Souza nodded. “Our actions will be swift and fierce, catching the Variants unaware. In order to do that, we will come at the city in two main task forces of approximately a battalion size each. Task Force Alpha will be hitting Vegas from the north, roughly following what was Interstate 15. Task Force Bravo will come in from the southern approach on Interstate 15. Each battalion will split their forces, infiltrating the city both aboveground and through the storm drains and sewers. Company Cos will go over specific routes in more detail later.
“Team Ghost will lead the incursion into the UMC, which we believe is more likely to house the Prophet. The only Canadians that will know about this mission are the ones escorting Ghost from Calgary. Captain Beckham, you and Horn will head into the Palazzo.”
Cornelius looked toward Beckham. “You will also be coordinating with TF Alpha and TF Bravo. Our goal is to distract the enemy with this larger force focusing on the main strip, drawing attention away from the special operations teams launching more covert attacks.”
“We only get one shot at this,” Souza said. “Once the enemy finds out we know they’re in Vegas, they’re liable to cut and run. So, we need to strike quickly, with both the task forces and special operations teams acting in parallel.”
Beckham put a hand over his prosthetic, remembering the mission where he had lost so much of his body and soul. Without a doubt, this would be another one where good men died.
He glanced at Horn. The big man was scratching his beard, probably thinking the same thing. But like so many other times in the past, they had no choice but to serve and protect those they loved.
“This mission is going to be a success,” Ringgold said. “We will cut off the head of this diseased snake, and the New Gods will wither and die.”
“There’s one more thing you all need to know,” Souza said. “As the war has raged, it’s always been our more experienced brothers and sisters putting themselves in harms’ way. Unfortunately, that means many of them have been lost to the Variants. The two task forces will consist of many men and women who have very little experience outside of defending our walls.”
Beckham thought of Timothy. He was one of the few recruits with actual experience outside the confines of their outposts. He had no doubt the young man would be sent away for this mission, but he held out hope that somehow Timothy would be safe.
“For now, I need all of you to make preparations to leave with your team,” Ringgold said. “You are to report to mustering stations around Galveston in three hours for immediate departure. Like I said, we don’t want to give the Variants any time to react or for any collaborators to send word back to the New Gods.”
The room slowly emptied at Ringgold’s dismissal, but she asked for Beckham and Horn to remain behind.
“The Allied States owes everything it has to you,” she said. “I can’t begin to tell you how frightened I am about the future, of losing you both, but this is it. If you can kill the Prophet, we can end this war.”
“We won’t let you down,” Horn said.
“You never do,” she replied.
Beckham simply nodded and left the room, more ready than ever before to fight the evil that had taken so much from them. It would be over soon, but before it was, he would have to kill a lot more monsters to keep the people he loved safe.
***
The heavy beat of the Black Hawk’s rotors thrummed through Timothy’s bones as he stared out the open side doors of the bird. Glimmering stars punctuated the night, and a full moon cast its glow over the desert landscape.
If he claimed he wasn’t scared, that would be a lie.
But he was also ready for this battle, knowing he was part of something that could end up in history books.
Depending on who won, he thought.
He had known something was up when his team was ordered to return to Galveston from Houston, but it wasn’t until he got his orders he realized how significant this mission really was.
Beneath them the world was a sea of black, barely visible. They had spent the past night and day on their way to the front lines, hopping between temporary encampments set up by scouts stretching from Houston to El Paso and then onwards to Vegas. His team, Recon Sigma, was assigned to Task Force Alpha, coming in from the north and clearing a route to their first objective, the Stratosphere Hotel.
While some of the other teams in the task force would take the storm drains and sewage tunnels underground, Timothy’s team would be one of the few scouting out the enemy territory aboveground.
Once they converged on the Stratosphere Hotel, they would follow the strip south toward the Venetian Hotel and Casino.
Discreetness was key. If the New Gods got any warning, the leadership would be gone before the Allied States’ forces reached the city.
Timothy could feel the tendrils of exhaustion wrapping his insides, but the adrenaline of closing in on their target had kept him awake the whole time.
“Almost there,” Ruckley said over the comm channel. She checked the glowing dials of her wristwatch and then pulled her sleeve back over the watch.
Wong checked his rifle, then nudged Boyd awake. “Hey, man, better get ready.”
Boyd jolted awake. “Shit, we’re nearing Sin City?”
Timothy nodded. “How the hell do you sleep over the sound of a helicopter?”
“It’s a gift,” Boyd said.
The other soldiers in the Black Hawk made final combat checks of their weapons as the chopper started its final descent. For a second, Timothy recalled those few minutes he had stolen with Tasha before leaving Galveston. He missed her and relished the moments they’d shared.
Reaching into his vest he pulled out something she had given him before
