Carnage City: A World at War Novel (World at War Online Book 6) by Mitchell T. Jacobs Read Free Book Online Page A

agreed. “Though we’re going to have to be flexible. If there’s five or six stairwells instead of two or three, we really can’t just leave them alone. We have to cover them all.”
    “And we have to go up against at least an enemy platoon that has gravity on their side as well,” Selene said with a frown. “This is going to be tough.
    “It is,” Danny shrugged, “but what else can we do about it? The tower’s a strategic position, and we can’t wait for other forces to get here. I’m honestly surprised that they haven’t been using it to call down massive artillery strikes on our positions.”
    “Probably compliments of Barghest and Spectre,” Nora said. “From the reports we’ve been getting, they’ve been taking out dozens of truck convoys. That has to be hurting their supply situation.”
    “Yeah, but all it takes is for one to slip through, and then we’re completely hosed,” Danny pointed out. “Plus, the faster we take this place, the better we can aim our own artillery. Can we really spend months fighting over one district?”
    “We may not have a choice,” Zach said sardonically.
    “No, but I agree with Danny,” Selene said. “We probably should have fought harder to keep it, to be honest.”
    “It got lost in the confusion of having the radio cut out during the counterattack,” Nora said. “In hindsight maybe we should have, but at the time it was our only good option.”
    “And now we’ve got a fortress to take.”
    Danny leaned back in his chair. “Look on the bright side, though.”
    “What?”
    “At least there’s only a platoon in there, not a company,” he said with a grin. “Yet. We’re going to get one shot at this before we have to take it down with artillery.”
    “That’s not going to be easy, either,” Zach pointed out. “The entire thing is made of concrete. That’s going to cost us valuable shells.”
    And those couldn’t be easily replaced. Hephaestus Company could churn them out easy enough in their Indianapolis factories, but getting them to the front was an entirely different matter. Hydra could transport them north by rail, but just south of Old Chicago they needed to make a decision. They either needed to put them on a ship, or load them on a convoy to cross the disputed corridor around the northwest end of the city. Both caused a severe bottleneck.
    And while the 155s could be used for demolishing the tower in the event of an emergency, they were better off being used on enemy troop concentrations, headquarters and supply depots. If Black Wolf could take the building it would hand them a significant advantage.
    That could be worth a high price, even up to the near-annihilation of their company, so long as the managed to take the building. It could take them a while to recover, but if they paved the way for further success, it might be worth it.
    Even so, Danny wasn’t terribly optimistic about their prospects in the coming battle. He remained confident that they’d win, but they’d probably take heavy casualties in the process. And after the dust settled, all bets were off.
    “We’ll do what we have to,” Selene said simply. “If we have to advance up a bunch of stair under withering fire, so be it. If we have to fight them up close with pistols and knives, so be it. We’ll find a way to win.”
    Brave words, and Danny agreed with every one of them. But at what cost would they be accomplished?

5
    Killhouse
    Z ach activated his radio . “All units, report.”
    “Alpha Wolf.”
    “Alpha 1.”
    “Alpha 2.”
    “Alpha 3.”
    “Bravo Wolf.”
    “Bravo 1.”
    “Bravo 2.”
    “Bravo 3.”
    “Wolf 2,” Nora said, though he was right beside her.
    “Lone Wolf,” Miko finished.
    That was everyone. Zach made one last check of his weapons and gear. In addition to his carbine, knife and ammunition he also had eight grenades attached to his webbing, with many more inside a bag slung over his shoulder. Each commander had one so they could