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“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 that night, asked the key members to gather at her home.
As her mother, being her mother, would never consider holding any sort of gathering without food, Lana organized a menu. When Fallon finished her own preparations, she went out to find her mother making her own in her outdoor summer kitchen.
“Deserted by the men? I’ll give you a hand.”
“Cucumbers, thin, curled,” Lana told her.
“Got it.” As she worked, Fallon felt the mood. “You’re worried about the scope of these missions, the timing, but—”
“Of course I am.” Hands busy, Lana selected vegetables she’d already turned into art. “Three of my children, my husband, my friends, are going to war in a matter of days.” While the anxiety leaked through, Lana continued to layer crackers she’d baked, herbed with rosemary or seasoned with garlic, with various toppings.
“I can’t hold Travis back, not this time. He’s—”
“I know that, Fallon. I’ve known this was coming since he started training for it back at the farm. What I don’t know, what I don’t understand is why you talked to your father about this, to Will, to Chuck, to everyone, it seems, but me.”
“I only talked to Dad, seriously about Arlington, last night after I’d worked on the details. I asked him not to say anything until I’d talked to—”
“Everyone else.”
“Mom.” Fallon put down the kitchen tool, turned. “I needed to talk to Travis, to Tonia about the recruits, get a sense if we could use any of them, or if any of them were ready to . . . move up if we lost people on this mission.”
“And still, you didn’t—”
“Wait, please.”
A bee buzzed in, hovered over the crackers. Fallon merely gave it a warning look to send it zipping away.
“I came back home after I’d talked to them, had a look for myself. I knew you had a meeting with Arlys and Katie and Fred about establishing permanent homes for the new rescues. I wanted to talk to all four of you about Arlington, but you were having a little fun. The four of you were just having a little fun, and I didn’t want to ruin it.”
Lana stopped what she was doing, turned to Fallon. “I’m sorry. I should’ve known better.”
“You looked so happy, all of you, buzzed on wine and friendship. I really wanted you to have that. I wanted some of it, too. I took it with you.”
“You did.” Lana drew her in. “I’m glad you did, and I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. All this is hard and ugly, and . . . I thought of the four of you when I left. I thought of all you’ve done, what you faced, overcame, what you’ve made. Your circle—not quite the full one, as Rachel and Kim couldn’t be there—they’re all heroes to me.”
“One day.” Lana brushed a hand through Fallon’s hair. “One day my circle and yours are going to get buzzed on wine and friendship and talk about men and sex.”
“I hope I have some experience with the last two by then so I can add to the conversation.”
“You will. But tonight, we’ll do what we have to do.”
“Starting with food.”
Lana laughed. “Always.”
So on a sultry summer night with the younger children with sitters or older siblings, the New Hope Originals gathered on the patio. Members of the next generation gathered with them for food and drink, and talk of war.
Across the field, green with summer, cows lowed as the first stars began to blink awake. Growing fuzzy again after their shearing, sheep dotted the gently rolling hills like small clouds. In the coop chickens hummed as they bedded down.
She saw Faol Ban slide like white smoke through the trees beyond where Taibhse sat wise and silent on a branch. Over the western hills, the sun slowly simmered its way down toward the rounded peaks.
She watched their Jem and Scout romp with Eddie’s dog Hobo while old Joe, ever faithful, snoozed at his feet.
Not like her mother’s little private party that afternoon, she thought, but still a circle of friends.
“I should start by telling you I spoke with Mallick and with Thomas.”
“By radio?” Katie asked.
“No, I flashed. I wanted to speak face-to-face.”
“Did you see Duncan?”
“No, sorry. He was out on maneuvers. I laid it out for both of them, and they agree it can be done. They’ll work on tactics, logistics, do the scouting, and we’ll continue to coordinate. Not by radio or computer,” she added. “I know Chuck’s got those covered, and we’ve added shields. But if any of our communications leak, well, it all goes to hell.”
“Not insulted.” Chuck popped a fat strawberry in his mouth. He wore sandals of braided rope with soles made from strips of old tires. “They’ve got some good hackers,” he added. “I’m better, but they’ve got some good ones. I’ll keep monitoring all three bases. Can’t get much direct out of Arlington itself, but I got a clear line to the others, and it leads back. Any changes, champ, you’ll hear about it.”
/> “And we’ll adjust to them,” Fallon confirmed. “Right up until we strike. Will and I worked out the broad strokes, and some of the finer ones earlier. To start.”
