of a community in Nebraska—farming settlement, magickals and nons. They’re estimating to have the base secured—the housing, the weaponry, the supplies, and all that—by the end of the week. So they can have their first round of executions on Sunday.”
He shoved the bowl of chips aside. “Fuckers.”
“We’ve never attempted any rescues that far out,” Will said to Fallon. “They’re not secure yet, but—”
“Now’s the time. They won’t have any Dark Uncanny with them.”
“If they did,” Chuck put in, “it wouldn’t take them days to secure. So, no DUs.”
She shifted Arlington out of her mind for the moment. “Can you get exact coordinates?”
“I’m working on it.”
“How confident are you in your numbers?”
“I’m confident that’s what they’re reporting back to Arlington. I’ve been catching bits of chatter off and on for a while, but it didn’t amount to much before this morning. And like Will said, they’re a hell of a lot farther away than anything we’ve tried. I’ve been banking it, keeping track when I could.”
A new plan, even more ambitious, began to form in Fallon’s mind. “We need everything you have. We’ll get it to Mallick and Duncan. Both have flashed farther than Utah before, and they’ll know who at their base can handle the tagalong.”
She took the lemonade from Will but set it down again as she paced the big room crowded with electronics, with monitors and screens, with shelves stacked with wound-up cables, components, spare parts.
And the scavenged dolls Chuck haughtily called action figures.
“Duncan takes two to scout, get the lay of the land, the setup, the security in place.”
“Elves and shifters are usually best for that,” Will said.
“Yeah. He’ll know. Relay the intel. By the end of the week, you said.”
“They’re reporting they’ll be fully up and operational by Friday,” Chuck confirmed.
“That gives them three days. But it can be done. The prisoners will fight back. They’ve formed a community, so they’ll fight back once they’re able to. And once they hit it…”
Yes, yes, she could see it. See how it could be done. Fate had just dropped an opportunity in her lap.
“We don’t take out their communications.”
“Yippee.” Chuck pumped a fist in the air. “More toys for me.”
“We don’t take them out. Let them signal the attack—back to Arlington. And when they do, when Arlington’s dealing with that, we hit Arlington.”
Will lowered his glass. “Sorry, what? Did you just say we hit Arlington?”
“Yes. It’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’d thought next week, but this is the time.” She considered a minute. “And one more. There’s the base in South Carolina we’ve been monitoring.”
“Yeah, near Myrtle Beach, but it’s more an outpost, almost a vacation spot for good PWs,” Chuck added.
“We haven’t gone that far afield, either, and it hasn’t been high on the list, as it is more an outpost. But now.” She circled the room again. “We hit all three, simultaneously.”
“Holy shit, Fallon.” Will, a man who’d survived the Doom and all its horrors, who’d fought DUs, PWs, Raiders, commanded troops, served as the town’s law, sat down. Hard.
“They’d never expect it. They’re getting reports on attacks on two far-flung bases. There’s a scramble, distraction. Add it’s a walled base—a fancy gated community they’ve fortified.”
“They’ve got DUs,” Chuck reminded her, thoughtfully tugging on the little goatee he’d dyed magenta. “You’ve helped me take down the shields their DUs put up so I could get some intel, but they’ve got DUs, Raiders and, from that intel, experienced ex-military. Ex-cops. It’s their main conduit to the war in D.C. I know we’ve kicked this around—”
“You kicked it around?” Will interrupted.
“Theoretically,” Fallon told him. “And I talked to my dad about it last night. I’d plotted it out differently, but this is better. It’s more than a rescue, and yes, getting people out is always the priority. But this is more. Three bases, the weapons, equipment, supplies—and the damage done to White’s organization. To his reputation. His power grid.
“Duncan and Mallick to Utah, Thomas and Minh,” she decided, thinking of the elf community, and the base established near Mallick’s cottage, “to South Carolina. And we hit the main target. We take Arlington.”
She looked around. “I need a map.”
“I’ve got … somewhere.”
Rather than wait for Chuck to find anything that wasn’t electronic or edible, she flashed back to her room, flashed back with a map.
“Let me show you how I see it. Then you can show me how it can be better.”
CHAPTER FOUR
With time so short, the goal so ambitious, Fallon called for a meeting