Washington City, United States
Autumn 1846
Rain fell over Washington in uneven waves, turning sections of the road outside the War Department into thick mud beneath carriage wheels and marching boots. Water ran along the edges of the streets while cold wind pushed rain against windows hard enough to make the glass rattle every few minutes.
The sky had darkened long before evening.
Heavy storm clouds hung low above the capital, covering the city in a dull gray that made everything feel colder and more tense than usual.
Inside the War Department, though, almost nobody paid attention to the weather anymore.
The room was too tense for that.
Maps covered nearly every table inside the operations chamber. Large sheets of paper had been spread across desks, walls, and temporary stands placed wherever space remained.
Texas.
The Rio Grande.
Northern Mexico.
Supply routes.
Rail projections.
Possible mobilization zones.
