It galled her to use a news source run by Muslims, but she’d learned from experience that Al-Jazeera had the best reporters on the ground in the Republic. They’d negotiated coverage deals with several of the militia groups, including Alexander’s. The first thing she noticed was that their last article had gone up well over an hour ago. But the titles of the four most recent articles painted a vivid picture.

Republic Capitol in Galveston Burning: Military Coup?

Republic Media Feeds Go Dark: SDF Under Attack in Dallas

Pastor ‘Mike’ Donaghan Announces New Offensive for ‘Heavenly Kingdom’

How could there could possibly be a new offensive against the secular forces in Dallas? The Richardson line had been locked in a stalemate for the last year. Alexander had told her often how outnumbered and outgunned the Martyrs of the Heavenly Kingdom were. “We’re holding our own, but only by the grace of God,” was his usual refrain. The idea of them advancing again on the SDF seemed impossible.

“Nothing is impossible with God,” she could almost hear Alexander’s voice echo in her mind’s ear. She glanced over at his chat screen, but it still just showed the standard “Dialing” symbol. Frustrated, Sasha brought up her militia newsfeed. This was one of her most cherished possessions: it had taken months for her to sort out the most influential Christian militias in the area, find their official spokesfeeds, and cross-index them based on which groups agreed with the strict neo-Calvinist doctrine that she, Alexander, and Pastor Mike all knew to be the One True Word of God.

And for the first time since she’d started the feed, each and every militia she followed had posted the exact same message.

The First Battle of Armageddon Has Begun.

Sasha was confused for a minute. She’d done her homework, she knew the final battle of the End Times was supposed to occur at Mount Megiddo, in Israel. But she thought back to Pastor Mike’s sermons. He had talked about the “battles of Armageddon” many times. The coming end times and the central place of the Heavenly Kingdom in the world’s last battles were constant refrains in his sermons. Sasha had always believed the battles of Armageddon would come. She’d just thought she had more time.