Tanya traced evacuation zones on the territorial maps while listening to Allied intelligence chatter. Their chemical detection teams were chasing shadows - investigating large shipments of horse blood to medical facilities, analyzing mysterious agricultural runoff patterns, monitoring civilian traffic flows. Every false trail carefully laid to occupy their attention.

  "Remarkable how much chaos a few thousand liters of horse blood can cause," she mused, voice rough from chemical damage. "Their biological warfare experts will waste days analyzing samples that mean nothing."

  The farmhouse cellar's communications array hummed with implementation orders. Every deception served its purpose - keeping Allied attention divided while she adjusted the Protocol for surgical application to their twenty kilometers of captured territory.

  "Sir," her logistics officer reported, "The horse blood diversion is working perfectly. Their medical units are warning about possible biological agent development. Three separate task forces redirected to investigate."

  "Good." She marked another sector on the map. "And the agricultural runoff?"

  "They're finding exactly what they expect - traces of standard chemical agents in predicted concentrations. Their detection teams are focused on obvious contamination patterns."

  Just as planned. Let them chase obvious threats while something far worse took root in their captured ground. Twenty kilometers they thought they'd secured. Twenty kilometers they'd fortified according to every chemical warfare protocol.

  Twenty kilometers that would become their lesson in true horror.

  "What about the civilian traffic patterns?" she asked, studying weather projections.

  "Surveillance indicates they're tracking all our evacuation routes. Interpreting them exactly as intended - preparation for conventional chemical deployment."

  Perfect. Let them think they understood her intentions. Let them prepare for the kind of chemical warfare they knew. Their doctrine was decades out of date, still focused on World War One concepts of gas clouds and wind patterns.

  She'd moved beyond such crude methods.

  "Report from Sector Twelve," another aide announced. "Allied engineering teams are reinforcing positions against projected chemical attack vectors. Deploying additional detection equipment along expected deployment corridors."

  "Excellent." She traced the real implementation zones - carefully chosen sectors where industrial output would be redirected. Not the obvious routes they were fortifying against. "They're looking in all the wrong places. Following protocols designed for the last war."

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  The deceptions continued layering. Fake chemical stockpiles positioned to draw attention. Obvious transportation patterns meant to be discovered. Even a few of Weber's documented "innovations" served as diversions - letting them think they understood what was coming.

  "Colonel," von Kleist's voice crackled through the radio. "Their chemical warfare units are fully committed to investigating the threats we've presented. The horse blood diversion alone has tied up three specialist teams."

  "Of course it has." Her satisfaction carried despite damaged lungs. "They think they're being thorough. Following every protocol. Investigating every possibility."

  She marked another sector for focused implementation. The Protocol had required significant adjustment - precision instead of total coverage. But that made it more potent. More merciless. Twenty kilometers becoming something far worse than they could imagine.

  "Sir," the communications officer handed her new reports. "Allied command is executing textbook chemical warfare response. Detection teams deployed according to doctrine. Medical units positioned based on predicted dispersal patterns."

  All looking for threats they understood. All preparing for the kind of chemical warfare they'd studied. None seeing the true danger growing beneath their feet.

  "Begin Stage Two," she ordered. "Keep their attention divided. Let them chase obvious threats while we implement the real measures."

  The industrial transformation proceeded with ruthless focus. Not the widespread devastation originally planned, but something more precise. More terrible. Twenty kilometers becoming a testament to what happened when you brought chemical horror to her front.

  "Colonel," her chemical officer reported, "The soil chemistry alterations are proceeding undetected. Their testing protocols aren't designed to identify these patterns."

  Of course they weren't. She'd studied their doctrine, their procedures, their entire approach to chemical warfare. Had designed something they couldn't defend against because they couldn't imagine it.

  "Status of civilian evacuation?" she demanded.

  "Complete in all adjacent sectors. Medical units pre-positioned. Protective measures implemented for our forces."

  Good. The Protocol's adjustments had taken time - ensuring their own territory and forces would be protected. But now everything was ready. Twenty kilometers of captured ground about to become something far worse than occupied territory.

  "They're still investigating the horse blood shipments," an aide reported with carefully hidden amusement. "Three separate analyses trying to identify nonexistent biological agents."

  Let them waste resources chasing phantoms. Let them think they were being thorough. Let them believe their protocols would protect them.

  "Proceed with final implementation," she ordered, each word carried on copper-tinged breath. "Concentrate everything on their occupied zone. Let them hold their twenty kilometers. Let them think they understand what's coming."

  The communications array hummed with activation sequences. Not the total war originally planned, but something more focused. More merciless. Twenty kilometers becoming a lesson in what happened when you gave her reason to use everything at her disposal.

  In the farmhouse cellar, Tanya continued coordinating the Protocol's implementation. Every deception serving its purpose. Every false trail drawing attention from the true threat. Let them chase obvious dangers while something far worse took root in ground they thought they'd secured.

  They had brought gas to her front.

  Now they would learn what real chemical warfare meant.

  When every kilometer they'd taken became a testament to what happened when you awakened something merciless.

  The implementation continued while copper filled her mouth with each breath. Let them follow their protocols. Let them think they understood what was coming.

  They would learn.