Chapter 346: A Distracted Voroltz - I

Seven days had passed since the Golden Eagle Army suspended its advance toward Silverpeak’s central Hive.

Colonel James Voroltz sat beside Major Federick in an MDC vehicle on the way to Southern Command’s headquarters for the final operational meeting.

Commander Brandon had informed him that Golden Eagle was gathering a much larger force for the attack on the central Hive, and reports of new military installations had been arriving throughout the week.

Voroltz expected reinforcements. He just hadn’t expected this many.

"Where... where do they even get all of this...?"

"Get what, Colonel?" Federick asked.

"You know what I’m talking about, Major."

Voroltz leaned closer to the window.

They were passing through an area of abandoned factories and storage yards where his soldiers had patrolled when Golden Eagle first arrived in Silverpeak.

Now, enormous military structures occupied much of the land.

War Factories stood behind secured perimeters, with armored vehicles emerging from their deployment bays.

The first four War Factories he remembered had become eight. They were spread between newly cleared production grounds rather than packed into a single industrial block, and the newer facilities had the same enormous deployment doors as the first.

Even while Voroltz watched, two launchers rolled out from adjoining bays.

He knew they were not tanks.

One carried twelve large rocket tubes, while the other had four covered missile cells.

A column of similar vehicles crossed the intersection ahead. Voroltz counted thirty before another column came from the opposite road. The traffic officers waved both through as though this were an ordinary morning.

"Since when did missile launchers become normal?"

"For their army, perhaps, Colonel." Federick chuckled.

Voroltz gave him a glare that almost pulled the poor major’s soul out.

Farther away, large Airfield Bases occupied sections of the industrial outskirts, their runways and hangars stretching across areas that were completely empty a week earlier.

The last southern installation report he saw listed two Airfield Bases. There were now five in Silverpeak’s secured sectors, with aircraft moving between their hangars and broad paved aprons. Beyond the nearest one, workers had already cleared and marked a plot for a sixth.

And it wasn’t only Silverpeak. Horjus, which Bond had only recently liberated, now had two Airfield Bases of its own. Voroltz wasn’t even sure when Golden Eagle had put the necessary infrastructure there.

Other secured areas were being surveyed for more.

Several aircraft passed overhead.

On another road, a long column of Guardian APCs and Vanguard tanks moved toward the city’s northern districts.

And there were soldiers everywhere.

Near a rail crossing, rows of MLRS launchers filled one yard while PSML vehicles occupied another. Several were already moving toward the outskirts, their crews inside. Armored Resupply Vehicles stood beside the parked launchers, but Voroltz couldn’t see the enormous ammunition columns he would have expected to follow an artillery force of this size.

Most of the new vehicles weren’t Vanguards or Guardian APCs. Golden Eagle was producing rocket and missile launchers by the hundreds.

"You call this a reinforcement? Commander Brandon, that stud. He’s making this old man feel older."

Federick followed his gaze.

"You think they can stand a chance against Valeria, Colonel?"

"Who knows?" Voroltz took a deep breath. "We can only hope they can."

Another launcher column turned south. Some of the soldiers along the road were guarding installations, while others checked equipment or climbed into their vehicles.

Voroltz had seen large armored concentrations before. He had never seen an artillery force gathering on this scale while its factories continued producing more.

"This... this isn’t just a military organization. There must be someone, something much greater behind it!"

Federick glanced at him from the side.

"Colonel..."

"I am going mad. Damn it, keep driving."

Voroltz leaned back.

He had commanded large formations before the Event. He knew how much land a military installation could occupy and how difficult it was to support an army of considerable size.

Golden Eagle already had more troops in the area than any force he had personally commanded, and this was only what he could see along the road.

Ridiculous.

He recalled the reports his men had submitted over the past several days.

Several soldiers he sent to Grefort for reconnaissance and liaison had returned with strange news.

The Golden Eagle Army was recruiting civilians.

Not just workers for reconstruction, either. His men had seen military recruitment, complete with physical assessments, interviews and training.

Why?

With how quickly Golden Eagle could produce soldiers and military equipment, why would they need to recruit ordinary survivors?

He had considered asking Brandon about it during the meeting.

Then again, he already had quite a few questions about the enormous military complex outside.

"Colonel, we’re here."

Voroltz looked up.

The vehicle arrived outside Southern Command’s headquarters.

Several Golden Eagle soldiers stood near the entrance, while other officers were already making their way inside.

He straightened his uniform and stepped out.

Before continuing, he looked back toward the installations stretching beyond the headquarters.

Seven days. All of those new buildings, and Brandon’s forces had grown along with them.

Voroltz shook his head.

"Get me to the meeting room, quick."

He was afraid that looking any longer would give him a heart attack. Federick led the way, and they entered the building.

The meeting room was already occupied when Voroltz and Federick arrived.

Several Golden Eagle officers gathered around a large operational table, while others reviewed the information on the surrounding screens.

Commander Brandon stood near the center, speaking with one of his staff officers.

"Colonel Voroltz, Major Federick. Good morning to both of you."

"Good morning, Commander Brandon," Voroltz replied. "Quite a lively meeting today?"

"Yes. Please, take your seats. We’re about to begin."

Voroltz nodded and sat beside Federick.

Brandon returned to the operational table.

"Alright, gentlemen. Let’s begin."

The main display changed, showing a large map of Silverpeak and the surrounding districts.

Blue markers showed Golden Eagle’s formations, including the large concentrations around the central Hive.

Voroltz stared at the screen. Good heavens...

There were more formations than he remembered.

He recognized several locations where the Golden Eagle Army had previously established defensive positions. Those same areas now appeared to accommodate larger forces.

And farther behind them were additional formations he had never seen before.

Reinforcements, obviously. But where did they get so many?

"...and the remaining formations have completed their preparations. All assigned units are expected to maintain their current positions until the operation begins."

Brandon continued speaking.

Voroltz could hear him, but his attention had already wandered elsewhere.

If Golden Eagle had this much equipment here, how large was its entire army?

Had they sent most of it to Silverpeak, or was this only a portion?

He remembered that they were conducting operations in other cities as well.

Grefort, for example. That was where his men had reported those recruitment activities.

Voroltz frowned. There was that recruitment business again.

If the Golden Eagle Army could expand its forces at such an absurd rate, why would it bother putting civilians through military training?

Was there some kind of manpower shortage?

The thought was impossible.

He had just passed enough soldiers outside to make an entire MDC formation look insignificant by comparison.

Unless...

"Colonel Voroltz?"

Voroltz barely heard him.

"Colonel?"

Federick nudged his arm.

"Sir."

"Hm? What?"

Voroltz turned toward him.

Federick gestured toward the other side of the table.

Commander Brandon was looking directly at him.

"Colonel, are you alright?"

"Ah..."

Voroltz straightened himself.

"Yes, yes. I’m fine, Commander. My apologies. Signs of aging. Please continue."

Brandon looked somewhat amused.

"Is something bothering you?"

"No, nothing particularly serious."

Brandon let it slide and gestured toward the map.

"Very well. Now, regarding the central Hive..."

He enlarged the central district on the main display.

The digital map showed Silverpeak’s remaining structures, collapsed streets, and the extensive underground network they had been studying for the past several days.

Several colored sections indicated the estimated locations of major biological concentrations, while other markings showed the suspected underground connections and areas where the Engineers had identified alarming structural weaknesses.

Voroltz had seen the maps before, but the underground network still bothered him. Tunnels ran beneath other tunnels, with enormous chambers and passages connecting places that shouldn’t have been connected at all.

And all of this had developed right underneath their city, all because of that damned Hive in the center.

"Now, regarding the attack," Brandon began.

He selected several highlighted areas around the central district.

"These are the primary target zones we’ve identified. Our Engineers have completed their assessments, and we’ve incorporated the latest underground activity reports into the attack plan."

Several additional markings appeared on the display.

"We’ll begin with our Fires formations. The targets have already been assigned, particularly the major infected concentrations and the passages connecting them to the central Hive.

"The MLRS batteries will strike the concentration areas. PSML units will handle the reinforced chambers and designated structural connections, while the Hellhammers take the nearer demolition zones. Our aircraft will cover the openings and any infected that reach the surface."

Voroltz glanced at the outer rings of markers. Some of the rocket batteries were positioned so far from the central district that he had nearly mistaken them for neighboring garrisons.

There were enough batteries out there to keep whole sections of Silverpeak under fire without sending a single tank into the Hive’s territory.

Brandon brought up the Fires deployment sheet. Voroltz had received a summary with his meeting papers, but seeing the figures on the main screen was something else.

The original four War Factories had devoted all sixteen production lines to launchers during the seven-day buildup, ten to MLRS and six to PSML. According to the production office, those lines produced two hundred and eighty MLRS vehicles and one hundred and thirty-two PSML vehicles.

Four hundred and twelve additional launchers.

And that didn’t include whatever the newer War Factories produced after they came online.

Voroltz read the figures twice. Even if some of those vehicles were in reserve or assigned elsewhere, Golden Eagle had produced more artillery in a week than the MDC could have imagined fielding before the Event.

"Our armored formations will remain on the outer routes and recovery assignments," Brandon explained. "Fires will do most of the destruction. Our Phantom bombers have the larger demolition areas. We intend to break open the underground network and expose the central biological structures."

An officer from the Air contingent continued.

"Our Raptors and Apaches will be supporting the operation as well. They’ll engage exposed infected and provide assistance to the ground formations as required."

"How many aircraft are participating?" Federick asked.

"The numbers are in your operational package, Major," the officer replied. "All assigned elements are ready, and we have reserve aircraft available."

Federick nodded. Voroltz looked toward the highlighted central district.

Much of the remaining infrastructure within those areas would probably be destroyed alongside the Hive.

He had argued against destroying so much of the city before. But after everything the Hive had done, he couldn’t insist on saving the buildings at the cost of letting it survive.

They could rebuild the city later. That was assuming there would still be a Silverpeak worth rebuilding if the Hive survived.

Brandon changed the display once more, revealing the approximate positions of the Golden Eagle Army’s participating formations.

"Now, regarding our ground forces. The formations assigned to the outer perimeter have completed their preparations. The remaining units will maintain their positions until the bombardment begins."

He glanced toward the officers gathered around the table.

"Are there any outstanding issues with your respective assignments?"

One of the officers began reporting the final readiness status of his formations.

Voroltz listened carefully this time. He’d embarrassed himself once already and wasn’t about to let Federick nudge him again.