into too much resistance.”

  Zach remembered as well as soon as he saw it. The storm drain route from the center of the district out to the lakeshore. That would serve nicely, he thought to himself.

  “How well is that reconnoitered, though?” Miko asked. “Didn't you take just one trip through without really seeing what was on the other side?”

  “Yeah, but it shouldn't be too complicated. We just have to climb out of the drainage tunnel through the boat wreck and onto the shore. Oh, and we need to keep an eye out for those frog-things in the water.”

  “This is sounding kind of complicated,” Ryan said with a frown.

  Maybe, Zach thought as he looked back down at the map, but it might also be their best shot to get where they needed to go. Gavin's concerns were merited, he believed. The enemy had plenty of lookouts and snipers scattered through their lines, and they had keen eyesight. Even Black Wolf's stealth skills might not hide them from their gaze, and once they were discovered the game was up.

  But the tunnel could eliminate those problems and provide them with relatively safe passage for a long distance. Even with the dangers posed at the other end, being able to advance completely under cover was probably worth it.

  “This looks like our best bet,” Zach said. “And since you guys have experience in those environments, I'm going to put Alpha Wolf on the raiding team.”

  “Guess battalion command isn't the only one that likes to give us the nice assignments,” Javy said. The others laughed.

  “Do we need more than one platoon?” Danny asked.

  Zach shook his head. “I don't think so. There's a tipping point where increasing the number of troops in the force will increase our chances of being discovered. Besides, even if we have Redd Foxx here we still need crews for the anti-tank guns. And since Bravo Wolf has the most experience, you guys should stay behind.”

  “Always nice to have our skills recognized,” Danny said with a smile.

  “You mean, always nice to be able to hide behind cover,” Selene snarked back.

  “Well, that too,” he grinned.

  Zach held his hand up for quiet and looked around.

  “Alright everyone, you know the score. If we pull this off we can break the deadlock and capture the district. If not, well, we're stuck fighting here for a while longer. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of seeing the same rubble every day.”

  “We'll pull it off,” Selene said.

  Zach nodded. “Yeah, we will. But we need to remember our trump cards. Recon, speed, stealth, aggression. That's what's going to break the enemy. I'll do my job to make sure the other companies work with us. It's up to you guys to make sure our company holds up our end of the bargain. Are we clear?”

  A chorus of yeses greeted him.

  * * *

  “Long time no see,” Robbie said as he extended his hand.

  Zach reached out and shook it. “No kidding,” he replied. “Though that's not too surprising, given that we've been operating within the city for a while.”

  Robbie nodded. “Much as I'd like to give close air support, we're not doing anything until we have a better way of taking out the antiaircraft defenses Ragnarok has planted around the area.”

  “Can't blame you either. It's not all that bad for us since we're in a fixed position. We have plenty of fire support from the artillery. It's if we had to cover a wide expanse of ground away from friendly lines that we'd have trouble.”

  “Ah, I get you. Still, it'll be good when we're able to operate as one unit again.”

  He climbed back into the pilot's seat of his helicopter and motioned for Zach to follow. Zach quickly strapped himself in and prepared for liftoff.

  He was going to meet Anna at their headquarters in the western forest, and he had traveled to the relatively safe fields south of the city for a pickup. Zach could have simply messaged her, but he wanted to impress the gra
vity of the situation on her. After all, none of this would work if Black Wolf didn't get reinforcements to help them hold the tower.

  Zach activated his radio link to be used as an intercom. “So, how have things been on your end?”

  “Pretty standard, actually. Nothing terribly exciting. We've mostly been giving backup to Barghest and Spectre when they need it, and even that's been just running supplies to them. We have coordinated with them for a few raids, but nothing major.”

  “Ah, kind of the opposite of what we've been doing.”

  “Yeah, I heard you guys were cut off from the rest of the troops when the counterattack came. How'd you manage to slip through?” Robbie asked as he lifted the Hornet off the ground.

  “We have a supply tunnel running between our positions and the rear areas,” Zach told him.

  “Ah, that makes sense. Still, you're used to fighting behind enemy lines with little support so it isn't all that bad, right?”

  “I'd say so, yeah. At least we have fire support. But at the same time, Ragnarok's dropping the hammer on us too.”

  “Can't imagine that's fun, even if you're in a strong position.”

  “Not really, though it's certainly not boring either,” Zach said. “Honestly, I'm kind of hoping that we can break through and take the rest of the district. We have so many more to capture, and I don't want to give Ragnarok time to recover.”

  “Neither do I. Actually, if we take Cudahy soon I'd want us to go after the next district to the west. You know, the one with the airfield?”

  Zach frowned. “I'm guessing you have a specific reason for that?”

  “Well, the biggest problem we have right now is that we don't have any good forward bases to operate from close to the city. Plus, there's a bunch of NPC fighters based there, and that makes flying above part of the city completely suicidal. At least for helicopters.”

  “So you want to take them out, right?” Zach said.

  There had been talk of blasting the airfield with artillery several times, but after thorough reconnaissance that idea had been completely scrapped. Most of the aircraft hangers were actually bunkers, buried deep underground and impervious to everything but the heaviest shells.

  “Well yes, but if we can capture that it's a forward operating base, and that cuts down the risk of us getting jumped by enemy fighters. And once that's gone I'd be a lot more willing to risk our helos over the city.”

  “Even with the antiaircraft guns?”

  “There's always antiaircraft guns,” Robbie said. “It's just a risk we have to take, but we have ways of dealing with them. We don't have them for fighters.”

  “Point taken. So, you're going to try to sell that to the military council?”

  “Yeah, though I'm guessing that's not going to be easy. As usual I can probably get Anna and Karen on my side, but the rest? I'm guessing there's going to be a lot of arguments over that.”

  “Aren't there always?”

  “Yeah, true.”

  “It might not mean much, but I'll go to bat for you as well,” Zach told him.

  “Thanks.”

  It might be thinking too far ahead now, but Zach could see reasons for choosing Robbie's option. While some of the others might want to take the shoreline districts or some of the larger areas, getting their hands on the airfield would grant them close-air support, something they were desperately lacking. When paired with their already formidable artillery it could provide them with a serious punch.

  “First we have to take care of Cudahy,” Robbie said, breaking into his thoughts.

  “Right.”

  A few minutes later they touched down just outside the forest at Raven Company's landing zone. Zach could see Typhoons and Hornets parked under camouflage and cover, hidden from prying eyes and air attack. Ragnarok would certainly dive bomb them if they got the chance, and even the antiaircraft guns ringing the field wouldn't be able to completely stop them.

  “End of the line for my end,” Robbie said.

  Zach unstrapped himself and climbed out of the Hornet's cabin. “Thanks for the ride,” he said with a wave, and then headed toward the forest. He would need to figure out another way back to Milwaukee when he was finished here.

  Zach checked in with Raven's quartermaster and borrowed an ATV for his trip. A short drive and a few minutes later, and he was at the headquarters for this section of line.

  Like most others, this one was busy. Troops from Redd Foxx, Sacred Sword and White Tiger hurried about their duties. Zach noted that the White Tiger outsiders seemed to be integrating well, or at least it appeared. Then again, that wouldn't be very difficult considering they were only sitting in a defensive position, facing lightly-held enemy territory on the other side of a river.

  “Zach, good to see you,” David's voice rang out.

  Zach turned and greeted him. “Likewise. How are things on your end?”

  “Better than yours, I'm guessing. You're looking for Anna, right?”

  “Yeah, I'm going to take her from you. That, and the rest of Redd Foxx.”

  David nodded. “Much as I don't want to lose the troop strength, you guys probably need them more. Come on, I'll take you to her.”

  They passed through the field headquarters, little more than a series of tents and dugouts stocked with communications equipment and supplies. Zach wondered for a moment if they had a phone system installed, but that thought disappeared as they reached their destination. Anna stood alone inside one of the tents, looking over a map. She straightened up as the approached.

  “Well, this is probably important, I'm guessing,” Anna said after they exchanged greetings. “I assume it's something that you couldn't say over the messaging system, right?”

  Zach shrugged. “I probably could have, but I wanted to talk to you in person. This is pretty important, actually.”

  That got her attention. “OK, so I'm guessing it has to do with us moving back into the city, right?”

  “Right. More specifically, we need to you to it as soon as possible.”

  David shifted and then turned. “I'll leave you two to discuss this by yourselves.”

  Zach turned. “No, wait. Do you mind staying?”

  David looked back with a confused look on his face.

  “I don't mind staying, no, but isn't this something that you should be discussing within your battalion?”

  “I'd like an outside opinion, actually,” Zach said. “Someone who doesn't normally deal with our line of work.”

  “OK then, what do you need, exactly? Advice?”

  “Yup. I'd like you to tell me whether anything we're doing sounds completely crazy.”

  “Pretty much everything you guys do sounds completely crazy to the rest of the alliance. That seems to be your job,” David pointed out.

  “I mean, crazier than usual.”

  “Oh.”

  “What have you gotten yourselves into this time?” Anna asked.

  Zach gave her a weary smile. “Oh, don't you know? I only seem to get the best jobs for us.”

  21

  THE OPENED WAY

  Nora looked down at the map table, feeding in the information that had been brought to her over the last few days.

  “OK, is that everything?”

  “That's everything,” Miko told her. “Although I don't know why I'm getting stuck acting like a glorified courier.”

  Nora smiled and continued working. They had a lot of data to sift through, and even with the capabilities of the map table it was going to take a while.

  “Looks like we have all the data from all of the scout teams,” Liz said. “We can start compiling it all now and making a plan.”

  Redd Foxx had arrived in Cudahy two days ago, bringing much needed reinforcements and firepower along with them. With far more defenders in the tower, Black Wolf was able to perform other missions outside their immediate area of responsibility.

  They were still slated to perform the commando raid to find and destroy the enemy ja
mming equipment, and everyone involved wanted to have as much information as possible before they launched the operation. Even before the alliance had been formed, Redd Foxx and Black Wolf had always placed a heavy emphasis on reconnaissance and information, and this time would be no different.

  Nora stood up and pressed a button on the map table console. The cityscape faded away, revealing the network of tunnels crossing the area.

  Unlike the system below Indianapolis, the tunnels were only big enough for a few people at a time, not vast transit routes like the subway. But they were also much, much more extensive, stretching to every corner of the district. Many had collapsed or lead to dead ends, but there were enough to give them routes into enemy territory.

  Hydra had taken steps to avoid any unwanted infiltrators behind their lines, sealing entrances with rubble, welding manhole covers shut and the like. Ragnarok had done the same on their side of the lines, but with the sheer amount of routes taking care of them all was next to impossible. A few would escape their notice, which gave Black Wolf a way in.

  Nora just hoped that Ragnarok wasn't having similar thoughts, but that wasn't their problem at the moment. Magic and Dragon Battalions could deal with any raiders that slipped in through the cracks. Black Wolf's job was the jammer and anything that stood in their way.

  Miko leaned over the table, looking at one particular line running from the center of the city to the shore.

  “Well, this is Selene's route,” she said, tracing the line with her finger.

  Nora nodded and made a few adjustments, zooming in on the tunnel and making several of the more unimportant routes fade away.

  “Alright, so this leads directly to the other side of the lines, right to the lakeshore,” Nora said, trying to bring Liz up to speed somewhat. “Last I heard they surveyed the tunnel and it didn't look like Ragnarok knew about it. There was some hostile wildlife, but nothing too serious. But we're not quite sure what's on the other side.”