The farmer, Lucas Shea, came out to talk to us once the crowd coming in reached a steady trickle. He owned the land and, as he informed us almost immediately, he was Sheriff Harper’s second cousin on his wife’s side. Lucas had never created a game character, and it showed in the way his eyes kept flicking from person to person…to the Army vehicles…to the glow of spells firing into the air and at shields at the edge of his field.

  He was clearly overwhelmed by the number of people arriving…and by the fact that the Army was there at all.

  It turned out he’d served in the Army himself…thirty-six years ago, back in the ’80s. Since then, he’d packed on more than a few pounds and lost weight in his hair, but he still looked like the stocky American farmer you see at Farm and Tractor or the county co-op. Weathered hands. Sunburned neck. A man who knew land and seasons.

  The look on his face as he watched new Mages…along with a few experienced ones…firing bolt and ball spells into the air or against temporary shields with no one behind them, was almost priceless. Spells flared many colors and crackled as they shot through the air. Bright colors, fading into sparks before they could touch anything solid. He’d watched the videos from the Battle of Eddington, but seeing spells go off at the edge of his own field was something else entirely.

  Druids have plant-based spells. The Druid who’d fought with us at the Battle of Eddington was here and took the time to show Lucas what the class could do. Roots pushing up through hard soil. Crops responding to whispered words controlling the Mana. That convinced Lucas to take the class himself…anything that might help his farming.

  He also knew the land leading into Miller County. Most of the farmers around here hunted in the fall and went into the ridges and woods the rest of the year. His property line stretched south and then east almost to the county line. The field across the road was his too. There was one other farm directly between him and the county line.

  Lucas told us it was about three miles to Townsend if you cut through the woods and over the ridges…four and a bit if you took the road, winding up, down, and around the ridges. It was the closest town to him, so that’s where he shopped when he needed something quick. He knew several people who lived there.

  He pointed out a road heading south from 318, about three miles in. It wound over a couple of ridges before dropping into a valley and continuing south. Another road from that point ran north into town and entered in the downtown area from the south side. Farms lined the valley, especially on the north side of Townsend. South had less good land but there were houses along the south road.

  That all matched the maps and satellite photos I’d been looking at. Lucas seemed surprised I had them. He and Lt. Marmari spread his maps across the hood of a truck, fingers tracing contours and tree lines as they worked out the best approaches. The plan settled into something simple…send people ahead overland part of the way while the rest of us followed the roads.

  We assumed they’d have people watching the roads somewhere on the way in. We just didn’t know where.

  The other problem was the Strykers.

  They were proof against small-arms fire and most spells, but they were loud as hell. You’d hear them coming half a mile or more out of town. Since we couldn’t hide their approach, we’d use it.

  The first piece of good news came from the State Patrol. On the Miller County side of 318, the Miller County sheriff, Clinton Miller, and State Patrol had officers blocking the road a few miles east of town. Players were trickling in there, too…not as many as we had, but some was better than none. And if the people holding the town decided to run that way, they wouldn’t like what they ran into.

  Sherriff Harper said Clinton was descended from one of the first white settlers in the area and the person they named the county after.

  The second piece of good news came from two carloads of university people who’d fought us at the stadium. They were on our side now. Every one of them had CHARM abilities and some had the SLAVER profession. Call it atonement…or payback…it didn’t matter. We had more Mentalists on our side.

  They could provide protection against CHARM PERSON spells the same way I did…by PSYCHIC SHIELDS, or CHARMing someone in advance, making it harder or outright impossible for that person to be CHARMED. That meant I could save my spells for our highest-level and most important people.

  My level and stats would likely protect me against any locals who’d taken the class. Any out-of-town types…we’d have to see what they could do. I hoped I could handle it. If not, I could break it faster than most.

  The next bit of good news was Sarah and Bailey showing up.

  Sarah’s boss, Sandy, had let her off early and donated pizzas and two liter bottles of soft drinks…plus cups with Sandy’s Sandwich & Pizza Place printed on them so everyone knew who’d provided it. Their backseat was stacked high with pizza boxes. When word spread, there was great rejoicing as slices started getting passed around.

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  “Will,” Sarah whispered, leaning in and whispering. “Sandy’s working on a MANA pizza now that people found out I work there. Once we figure out what goes on it, she’ll make you one for approval.”

  “Then you can advertise it as approved by the First Mana Mage?” I whispered back, grinning. “And since you work there, it’s also in honor of you.”

  “Who am I to turn that down?” I thought. “But she should share it, too.”

  She blushed hard and stuttered just a little, and I enjoyed that more than I probably should have.

  “Don’t worry,” I said quietly. “You’ll get used to it. You’re the hero who protected people at the quarry. I’m just the guy who took a sheep shot and told them where to shoot.”

  Bailey laughed, at the line and probably at Sarah’s blushing. She knew it was true. People remembered Sarah for her Enchanting and for shielding them from flying stone fragments. They didn’t remember me pointing out targets.

  “Also, check with me first so it’s on my day to make dinner. Your timing was great last time. And thanks for pointing out Li-Chen. He should be back in California soon.”

  That derailed whatever Sarah was about to say.

  “Did he get what he wanted?”

  “Not really. We couldn’t do what he wanted to do. Maybe someday. The GRA is looking into it.”

  “That’s good. I’ve never seen someone dressed like that before. Except in pictures.”

  “He’s a Chinese-style martial artist. Long family tradition, he said. He’ll be a solid asset out west. Somewhere around San Francisco.” I paused. “Anyway, I want you and Bailey with the north group. You’ll come in from that side of town. PokerRun’s setting up over there.”

  I looked at Bailey. “If you want, I can put both of you in a Stryker. No need to take your car. We’ll meet back here afterward before heading back to Eddington.”

  I glanced down the line of vehicles. “The big armored trucks with guns mounted on top. Big loud guns.”

  “That’s where the experienced people will be. Just hit anyone with a red armband and shield the other casters. We don’t think any spells can get through that armor…at least not for a while. Just make sure they give you earplugs. The gun on top is painfully loud if they fire it. We’re hoping they won’t have to.”

  They both nodded. I’d forgotten they’d been fired at the quarry when they shot at the World Boss Projection. They knew exactly what I meant.

  Some of Marmari’s soldiers opened the rear doors of the Strykers so people curious about them could look inside. It gave folks something to do while we waited.

  Waited for what?

  “We're waiting for everyone to get into position around town,” I told them. “They’re walking in through the woods.”

  [William of Brinsford:] [PokerRun] [How’s it going?]

  [PokerRun:] [William of Brinsford] [Getting close. Only heard one car so far. That’s bad.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [PokerRun] [Sat maps show barricades at town entrances. Townspeople staying inside. Saw Blaze’s car on a side street.]

  [PokerRun:] [William of Brinsford] [What kind of defense they got?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [PokerRun] [Individuals with guns and red armbands. Sawhorse barricades from street department it looks like. Army’s running detailed analysis. If you got a signal, I can send sat photos to your phone. You can pass them to Ralphie when he’s ready. We’re waiting on you.]

  He gave me a Gmail address. I confirmed it in chat, forwarded it to the GRA and the Army HQ address that sent me the pics, and added instructions…former Army sniper, send appropriate intel.

  A few minutes later, confirmation emails hit my inbox from both sides of the convention center.

  [PokerRun:] [William of Brinsford] [Got them. Passing to Ralphie.]

  Then another message blindsided me.

  [LPetersISDA:] [William of Brinsford] [Unexpected problem here. Demonstrators.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [LPetersISDA] [Demonstrators? For or against what?]

  [LPetersISDA:] [William of Brinsford] [Army involvement. Attacking civilians.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [LPetersISDA] [First I’ve heard of any in Eddington.]

  [LPetersISDA:] [William of Brinsford] [Some vocal ones when Army arrived. President’s visit shut most of them down. Mostly campus. Posters about the stadium killings. I think people who were mind-controlled shut them up about that.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [LPetersISDA] [What’s happening now? We have people to save.]

  [LPetersISDA:] [William of Brinsford] [They claim Army can’t be used against civilians. Lawyer seeking injunction right now.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [LPetersISDA] [World Boss wasn’t civilian. Got it. Any complaints about fighting spawns?]

  [LPetersISDA:] [William of Brinsford] [You didn’t hear? In Austin, adventurers dropped protesters at a spawn site. Told them to make peace with the spawns. Even offered them weapons if they wanted. They didn’t. It was filmed.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [LPetersISDA] [Why do I think that didn’t go well for the protesters?]

  [LPetersISDA:] [William of Brinsford] [It didn’t. DA declined charges. Said there was no legal requirement to defend others for civilians.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [LPetersISDA] [So what now? Are they right?]

  [LPetersISDA:] [William of Brinsford] [Pentagon authorized the quarry action. Congress is debating future use. You were an advisor. Orders came from military and President. It wasn't against citizens, so that was legal.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [LPetersISDA] [People are trying to reach the Governor to request DoD help.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [LPetersISDA] [Thanks. Stuff I didn’t know. What if they help us anyway?]

  [LPetersISDA:] [William of Brinsford] [Checking. Unknown. Ask a lawyer. Got a call. Later.]

  Ask a lawyer. I already did. He hasn’t gotten back to me.

  I got the rules the army would follow from Lt. Marmari. You could say, I’ve got the official word what they can and can’t do. With their option to fight back only if attacked. And no artillery this time. I didn’t want to use that against the town anyway. They weren’t the problem.

  Or were they?

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