Chapter 217

Louis woke up with a start. His heart was pounding. He looked around. He was in the RV. The room was dark. Donya and Cherish were sleeping beside him. Angelique was on the other side of the bed, also asleep. He listened for a moment. All he could hear was their breathing. He slowly got out of the bed, trying not to wake them. He went to the empty upper lounge and poured himself a glass of water. He looked out the window. The moon was high. The lake was calm.

Louis put on his earpiece and spoke in a low voice. “Status report.”

Sergeant García’s voice came. “All clear, sir.”

“How’s the captain?”

“Asleep, sir. I told him to get some rest.”

“Good,” Louis said. “Anything new?”

“Yes, sir. Field Marshal McCarthy has delivered the remaining families to Sacramento. They are at the same medical facility as the Prophet King. He’s still in critical condition, but stable.”

“Anything else?”

“The Legion has secured most of Salt Lake City. They have imposed a curfew. And they are rounding up the remaining Danites.”

“What about us?” Louis asked.

“They haven’t found us yet, sir,” García said. “But their navy is trying to contact their missing patrol boat.”

“Which team was sent to secure the boat?” Louis asked.

“My team, sir. We found the bodies and took them to the shore. We also disabled the boat’s GPS and communications.”

“Good work, Sergeant,” Louis said. “And the boat?”

“I drove it to a cove a few miles north of here and covered it with a tarp,” García said. “In case we need it.”

“You think we might need it?”

“It’s an option, sir,” García said. “You never know.”

“I appreciate that, Sergeant,” Louis said. “Keep me posted.”

“Will do, sir,” García said. He paused several seconds. “Sir, we have a situation.”

Louis’s heartbeat quickened. “What is it?”

“Sergeant Zhang’s team picked up some encrypted radio traffic. A company-sized force of the Legion is moving toward us from Camp Williams. They are in APCs and a few light tanks. They will be here in an hour.”

“Shit,” Louis said. “What are their intentions?”

“Unknown, sir. But they’re not moving like they’re looking for a friendly chat.”

“What are our options?” Louis asked.

“We can try to disable the causeway to the island and hold our position. Or we can try to make a run for it toward Nevada. But that’s a long way through hostile territory. And your RV is not a battle tank.”

“Wake up Sergeant Zhang and Captain Yamamoto,” Louis said. “We need to plan. Now.”

“Sir.” Yamamoto’s voice already came, rough with urgency. “I’m up. Zhang’s team is feeding me the live data.”

“Can we take them, Captain?” Louis asked.

“Not head-on, sir. They have heavy armor. We don’t. We have a mortar, but it’s not enough against tanks.”

“We have the Rods, Captain,” Louis said. “Do you think we can destroy the causeway with one?”

“Yes, sir. A 500kg Rod should be enough to crack the causeway in one place. But I doubt it can delay them for long.”

“How much ammunition do we have left?” Louis asked.

“Enough for a prolonged engagement, sir. But we are not a fortress. If they decide to storm our position, we will be overwhelmed,” Yamamoto said.

“Understood,” Louis said. “Do you know why they’re coming?”

“Unknown, sir. Could be to rescue the Prophet King’s family or to capture you. Or both. Brother John’s broadcast already painted you as the enemy.”

Louis sighed. “Sergeant Zhang, are you listening?”

“Yes, sir,” Zhang’s voice came.

“I want your team to make a deepfake video of our convoy heading west toward Nevada. Make it look like it was filmed from a camera aboard a patrol boat, if possible,” Louis said. “Then upload it onto all the channels you can access in the Legion network. Make it look like leaked footage.”

“Yes, sir,” Zhang said.

“And I want the mortar team to set up. We will use the Rods if it comes to a fight.”

“Understood, sir,” Zhang said.

“Start with the video. I’m watching.” Louis turned on the screen in the lounge. Zhang’s team was already at work. They had stock footage of a dirt road beside a railway. They replaced the background with the Utah landscape. Then they used a 3D model of the RV and the SUVs. They made them look like they were moving at high speed, kicking up dust.

“Make it look like a soldier was taking a video from the boat,” Louis said. “Then one of his comrades pointed a gun at him and fired, then he dropped the camera. And the video ended. We need to make it look like the boat was attacked by their own.”

“Yes, sir,” Zhang said, typing on his laptop.

A few minutes later, a new video appeared on the screen. It showed a dark RV and four SUVs racing down a dirt road. The footage was shaky. The camera was panning quickly. Someone shouted in the background. Then a gunshot. The camera fell on the boat deck. The screen went black.

“Good enough,” Louis said. “Upload it. Now.”

“Yes, sir,” Zhang said. “It’ll take me a few minutes to make it look like the video came from the Navy and upload it through their network. They have a pretty good firewall.”

“I’ll be here,” Louis said. He poured another glass of water. He felt the adrenaline starting to kick in. “Put me through their comms channel. I want to hear what they’re saying.”

“I’ll try to patch you in, sir,” Zhang said.

A moment later, Louis heard a distorted conversation. “—ETA forty minutes. Target is likely still at the island.”

“Copy that, Actual. Hold fire until we have visual confirmation.”

Louis’s mind raced. He thought about the women, sleeping in the RV. He wanted to wake them up, to tell them what was happening. But what was the point? It would only cause panic. He had to handle this. He had to protect them.

“Done, sir,” Zhang said. “The video is up.”

“Good,” Louis said. “Now, let’s see if they buy it.”

He switched back to the Legion comms. A new voice came on. “Actual, we have a report. The targets were spotted heading west on the old railway road. A patrol boat tried to intercept them, but the Danites on board opened fire.”

“Are you sure about this, Command?” a new voice asked. “How reliable is the source?”

“It’s from our navy, Lieutenant,” the commander said. “The Dominion convoy is heading west. They are trying to escape.”

“Copy that, Command,” the lieutenant said. “We are changing course. Notify the Third Legion to block their path at the UR-30. And have the air support ready.”

“Wilco, Command,” the lieutenant said. “We will hunt them down.”

Louis felt a surge of relief. “They bought it.”

“For now, sir,” Zhang said. “But if they don’t find us, they will know it’s a fake.”

“At least we bought some time,” Louis said. “Keep monitoring them.”

“Understood, sir,” Zhang said.

Louis took out his phone and called Robin.

“Louis,” Robin’s voice came. “What’s going on? My men just told me about a Legion force heading your way.”

“They were,” Louis said. “But we tricked them. They’re chasing a fake convoy now.”

“How did you do that?” Robin asked.

“With a deepfake video,” Louis said. “Zhang’s team is good.”

“Very impressive, Louis,” Robin said. “But it’s not a permanent solution. They’ll be back.”

“I know,” Louis said. “That’s why I’m calling. I need you to get us out of here as soon as possible.”

“We’re working on it, Louis,” Robin said. “Your father is talking to the Legion’s acting commander General Jacobson. But they’re not cooperating. They’re demanding to hear from the Prophet King. But he’s still in surgery.”

“Can’t we just show them he’s with us?” Louis asked. “Let them see he’s alive, and we’re protecting him?”

“No,” Robin said. “That would reveal the Prophet King is in the Dominion. And that would be a political disaster, at least for them. We need to keep it secret.”

“Then what’s the plan?” Louis asked.

“We will send him and some of his wives back as soon as he’s stable, with a full medical team,” Robin said. “But for now, we need you to hold on and stay hidden.” He paused. “But if the Legion finds you, you can use the Rods to stop the advance. And your father will start a full-scale invasion from Nevada. He’s coordinating with President Bryant as we speak.”

“I’d rather avoid that, Robin,” Louis said.

“I understand, Louis. But you have to be prepared.”

“Okay,” Louis said. “Keep me updated.”

“I will,” Robin said, hanging up.

Louis looked at the screen. Zhang was tracking the Legion convoy. The icons for the fake convoy and the Legion force were getting further apart.

“It’s working, sir,” Zhang said. “The Legion force has changed course. They are heading west, away from us.” He looked at Louis. “What are your orders?”

“Get some rest, Sergeant,” Louis said. “I’m going to sleep too. Wake me up if anything changes.”

“Will do, sir,” Zhang said.

Louis went back to the bedroom. Donya, Cherish, and Angelique were still sleeping. He lay down beside Cherish and closed his eyes. He was exhausted. He just prevented a battle and a massacre with a fake video. But he was sure that was not the end of it. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. This time, he did not dream.