Novels by Vaughn Heppner

Invasion: Alaska

Invasion: California

Accelerated

I, Weapon

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Invasion: Colorado

(Invasion America Series)

by Vaughn Heppner

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.

-- George S. Patton Jr.

Copyright © 2013 by the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

Preface

From Tank Wars, by B.K. Laumer III:

The invasion of the United Sates by the Pan-Asian Alliance and the South American Federation in 2039 has few parallels in modern history. The closest example would be Hitler’s invasion of Russia in 1941.

In that year, Germany marshaled approximately three million ground troops in 167 divisions. Two hundred thousand of those soldiers were from satellite nations. The Germans envisioned Operation Barbarossa as a four-month blitzkrieg campaign—a panzer race to the Volga River, sealing off European Russia from its Asian hinterland.

In 2039, Operation Whirlwind dwarfed the German numbers, although it had a similar scope. Seven million Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian and Venezuelan soldiers in 368 divisions would roll across the New Mexico-Texas border. Instead of three Army Groups as the Germans used, Chairman Hong divided the force into three gigantic Fronts.

The concentrations were as follows: Marshal Liang commanded the Third Front. It consisted of two PAA Army Groups, together with General Zhen’s Tank Army. Marshal Wen commanded the Fourth Front with two PAA Army Groups and General Shin’s Tank Army. Marshal Sanchez commanded the SAF First Front, with two SAF Army Groups. Lastly, a South American Federation amphibious force waited in Venezuela to assault the American coastline.

All together, this represented the greatest concentration of military power ever used in a single campaign. The world had never seen such might and it is unlikely that such a mass of men and tanks will ever again drive united toward a goal.

From Military History: Past to Present, by Vance Holbrook:

Invasion of Midwestern America, Phase I, 2039-2040

Chinese Plans. Worsening, worldwide glaciation dominated Chairman Hong’s strategic thinking. Mass starvation was becoming a stark reality for almost every nation, including China. The American heartland with its continued bounty was the world’s most critical asset. The lure of the wheat fields drew Hong’s attention like a magnet and may have warped his judgment.

The grand plan was simple. The Pan-Asian Alliance together with the South American Federation marshaled the greatest invasion force in history—seven million ground troops in Northern Mexico, 368 divisions. They would smash across the Rio Grande as the German Dominion invaded New Orleans and Louisiana. Led by Marshal Liang, one gigantic thrust would use the Rocky Mountains as its western wall, driving north into the American Midwest. The second thrust under Marshal Wen would use the Mississippi River as its eastern wall, also driving north. In the center and linking the two Chinese Fronts was the SAF First Front under Marshal Sanchez. The Canadian border was the end goal of all three field marshals. Vast battles of annihilation would destroy the core of the American Armed Forces in the prairie corridor between the Rockies and the Mississippi.

This conquest would yield to Hong and Greater China the Great Plains wheat fields, and it would divide the United States into two unequal halves. In the following year, if the Americans didn’t sue for peace, Hong envisioned the Western Conquest, from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast. In the third year and campaign, and with German Dominion help, China would complete the American subjection with the Eastern Conquest from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Coast.

Originally set for 12 May 2039 and with the addition of 2 million more ground troops, the timetable for Operation Whirlwind was seriously disarranged by the preemptive attack into California (see Invasion: California). Beginning 21 April 2039, two million Chinese troops smashed against the SoCal Fortifications and drove north into the Golden State. Unprecedented Chinese losses, the paucity of conquered territory and the deaths of Marshals Kao, Nung and Foreign Minster Deng shook the Chinese military and its allied forces, particularly the German Dominion. The need for Chinese reorganization and resupply of stockpiled munitions added many weeks to the original start date of Operation Whirlwind. Instead of May 12, the Midwestern invasion began on 15 June 2039.

American Plans. American forces were heavily concentrated behind the Rio Grande in Texas and New Mexico, with coastline defenses along the southern Atlantic and Gulf States. The lessons in California taught the Americans the need for defense in depth. Mobilized American ground strength approximated five million on the Rio Grande, half a million in California with another million scattered elsewhere, primarily on the Eastern and Southern coastlines. Reserves were available and the formation and training of hastily assembled troops had begun. Although the country possessed the world’s largest concentration of rifles and shotgun, the problem was that more American materiel—tanks, cannons and planes—were desperately needed.

German Plans. American defensive stubbornness in California impressed the German Dominion military. On their recommendation, Chancellor Kleist—the new Otto von Bismarck of the twenty-first century—reevaluated the situation he faced. He determined to hold back the GD military, letting the Chinese and Americans bled themselves white against each other. Afterward, he would seek easy objectives of opportunity. On that basis, the Chancellor weekly reassessed the war.

2039, June 15-July 6. The Invasion. Simultaneously along a 2,000-kilometer front, the onslaught started at 3:30 A.M. with the customary air and artillery bombardments. The Americans had expected an offensive and therefore the Chinese failed to achieve surprise, although several Swan missiles with tactical EMP helped the initial attacks succeed. In grinding attritional battles, the Chinese and South American forces reached the Pecos River in West Texas and neared San Antonio in the east. In the last days of June, armored thrusts broke through the American lines and swept around San Antonio. The pocket surrendered on July 6, and 160,000 Americans marched into captivity, with the Chinese capturing 500 tanks and 350 artillery pieces.

2039, July 6-August 3. The Big Push. Marshal Liang’s Third Front, which began operations at El Paso, battled relentlessly forward to Albuquerque, New Mexico and onward to Santa Fe. This Front saw some of the bloodiest fighting in the war and decimated the American forces. The Siege of Albuquerque bagged the Chinese 200,000 prisoners, 200 tanks and 400 guns, while the Siege of Santa Fe cost the Americans 300,000 casualties.

The Fourth Front made even greater territorial progress, shoving the American lines back to Houston and in the north to Dallas—as Marshal Wen sought to reach the Mississippi River. Both cities fell after Chinese armored thrusts bypassed the metropolises, although the troops’ fates were radically different. General McGraw fought his way free of Dallas, saving 130,000 soldiers, although leaving the majority of his heavy equipment behind. The trapped soldiers in Houston literally starved to death, refusing every offer to surrender.

In the last week of July, the South American Federation amphibiously invaded New Orleans, taking the place of the reluctant German Dominion military. It was a costly fiasco in terms of SAF blood and materiel, although the city fell to the invaders when the American forces finally retreated in good order.

2039, August 3-September 7. Hong’s Changes. After the costly and some believe pyrrhic victories of El Paso, Albuquerque and Santa Fe, Marshal Liang’s Third Front strictly followed Chinese operational plans, using the Rocky Mountains as its western wall and slowly battling northward.

At the same time, the Fourth Front reached the Mississippi River, linking with the SAF amphibious force in New Orleans. In the following weeks, Marshal Wen made rapid progress north, soon reaching Little Rock, Arkansas.

His primary problem was the South America Federation troops. Their task was to mop up the American forces in the center of the corridor. The Brazilian and Venezuelan soldiers proved unequal to the challenge as well-trained American formations often repelled their attacks.

To bolster his allies and seeking a vast haul in prisoners, Chairman Hong detached the main tank armies of Third and Fourth Fronts. Despite the vigorous protests of his field commanders, Chinese armor swung corridor-ward to support Field Marshal Sanchez’s First Front as it approached Oklahoma City.

The immediate results of this unexpected change proved favorable. In a grand pincer move, the combined PAA-SAF troops trapped three American armies on the southern side of the Canadian River. A period of confused fighting followed as General McGraw made his second historic breakout, managing to extricate the mobile formations. In the early days of September, however, 225,000 American troops surrendered in what became known as the Oklahoma Pocket.

2039, September 7-24. Reorganization. Sorting out the attacking formations and returning them to their parent Fronts took time. Tanks and other vehicles showed the strain of the terrific pace and long marches. This was a period of rest and reinforcement, including several mopping up operations.

It had become clear to both American and Chinese commanders the inferior quality of the SAF troops, and both made plans accordingly.

Newly formed U.S. Militia units finally began to arrive in number along the eastern side of the Mississippi River. This freed many of the regular Army troops there. The American command was divided about where to put these “added” forces. President Sims and the Joint Chiefs agreed to keep them east of the Mississippi River as a mobile “fire brigade” in case the Chinese crossed the great American river in force. General McGraw—a hero to many, though to others an unstable self-aggrandizer—argued otherwise. He urged the Joint Chiefs to take bold risks in order to defeat the enemy and hurl him back into Mexico.

2039, September 24-October 28. Grinding Battle. Marshal Liang began the so-called Drive on Colorado. Unseasonable flood-level rains and ferocious American resistance slowed the advance to a crawl as the soil became muddy and slimy, with vast shallow lakes dotting the landscape. In the second week of an amazingly warm October for the Colorado Front Range, the offensive stalled completely even as the Chinese neared Greater Denver. The continuous fighting—for some, having lasted an incredible nineteen weeks—had exhausted both sides.

Heavier rains struck the Great Plains, turning the war there for both sides into a struggle against General Mud. Mainly due to brilliant Chinese hovertank exploitations, Wichita fell on October 6, while the last American soldier left Kansas City by October 26. Marshal Wen’s Fourth Front began a slow and careful approach on St. Louis.

COMMENT. At this point in the conflict the main American Army desperately needed help. The original soldiers had taken massive causalities and received little rest during endless months of fighting retreats. There was a flood of quickly-trained reinforcements. Many of these troops had perished in the cauldron or encirclement battles. This stall in the Aggressor offensive gave America a breathing spell, but how long would it last and could they use it to shake down their new reserves? For America, the time of crisis had arrived.

The Chinese scented victory, but nascent guerilla and partisan activity in the Occupied Territories had already begun to tell on the supply situation. Worse in the Chinese view, the President of the United States had in desperation unleashed his ruthless Director of Homeland Security, who continued to raise ever greater numbers of Militia formations to throw into the furnace of battle.

The war hung in the balance, with the world awaiting its outcome.

-1-

Attrition

ARKANSAS RIVER, KANSAS

It was cold, wet and miserable under the supposedly rainproof camouflage slicker. Clouds hid the stars, making the night pitch black except for the dim lights near the Chinese pontoon bridge a mile and a half away.

Master Sergeant Paul Kavanagh lay on his belly. Freezing raindrops pelted his head and occasionally found a way behind his ears. He shivered every time that happened. The bad weather was making it difficult to see anything with his night vision binoculars.

“We should pull back,” Romo said.

Paul grunted for an answer. He was too angry for words.

The world seemed a sea of icy, slushy mud and snow, while nearby the swollen river raged. It was late October and much colder than it had a right to be. Glaciation—approaching Ice Age weather—had changed the normal patterns. Paul didn’t really care why it was so cold. Apparently too many volcanos had spewed particles into the air, and had been for some time now. His wife had told him before that TV preachers talked about the End Times and approaching Armageddon, and how there would be more earthquakes and calamities. Maybe they were right. The invasion this summer in Texas had felt like Armageddon. Weather-wise, the number of solar flares was almost zero—had been for years—and that supposedly made the Earth colder even without the mass volcanism. Talk about your calamities.

“The hell with it,” Paul muttered.

“We’re leaving?” Romo asked.

Paul gripped the binoculars so his knuckles turned white. The Chinese were crazy to have built a pontoon bridge down there. The rain-swollen river should have swept it away, but it hadn’t. Nothing worked right anymore.

Romo and he were an LRSU team: Long Range Surveillance Unit. They belonged to SOCOM, which ran American commandos: SEALs, Delta Force, Marine Recon, you name it.

Normally, a LRSU team was composed of four men. Normally—ha, that was a joke. Since June 15, nothing had been normal. The American military had taken enormous casualties as the combined Pan-Asian Alliance and South American Federation forces drove up through the Great Plains like a bayonet shoved into the United States’ belly.

“Now’s a perfect time to slip away,” Romo suggested.

Paul lay on his stomach. He was cold and he was tired. Since this spring, he’d fought in California, in Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and now here in Kansas near the Colorado border. His wife and kid were safe for the moment in Reno, Nevada. Yet how safe would anyone be if the Chinese bastards split the U.S. in two? The enemy’s goal had become obvious and nothing America had done so far could stop their relentless advance.

There were just too many of them. Worse, the enemy never seemed to run out of supplies or the will to keep driving north.

This part of the world had turned to water and mud, a slimy glop that clutched boots and wheels alike, striving to pull them off the wearer. Maybe if the enemy didn’t have so many hovercraft things would be different, but Paul wasn’t so sure anymore.

“Do you have an idea?” Romo asked.

Paul tore his eyes from the field glasses and glanced at his blood brother. Romo lay beside him under his own camouflage slicker. The Mexican Apache used to be a hit man for Colonel Valdez of the Mexico Home Army. He was shorter than Paul, and he was dark-skinned, with sharp features, a shaved scalp and the eyes of a stone-cold killer. He also had an earring with a feather dangling from it. Go figure.

“Yeah,” Paul said. “I got an idea.”

“You want to let me in on it?”

With his thumb and forefinger, Master Sergeant Kavanagh wiped water out of his eyes and shoved them back against the field glasses. He was sick and tired of watching the American military retreat. He was sick of seeing good American boys lying dead in the mud.

The Arkansas River was behind enemy lines. The Chinese had taken Wichita and Kansas City and they were still pushing. Actually, it was more like crawling after the American Army. The U.S. formations slipped and slid like drunks on the mud, retreating and attempting to dig in and hold somewhere.

“We have to stop them,” Paul muttered.

“There’s nothing you and me are going to do about it tonight,” Romo said.

Paul turned to his blood brother, and there was fire in Kavanagh’s eyes. Despite his age, he was broad-shouldered, with lean hips. Once he’d been the hardest tackler on his high school football team. Lately a rage had been welling in him against the invading Chinese. What really ate at him was the growing sense of helplessness. He wasn’t used to the feeling. What had him so mad tonight was the radio message they had received five minutes ago.

Romo and he were LRSU. Originally, Paul belonged to Marine Recon, but now worked directly under General Ochoa of SOCOM. Their two-man team had slipped behind enemy lines to disrupt Chinese operations any way they could. They were also the eyes for the drone operators who would launch Precision Guided Munitions—smart bombs—on critical enemy chokepoints.

This pontoon bridge on the swollen Arkansas River was an ideal target. A traffic jam behind the bridge had already built up. If the drones could slip in and launch one, two or three smart bombs…

The message five minutes ago had aborted the mission. The reason it gave was simple. The drone operators had run out of smart bombs again and Ochoa didn’t want to try using dumb gravity bombs. Maybe if this had been the first time it had happened, Paul could live with it. But it wasn’t the first. This was the third time in two and a half weeks.

Three strikes and you’re out.

“See,” Paul said, in a deceptively calm voice, “I’m crawling closer so I can take a few potshots at some Chinese captain or major. If I’m lucky, I’ll nail me one, or maybe even a colonel.”

Romo was slow in answering. “I understand your anger, my brother.”

“Yeah?”

“Remember, they invaded my country first.”

“Yeah,” Paul said.

Six years ago, the Chinese had aided one side of the Mexican Civil War. That side won and more Chinese soldiers kept coming until there were millions of them. The Chinese said it was for protection against American aggression. Under Chinese influence, the South American Federation joined in the fun, adding another few million soldiers against America. This summer with the invasion of Texas and New Mexico…

Paul shook his head. He was done talking or thinking about it. He put away the binoculars and shoved up to his feet. He had an old M25 sniper rifle and decided tonight was a good time to use it. If the smart bombs weren’t coming, he could put a few smart rounds into where they would do the most good.

Wordlessly, Romo rose beside him. They’d been behind enemy lines for twelve days already. Sometimes, LRSU teams stayed out thirty days. A mile from here—two and a half miles from the pontoon bridge—two dirt bikes lay under a sodden tarp. It was their ticket home: one of the few vehicles other than hovercraft that could negotiate this muddy realm.

In the freezing sleet the two commandos, one American and one Mexican, trudged toward the traffic jam down by the river. There were big Chinese Army trucks, stolen U-Haul vehicles, jeeps, IFVs, and towed laser batteries, the kind used to knock down aircraft and drones.

With a slurping sound, Paul’s boots sank into the mud. It was a struggle each time pulling them back out. The Chinese were crazy to use a pontoon bridge in the dark. They must have laid down a blacktop road to here and forced their soldier boys and supply columns to keep moving. All across the Great Plains, Chinese and Brazilians led the drive against America.

Rain struck Paul’s head and hit him in the face. The water dribbled down to his chin and sometimes his neck. He shivered at the cold. The camouflage slicker made him look like a wet Arab sheik or maybe like one of their women in those black garments that covered them from head to toe. He could never remember what they called that sorry-looking garment.

“You are bitter,” Romo told him.

Paul had almost forgotten his friend was there. Bitter or not, he was hunting tonight. Maybe it was the open grave three days ago. The squawking crows had horrified him. The black-colored birds had been like an angry, squabbling blanket of feathers, feasting on American dead tossed willy-nilly into the hastily-dug pit. Or maybe it had been passing near Dodge City. With his binoculars, he’d seen American corpses hanging by their necks. The worst had been a little girl in red tennis shoes. The rule was simple under the Chinese and Brazilian occupation. If they found an American with a rifle, shotgun or pistol, they hanged the poor sod. Land of the Free—no, Land of the Enslaved.

Paul gripped his rifle. Romo had quoted him a good saying before. “Better to fight on your knees than to surrender, but even better to fight on your feet.”

People had been trying to disarm the American populace for a long time now. Even the U.S. Government had tried it a few times. There was an ancient truth about that. If you lacked weapons, you lacked freedom. In this world of tooth and claw, you had to fight or be willing to fight for what was worth keeping. Once you gave up your guns, you were a slave hoping your master was nice to you.

Paul’s nostrils flared. How could they have run out of smart bombs? He shook his head. Don’t worry about it, son. You have bullets. Use them, eh. Kill some sorry Chinese colonel and this little picnic will have been worth it.

“Look,” Romo said. “Look how they stick to the road like good sheep.”

“These sheep have fangs,” Paul muttered. “Let’s head over there. See it?”

In the darkness, they trudged through the mud to a higher spot—it was more like a pitcher’s mound in height. Paul flopped onto wet grass and made sure his slicker covered him from his head to his boots. Romo did likewise. Once more, Paul took out his night vision binoculars.

The rain had turned into a lighter drizzle and he began to scan back and forth along the line of vehicles. There had to be over one hundred trucks, most of them backed up in two lanes. Chinese soldiers smoked cigarettes. There were hundreds, many several thousand glowing tips. More than a few of them also used flashlights, although the vehicles all had hooded headlights. By the number of soldiers down there, he figured an infantry brigade must be hoofing it or maybe they’d hitched a ride with a supply company. He couldn’t figure why so many men were outside of the cabs soaking up the rain.

He’d been right about one thing. There was a blacktop ribbon snaking away into the distance. It was a new road of sorts. Bulldozers moved across the muddy shore of the river. In places, water surged over the pontoon bridge, washing across it. Only a fool would use it tonight.

Even as he thought that, Paul witnessed the first Chinese Army truck inching toward the gate. The driver took the vehicle onto the bridge and slowly moved across. Waves lapped against its tires, but a few minutes later, the truck reached the other side and climbed the higher bank.

“One bomb in the middle of the bridge…” Paul whispered.

Another big truck started across.

“You stay here,” Paul said. “I’m going—”

“We’ll do this together,” Romo said. “You shoot. I’ll spot.”

“Are you with me then?” Paul asked.

“You have the madness tonight, the rage. You need to strike back. I understand.”

“We’ll crawl the rest of the way there,” Paul said.

“And die of hypothermia because we’re soaked,” Romo said. “What good is that? No. We must walk. If someone sees us, they see us, but I doubt they’ll be looking on a night like this.”

Wordlessly, Paul rose and began trudging closer. He didn’t know who was crazier, the Chinese or him. Once he starting shooting, the Chinese would know he was out here. They would start hunting for them. Was that worth it?

He wiped water out his eyes. It was cold and he was losing strength. He needed to use his head, to think.

“Wait a minute,” Paul said. He crouched down, using the slicker as a giant hood. Pulling out his binoculars, he scanned the traffic jam. Ah, what was this?

“There,” he said, pointing into the darkness. It was to their left. “Someone took a jeep out there and got stuck. It looks like they left the vehicle.”

Romo had out his binoculars, too. “I see it.”

“Ready?”

“There might be troops hidden in it,” Romo said.

“If only we could be that lucky. Did you see the open door? I think they left it.”

Fifteen minutes later, the two commandos warily approached the Chinese jeep. The front was tilted down, with the driver’s side tire bogged in a sinkhole. The rear tires were sunken down to the axle. The driver’s door was open, as Paul had mentioned earlier, and the vehicle was empty.

Paul climbed in first. The rain pelted the roof and reminded him of a better time with Cheri. He’d been young, strong and going to college on a football scholarship. Those had been his sweetest years with her.

Romo slid into the driver’s seat. He used the starter button. The engine turned over and coughed into life. Romo shut the door and found the heater. He turned it on and grinned at Paul.

Hunkering by it, Paul warmed his hands. The heat felt good on his cheeks. He wasn’t sure he ever wanted to leave the jeep.

“We might as well eat,” Romo said.

Paul nodded, pulling out some rations. Afterward, he rolled down a window and used the night vision binoculars. The bridge was a mile away, though some of the clogged traffic looked to be at the maximum range of his M25, at least the maximum on a night like this.

Romo rolled down the back window. “Get your rifle ready.”

First taking out a sound suppressor, Paul screwed it onto the end. With all the noise down there and the covering rain, he wasn’t worried any Chinese soldier would hear the gun. Muzzle flash might give him away, but not with the sound suppressor in place.

Romo moved around until he looked comfortable. He used binoculars, spotting for Paul.

“Wait a minute,” Paul said.

Romo looked up.

“What’s what?” Paul asked, pointing.

Rome shifted his binoculars.

Paul used the M25’s scope. A small convoy of new vehicles approached the end of the traffic jam. They were sleek hovertanks, some with bubble cupolas at the top of the turret.

Paul remembered these fighting vehicles from Alaska, from his trek across the Arctic ice. They were the Leopard Z-6 hovertanks. He’d examined several destroyed ones in Alaska—that was seven years ago now. Each of those down there used a high-velocity 76mm cannon and fired rocket-assisted shells. The 12.7mm machine gun in the commander’s copula provided anti-infantry fire. The hovertanks wouldn’t have any difficulty zipping out here to the jeep. Their turbofans lifted the vehicle on a cushion of air, meaning they flew a good foot over the mud.

“That’s trouble for us,” Romo said.

Paul nodded. The hovertanks were one of the Chinese ace cards in this war. They had thousands of them. The vehicle’s ceramic/ultra-aluminum armor wasn’t nearly as good as the heavy armor on a main Chinese battle tank, but it was good enough against most infantry weapons. Neither mud nor water slowed down those dogs. He’d heard how many hovertanks doubled as supply carriers, bringing needed ammo to otherwise bogged-down Chinese formations. You could always tell when the hovertanks did that. The armored skirts sank to only an inch above the ground and dust or muddy water billowed as if hit by a whirlwind.

“Let’s wait until they leave,” Romo suggested.

Paul was thinking the same thing. Then big klieg lights snapped on from the hovertanks. The beams washed across the waiting trunks and IFVs. A voice using a bullhorn began shouting orders.

It brought chaos to the waiting Chinese. Soldiers threw their cigarettes into the mud. Men began shoving and pushing. Drivers jumped out of the trucks and ran around.

“What is this?” Romo asked.

More klieg lights snapped on from the other hovertanks. The rain picked up, too. It slashed through the bright light, giving the situation an eerie feel. Soon, the chaos changed as soldiers lined up in ranks. Drivers also lined up, many straightening their uniforms.

“It looks like an inspection,” Romo said.

Paul swiveled his M25, using the scope to study the hovertanks. He hated them. They were fast and agile. Any one of those hovers could aim a floodlight on the jeep out here. A hovertank’s cannon could send a shell screaming into this vehicle.

“We’re hoofing it out of here,” Paul said. Then he saw something that changed his mind.

A thin Chinese commander opened his cupola at the top of a hovertank turret. The man climbed higher so his torso stuck out of the hatch. He wore rain gear, and he looked around. Paul spotted the three shiny stars on the man’s plastic-coated military hat.

“We have ourselves a three-star general,” Paul whispered. “He must be a real fire-eater too, to come out in this weather for an unannounced inspection.”

“My friend, I hope you are not thinking—”

“Yeah,” Paul said. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Romo’s shoulders might have slumped the slightest bit, but he nodded a moment later.

“First, we have to relocate,” Paul said. “They’ll shell the jeep first thing.”

The two commandos rolled up the windows and prepped their gear. Soon, Paul stepped back into the rain and mud. Romo followed. They trudged toward the enemy, toward the rows upon rows of Chinese soldiery, with the slowly moving hovertank inching before the mass. The general saluted the men, studying them in the harsh glare.

“Okay,” Paul said. He pulled out a poncho, putting it on the mud. He lay on it and adjusted the camouflaged slicker over him. Then he set up a bipod at the end of his rifle. He was going to need a steady base to make this long-distance shot. Romo lay beside him, using his binoculars.

Now Paul waited. He lay in the dark, with the rain turning back to drizzle. His heart hammered, and he tried to stop his hands from shaking. He readjusted the M25 several times. This was crazy. If he fired, those Chinese SOBs would be all over here hunting for Romo and him. But he couldn’t let it go. The drone operators had run out of smart bombs again. America wasn’t going to win this war if everyone played it safe. They were going to have to take chances, maybe even crazy chances to drive the enemy where he belonged.

I can’t take out the bridge by myself, but I can take out the brains to a division or maybe even to a Chinese corps.

“Every little bit helps,” Paul muttered to himself.

“Seven hundred, maybe seven hundred and twenty meters,” Romo said, as he stared through his binoculars, giving him the distance.

Paul put his right eye to the scope and he adjusted, using Romo’s info. Soon, the crosshairs touched the general’s head. For this shot, for possibly dying in turn, Paul wanted it all. He wanted a kill, not just to wound the man in the shoulder or take out a lung.

The Chinese general held his hand in a frozen salute. The hovertank moved slowly before the men. With his crosshairs on the general’s head, Paul could tell the hovertank quivered as the vehicle’s turbofans kept it aloft. He could just imagine the mud and dirt the hovercraft sprayed by its whirling fans. He bet droplets of mud pelted the front-rank soldiers in the face. The freaking general could have walked in the mud like the soldiers he was making line up in the rain. The brass was the same everywhere.

With a little rain in his face, the general probably thinks he’s roughing it tonight.

A mean grin tightened Paul’s face. He thought about the open grave with the American dead and squabbling crows. He remembered the dangling corpses in Dodge City.

So very slowly, his finger eased against the trigger. A moment froze in time. The M25 rifle butt kicked against Paul’s shoulder. The sound suppressor blotted out any muzzle flash and allowed only a low noise. On the hovertank, a spray of blood and bone blew outward from the general’s head. The Chinese commander pitched forward and crumpled, bending sharply at the waist. The hovertank’s hatch must have caught him at the hips. Likely, his legs kicked up against the turret’s ceiling. He draped over the cupola for all the ranks to see.

“Good shot,” Romo said.

Paul’s eyes narrowed to slits. He was a killer, which people said was a bad thing. So why did it feel so good taking out one of their big boys? His chest tightened. It always did when he killed like this in the deliberate sniper way.

“Let’s back up,” Paul said a harsh whisper.

“No,” Romo said. “Get down. Quick, cover up. There are some smart operators over there.”

Like a turtle pulling in its nose, Paul drew the M25 so the sound suppressor was even with his head. He pulled the camouflage slicker over him so only his eyes showed, with his chin tucked on the wet grass.

Shouting soldiers raced away from the dead general. Another hovertank’s turret swiveled. A klieg light illuminated the lone jeep stuck out in the mud. A 76mm cannon roared, spewing a tongue of fire into the drizzly night. The hyper-velocity shell kicked in and the jeep exploded, jumping sideways and flipping over.

“Good call moving out of it,” Romo said dryly.

For a moment, a harsh beam touched them. Paul closed his eyes and held his breath. Are we next? Fortunately, the light moved on and he exhaled.

“Start crawling,” Paul said.

They did so, even as 12.7mm machine guns opened up, firing into the sea of mud. Paul saw the muzzle flashes and he heard bullets hissing over him. In places, mud shot up in small geysers. None where close enough yet that would have let him know the Chinese had spotted him. The hovertanks revved their fans with power, and several lurched forward.

“Now the fun starts,” Paul said.

Three hovertanks zoomed toward the flipped jeep, with machine guns chattering, bullets ricocheting on the metal, creating sparks. Klieg lights played over the muddy sea as vehicle crews searched for them.

In the next twenty minutes, Paul and Romo halted seven times, trusting in their camouflage gear. Paul remembered an old movie he’d watched as a kid, one of the Lord of the Rings epics. There had been a scene where Frodo and Sam had hidden from Orcs before the Gates of Mordor. The two Hobbits had had an elf cloak. Well, his slicker proved just as good. It wasn’t magic, but it worked on a dark and rainy night like this.

The hovertanks kept searching and now Chinese soldiers formed up in a gigantic line. They moved away from the traffic jam with bayonets fixed onto their weapons. The soldiers skewered the mud as if they were at war with Mother Nature. One soldier came up with a piece of cardboard on his bayonet.

By now, Paul and Romo had crawled half a mile away from the shooting site. Paul’s teeth chattered. He was thoroughly soaked and cold.

From where he lay on the mud, Paul said, “We’d better make a run for our bikes.”

Romo just kept crawling, moving mechanically.

Paul lurched at him, grabbing the man’s ankle. Romo tried to shake off the hand.

Paul crawled even with Romo and said into his blood brother’s ear, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Romo turned his head, staring blankly at him.

“You okay?” Paul asked.

Romo just kept staring.

“Let’s get up and hoof it from here,” Paul said. He climbed to his feet. While lying on the mud, Romo still stared at him, although now he craned his neck. Paul grunted as he hauled Romo upright. The man was shaking. He must be freezing. Romo breathed raggedly and was clearly out of it. It was one of their occupational hazards.

“Lean on me,” Paul said.

Romo did.

Helping each other, the two commandos lurched through the mud, with hovertanks searching for them. Fortunately, the enemy search patterns extended wider and farther afield than formerly, but that could quickly change.

It took another thirteen minutes before Paul guided Romo to the dirt bikes. They needed to get warm, and they needed to get the heck out of this entire area. By how hard the Chinese were searching, he knew he’d killed someone important. Maybe the smart round had been a mistake, at least in terms of his and Romo’s survival.

“We’ll know soon enough,” Paul muttered. He whipped away a camouflage tarp and righted his bike. Straddling it, he glanced back at Romo. The man just stood there.

“Let’s go!” Paul shouted.

Romo moved to his bike and even bent down. But that was it. He didn’t right the bike or himself. The man was in no condition to drive.

“Sit behind me,” Paul said, “and hold on tight.”

It took a second, but then like a robot, Romo obeyed and climbed behind Paul.

Paul kick-started the machine. The rain had turned into icy sleet. This wasn’t going to be easy or fun. With Romo on the seat, Paul half stood and twisted the throttle. The back tire slewed. Paul straightened the motorcycle and gave it more gas. The back tire spun wildly, spraying mud. Then, with a lurch, it shot forward.

Working their way through the muddy sea, the two commandos left the scene of the sniper attack.

Will we survive the night? Paul wondered. The hovertanks could still easily catch them, but right now they couldn’t see them. Well, if they died it wouldn’t be for a lack of trying to escape. Why did the drone operators have to run out of smart bombs? That had to change, or America was never going to win this war.

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

Soldier Rank Zhu Peng took apart his QBZ-95 assault rifle, sitting on a stool alone in the tent. He belonged to First Rank Tian Jintao’s squad of the Bai Hu Tezhongbing—White Tiger Commandos. Each sleeping bag in the tent was rolled tight, along with each foam sleeping mat. An electric lantern burned on a small campaign table, providing Zhu light. Outside, crickets chirped and occasionally he heard the grinding gears of heavy supply trucks in the distance.

Zhu’s rifle parts lay on a sheet. Beside it was his dinylon body armor, Qui 1000 jets, jetpack fuel tank, controls and other Eagle Team paraphernalia.

Although he didn’t look the part, Zhu was an elite Chinese soldier, one of the jetpack flyers. He was thin, practically frail looking, with gaunt cheeks and it appeared, innocent eyes.

He’d survived a lot since the California campaign. Most of the original members of his squad were dead. In fact, only First Rank Tian Jintao still lived.

Zhu picked up the skeleton of his QBZ-95 to clean it. The assault rifle was the Qing Buqiang Zidong-95. It had a bullpup configuration, meaning the weapon’s action and magazine were located behind the grip and trigger assembly. It fired caseless ammunition, giving it more bullets per magazine, also meaning the rifle didn’t have to open up after each shot to eject a spent case. With fewer moving parts and less exposure, the rifle jammed less often than other combat weapons. The QBZ-95 was quintessential proof of Chinese battlefield superiority. It was better and more advanced than similar American weapons. The advancement wasn’t overwhelming, but it helped give Chinese soldiers an edge.

I need more of an edge.

Zhu frowned thoughtfully. The others of the squad had joined Tian tonight in town. They’d found willing American women to spend a night of pleasure with them. Tian had taken extra food as payment.

Many Americans in the Occupied Territories were having trouble getting enough to eat. Zhu had heard some terrible stories. Chinese rear-area troops gathered supplies for the fighting soldiers and sent the rest south to Mexico. Some of the food went all the way to China. It left little for the Americans in the conquered zones. Still, if they were busy looking for enough to eat, they wouldn’t have the time or energy for partisan activities.

Zhu shook his head. Tian had suggested he come along and enjoy the fruits of conquest. Tian assured him that with the right inducements, American women were very willing. But he couldn’t go. Zhu still had much to learn concerning his new rank and responsibilities. During the Californian campaign, he’d been a rookie of Fighter Rank, newly arrived from China. The old enlisted ranking went private, corporal and sergeant. In the White Tigers, it went Fighter Rank, Soldier Rank and First Rank.

I am now Soldier Rank. The promotion had come through after the fighting in Los Angeles. The advancement made Zhu proud. More than ever, he wanted to live up to the image of an elite White Tiger.

Zhu began reassembling his assault rifle. Afterward, he took off his shirt and carefully laid it on the stool so it wouldn’t get dirty.

His ribs showed, with his stomach sucked in. Some of the others in the squad said he looked like a skeleton, like a man ready to meet Yan Luo—Death. Such comments made Zhu angry.  He ate as much as he could, but extra meat never seemed to stick to his bones. He was cursed with a skinny frame.

First Rank Tian was a muscle-bound warrior of great skill. He was also Zhu’s best friend. Many times, Zhu had wondered if he should begin taking steroids. He wanted to be powerfully strong. He wanted to become the greatest warrior in the world.

In the electric lantern-light, Zhu took a Shaolin fighting stance. He’d learned the combat techniques in his youth, from a janitor in the orphanage. His parents had been old when they’d had him, and they had died shortly after his birth. In the State-run orphanage, bullies had tormented a very skinny and young Zhu Peng. Thanks to the janitor, he’d learned to fight back. Unfortunately, he had paid for his hard-won victories with beatings from the schoolmaster. They’d pulled down his pants in front of the others, caning him with bamboo rods until his butt was red. They had made him cry in front of the entire orphanage, telling him he needed to get along better.

In the tent, Zhu preformed the Shaolin maneuvers. He moved gracefully, slowly increasing the tempo. It helped calm him to do the moves. It also caused him to remember the janitor, one of his only friends in his earlier years.

How he longed to be a fierce warrior, able to dominate whomever he faced. So far, he had survived the American War, but he wanted to do more than survive; he wished to excel as a White Tiger Commando. He wanted to become the bravest and best of any who donned the jetpacks.

I’m too skinny and I’m still too weak. Therefore, I must practice and increase my skills. I must never let Tian Jintao or the others down.

After twenty minutes of practice, he dropped and did pushups. Zhu didn’t have bulky muscles like Tian. His were like strings—but strings of steel. They rose up on his arms as he did one after another pushup. Soon, he panted, with sweat appearing on his lean frame. In time, his arms quivered. Yet still he went up and down. Finally, he strained to do one more rep. He gritted his teeth and continued to strain until he collapsed, thumping onto the tent’s fabric.

Zhu closed his eyes, breathing for a time. One thing he’d learned in California. Sometimes during the fighting he became exhausted, utterly and completely so. With the flights, the shooting, the running with heavy gear, the hand-to-hand combat, passing ammo packs to the others, exhaustion would rush upon him. At those times, he wanted to quit. Yet if he gave up, his squad mates might die. His quitting therefore would be cowardice.

Of all things, Zhu dreaded being a coward. Many, many times in battle, he became scared. Bullets whizzing past his head, the crump of mortars, the roar of artillery and the distinctive sound of masonry falling around him—Zhu had never told anyone how frightened he became. Sometimes, tears welled in his eyes. Sometimes, he was terrified that he would piss his pants. What if one of his Bai Hu mates saw that? They would despise him, and they would brand him with the hated label of coward.

Therefore, he must train every chance he had to become proficient with his weapons. He must turn himself into steel, into an automaton of war. Zhu attempted to beat the weakness out of his body, out of his mind and out of his soul. That meant he couldn’t join the others as they lay with American women. Oh, Zhu wanted a woman. He dearly wanted to marry a good girl and have a son. He didn’t want to weaken himself, though, by enjoying the pleasure of sex for a brief moment. That might soften him. No! He had to harden himself against everything.

With a grunt, he pushed off the ground. Sweat slicked his skinny body. He donned clothes, dinylon body armor and strapped on the jetpacks. They were bulky and heavy. Taking his assault rifle, he tramped outside the tent.

Santa Fe loomed in the distance. It had been brutal there. Most of the city was now rubble with the skeletons of ferroconcrete buildings. The Americans had died hard, although some had surrendered at the very end. Those had been dirty and tired soldiers, many with starved looks.

Would I surrender if I lacked food? Zhu dearly hoped not. A brave soldier fought until he was dead. A White Tiger never surrendered. A White Tiger was the most ferocious and deadly soldier humanity had ever seen.

In his armor and Eagle Team jetpack, Zhu knelt and pinned a paper target to the ground.

He looked again at Santa Fe in the distance. Much nearer was the freeway looping around the city. Trucks moved on it day and night. American partisans often attacked those trucks, even though hundreds of partisans died attempting it. The survivors learned, and attacked again, doing the real damage.

Zhu and his squad-mates had been partisan-hunting for two weeks already. High Command wanted every shell and every bullet to reach the front, not burning in exploding trucks due to partisan ambushes.

Putting on his helmet, Zhu radioed the nearby outpost and the First Rank in charge of security. He didn’t want them to begin firing at him.

“I’m practicing,” he said.

“Is that you, Zhu?”

“Yes,” Zhu answered via the helmet’s radio.

“I thought Tian went to town for some skirt,” the First Rank said.

“He did.”

“Why didn’t you go with them for once?”

Zhu looked away. He couldn’t tell anyone that he practiced so much because he feared that deep inside he was a coward. “I’m trying a new technique,” he said.

“You work too hard,” the First Rank radioed. “You need to rest sometime. You’re supposed to be relaxing tonight.”

“This…this helps me relax,” Zhu said.

“You’re an animal. Go ahead then, practice.”

Zhu put his elbows on the armrests and activated the jetpack. The Qui 1000s purred with power. After years of effort, Chinese scientists had finally produced a rugged, fuel-efficient, battlefield jetpack. That had given China the Eagle Teams, the elite of the elite. Each Eagle Team flyer was a White Tiger, although not all White Tigers were Eagle flyers.

With a twist of the throttle and a spring with his legs, Zhu Peng shot into the air. He moved fast, gracefully and under perfect control. This was Zhu’s element. He might not have big muscles, but his flight-control was phenomenal. No one in the company could fly as well as he could.

A sense of well-being flooded through Zhu. He performed tricky maneuvers, going sideways, flipping, abruptly stopping his forward momentum and zooming away backward.

After each twenty-second interval of flight, Zhu automatically checked his fuel-gauge. Eagle Team flyers had died before, crashing to the ground because they ran out of fuel. There was probably nothing in the Chinese Army harder to perfect than flying and fighting during combat in a jetpack.

Now, Zhu focused on the target on the ground. He’d been thinking about this for some time. Usually, during flight, Eagle Team commandos used a grenade launcher carefully fitted to their left shoulder. Grenades were area-effect weapons. A commando was supposed to clear a landing zone for himself. Aiming with an assault rifle in flight took too much concentration. Eagle Team doctrine called for short, hopping flights because a flyer caught by the enemy in the air was soon dead.

Zhu had been thinking about that. He was good with a grenade launcher. But the partisans had learned to distinguish the whoosh of approaching Qui 1000 jets far too well. He wanted to be able to snipe them from the air as they ran away.

Building up speed, flying one hundred meters above the ground, Zhu turned off his jets. He went silent, using stubby glide wings. If the jets didn’t whoosh, the partisans had nothing to hear. Taking his elbows off the armrests, he grabbed his QBZ-95. It was attached to a side-rack. He saw the paper target in the dark and began firing. Unfortunately, he did it too long.

The realization struck him powerfully as he realized he headed down fast. He tried to rack the assault rifle—failed—and let it drop. He didn’t have any more time to stow it. He put his arms on the rests and grabbed the throttle. With a flick of his thumb, he turned the jets back on and gave them fuel.

The jets whooshed and he shot up. As he climbed, Zhu thought about what had just happened.

I almost panicked. How would that have helped me? I must train harder and learn to act calmly in ALL situations. Only then will I be worthy of being called a Bai Hu Tezhongbing.

Zhu turned in flight and began sweeping the area, searching for his gun. He didn’t see Tian watching him from a hidden position behind a large set of bushes. He didn’t see the other man with First Rank Tian Jintao. He didn’t hear the words Tian said, either.

Likely, the words would have surprised Zhu Peng. Even more likely, he would have thought they were joking about him.

Tian said, “There goes China’s most fearless warrior.”

“Why didn’t he join us tonight? The women were very eager to please.”

Tian laughed, although with a sneer. “Join the likes of us? We’re ordinary mortals. Zhu, he is something that comes along only once in a generation. I’ve never seen a flyer like him. Does that satisfy him, though? No. He demands godlike perfection in everything he does. Don’t let that skinny body fool you, or his meek attitude. Zhu Peng is the best White Tiger commando China possesses. Of that, I have no doubt.”

The two continued to watch Zhu fly in the darkness, their eyes shining with envious admiration.

USS MERRIMAC

Captain John Winthrop sat in the submersible’s command chair, with a cushion propped against the small of his back. There was a lump in the cushion. It always pressed against him too hard, constantly making him change position. His back had been hurting for months now and no matter what he did or how he sat, nothing seemed to help for long. The cushion was the latest experiment.

He sat ramrod straight even though that usually made it worse. A sub commander needed to project a certain image, especially during a combat run. He hadn’t slouched several months ago when he and the three-man crew had launched nuclear-tipped missiles at Santa Cruz, California. Those nukes had helped blunt the Chinese amphibious invasion of Monterey Bay. Yes sir, he had sat straight then and he certainly wasn’t going to slouch now.

The Santa Cruz attack had won him and the crew a promotion. It had also gotten them a fast refit of their small carbon fiber submersible. The upgrade had occurred in Seattle. It was an experimental addition and a new way for submarines to go about their business of ship destruction.

For the past two weeks, they had crawled along the bottom of the continental shelf toward Mexico, toward the Baja Peninsula and Mazatlan. The port was outside the Gulf of California and opposite the inner side of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico proper. Mazatlan was a major port for Chinese supplies used in the Midwestern invasion.

Tonight, they would test the experimental adaptations and see if and how they worked.

Captain Winthrop forced a smile onto his narrow face. Because of his back, the smile was painful but heartfelt. Truthfully, he’d like to launch another trio of nukes aimed smack-dab at the port. He wasn’t sure why High Command didn’t give the orders—not that their little submersible had nuclear-tipped Tomahawks anymore. No, such a privilege would have to go to someone else now.

Winthrop’s reasoning was straightforward. The Chinese used nukes. The U.S. should do the same thing, but with more of them. Well, the Chinese had used nuclear weapons. He hadn’t heard of them using anymore since the end of the Californian invasion. Maybe the Chinese and their South American allies figured they didn’t need to use them anymore to win.

“We’re in position, sir,” Warrant Officer Stevens said.

“Good,” Winthrop managed to say without any back-pain entering his words.

Stevens swiveled around. “Do you want me to launch the scout, sir?”

“No. I’ll do that.” With both hands on the armrests, Winthrop pushed himself to a standing position.

Merrimac was tiny as submarines went. It carried more fuel because the former Tomahawk launch tubes had been refitted into diesel tanks. Instead of the tubes as armaments, four drone vehicles resting on outer hull-racks rode with the submersible like pilot fish on a shark. Three crewmembers and a captain maintained everything, which meant they were all extremely overworked. High Command had refitted Merrimac for something the designers had never intended it to do: long-range attack runs.

Maybe not too long-range, Winthrop told himself.

The carbon fiber construction meant the sub couldn’t take hits or withstand the normal concussions a regular submarine could. Concussions came from anti-sub weapons such as depth charges. The Chinese had begun using nuclear charges, or they had for a little while. Maybe they would again. If that happened near the sub, they were all dead.

For protection, the boat used stealth instead of armor. Merrimac’s carbon fiber construction meant it had practically zero radar and very little sonar signature. The boat also ran silently on batteries; well, most of the time. It used a quiet diesel engine the rest of the time. That meant the little craft was nearly impossible to hear or spot. Now High Command had added another layer of deception and therefore protection. What you couldn’t see, you couldn’t hit, except with extreme luck. Submarine warfare was a giant game of percentages.

“We’re on the surface, sir,” Steven said.

Captain Winthrop strode stiffly out of the tiny command center, down a corridor and up a plastic ladder. When he reached up with a hand, the small of his back shot an agonizing twinge through his body. For some unaccountable reason, it made his jaw ache.

You stupid body. Why don’t you work right for once?

Winthrop forced up the hatch. Cool evening air gushed down and hit him in the face. He breathed the salty tang. He’d missed that these past few days.

With a few more lurches up the ladder, he stuck his head, shoulders and torso out of the hatch. The vast Pacific Ocean encircled the tiny craft. Surging water filled every horizon. He knew that straight east was Baja California, enemy territory. A bit farther south was the key port. Merrimac wasn’t going to make a direct attack against it, just the shipping.

Captain Winthrop breathed the ocean air and a giant swell lifted the carbon fiber boat. The stars shone brightly overhead and the moon slowly rose out of the ocean. It was great to be alive, and for a moment, his back felt fine.

The pain returned as he bent at the waist. It made his features twist with agony. He should’ve stayed in Seattle. He should have told someone how much his back hurt.

“No,” he said. The Chinese had killed his father at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory several years ago. Terrorists had lit a dirty nuke there. Everyone knew the Chinese had given the terrorists that nuke. This was simply another way to make the enemy pay for what they had taken from him.

With his long fingers, Winthrop opened seals and extracted a small UAV, a drone plane weighing nine pounds and eight ounces. He drew it out of its compartment and unfolded the wings, latching them into flight position. The UAV was a featherweight, but packed with high tech cameras and sensors. Its duty tonight was to go and find them a worthwhile target.

He checked the drone and finally lifted it. Taking a deep breath, raising it above his head, he waited until Merrimac climbed a swell. He turned on the UAV and the engine began to buzz, turning the propeller. With a grunt, he heaved the drone into the air. It gained speed and then buzzed even louder as it climbed sharply. From inside the sub, Stevens had it under radio control.

Winthrop grinned, watching the drone disappear into the starry darkness. He climbed down the ladder and shut the hatch. It was time to see if their little experimental gimmick was going to work. With that in mind, he climbed down the rest of the way and headed back to the command center…

Two hours and sixteen minutes later, Stevens said, “I think we have a winner, sir.”

Since launching the UAV, Merrimac had done its favorite disappearing trick. The submersible was deep underwater again. Normally, when it was at this depth, the sub would have never been able to receive radio information from the drone. A thin line attached the carbon fiber sub to a tiny buoy bobbing on the surface. The scout drone sent them signals through that.

A second, waterborne drone cruised through the Pacific like a shark. That drone had been attached to Merrimac’s side on the outer rack. Captain Winthrop had released it soon after reentering the command center. The drone was little more than a carbon fiber tube, running on battery power. It was a one-time device and it would never return to Merrimac.

“Put the image on the screen,” Winthrop said.

Stevens tapped his panel.

Despite his bad back, Captain Winthrop leaned forward, propping an elbow on the armrest. The scout had found a big transport ship. The Chinese vessel wallowed in the sea, showing it carried extra-heavy cargo.

“Maybe it’s more tanks,” Stevens said.

“Or artillery guns,” Winthrop said. “Either way, it’s a prime target.” He leaned back in his chair, shoving up against the cushion. He forced himself to relax as much as he could. The sub was small, but he was the captain. He had to keep his boys loose, and one did that through a calm demeanor.

“The Tomahawk drone is forty-seven miles away from the target,” Stevens said.

“Meaning it is well within range,” Winthrop said. He nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Once more Stevens tapped his panel.

As the scout UAV roamed the night sky, reporting with its radio what its camera and other sensors saw, the Tomahawk drone surfaced. It had been fifty feet below, with its own buoy providing a radio link to the scout. The scout radioed the Tomahawk drone the target’s coordinates. Robotically, the waterborne drone’s computer checked its components.

“We’re good, sir,” Stevens said, pointing at a green light on his panel.

Far out at sea, the Tomahawk drone went through a swift and simple transformation. It turned from a drone sub into a Tomahawk launch tube. The end sank and the front or top popped open. Seconds later, the Tomahawk’s nose appeared.

“Three, two, one…” Stevens said in the sub.

Under gas pressure, the Tomahawk missile ejected from the tube and into the air. All told the Tomahawk was eighteen feet and three inches in length. It weighed 3500 pounds. The solid-fuel booster kicked on as a ball of fire shot the Tomahawk higher.

“Ignition, sir,” Stevens said in the sub.

The booster quit several seconds later. The missile’s wings now unfolded. Their span was eight feet, nine inches. With a whirl and a click, the air-scoop appeared and the turbofan engine kicked on. The missile made an easy transition to cruise flight, heading toward the targeted Chinese vessel.

On his chair, Winthrop licked his lips. The Chinese Navy had been hunting down and destroying American submarines. There were a few left, but something had to change. This was one of those changes—if it worked.

“I see it, sir,” Stevens said. He was using the small drone as his camera eye.

Every eye aboard Merrimac watched the screen. The big Tomahawk cruise missile appeared, flying low over the water. It zoomed toward the heavily-laden Chinese cargo vessel.

Are they carrying tanks, or maybe more troops? Winthrop didn’t want to know if it was troops. He hadn’t told anyone, but he’d been having nightmares of launching the nuclear missiles at Santa Cruz. He was glad he’d done it. The Chinese hadn’t deserved any better. But all those men…he’d killed all those men by launching the Tomahawks. Had every Chinese soldier deserved to die so horribly?

Not all the dead were Chinese.

Winthrop didn’t want to think about that, either, but he did. He couldn’t help it.

“Look at it,” Stevens said.

The cruise missile sped straight toward the center of the Chinese cargo vessel. Whoever was out there didn’t have a chance. The missile bored in and struck, exploding its one thousand pound warhead.

A column of fire reached up into the sky. In slow motion, the huge cargo vessel cracked in half. It was awful. It was glorious. Men tumbled into the sea, so did big tank and huge crates. The splashes—

Winthrop turned away. They’d done it. The new system worked. If the Chinese hunted the killer—the launch tube—they would simply sink the empty Tomahawk drone. He had three more to fire before he crawled back to Seattle for another resupply.

“Wow,” Stevens said.

The other two crewmembers grinned at each other.

Winthrop forced a smile onto his face. His back hurt badly. It throbbed. “Shut down the scout,” he said.

“What if can find more—”

“Shut it down,” Winthrop said, with more force than he’d wanted. He needed to take some pills and get to sleep. His back was killing him.

“Good work, gentlemen,” he said. “Our country has found a winner in this combination. Now we want to write our reports and tell the brass hats back home we did it. They need our information as much as we need to make another…hit.”

He’d almost said kill. But he didn’t want to kill. He just wanted to destroy the Chinese capacity to wage war against America.

ALAMOSA, COLORADO

Private Jake Higgins of the Seventh CDMB—Colorado Detention Militia Battalion—lay on his stomach. It was night and he was cold, hungry and gaunt, and the seven of them were on the wrong side of Alamosa.

The seven of them, seven stragglers, seven SOBs who had been traveling northwest for weeks now. Jake was the only Militia member. A hard-bitten artillery sergeant led them, taking over when the lieutenant had bought it eight days ago. Back then there had been fifteen desperate soldiers.

Tonight, well east of Highway 285, they were seven U.S. soldiers remaining who had refused to surrender. They’d eluded the Chinese ever since the cauldron battle around Amarillo, Texas had destroyed their formations and pounded the living into bloody dust. From there they had crawled cross-country, avoiding enemy patrols and aircraft sweeps, reaching northeastern New Mexico. After a near-fatal ambush by a Chinese garrison platoon, they passed Trinidad in southeastern Colorado. Now the seven of them needed to race across the 285 south of Alamosa. They were trying for the Rio Grande National Forest, believing the wilderness area would be outside Chinese occupation.

Jake looked like a younger version of his father, Stan Higgins, but he’d lost weight these past weeks. It gave him the staring eyes of a wild dog on the run, with similar stark ribs. His uniform was ragged and dirty, his coat had holes and the soles of his boots were far too thin. His feet ached all of the time, causing him to limp.

One thing Jake knew. He wasn’t going to surrender, ever. His dad had been a history prof and had told him many grim stories about American prisoners in Japanese hands during WWII. His grandfather had been a colonel and fought in Afghanistan, and he’d told him stories about what the Taliban had done to those they captured. Jake would rather starve to death then get his head cut off by a screaming fanatic or have a prison guard slap him across the face because he didn’t bow deeply enough.

I’m an American. We don’t bow to anyone.

The goons in the Colorado Detention Center had tried to teach him otherwise, but he’d resisted them, too. A real American stood up for what he believed in.

“Get ready,” the sergeant told them, speaking in the darkness.

Jake was hungry and his feet hurt. Stretched out on the ground, he just wanted to close his eyes and sleep…maybe forever.

In the distance he could hear Chinese choppers. They could be hunting for them or maybe they were just transport machines. The enemy moved supplies north no matter the time of night or the weather. He’d taken note of that these past miserable weeks.

The lieutenant, when he’d been alive, had talked to a New Mexico partisan nine days ago. The sixty-three year-old had told the lieutenant how some of them blew up Chinese supply dumps at night. They were thinking about sniping enemy soldiers now, too. The lieutenant had given the old-timer one of the M2 .50 calibers and several boxes of ammunition. The old patriot had given the lieutenant directions, freeze-dried packets of food and a package of dried apricots. Jake’s three apricots had been the best-tasting food of his life. After the exchange, the old man had asked them to join up and help him set up a harder-hitting guerilla operation.

Some of the men had liked the idea, but not the lieutenant. He’d been set on returning to American lines, rejoining the Army and killing the invaders soldier-to-soldier.

As Jake lay on the cold ground, listening to the distant whomp-whomp of enemy helos, he wondered if that might have been a good idea. The old-timer had told the lieutenant about White Tiger commandos hunting down Army stragglers. The Chinese were ruthless about it, and they were as tricky as rattlesnakes.

Craning his neck, Jake looked up into the dark sky. The stars blazed. Too bad the seven of them weren’t riding in a helo. It beat hoofing it on the hard ground when your feet pulsated with pain at each step.

“Let’s go,” the sergeant said. “Move it.”

Through an effort of will, Jake forced himself to his feet. Straps dug into his shoulders. He had an ancient M-16 and he carried extra ammo in his pack. He wished it were food.

“Hurry it now,” the sergeant said. “We don’t have all night.”

Seven hungry U.S. soldiers began trudging toward the Southern Rockies. They moved single file, ghosts of the battlefield, seeking their units so they could flesh out and fight toe-to-toe against the hated invaders once again.

“What’s that?” a man said. It sounded like Tito speaking.

“Stop,” the sergeant said. He was a tall man like a stork. Nothing seemed to bother him. His hearing was bad, though. “What is it?” he asked. “What do you hear?”

“It’s a hissing sound,” Tito said. “Doesn’t anyone else hear it? It’s coming from up there.” An arm pointed skyward.

Jake was too tired and hurting to look up. He was sick of the straps digging into his shoulders. He was hungry. Even a stale slice of bread sounded good. Then the hissing sound intruded upon his hearing. What is that? He cocked his head. Yeah, the hissing was getting louder so it almost came from straight up over him.

“They’re Eagle commandos!” Tito shouted. “Look, I can see one silhouetted in the sky.”

Jake slid his M-16 into his hands, readied it and looked up. As he did, Tito opened fire, his assault rifle blazing flame from the end of the barrel.

“You fool!” the sergeant roared. “You’re giving us away. Scatter.”

Jake used to be fast on his feet. He’d had quick reflexes once. That had been with a full stomach and after plenty of sleep. He frowned dully now as he kept scanning the sky, looking for the flyers Tito shot at.

Several of the seven, including the sergeant, scattered in various directions as if they’d been mice under a water bowl a farmer had just lifted.

Tito kept firing into the night until his assault rifle clicked dry, out of bullets. The soldier cursed and began switching magazines.

Jake heard a helo now, and it was much closer than before. He hit the dirt and began crawling away.

Tito slapped another magazine into his weapon and stood there, firing into the starry sky.

Jake crawled, and he kept glancing up. The whomp-whomp of the helicopter had become loud. The way Tito kept firing, he must have lost it. They’d all been on edge since the lieutenant had bought it, ready to call it quits and surrender. They’d been without food for too long. Starvation, more than anything else, sapped a man’s courage.

In the sky, way up there with the stars, a Chinese Gunhawk opened fire with heavy machine guns. It was a horrifying sight: a menacing Fourth of July fireworks that killed with brutal efficiency. Bloody body-chunks ripped off Tito, the heavy bullets shredding the soldier where he stood.

The sight—Jake gasped, unable to breathe, but he kept on crawling. He kept his head down now and moved. He heard more hissing sounds, and that indicated Chinese jetpack flyers. The bastards must be searching for the rest of them, coming down low to finish the job.

“The Sergeant’s hit!” a soldier shouted in the darkness.

Jake squeezed his eyes shut and shoved his forehead against the ground. It was hard to think. He wanted to rave like a lunatic. He wanted this nightmare to end. Why couldn’t it ever end?

The Gunhawk continued to blaze fiery death, showers of bullets. It was Armageddon for the seven survivors. This was it, die time.

“Die fighting,” Jake whispered to himself. His grandfather used to tell him that and so had his dad. Yeah, his dad had told him hundreds of stories of brave last stands: Thermopylae where three hundred Spartans had faced off thousands of Persians, the Alamo where American heroes had given the bird to the Mexican Army and William Tell the crossbowman who had taught the Austrian knights what tough Swiss mountaineers could do.

It was so different crawling in the dirt under Chinese heavy machine gun fire than it was sitting on the rug at home listening to your dad talk.

“Screw it!” Jake hissed. He trembled from fear and adrenaline. He couldn’t stop it. But the thought keep pounding through him: How many times can I die?

With a convulsive shrug of his shoulders, he slid off the ammo pack. It thudded onto the dirt beside him. He shoved up to his feet and he ran for the sergeant. Were the Chinese using night vision? Sure, it was almost a certainty. What did it matter, though? You only died once.

Jake felt something: a terrible premonition that meant death. His neck hairs bristled and his body went icy. He launched himself off his feet as if doing a flying tackle. He thrust the M-16 in front of him and he hit the ground hard with his chest. The breath knocked out of him. Inches behind him something exploded. It lifted him, blew him forward so he tumbled head over heels. If he hadn’t had jumped, it would have blown him in two.

He lay dazed on the ground. It was crazy. The world spun. But something in him was on fire. Mechanically, he rolled onto his stomach, and he kept crawling. He spied the sergeant, the long twisted figure of a soldier.

“Sergeant?” Jake asked.

There was no answer from the man. There never would be. The sergeant was dead.

Jake lunged forward and wrestled the last Blowdart missile off the sergeant’s back. The tough guy had insisted on carrying it, saying he would decide when they needed it.

The Blowdart was a hand-held, expendable anti-air rocket launcher. Jake grabbed it, flipped the switches and lifted up onto one knee. He aimed the sights at the Gunhawk way up there, too high for their last .50 caliber to reach. The Blowdart beeped. He had lock-on, baby.

Jake muttered a curse against the Chinese and pressed the trigger. The Blowdart whooshed. He felt the blast on his shoulder. The rocket launched with vengeance and sped upward into the darkness.

Jake hurled the tube away. It hit on an end, flipped and landed on gravel. He grabbed his M-16 off the ground, climbed to his feet and ran. He didn’t look up. Instead he hunched his shoulders and concentrated on running as fast as he could.

Time seemed to slow down. He could feel his thudding heart. Air burned down his throat and each crashing pound of his feet seemed to send spikes up his shins. The shock of the near miss still messed with his perceptions. Then a terrific explosion transpired up in the sky. It had to be the most beautiful sound Jake had ever heard in his life, even better than the time Lucy had said, “Yes, I want to do it.”

One of the remaining U.S. soldiers let out a rebel yell.

Jake slid to a halt and looked up. Burning Gunhawk chopper lit the night sky with illumination like an old-time Very flare. Now he could see some of them flying Eagle jetpack whores.

Jake lifted his M-16, sighted the nearest, led the freak and started firing. In seconds, the flyer did a flip and plunged earthward. Oh, but that was a sight, and even though Jake didn’t know it, he was grinning from ear-to-ear.

From on the ground, other American guns opened up.

The Eagle Team flyers fled, but not before two more of them went down.

After the last of those thudded hard, bouncing up and crashing again, Jake turned to the others.

“Let’s go!” he shouted. “They’ll be coming back with more. We can bet on that.” He had to shout again until the two remaining Americans lowered their weapons and listened.

“What are we going to do?” asked a short Alabamian with a pimpled face. He’d been the one to give the rebel yell.

“Let’s check the dead,” Jake said. “But we have to move fast after that. First we pick the best weapons and—”

“We can’t head west anymore,” the Alabamian said.

“You want to play guerilla with the Chinese until we’re dead?” Jake asked. “Or do you want to get back home?”

“Alabama?”

“No, you idiot, the American Army,” Jake said.

“We’d better quit jawing about it,” Jamal said. “The Chinese will be back soon. They don’t like seeing their boys die to us.”

The last three Americans hurried, checking their buddies and the dead flyers.

“Maybe we ought to use these jetpacks,” Jamal said.

“You know how to fly one?” Jake asked.

“Naw,” Jamal said. “But I bet I could learn.”

“Look at this,” Jake said. “Jackpot. This one is carrying food.”

Soon the three of them stuffed their faces with Chinese rations. Jake kept chewing and swallowing rice. Then he heard the distant sound of helos.

“We have to go,” he said.

They did. The three of them strode away in the night, trying to put as much distance as they could between them and this latest ambush. It was now or never to get to the 285, cross it and head for the Rio Grande National Forest.

-2-

Plans

SMITH’S FARMHOUSE, SOUTHERN COLORADO

Paul Kavanagh stared at the angry, desperate old men. They sat in metal fold-up chairs in the cellar of an ancient farmhouse. A single naked light bulb dangled from the ceiling, providing the illumination. Behind the men, the harsh glare of light reflected off stacks of mason jars filled with preserves.

The basement was damp, cold and moldy. It belonged to a lonely dwelling at the southeastern tip of Colorado where the state met Kansas and Oklahoma. Each of the men wore winter jackets and all had wet pants. They’d trekked here on foot in the rain and through muddy fields to avoid Chinese patrols. Soon this wicked rain would stop and it would become cold again. True winter would howl down with freezing bitterness, hardening the ground and giving mobility to the stalled armies.

Romo sat in a chair behind him. Paul could hear the assassin’s harsh breathing. Romo had a fever and glassy eyes, but at least this was better than slogging outside. The truth was Romo should be sleeping in a bed upstairs or better yet, receiving medical attention in a hospital. But that would have to wait.

Each of the old civilians had a rifle or a shotgun. Some laid the weapons across their knees. Others clutched them upright between their legs. The point was: each carried, to Chinese ways of thinking, an illegal weapon. If caught by the enemy, these men would hang by the neck.

“It’s going to get worse,” Paul told them. “That’s the first thing you need to understand.”

The seven men stared at him. They didn’t want to hear that.

“If you’re not in for the long haul,” Paul said, “get out now while you can.”

“I’d rather die than be Chinese,” one of them said.

“Probably you’re going to get your wish,” Paul said.

“Hey,” the farmer named Smith said. “I didn’t bring you here to listen to defeatist talk. We mean to fight. We’re too old for the front lines, but most have us have been hunting since youth.”

“You’re not too old,” Paul said. “You could join the Militia. They’re taking anyone who’s willing.”

The men glanced at each other. Their expressions had the feeling of, “Why did we come to hear this?”

“Listen,” Paul said, “I’m telling you this because you have to want it so badly that you can’t sleep otherwise.”

“Want what?” Smith said. He was thin and of medium height. The wrinkled, lined face said he must be sixty at least, and held an AR-15 in his gnarled hands.

“Want to get rid of the Chinese,” Paul said. “Once you start, they’re going to hunt you night and day like you wouldn’t believe. They might even bulldoze your house or your neighbor’s house to teach all of you a lesson. They might hang your wife in front of you, or hang your kids or grandkids if they’re around. This isn’t a game and it’s not like hunting ducks. It is war, guerilla-style. Now, after you’ve thought about those things and if you’re still prepared to go the distance, then fight. Otherwise, go back home and survive this mess.”

“Why aren’t you at home?” Smith said.

“Of course I would like it better than doing this,” Paul said. “I haven’t seen my wife or son…well, for a while anyway. But I’m an American. For me, that means I’m either free or I’m dead. You’ve just seen that I say what’s on my mind. It’s an old habit and it’s a habit only for a free man who can back up his words. So you see, I’m not suited to being a slave to the Chinese. I might as well fight.”

“The same goes for me,” Smith said.

The other men nodded.

Paul stared each of them in the eyes. They were angry and five of them looked determined. One was scared but seemed like a fighter. When Paul looked at the biggest man—a farmer named Knowles—the man dropped his gaze. Paul didn’t like that. No, he didn’t trust the big man. Knowles struck him as someone who would eventually inform on his friends to get out of trouble. It was a gut feeling, that’s true, but Paul had long ago decided to trust such an instinct. He really didn’t like the idea of helping these gentlemen and seeing a coward like Knowles turning in his friends and ruining everything.

Maybe it was the mental image of the little girl he’d seen hanging before, the one with the red tennis shoes. He couldn’t get it out of his thoughts.

“If you’re decided on doing this,” Paul said, “you have to figure out your objectives. The first thing is this. Don’t ever square off against the regular soldiers and never think about testing the White Tiger Commandos. If you want to drive out the Chinese, you have to stay alive long enough to do some real damage to them. That means IEDs or booby-traps. If you’re lucky, maybe it means gasoline and a match burning up supplies. If you get the chance, pour sugar down a gas tank. Heck, slash a tire. This is the death of a thousand cuts, a million cuts. Every little bit helps. But don’t think you can get in a firefight with enemy soldiers. That’s suicide. They have training, armor and much better weapons than you’ll have.”

“You said you could give us some supplies,” Smith said.

“I can—if you have a truck with gas.”

“I have,” Smith said.

“Good. You’re going to take us to a place.”

“What place?”

“You’re going to tell me,” Paul said. “It has to be lonely, where no Chinese would see a helo land. He and I are leaving, but we’ll give you the supplies from the helicopter.”

Smith nodded. “Fair enough, but first you need to explain more about this guerilla work. I want specifics on tactics. You need strategy to hunt ducks. I figure that holds true with what we’re thinking.”

For the next hour and a half, Paul did just that. Several of the men took out notepads and jotted things down.

Afterward, Paul said, “You ready?”

Smith nodded.

“It’s going to take some work unloading the helo,” Paul said. “You’re strong, why don’t you join us?” He pointed at Knowles, the big man who still refused to look him in the eye.

Knowles glanced around at the others. He looked as if he wanted to ask, “Why me?” But he nodded in the end. He didn’t seem popular with the others, and that only confirmed Paul’s instincts about the man.

A half hour later, Paul and Romo sat squashed in the cab with Smith. Romo radiated feverish heat. Knowles hunched in the back of the pickup, bundled in raingear. Drops hit the windshield and Smith ground the gears. They moved slowly across a gravel road, negotiating muddy ruts.

Paul was on the radio with chopper pilot. Outside in the darkness, it was flat and lonely, the middle of nowhere, Colorado.

“I’m glad I found you earlier today,” Smith said. “I’m a praying man, and I was asking God to send us help. I believe he sent you.”

Paul wasn’t sure how to broach the topic, so he decided to plow ahead straight. “The man in the back.”

“You mean Knowles?” Smith asked.

“He doesn’t have the guts to see this through,” Paul said.

Smith glanced at him. The old-timer wore a cowboy hat. “Are you kidding? Knowles hates the Chinese more than any of us.”

“That may be,” Paul said. “But he’s going to fold later. It’s in his eyes.”

“You can’t know that. You can’t predicate the future.”

“This time I do know,” Paul said. “Fighting and soldiers, I’ve learned the hard way about this stuff. Maybe that’s the only way anyone really learns anything. Look, Mr. Smith, this isn’t a picnic. This is a fight to the bloody finish. You have to have haters and finishers on your team. That goes double with this sort of thing. Enemy Intelligence will be one of your greatest worries. You can’t have people on your side who will rat you out.”

“Knowles is…” Smith gripped the steering wheel with greater force. “He’s a starter. He gets excited about a thing. But damn all, you’re right, he quits once he gets tired of something. Maybe you have a point.”

“It’s a common trait,” Paul said, “getting revved up about something but getting sick of it after the long haul.”

“What do you suggest I do about it?”

“I don’t think you should do anything,” Paul said. “I chose him to join us for a reason.”

Smith glanced at him. “Mister, if you think you’re going to shoot one of my friends—”

“Hold on. No one is talking about shooting anyone.”

“You picked him to come along for a reason, you said.”

Paul liked Smith. The farmer had brains and he obviously had guts. Maybe these old men would make a difference after all. “I wanted Knowles along but not so I could shoot him. I’m taking him with us.”

“Say again.”

“We’re headed to Denver,” Paul said. “Knowles is going along for the ride. After this is over—the war—he can come home.”

“And hate me for the rest of his life,” Smith said. “I don’t know about this.”

“Here it is,” Paul said. “This is what I’ve been talking about. Your decisions are only going to get harder after this. If you can’t even do this with Knowles, to save your own life and his too maybe, you’d better call it quits. This is the time to back out.”

Smith drove in silence. The truck slid once and he gently applied the brakes. Once the Chevy was steady again, he gave it a little gas. “Okay,” he whispered. “But you’re a bastard, mister, a royal bastard and I guess that means I’m one too.”

Romo lifted his chin off his chest. The assassin chuckled hoarsely. “This is true,” he whispered. “It is why we will win. In the end, we’re tougher than the Chinese because we have Paul Kavanagh.”

Smith glanced at Romo, looked at Paul and shook his head. “I hope you’re right, mister. Because this is probably the worst thing I’ll have ever done in my life.”

“Then consider yourself lucky,” Paul said, “because this is nothing compared to what you might have to do soon.”

An hour later, Paul Kavanagh rode in a helo, with the dark, wet land flashing beneath them. Romo shivered, wrapped in a blanket. Knowles sat hunched in back, massaging his jaw. He’d fought the decision, but to little avail.

Paul wasn’t proud of what he’d done. In fact, he hated it. But he hated even worse the thought of those six old men in the cellar dangling from trees by their necks. This was a dirty war. There was no doubt about that. It meant you had to go all the way, if you wanted to win, and baby, he planned to drive these invaders into the sea where they could all drown to death.

DENVER, COLORADO

Colonel Stan Higgins walked through the Stone Lab Behemoth Manufacturing Plant. On the western outskirts of Denver, it was a small site really, considering that these boys and girls built the biggest tank in history.

The Behemoth was a three hundred ton monstrosity. The first twenty experimental tanks had gone a long way toward defeating the Chinese thrust into California beginning this April. Well, maybe not defeating, but blunting it enough so the attack had finally ground to a halt.

The Californian War had cost the Behemoth Regiment too many of its tanks, but they’d gotten the job accomplished. One by one, the battered survivors had left Southern California as cargo haulers laboriously transported them back to Denver.

Stan wore a thick coat and gloves. The gloves were old, with a piece of duct tape wrapped around his left index finger. It was so cold in the plant he could see his breath. He watched as technicians and engineers worked around the latest tank. Heaters billowing hot wavy air surrounded the workers and the half-finished Behemoth, which didn’t even have its cannon yet. A rattling chain hoist with a hook moved along its track on the high ceiling, bringing another heavy component to the vehicle.

The Behemoth was an experimental tank that used a force cannon, or rail-gun, to fire its projectiles. Before April and the war in California no one had known if the U.S. government was going to build many more of them. This lone plant built the tanks one at a time, handcrafted them so to speak. There was nothing assembly line about this.

Stan shook his head. He was in his fifties, an aging athlete. He was still five ten, but weighed almost two hundred pounds. That was fifteen pounds too heavy, in his opinion. When he could, he lifted weights and shot a few hoops with his men in a local high school gym, but his passion was Ping-Pong, and no one in the regiment could beat him. Now that he was a colonel, did some of the younger troops pull their shots? He sure hoped not.

Stan dyed his hair to its original blondish-brown color, although he’d be damned if he’d ever let anyone know. He had too many aches and pains in his joints and he had a bum knee. If he quit lifting and playing basketball, his minor injuries might heal up, but then he would probably turn flabby. His greatest physical dread was becoming old, fat and weak.

Too bad those weren’t his only worries.

His boy Jake was missing. The authorities had shipped his college-aged son straight from the Detention Center, where he’d served time for protesting President Sims, to a Militia battalion. The Chinese had gobbled up the battalion in Texas during the summer battles where they’d also devoured entire American Army corps. Was Jake dead, in a Chinese POW camp or had he become one of the thousands of American soldiers who had joined the Resistance behind enemy lines? Maybe because of the unknowing, Stan’s wife had retreated even deeper into her soaps. It was all she did: sit in front of the TV and watch make-believe because life had become too horrible for her.

No, Stan didn’t want to think about Jake or the screw-ups who had sent an untrained youth into battle. If he did think about it, he would become by turn too sad or angry, and he couldn’t afford either emotion now.

Focus, old man. Try to pay attention while you’re here. You might learn something new.

The plant manager—a gangling man with a billy-goat beard—stood beside him, rambling on about the newest additions to the latest Behemoth.

Stan would have liked to tell the man that was the wrong way to build a war-winner. The Germans during World War II had dicked with their many variations of tanks. Instead of picking one decent design and sticking with it—and mass-producing it—they had frittered away numbers by trying to find the perfect vehicle. The Russians on the other hand had mass produced T-34s and done just fine.

It would impress me better if this plant could produce more than one tank every four weeks.

Several months ago President Sims had thrown the regiment’s twenty tanks into the cauldron of California’s spring battles. Thirteen battered semi-wrecks had made it out. Since May, the workers here had been refitting the monsters, bringing them back to battle-worthiness. In that time, they’d also added four new tanks. That meant, as of this moment in late October, the Behemoth Regiment consisted of seventeen tanks.

Seventeen tanks, no matter how good, could not pull a rabbit out of the hat this time. The situation and weather—and the soggy soil—absolutely prohibited it.

Stan turned up the fur-lined collar of his great coat. He nodded, hearing the plant manager, absorbing the data, but not really listening with his whole mind. He had other worries, other thoughts.

In Alaska and during the California fight, he’d been a captain. They had temporarily upgraded him to major in California, but it hadn’t stuck. Several weeks after the end of the fight, another promotion came: to colonel of the Behemoth Regiment. That promotion had been made permanent.

He had been in Denver for several months now. His main task had been reassembling the Behemoth Regiment and teaching the crews how to fight and defeat the enemy. He had been absorbing the information learned in California and thinking hard about it.

For that task, he was perfect. In Alaska seven years ago, he’d been a high school history teacher. In the Alaskan National Guard, they had called him “the Professor.” The high school students did the same thing. He knew his history. Even better, he knew his military history and military theory.

They say what goes around comes around. Solomon had once written that there was nothing new under the sun, and Stan believed it. He had thought deeply about the Behemoth tanks. He’d also studied the enemy and the American Armed Forces.

The plant manager pointed at the latest tank.

Stan nodded politely.

He’d worked under General Larson before in California. Larson presently commanded the defense in Denver. The general’s talents in Los Angeles had impressed the Joint Chiefs and possibly the President, which is why they’d put Larson in this hot spot. Denver had to hold. The Joint Chiefs meant to stop the great advance here.

To that end, Stan had spent many long evenings discussing the operational and tactical situation with General Larson. The man had listened to Stan, and the general had incorporated some of his ideas, using them to keep the Chinese away from the city.

The reason Stan was nervous and only paying half-attention to the plant manager was that General Tom McGraw was arriving in Denver tomorrow. Many, many years ago, Stan had gone to Officer Candidate School with McGraw. They had hung out together then and found they both had an interest in ancient history.

Big Tom McGraw…the Joint Chiefs, well, President Sims, had promoted the hard-charging soldier several times already these past few months.

This summer, McGraw had saved his troops in surrounded Dallas. He’d broken out of the Chinese lines and reunited with the main American Army. He did it a second time, saving even more men and equipment from the Canadian River Pocket. Because of that, the President had bumped McGraw in authority yet again. No, it was more like President Sims had rocketed the man to prominence. Tom McGraw had taken over Army Group West. The formations in Denver belonged to that Army Group.

Tomorrow, Stan was sure Tom would demand the Behemoths rumble into battle and push the Chinese far away from their approach position to the Greater Denver area. That was bad because the ground right now was far too wet, far too soggy for the three hundred ton tanks. The U.S. Army needed to use the Behemoths properly or they would prove ineffectual. Could he convince Tom to wait until the ground froze hard?

He had his doubts. Hard-charging Tom McGraw didn’t like to listen to anyone—at least the young man he’d known in OCS hadn’t. McGraw was smart and he’d always been arrogant.

How can I convince him to listen to my advice? Stan wondered. If used right, the Behemoths will do wonders. But if used wrongly, they will be so much scrap metal, and that would be a shame.

QUEBEC CITY, CANADA

John Red Cloud couldn’t believe he was finally going to do it.

He was a short Algonquin warrior with flat, leathery features. His scarred hands were thrust into the pockets of his parka. He had black eyes and seldom smiled, and he wore a toque: the French word for a knit woolen hat.

He walked along a crowded sidewalk in the middle of the city, passing big store displays with their skinny manikins wearing the latest fashions. One wore a sequin bikini that shimmered and glittered green. He shook his head at the stupidity of it. Few pedestrians looked up. Most people walked with their shoulders hunched, faces shielded against the cold wind. Old cars drove by, many with their engines knocking and the tires hissing over brown slush, what snow became in a city.

Many years ago, the Canadian Government had put John Red Cloud on their most wanted list. In those days he had been young and fiery, a soldier in the French-Canadian separatist movement. The separatists had wanted to leave Canada—Quebec for the Quebecers—and make the province its own nation. Yet even then, John had grander designs, and his grievances were older than the French-Canadian resentments, the angry white men. He was Algonquin, a Native American—an Indian by the white man’s words. The Algonquin tribes of the Canadian Shield region had decided to join the French-Canadian separatists. Their secret agenda called for separating from Quebec once the French-Canadians won their independence from the rest of the country.

The Canadian Shield comprised northern Quebec. It was a geological wasteland, curving around Hudson Bay like a giant horseshoe. It largely consisted of snow, pines and the most ancient stones in the world. Few people lived there, but it boasted many lakes, famous resorts, vast forests and gold, copper, iron, nickel and uranium mines, wealth that white men lusted after.

The separatist movement did well the first few years. They even declared independence and formed a militia, on several occasions defeating Canadian Army formations. The split might have worked, but the U.S. interfered. They loaned the Canadian Government several hardnosed Marine battalions. John had fought and killed Marines and he’d seen many of his fellow Algonquians slaughtered, sometimes in the depths of the forest in their sleeping bags when Marine Recon fighters had surprised them.

Lost in his unpleasant thoughts, John forgot to pay attention on the Quebec City sidewalk. A businessman staring down at his smart phone bumped into him, their shoulders hitting. John looked up sharply, his scowl fueled by bitter memories. The businessman paled, his eyes darting away from the fierce gaze, and he muttered an apology. John might have shoved the troublemaker. If he’d been younger, he might have drawn his knife and waved it under the fat nose and watch the man piss his pants. Now…as an old warrior far past his fighting prime, John just stared at the intruder.

The businessman slipped the smart phone into a pocket and hurried away, his shoes clicking on the wet city sidewalk.

After a moment, John shrugged. The man meant nothing. He was a worker-ant for the oppressor of his people. If he was going to change things for the tribe, he must complete his mission.

He continued down the sidewalk, and he remembered the old days. The separatist war had fizzled out in the end, the French Canadians unable to stomach the deaths that fighting incurred. Finally—newspaper columnists said wisely—the Canadian Government offered amnesty to everyone.

On the sidewalk, John’s scowl deepened.

The Canadian Government had offered everyone the deal but the Algonquian tribesmen who had fought to free their ancient land from the white invaders. The government had called the Algonquian warriors terrorists, saying they had gone too far with their atrocities. As always, the Indian had become the pariah, an outcast to the so-called civilized peoples.

To save his hide, John had been forced to flee his homeland, flee Quebec and Canada. He went to the far north, to the oil platforms in the Arctic Circle, in the Arctic Ocean. He worked for Blacksand Security, providing his services as an armed guard. Seven years ago, he’d met one of the Marines who had fought in the Canadian Shield during the separatist war. Paul Kavanagh, a tough man he’d instantly hated and tried to drive away from the oil well.

Then once more, John’s world had turned upside down, changing the direction of his life. The Chinese had struck at night, submarines bursting up out of the pack ice to infiltrate commandos onto the oil platform. White Tigers had slaughtered the oilmen, although three of them had escaped, one of them being Paul Kavanagh. John and the former Recon Marine had trekked across the Arctic ice, seeking to reach Alaska. Along the way, they killed Chinese soldiers.

While walking the city sidewalk, John imagined that Paul Kavanagh was busy fighting the Chinese and South Americans invading his country. John wished him well. Kavanagh had proved to be a fierce warrior and a boon companion. With his help, John might have immigrated to America, but he had other plans, other dreams.

With his hands in his parka pockets, John used his wrists to press against the MAC-10 submachine gun strapped tightly to his torso under his coat. He had several extra magazines attached as well. Three days ago in the safe house, he had taken each bullet and cut a deep X in the tip. That would cause the bullet to expand once it plowed through flesh. Upon exiting a body, the expanded, X-cut slug would tear out that much more blood, bone and body tissue.

He hated the Canadian Government and had little use for the French-Canadian separatists who had sold out their Algonquian allies at the end of the war. Now they were trying to do the same thing but in a different fashion.

John stopped as he spied the Paris Tower, a large building soaring over the others around it. His targets were there. The fools spoke to prominent, separatist-leaning businessmen and certain traitorous government officials. The dreamers sought their approval of the misguided plan of gaining Chinese aid.

With his face set, John resumed his walk. He had no doubts he was doing the right thing. History and modern examples proved him right. He exhaled sharply, causing white breath to billow before his mouth.

The Chinese and South Americans invaded the U.S. The Canadian Army had helped once in Alaska, and they were preparing to help now, poised on the Canadian-U.S. border. Yes, the brigades were already in southern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba.

John was surprised the Canadians hadn’t helped sooner, but that was because the Prime Minster was a coward. The Chinese and German Dominion leaders had cowed him by their threats. That made it strange then that the success of Chinese arms in Texas and Oklahoma should have caused the Prime Minister to change his mind. Maybe there was more to his newfound courage.

John shrugged. He didn’t really care. What the Sino-American War meant was a chance for a revived Algonquin separatism.

The Great Father has waited a long time to free my people.

John had trodden a strange path to reach this pregnant moment. After the Alaskan War, he couldn’t go back to the oil platforms, as the Chinese had taken them. He didn’t dare return to Quebec or any other part of Canada, and he didn’t want anything to do with the U.S. Therefore, he went to Europe, France in particular because he knew the language and had an affinity for its customs.

France now belonged to the German Dominion. Chancellor Kleist understood history and he understood his times. Despite the unions of Greater China, the Pan-Asian Alliance, the South American Federation and the Iranian Hegemony, people wanted their old tribal homelands back. For instance, Great Britain had eventually split into Scotland, Wales and England. Yet each of those pieces belonged to the German Dominion. The same was true of Spain, with Catalonia, Castile, Aragon and other splinter states.

The President of France wanted to help the French-Canadian separatists regain their country. John imagined that Chancellor Kleist had cleverly approved of that. Yes, Kleist had once said, “Europe for the Europeans and each country for its people.” Although he ruled the Dominion through guile and German industrial predominance, he left the various countries to mostly govern themselves. Galicia, Transylvania, Gotland in former Sweden, Normandy, Czech, Slovakia, Prussia, Bavaria, each province could follow its own laws and customs to its heart’s content. Therefore, the longings of tribalism were fulfilled, and yet, together in the giant Dominion, they had power and strength.

John Red Cloud believed the promises of the French secret service. In this, they had Chancellor Kleist’s approval. If he would do this thing—and if he survived to do others—John could win the Algonquians their only real chance at tribal freedom.

Historically, the French had always treated the North American tribes with greater respect than the British had done. It was the argument that had won him over; well, that and the chance to kill Canadian Government officials, treacherous businessmen and the Quebec separatists who had sold the movement down the river.

Using an unlocked service entrance, John entered the Paris Tower. A sympathizer had left it open so he could bypass the metal detectors. Behind him, the door shut with a whomp, and the howling wind no longer sang in John’s ears.

He climbed stairs, the workers’ path. There were plain concrete walls and concrete steps. Halfway up, he unzipped the parka. Near the twelfth floor, sweat pooled under his armpits and he debated ditching the coat.

Sweaty and hot, he reached the fourteenth floor, pulled open the door and began to walk down the carpeted hall. He unstrapped the MAC-10, ratcheted the bolt back, preparing the weapon to fire his X-cut bullets. It felt good to have a weapon in his hands again. Once more, he had a reason for existence. Even so, a pool of sadness welled up in his heart. He recalled his slain wife, his murdered children and his best friends, all butchered during the Quebec Separatist War. Others might have forgotten about the dream, but not he. Maybe if the Canadian Government hadn’t outlawed him, chasing him from his homeland—

John drew a deep breath through his nostrils, and sneered inside. Look at this, two guards had fallen down at their posts. They were beefy security agents, asleep on the job. That was thanks to another sympathizer who had given them drugged drinks.

“I am an Algonquin warrior,” John whispered. “I have come to avenge my people and to drive the invaders from our land.”

He spoke to the Great Father, telling him why he indulged in murder.

The people in the room he was about to enter were old French-Canadian rebel fighters, separatist-leaning business leaders and several frightened Canadian government officials. They all had one thing in common—a running dialogue with East Lightning, the Chinese secret service. The French secret service had discovered the information through its links in the separatist movement. France had its own ideas about Quebec, and probably, so did Chancellor Kleist. Probably, the Chinese wished for a sympathetic uprising in Quebec, maybe to tie down Canadian Army units.

We would be foolish to trust the Chinese. Look at how they treat Japan and Korea and demoralized Australia. It is better by far to trust the French. In the past, they always aided the Algonquian people.

Muttering a warrior’s prayer under this breath, John twisted the handle. He pushed the door open and caused the fifteen, or sixteen people sitting at a long conference table to turn abruptly. Some wore stylish suits. Others wore heavy jackets. Most were older, the youngest in his mid-forties. A tall government official in a black suit stood at the front, with a pointer touching a computer screen. It showed the deep Chinese advance into America.

Eyes lifted toward him. A man moaned and a woman sucked in her breath before reaching under her trench coat, possibly for a holstered weapon.

“Can I help you?” the tall man in the black suit asked.

Butchery was never easy, not even with these traitors. John Red Cloud’s lips thinned. He aimed the submachine gun, holding it with both hands, and pulled the trigger. Methodically, starting with the woman pulling out the pistol, he cut them down with his X-cut bullets, reloading twice, killing everyone in the conference room.

Then he left as mysteriously as he’d arrived, leaving the two bodyguards asleep on the carpeted hall. His war was not with them, but against the leaders who sought to guide the separatist fighters in the wrong direction.

DENVER, COLORADO

“You know Colonel Higgins, I believe,” General Larson said by way of introduction.

Stan waited to see if big Tom McGraw remembered him. It had been a long time since they’d seen each other. They’d been kids back in those days. McGraw had a lot on his mind now, too.

They stood in the Behemoth Tank Park, set in the Rockies and therefore well outside of Denver, about thirty miles away from the big city. The park encompassed a large area, with the huge machines spread over a two-mile radius. Each monster vehicle was concealed under camouflaged, radar-scattering tarps. Several tac-lasers with accompanying SAMs ringed the area. Barracks and other buildings stood to the east on the road to I-70, which led to Denver. Behind, the mountains looked cold and majestic. What a crazy place to put the biggest tanks in the world. Crazy, but they were well hidden, which was the idea for now.

The men stood at attention in their black tanker uniforms and parkas. Soon, the truly cold weather would hit, and the soggy ground would freeze hard. That would be the time to employ the Behemoths.

“Professor?” asked General Tom McGraw. He squinted down at the smaller man.

Stan saluted crisply. He could feel the charisma radiating from the big general and the vibrancy in the single word from the man.

Tom McGraw stood six foot five and had to weigh a solid three-fifty. He was massive, a bear of a man. He reminded Stan of General Joffre of World War I fame. Joffre had been the commanding French general who’d stopped the Germans at the Battle of the Marne. Joffre had nerves of steel; some commenters said it came from his prodigious appetite and thick frame. Joffre had had the peasant’s calm even within trials of fire.

McGraw had a thick face and a General Custer beard and mustache. Like Patton, McGraw wore a pistol at his side. Patton had worn a pearl-handled revolver. McGraw’s gun looked like a standard issue .45. The man’s eyes were pale blue and they stared hard like some lion. This was a man used to giving orders and seeing them obeyed. He looked like an old-style Viking, and Stan could envision him hefting a battleaxe. Stan could also envision McGraw wearing a cowboy hat and clutching a Winchester rifle, laying down fire as Apaches raided; or maybe McGraw would gun down outlaws as he fought a range war.

“General,” Stan said in way of greeting.

McGraw laughed. It was a loud sound. “It is you, Professor. I can’t believe it. They finally realized they had a genuine military genius hiding behind his books. I’m glad to see they gave you a fighting command. Even better, they’ve given you the greatest tanks in the world. I bet you’re itching to smash into the Chinese SOBs and send them scurrying home.”

“As soon as the time is right, yes sir,” Stan said.

“Do you hear that, General?” McGraw asked Larson. “The Professor is already worried I’m going to ask him to do something he thinks is stupid. Has he been filling your ears with ideas on how to keep the Chinese away from Denver?”

“As a matter of fact he has,” Larson said. “They’ve been good ideas, too.”

McGraw gave Stan a measuring study. “I hear you won the Medal of Honor up in Alaska during the first Chinese invasion.”

“Yes sir,” Stan said.

“Old son, don’t you ‘yes sir’ me. I read the brief. In Alaska, you went against orders, everyone’s orders, and blew up the storage tanks the Chinese desperately needed.”

Stan should have known McGraw would have read up on the commanding officers in around the Denver area. The man was big and he looked as if he must be stupid, but Tom McGraw did his homework. He was like a football coach who stayed up until three A.M. each night watching film of the opposing team. Back in the day, little had caught Tom by surprise. It seemed as if that hadn’t changed.

“Let’s hurry up and look at your men,” Tom said. “It’s cold out here and I don’t like a soldier freezing his balls off unless there’s a good reason for it. Afterward, you can show me a Behemoth. I’ll climb through it and gush about what it can do. We’ll do all that and then you and I are going to drink a lot of beer, do you hear me?”

“I sure do, sir.”

“Old son, who do you think you’re talking to?”

“You bet, Tom. Let’s get drunk.”

General McGraw grinned at Larson. It made deep skin-crinkles at the outer corners of his eyes: the mark of an outdoor man. McGraw elbowed the lean general in the side. Larson looked uncomfortable at the treatment. He was a good commander, but didn’t care for the roughhousing of a man like Tom, especially before the men.

“We’ll swap stories,” Tom told Stan. “And then I’m going to tell you what you can do for me.”

Right, Stan thought to himself. After the beers, Tom would tell him to get his butt into gear and get those Behemoths ready to roll. They were going to kick some Chinese rear.

Larson checked his watch.

“You busy, General?” McGraw asked Larson.

“No, I simply—”

“Sure you’re not,” McGraw said. “Go on, do what you need to. I haven’t had a moment’s rest in weeks, months, really. Stan and I are going to drink a few. I’ll speak to you before I leave. Until then, let me unwind with an old friend.”

“As you wish, General,” Larson said. He saluted crisply. McGraw saluted back.

How do I tell Tom this is the wrong time to attack with the Behemoths? No, Stan amended. How do I tell him so this fire-eater can understand it?

***

Several hours later, as the sun set into the mountains, Stan and Tom McGraw sat in the small officer’s club of the Behemoth Tank Park. They were at a round table, with a dozen empty beer bottles on the wooden surface. A plate of sandwiches was the beers’ only company.

“Now let’s have a real drink,” Tom said.

Stan signaled the enlisted waiter. The rest of the officer’s club was empty, McGraw having sent everyone else away.

Tom gave the drink order, and soon the two of them sipped whiskey on the rocks. They kept reminiscing about old times and swapped battle stories. They kept drinking, nibbling on sandwiches as the hours ticked away.

I shouldn’t drink so much, Stan told himself. I bet this is how it started with my dad.

Tom picked up another whiskey. His round cheeks had turned red and his eyes had become glazed. The big general almost appeared asleep as he peered at something on the table.

“You’ll have to excuse me for a minute,” Stan said. “I need to relieve myself.”

“Go on, take your piss,” Tom said, waving him away with those huge hands. Stan had never gotten over the size of the fingers. He noticed Tom had a worn, gold wedding ring. He’d heard several years ago that Tom’s wife had died. Had the general remarried?

Lurching out of the dining area, Stan went to the head and relived himself. He came back to find the general swirling his whiskey so the ice cubes clinked.

As Stan sat down, Tom slammed the glass onto the table, making the empty beer bottles wobble. Stan watched in fascination. The nearest one swayed more than the rest so it almost tipped over. Then it righted itself until it came to rest. Stan laughed, nodding in appreciation.

“Professor, I have a confession to make.”

Lifting his head, Stan aimed bleary eyes at Tom. “You’ve never had a problem in your life.”

“Who said anything about a problem? I said a confession.”

“But you mean problem,” Stan said.

Tom squinted at him. “You always were a smart SOB. Is your head still full of historical parallels and theorems?”

“It is indeed,” Stan said.

“What does this situation remind you of?”

“Do you mean the Chinese approach toward Denver?”

“We can start there,” Tom said. “What do you see?”

Stan smiled drunkenly. These days, he tried to keep the majority of his insights to himself. He’d found that people weren’t interested in his opinions on running a war. Well, General Larson was, but few others. They seldom appreciated his historical parallels. But if Tom had asked—

“These rains remind me of the Grand Turk on his march to Vienna in 1529,” Stan said.

“Why is it you can never answer straight?” Tom asked.

“The Grand Turk in this case was Suleiman the Magnificent,” Stan said. “He ruled the Ottoman Empire and was the last great warrior chief of an amazing family. The Turks had invented an interesting system of slave soldiers: tough European boys stolen from their parents in the Balkans, raised as Muslims and forbidden to marry. The slave soldiers—Janissaries—were like monkish Spartans, trained to fight and conquer. They provided the horse-archer Turks with excellent infantry. That was something the Turks had always lacked.

“Anyway, it was 1529 and the Grand Turk was on the march. He was invading Europe again, marching on the city of Vienna on the Blue Danube. If he could conquer the Austrian city, he would have likely incorporated the land into the empire and made ready to gobble up the rest of Europe.”

Stan folded his hands over his stomach as he sat back, making the chair creak. “Like our Chinese invaders, the Turks had hordes of soldiers under their banner. Unfortunately for them, it rained like it’s been raining here. It turned everything muddy and caused the rivers to overflow. What it meant for Suleiman was he didn’t bring his giant siege cannons in time. They were impossible to transport through the mud. Most of Europe then was heavily forested with almost no metaled roads. Even the Danube flotilla couldn’t float those huge cannons.

“That was one of Suleiman’s secrets—not the mud, but the cannons, some of them weighing up to twelve tons apiece. The gigantic cannons were important because they could knock down the old medieval walls that had made castles and walled cities so impenetrable in the preceding centuries. I know you’ve seen movies where catapults and other siege engines use rocks to batter and blow apart heavy stone walls. That’s pure fiction. Until gunpowder-powered cannons came along, those walls stood up against just about anything. Sometimes sappers dug under walls and brought them down with cave-ins. Most of the time starvation was the only way for besiegers to capture walled cities and castles. With this high-tech invention—the big new cannons—those formerly impenetrable walls became yesterday’s news. The cannons had made them obsolete.”

“The ancient Assyrians would have shown you otherwise,” Tom said. “They stormed walled cities.”

“The Assyrians used terror to sap morale, gold to open locked doors and siege towers to send their hardened warriors over the top to take the city in bloody butchery. They never blew down walls with quick-firing catapults.”

“Okay,” Tom said. “You’ve made your point about cannons. So what happened next with this Suleiman?”

“The Siege of Vienna is what happened. Some tough Spanish and German soldiers had bolstered the city garrison, and they fought savagely, keeping the Turks and their slave soldiers at bay. During the next phase of the invasion, the cost in Turkish dead became too much, and finally Suleiman retreated. That marked the Turks’ deepest penetration into Europe and the beginning of their long military decline.”

“So it all had to do with the rain?” Tom asked.

“The rain helped the defenders. But the hard fighting in the city was the key,” Stan said. “The rain is what gave them the chance because of the delay and the lack of Suleiman’s siege cannons meant the walls still stood.”

“And that reminds you of the Chinese approach toward Denver?”

“Some,” Stan said. “It’s given us time, but do we have the tough Spanish and German reinforcements as they had in Vienna? It’s too early to tell. I’ve heard how Homeland Security is raising more Militia battalions. That’s good. We need more bodies if we’re going to stop the Chinese. Regulars would be better, but right about now we need numbers almost as much as quality.”

Tom nodded slowly. He picked up his drink, staring at Stan. The man’s big hand engulfed the glass so it seemingly disappeared. He threw the whiskey back, gulping the contents in one swallow.

“You read too much,” Tom said profoundly.

“It’s been said.”

“You think too much, too.”

Stan shrugged.

“But you have the most insightful ideas sometimes.”

“You’re being generous,” Stan said. He liked the praise nonetheless.

Tom stared at the empty shot glass in his hand. He rose unsteadily, cocked his arm and hurled it against the wall. The glass shattered, the shards tinkling onto the tiled floor.

“Give me another!” Tom roared, crashing back onto his chair. He slammed a meaty fist onto the table. This time, the beer bottles hit each other as they tumbled. Several rolled off the table and struck the floor.

Stan motioned to the worried-looking waiter hanging back by the kitchen entrance. “You heard the general. Hurry up and get him another.”

The waiter bobbed his head, turning away.

“We’re screwed, old son,” Tom muttered. “The Chinese and their Nancy-boy South Americans are too well-armed. And despite your numerous Militiamen, the enemy has arrived in too great a number for us. The United States is about to become history, just another story for you to repeat to bored students.”

“You can’t really believe that,” Stan said. “You of all people should know—”

“Me?” Tom shouted. “Why do I of all people have to fool myself? Do you think I’m that stupid?”

“Not at all,” Stan said.

“Where’s that whiskey?” Tom shouted, as he looked around.

“It’s coming.”

“Sir, you should call me sir.”

“Yes sir,” Stan said.

“Bah!” Tom said, hitting the table again, although not as forcefully as before.

The waiter arrived and set another whiskey on the table. Then he slunk away. McGraw had that effect on people.

Tom stared at the floor, slowly shaking his head. “Stan, old son, there are too many of them. They’re clever bastards, too, and the Chinese know how to fight. They’ve chewed us up and forced us deep onto the plains. We don’t have enough trained men. You said that earlier and that’s the truth of it.”

“I know I said that,” Stan replied. “But it’s possible we’re both wrong.”

Tom McGraw’s head snapped up. “What do you mean I’m wrong? Have you been out there?”

“I mean we’re doing this the wrong way,” Stan said. “We’re trying to match them strength for strength everywhere. I can understand why the Joint Chiefs think that’s the way to do it, but it’s just so stupidly wrong that I can hardly believe it.”

“And the Professor knows what to do?” Tom sneered.

Stan shrugged, wondering if he’d said too much. Maybe he shouldn’t have slammed away so many shots. His lips felt numb. They’d certainly been flapping too much tonight.

“No, no,” Tom said sarcastically, “don’t stop now. Tell me the great secret, Professor.”

“It’s hardly a secret,” Stan said. “A little applied history shows us what to do.”

“Well?” Tom said. “Are you going to tell me?”

Stan frowned. Then he spied a tablet at another table. He shoved himself to his feet, staggered there, grabbed the device and turned it on.

“Are you going to read to me?” Tom sneered.

Stan slapped the tablet onto the table. A map of the Great Plains appeared, with the edge of the Rockies on one side and the Mississippi River on the other.

“I’ve told you about Suleiman the Magnificent and the Siege of Vienna,” Stan said.

“It happened in 1529. You told me already. Do you think I’m deaf?

“Now I’d rather talk about Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812.” Stan frowned. Just how much had he drunk? He was switching topics too much.

“Are you trying to stall?” Tom asked. “Tell me the Stan Higgins secret to victory.”

“I don’t know about a secret,” Stan said, “but in 1812 Napoleon gathered the largest force in history up to that time: the Grand Army. It numbered well over six hundred thousand soldiers. His biggest previous army had been around two hundred thousand. I’m sure you know the story. Napoleon marched on Russia, wanting to make the Tsar, the Russian ruler, obey his Continental System.”

McGraw stared at him with big, whiskey-wet eyes. It didn’t look as if the general knew anything.

“At the time of the 1812 invasion, Napoleon was waging economic warfare against the British,” Stan said. “Napoleon said no one could buy British goods. He planned to beggar the British and bring them to their knees economically, since he couldn’t get to them militarily. The naval battle of Trafalgar had seen to that. But the economic war didn’t work out the way it was supposed to for the man from Corsica. The worst offenders for breaking the rules of the Continental System were the Russians. They bought British goods and—”

“What about the war of 1812?” Tom said impatiently. “I don’t care about the economics of the thing. Get to the fighting.”

Stan nodded. “Napoleon crossed the Niemen river with his Grand Army, looking to smash the puny Russian forces. Some of the Russian generals wanted to trade space for time. They would keep their army intact, fighting along the way, but always backing up into the deep spaces of their gigantic country. Napoleon tried to catch the main Russian armies and annihilate them fast. They always managed to slip away from his traps.

“Finally, after months of hard maneuvering, the Russians dug in and built log redoubts on the road to Moscow, setting up for a grim fight. Napoleon beat them at the Battle Borodino, although the French Grand Army took bitter losses doing it. Napoleon might have crushed the Russians at the end of the battle, but he feared to send in his Old Guards, his last un-bloodied formation, his final reserve. What if his last stable troops were ground down to a nub in the battle? Napoleon said something like the victory would have been too costly for him. Instead of crushing the beaten Russians, he let them march away.

“In the end, a battlefield-victorious Napoleon reached Moscow. Russian terrorists burned the city to the ground, leaving the French a smoldering ruin. After many weeks of negotiating, Napoleon finally realized the Tsar wasn’t going to make peace with him but was playing for time, for winter to arrive and do its freezing work. Napoleon started marching for home, but he took the wrong route back, retracing the same way he’d come. That meant his soldiers had already plucked the countryside bare of supplies. Most of the straw-roofed homes were smoldering ruins this time, their grim trademark.

“Disease began to do its work, while angry Russian peasants bushwhacked French stragglers. Swift-riding Cossacks harried the French flanks. Soon the harsh winter weather arrived. Sickness, hunger, the punishing cold and battle losses eventually destroyed the Grand Army. Napoleon barely escaped with his life, and his legend of invincibility had been shattered. The Russian plan had worked due to luck and persistence.”

Tom pursed his lips. “Are you saying we should pull back deeper into the northern prairies?”

Stan tapped the map in the e-reader. “I’m saying we should be cagier in our approach. Look, we’ve fought the summer and autumn battles. We took grim losses, but the main U.S. Army still exists. We’ve already traded space for time and now winter approaches.”

“The Chinese will just keep on marching deeper into the Great Plains,” McGraw said, “cutting our nation in half. The Chinese are better supplied than Napoleon ever was.”

“Look at the map,” Stan said. “Do you see all the space they control? I’ve read reports and I know Americans are turning into partisans. They’re becoming like the Russian peasants, cutting off enemy stragglers and blowing up supplies. That costs China soldiers, weakening their overall Army as they put guards everywhere. Look at the length of the Mississippi River. The Chinese are using troops to guard it, too. That pulls out yet more soldiers from their advancing fronts.”

“They still have far more soldiers than we do,” McGraw said.

“It’s the Battle of Borodino time,” Stan said with drunken certainty. “But with a German World War II twist.”

“Meaning what?” McGraw asked.

“In 1812, the Russians strengthened their army at Borodino by building redoubts: log barricades. Those redoubts were force multipliers for the troops behind them. It meant they could face the French charge. We need to build a Great Plains defensive line and throw every Militiaman Mr. Harold has gathered behind them. Of course, we should stiffen those Militiamen with Regular Infantry and—”

“And tanks,” McGraw said.

“No!” Stan said. “That’s where you change up the historical parallel with a German WWII idea.”

McGraw frowned, but finally nodded. “I’m listening.”

“We have to mass all our tanks and mobile artillery into one big fist,” Stan said. “That’s what the Germans did for the invasion of France in 1940. Did you know that the French and British had more tanks than the Germans did in that swift historical campaign? Some of the Allied tanks were better than the German tanks. The German advantage was concentration. Instead of spreading out their tanks everywhere, they put them altogether. It was the difference between slapping a man in a fight and punching him in the face. We have to punch the Chinese in the face with all our tanks in one spot.”

“Bah!” McGraw said.

Stan stared at him. “It’s a risk, a big risk. But I think this is the time to attempt it. We need to use the Rockies or the Mississippi against them. By massing all our extra troops onto the defensive line, and trusting those Militiamen to hold for a time, we wait with the last U.S. Tank Army. That Tank Army or Army Group has to be lavishly supplied with everything we have left. With it, we punch through a Chinese or South American weak spot and encircle a significant portion of the Chinese Army. We put them into a cauldron and annihilate their troops. That’s also the right place to use the Behemoth tanks.”

Slowly, McGraw shook his head. “It’s a bold plan. That part I like. But it puts too much trust on the Militiamen to hold the line. Too many of them have folded—they have run away in battle—for me to trust the fate of the United States on them.”

“You asked me my idea,” Stan said. “I think we have to find a spot somewhere to go on the offensive. With what we have, we have to concentrate our best troops in one key spot. Tom, you and I both know that you don’t win a war by defending. I have to believe that holding onto such massive amounts of territory must be weakening the Chinese. The American people won’t just lie down and accept occupation.”

McGraw pursed his lips, becoming thoughtful for a time. Finally he said, “That’s a lot of movement, pulling out armor all across the Great Plains and shipping it to one area. I’m not sure we’d have the time to pull it off.”

“It’s not rocket science,” Stan said, “but to do as I suggest would take a lot of confidence for any leader to attempt. The normal thing is to hold onto what you have with your strength spread out evenly, defending everything. Frederick the Great had a saying for that. ‘He who defends everything defends nothing.’ Sometimes, you have to gather your strength in one spot and take a risk.”

McGraw glanced at his latest shot glass. He let his chin droop and rest on his chest. His eyes were half-lidded. “There’s more to your idea, isn’t there?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t give me that, old son. You have this all written down somewhere. I bet you’ve come up with a thousand details.”

Stan sucked in his lips. They felt even more numb than before, almost as if a dentist had sneaked in and given him a shot of Novocain. Suddenly, Tom didn’t look so drunk anymore. The man was huge. How much alcohol could the general absorb before he became sloppy drunk and threw glasses at the wall? Had that been a show earlier?

“Speak up, Colonel. I can’t hear you.”

“I might have written a few things down,” Stan admitted.

Tom stood up. “I want to see them.”

“Now?” asked Stan.

“I can’t think of a better time.” Tom McGraw grinned, and he winked at Stan. “I figured you’d have something up your sleeve, old son. I also know that a drunken man has a harder time keeping quiet, and talking to a drunk makes it even harder. Listening to you, I realize I’ve come to the right place for a sweeping idea on how to fix our situation. Are you ready?”

Stan kept blinking. Well I’ll be damned.

“I said: are you ready?”

“Yes, sir,” Stan muttered. He shoved up to his feet. “If you’ll follow me…”

RIO GRANDE NATIONAL FOREST, COLORADO

Jake Higgins trudged up a pine-needle-littered slope during daylight. These past weeks he’d slept during the day and traveled at night. Now that he moved under towering evergreens, he’d decided to switch it back to normal.

It had been a week since the ambush east of Alamosa. Jamal and Alabama Ted had stuck with him for two days longer. It had been terrifying: a crawl and wait, watch and then crawl again. Ted had finally crapped out, refusing to go any farther.

“We’re almost past Alamosa,” Jake had said.

Ted had rolled over, closed his eyes and refused to say another word.

In the end, Jamal had dragged Jake away. The two of them kept going. They made it west of Alamosa and kept trudging. He’d lost Jamal when he stepped on a landmine. It killed him instantly. That part was good. He’d gone without pain. The wretched part was that pieces of Jamal hit Jake in the chest. Seeing the man’s mangled finger cling to him—Jake had fallen to this hands and knees and vomited. He’d crawled blindly for a time, making it somehow through the minefield. The only thing that had consoled him in the end was that he knew he’d see Jamal again in heaven someday.

Yeah, Jamal’s death had been the worst. He missed the man’s cheerful attitude and he missed Jamal’s endurance. He’d been the toughest, after the lieutenant.

As he trudged up the mountain slope, slipping over pine needles—one time he went down on a knee—Jake wiped sweat out of his eyes. He was thin, hungry and growing weaker every day. He wore Chinese boots, having stolen one of the flyers’ pair. If he’d had his old worn boots—no way, he would have stopped because of bleeding feet.

How much longer could he go on? He thought about it all the time. His grandfather used to read him Louis L’Amour novels, westerns about incredibly rugged individuals. Jake realized he would have never made it back then. Those settlers and explorers had been plain tough. America could use some of those old-fashioned types about now.

Jake stopped. He had his M-16 and three full magazines. That was it. His canteen had water and he had one final Chinese ration packet left. As far as he could tell, he’d made it west of the Chinese lines. It had been two days since he’d seen any evidence of enemy patrols.

This was an empty land, and the farther west he traveled the steeper and more rugged the Rocky Mountains would become.

Jake had stopped just now because he heard an engine backfire. Was it an American engine or a Chinese vehicle? The noise came from upslope.

He should go check. If it was Chinese, though—

Have I come this far only to fail?

His mind shied away from the thought of all the dead Americans who had begun the journey with him. It was crazy he would be the one to have made it this far. He’d like to think that meant something, but he knew better. It was stupid dumb luck. He wasn’t better than the others, nor did Fate or God have anything in store for him to do.

“Heck! My own country hardly likes me,” he said aloud to himself. “They put me in the frigging Detention Center.”

Jake took a deep breath and decided he would be like his grandfather and his father. They had looked up to Louis L’Amour characters, the Old West Americans. If nothing else, he had a story like one of them. He’d made it through miraculous odds. So maybe if it meant anything, he was supposed to act like an Old West American.

What would one of them do?

Jake knew the answer. He would check the backfiring engine. He’d be brave. He’d take a chance when life called for taking a chance.

Putting one foot ahead of the other, Jake kept trudging uphill. It was hard with all these slippery pine needles. He went slowly but he went steadily, and he made it to the top of the slope.

He stared down at a dirt road thirty feet below. He’d seen an old movie as a kid: The Wizard of Oz. This dirt track was the Yellow Brick Road to him. No more slipping on pine needles.

He worked his way downslope and soon trudged on the rutted road. There had been an engine cough. How far had the vehicle traveled already from where it made the sound?

Jake walked, and after two turns in the road, he heard voices ahead. He froze, because some of the voices spoke Chinese. Then he realized two other voices were American. One of the Americans pleaded and begged. The other, a female, said to stop because there was no use anymore. It was over.

Over?

Jake’s heart began to pound. What did “over” mean? He had feeling he knew. The Chinese were going to kill the two Americans. He’d seen hanging corpses before. He’d—

Hanging!

Jake checked his M-16, and took it off safe, selecting the three-round burst option. It was ready with a bullet in the chamber. He began striding down the road, picking up speed. With his heart pounding and knowing what he planned to do, he took out his last Chinese ration. Tearing it open with his teeth, he devoured the rice and half-cooked chicken one-handed. It tasted wonderful.

Is this my last meal?

He felt stronger with food in his belly. If he hadn’t heard the voices, he would have only eaten one quarter of the meal. He downed the whole thing now, and he broke into a trot.

A man screamed, begging and pleading, and suddenly his voice stopped with a gurgle.

The woman laughed, but there was no humor in it, only bitterness and rage.

Jake closed his eyes, and then he opened them wide. He found himself sprinting down the dirt road. The air came in hot torrents down his throat and his side began to burn. He’d been hiding like a rabbit for weeks, a frightened, hunted thing, and he was sick of it. His booted feet thudded on the dirt road and gravel shot away.

Rounding a sharp bend, the sight impinged upon him with a shock. Three men dangled by their necks, with placards tied to them. I CARRIED WEAPONS, they read. To be armed was considered a mortal sin by the Chinese invaders.

Five Chinese soldiers stood near the last American: a woman. Her hands were tied behind her back. A loop of rope rested tightly around her neck. The rope went up to a high evergreen branch. Four of the Chinese soldiers gripped the other end, no doubt ready to pull the woman up to her death. The last Chinese was an officer. He had his hands on his hips as he regarded the woman. All five invaders had their backs to Jake.

He saw their truck parked on the road. He didn’t see any other Chinese soldiers.

Sliding to a halt, Jake knelt deliberately on one knee. With a heaving chest, he lifted his M-16, and from fifty feet away, he carefully sighted the first enemy soldier. Jake’s arms were steady, his aim true and he shot the first soldier in the back, placing a three-round burst in a neat little pattern. He did the same to the next soldier. The others turned. Jake shot the third in the face, blowing him down.

The officer was calmer than his men. He drew a sidearm and began lengthening his arm to aim at Jake.

Jake switched targets and emptied his magazine into the officer, squeezing the trigger repeatedly until he was out of ammo. The Chinese officer did a little jig backward, dropping his gun and flailing his arms until he thumped onto his back. With a coolness he’d never felt before, Jake popped the empty magazine out of the assault rifle and slapped in the next.

Two Chinese soldiers still lived. One raced into the woods in fear. The last held a gun and reached for the woman. She kicked him in the balls, surprising the man. He dropped his gun and crumpled onto his knees. She kicked him in the crotch again, savagely. He toppled sideways, clutching his privates. Next, she kicked him in the throat, brutal and efficient, as if she knew what she was doing. She did it two more times, then with her hands still tied behind her back, she picked up one of the pistols and shot the man in the head.

During part of that time, Jake emptied his next-to-last magazine after the fleeing soldier. The bullets clipped leaves and spat bark, but missed the enemy. The man got away.

Jake stood, switching to his last magazine.

The woman dropped her gun, and she began twisting her wrists, trying to free herself. She had long blonde hair and wore lumberjack-style clothes. The first three buttons were open and Jake caught a glimpse of cleavage. Maybe it was because Jake hadn’t seen a woman for a while, but she looked stunning. She was older, though, maybe twenty-seven or something. Finally, she ripped one of her hands loose, brought the knotted rope around and began working it off.

Jake walked toward her.

As she flung off the rope, she looked up at him. “Thanks,” she said.

He nodded.

“We need to get out of here,” she said.

He nodded again.

“We’ll use their truck. First, help me cut down these patriots and load them in the truck. We’ll bury them later, but we’ll have to move fast whatever we do.”

Jake glanced at the dangling Americans, each of them freshly strung up. If he’d felt bad about killing the enemy here, the feeling vanished. This was a battle, yeah, to the freaking finish.

-3-

The Offer

I-25 COLORADO

Soldier Rank Zhu Peng rode one of the newly-modified Z4A “Battle-taxis.”

The Z4As were strange helos with a bubble canopy for the pilot and two swept back poles on either side for the Eagle Team commandos. They were constructed to give each jetpack-flyer easy and quick access to the air.

Zhu sat on a motorcycle-style seat as he gripped two handlebars. Before him was a small windshield. His booted feet also rested on bars. He rode outside with the cold wind. So did other Eagle flyers of Tian Jintao’s squad. They were high in the sky tonight. The stars looked like gems, each cold and precise in the heavens.

Zhu’s helmet was closed and he’d dressed warmly, but that didn’t help after forty-five minutes in the night air. He shivered, wishing he could sit before a glowing orange heater. Since he was so skinny, he didn’t retain heat as well as the others did.

They were on Partisan Standby. It meant the Z4A had climbed up high into the sky, loitering. American ears had grown wary, and partisans bolted at the first sound of Chinese helos. So command had decided on a new tactic: up and out of sight and sound until the instant of partisan combat.

High-flying modified AWACS watched the ground for partisans. Once spotted, this battle-taxi could zoom. The new modification to the Z4A was afterburner-equipped tri-jets.

Zhu had been on several afterburner runs. They were wild rides, exhilarating and fast. The trouble was, few Eagle flyers could dismount in the accepted manner when the battle-taxi flew that fast. Once the Eagle commando stood up to launch, the wind hit him hard, pushing him back into his seat. The trick was to fall backward like a skydiver.

For the moment, as his teeth chattered, Zhu tried to figure out how to enjoy the patrol. He was cold and getting colder. He studied the nearby Rocky Mountains. They were majestic, but their snowy sides…no, looking at them just made him shiver more. The ground was far below. The distant I-25—it went north to south—was the tiniest of ribbons. On that route went most Chinese supplies to the PAA Third Front.

Zhu’s helmet crackled with sound. “Soldier Rank Zhu,” he heard.

Zhu chinned his controls. “Yes, First Rank.”

“I’m so cold my balls are going to freeze off,” Tian complained. “How I am going to please the hot American women then? Tell me that.”

Zhu blinked in confusion. Was this a code? Orders mandated quiet from Eagle flyers during a combat air patrol. Tian must have spotted something vitally important to break radio silence.

“Are we jumping?” Zhu asked.

“No,” Tian said. “I told you my balls are cold. That means I’m freezing. How do you keep yourself warm?”

Oh, Zhu understood. Tian must realize how easily he became cold. The beefy First Rank must be saying this to make him feel better. It was thoughtful of Tian, but it made Zhu uncomfortable. Does he think I’m too weak to take the cold?

“First Rank,” Zhu said in a chiding voice. “Orders state we must maintain radio silence.”

“I’m too cold to be silent,” Tian said. “If I have to sit another moment with my thoughts, I’m jumping off and going to ground where it’s warmer.”

“The officers would mark you AWOL.”

Tian chuckled. “Zhu, Zhu, Zhu, why are you so serious all the time? Aren’t you cold?”

Instead of answering—he never wanted to lie to Tian—Zhu said, “What if the officers hear our radio chatter?”

“You were a Hero of Los Angeles and now you’re worried about a few prissy officers?” Tian asked. “Soldier Rank, are you worried about a few demerits?”

This must be a secret test. Zhu nodded to himself. Tian and likely officers wish to see if I have moral courage. I cannot show moral cowardice. Yet, I am supposed to obey orders. I don’t know what to do.

“Are you still there, Soldier Rank? Or have you already jumped off to get warm?”

“I am at my post,” Zhu said.

“Are you cold?”

“No, First Rank,” Zhu said.

“Did you just lie to me?”

“Well…” Zhu said, “Yes, I’m a little cold.”

“So a Hero of Los Angeles is mortal after all.”

Zhu had a won a Hero of China medal for his actions in Los Angeles. “First Rank, I wish you would not mock my efforts in California.”

“Do you remember that my mother went to an astrologer before I left and she discovered that I wouldn’t die in North America?”

“I remember,” Zhu said.

“I wonder if the astrologer was true or if she was a charlatan like people say they are. If she was false, it means I might die here. This country is so big, and there are so many Americans who take up their guns to fight us—do you think we can win this war?”

“China cannot lose,” Zhu said.

“Why is that?” Tian asked.

“We fight better,” Zhu said in surprise. “We have the greatest soldiers in history. The Americans have retreated constantly before us. It is impossible for us to lose.”

“That’s a nice speech, Soldier Rank. Now tell me what you really think.”

“I’m…” Zhu glanced to his left. First Rank Tian looked at him. The big commando raised an arm and waved.

Zhu let go of a handlebar and waved back.

“I have a report of a band of partisans, First Rank Tian,” the Z4A’s pilot said. “They’ve blown up three trucks nine kilometers from our position. Are your commandos ready for a dive?”

“Get set, Eagle flyers,” Tian radioed the others with wide band. “We’re going down.”

Zhu gripped the handlebars with both hands. He lowered his head and heard the ripping wind pass his ears. Sometimes when the afterburners roared hottest, wind slipped over the windshield. He’d seen a flyer torn out of his seat before.

The Z4A modified battle-taxi tipped earthward. A second later, the helo shot forward. Afterburners roared and orange flame flickered.

Zhu’s fingers slipped. He tightened his hold and crouched lower still. He shifted his feet as he leaned as low as he could, managing to get his boots in front of the foot bars. The tri-jet afterburners didn’t let up. As they dove, it was a struggle to remain on his cycle-seat.

“Ease up on your dive,” Tian radioed the pilot.

“Orders,” the pilot said. “I’m to dive at maximum speed.”

“And if your orders kill us by tumbling commandos, whose head do you think will roll?” Tian asked.

The battle-taxi eased up in its dive, giving Zhu time to re-grip the bars and lean into a better position.

“If we’re late…” the pilot said.

“Don’t threaten me,” Tian said, and there was menace in his voice.

The pilot didn’t say anything more, nor did they increase speed again. Zhu could understand the pilot’s fear. He’d fought Tian before and lost miserably. But losing a fight didn’t mean you backed down. He would rather take the blows of a beating than show cowardice.

The First Rank fed them data as he received it. The ground rushed nearer and I-25 had grown considerably. Zhu could see a blaze on the road. The partisans must have struck an oil hauler.

“Was the partisan strike by mine or machine gun?” Zhu asked.

“Looks like both,” Tian told him.

“There!” another Soldier Rank cried. “Look at three-dash-five. They’re riding motorcycles, two people per vehicle.”

Zhu swiveled his helmet while turning on the HUD coordinates. He spied the partisans with his night vision. The motorcycles fled for a forest three kilometers away. If the Americans reached those trees, it would be hard to find and kill them.

The Z4A swept out of the night sky like a proverbial bat out of hell. The afterburners and dive gave the helo speed.

“They’re splitting up!” the Soldier Rank shouted.

“We can hear you just fine,” Tian said. “There’s no need to shout.”

“Which motorcycle do you want me to follow?” the pilot asked.

Tian was quiet for a moment. Then he began to instruct the pilot and the team. “Zhu, you and Qiang will take the left motorcycle.”

The helo lurched right. Tian was giving him the hardest target. Despite that, the others would laugh at him if his motorcycle got away.

“Get ready,” Tian said.

The battle-taxi zoomed at the chosen motorcycle, gaining on it.

“Launch,” Tian said.

Zhu released the handlebars and thrust up with his feet. It was a tricky maneuver, and he twisted his boots. They could easily tangle with the handlebars. He cleared the helo and flew forward through momentum. He also dropped. Only now did he engage the jetpack. If a flyer shot up too soon, he could cause a bad accident for both him and the others.

“Zhu,” Fighter Rank Qiang said.

“Follow me,” Zhu said, “but stay to my left.”

“Yes, Soldier Rank,” Qiang said.

Opening the throttle, Zhu flew after the leftmost motorcycle and the two partisans. He made a quick calculation and gave himself maximum thrust. That ate up jetpack-fuel at a prodigious rate. But this wasn’t an endurance flight. He had to reach the motorcycle now. It was harder flying fast, though, trickier, more prone to misjudgments.

He gained on the pair. Did they hear him? One of the riders looked back. She had long hair whipping in the wind.

It’s a woman. I don’t want to kill a woman.

The woman sitting on the back of the bike didn’t have any compunction about shooting at him. She twisted around and fired a submachine gun. It spat flame.

Zhu wasn’t worried about getting hit up here. She rode a bike over bumpy ground and he flew in the air. She’d need divine luck to shoot him down like this. He’d learned through bitter experience that the dangerous ground soldiers were those who fired deliberately while standing in one spot.

“Qiang?” Zhu asked.

“Behind you and to the left,” Qiang said.

Zhu glanced back. In the darkness, he could barely make out Qiang. The Fighter Rank had fallen far behind.

“Get high up,” Zhu said. “You’re going to watch where they go.”

“I need to give you fire support.”

“You must obey me!” Zhu shouted.

“Yes, Soldier Rank.”

Zhu glanced at his grenade launcher. It was perched on his left shoulder like a predatory eagle. He gained on the motorcycle and fired a grenade. It sailed into the darkness and exploded to their left by forty meters.

The driver never swerved. Sometimes partisans panicked, but it didn’t look like these two would. Zhu fired another grenade for good measure.

The submachine gun blazed.

Zhu grinned to himself. He zoomed lower, gaining even more speed. He was a mere thirty meters above them. He flashed over them and sped ahead.

Now the motorcycle swerved, taking a different direction.

“Talk to me, Qiang. Tell me where they’re going.” Zhu didn’t want to take his eye off the ground. This was going to get tricky. While he was this low, he didn’t want to keep looking back to see where they were.

Qiang fed him data on his targets.

Zhu made a quick judgment and roared ahead for a rough piece of ground. Eagle flyers had broken many an ankle trying this. He needed full concentration.

“Zhu, they’re heading straight for you! I think they know what you’re going to do.”

The girl must be firing the submachine gun, but Zhu wasn’t going to worry about that now. He needed concentration. You’ve trained doing this many a time. Just get it right. Get down and then worry about the combat situation.

Too many Eagle flyers tried to do two things at once. You needed to land right first. Then you could fight. Fighting while trying to land meant you would spill badly.

Zhu watched the ground rush up. He swiveled his body and applied thrust, braking himself. He dropped, braked harder, and dropped at just the right angle. Seconds later, he ran lightly across the ground. His feet blurred and he brought himself under control.

“They’re coming for you,” Qiang radioed.

“They are brave,” Zhu said.

He ran, and with a flick of his hands, he shed the jetpack. It fell, and he ran faster, lighter now. Then he dove, thudding onto the ground, skidding with his chest, using his toes to drag and brake. As he stopped, he yanked his QBZ-95 from the rack and swiveled on his stomach.

“How did you do that, Zhu?” Qiang asked. “I can’t believe it.”

Soldier Rank Zhu ignored the question. He concentrated on combat. I must fight with superior bravely against these courageous Americans.

He sighted the assault rifle, and he let the pair roar at him over the bumpy ground. The headlight wavered and the enemy gunfire quit. The woman must be switching magazines.

Deliberately, Zhu pulled the trigger. The stock shoved against his shoulder as he lay on the ground. Flame belched out of the barrel, illuminating the iron sight on the end. He began firing bursts, and in a moment, the motorcycle slid and the two Americans went down. Zhu watched. The driver stayed down, for he’d shot the partisan in the head. The woman with the flying hair got up and staggered.

Zhu hesitated. She is a woman.

The partisan looked around wildly. Zhu heard her sob. Then he shot her, and she too went down—and she stayed down.

He thought about that—killing a woman, and it emotionally drained him. He lay on the ground and began to shake. He hated this about himself. All the excitement was over and now his body betrayed him. He shook, and he hated the fact of killing a woman.

“Zhu,” Qiang radioed from the ground, from beside the motorcycle. “They’re both women. They…they look like sisters.”

Soldier Rank Zhu closed his eyes. He didn’t like partisan hunting. The Americans were brave to do what they did. Yet he had to kill them and make them stop. If he didn’t, China would wear herself out in battle.

“Are you well, Soldier Rank?” Qiang radioed. “I see you lying on the ground.”

“I’m fine,” Zhu said. He sat up, and the trembling increased. He had been scared making the landing. He was glad no one else knew that.

As he walked toward Qiang, he realized that he wasn’t cold anymore.

How much longer would the squad continue to hunt partisans? When was the war going to get hot again? He wanted to fight American soldiers, not their motorcycle-riding, submachine gun-firing women partisans. It wasn’t fair to him the Americans did that and he wanted it to stop.

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND

It was November 2and Anna Chen’s hands trembled as she stood before her hotel mirror. I’m the wrong person for this. I’m going to make a terrible mistake and it will cost America everything. Why did he choose me?

Anna wore a modest blue dress with a matching purse and shoes. Today, she wore her dark hair down past her shoulders.

Should I put my hair up? This is awful. I don’t even know how to dress for something like this.

She stared at herself, trying to drum up a modicum of self-confidence. She was slender, some said beautiful—Anna had a hard time admitting it to herself—and she was half-Chinese in a country undergoing its worst crisis because of the Chinese. Many, many people hated her because of her ethnicity.

If I fail, people will want to hang me for treason. They’ll say I sold them out because secretly I love the invaders and want them to win. Her lips firmed. She did not love the invaders. She loved her country and she loved—she blinked at herself, shaking her head. Then she went back to inspecting the dress by sliding her hands down her hips.

Despite her rapid rise in status, she worked out daily, practicing yoga. How many months ago had she been just another night-analyst for the CIA? Seven years ago, she’d worked for President Clark. Now she worked for President Sims.

Why can’t I call him by his first name? We weren’t that formal three days ago when he held me in his arms, whispering in my ear.

They had been working together for months, trying to stem the ongoing crisis. So far, nothing had halted the Chinese advance or the South American tanks. Week after week, the enemy surged deeper into the middle of the United States of America.

She no longer worked for the CIA, but had first moved onto the Presidential crisis team and then into the President’s inner circle as an advisor. Today she was here as the personal representative of the President.

I can’t do this. I’ll make a terrible mistake and it will cost us too dearly. What do I know about bargaining with one of the most powerful men in the world?

There came a knock at the door. Anna turned sharply. She felt lightheaded, dizzy. This was it. No. Please, let me go home.

“Enter,” she said.

The door swung inward and a large Secret Service agent stood there. It was the mission chief, a black man named Demetrius. He wore a black suit and sunglasses. “The car is waiting, ma’am,” Demetrius said in his deep voice.

Anna nodded. Her mouth had become too dry to speak. She faced the mirror a last time, picked up a necklace and kept fumbling with the tiny lock. She couldn’t—

“If you would permit me, ma’am?” Demetrius said.

She shivered. He stood so tall and powerful behind her. She hadn’t even heard him walk up. His face was stony; the sunglasses hid his eyes.

Feeling helpless, she nodded once more.

His big fingers moved deftly, brushing her hand as he clicked the tiny lock into place. “I do this for my wife all the time,” he said.

“Thank you,” Anna managed to whisper.

For a moment then, she was back in time. She remembered her former bodyguard, Tanaka. They had married and street thugs had killed him, ending everything. Tanaka would have scolded her for acting this mousey. She was the President of the United States’ personal representative. She needed to act boldly. She needed to realize that today she was the voice of America.

I have to swallow my fear. I have to think and measure the opposition. I must seek calm, calm, calm…

She’d entered the inner circle, advising the President and in the past few weeks consoling him. The crushing burden was becoming too much for one man to shoulder. President Sims was hard-pressed and people kept expecting miracles from him. He’d won the Alaskan War seven years ago, defeating the Chinese. He had a record of victory against them.

Yes, President Sims—

David. I can call him David in my thoughts, can’t I?

David Sims had helped America prepare for the present war. The Militia formations had been his idea. Shooting down the Chinese satellites last year and stopping the food tribute—he’d helped Americans feel proud again. Now to watch the endless retreats, the grim defeats, each larger than the last—it was grinding David down.

I’m here because this is better than crawling to the Chinese for conditions. And I’m here because Chancellor Kleist indicated he had a proposal for us.

Years ago, Anna had written the tome on the Chinese: Socialist-National China. It had been a bestseller, and it had won her a professorship at Harvard and then a spot on President Clark’s staff. After Clark lost his reelection bid, she’d been unemployed and looking for work. Finally, she’d joined the CIA because Sims helped those who had worked to defeat the Chinese in Alaska. As a CIA analyst, she’d uncovered the enemy’s Blue Swan EMP tac-missiles, and she’d helped figure out how to blunt them against the SoCal Fortifications. During these dark days, she’d learned all she could about Chancellor Kleist of the German Dominion, but her knowledge was spotty compared to her understanding of the Chinese leadership.

In the here and now, Agent Demetrius led the way down the hotel hall. Soon, they stepped outside. It was snowing and wet, clinging flakes fell. A running sedan waited at the bottom of the marble steps. White fumes puffed out of the car’s exhaust.

Anna worked her way down the slick steps. Her right foot began to slide; she held her body rigid and barely caught her balance in time. It wouldn’t do for her to fall down the stairs like an idiot. Finally, she made it and headed for the open car door. She slid into the back seat and Demetrius shut the door and climbed into the front, riding shotgun. The car started forward, the only vehicle on the street.

What a lonely country this has become.

The capital city of Reykjavik and Iceland as a whole used to have many more people. Glaciation had changed that. The Gulf Stream no longer warmed these northern waters. The current no longer warmed Europe or Russia. Because of the change, crops had dwindled to a pale shadow of their glory days.

The German Dominion refused to accept the lessening of their position. They had incorporated several North African nations into their empire. Experts attempted to change the former deserts into gardens using scientific methods. The ancient Carthaginians had done that to northern Tunisia. Now the Germans tried their hand at the game. They even towed icebergs into the Mediterranean Sea and put them on Libyan, Algerian and Tunisian shores. The melt helped water the new wheat fields.

From the back seat, Anna noticed they climbed a hill. She glanced left and saw colorful rooftops. There were many of those in Reykjavik. In the distance, she saw the spire of Hallgrimskirkja, the church of Hallgrimur. According to her brief, the spire was the sixth tallest structure on the island.

Once, Greater Reykjavik had boasted 200,000 people. Anna had read in her brief there were a mere 75,000 now. The ratio was similar for the entire island. Still, Iceland was strategically placed. A GD air wing flew out of the island and tough GD paratroopers and hover-tankers guarded the lonely land.

From the back seat, Anna pulled out her e-reader, trying to study her notes. It proved impossible. She was more nervous than ever. In the next few minutes, she would meet Chancellor Kleist and she would have to play her role as Presidential representative.

Kleist was a cunning bastard. Oh yes, he was acclaimed as the new Otto von Bismarck. That sounded so much nicer. There had been little nice about Otto von Bismarck, however, a man of the late 1800s. His compatriots had named Bismarck the “blood and iron” Chancellor who’d created the Second Reich—the German Empire—through soldiers’ blood and his iron will. That empire had perished at the end of World War I.

Anna permitted herself a wintry grimace. The First Reich had been a medieval political entity. The Third Reich had been that monster Hitler’s creation. Today the Germans seemed wiser than before. No one called it the Fourth Reich, but the German Dominion instead. It encompassed the old European Union with added African countries.

Anna wasn’t here simply because the GD was a first-rate world power. Through his subtle and force-backed diplomacy, Chancellor Kleist had massed GD hovers into Cuba, along with elite paratroopers and airmobile brigades. GD Fleets roamed the Atlantic Ocean and its air and space patrols came perilously near America’s Eastern seaboard. The problem went much deeper, of course. Kleist had made a secret pact with the Pan-Asian Alliance, with China. The ray of hope for America came because it seemed as if Kleist had broken certain accords of the pact. His lack of help in attacking America this summer meant something, and if she did her job well, she might find out what.

One of the State Department men briefing Anna two days ago had told her Kleist reminded him more of Gaiseric than Otto von Bismarck. It had been a chance comment but she’d looked it up. One of her strengths was thoroughness and preparation. If she didn’t know something, she hunted it down.

Gaiseric had ended up being the king of the Vandal barbarians. In the waning days of the Western Roman Empire, groups of German tribes had marched hither and yon, conquering choice pieces of the empire and claiming the land as armed and dangerous squatters. Gaiseric took his Vandals from Spain and into Northern Africa. He besieged and took Carthage and soon turned his Germans into fierce pirates, creating a first-rate navy.

Gaiseric had proved the most cunning of the barbarian warlords. His words had helped convince Attila the Hun to attack the Western Roman Empire. Perhaps Kleist’s words had helped convince Chairman Hong to invade America. After Attila’s time and during Roman troubles, Gaiseric had taken his Vandals and sacked the Eternal City of Rome. The barbarians did such a thorough job of it that the tribal name—Vandal—stuck. It became a word that meant wanton destroyer. The key to understanding Gaiseric was his cunning and avarice.

Now I’m supposed to match wits with the modern Gaiseric. I think David miscalculated. Anna gripped the e-reader. You will remain calm. You will listen carefully and say as little as possible. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps his mouth shut.

“We’re almost there ma’am,” Demetrius told her. He rode with a walkie-talkie near his mouth and he scanned back and forth.

Anna looked up from her reader. The snow had stopped falling. Rain poured instead. The sedan’s wipers busily cleared the front windshield.

Ah, they approached Hotel Arnarson. It was a blocky, six-story building, with combat helicopters parked on the rooftop. Anna’s eyes widened. She spied armored soldiers on the sidewalks, cradling machine guns. They wore black helmets, some speaking into tiny microphones before their mouths.

Did Kleist fear assassins? That would be an interesting thing to know.

Anna recalled what David had told her. Like the country, the American President was desperate. Above all else, he needed to know the Chancellor’s intentions. Did the German Dominion plan to invade the U.S. or was there a way to buy them off?

How am I supposed to figure out Kleist’s intentions? Anna shook her head. David seemed to think she was good at getting under a foreign leader’s skin. Yes, she knew the Chinese, but the Germans…

What do I know about Germans, these New Germans? World War II had shown they made great soldiers, but they usually made foolish political blunders.

Is Kleist of that mold?

The sedan slowed as it approached Hotel Arnarson. Anna shuddered.

Calm, keep calm and keep your wits. Your country and your President is depending on you to produce a miracle.

***

Chancellor Kleist proved to be short and fat. At first blush, he looked like an old-style German burgher, with doughy cheeks. The eyes belied the image. There was something plastic about the dark orbs, something of an emotionless and predatory shark. He had sparse dark hair but wasn’t bald.

He wore a green suit and expensive Italian shoes. His chin was strong, his hands thick but small and he wore a single ring on his wedding finger. The silver band had a large diamond and that seemed strange and out of place.

They had been speaking together, the Chancellor and Anna. He had a rich voice, easy to hear. His eyes made her uncomfortable. They had undressed her several times already. It was an oily thing, making her feel like meat, a meal for this small, ruthless Gaiseric of a man.

She’d met his Naval and Army Ministers. They had been tall and imposing. Kleist had treated them like errand boys. What daunted Anna is how they reacted to him: with stark, ill-concealed fear. She had greeted several Home Ministers and noticed the same reaction. If Kleist told a joke, all his officials laughed loudly. Lastly, Anna met a tall Frenchman with silver hair. He spoke cordially, mentioning Lafayette, how maybe this time maybe America could aid France.

Anna found that a strange comment.

Shortly after that, Kleist said, “Shall we retire into the other room, Ms. Chen?” He had accented English, making his “W’s” sound like “V’s.”

Anna nodded.

One of the hard-faced men standing near the back wall strode toward them. The man reminded Anna of Agent Demetrius. With the click of ornate door handles, the bodyguard opened a set of baroque double doors. A fireplace roared comfortably within. Near it sat two huge stuffed chairs, facing the fire. On one of the walls rested a massive set of old books. Another wall featured ancient Viking swords and axes and large round shields.

“After you, please,” Kleist said.

Anna moved to one of the chairs by the fireplace and sat down. The heat felt good on her knees.

Kleist sat in the other chair and made a subtle gesture to the bodyguard. The man closed the doors, sealing the two of them alone in the room.

“At last,” Kleist said, turning his shark eyes to Anna, letting them rove over her body.

Somehow, Anna managed a smile and kept herself from shivering. It was crazy to think a head of state would attempt rape. Yet she thought it nevertheless.

Calm, Anna, keep calm. This is the most important moment of my life. I must serve my country to the very best of my ability.

Kleist smiled at her. It was a gloating thing, but only lasted a moment. He let the smile fade, and the small Gaiseric folded his thick hands on his stomach.

“Fraulein, why do you think your President chose you to speak to me as his representative?”

“I’m not sure I understand your question, Chancellor.”

“He should have sent the Defense Minister or possibly the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Instead, he sends you. I would like to know why.”

“For the simplest of reasons,” Anna said, “because he trusts me.” She was surprised at how calm her voice sounded. Maybe she could do this.

Don’t get over-confident. Just stay calm and try to say as little as possible. Think before you speak.

“He trusts you,” Kleist said, as if tasting the words. “You are his conscience perhaps?”

“No.”

Kleist watched her as if waiting for more.

It was hard, but Anna kept her mouth shut. Don’t say too much. Let him think I’m wise.

As he sat in the stuffed chair, Chancellor Kleist began to twirl his thumbs. “He trusts you. Good. Are you a clever woman, Fraulein?”

“Some call me smart.”

“You are Chinese?”

“I am an American.”

Kleist twirled his thumbs faster. “The Chinese and South Americans have driven into your heartland. They have smashed, encircled and captured many American formations.”

“Our soldiers have killed and wounded hundreds of thousands of enemy, and we shall continue to do so until we’ve driven them out of our land.”

“This is not the time and place for speeches,” Kleist said in an admonishing tone.

Anna turned away because her stomach twisted. She wasn’t suited for this at all. She tried to be calm and say little, yet here she’d made a short speech. Kleist was right about that.

She studied the axes on the walls. Why had David sent her? Was it true he trusted her judgment? If so, she should let herself act as naturally as possible. Maybe that was the correct way to handle this.

I must learn to be myself. I can be no other. Hmm. She would be foolish to try to outsmart Kleist. She couldn’t play Gaiseric games with the master. Maybe the best thing would be to lay all the cards on the table.

“Chancellor,” she said, turning back to him. “America’s fighting men are hard-pressed. But we have many millions more ready to take their place. If I may speak plainly with you, sir?” she asked.

“Please,” he said.

“We know the German Dominion sighed accords with Greater China. You have an army ready in Cuba. Your army has many hovercraft and airmobile brigades. We’re ready for your invasion, but for some reason, your formations haven’t hit our beaches yet.”

“No, they have not,” Kleist said, quietly.

“President Sims is curious why your army hasn’t moved.”

Kleist laughed, but there wasn’t anything humorous in it. “Fraulein, the reason why we’ve held back…” He turned away, staring up at the ceiling. Finally, he shook his head and faced her again. His gaze bored into hers, with all its shark-like emotionlessness. He was a predator always on the prowl. It’s who he was.

“The world is a harsh place, Fraulein. Bandits and killers abound. Thieves and plunderers wait for an opportunity to strike. Safety resides in strength. Strength is a matter of money, will and weapons. The Chinese with their Pan-Asian Alliance have more money, more will and far more weapons than anyone else does. They are a juggernaut, and they push their weight around, forcing others into line. You Americans have decided to thwart them. Now look where it has gotten you: in a massive land war, one you are losing.”

“I fail to see your point, Chancellor.”

“Several generations ago, Germany had weapons and will, although we lacked enough numbers. Against our better judgment, one man led us to push our weight around, and we attempted to conquer Europe and Russia. Alas, the armies of the world united against us and ground us down. We lost millions. So did many others. During the latter part of the conflict, America entered that crusade. Wisely, they had allowed the Russians to do the heavy fighting and take the bitterest losses. Now it is quite different. This time around, Germany waits for the right moment to enter the war. Meanwhile, you and the Chinese ruthlessly grind each other down. If I recall my history correctly, after World War II, America was the supreme nation on Earth, partly because they had taken by far the fewest casualties of all the former Great Powers.”

“I see,” Anna said. He is a Gaiseric. “You plan to invade after everyone’s armies have taken horrendous losses, leaving you as the strongest.”

“That is one future path,” Kleist said. “But it isn’t the only possibility. I have other plans.”

“Would you care to tell me this other plan?”

“First, you must understand that the GD forces in Cuba could decisively tip the scales against America or for it.”

“Yes,” Anna said. It was the truth, so she might as well admit it.

“Excellent. We can speak to each other. You aren’t here to attempt to spin American fantasies about your former strength. In the old days, your country could have conquered the world. Those days have long passed. You squandered your glory on fruitless endeavors.”

“I suppose that’s a matter of opinion.”

“Yet, you Americans can still fight. In my study of the past, I have discovered a secret. Anglo-Saxon soldiers fight hardest when cornered. I know. Your country is a mongrel mismatch of nationalities and cultures. Yet its base is still Anglo-Saxon, the British root is still strong in your land. Your country is the most dangerous when its soldiers have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. I know it is going to be a slugfest to the finish. In that way, you are like old Russia.”

“We will fight,” Anna said.

“Yes, so why should German and other European soldiers die, especially if there is another way to achieve our desires?”

“What are your desires?”

Kleist’s thumbs stopped twirling. He lurched forward, with his thick hands on his knees. He must have been pressing them hard, as the fingertips turned white with pressure. There was nothing pudgy about his face now. The cunning was visible, the sheer ruthlessness.

Anna almost shrank back into her chair. She blinked several times—calm, stay calm. Listen to his words and remember your impressions. This is a very dangerous man.

“The German Dominion is a bulwark for states wishing to keep their unique identity in the world,” Kleist said. “The Pan-Asian Alliance on the other hand is merely a vehicle for China. The same is true of the South American Federation. The Brazilians think to emulate China. They hope to carve slaves states out of your country. They seek to stamp America into the dust bin of history.”

Anna waited.

“One land in North America is unique, a singular entity forced into a nation state it deplores. They have sought entrance into the German Dominion. I would like to see them enter our union. But I would like to achieve this peacefully, with the blessing of the United States. I do not seek war against America.”

“Then why did you sign an accord with China to attack us?” Anna dared ask, surprising herself at her boldness.

The plastic eyes seemed to shine eerily. “We will speak plainly. The Americans like plain speaking, or so it was once said.”

“Yes.”

“Yes,” Kleist said. “We signed the accord because we thought America was much weaker than it now appears to be. The fighting in California impressed my generals. Now we have achieved a secondary goal. Greater China with its Pan-Asian Alliance has becomes the world’s strongest power. We wish to see them weakened, badly weakened. What better way than to spend their military power against you. However, my generals and strategists inform me that you have been caught short, or by surprise, by the sheer volume of Asian power. It is more than conceivable that China shall win and split the United States in two. If they do, we wish to be poised to take premier American land.”

“I don’t understand.”

“We could grab Florida now,” Kleist said. “Bah,” he snapped his fingers. “Germany—the German Dominion wants prime agricultural territory, not the Florida swamps and orange groves. You Americans still have powerful concentrations of troops on the Eastern and Gulf coasts. It would be a bitter fight with what we have in place. A year from now, it would be much different. If we did invade, however, America would be stretched to the breaking point.”

“What is your proposal?” Anna asked.

“We are not in need of prime agricultural land at present,” he said. “For now, we wish to right an injustice. Therefore, we desire Quebec.”

“Excuse me?”

“I propose the United States agree to Quebec joining the German Dominion. We would send troops to secure their national integrity, but otherwise, we will stay out of the present fray.”

Anna tried to wrap her mind around what he was saying. “You want our help to invade Quebec?”

Kleist frowned. “Quebecers are foaming at the mouth once again. They wish to leave Canada. The Canadian Government has sent troops it can ill afford to try to keep the lid on for now. I propose the obvious. The Quebecers trust the French, who in turn trust me. Quebec will join the German Dominion and thereby keep its uniqueness as a French land. They can see that in the German Dominion Wales is for the Welsh, Bavaria is for the Bavarians and Quebec will be for the Quebecers. As you Americans say, it is a win-win-win situation.”

“How does that help America?” Anna asked, dumbfounded.

“Is it not obvious? By agreeing to this, the German troops in Cuba will transfer to Quebec. Those troops will no longer be poised to invade your coasts.”

“You’ll also get your soldiers on the continent without having to fight for it,” Anna said.

“Yes. There is that, too.”

“From Quebec, German soldiers could invade the New England territories or Michigan.”

“We could, but we won’t. Besides, such a transfer will take time. During that time, you gain the use of the Americans soldiers guarding your coastlines. You can transfer those coastal troops and possibly halt the Chinese thrusts into the Midwest.”

“If you’re betraying the Chinese,” Anna said, “how can we trust you to keep your word to us?”

Kleist smiled, and for the first time it seemed genuine. “Ms. Chen, the reason is clear. If we help China now, they will grab the lion’s share of the prime agricultural land in America. How does that benefit the German Dominion? Instead, we gain Quebec, a land with many mineral resources. We encourage you to continue your struggle with Greater China, thereby weakening both of you. We also gain your good will because we have done you a favor.”

“By getting a firm foothold in North America?” Anna asked.

Kleist shrugged. “That is the cost, as you must make our neutrality worth our while.”

“What if instead of that we give Germany—?”

Kleist held up a pudgy hand.

Anna fell silent.

“I am not here to bargain, Ms. Chen. I am telling you our price for neutrality.”

“But America doesn’t own Quebec. How can we give away what isn’t ours?”

“Come, come,” Kleist said, “the Great Powers often divide up the weaker countries at times like this. It has happened throughout history. Just ask the Poles or the Czechs. You must convince the Canadians to free the Quebecers from their enforced union.”

“The Canadians won’t like it.”

“You’re no doubt right,” Kleist said. “But that isn’t our problem. It is yours. Are you interested in the proposal?”

Anna sat in her chair spellbound. She was unsuited for this. She didn’t have the callousness to make such decisions.

“I must speak with the President,” she said.

“Yes, you will do that. And do you know what, Ms. Chen. Your President will agree to the proposal. America is too hard-pressed to do otherwise.”

Anna didn’t know what else to say, so she said nothing, waiting. She would make the call, and she wondered what David was going to say? She didn’t like it, and she didn’t like the further weight of this on David. The situation was grinding him down. It was too much to shoulder, far too much.

Who in their right mind wants to be President?

“Let us adjourn while you make the call,” Kleist said.

Anna nodded.

Kleist clapped his pudgy hands, and soon the big double doors opened, with a hard-faced bodyguard staring at Anna Chen.

DENVER, COLORADO

Paul Kavanagh sat in a chair, looking at his blood brother Romo. The man sat up in bed, with plastic under his nose and little tubes sticking up his nostrils. The former assassin was in the hospital and had lost weight. He still had a fever, but not as high as earlier.

“I have news,” Romo said.

Paul had just come from having General Ochoa chew him out about Knowles, the man he’d picked up and brought to the city. Since the Chinese Army was between Knowles and his home, the man had no way of getting home other than an insertion. Paul had barely convinced Ochoa that would be a bad idea.

Because of the audio meeting, Paul only barely heard Romo. He was thinking about Knowles. The man had a job now in a processing plant as a forklift driver. He was a good worker, and Paul still felt bad about what he’d done. It didn’t seem as real as it had been that night in the farmhouse. His instinct about Knowles was fading.

Did I think that about him because I was tired?

“Are you listening to me?” Romo asked.

“Sorry,” Paul said. “What are you saying?”

“I have news.”

“So spill it.”

“The Mexican Home Army is stationed nearby in Centennial.”

Paul didn’t sit up, but Romo had his attention. “Is Colonel Valdez with them?” he asked.

“But of course,” Romo said.

“How did you learn about this?”

“I received a phone call from a friend. The Colonel is still very angry with you.”

“And probably he’s now angry with you, too,” Paul said.

“This is true. It is why my friend called: to warn me.”

“So if your friend called, he knows you’re here—obviously.” Paul was thinking aloud.

In Mexico on a SOCOM mission, Paul had lost the Colonel’s daughter, Maria. She’d been his team’s guide. The Chinese had captured her. Colonel Valdez held Paul responsible for the loss. Valdez had sent assassins to kill him. Romo had been the best of those assassins, but Paul had saved his life and they had become blood brothers. The Colonel now hated both of them.

“The Colonel must know you’re here, too,” Paul said. “We should move you somewhere else.”

“Not necessary,” Romo said. “My friend would tell me if the Colonel planned to kill me.”

Paul wasn’t so sure about that. He’d done a little investigation into Colonel Valdez. The man killed those he distrusted. It had become an ingrained habit, and Romo had failed the Colonel, therefore…

“You sure you’re not worried?” Paul asked.

“This is a military hospital. The Colonel wouldn’t send one of his men here and jeopardize his standing with the Americans.”

“You’re dreaming if you believe that. In fact, you can’t believe that. I can get you moved.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Romo said. He yawned and his eyelids looked heavy.

Paul stood. He needed to talk to the chief doctor. “Get some more sleep. Get better. We have work to do, remember?”

“Si. I’ll get better. I just need a few more nights of sleep.”

Paul watched Romo close his eyes. If the man in charge of the hospital couldn’t do anything about this, meaning get him military guards, Paul would have to tell some of the others in SOCOM. He’d work out a rotation system, keeping watch on Romo. It would just be for a few more nights. What a thing… It used to be the enemy of my enemy is my friend. But Colonel Valdez, he collected enemies like some men notched victory points for sleeping with beautiful women. Valdez had a condition, a mental problem, and it wasn’t going to change anytime soon.

EL PASO, TEXAS

It was night as Guardian Inspector Shun Li of East Lightning strode down the corridor of a former underground bank vault. Above, the captured American city was a mass of rubble, ruined buildings and various Chinese headquarters. Down here, the technicians had already reinstalled full power. The lights overhead glared harshly, reflecting off the tiled floor.

Three East Lightning enforcers marched in front of her, their boots crashing in cadence. They were big men in body armor and enclosed helmets with darkened visors. Each cradled a close-combat carbine and would shoot anyone she wanted, at her command. She need merely point and nod or simply say, “Kill.”

Like trained beasts, they were eager to please her. Like beasts, they enjoyed their work.

East Lighting was the Chinese secret police. She was the Guardian Inspector for North America and answered only to Police Minister Xiao of the Ruling Committee.

Shun Li was of average size for a Chinese woman. She kept her dark hair short, barely covering her ears and wore a scarlet uniform with brown straps, reversing the normal East Lightning uniform. A short brown cape fluttered over her shoulders and pigskin gloves clad her hands. She had a peasant girl’s features. They were too wide in Chinese terms to be called beautiful. Even so, she had a pleasing face, with incredibly dark eyes of a compelling nature.

She also had a gift: a nose for politically potent information. She also knew the baseness of human nature and the trouble torture and premeditated killing caused for most people. It was hard to kill in cold blood. It was difficult for most people to inflict pain and make others scream and beg for mercy, even when doing so in the line of duty.

Because of that, East Lighting had learned to use social misfits to great effect. They took the outcasts of society, the sociopaths and the morally deficient. They gave the repugnant leave to follow their basest instincts as they tormented others into revealing critical data. East Lightning rewarded the vile for doing what otherwise would have landed them on death row as serial murders or psychotic rapists.

Even so, the last vestiges of right and wrong at times intruded on the outcasts’ souls. It was an occupational hazard that could cause a gnawing worm of distress in even the hardest of hearts. Such compromised interrogators often fled into drink or drugs for relief. Ironically, it surprised many of the misfits to discover they owned consciences.

They may be ugly, misshapen consciences and often stunted, but nevertheless were things that desperately needed silencing. This was why most interrogators wilted over the years. It’s why some became unhinged or why they turned dangerous like blood-maddened tigers tasting human flesh. The latter butchered the final remnants of their conscience and thereby became devilish and difficult to control.

Because her work mandated perfection and carried the seeds of her own destruction, Guardian Inspector Shun Li carefully watched her three enforcers. She hunted for the telltale signs. Too often in the past, East Lightning had sent hit teams to kill the killers, those who had become drunk on their task of carnage.

As Guardian Inspector, she had sent many otherwise fine East Lightning officers to the front to die. Earlier this year, Captain Wei had died in California. He had been a cunning operator, but the signs had been quite evident the last time she’d spoken with him. Men like him were careful lairs, very difficult to uncover. It was one more reason why she needed to be ruthless.

As she strode down the underground corridor with her short brown cape fluttering, Shun Li shrugged. Before his reassignment, Captain Wei had discovered useful information. Possibly, it had been wrong to engineer his death, but that was the price of being a torturer. His time had come and she had done her duty for the sake of Greater China.

When will someone come for me?

Her eyes tightened. She didn’t like to think about that, but she refused to lie to herself. If she watched these below, someone above watched her. She had long ago decided that the key to her survival was to keep the blood-madness at bay. She refused to enjoy killing. She refused to retreat into drink or drugs. She was beginning to wonder, however, if she used sex as her release. Even now, as her three enforcers marched ahead of her, she watched the play of their muscled buttocks. They were strong, powerful men with large appetites in all things. And the things the four of them did together in the bedroom…

Shun Li scowled so she could feel the lines appear in her forehead. Understanding hit her in the gut. The tasks are getting to me. I have done this too long.

She almost faltered as panic threatened. Do you realize what you’re admitting? She had indulged in bloodletting too long. Deciding who lived and who died—I have to give up my post before an executioner comes for me.

If that was true…Her three enforcers must die. They knew too many secrets about her that no one must ever learn.

I must cover my tracks, beginning today.

Ahead of her, the three enforcers paused before a closed door.

I have no more time for contemplation. I have a task to perform.

“Enter,” she said briskly.

With a gloved hand, the first enforcer opened the door. Then the three of them surged into the room, one after the other. A man inside gasped loud enough for Shun Li to hear.

She allowed herself a slight grin. It was time to play her persona. But I must not enjoy this. No.  I do the task for the good of China.

Shun Li entered the chamber. An East Lighting major stood behind his desk, scowling at the three carbines leveled at him. He ran to fat, this major, with a big belly. Still, the man had presence and stern features.

“What is the meaning of this, Guardian Inspector?” the major asked.

“I’m paying you a visit,” Shun Li said. “Please, sit down.”

The major glanced at the carbines and lifted a sardonic eyebrow at her.

Shun Li said nothing. The man kept his calm, which annoyed her. Maybe he needed breaking before they could proceed. She raised a hand as if to adjust her cape. The gloved hand stopped and she lifted a finger.

Underneath his enclosed helmet, the first enforcer grinned. He had several gold teeth. Coming around the desk, the enforcer swung the butt of his carbine, striking the major across the chin. The fat major catapulted back into his chair, his head thudded against the wall behind him.

Shun Li waved her hand.

The enforcer backed away, moving stiffly like an enraged hound.

Fear and pain shined in the major’s eyes. Gingerly, he touched his jaw, moving it tenderly from side to side. The sternness had departed. He deflated and his shoulders hunched.

In a hoarse voice, he said, “This is an unwarranted—”

The enforcer moved fast, lifting his carbine, tucking the butt against his shoulder and aiming at the East Lightning major. The man choked on his words as terror replaced the fear. It made his otherwise stern features seem pasty and doughy.

Suddenly, Shun Li was weary of this. The exchange seldom varied and it had become tedious.

The major turned away from the carbine and looked at her with pleading and hope. Once, she had enjoyed the range of emotions and enjoyed playing with a tormenter as a child would a new toy. The interrogator would have ruled too long in his spider kingdom, acting like a god, bestowing life or demanding death. He had forgotten how to deal with someone slapping him in the face or pointing a gun at his chest. To see the knowledge of his coming demise glow in his eyes had always made her grin inwardly.

Yes, I’ve enjoyed my tasks too much. Now I must escape this death-spiral or soon I will be the one sitting in the major’s chair.

Yet how could she escape? She was a spider with a larger web, but a spider nonetheless waiting for the coming wasp of higher command.

“Guardian Inspector,” the major said, “I would like to—”

“Quiet,” she said. “Let me think.”

One of the enforcers glanced at her, aiming his dark visor in her direction.

Shun Li suppressed a shudder. It felt as if the future looked at her, a grim reaper cutting her thread of life.

She almost said, “Kill him,” meaning the major. It would be a form of release from the awful knowledge of her own mortality. Fear thudded in her chest. Normally, she assuaged her wilted conscience by feeding it blood, attempting to drown it perhaps. She did have the blood madness, didn’t she? Is it too late for me?

Instead of giving the kill order, she snapped her mouth shut so her teeth clicked together. There had to be a way out of this self-made trap. She didn’t want to pay for—they’re not crimes. I did this for the good of China.

“Wait outside in the hall,” she told the enforcers.

The three killers hesitated. Then the first turned without a word and headed for the door. The other two followed. In a moment, the door closed behind them.

Shun Li regarded the major. He had bad skin and kept a warding hand hovering over his no doubt painful jaw. Still, the man was clever. If he seemed cowed now, she knew he schemed like a rat. It would be good to let him see the whip.

“You are slated to die,” she said.

Ha! His lower lip trembled. Yes, maybe he wasn’t so clever after all. Maybe she could—

“But I have decided to change your fate,” she said.

“You’re giving me mercy?” he asked in surprise.

The concept and the novelty of it struck her hard. Indeed, it felt as if a kung fu fighter heel-kicked her in the chest. Her mouth dropped open. What an interesting notion. Mercy, maybe by showing mercy she could repay Fate for all the blood she had shed. How much mercy would that take?

The thought made her frown. Maybe it would take several lifetimes of mercy, but she didn’t have that long. She needed a way out now.

The major’s lower lip trembled even more. “Guardian Inspector,” he said in a weasel tone, “I would like to show you something if I may?’

“Stay in your chair. Tell me this something instead.”

He nodded meekly and perspiration appeared on his face. “I have uncovered a fact the Chairman might find significant.”

“Have you filed it?”

The major shook his head.

“Why have you waited to inform your superiors about this knowledge?” she asked.

He looked down at his desk. “I’m due back in China. I leave in two days, in fact. I-I had planned to report this directly to Police Minister Xiao.”

He’s lying. There is something else going on here.

“Well, what is this significant something?” she asked. “Hurry up and tell me.”

He glanced up at her. The cunning was plain in his eyes. Yes, this one thought he was very clever.

“I will trade you the information,” he said.

Shun Li couldn’t help but grin. She had heard similar words so many times that it seemed impossible he believed it would work. Still, today…today, she would be merciful. She had to be careful, though. The major might have hidden recorders.

“I don’t understand this talk of trades,” she said, while looking at him significantly, letting him see she was trading. “I have personally come to inform you of tasks well done. Headquarters is pleased with your efforts.”

He grinned at her, and his eyes shone with newfound hope. He even took his protecting hand away from his jaw.

Shun Li found herself smiling in return. She smiled enough to let her lips part and reveal the tips of her teeth. Mercy felt good. Usually, she would have made the offender squirm and plead for his life. Today, she gave him hope, even though he was a pig of a drug addict and he had lost his better judgment. He deserved a nasty end, but not today because her conscience needed balancing, needing purging from its excessive bloodletting.

“You were saying,” she prompted.

“Yes, yes, I was going to personally tell Police Minister Xiao that I have discovered two pieces of vital information for the war effort.”

“Tell me now. I will decide how vital this information is.”

“Yes, of course.” He cleared his throat. “Firstly, I have discovered that there is but a single American Behemoth manufacturing plant.”

“This is true?” she asked. The Behemoth tanks were a nightmare, although they had remained hidden during the summer and fall offensives. It seemed inconceivable to her the Americans only built them in one location, as the tank had struck Chinese Command as a war-winning weapons system.

“It’s an amazing thing,” the major agreed. “But I have clear proof it is true. I have also discovered where the single plant lies: in Denver, Colorado.”

Hmm. She could see why the major wanted to be the one to show this to Xiao. This was incredible news. Still, how true was it?

“What proof do you have?” she asked.

“May I open my drawer?”

“Do so,” she said, although she dropped a gloved hand onto the butt of her holstered pistol. If the major brought up a weapon, he would die.

Slowly and carefully, the major opened a drawer, taking out a folder. He opened it, turning the papers to face her, and he began to explain how he had stumbled onto the information.

Shun Li craned for a look. Soon, she nodded in appreciation. This was incredibly vital news. The Behemoth tanks had gone a long way toward defeating the Californian invasion earlier this spring. She knew Army High Command dearly wanted to know where the Behemoths were hiding. If China could knock out the sole manufacturing plant—

“The Police Minister will welcome this news,” she said.

“I give you this prize,” he said, sliding the folder across the desk to her.

A thought struck. Had this prize come to her because she was being merciful? Maybe she could use this news to help her escape her fate as a tired Guardian Inspector. Maybe she could maneuver herself back into a post in China. With this, she might be able to maneuver onto the Police Minister’s staff in Beijing.

Shun Li picked up the folder.

“I would also like to give you this,” he said, “The transcript of the interviews.” He opened another drawer and slapped down a thicker folder.

“Are any of the prisoners still alive?” she asked.

“Alas, no, each one perished under questioning.”

Shun Li shook her head. Often, this was the sign an interrogator had lost his touch: when his prisoners began to expire under his ministrations.

“I assure you it couldn’t be helped,” he said.

“Of course,” she said. “I will write that in my report.”

The major smiled. “May I say, Guardian Inspector, that this—”

His words failed as she drew her pistol. He looked at her openmouthed. He must be wondering what she was going to do. She was giving him mercy. Headquarters had decided he must die. There was no escaping the decision. Her mercy had been in letting him think—these last few minutes of life—that he was going to live. Her mercy was in making his last moments enjoyable by thinking he could barter with Death.

“I thought we had a bargain,” he whispered.

“We did and we do,” she said, aiming at his forehead and pulling the trigger three times.

He smashed back, with three neatly placed holes smoking in his forehead.

Shun Li waved her pistol in the air to clear the smoke. Behind her, the door flew open and the first enforcer thrust the carbine through the opening. When he saw her, he relaxed.

Picking up the two folders, Shun Li tucked them under an arm. “Take him to the incinerator,” she said.

The enforcers let her pass. Afterward, they hurried into the major’s office. She headed for the surface. Here was priceless information indeed. Yes, she must get this to Police Minister Xiao tonight.

As she increased her pace, Shun Li frowned. It was funny, but giving mercy didn’t make her feel any better. Why was that? Likely, mercy was highly overrated and this proved it.

How can I escape my fate? I must discover a way before they send someone to kill me.

-4-

The Map

DENVER, COLORADO

Master Sergeant Paul Kavanagh leaned forward in his chair, accepting an enlarged photograph of a three-star Chinese general.

“Was this him?” Captain Anderson of SOCOM asked.

Paul squinted at the photograph. The Chinese general had strong features, with his military hat tilted slightly.

“I think so,” Paul said. He slid the photograph back onto the desk. It was the fourth photo Anderson had shown him.

“Hmm,” Anderson said. He checked an e-reader on the desk. “This is General Cho Deng.” The captain tapped the screen and continued reading. “Well, look at this,” he said shortly. “It appears Deng led Fifth Corps: five pursuit hovertank brigades. They’ve played a key role in several of our worst encirclement battles.” Anderson tapped the screen again, reading further and beginning to nod. “Deng’s hovertanks have driven deep on occasion, creating chaos in our rear areas. I wonder what he was doing on the Arkansas River.”

“Probably hauling supplies,” Paul said.

Anderson looked up. The second floor room was in SOCOM HQ for Army Group West. It was spacious, with a photograph of President Sims and a large American flag hanging on the wall. Behind the captain’s desk were several computers. He was a medium-sized man with a small black mustache and a prosthetic right hand and forearm. When he moved its fingers, the fiber-mechanical hand whirred softly. Anderson had fought as a second lieutenant in Alaska, losing the hand and forearm during the Chinese drive on Anchorage.

Anderson set down the photograph and drummed his prosthetic fingers on the desk.

“You were lucky, Master Sergeant,” he finally said.

Paul remained silent. He’d been back several days since coming in from the surveillance mission. Romo was in the hospital, hooked up to fluids. It had been a tough few days after the sniper attack. His blood brother had nearly coughed out his life and given them away twice. Once, Romo had told Paul to leave him behind and report in Denver. Paul had left two people behind in his life, once on the Arctic ice and once in Northern Mexico. Both incidents still bothered him. He knew his conscience couldn’t bear any more abandoned comrades and he’d told Romo so. There had been no more talk about that.

“We don’t send you behind enemy lines so you can indulge your fancy and kill enemy generals when you feel like it,” Anderson was telling him. “You’re not a lone wolf, but an integral part of a vast team effort.”

Paul knew better than to talk back to officers or even to try to explain himself. As a young man in Northern Quebec, he hadn’t always known that. It had gotten him kicked out of the Marines the first time. Maybe wisdom came with age. He sat and listened to the lecture, but he didn’t nod or give the captain assurances that he’d learned his lesson. He sat like a rock. He almost did it too much and forced himself to blink, as he’d been staring like an idol.

“I’m not sure you’re hearing me, Master Sergeant,” Anderson said.

“Oh. I hear you, sir. Loud and clear.”

“But do you understand?”

“Your words? Yes sir, absolutely.”

The finger drumming increased, making the prosthetic whirring noises more noticeable. “I can understand your frustration. I mean the lack of the smart bombs. And it’s good you took out this general. That’s not the point.”

“Of course not, sir,” Paul said.

Captain Anderson stared at him before sitting back. An infectious grin spread across his face. It dropped years off his appearance, making him seem too young.

“There, I’ve given you the sermon General Ochoa suggested you hear. This is a hell of a war, Master Sergeant. The enemy is stretching us thin and he doesn’t stop pounding. There should be four of you out there on a long-range surveillance mission. Instead, we send you and the Mexican hit man.”

“Romo is one of the best, sir.”

“Of course he is. That’s not the point. Look. I need you alive, Kavanagh. I appreciate your valor and your love of country. But the truth is you went cowboy on me and you got lucky. This is going to be a long war, and one of these days, your luck is going to run out.”

“I hope you’re wrong, sir.”

“So do I. Now that we’re clear about that, I have…”

The prosthetic hand stopped moving as the captain laid the palm flat on the desk. Anderson glanced away and he pursed his lips.

“We all have our orders, Master Sergeant. I know you appreciate that. General Ochoa has given me orders concerning you. I don’t think you’re going to like them.”

“What now, sir?”

“There’s someone who wants to meet you. He’s very insistent about it, too. At first, he demanded the general send you to him, alone preferably.”

“Are you talking about Colonel Valdez?” Paul asked.

“Yes,” Anderson said. He faced Paul, and the captain was frowning.

“General Ochoa hasn’t changed his mind about sacrificing me to Valdez, has he?” Paul asked.

Anderson gave an insincere shake of the head.

“It sounds like there’s more to this story, sir.”

“There always is,” Anderson said. He let out a sigh. “The Mexican Home Army has been through the grinder like the rest of us. They were stationed in Texas and have been through hell. You’re probably aware that the American Government hopes to use the Home Army as much politically as militarily. We’ve been helping Colonel Valdez to foment rebellions in Mexico. The expectation is that he’ll become our Charles De Gaulle, as it were.”

“Who?” Paul asked.

The trace of the former grin appeared on the captain’s lips. “It’s old history, Master Sergeant. General Charles De Gaulle led the Free French during World War II. He commanded battle units in the early part of the war, but he also helped the war effort by coordinating French Resistance against the Nazis. After the war, De Gaulle became the President of France. We’re hoping Cesar Valdez does something similar in Mexico. By fighting with us, we’re hoping the Home Army shows the rest of Mexico that it doesn’t have to lie supine under the Chinese occupation.”

“Got it,” Paul said.

“As I said earlier, the Home Army has taken a terrible beating just as we have. They were a little over sixty thousand strong before the summer invasion.”

“And now?” Paul asked.

“More like twenty-five thousand,” Anderson said. “Not all of the missing are dead, mind you. Some deserted and others are wounded.”

“Where are those twenty-five thousand?”

“The majority are holding out in Centennial,” Anderson said. “That’s to the south of here in Greater Denver. They’re tough soldiers, some of the best we have. Colonel Valdez has started wondering, though. What happens when the war’s over and he doesn’t have anyone left? He’s been talking about leaving, letting his soldiers rest and refit, which likely means sitting out the war. We can’t afford that just now as we’re stretched thin enough as it is.”

“Got it,” Paul said. One man versus twenty-five thousand, yeah, he got it all right. One man like him didn’t count much stacked against all those thousands of badly needed soldiers.

“Colonel Valdez has highly placed contacts,” Anderson said, “powerful people that want to keep him happy. Some of them have put pressure on General Ochoa.”

Here it comes, Paul thought. “Yeah?” he asked.

“I can understand your cynicism, but you have nothing to worry about.”

“Who’s worried?” Paul asked.

“I wouldn’t be party to handing over an American soldier in my command to anyone. I give you my word on that.”

Paul sensed something in Anderson. And he recalled how the captain had lost his hand. Back in Alaska, he’d held the rearguard for an outfit pulling out from the advancing Chinese. Second Lieutenant Anderson had been one of the soldiers staying behind, firing a heavy machine gun to give the rest of the unit cover. The Chinese attacked swarm-style. Anderson had remained at his post, firing until an enemy bullet destroyed his hand and the machine gun. Another bullet had ricocheted around in his helmet, knocking him unconscious.

The Chinese advance reached his position and passed the unconscious officer by. Later, with a bleeding head and ruined hand, Anderson had begun a long, long journey back to American lines. The captain had guts, and he didn’t quit. No, he didn’t seem like the kind of officer to hand over one of his men.

Paul Kavanagh sat up and nodded. “I believe you, sir.”

“Good. I don’t like my men thinking I’m a turncoat or a sellout. Like our country, you’ve been through a lot. Personally, I’d like to see this problem taken care of. General Ochoa agrees with me. To that end, I’ve arranged a meeting between you and Valdez.”

Paul had to work not to swivel his head to look behind him. He could imagine MPs waiting outside for him. Despite the captain’s words just now—

“When and where would the meeting take place?” Paul asked.

Flicking his wrist and pulling back the cuff, Anderson checked his gold-rimmed watch. “In three minutes. He’s coming here, alone with his driver. Are you armed, Master Sergeant?”

Paul felt a prickle along his neck. Despite everything, was this a sellout? He couldn’t believe it. “Yes sir, you probably see I’m wearing a gun. Do you want my sidearm?”

“General Ochoa told me to take it from you,” Anderson said, staring Paul in the eyes.

Paul’s chest tightened.

“But I’m not going to do that,” Anderson said.

Paul’s nostrils flared, and he nodded in the manner of one elite warrior to another.

There came a knock at the door.

“Ah, it appears Colonel Valdez is a little early,” Anderson said. “Are you ready, Master Sergeant?”

“Let’s get this over with,” Paul said.

“Enter,” Anderson said.

A sergeant opened the door. As he did, Paul stood and turned around. He didn’t like having his back to Valdez. A hard-faced man entered. It must be the driver. The man was big, in uniform, and he stared at Paul with cold eyes.

This one means to kill me.

Colonel Valdez strode in next. He was shorter than the driver and an inch taller than Captain Anderson. He had darker, pitted skin. He must have had chicken pox as a kid. A cigar smoldered between his lips. He had a sharp nose and a fierce presence radiating from him. His eyes burned black like coals as they focused on Paul.

Kavanagh’s neck hairs prickled and his right hand instinctively dropped onto his hostler. With a twitch of his fingers, he unsnapped it.

Valdez shot an accusing glance at Captain Anderson. “Ochoa promised me he would be—”

“Colonel Valdez!” Anderson said at parade-ground volume.

It seemed to take an effort of will, but Valdez tore his gaze from Paul to look at Anderson.

“I’d like to show your driver into the other room,” Anderson said.

“My driver stays with me,” Valdez said.

“Sergeant,” Anderson said to the man at the door. “Draw your weapon and point it at Colonel Valdez’s driver. If he twitches a muscle, shoot him, kill him.”

The driver had been busy staring down Paul. His eyebrows lifted now, he turned and his hand dropped toward the weapon on his belt.

Paul didn’t wait for the surprised sergeant to do as he’d been told. He drew his gun before anyone else did. “This isn’t the place for it,” he said in a low voice.

The driver—the obvious hit man—studied Paul. The cold eyes showed nothing. This was a dangerous man, likely one of the Colonel’s most deadly. The driver let his gun hand go limp and hang down by his side.

Finally, belatedly, the sergeant drew his sidearm. He pointed it at the Colonel’s hit man.

“Take him to the waiting room in the lobby,” Anderson said. “I don’t want him anywhere on this floor.”

“Yes sir,” the sergeant said. “Come on,” he told the driver.

“Take his gun first,” Anderson said.

“That will not be necessary,” Valdez said. “He will not draw here.” The Colonel spoke rapidly in Spanish to the driver.

The hit man nodded lazily.

Anderson appeared to think a moment and nodded to the sergeant. “The Colonel is a man of his word. Leave the driver his sidearm, but take him downstairs to the waiting room.”

The driver and sergeant left.

“I’m going to retire down the hall,” Anderson said. “You two gentlemen are free to use my office. If you need me—”

“General Ochoa lied to me,” Valdez said.

“No sir,” Anderson said. “He kept his word. General Ochoa ordered me to disarm the Master Sergeant. I chose to ignore the order.”

“Ochoa will learn of this,” Valdez said.

“We’re all on the same side, Colonel,” Anderson said. “It would be good to remember that. And if I were you, I’d also remember that Master Sergeant Kavanagh is a crack shot. He killed General Cho Deng, one of the enemy’s best hovertank commanders.”

“You’d better remember who I am, Captain. It is a poor decision to cross swords with me.”

Anderson saluted. “Oh yes, sir. I will remember.”  He thereupon took his leave, closing the door behind him.

Paul holstered his sidearm and faced the intense Colonel Valdez.

Valdez chomped down on the cigar, and his eyes blazed. With his pitted skin, it made him seem like some Aztec god of the days when they demanded blood-sacrifices from their conquering people. In those times, The Aztecs had marched to war, swinging obsidian-tipped clubs and spears, building an empire. At its core was the glorious city of Tenochtitlan, where present day Mexico City stood. There, on the tallest pyramid, the Aztec priests tore out the hearts of their victims, appeasing the gods with human blood. On some feast days, they had sacrificed as many as twenty thousand men, women and children.

The Aztecs had been fierce warriors. Colonel Valdez could have been one of their chosen sons. Despite a conquering horde of Chinese soldiery numbering in the millions, he had fought against the Mexican occupation. He had waged merciless war, using assassins against President Felipe, killing the supposed victor of the Mexican Civil War. The Chinese had tried to hunt Valdez down as ruthlessly. The Colonel had survived—a hero, a butcher and a relentless foe.

“You were supposed to protect my daughter,” Valdez growled.

Paul didn’t know what to say. He hated the man who had sent assassins after him, but he could understand the rage. He also despised the fact of his leaving Maria Valdez behind. He’d had no choice in the matter, but he knew he couldn’t explain that to the Colonel.

“I’m sorry,” Paul said.

“Does that bring her back to life?”

“No.”

“Then what good is your apology?” Valdez sneered.

“I don’t know.”

“Bah!” Valdez said. He yanked the cigar out of his mouth and spat on Paul’s boots. “I give you that for your sorry. The Chinese cut her into pieces because you failed to keep your promise. The Marines never leave their own behind? Ha! It is a lie.”

“We’re human, Colonel. Sometimes—”

Valdez’s right hand dropped to his gun.

Paul’s dropped onto the butt of his holstered semi-automatic.

“You will kill me?” Valdez asked.

“I don’t want to.”

“But I want to kill you,” Valdez said.

In the middle of Paul’s stomach, outrage and frustration exploded. It tightened his jaws, and he drew his gun. Belatedly, Valdez drew his. Paul knocked the hand aside, sending the revolver flying to smack against the wall. Then he jammed his semi-automatic against Valdez’s neck, pushing the smaller man until he slammed against the wall.

“You’re the one who sent your daughter into combat,” Paul whispered, his face an inch away from Valdez. “Why didn’t you lead the mission? I fought alongside her. I risked my life as she risked hers. Did I kill her later? No, the Chinese did that. Don’t blame me, Valdez.”

“I do.”

Paul cocked the hammer, and he stared into the eyes of a man determined to kill him. Finally, he twisted to the side and pushed Valdez away. The Colonel staggered, bashing into a chair so it went tumbling and Valdez sprawled onto the floor.

Holstering his gun, Paul wondered about the wisdom of letting a man live who would never stop seeking his life. He didn’t see as he had much choice, though. Anderson would arrest him if he killed Valdez here. What good would being arrested do?

I’d probably survive the war then, tucked away in a prison cell. Cheri would like that.

“You just made a terrible mistake, gringo,” Valdez said, climbing to his feet. “You should have killed me. When I get the drop on you, I will kill you.”

“Whatever,” Paul said. “As far as I’m concerned…” He stopped himself from speaking further. What did name-calling do? Nothing. It was doubtful either of them was going to survive the Chinese. So this was all moot anyway.

“You are a dead man,” Valdez said. “Tell Romo he is dead, too.”

Paul breathed deeply. Ochoa had ordered Anderson to disarm him. What a crazy world. Valdez hated. The Chinese conquered. And—

“I’m sorry about your daughter, Colonel. I wish I could have saved her. In fact, even though I know you’re going to spit at this—” Paul scowled and the words wouldn’t come. He wanted to speak them. He even opened his mouth to try, but his tongue refused to move and help him curl the words.

Valdez stared at him with hatred.

Paul moved his lips, and this time, he forced out the words. “I’m sorry, and I…I ask you to forgive me.”

“What did you say?” Valdez hissed.

Paul took an even deeper breath. He couldn’t believe he was saying this, but it felt like the right thing to do. “Please forgive me, sir. I failed your daughter and I’m sorry.”

“I don’t forgive you,” Valdez said, although he said it with less heat than earlier.

Paul nodded. He’d tried, and it had failed, but he’d tried.

“Get out of my sight!” Valdez shouted. “Leave, you-you—Leave me!”

Paul closed his mouth and strode for the door. He didn’t look back at Valdez. He could hear well enough to know that the Colonel hadn’t darted for his fallen gun. Paul twisted the handle, and he wished Valdez would say, “Yes, I forgive you. Go in peace.”

Instead, Paul Kavanagh felt a burning gaze of hatred pierce his back. If Valdez had been insane with rage before, now it was probably going to be worse. Paul opened the door, walked through and shut it behind him.

In the next room, Captain Anderson stood watching with raised eyebrows.

Paul shook his head.

Anderson nodded, with a sad expression on his face.

Paul took his leave, deciding he’d use the back entrance and bypass the waiting driver and further complications with the Mexico Home Army.

DETENTION CENTER WEST, COLORADO

Private Jake Higgins of the Seventh CDMB sat in a hard plastic chair in a hall outside the DCW Director’s office. Jake was alone, although he knew a guard waited at the end of the hall around the corner.

The Detention Center West was in Central Colorado, hidden in a bleak, Rocky Mountain valley. It was a hundred acres of electrified fencing with blockhouses, barracks and punishment cells. There must be several thousand detainees with several hundred guards here, but Jake wasn’t sure of the exact numbers.

He wore a Militia uniform and nice new boots. His stomach was full, his body didn’t ache all the time and if he was comfortable like this doing nothing he didn’t instantly fall asleep like he would have done just a few days ago.

Was I stupid leaving Lisa?

She was the woman he’d saved from hanging, the one who had kicked and shot the Chinese soldier to death. After he’d rescued her, she’d wanted Jake to stay and help her fight. They had kissed and done other things that had almost convinced him. Wouldn’t that be a great way to spend his time: fighting the enemy and loving the amazing Lisa?

When he told her he wanted to rejoin the Militia she told him that he was too young and stupid, too idealistic for his own good. He didn’t realize when he had it made. She’d told him the U.S. Army couldn’t stop the Chinese. She said they would be driven out because of millions of Americans like her sniping from behind and burning supplies, making it too miserable for the enemy to stay. That’s what having millions, billions of rifles and shotguns meant. That’s what the Second Amendment had been all about, having an armed nation that no one could subdue, not an invading enemy or even its own overbearing government.

She’d had her good points, two of them way up high. Maybe it just was that she had been too aggressive. Even after only a few days with her, she’d been telling him what to do all the time.

In the end, Jake had decided he owed it to the others who hadn’t made it back to return to the Army and slug it out with the enemy. The lieutenant would have told him to rejoin, to finish the fight. The Louis L’Amour characters of the Old West would have finished it, too. That’s how they’d won the West in the first place. A soldier didn’t hide in a woman’s arms when battle called.

The door to the Director’s office opened. A large man in his fifties looked out. He had iron colored hair in a buzz cut. He was between large and fat, and seemed stern. He wore a uniform and had the kind of red face with broken blood vessels that meant he drank too much. It reminded Jake of his grandfather.

“Jake Higgins of the Seventh CDMB?” the man growled.

“That’s me,” Jake said.

The Director scowled. “You’re in the Militia, son. That means you stand at attention when an officer talks to you. You will also address me as sir.”

Jake stared at the Director. Slowly, he stood to his feet and saluted. He neither stood as straight as he could nor did he move with precision. Maybe it was a mistake, but he’d been the lone survivor who had fought his way free of the Chinese. It seemed to him the Director could give him a little respect.

The Director grunted, and the hard eyes intensified. He opened his mouth, seemed to decide otherwise and beckoned Jake into the office.

As Jake sauntered into the room, he wondered if this was the time to stand on his merits. He recalled the cells, the punishment details. These people thrived on regulations, on their little games. Maybe the smart man remembered that and bent a bit until the goons no longer had him in their control.

The office contained huge photographs of President Sims and Detention Center slogans in block letters: UNITY BRINGS VICTORY. WE ARE ONE, WE ARE STRONG. PATRIOTS FIGHT FOR THEIR COUNTRY! TRAITORS PROTEST THEIR LEADERS.

Jake had read the slogans before and heard them more than he cared to count. He sat down in a chair, noticing he was lower than the Director was in his chair behind the desk. The desk had books on it, photographs and mementoes galore.

The Director picked up an e-reader and scanned the screen. “Hmm, it says here you fought in Amarillo, Texas?”

“Yes, sir,” Jake said.

The Director clicked the e-reader. “That’s a long way from Gunnison where it says the police picked you up. You were in the company of a Ms. Lisa Brewster, a suspected agitator, I might add.”

Jake kept himself from blurting out what he thought about Lisa being suspected of anything. The woman was a true patriot, killing the enemy, risking her life to do it.

“Sir,” Jake said, “does the report add that I had Lisa drive me to Gunnison so I could reach the authorities?”

“It does not? Is that what you’re claiming?”

“Yes sir. That’s exactly how it happened.”

“I would like to know how you went from Amarillo, Texas to Gunnison, Colorado.”

“Some of us fought our way out of the encircling Chinese near Amarillo, sir.”

“We?” the Director asked.

Jake began to tell him about the lieutenant and some of the grim journey. As he talked, Jake noticed the Director looking more and more incredulous.

“You expect me to believe that tale?” the Director finally blurted.

“Since it’s the truth, yes I do.”

“No! I will tell you the truth. You escaped the Seventh CDMB before it ever reached Amarillo, Texas. Likely, you went AWOL long before that. You fled to the Rockies and have spent your time idling with a suspected subversive. During this absence, you’ve listened to the news and concocted your cock and bull story. You were a troublemaker before, Jake Higgins, and you’ve remained a troublemaker. We know how to handle the likes of you.”

“What are you talking about?” Jake asked. “I fought my way back through Chinese lines. I got the scars to prove it, too. I returned to keep fighting. Lisa wanted me to stay with her, but I told her I couldn’t.”

The Director laughed sharply. He moved his head in short jerks like a wolf gulping its meat. “Nice try, Mr. Higgins.” He leaned across the desk. “Your kind makes me sick. We’re going to teach you about respect. It may kill you, but I swear we’re going to pound some patriotism into that thick and cunning skull of yours.”

The Director pressed a button on his desk.

Jake stared in at the man in disbelief. “Is this a joke? This is my reward for fighting my way back?”

The door opened and three guards looked in.

The Director pointed a thick finger at Jake. “Take this piece of garbage to the isolation cell. Let him contemplate the coming lessons we’ll drum into his thick hide.”

Jake rose in a blaze of rage. He ripped off his shirt. “Look at this!” he shouted. There was a pucker scar, a bullet wound on the side of his ribs. “A Chinese assault rifle did this. What about here.” He pointed to a furrow along his side. “Shrapnel, plain and simple. And here,” he showed them his left biceps. “That’s from a bayonet. You know what a knife-scar looks like, don’t you? I’m sure you get them all the time sitting your fat butt here in safety. I was in Amarillo and it was hell!”

Jake glanced at the three guards frowning at him. They were beefy and each clutched a baton.

“Sure,” he said. “You’re brave against me, three to one.” He clapped his hands. “If you phone the cops in Gunnison they’ll tell you I asked them to take me here. I volunteered to fight, and that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve been shedding blood for my country and you want to torture me. Tell me you’re a patriot. Come and fight with me at the front. Let some Chinese artillery pound your position and let’s see if you cut or run or hold for the swarm attack you know that’s coming.”

Jake was panting, and there was fiery rage in his eyes. Three batons—maybe it was time to fight three to one and just go down swinging. This was complete crap.

“What do you say, Director?” the chief guard asked. “He sure doesn’t sound like a deserter.”

The Director stroked his chin, measuring Jake. “I’ll call the police in Gunnison. If they confirm your story…I’ll add you to the Eleventh CDMB.”

Jake was too angry to say anything more. He was too pumped up for action. Slowly, he backed down, forcing himself to sit. He stared at the floor, refusing to look at anyone.

He heard the Director talking into a phone. The man was gruff. The Director waited, and he then asked several questions. He grunted, likely receiving answers. Finally, the Director thanked the police officer and hung up.

Jake looked at him.

The Director stared back, finally nodding. “Your story holds. Maybe you did fight in Amarillo. We’re sending you out tonight. The Eleventh is headed for Denver. The Chinese have been inching there. If you want a fight, son, you’re going to get it.”

Jake nodded.

“Go on, take him away. I have work to do.”

“Yes, sir,” the chief guard said. The man motioned to Jake. “If you’ll follow me then...”

Jake waited a half-second, wondering if the Director would apologize for earlier. No, the man ignored him, writing something on paper. Jake said nothing more as he stood, deciding the sooner he left this place the better. Denver, it looked like he was going to fight again after all.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

“I’m still not sure why you think I should attend this meeting, Mr. President,” Anna said.

They were in the Oval Office, the President staring out the window at the snow-covered Rose Garden.

David Sims looked different in person than he did on TV. He was plump with wispy blond hair that barely covered his bald spot in front. His pale blue eyes were alert like a hawk, though, just as on the tube. He wore a black suit and his shoulders were back as they used to be before the war.

“You’re my second pair of ears,” he said.

“But sir—”

Sims turned to her, and there was concern in his eyes. “You’ve spoken with Chancellor Kleist. You can testify to his offer and the faith in which he gave it.”

“But the others won’t accept me as—”

Sims made a decisive gesture. “I’m the President. I decide whom I trust and whom I don’t. Your advice has always been good, and today, I’m going to need all the good advice I can get.”

They were about to speak with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, with General McGraw of Army Group West and the Director of Homeland Security, Max Harold.

I’m the wrong person to be in on this meeting, Anna told herself. There are many others more qualified than I am. She also wondered about the wisdom of including General McGraw in the meeting. David had been secretive about him. Is that why his shoulders are square today? He’s making crisp decisions just as they others said he did in his first year of office. If true, then McGraw was good.

“Are you ready?” Sims asked.

Anna nodded, although she wasn’t ready. Today, they were going to discuss the Chancellor’s strange offer. It seemed like the wrong group to make political grand strategy with. McGraw and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs were military men through and through. Kleist’s offer was a political decision with hard political ramifications. And yet, in the end, President Sims was a soldier.

Seven years ago, it had been General Sims, the Joint Forces Commander in Alaska during the Chinese invasion. He’d won the Presidency because of his victory seven years ago. The people trusted the man on the white horse, the military savior. They expected miracles from the Joint Forces Commander, General David Sims. As the present war spiraled into even worse defeats, the President had come to view the news more and more often through a strictly martial lens.

Is that wise, or is it short sighted? Anna didn’t know. If America lost militarily, the political wasn’t going to matter anyway. Maybe in the end David knew what he was doing. Maybe this needed to be a soldier’s decision.

“Sit over there,” Sims said. “I want you to take notes.”

Anna sat in a chair to the side, picking up a computer scroll and stylus.

The President straightened his suit jacket and marched to the door. He opened it, speaking softly to his secretary. Then he strode to his desk, sitting behind it.

Thirty seconds later, the door opened as the secretary ushered three men into the Oval Office. The Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff entered first, General Alan. He was gaunt with sunken cheeks, no longer merely thin. He wore black-rimmed glasses and looked exhausted, as if he needed sleep, which he probably did. He was Sino-phobic and therefore disliked Anna.

Max Harold, the Director of Homeland Security, was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge, given to hard logic and little emotion. He was bald with liver spots, wore a rumbled suit and had a distracted air, as if trying to remember where he’d put his car keys. It was an illusion, Anna knew, as the man literally heard and remembered everything. He’d been instrumental in creating hordes of Militia battalions. The Militia came under the jurisdiction of Homeland Security. General Alan had never approved of that, believing the military should control the Militia. It had made the two into opponents.

Anna wondered sometimes if General Alan was right. Was it good to have two militaries in a country? In the field, the Militia took orders from Army commanders, but…

General Tom McGraw entered the Oval Office. Anna’s eyes widened. The man was a giant, and he radiated presence. She’d never seen him in person before this. He wore an immaculate uniform, but without any medals. That was in stark contrast to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Both sides of Alan’s uniform contained rows of medals and ribbons. For some reason, McGraw seemed more genuine because of the lack.

The President stood and came around the desk, shaking each man’s hand, greeting him by name. With the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Sims used his free hand to clasp Alan’s hand. Sims grasped Harold by the elbow as they shook hands, and with McGraw, the President seemed to hang on dearly as the giant bear of a general shook.

The President sat in a rocking chair just as President Kennedy used to do. Being in motion seemed to help Sims think. Alan and Harold sat on the couch, one man at each end, while McGraw eased into a large stuffed chair facing the President. Anna sat to the side of the President and away from the couch.

“You know my personal representative,” Sims said, gesturing to Anna. “She will take notes and add insights as needed.”

Anna felt their stares, and it made her uncomfortable. She particularly felt General Alan’s disapproval of her because of her half-Chinese ancestry.

The President cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, we know the situation with the Chinese and Brazilians. These Noah-like rains have given us breathing space, bogging down the enemy’s relentless advance. It’s made it harder for us to resupply our troops, certainly, but it’s wreaked havoc on the enemy supply lines. Unfortunately the rains won’t last forever, and soon winter will change the mud to a frozen surface. I’m thinking the Chinese mean to push a brutal winter campaign onto us. It also seems clear they mean to split our country in half, driving north to the Canadian border. Hell, maybe they mean to drive into Canada too.

“General,” Sims said, turning to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. “We need more men and materiel on the front, isn’t that true?”

“If we plan to stop the enemy, yes, Mr. President,” General Alan said. “We need a lot more troops. We’ve lost too many men, either killed or captured in grueling cauldrons of battle, and need to reinforce our depleted ranks. The enemy keeps pouring in reinforcements to replace his losses. It seems like an endless supply for them. With the rainy, muddy breathing spell, as you’ve stated, we have a precarious situation. The front has stabilized at the moment, but that will change once winter comes.”

Anna watched the President rock a little faster. She could feel the tension in him, the excitement. Before her trip to Iceland, he’d been a beaten man, thrashing about without hope.

Yes, he has hope again. It must be more than Kleist’s offer. Does it have something to do with McGraw?

“Gentlemen,” Sims said, “I have a bombshell to give you. I don’t know if it’s a godsend or the slickest trick played on us yet. I need advice. I need it now and you three are the ones who are going to give it to me. General Alan, I trust your military judgment. We beat the Chinese in California this spring and we’ve managed to keep our armies afloat in the worst disaster to American arms in history this summer and fall. You’ve worked tirelessly in that effort. Director, you’ve done more than anyone else has to arm and train enough extra Militiamen to give us a fighting chance. Sometimes, the Militia battalions fold and the men run, but more often than not, they fight as stubbornly as the Regular Army. You’ve cut through miles of red tape in order to get it done, and that may be what we need today. Lastly, General McGraw, you’ve saved the situation twice on the battlefront by freeing otherwise lost troops. I need someone who has faced the worst the enemy can give us in order to tell me what can or cannot work against him. You’ve also become something of the media hero, and if we agree to my plan, I need your full, public and enthusiastic endorsement of it.”

“This is all rather mysterious, Mr. President,” General Alan said.

Sims nodded. “I’ve kept this one close to my chest. If it went the wrong way, news of it might have destroyed what morale our people and armies still possess.” He took a deep breath. “You may or may not know that Ms. Chen met with Chancellor Kleist in Reykjavik, Iceland several days ago.”

The three men gazed at Anna, and she had to work to keep from squirming.

“I learned through trustworthy channels that the Chancellor had an offer to make,” Sims told them. “I decided to gamble and find out what it was. It turns out the Chancellor is a clever negotiator, quite a sly fox. He offered us neutrality—”

“I would take it, Mr. President,” Director Harold said.

Sims nodded. “Of course. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. The offer comes with an expensive price.”

“I’m thinking it must be a very stiff cost,” Alan said. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t need our opinions.”

The President scanned the three men. After a pregnant wait, he said, “Chancellor Kleist wants Quebec. He wants to add the French-speaking part of Canada to the German Dominion just as he’s added much of North Africa to it.”

General Alan frowned. “We don’t own Quebec. As you said, it is part of Canada. It’s not ours to give.”

“Yes, that makes the problem much worse,” Sims agreed.

“Suppose we thought the idea a good one,” Director Harold said. “How would you explain the situation to the Canadians so they would agree?”

“There are several problems with the offer,” Sims said, sidestepping the question. “It’s why I need expert advice. Explaining the situation to the Canadians would be hard, and they might not agree to it right away.”

“Are you suggesting we make the Canadians agree?” General Alan asked.

“I’m not sanguine concerning such a situation,” Sims said. “We’re talking about dismembering their country. Without Quebec, Canada would essentially lose its Eastern seaboard. The four small Maritime Provinces would be cut off from the rest of the country. Their only eastern port directly linked to the rest of Canada then would be Churchill in Hudson Bay, which is icebound during much of the year. No, even if they readily agreed, they wouldn’t be happy with the situation or pleased with us.

“One of the bitterest aspects of this war is that we lack allies,” Sims said. “The Canadians are it—well, and the Mexico Home Army. The Canadian military proved invaluable in Alaska and we’re looking forward to their entry again in the very near future. Forcing them to give the Germans Quebec is a lousy way to pay back our only friends in the world. One, I don’t want to lose our Canadian allies and two, I don’t want the world to see that we shaft our friends, which accepting this offer will make us do.”

“Maybe we’re looking at this from the wrong perspective,” Director Harold said. “Quebec wants to separate. We know the separatist movement ties down Canadian formations. If the Canadians gave up Quebec, it would free them from occupation duty and maybe free them from the headache of living together with the French-Canadians. It might be that the Canadian Government could use this as a way to escape a hopeless situation. Their countrymen wouldn’t look at them as traitors or weaklings, but as having no choice in the matter.”

“Possibly,” Alan said. “One problem automatically comes to mind. The Canadians would likely feel a need to militarize the border with Quebec.” With the loud crack of his neck stretching, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs turned to Sims. “Kleist wants to send GD troops into Quebec, right?”

“Unfortunately true,” Sims said.

“That’s bad,” General Alan said, while shaking his head. “To have the GD poised in Cuba and Quebec—”

“The Chancellor said he would move the forces in Cuba to Quebec,” Sims said.

“Meaning he’d have them on the continent,” General Alan said. “I don’t like it at all. It smacks to me of a trick, a way to get his military onto the continent without having to pay the cruel costs of an amphibious invasion.”

“You could be right,” Sims said. “Yet even in that case, it would give us time to reorder our armies on the Great Plains. Suppose, however, it causes the Germans to drop out of the Chinese alliance. That would be a tremendous boost to us. It would be worth the loss of the Canadians, as painful as that would be to us.”

“That’s a big if, Mr. President,” General Alan said.

Sims breathed deeply. “Gentlemen, we badly need reinforcements in the Great Plains. We need them there before the rains stop and the winter cold freezes the ground hard enough for full mobility. If Kleist is genuine in his offer and the Canadians agree to it, we could strip the Eastern coast defenses. Those troops would head north onto the line in the Great Plains. That would add hundreds of thousands of highly trained soldiers to our beleaguered armies. It could save the situation for us.”

“Or we could be selling the future to hold the present,” General Alan said. “As you suggest, sir, it could solve some of our problems in the Great Plains. The question is—could we move the East Coast soldiers into position fast enough? It would take time to move that many men. It would also take the Germans time to move from Cuba to Quebec.”

General Alan took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He put the glasses back on. “Mr. President, what if this is an elaborate ploy? Maybe the Chinese and Germans have concocted the scheme. We’re fighting hard, inflicting massive casualties onto our enemies. If we entrain the East Coast troops west to the plains and the Germans land on the East Coast afterward, it would be a disaster. Our entire defense might collapse. By accepting Kleist’s offer, we could be risking our freedom as Americans and lose in one fell swoop.”

“The risks are great,” Director Harold said, “but so are the possible rewards. This offer could split the enemy alliance. If the Germans sell out the Chinese, why would Chairman Hong trust Kleist again? Isn’t the reward worth the gamble?”

“No,” General Alan said. “The risks are too great and too varied. We could lose the Canadians by trying to force them to give up Quebec. They’re poised to move now, dashing down to the front lines with us. What happens if they refuse to move to our aid and the Germans gain Quebec? In six months, we’re staring at the German military sitting to the north of us. Then we’re stretched beyond the breaking point, no matter how well we hold on in the Great Plains.”

“You can see my dilemma,” Sims said. “I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. Frankly, the offer bewilders me with its possibilities. On the surface, it seems like a brilliant solution for us. It gives us desperately needed troops, but at a severe cost.”

“I would keep talking with the Chancellor,” General Alan said. “This could be an opening offer. We should counter-offer something, with the idea of splitting the enemy alliance. Surely, we could work out something.”

The President turned to Anna. “What do you think about that?”

She watched David. He didn’t seem upset or worried. He had something up his sleeve. She faced the others.

“Chancellor Kleist was very insistent,” she said. “He wants Quebec and it’s the only thing he wants from us. He made that very clear. However, he is worried the Chinese will defeat us and grab most of the prime agricultural land. That makes him hesitant to help them win big now. He doesn’t want them to get the lion’s share of the spoils. I did get the feeling that he would help them if we didn’t agree to his offer. He would attempt to get as much as he could of the United Sates, maybe by bargaining with the Chinese for certain guarantees if he invaded Florida or Georgia.”

The weight of her words struck the others, and the talking ceased for a moment.

Director Harold ran a hand over his bald dome. “I still think by agreeing to the deal we weaken China by shearing away one of her allies. To me, that’s’ the best part of the offer.”

“We should consider this,” General Alan said. “If the Germans attack on the East Coast as they’ve been poised to for many months, it would actually help our overall situation. The troops in Cuba threaten our entire Eastern and Gulf coastlines, tying down needed formations. Once they attacked, we could concentrate there, possibly defeating them. At that point, we could send those troops to the Midwest.”

Director Harold bristled. “I don’t think you’re seeing this in the correct light. Firstly—”

“Gentlemen, please,” the President said. “I want everyone’s opinion. General McGraw, we haven’t heard from you yet. What do you think of all this?”

David and McGraw have spoken together before this, Anna thought. The way David is asking, I think this is a setup.

Big General McGraw picked up his suitcase, placing it on his knees. Without a word, he snapped it open and withdrew a large folded piece of paper. First setting aside the briefcase, he spread out the sheet, revealing a map of the United States. He put the map on the coffee table between them.

“Mr. President,” McGraw said in his deep voice, “I think this might be exactly what we need.” A massive index finger pointed at the red of enemy occupation. The area stretched from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River, starting at Mexico and heading up past Kansas City.

McGraw stared up at the others. He had magnetic eyes, and they seemed filled with something dangerously powerful.

He’s either a lunatic or a zealous champion, Anna thought. The man both repelled and excited her. He certainly wasn’t normal, not in any sense.

“General Alan, you said it best: we’re selling the future to hold the present,” McGraw said. “That means we have to do more than hold the present. We have to take this opportunity and defeat the Chinese, and by defeat, I meant send them stumbling back into Mexico a bloody and defeated wreck of an army.”

“It can’t be done,” Alan said. “We’re barely holding our own. No.” The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs glanced around. “Let’s admit it to ourselves. We’re losing this war. We’re on the brink of total defeat. This offer gives us a chance of holding on a little longer. I can agree to that. It gives us the hope of that but at great risk, possibly our destruction as a free nation. Even if brought onto the plains before the freeze hits, the extra East Coast troops won’t give us the needed margins to beginning driving the Chinese and Brazilians back. It would probably give us enough men to hold, though. That means we’ve lost Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma—”

McGraw raised one of his big fists, holding it before his mouth and coughing loudly, causing Alan to pause.

“Mr. President,” McGraw said, “I respect General Alan. But in this instance, he’s wrong. As things stand now, he is of course correct. But the truth is we’re going about this campaign the wrong way. I tell you, sir, with this influx of East Coast troops, I could trap the Chinese and hand them a decisive defeat.”

“You’re spouting madness,” Alan said. “You’ve been on the front too long and it has broken your mind.”

Bent as he was over the map, McGraw stared up at Alan. “You said it yourself, General. We’re losing this war. I agree with that.”

“Then how are you going to defeat the enemy?” Alan asked in a scathing tone. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs faced Sims. “Mr. President, the Chinese have surrounded General McGraw twice. People think he’s a hero because he managed to extract his trapped troops each time. I’d like to ask why he let them be surrounded in the first place. That isn’t gifted generalship.” The Chairman faced McGraw. “Fighting out of a trap is hardly driving the enemy back into Mexico. Now you’re talking about going over onto the offensive?”

“Yes,” McGraw said.

“Bah!” General Alan said. He turned to the President. “He’s a wild man, sir. I recommend that you—”

“Hold it, General Alan,” Sims said in a soft voice. The President glanced at McGraw, and he seemed to measure the huge man.

This is pure theater, Anna realized. David and General McGraw have set this up.

“I see you brought your map with you,” Sims said.

“Yes, Mr. President,” McGraw said.

“Go on then,” Sims said. “Tell us what you’re thinking. I haven’t had anyone tell me we can defeat the Chinese for several months now. Why do you all of a sudden think it can be done?”

General Tom McGraw began outlining his grand plan. He spoke about the Russians luring Napoleon deep into their country, about burning Moscow and sniping at French stragglers with partisans and Cossacks. He said now was the time to bring about a Battle of Borodino, using the Militia and extra troops on strongly built defenses. At the same time, with this influx of soldiers, it was time to create an offensive army. It was time to trap and annihilate Chinese formations and show them the U.S. still had plenty of fight left.

“Sir,” McGraw said, toward the end of this talk. “A critical aspect of my plan is surprise. The Chinese still have numbers and they have a better air force. We have to surprise and trick them, just as a smaller judo fighter tricks and trips his bigger opponent.”

“What if we lose the Canadian Army?” Sims asked. “What if the Canadian Government deserts us and we’re out of our last ally?”

“No,” McGraw said. “We can’t afford that, sir. “To pull this off, we need the Canadians and we need those East Coast soldiers. We can’t just rely on the Militiamen to hold. General Alan is right about the Chinese and South Americans having mass; almost too much mass for us. We’re going to need everything. If you would allow me sir to add a point concerning political maneuvering?”

“Yes?” Sims asked.

“I would explain to the Canadians the dire situation concerning our country. If we fall, they will fall. I would point out that we both need time and we both need to face our enemies one at a time. Give the Germans Quebec for now so we can face the Chinese and South Americans. Once we defeat the enemy coalition, then and only then, would we turn against the Germans and drive them out of Quebec. Then the Canadians have their lost province back.”

“We practice deceit, General?” Sims asked.

“The old saying holds true, sir. All is fair in love and war. We’re fighting for our existence. You don’t worry what you have to do to defeat a tiger in your living room. You do whatever it takes, even if it means feeding it a poisoned steak. That’s how I feel about these three power blocs ganging up on my beloved country. Screw them each and to the wall, sir.”

A wild light had appeared in the President’s eyes, and there was a grim smile in place.

“And if this grand scheme fails?” General Alan asked. “If we try to bite off more than we can chew and if we lose our carefully built Tank Army Group?”

“Sir,” McGraw said, “we’re losing this war. We’re selling the future to defeat the enemy hard enough so we can turn around later and beat the Germans, if that’s what we have to do. Sometimes, the smaller risk is taking the bigger risk when you still have the numbers to change the outcome. If we wait too long, we won’t have those numbers.”

“So you would take the German offer?” Sims asked. “Even knowing it could be a trick?”

McGraw grew thoughtful. “Send observers to Cuba and to the GD military. If the Chancellor refuses to let us observe his army moving out of Cuba, refuse his offer. Then we’ll know he’s a liar. But I think Ms. Chen has it right. Kleist is clever and he doesn’t like the idea of the Chinese grabbing all our choice land. I can see that. The thing is, Mr. President, I doubt Kleist thinks we can send the Chinese running. Nobody does, not even our own generals.”

“If the truth be told, General,” President Sims said, “I don’t think we can send the Chinese running.”

“Maybe running is the wrong word,” McGraw said. “We’ll trap their best troops and starve them of food and munitions. They’ll try to fight their way free. There’s no doubt of that. But we’ll be waiting in powerful defensive positions, stretched across their escape routes. That’s one of the beauties of the plan, sir. Strategically, we move aggressively, tactically, we’ll fight defensively. Remember, Mr. President, defense is the stronger form of warfare.”

“Are you still against it, Alan?” the President asked.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs stared at the map like a zombie. “I don’t know, sir. In theory, it sounds brilliant. In actuality and in play, too many things could go wrong.”

“Harold?” Sims asked.

“We’re hoping for a miracle, sir,” Director Harold said. “Is McGraw a General Lee? I have no idea. He’s a fighting general. That’s for sure. I would risk it. We have to do something different and this plan sounds like the best thing going.”

“Anna?” Sims said.

It surprised her he asked. She thought for a moment.

“I’ve heard you speak about force multipliers before,” she said. “Maybe this force multiplies the Chancellor’s offer. He thinks we’ll use the freed troops to hold off the Chinese until the German Dominion is in a position to make a better land grab later. Instead, we hand the Chinese and Brazilians a stunning loss, strengthening our position. Undoubtedly, this is a massive risk. General McGraw said it will be a race against time. Mr. President, I would prefer a chance to win than to simply wait and slowly die.”

President Sims stood up and marched to the window overlooking the Rose Garden. He put his hands behind his back and began shaking his head. “I feel cold inside,” Sims said. “This decision—it gnaws at me. At first, the possibilities tremendously interest me. Then the dangers Alan speaks about makes me tremble. I’m not sure what to do.”

The President turned to regard the others. His eyes kept moving as he gazed at each of them in turn. “Gentlemen, Ms. Chen, I appreciate your advice. I’m going to sleep on this. I want all of you to sleep on this, too. Then…tomorrow…we will decide what we’re going to do.”

-5-

Reports

BEIJING, PRC

Guardian Inspector Shun Li stood at attention before Xiao Yang of the Ruling Committee.

The Police Minister was lean and wore a black uniform. He had extra-thick lenses in his glasses and had strangely protruding eyes. Those orbs measured her as he sat behind his desk. He didn’t smile or blink, but watched, perhaps weighing her worth and trustworthiness, with her life in the balance.

Shun Li tried to appear confident and ooze sincerity. It was difficult to do. She had her elbows locked, arms straight and in parallel alignment with her legs. She also had her chin up and stared at a distant, unseen point.

The Police Minister’s inner chamber was vast. It contained expensive furniture and had huge pictures of Xiao with the Chairman or a smiling Xiao as he held a polar bear cub, no doubt given him by the Leader of Greater China. In another enlarged photo, Xiao watched a parade of East Lightning personnel marching through Tiananmen Square.

The Police Minister could break her with a word, sentencing her to death. He was the Chairman’s closest ally and hated by many. The people and most in the military blamed him for the wrongful death of Foreign Minister Deng and Marshal Kao of the Ruling Committee. Since the passing of those two Ruling Committee members, Xiao Yang’s power and influence had increased tremendously. He had become the single most potent force behind the throne. The gigantic police apparatus obeyed Xian Yang’s will, and they backed Chairman Hong with greater enthusiasm than ever.

“Tell me, Guardian Inspector. Do you stand behind this report?” Xiao tapped a single paper on his otherwise empty desk. There were no portraits or mementos on it, no pens or computer styluses ready or cell phones or even trays. The Police Minister’s scrupulously clean hands rested on either side of the paper, which was aligned precisely with the edges of the desk.

“I do, sir,” Shun Li said.

“Hmm, interesting,” he said. He didn’t glance at the report, but continued to study her.

Shun Li didn’t smile or nod. She stared at the distant, unseen point. She was petrified and berated herself for taking things too far.

Several days had passed since she’d shot the East Lightning operative in El Paso, the one who had given her the Behemoth Tank Plant report. Shun Li had studied the report in detail. Several aspects of it had bothered her. First, she couldn’t believe the Americans made these war-winning tanks one at a time. It sounded preposterous. Yes, she knew none had appeared so far in the summer and autumn battles. It was something that deeply concerned Chinese High Command. Still, one tank each month—no, that wouldn’t matter to anyone. It wouldn’t frighten those in power enough. The danger must be greater if she was going to use the data as a steppingstone out of North America and away from the task of eliminating unhinged killers for the State.

Therefore, Shun Li had carefully doctored the report. She was an expert at such things. She’d become so by ferreting out forgeries and altered accounts from her underlings. Later, she had practiced deceit herself, knowing what to look for and knowing how to make a report seem genuine.

In her opinion—at least until now—the new Behemoth Plant information was a perfect piece of forgery. It was more logical and sounded more terrifying. Her discovery of this data therefore should go far toward attaining her new ambition.

Now, however, with Police Minister Xiao Yang staring at her with his crocodile gaze, with his stillness adding to his grim reputation—Shun Li wondered if she had gone too far. She should have adjusted the information, not turned the single plant into a full-fledged production facility able to mass-produce the giant tanks.

The question would surely arise. Why hadn’t any one else discovered what she had? Originally, she’d seen that as the report’s greatest flaw. Because of that, she had invented a host of American deception ploys, which until now had worked wonderfully to trick Chinese intelligence, and had only been discovered because of her keen insights.

Xiao Yang cleared his throat, and he touched the paper. “This is incredible,” he repeated.

Shun Li suppressed a shudder. The man spoke without inflection, without emotion. It confirmed her worst fear. He was a monster, the ultimate butcher sitting in his gigantic web. If she could have her way now, she would kill him with a shot to the heart. She had dealt with many blood-maddened individuals. The Police Minister struck her as the worst of the lot, a feral beast hidden behind his soulless inhumanity, a bloated alligator with a gargantuan appetite.

What made her sick at heart was that she had knowingly given herself into his hands. It would have better to live her life in North America. There, she had been the queen of her fate. Here, she was a pawn among ruthless, all-powerful creatures.

I have cursed myself.

“Do I have your attention, Guardian Inspector?”

“Yes, Police Minister.”

“You seem preoccupied.”

“I leave myself a blank slate in your presence, Police Minister.”

“Stop that,” he said. “You are a Guardian Inspector. You were chosen for your intelligence and your ability to act swiftly and decisively. I have studied your profile. You are a capable eliminator of waste and inefficiency. I approve of that.”

“Thank you, Police Minister.”

“This paper you have personally brought to my attention…It is incredible.”

Shun Li nearly groaned. She couldn’t tell anything from his voice or anything from his face. The man was a zombie, a mass murderer-in-chief. He was possibly the most dangerous man in Greater China, making him the most dangerous man in the world.

Why did I come here? I wish I were back in America.

Xiao Yang closed his eyes, then opened them again. To Shun Li, it seemed as if an obscene frog had blinked. She’d seen a YouTube video once of a bullfrog devouring a bird. That had been obscene. Maybe the Police Minister was such a creature that a princess had magically transformed into China’s killer expert.

“I am about to attend a strategy meeting,” the Police Minister said. “The Ruling Committee members will be in attendance. You will join me.”

Shun Li almost moved; she almost let her eyeballs twitch down to look directly at him. She almost asked, “Sir?” But she did none of these things. She waited as befitted a servant of the Police Minister.

“Hmm,” Xiao Yang said. “You have great poise, Guardian Inspector. It speaks of an honest heart.” The barest of smiled appeared. It seemed strange on the Police Minister’s face. “I am an excellent judge of character. My nose sniffs out traitors and liars, who I eliminate as I would a fly. Watching you, Guardian Inspector, gives me confidence in our police apparatus. The best has risen to the top, as it should. Your record also speaks for itself. Your purity of motive is unequaled and your rigorous work schedule demands a reward. Yes, I will reward you.”

“I labor for my love of China,” Shun Li said.

“As do we all,” he said. “You will accompany me to the Ruling Committee meeting. I will have you give a verbal report of this unique find.”

Shun Li’s neck twitched as one of her muscles there spasmed. She gazed into the Police Minister’s face.

He stared at her with his expressionless features. Something didn’t seem right to her. She blinked and snapped her head back up, looking again at the distant point.

Her heart thudded. Why would he have her give the report? The single glance into his eyes had shown her something awful. Xiao Yang wasn’t human. He was a demon in human guise. The soullessness of his stare had almost caused her to shriek.

“Are you well, Guardian Inspector?”

“Yes,” she said, in as normal a voice as she could manage.

“Good. We leave in nine minutes. Go outside, refresh yourself and then wait for me in the car. We will ride together.”

Guardian Inspector Shun Li turned smartly and marched for the door.

What part will my doctored report have in the meeting? The idea left Shun Li faint. This was far more than she’d bargained for, far more. In the next hour, maybe longer, she would no doubt be playing for the highest stakes of her life.

***

The Ruling Committee met underground in Mao Square in the center of the city. The security procedures were amazing, like nothing that Shun Li had been through before.

Hulking Lion Guardsmen frisked her several times, each a thorough and embarrassing probe. They searched the Police Minister, too, which surprised her even more. Did Chairman Hong distrust his closest ally? That did not speak well of the Leader’s confidence.

Soon she stood in the opulent underground chamber. Its golden conference table was massive and must have weighed tons. Each seat had its own embedded computer. Giant screens adorned the walls. A map of the Midwestern United States showed on one screen. On others displayed details of various American states or cities. Vast chandeliers lit the chamber. They were unmilitary, but impressive, and poured illumination everywhere. Lion Guardsmen were present, eleven security personnel wearing body armor and cradling submachine guns.

There are so many people here. She hadn’t expected that.

Eleven guardsmen, three waiters ready to serve food, drink, and seventeen other aides, a few for the various Ruling Committee members. Like the others, Shun Li stood against a wall. She was directly behind Xiao Yang’s seat.

There was a Navy Minister, an Army Minister, an Agricultural Minister and a Foreign Affairs Minister and lastly a Minister for the Pan-Asian Alliance. Only three Ruling Committee members had served here for over a year: the Chairman, Xiao Yang and the Agricultural Minister. Everyone else had been elevated only a month before the Texas-New Mexico invasion.

A side door opened and Chairman Jian Hong entered briskly. The Lion Guardsmen froze in their positions, and others along the walls did likewise, seemingly becoming statues.

The Leader’s eyes darted about the room, and in seconds, they focused on Shun Li. The medium-sized man in the black suit stopped abruptly. He had dark hair and pale skin, as if he never stepped outside.

“May I speak, Leader?” the Police Minister asked.

“She belongs to you?” Hong asked.

“Yes, Leader,” Xiao replied.

“Tell her to cease twitching. I find it annoying.”

The Police Minister’s chair scraped back. He stood and approached Shun Li. Without any preamble, Xiao Yang slapped her across the face. It was a stinging blow, twisting her head to the side.

“In the Leader’s presence, you will remain still and respectful or I will have you shot,” Xiao Yang said.

Shun Li froze now as the Lion Guardsmen had done earlier, as all the aides in the room had. A primordial fear spread outward from her belly. The Leader—Chairman Hong—had become the undeclared Emperor of Greater China. Power flowed into and from his hands. He decided who lived or died on a vast scale.

She had dealt with petty killers until now, but these men…

Shun Li kept silent and motionless. Xiao Yang could have warned her about this. Why hadn’t he? Likely, so he could do what he just had before the Chairman.

I have no idea what hidden motives swirl around me. I must remain alert and practice the greatest caution.

“Your promptness disciplining one of your own does you credit, old friend,” Hong said.

Shun Li heard a note a true admiration in the Chairman’s voice.

“The police are here to serve you, Leader,” Xiao Yang said. “If one of them cannot do that, they are useless to you and useless to China. I will have perfection in the furtherance of service to our noble land or I will retire in disgrace.”

Shun Li almost raised her eyebrows at the speech. She heard an excess of passion there. It is false. He pretends.

“Well spoken,” Hong said. The man moved to his spot at the table.

Quietly, a large Lion Guardsman strode to the Leader’s chair, drawing it out for him.

Chairman Hong sat down, and the guardsman pushed the chair in for him.

“We are all assembled, I see,” Hong said. “Good. Do any of you desire refreshments?”

Several of the ministers raised their hands.

“Ah, excellent,” Hong said. He clapped his hands.

The waiters hurried to each Ruling Committee member. Soon, they wheeled trays near, putting coffee, sandwiches or bowls of steaming rice before the various ministers. Each of the ministers sipped and ate what the waiters placed before them.

The Chairman watched in obvious approval. “Good, good, it is good we can eat together in each other’s company,” Hong said. “It shows we trust each other and know that none shall poison his friend. In this evil and wicked generation, I find such trust refreshing.”

Shun Li noticed that the Leader did not eat or drink. She wondered what this spectacle and speech signified. She was certain the American strategy sessions were not like this.

In a few minutes, the waiters cleared the plates and the majority of the cups. They wheeled their trays out of the chamber and did not reappear.

Only then did the Leader sit forward in anticipation.

“There is much to discuss today,” he said. “My forecasters tell me the miserable American Midwestern rains will soon cease. An Alaskan cold front will descend upon the American plains, turning it into a tundra of ice and snow. With the cold, our armies can lunge forward and complete the task we have set for them.

“First,” Chairman Hong said, “I would like to know when the German military will make its coastal assault. Their delay has cost us dearly, and I find myself wearying of Chancellor Kleist’s excuses. Foreign Minister, what can you report along those lines?”

The Foreign Minister had open features and the roundest face Shun Li had ever seen. He appeared nervous, though, wetting his lips far too much.

“Leader,” the Foreign Minister said, twisting his wedding ring as he spoke. “I have reason to suspect the Chancellor has secretly met with American delegates. I believe he is in the process of making a clandestine treaty with them.”

Chairman Hong turned in wonder to Xiao Yang. “Can this be true? Has the Chancellor practiced treachery against us without our knowing it?”

“There are rumors, Leader,” Xiao Yang said. “The Germans...they are deceitful and clever. Their security operatives consider no devious trick as too low to practice. It isn’t intelligence, as a cultured Han would possess, but a low animal cunning they exhibit. Because of Chancellor’s Kleist security mania, my agents have been unable to discern the truth of these rumors.”

“This is failure, Xiao,” the Leader said. “I demand knowledge, even from these low animals. How are we to proceed with our plans if I’m given faulty or misleading information?”

“As I was about to say, Leader,” Xiao Yang said, “I have discovered that an American team went to Iceland. As amazing as it sounds, the beleaguered Americans are not as security-conscious as Chancellor Kleist’s people are. We believe one of the Chancellor’s representatives might have met with these Americans to hear their begging.”

Chairman Hong’s eyes narrowed, giving him a suspicious squint. “Americans begging, yes; they must be thrashing about, looking for help wherever they can. Their armies crumble before Chinese might and they think now to crawl on their knees to the Germans for help. Did these representatives lick German jackboots? The Americans are proud boasters and now crawl on their bellies, seeking aid against us. I knew they were nothing but a jackal, mongrel people with no true spirit.”

The Chairman banged a fist on the golden table. “All that aside, I want to know why the Germans see fit to remain in Cuba. My spies, it appears, cannot crack the German plans. That is intolerable. Police Minister, you must change that.”

“It will be done, Leader,” Xiao Yang said as he bowed his head. “After the meeting I will dispose of the failure running the German infiltration division.”

“Make an example of him,” Hong muttered.

“An excellent idea, Leader,” Xiao Yang said. “His passing with be a painful and instructive one. The rest of the case officers will take note and redouble their efforts.”

“I want results soon, Xiao.”

“I will light a fire under them,” the Police Minister said. “Of that you can be sure.”

“That doesn’t help us today,” Hong said in a petulant tone. “This is a strategy session and we are clueless concerning the Germans. You, Foreign Minister, what about your endless stables of mandarins; cannot they decipher the German signals? Surely, they can outthink these pork-eating Europeans.”

“Leader,” the Foreign Minister said. A light sheen of sweat had appeared on his round face. “I do have a theory regarding the situation.”

“Speak! Tell us,” Hong said. “What do these secretive Germans plan to do?”

“The Germans are greedy, Leader,” the Foreign Minister said. “They wish to reap where they have not sown. Chinese arms has smashed the Americans and driven like a steamroller over their country. Once the Americans surrender, we have a right to take the vast share of land, as Chinese blood and Chinese courage and strategy produced the glorious victory. It is my belief the Germans envy us because of this. They are a vainglorious race, believing they are super soldiers. I suspect Chancellor Kleist of duplicity in an effort to acquire a greater share of the coming spoils.”

“What do you say to this?” Hong asked the Police Minister.

“Leader…” Xiao Yang said slowly. “I ferret out secrets for China. It is not my prerogative to decipher their meaning. I leave that to your experts such as the Foreign Minister. It is enough for me—”

Hong frowned, and it caused Xiao Yang to falter.

“The Foreign Minister makes an excellent point, Leader,” Xiao Yang said. “The Germans are greedy, and I’m beginning to think, cowardly. Why else did they renege on their treaty obligations this summer? The military fiasco in New Orleans bears witness to their perfidy. The South Americans took brutal losses storming ashore. I think—”

“The South Americans,” Hong said with a sneer. “The less we speak about them, the better. They are useful garrison troops. For fighting, we must rely on the valor of Chinese arms.”

The Army Minister cleared his throat. He was stooped-shouldered with many wrinkles on his face, and his chest blazed with medals and ribbons. His name was Marshal Wu, the spokesman for the fighting military.

“Are you becoming impatient?” Hong asked the Marshal.

The wrinkled old man showed his teeth in a grin. “You need a younger, stronger man for my post, Leader. If I remain here too long at this meeting, I’m afraid I shall nod off. I have sipped your excellent coffee, a most powerful brew. While the caffeine boils in my blood is the best time for us to discuss the coming strategy for winter.”

Chairman Hong stared at Marshal Wu.

The entire chamber seemed to hold its breath. Shun Li wondered if she was about to witness one of the legendry executions. Rumors abounded concerning Hong’s increasingly bad temper. He feared assassination, and he’d had individuals shot in his presence. One operative had whispered to her a month ago that Hong believed he could literally sniff out traitors.

Holding herself motionless against the wall, Shun Li watched, although she was careful not to gaze directly at Chairman Hong. She used her peripheral vision to study him, waiting to see him sniff like a hound.

It did not occur. Instead, Chairman Hong nodded. “I appreciate your wisdom, Marshal Wu. As befits a military man, you have courage. I have come to realize how rare that is among my ministers. It is perhaps a gift of age. Knowing you are about to pass on to the next life, your fear of death has dwindled.”

“An excellent point, Leader,” Wu said.

“I take it you have certain refinements to make regarding the overarching plan we decided upon this summer?”

“That is an excellent way of saying it, Leader,” Wu said. “As a preamble to the Army’s…refinements, I would like to make a comment.”

“This is a strategy session,” Hong said. He smiled and glanced around at the other ministers.

Each of them chuckled politely, although Shun Li noticed that none of the aides standing against the wall uttered a sound.

Marshal Wu sipped from the coffee cup at his elbow. “We did not anticipate the intensity of the rains, Leader. It has allowed the Americans time to strengthen their lines and it has slowed our relentless advance. Before his premature death in California this summer, Marshal Nung taught us much about around-the-clock offenses. Because of your wisdom, Leader, in pointing this out to Army High Command, we have instituted a similar approach. Such an offensive takes a prodigious amount of supplies, particularly artillery munitions. The rains have bogged down our supply rate. Lately, a greater American submarine presence has also begun to have an adverse effect.”

“Why is this happening now?” Hong asked the Navy Minister.

“New tactics, Leader,” the Navy Minister said.

“New?” Hong asked. “What new tactics can the beleaguered Americans—”

Marshal Wu cleared his throat once more, causing Chairman Hong to stop speaking and stare at the old soldier.

“Are you daring to interrupt me again?” Hong asked in a low and dangerous tone.

“Please, Leader, I ask you to forgive an old man. It was my scratchy throat. I do not have the strength of you young men or the same forbearance against discomfort.”

“Ah,” Hong said.

“I would never dream of interrupting you, Leader.”

Hong nodded.

“Since we’re on the topic of interrupted supplies,” Wu said, “I would like to point out an increase in partisan attacks. These attacks are particularly fierce in Texas and Oklahoma.”

Chairman Hong blinked at Wu. “We were discussing the naval situation.”

“Ah, forgive me, Leader. I thought the topic was the interrupted supply situation. I do not have your ability to switch from idea to idea with such lightning speed.”

Hong gestured irritably, waving his hand as if he were an orchestra conductor. “Yes, I do possess swiftness of thought that is painfully lacking in others. It is a burden, I assure you. Very well, I will stoop down to your level, Marshal. Continue with your comment. We will discuss the naval situation afterward when you take your nap.”

Marshal Wu smiled, showing his teeth. They were bright white, no doubt dentures.

Shun Li saw the Marshal’s smile for what it was. In her practiced opinion, the old man hated Hong. The Marshal disguised the hatred well, however. He superbly acted a part.

Yes, he plays the old man in order to lull the Chairman.

“Together—the naval losses and partisan assaults—have slowed the rate of our supplies reaching the front. The very length to the front also adds wastage,” Marshal Wu said. “The rains make everything worse because they slow the swiftness of the campaign and bog down the resupply efforts. We need a total concentration attack for winter. A brutal, intense and an around-the-clock assault to the Canadian border will do several things at once. It will smash the Americans where they stand. That will allow the pursuit divisions to reach the border in record time. That will spit the United States in two, forever dividing the East from West. That will also give us their most important oil fields, tremendously weakening their Army. Such a swift campaign will save our military from prolonged exposure and wear, leaving it in that much better condition for the next grand assault.”

“We have spoken about these things before,” Hong said. “You’ve added nothing new.”

“The rains have slowed the assault,” Wu said. “That slowing has given the Americans time, which they’ve used to thicken their defenses. Even worse, newly manufactured drones and fighters have reached the front, replenishing their losses. I would like permission to move the MC ABMs deeper into the Midwest.”

Chairman Hong blinked several times at the Marshal.

“The Mobile Canopy Anti-Ballistic Missile vehicles,” Marshal Wu said. “They are massive, over six hundred tons in weight. As we spread out across the American Plains, we need greater air protection against American drones and missile assaults. Our tac-lasers wear out or go up in flames from successful American strikes. The remaining tac-lasers are stretched everywhere. Our anti-air umbrella has become porous.”

“I’ve been repeatedly told that our Air Force is superior to the American fighters and drones,” Hong said.

“Our Air Force is better than theirs, Leader,” Wu said. “Unfortunately, the Great Plains is a vast region. At times, the Americans gain local air superiority and inflict unprecedented damage to our soldiers. Our tac-lasers and mobile SAMs are priority targets for the enemy. We have fewer than needed. With the northern movement of our MC ABMs we could create tighter air-defense umbrellas.”

“Why haven’t you already moved them then?” Hong asked querulously.

Marshal Wu appeared surprised, but recovered quickly, bowing his head. “The Army has followed your directive, Leader: Number 17. We have heavily defended our rear areas where the excess munitions and fuel await shipment to the front. I believe the time may have arrived to move our air-defense net closer to the front. Because of the directive, I need your personal permission to move them.”

Chairman Hong snapped his fingers. “These… ABMs protect the supply bases from nuclear assault?”

“That is correct, Leader,” Wu said.

“I know it is correct. I just said so. Do not presume on your advanced age, Marshal.”

Once again, Wu bowed his head.

“Hmm,” Hong said, staring at the Marshal, “we should move a portion of the air-shield north. Very well, you may move twenty percent of the mobile ABMs north.”

Marshal Wu hesitated.

“You are beginning to annoy me, Army Minister. Do you think that an insufficient number?”

“By no means, Leader,” Wu said. “Twenty percent is an ideal amount. My surprise shows my ignorance. I wondered how you had arrived at the perfect percentage without examining any notes. I’d forgotten for a moment who I dealt with. You are, after all, Leader, the man who taught Marshal Nung his trade during the Arctic campaign. When it comes to military strategy, you have no peer.”

“My predecessor was also a military genius,” Hong said, sounding mollified. “I’ve begun to think it is a prerequisite for the exalted post.”

“Twenty percent of the MC ABMs,” Marshal Wu muttered. He wrote on a notepad.

“Leader,” Xiao Yang said. “One of my Guardian Inspectors has uncovered what may be the Americans’ most devious military surprise to date.”

“Indeed,” Hong said. “This sounds interesting. Tell us.”

“I wonder if perhaps you would prefer to hear it from the inspector herself.”

Hong look up at Shun Li. “Do you mean your twitcher?”

“What she lacks in decorum she makes up for in her agile mind,” Xiao Yang said.

Hong frowned at Shun Li. “I find this difficult to believe. She has a broad face like a peasant and lacks manners. Still…Sometimes a peasant proves to be cunning. Very well, old friend, let your twitching Guardian Inspector make her report.”

The Police Minister beckoned Shun Li to approach the golden conference table.

Fear curdled in her stomach. The Chairman was already predisposed against her. Worse, she’d heavily altered the report. She could only imagine what would happen if Chairman Hong learned the truth. She would die, likely in a hideous manner. If she could have repented of the report, she would have. Yet she could also imagine that admitting to forgery would end in heinous death. She had no alternative but to stick to her story and hope for the best.

“We don’t have all day,” Hong said. “If you take too long, Marshal Wu will fall asleep.”

There were polite chuckles from the ministers, including the old Marshal.

Shun Li wished she’d seen other aides give reports. She had no idea how to stand, speak—anything.

She reached the edge of the table, bowed her head to Chairman Hong and then stood at the same ramrod attention as she’d practiced in the Police Minister’s chamber.

“Illustrious Chairman Hong,” she began, staring into an unseen point in space, “I have read various reports indicating the Americans hid a secret in Denver, Colorado.”

“The mountain city?” Hong asked.

“Yes, Chairman Hong,” Shun Li said. “The Americans refer to it as the Mile High City. I read reports that made me suspicious, and I began to hunt down this secret, working from the slenderest of threads.”

“Do not puff yourself up in my presence,” Hong said.

Shun Li’s knees almost gave way so the fabric of her pants moved, but she didn’t sway. She found it difficult to speak.

“Continue,” Hong said. “Quit wasting our time.”

“Yes, Chairman Hong. I’m sorry.”

“Enough!” Hong complained to Xiao Yang. “Why doesn’t she get to the point?”

“Guardian Inspector,” Xiao Yang said in a stern voice. “You are embarrassing East Lightning by this crude performance and you waste the Leader’s valuable time. That is not permitted.”

Shun Li held herself rigid. It felt as if she was floating, a specimen before these dangerous old men. She needed to speak so she could leave this awful room and the hateful Ruling Committee.

“The Americans have built a massive Behemoth tank construction site in Denver, Colorado,” she said briskly. “With it, they churn out ten or more Behemoths a month. The American command is building several regiments to unleash upon us in mass and during the depth of winter.”

Shun Li could hardly breathe after blurting out the news, and she wished she could close her eyes. Slowly, it dawned on her that the chamber was silent. Without turning her head, she realized those in her line of sight stared at her in…shock.

“This is true?” Hong whispered.

Shun Li almost didn’t answer. She almost nodded. Instead, in a firm voice and while staring at the unseen point, she said, “It is true, Chairman Hong. I have the verification information.”

“Produce it at once,” Hong said.

Shun Li reached into a pocket and removed the memory-stick with the information.

“Well, begin,” Chairman Hong said in irritation.

Covertly, Xiao Yang tapped a slot at his spot on the table.

Shun Li slid the stick into the slot and wondered what to do next.

Xiao Yang indicated his screen.

While standing, Shun Li tapped the screen and began to show her forged information. Everyone in the chamber watched in silence. The data appeared on the large wall screens. Finally, she quit talking and once again stood at attention.

Slowly, Hong shook his head as if shaking off sleep. “Give me the data chip,” he said.

The Police Minister popped out the memory-stick and slid across the table.

Hong picked it up, staring at the stick as if it was a plague item. He pocketed it and glared at Shun Li, as if she was personally responsible for building the hated super tanks.

She felt worse than ever. Can’t I win in this chamber? Was she fated to leave it feet-first?

“You have performed well, Guardian Inspector,” Hong said.

The words amazed her. She felt giddy with relief. Maybe she would survive this nightmare.

“Even more,” Hong said, “you willingly brought this to my attention. You cannot conceive how much I hate these grotesque tanks. I wonder if we should use nuclear weapons and wipe this city from the face of the Earth.

“What do you say, Marshal Wu?” Hong asked.

“I think it is too dangerous to use nuclear weapons on inland American cities, Leader. Let us send in bombers and obliterate it the conventional way.”

“No,” Hong said. “This is too important. The Behemoth tanks are a critical American weapon system. I want this giant factory destroyed. No! Wait. Doesn’t Liang’s Third Front press against Denver?”

“Elements of the Third Front are near the city, yes,” Wu said.

“Then we must capture this plant and use the Behemoth tanks for ourselves,” Hong said. “If we can storm this city in a day or two, completed tanks might actually fall into our hands. Then, when the Americans use these vile tanks against us, we shall send our own Behemoths against them.”

“A noble plan, Leader,” Wu said.

Chairman Hong slapped the table. “Tell Liang he is to cease all forward movement. He must concentrate everything toward taking Denver.”

The Marshal looked stricken. “But Leader…” Wu cleared his throat and spoke in a level voice. “May I point out a salient feature of that order?”

Hong stared at the old man. “If you must,” he said at last.

“Denver is too small a front,” Wu said. “Perhaps if we use rear echelon troops to take it—”

“We must storm Denver now,” Hong said, slapping the table a second time. “I want those tanks!”

“But the entire Front…?” Wu asked. “The key to the campaign is a swift assault all the way to the northern border with Canada. We must split the United States in two.”

“Storming Denver should only take a day or so, maybe three or four,” Hong said. “That will not upset our northern assault.”

“Denver is a fortress city,” Wu said. “Liang and I have spoken about it on several occasions. He desires to mask the city with troops as it’s too heavily defended to assault with any hope of quick success.”

“Yes, now we know why the Americans have turned it into a fortress,” Hong said. “They defend this huge Behemoth plant. We must take it from them and turn it to our own advantage.”

Old Marshal Wu rubbed his hands, and he appeared nervous.

“What now?” Hong asked. “You seem displeased with my idea.”

“Leader, I know you are correct about the importance of the Behemoth plant. Yet the Americans are desperate to halt our swift advance north. They have been going to great lengths to blunt us.”

“Describe what ‘great lengths’ means,” Hong said. “Or are these just words to try to get me to change my mind?”

Wu beckoned to his aide, a major. The major marched to the table and stood stiffly at it as Shun Li had done.

“Chairman Hong,” the major said, “the Americans have begun a desperation assassination campaign against our best commanders. Due to their inability to face us head-to-head on the battlefield, the Americans have sent many assassination teams behind our lines. They hunt for our most aggressive commanders.”

“What proof do you have of this?” Hong asked.

The major inserted a memory-stick into the Marshal’s slot. He brought up a picture of a Chinese general. “This is General Cho Deng,” the major said. “Marshal Liang considers him the best pursuit commander in his Front. While inspecting his troops, an American-Mexican assassination team murdered him. It was their best team, Leader, Colonel Valdez’s most successful hit man together with an American legend from the Alaskan and Hawaiian campaigns.”

“We send commandos behind American lines,” Hong told Wu. “Why is this any different?”

“Yes, Leader, but this is much more serious,” Wu said. “The Americans must have spent weeks preparing for this hit. Worse, they have infiltrated our ranks with spies, just as we have done with theirs. The successful strike against Cho Deng proves it.”

“Bah,” Hong said.

“Leader,” Wu said. “I believe the importance lies in the American desperation. Because they chose Cho Deng, it shows they fear the deep drives more than any other maneuver. It seems as if the Americans are actually telling us what works best against them. In this case, we must spare no effort to continue a swift, brutal and intense drive to the north.”

“You will do just that,” Hong said, “after taking Denver.”

“I fear the fight against Denver might be long and protracted. As much as you want those Behemoths, surely the Americans will defend them just as hard.”

Chairman Hong looked away. He appeared thoughtful. Finally, he nodded. “There is wisdom in your words, Marshal. It likely will be a hard slog into Denver. And this sniper attack against Cho Deng…yes, there is wisdom in your words. Therefore, as of this moment, instruct Marshal Liang that he has a dual assignment. He must invest and take Denver and he must continue to drive north to the Canadian border. We will do both at once.”

Marshal Wu licked his lips.

To Shun Li it was an obscene performance, as the tip of his tongue appeared whitish and diseased. It seemed to her as if the old man wished to debate the Leader’s decision.

Chairman Hong scowled, and there seemed something different about it this time. “What is it now, Marshal?”

Maybe Marshal Wu noted the difference. His own mannerisms changed instantly as he nodded enthusiastically. “It is a brilliant idea, Leader. I would have simply driven north and expected Denver to fall to us because the Americans would retreat west from it. No, your idea is better than mine. I was taught the old tried and true strategies that will bring inevitable victory. Your way will—”

“Enough praise, Marshal Wu,” Hong said. “I am not a tyrant who demands my Ruling Committee colleagues to bow down and scrape to me. We have now decided what to do with Marshal Liang’s Third Front.” He rubbed his stomach. “I’m getting hungry and this meeting is taking too long. Therefore, let us move on to other matters, other Fronts.”

“Yes, Leader,” Wu said.

“To the east of Liang’s Front are the South Americans,” Hong said. “Firstly, let us agree…”

DENVER, COLORADO

Paul slept in the dark on a small sofa in Romo’s hospital room. The fever had finally broken and the man’s wounds were healing properly now. The doctor said he could leave tomorrow.

Romo snored softly. That’s how Paul knew his blood brother wasn’t quite one hundred percent. He had never snored in the field.

Paul tried to get comfortable. The cushions were okay; it was the sofa’s size that caused the problem, being too small for him. He had to curl his legs to lay on it. He liked to stretch his legs. Paul was almost ready to do that, letting them hang over the end, when the door to the room opened slowly.

Paul was groggy, but something about the person’s entrance alerted him. He opened his eyes wide, waiting for the lights to come on. They didn’t. Instead, the person moved in the darkness toward the softly snoring Romo.

Is this a hit? Is Colonel Valdez really that crazy and vengeful?

The person’s shoes creaked. Whoever it was stopped, waiting. Then, maybe even slower than before, the person stepped toward Romo. Paul heard the person’s clothes swish. They must be wearing hospital scrubs.

Paul decided being quiet was stupid. If this were Valdez’s assassin, the man would be ready and tense. Would he have a knife, a gun, a rope—Paul had no idea.

From on the sofa, Paul Kavanagh shouted. Then he rolled and hit the floor.

The distinctive sound of a suppressed bullet preceded that of a slug tearing into cushions. Paul didn’t hesitate, even though he flinched. He crawled on his hands and knees, rushing the assassin.

Two more suppressed shots sounded. One hit the sofa, while another struck the tiled floor beside Paul. Bits of debris stung him.

Paul lunged, straining to reach the assassin before he turned the gun on Romo. His shoulder crashed against metal.

Romo stopped snoring. The assassin cursed softly in Spanish.

Then Paul Kavanagh reached the assassin’s legs. Paul wrapped his arms around the man’s ankles and surged forward. Now the assassin shouted, while two more suppressed shots sounded. One bullet grazed Kavanagh’s back, then the assassin struck the floor. Paul crawled up, reaching forward with a hand. His left touched metal. He wrapped his fingers around a gun barrel and twisted it to the side. Three suppressed shots phutted, two of them ricocheting.

“Paul?” Romo asked from above him.

One of the assassin’s knees slammed upward—the man lay on his back, with Paul crawling over him. The knee caught Paul in the gut. Kavanagh’s responses became instinctive then—this was a fight to the death. He was hardly aware of the knife in his hand, that he’d pulled it out of its belt sheath. He twisted the muzzle away from him and thrust the blade forward. The tip hit resistance.

Paul shouted, driving the blade deeper. He felt the edge grind against bone. Twisting savagely, he heard a gurgle in the darkness. The man he struggled with began to thrash wildly as blood jetted onto Kavanagh.

The door opened again. Someone must have heard the commotion. The lights came on and a nurse screamed. She kept on screaming as Paul scrambled off the dying assassin.

His blade was sheathed in flesh. It had sunk under the man’s jaw and gone straight up, likely hitting the brainpan from underneath. It was a gruesome sight. So was Paul with the assassin’s blood dripping from him.

“Santiago?” Romo said. He peered down at the floor from his hospital bed.

“You know him?” Paul asked.

Romo switched his gaze, looking up at Paul. “Si, it is my friend, Santiago. He is the one who called to warn me. We used to…”

“He’s one of Valdez’s assassins?”

Romo nodded.

Two other nurses had entered. They each held the screamer, trying to calm her. With wide eyes, they looked at Paul.

“We’re moving the patient,” Paul told them. “That man tried to murder him and I just saved his life.” Paul pointed his thumb at Romo.

“It is true,” Romo said.

The way the nurses looked at them, none seemed to believe either man, but it didn’t seem as if they wanted to argue either.

OTTAWA, CANADA

Anna knew she was the wrong person for this. She couldn’t cow foreign dignitaries and certainly not their only ally, Prime Minister Roland of Canada. Nor did she feel herself as overly persuasive. So why had David insisted she be the one to go?

Prime Minster Roland of Canada massaged his forehead, with his elbows on his maple-wood desk. His hair receded, the dome of skull shiny up there, and he wore a black suit with a plaid bowtie. The man had worried eyes like the harried bureaucrat he was. His Liberal Party barely had enough seats in Parliament to give him his office. Maybe he felt this request would destroy his party’s hold on power.

It was snowing outside with thick, heavy flakes. In here, the heaters blew hot air. The chamber was rather small, made even cozier by the dark wood paneling and the rows upon rows of old books. The place had a musty odor, like Harvard’s oldest library used to have. Anna recalled the smell fondly, as she’d done much of her research there for her national bestseller, Socialist-Nationalist China. She’d learned that the Prime Minister was once a university professor. Maybe that’s why David had chosen her for the task, but she doubted that was the main reason.

“Ms. Chen,” PM Roland said, looking up as he continued to massage his forehead with his long fingers. He wore a fraternity skull and crossed bones ring, although he lacked a wedding band. The man had never been married. “I-I simply don’t know what to make of this request. Is the President serious?”

“He is, sir,” Anna said.

“But—give the Germans Quebec?” he asked. “It is national suicide for us and the strategic death of the United States. I cannot conceive how your President thinks this is a good idea.”

Anna didn’t have to attempt being earnest. She was. “Prime Minister,” she said, leaning forward. “We’ve been watching the death of the United States for months now, one lost battle at a time.”

“No. I don’t accept that. My generals have kept me informed. Yes, the Chinese and their Brazilian allies have taken much of the Southern Midwest, but you’ve inflicted heavy casualties on them. If you continue on that tack, victory is assured you.”

“I wish that were true,” Anna said. “They have far too many soldiers compared to us. They can afford these staggering losses. The United States cannot.”

“We are about to drive south with half the Canadian Army to aid you in the monumental struggle.”

“Do you have an actual timetable for that, sir?”

“We’re going to go soon,” Roland said, his eyes sliding away from hers.

“Prime Minister, the Germans are poised in Cuba. We need the soldiers on the East Coast, on the Gulf Coast. We need them as reinforcements in the Midwest. This offer gives us an opportunity to concentrate our military on one enemy at a time. Well, in this instance, on two out of the three alliances combined against us.”

“No, no, this offer is national suicide for us. I will not be able to agree to it. Canada cannot willingly give up its national territory.”

“Sir, I know the President has spoken to you on the phone concerning this. As he told you, this is a temporary situation only. We’re not suggesting you cede Quebec forever, just for the moment.”

“Do you Americans think we’re naïve?” Roland asked. “Once the Germans fortify Quebec, no one will oust them from the province. Certainly, the United States isn’t going to have the strength to do so. And Canada lacks the military power to take on the German Dominion.”

“Once we finish with the Chinese—”

Prime Minister Roland massaged his forehead, staring down at the desk. “I cannot believe this. You’re abandoning us to the wolves. After all that we have done for you—do you realize the Chinese have offered us neutrality?”

Anna went cold inside and her sternum seemed to press against her. So the rumors were true about that. “Sir,” she said, “the Chinese are attempting to do just what we are: concentrate on one enemy at a time. Don’t let the enemy lull you with empty promises.”

“My Cabinet members are split,” Roland said. “The majority wishes to accept the Chinese offer and declare neutrality, sitting out the war. If the Germans invade Quebec…” He looked up at her. “We will drive the Germans out of our country, possibly gaining Chinese help in order to do it.”

“Do you think the Chinese will engage the German Dominion for Canada?”

Roland’s features hardened.

Anna realized that was the wrong tack to take. “Sir,” she said, “if you summoned Chinese aid, you would be handing Canada to them.”

“That would be better than letting the Germans in.”

“I’m not sure you’ve considered what you’re saying. Mexico shows us that once the Chinese gain admittance into a country, they stay and take over. Our way, you would not be giving the Germans Canada, but its most troublesome province. You would rid yourself of your worst headache.”

“Without Quebec there is no Canada,” Roland said. “We would lose the Maritime Provinces along with the French.”

“Sir, respectfully, you’ve already lost Quebec. The people are poised to rise up in rebellion. Can you afford to halt the Germans while the people of Quebec aid the enemy and harass your formations through guerilla operations?”

He stared at her, his mouth moving but no sounds issuing. Finally, he said, “America is abandoning us, Ms. Chen. You’re selling us down the river.”

“Mr. Prime Minister,” Anna said, clutching the front edge of the desk. “We’re on the brink of ruin, both our countries. This gives us a chance to defeat the Chinese in detail before we turn around and deal with the Germans.”

Roland shook his head. “I will not send the Canadian Army south into America if the Germans are massing in Quebec. It would be madness for us, national suicide.”

“No. You don’t understand. We must grasp this lone opportunity and wrest victory from potential defeat.”

“Words,” he said. “Those are empty words. Your President doesn’t fool me, nor will he fool Canada. We would have stood with you to the end. Now, now you have abandoned us, and still, you expect us to fight for you and die.”

Anna sat back in defeat. Her stomach knotted. This was terrible. She knew a hard moment of bitterness and words spilled out of her. “You waited too long to join the fight, Mr. Prime Minister. Canada waited when it should have joined us from the beginning so it would have never come to this.”

He looked at her wide-eyed. “On top of everything else, you will berate me?”

“Yes,” she heard herself say.

His mouth opened, and he blinked at her with astonishment.

“Act now,” she said. “Take a risk with us and we will rejoice together in another year or two.”

“In another two years, there will be no more Canada nor will there be a United States. We will all be thralls of the Germans and the Chinese.”

“Then take a risk,” she said.

Prime Minister Roland bit his lower lip. “We’re not able to stop the Germans, not if you don’t help. I will have to mass the Canadian Army on the Ontario-Quebec border. Then I will have to travel to Beijing and see if the Chinese will still accept our neutrality.”

“I wish you would have faith in us, Prime Minister. As long as you’re giving the Germans Quebec—”

“I will have to ask you to leave,” the Prime Minister said. “This…capitulation to blackmail, it makes me sick. Tell the President we will stand with America if you stand with us. But if you agree to the Germans taking Quebec, we will realize that you have abandoned us. In that case, Canada will have to seek out its own future.”

Anna blinked back tears. Was this it? Had Chancellor Kleist shattered America’s last alliance through diabolical trickery? No, she couldn’t leave it like this.

She stood, and she came around the Prime Minister’s desk. She wore a black dress. It showed her legs to good effect. She reached out, and she could see his surprise.

“This is highly unusual,” Roland said. “I will summon my security officers.”

“Prime Minster,” Anna said, taking one of his long-fingered hands in hers. She clutched his fingers, and she knelt on her stocking knees. She noticed his gaze flicker to her cleavage.

“This is the moment of gravity for each of our nations,” she said. “Canada and the United States have long been the firmest friends. We have the longest demilitarized border in the world. We are each other’s best trading partner. Many of our best scientists are Canadians. We defeated the Chinese together in Alaska. We can do the same here. What I’m asking you, sir, is to trust us. The President’s back is against the wall. We are on the verge of defeat. But I want to assure you, Prime Minster, that we mean to defeat the Chinese utterly. We will hand them such a staggering loss that it will restore the US power in North America. We need Canada. We need those hard-fighting troops of yours to stand with ours. Only then can we hope to achieve a reversal that gives us both our precious freedom. I beg you, Prime Minister, stand with us. If ever there was a moment in American history where we needed Canada’s help, this is it.”

Prime Minister Roland swallowed audibly. He stared into Anna’s eyes. “You…you are very compelling, my dear.”

“I believe in my President, sir, and I love my country.”

“Please,” he said. “Sit down. This is—this is unbecoming for the two of us.”

Anna climbed to her feet, looking down at him. She squeezed his hand before letting go. Then she returned to her chair, demurely sitting.

The Prime Minister took out the white handkerchief in his breast pocket and mopped his shiny forehead. “I-I don’t know how to respond to such a…” He waved his hand.

“Sir, trust us. Trust David Sims. He knows how to defeat the Chinese. He did it in Alaska and he did it again in California. This is a bigger war, so he needs more time. But he will do it in the end.”

“I have witnessed his successes. But can your President also defeat the Germans in Quebec?”

That was a good question. But instead of telling the Prime Minister that, Anna said with a demure smile, “Let us deal with one enemy at a time, sir, one enemy at a time.”

“Hmm, maybe you—or your President—has the right idea in that.”

“I know he does.”

“Hmm,” Roland said, knotting his handkerchief with his spidery fingers.

“You know, sir. I just thought of something.”

“Yes?” Roland asked.

“Perhaps you should go to Beijing. I don’t know if you realize it, but I happen to be an authority on the ruling Chinese party.”

“Oh.”

“If the Chinese thought Canada was negotiating for neutrality, that might give our two countries a chance to surprise them.”

“You are suggesting I lie?”

“No sir, not lie, but you might go and ask the Chinese about neutrality. That in itself might send them the signal, and they will believe what they wish to.”

“What are you thinking, Ms. Chen?”

Anna was still flushed from her experience of begging on her knees and possibly having persuaded the Prime Minister. This new idea…it was worth exploring. Still, maybe she needed to hammer down the Prime Minister’s stand with the United States first.

“I would need to speak to the President about this,” Anna said. “I am his personal envoy, not one of his strategists.”

The Prime Minister allowed himself a wry smile. “The President knows how to pick his envoys.” Then Roland glanced away as if self-conscious. Two red spots appeared on his cheeks.

He’s embarrassed. How did a man like him ever get to be Prime Minster? Anna didn’t know, but she wondered if that should be the theme of her next research paper.

-6-

I-70 Colorado

THIRD FRONT HQ, COLORADO

Marshal Liang of the Pan-Asian Alliance Third Front sipped tea in his quarters. It was an American farmhouse bedroom outside of Pueblo, Colorado.

Liang was a sparse man in his late fifties. He seemed unassuming and quiet, and he left nothing to chance. He had never cared for Jian Hong, and he found the Chairman increasingly unappealing since the murder of Foreign Minister Deng. Still, Hong ruled with the backing of East Lightning and the man lavishly supplied the military with the materiel needed for this incredible undertaking of conquering the United States of America.

First blowing across his cup of tea, Liang sipped the hot liquid. It was good tea, and it helped settle his stomach.

Even after several days of receiving the orders, he still seethed about them. He had been given two objectives now: storm a great American city to capture the Behemoth Tank Manufacturing Plant and drive north to the Canadian border during the dead of winter. That meant pushing up through three states: Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota, and possibly passing through parts of Wyoming and Montana. That would be a harder task now with the diversion of some of his best assault divisions.

Before the new orders, he’d wished to mask Greater Denver instead of entangling part of his army in street-to-street battles. In modern terms, Denver was a fortress city. He’d wanted to cordon off the urban environment with a ring of second-rate garrison troops. If the Americans wanted a fight, let them come out of the cities onto the plains where his greater numbers and superior quality would annihilate them.

He knew the army would take brutal and, in his opinion, unnecessary casualties to capture the tank plant. El Paso, Albuquerque and Santa Fe had taught him how hard the Americans defended their cities. Worse, urban entrenchments turned second and third rate soldiers into stiff defenders. No, he wanted no more city fights. The latest estimates from his staff showed that this battle could prove even bloodier than the earlier ones of the past summer.

Outside the upstairs window, snow fell instead of the unseasonable rain. For too long the gods of war had frustrated Chinese arms with the warm rains. Here at the Front Range of the Southern Rockies, it should have been sunny this time of year.

The local region here had different names. One was the Colorado Front Range. Liang preferred its other name: the Front Range Urban Corridor. It stretched from Pueblo, Colorado north along I-25 to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Within the oblong area lived nearly five million Americans. The cities sheltered themselves where the Great Plains merged into the Southern Rockies. The majority of the people of Colorado lived here under the auspices of the looming mountains. Denver itself lay a mere twelve miles east from the beginning range.

Because of the protecting Rockies, it was normally sunny this time of year. Usually the mountains were a bulwark against the eastward-traveling storms. Instead, there had been rain, rain and more rain. Finally, for the last several days the temperature had dropped. It froze the mud into icy ground the vehicles could use. Ever since the new orders and the proper winter weather, he had been maneuvering the assault Armies into position.

The Tenth and the Fifteenth Armies would give him Greater Denver. He’d half-expected Chairman Hong to give him such a useless order as this, so he’d had his staff prepare a contingency plan at the start of the rains. The shifting of corps had already taken place.

The Third Front had become a well-oiled machine. Despite desperate months of battle, it still reacted swiftly to his will.

Liang checked his watch. The opening attack would occur in less than three hours. For this city storming, he had decided to return to the old-fashioned methods of urban assault: mass bombardments of air and artillery, followed by the attack. In this case, it would primarily rely on artillery power for the opening assaults. The bulk of his air…he had an altogether different use for it.

The plan was simple. The best ones usually were. Massed long-range guns would turn Greater Denver and the outlying cities into rubble. The Tenth and Fifteenth Armies would then smash their way in through costly but time-effective wave assaults. That would be inelegant, he knew, but he would turn what would otherwise become a draining slugfest into a fast siege. He’d support it through massive air power, choking the Americans of reinforcements and supplies. He could afford an attrition battle on one condition. He had to make sure the Americans didn’t receive any replenishment—more soldiers. They could always airlift a trickle, of course. He had to prevent a flood.

Liang sipped his tea. He’d welcomed the needed rest the rains had forced upon the Third Front. It had given the mechanics time to repair the tanks, the trucks and the IFVs in that order. It had given his commanders time to reorganize and rest their soldiers for the next great push. The speed at which Tenth and Fifteenth Armies had shed their tank corps and accepted more infantry divisions proved their renewed zest.

With a click, Marshal Liang set his teacup into its saucer. He rose and stepped to the window. Through the falling snow, he spied four Mobile Canopy ABMs. They waited on specially-built rail cars, having arrived this morning.

Each MC ABM was massive, bigger even than an American Behemoth tank the Chairman dreaded. The Behemoth weighed three hundred tons. The MC ABMs weighed twice as much. Of course, they were not battlefield weapons in the strict sense like an IFV or hovertank.

He could put these to good use. In fact, their arrival had convinced him of the rightness of his idea. He would risk his air power in the next few days. These MC ABMs would mightily strengthen his anti-air defenses, giving him a strong fallback in case of an aerial disaster. He didn’t expect a catastrophe, but he was Marshal Liang, the commander who left nothing to chance.

Liang’s eyes went blank as once more he thought about what Marshal Wu had told him, how General Cho Deng’s death had persuaded the Chairman of the need for haste north.

It was clever of the Chairman to understand what General Cho Deng’s death signified. Liang would miss his best hovertank commander. It still was incredible to him how the Americans had gone to such fantastic efforts to kill him. How had they known General Deng would inspect the supply group that night? That implied a spy ring inside the Chinese military. The thought was sobering indeed.

But the point of the assassination meant something critical. The Americans hadn’t assassinated any other generals, just Cho Deng.

Many on his staff believed the Americans were violent barbarians, given to emotionalism. Countless of the Chinese higher command thought of Americans as Mongols from China’s past. Liang did not agree with the assessment. These Americans could be shrewd and were often cunning. Sometimes they were brilliant.

The assassination of General Cho Deng was one of those times. To Liang, it showed the spy ring was larger and more intrusive than he would have believed possible. How otherwise did the Americans know about General Deng’s influence? Other commanders had carefully listened to Deng’s theories. By killing him, the Americans slew the strongest proponent of relentless tank and hovercraft breakthroughs and exploitation drives. Cho Deng had not only practiced those drives better than others did. His words and example pushed other commanders to do likewise.

Chairman Hong paid lip service to the ideal of deep penetration drives, but did the Chairman truly understand what must be done to defeat the Americans? Liang had his doubts. The order ten weeks ago to divert Third Front’s armor to help the South Americans captured the enemy around Oklahoma City had hurt the Americans, but it had been wrong nevertheless. Chinese and Brazilian arms had won a great operational battle. Instead, they might have struck a strategic deathblow by driving north harder and deeper and trapping an even greater number of enemies, perhaps shattering the entire Midwestern American Front.

The key to this continental campaign was speed. They needed to drive fast and deep so the Americans never had a chance to recover their poise. The grueling summer battles had been a mistake. Liang would have sent a massive and potent tank Army Group straight up the middle of the prairies. Drive deep and deeper still, spreading out behind the American lines and destroying all communication and higher command. Instead, there had been vast battles of attrition, a slow grind through New Mexico and Texas.

Marshal Liang put his hands behind his back. His right shoulder protested as a half-healed muscle strained at the pull. In less than three hours, the Denver assault would begin. It would fix American attention on the front door, right where he wanted it. With the massed wave assaults, the Americans would no doubt believe the Chinese meant to grind the Denver-defending soldiers to death. He would catch them by surprise, therefore, with his end-run air assault.

The key to taking Denver was the high-altitude I-70 corridor, the thin ribbon of road and rail through which most of the Americans’ supplies would have to thread. If he could destroy I-70 as a supply route, Denver would die on the vine.

His gaze moved again to the MC ABMs. Each vehicle possessed a twelve-man crew. It was a linked system, three rail cars pulled by a massive tractor. One of the trailers held gigantic batteries and chemical fuel storage tanks. Another was a magnetic-propulsion turbine. The last was the laser focusing system. It could project a beam of near strategic strength.

That meant several things. They could shoot down American satellites from the middle of their country, if the enemy was foolish enough to loft any. Even better, he would soon have a nearly impenetrable anti-air and anti-missile umbrella. In a week, several more MC ABMs would arrive.

He would have to compose a poem to Marshal Wu for the man’s thoughtfulness of giving him these strategic assets. Because of them, he would badly surprise the Americans and he might even surprise Chairman Hong.

I leave nothing to chance.

That was his secret. He thought deeper than his fellow marshals did and much deeper than the Americans. Part of the secret was that he had gathered a brain trust of brilliant officers. Outthinking the enemy and beating him with an economy of force made the best use of what he possessed. It would give China the victory despite the un-strategic folly of attempting two variant goals at one time.

Liang’s soft smile hardened. He had the greatest concentration of Chinese power in North America. That meant he had the greatest concentration of military force ever deployed against an opponent.

Now I’m splitting my power at the orders of that worm in Beijing.

Fortunately, he knew his enemy. The Americans were near the breaking point. The loss of Denver’s soldiers and the loss of the cities here might well shatter what was left of enemy morale.

It was good to know he was going to win spectacularly. First, fix American attention on the front door. Then when the back door attack came, it would surprise them even more and destroy what little confidence they had left.

CASTLE ROCK, COLORADO

Private Jake Higgins of the Eleventh CDM Battalion hugged the bottom of his foxhole. The whole world seemed to be on fire. It shook and huge deadly explosions made speech impossible. Several times already, he’d peeked out of the foxhole in a homeowner’s front lawn. Each time more of Castle Rock was flattened, more of its structures turned into rubble or reduced to skeletal remains of reinforced girders and smashed concrete.

The Chinese had unleashed a massed artillery barrage on them. His father had loved telling him war statistics. In WWII, artillery had caused fifty percent of the casualties in urban areas. It had been even higher in deserts.

I can see why.

Jake endured as the explosive shells hammered the city and their position. Unfortunately, he’d arrived just in time for the great Chinese offensive.

The Eleventh CDM Battalion was full of untested wannabes. In Jake’s opinion, it was a crime to place them out here at the very front. Army HQ should have first given them time to learn their trade. Militia units already had a bad reputation for breaking under fire. Two of the reasons was lack of training, and lack of time to get used to this hellish punishment. High Command shouldn’t treat them like a penal battalion, even if that’s what they were. It was wasteful of American lives.

We’re just a tripwire for the enemy.

Jake curled into a ball and plugged his ears. The noise was too much. The blasts, the shaking, the dribbles of dirt on his helmet—men weren’t born to take this. It was enough to drive him mad.

Jake didn’t know how long it lasted, but there came a moment when it finally stopped. Tentatively, he unplugged his ears. Soon, he sat up. With the caution of a wary gopher looking out of its hole, he climbed to his feet and peeked over the lip of his foxhole. He’d dug his deeper than anyone else’s foxhole, but he bet that would change now.

Much of Castle Rock burned. The small city was to the south of Greater Denver on I-25. North from here the freeway led to Castle Pines and then to Centennial where the Mexico Home Army waited.

The stink of gunpowder and burning flesh mingled with oil and gas. The destruction…one had to see this to believe it. This was like being in Dante’s Inferno of brimstone and fire, and fumes kept billowing up from Castle Rock to feed the black cloud above.

Slowly, it dawned on Jake that he heard voices and whistles. The Detention Center people loved blowing the shrillest noises. Officers appeared, with their silver tools between their lips or clenched teeth like high school football coaches. Soon officers began shouting, and one used a bullhorn. He pointed south in the direction of the worst destruction and the leaping, crackling flames.

These officers were former Detention Center guards. They didn’t look too happy, either. Few of the former detainees—the Militiamen grunts—had yet to get out of their foxholes.

Jake climbed out of his. So did others of his squad.

“We’d better line up,” Jake told them. The others looked pale or trembled. A few had obviously been crying. They must be wondering now why they’d ever volunteered for this insanity. Punishment drills or even the isolation cells back in the Detention Center had never been as bad as this.

I must have been an idiot to leave Lisa.

It took ten minutes, but finally the rest of the Militiamen circled their lieutenants and sergeants. Jake listened as theirs told them they were heading forward to drive off the invaders. Enemy artillery had demolished the forward posts and buried the luckless spotters and heavy machine gun teams. During the tail end of the bombardment, Chinese infantry had roared up in their IFVs, unloaded and were already crawling into Castle Rock to claim it. HQ wanted the Eleventh CDM Battalion to drive the Chinese out, or at least buy Division time to reorganize and get a full-scale counterattack going.

Frightened Militiamen glanced at each other. The uncertainty and fear in their eyes made Jake realize this was a stupid plan. Militiamen might hold their ground in foxholes, but advancing to meet the enemy after this hellish artillery pounding—

Whistles blew. It was a shrill sound and seemed to drive arrows of noise into Jake’s ears. Officers shouted and a few screamed, threatening a return to the Detention Center for cowardice in the face of the enemy.

“Come on,” Jake said. “The sooner we get to our new positions, the sooner we can dig in.”

In a ragged group, they started forward into the burning city. Some of the Militiamen shouldered M-16s. Others carried Javelin missile-launchers. Jake belonged to a heavy machine gun team.

Jake carried the Browning M2 .50 caliber. It was heavy on his shoulder. He noticed once again that none of the ordinary Militiamen wore body armor, just the officers. It hadn’t been that way in the Seventh in Texas. There, the officers had tried to make soldiers out of them. They seemed to have cared about the troops in their care. These guards–turned-officers had the feel of angry men taking it out on those below.

Machine gun fire started ahead, cannons barked. There were screams, bloodcurdling things. Everyone around Jake slowed down. Taller buildings with huge concrete chunks taken out of them blocked their view of what happened up there and made everyone imagine the worst.

“Double time it!” the captain shouted.

The lieutenants and then the sergeants began whistling. If they’d had whips, the officers and NCOs would probably have been lashing them.

Jake found himself jogging. Each pound of his feet made the Browning dig against his shoulder. The thing was frigging heavy.

Then everything changed as two drones appeared in the sky. They looked like giant, angry wasps dropping down out of the black cloud. They must have been enemy craft, because machine guns opened up in the noses and rockets whooshed from under their wings, slamming down with fierce explosions. Concrete flew and so did humans, some tumbling in grotesque somersaults. Other Militiamen began screaming in agony and falling over, spurting blood. One poor sod tried to shove his guts back into his ripped stomach.

Jake hit the ground, throwing the machine gun ahead of him so it wouldn’t land on his body. He crawled for what must have once been a building. It was a jagged scar of masonry now, a tombstone of a memory of a better time. His squad remained with him.

“What do we do now?” the tallest one asked, the corporal and nominally in charge of the M2 Browning.

Crouched behind the tongue of a wall, Jake looked up as he kept hold of his helmet. The two drones had left, or at least he couldn’t see them anymore. Maybe the operators figured they’d done enough here. Looking back, Jake saw some Militiamen running away down the street they’d just come up. None of them had their weapons. There was a litter of M-16s and grenade launchers on the ground. A few of the officers and NCOs ran, too. They weren’t blowing their whistles either, just sprinting as if they wanted into the Olympics. On the street groaned the dying, a few shrieking horribly and held onto their ribs or their groins. The dead lay silent, making it much easier to take.

“Should we help them?” the corporal asked.

Before Jake could answer, someone else shouted, “Chinese!”

Jake looked over the masonry. His eyes bugged outward. Chinese soldiers in body armor sprinted through a cross street, with their equipment jangling. The enemy had nasty-looking assault weapons. A few wore visors, likely battery-powered with a schematic of Castle Rock. The wash and illumination of flames on their backs make the enemy soldiers seem like demons of the Inferno.

“Up there!” another Militiaman shouted.

Jake looked up. An Eagle flyer darted overhead. The Chinese commando fired a grenade from a shoulder-launcher. The projectile landed with an explosion thirty feet away, and two Militiamen tumbled over. Didn’t anyone know how to hide?

“We have to get out of here,” the tall corporal told Jake. Dirt streaked the man’s cheeks and his eyes were huge.

“Yeah, soon,” Jake said. “Help me set up the machine gun.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“We’re screwed,” Jake told the corporal. “Our battalion just did a bunk and the rest are too scared to fight back. That leaves us.”

“We should run.”

“We should kill Chinese bastards,” Jake said, remembering the ones who had hanged Americans in Rio National Forest.

“I’m out of here,” the corporal said. His name was Charles and he used to be a philosophy student. His neck was far too long. Right, right, everyone called him Goose.

“Listen, Goose,” Jake said good-naturedly. “If you run, I’m going to shoot you.”

“What?” Goose said. “You can’t threaten me. I’m a corporal and you’re a private in my squad.”

“Watch this,” Jake said, drawing a sidearm. He touched Goose’s forehead with the barrel. The corporal had lost his helmet.

“How does that feel?” Jake asked.

“Please,” Goose whispered. “Don’t kill me.”

“Set up the machine gun and do what I say,” Jake told him. “That way you live.”

Goose nodded wildly.

The other Militiaman of the machine gun squad watched with wide eyes.

“Hurry it up,” Jake said. He peeked up to scout the situation. More Chinese ran through the cross street, setting up to come here from an old bakery. He could seem them hiding in there, likely figuring out what they were going to do next.

“See the edge of our little wall over there,” Jake said, pointing to the left.

“I see it,” Goose said.

“Slide the gun there and get ready to feed me more ammo. The Chinese are going to cross at the junction, coming straight for us.”

“Set it up there,” Goose repeated. As he did, the Chinese infantry started firing at them from the bakery.

Jake looked behind. Groaning and wounded Militiamen hurried off the street. Most ran away. A few braver, tougher soldiers fired back. Some of the fleeing died with bullets in the back, falling over like sick old men.

A whistle blew. One of the officers had stayed. Seconds later, a grenade flew at the Militia officer, hitting him in the chest, killing him with a flash.

Jake stood up, aiming his M-16. The flyer that had just popped the captain jetted for cover. Jake hit something on it with his shots. The jet quit and the flyer smacked into a three-story building and tumbled down to earth.

Jake ducked down and bullets rattled against the small wall of shelter. It made Goose groan and he clutched his head in panic.

“Is the gun ready?” Jake asked him.

Goose nodded frantically.

Jake threw himself onto his belly, getting behind the .50 caliber. The Chinese would likely get a machine gun set up soon in the bakery. Others would surely try to work around their position, flanking them. He had to start firing, start showing the enemy they had to play it safer. He also needed to show his own side they could hurt the Chinese.

“Okay. Pick it up and set the gun beyond the wall to the side,” Jake said.

“I’ll die if I expose myself,” Goose said.

“Do it!” Jake shouted.

Hunched over, Goose grabbed the barrel. It was crazy. He picked up the front of the M2 Browning and set it with its tripod-mount where Jake had told him. Then Goose dove behind the protective cover, skidding on soil with his elbows.

Lying on the ground, Jake began firing. The loud sound of the heavy caliber bullets reassured him. The big slugs smashed through the bakery walls and exploded the remaining glass. He heard screaming as they hit enemy soldiers. Even though Jake didn’t know it, he grinned from ear to ear. It made Goose shudder to see it.

Something about the sound of the heavy machine gun woke up a few others in the Eleventh CDM Battalion. They crawled to better positions and started firing at the enemy.

From a different direction, fifteen Chinese soldiers charged, shooting from the hip, one of them popping off grenades like a shotgun. All of them wore body armor.

The first grenade hit Jake’s protecting wall, exploding harmlessly. A second one landed beyond the wall, rolling on the street, tumbling like a can of beans. The smaller Militiaman of Jake’s squad shouted in horror. He got up and ran at the grenade.

What’s he doing? Then Jake realized the Militiaman must think he was going to grab it and throw it elsewhere.

“Down!” Jake roared.

The grenade exploded, knocking the Militiaman backward, ending the war for him. He also saved Goose and Jake from any damage.

Goose went utterly pale and he trembled. He also grabbed his M-16, stood and emptied the magazine at the enemy. It did nothing, completely missing everything. Well, it did make the Chinese duck and slow their rush.

“Down!” Jake shouted again, hoarsely. Then he had no more time to shout. He swiveled the heavy machine gun and pressed his thumbs on the butterfly triggers. He mowed down the stalled attackers, starting with the grenade-launching whore. The big .50 caliber bullets tore through Chinese body armor as if it was paper. Some of those bastards wore schematic visors, too, but it didn’t help them any, now did it?

When Jake ran out of ammo, Goose loaded more. Soon Jake worked over the dead Chinese on the street, making sure they weren’t faking.

It was the opening of the battle for Castle Rock—the gate the Chinese needed so they could drive for Greater Denver. It was also the Eleventh CDM Battalion’s baptism by fire, and the first time Jake and Goose worked together as a team.

THIRD FRONT HQ, COLORADO

Marshal Liang sat in his Command Center, staring up at a huge screen. Around the room, officers sat at their consoles. Near Liang sat General Ping. He appeared to be an unassuming staff officer, with utterly regular features and glasses. The man was unable to use contact lenses and had feared corrective surgery. There was nothing unassuming about Ping’s mind, though. He was Liang’s most brilliant assistant and most trusted confidant.

“Tonight we draw the noose tight,” Liang said.

General Ping nodded. He also watched the big screen. It showed a satellite image of Greater Denver and the Southern Rockies to the west. I-70 was highlighted in red, a thin ribbon that stretched away from the built-up urban area and went left across the screen.

Marshal Liang wore no smiles tonight. With the initial ground assaults, he had knocked on Greater Denver’s front door. The Tenth and Fifteenth Armies surged toward the city. Artillery poured destruction upon the Americans. Eagle Team flyers murdered thousands. The assault divisions swarmed to the attack, taking heavy losses but pushing the enemy perimeter ever backward.

Now, tonight, he would unleash his backdoor surprise that would guarantee him victory.

I-70 was an engineering marvel of former American ingenuity. The freeway passed over many bridges, through famous tunnels and mountain gorges. Several well-placed missiles and bombs at key locales would slow traffic to a mule-laden trickle. Without I-70 and the rail lines next to it, and once he sealed off the urban area in the north to Cheyenne, Wyoming, the Rockies would become a logistical nightmare for the defending Americans. Knowing they were cut off from aid and they were destined for death or the prisoner-of-war camps in Northern Mexico, the American defenders would lose heart, wilt and surrender in bitterest defeat.

The key to the Chairman’s order therefore was to strike at I-70 with their total force now, at the very beginning of the struggle. One of the staff officers had suggested nuclear weapons, but that was too risky. The Americans might use nuclear weapons in response. Liang needed far more tac-lasers and MC ABMs before he would feel comfortable he could fend off an American nuclear attack.

Tonight he would do this the conventional way. He would watch the offensive’s progress through high-flying AWACS planes and recon drones. Ping and he would watch on the big screen in the Command Center.

“It is time,” Liang said. “Tell the air traffic controllers to give the orders.”

FORWARD EDGE OF THE BATTLE AREA, COLORADO

Captain Tzu piloted one of the big Heron bombers of the mass Chinese assault on I-70’s Eisenhower Tunnel. He had lifted off the main airfield in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The gathering of air power tonight reminded him of the opening days of the invasion.

“All this to destroy a freeway tunnel?” his navigator asked. “This is overkill.”

With his hands on the controls, Tzu glanced outside. The Rockies were beautiful, a range of rugged, snow-covered mountains. In the moonlight, they looked majestic, like a land of wonder. If they had to bail out, though, he would never see home again. Wolves lived down there and American cougars and grizzly bears. He had heard stories, terrible tales. If the wild beasts didn’t kill them, the snow and trackless mountains would ensure they starved to death.

“The Americans are in for a horrible surprise,” the navigator said.

Tzu turned to the navigator with a start. He wiped his forehead, glad to be out of his daze. He needed to stop thinking about being shot down in the amazing but deadly mountain-land. Yes, he hoped the navigator was right. He hoped, but…this one didn’t feel right. Why did command believe so many planes were needed just to take out a single tunnel? This kind of precision night attack was better suited to the Ghosts, the S-13s.

Captain Tzu glanced out the window again. In every direction loomed the terrible and gloriously beautiful Rocky Mountains. The stars blazed with light and the moon…

“I wish we could fly there,” Tzu said, pointing at the moon.

“Eh?” asked the navigator.

“Look at the moon.”

“Tzu, can’t you ever keep your mind on task? Look at the radar. Look at the number of planes ahead of us. This is an audacious operation. We’re making history.”

Tzu tore his gaze from the cratered, captivating moon. He did look at the radar, and he recalled what the briefing officer had told them. Tonight, China massed its air power to strip the Americans of hope.

Twenty-seven EW Anchors led the way. Behind followed three hundred and seventy-nine Heron bombers, nearly four hundred machines. There were no fighters tonight. Most of those made strikes against Denver, occupying the American air there, keeping enemy eyes fixed elsewhere. Fortunately, no Chinese pilot would actually go in that deeply to I-70. Drones and missiles would do that. The Americans must have some air defense present, but the enemy would not have nearly enough to stop this mass. The greatest danger—

Tzu looked up at the moon, delighting in the pockmarks, the darker areas.

“Captain!” the navigator said.

“I’m thinking about the Reflex interceptors,” Tzu said.

The navigator frowned. “Do not jinx us, Captain. It is better not to speak about them.”

“They must be out in numbers tonight.”

“Please.”

Captain Tzu glanced at his navigator. The man looked sick with worry. He nodded. Pilots and navigators were a superstitious lot. Do not speak about Reflex interceptors because maybe they could hear you talk about them and would notice what was going on. It was a foolish idea, but difficult not to believe in his heart.

“What’s our reading?” Tzu asked. “We should be ready to unload our first cargo soon.”

The navigator went to work and soon he appeared to have forgotten about the Reflex, long-distance, laser-bouncing interceptors.

CHEYENNE, WYOMING

U.S. Army Group West Headquarters was a bustle of activity and noise. Officers spoke into phones. Coffee steamed from Styrofoam cups and operators scanned their screens. It all took place in a large chamber, with nearly fifty people present.

Big Tom McGraw tapped his fingers on a console. Pilots and drone operators had just beaten off a night attack on Denver. The Chinese had stormed the city in force, yet according to reports, they had done little damage.

He didn’t understand these smash-your-way-in assaults so far. It seemed too wasteful of Chinese assets. It had given the enemy ground fast, and it had moved the city battle forward sooner than he wanted. He understood why so few enemy tanks had appeared. The Chinese had also unleashed their northern offensive at the same time, and needed them there on the open plains.

They’re trying to do two things at once. They heading north and they’re trying to swamp us here, and they’re coming damn near to it, too.

Would he get the East Coast reinforcements in time? It almost felt as if the Chinese knew his plan. They were trying to finish the war now. Something troubled him, and he couldn’t quite place his finger on it.

Scowling, General McGraw continued to tap the console.

“Sir,” the Air Chief said.

McGraw looked up. The Joint Forces Air Component Commander, JFACC or Air Chief for short, was a slender man and wore a silk scarf around his neck. The general reminded Tom of the early pilots of WWI, those daredevils of the sky. The Air Chief didn’t look reckless now. He looked worried.

Is this why I’ve been feeling nervous all night?

“What do you have for me?” McGraw asked.

The Air Chief motioned to an Air Force operator and then beckoned McGraw to a desk screen. “I’d like you to look at this, sir.”

McGraw strode to the desk screen, staring down at it. Instead of a churning stomach, he felt relief. Finally, I know what my opposite number is up, too. You’re a clever bastard, Liang.

Looking up at the Air Chief, McGraw said, “Liang identified our weak link. Now we know why their fighter-bombers swarmed Denver and did so little damage. Their heavies are out trying to kill our supply artery. Better alert the I-70 air-defenses, if they aren’t already.”

“Sir, have you noticed the number of Heron stand-off bombers? If one of their missiles reaches one of the key tunnel entrances—I can’t guarantee you that won’t happen. These numbers—the Chinese have caught us with our pants down.”

“I understand the problem,” McGraw said. “Now tell me how you’re fixing it.”

“We’re scrambling fighters and drones, sir, but they’re not going to reach some of these places soon enough. We’re also lofting more Reflex interceptors. I’m sure you know that those take time to get into strategic laser position. We can make the Chinese suffer later, when they’re running for home. Stopping all of them now from hitting I-70…”

The Air Chief shook his head.

McGraw’s jaw muscles bulged. If the Chinese blasted enough tunnel entrances and bridges, it would be a total disaster. There were sufficient assets protecting I-70 to stop Ghosts and even a mid-size attack, but this—

McGraw remembered something, and whirled around. “Get me on the horn with Colonel Higgins of the Behemoth Regiment. We may have an answer for this.”

FORWARD EDGE OF THE BATTLE AREA, COLORADO

The first launch order came. Captain Tzu had been waiting for it the last two minutes. This was the reason his bomber had lumbered off the runway earlier tonight. With a decisive movement, he yanked a lever.

The entire Heron shook. A moment later, the bomber lifted higher. Outside, he knew, the clamps on the pylons had released, and a big Goshawk drone had dropped away. It fell fifty meters before the turbojets kicked on.

From other Herons dropped more drones. A few winked silvery in the moonlight. Their turbojets belched orange flares into the night. It was a sign of strength, of coming destruction.

Tzu decreased airspeed. He wasn’t looking at the moon anymore, but at the drones. Their Goshawk climbed higher and well ahead of them. It was remote-controlled, likely from a trailer in Pueblo, Colorado. The many drones gathered in their destination-teams. They would be the aircraft to zero in on I-70. The drones would battle their way in if they had to, hammering bridges and tunnel entrances.

Licking his lips, Tzu noticed faster, quicker drones flittering through the darkness. They were UCAV fighter drones. Other Herons had released them together with the Goshawks. Those Herons would race ahead of the other bombers, putting themselves between the faster advancing drones and the still heavily laden bombers. The forward Herons would act as decoys, since they didn’t carry missiles.

Over five hundred drones bored in toward I-70. The destination teams had various targets: bridges, tunnels or hairpin turns on the freeway in the deepest gorges. Others would hit the rail line.

Now that the drones were on their way, Tzu increased speed again. The remaining Herons had a second task. They carried ARMs to destroy American radar stations and air-to-ground missiles if the inconceivable happened and the drones failed. The briefing officer had told them Marshal Liang himself had planned the operation. Everyone knew that Liang left nothing to chance.

Soon, the navigator informed Tzu that the drones had passed the EW Anchors. Later still, the navigator told him the Anchors had begun jamming the Americans. What one couldn’t see, one couldn’t kill. This electronic cover would allow the Goshawks to penetrate the American air-defense zone too deeply for the Americans to stop such a mass assault.

Tzu heard the navigator rhapsodize about the plan, but he no longer cared about the drones. The captain looked out the window at the bright moon. The idea of Reflex interceptors high in the atmosphere, ready to bounce strategic-strength lasers—that’s what had him worried now.

BEHEMOTH TANK PARK, COLORADO

A panting Colonel Higgins strode into in the command post—CP—of the tank park’s air-defense-net center. He’d come running from bed after hearing klaxons ringing several minutes ago.

The CP captain had just informed him that Chinese air assets were approaching fast. There were nearly one hundred heavy drones headed this way.

Have they discovered my Behemoths? Are they trying to knock them out?

Stan inhaled deeply, trying to get his breath back. He’d run through snow so thick his boots had disappeared each time, then raced down a flight of stairs to get here.

The air-defense CP was underground with reinforced concrete overhead. Stan’s seventeen Behemoth tanks were hidden by the latest anti-radar netting. Several weeks ago, he’d used bulldozers to create big revetments for them. It meant the three hundred ton tanks were half-buried, giving them greater protection and turning them into gigantic pillboxes.

One hundred heavy drones—the Chinese must want my tanks.

Stan didn’t intend to do ground fighting from the holes. The idea the Chinese would send tanks or IFVs into the mountains struck him as ludicrous. He’d simply wanted to do everything he could to protect them from enemy air assaults, and now he was glad he had.

How did they find out about the Behemoths?

“Sir,” the CP captain said. “I have General McGraw on the secure line. He wants to talk to you.”

In the dim green light of the CP, Stan’s shoes clicked on the tiles. He picked up the proffered receiver. “General, this is Colonel Higgins speaking.”

“Stan, old son, the Chinese snookered us.”

“Sir?”

“The air! The Chinese are swarming toward I-70.”

“We see less than one hundred aircraft, sir.”

“They’re jamming hard, but we have a satellite up giving us real-time visuals. There are over eight hundred independent aircraft converging on and around you.”

Stan felt sick. Over eight hundred?

“We don’t have enough Reflex inceptors up yet,” McGraw was saying. “Some are taxiing as we speak, but they won’t be in position in time to stop this attack cold, which is what we have to do.”

“Sir, the Chinese air—”

“Listen up, Colonel. This time we’re using my plan. I have fighters on the way, but I don’t think they’re going to make it in time, either, at least, not for the entire length of the Chinese assault on the freeway. What that means is that I’m rerouting air assets to take on the most western assaults. That leaves me with tac-lasers and SAMs in your area. We have anti-air concentrations along I-70, but not enough for this. You know we can’t afford any hits on the freeway, certainly none on the main tunnels or bridges.”

“I’ve already linked my defense-net with the strategic network,” Stan said.

“You’re not listening to me, Colonel. The bulk of the Chinese assault is heading your way. But I’m moving out all fighters to the west, to concentrate there and destroy everything. Your added tac-lasers and SAMs aren’t enough in your area. So I’m ordering you to engage with your Behemoths. I’ve read what you did in California. Your force cannons are as good at anti-air as they are at killing enemy armor. Your guns may be the margin we need for victory.”

“Yes, sir,” Stan said.

“We have to stop this attack cold. They snookered us, but I bet they didn’t think we’d have our Behemoths in the Rockies. It seemed like a stupid place to put them, but now I’m seeing it was pure genius. General McGraw, out.”

Stan dry swallowed. That was it then. The Chinese must be trying to cut off Denver’s supply route. Everyone had expected Ghosts, not this WWII-style attack with overwhelming mass.

More klaxons wailed as Stan handed the receiver to the operator. The CP captain shouted orders. He was finally receiving the real-time intelligence from the satellite. Someone shouted he spotted Electronic Warfare Anchors in the enemy formation. They must be the planes doing the jamming.

Stan used the phone to begin alerting his Behemoth crews. They needed to start up the tanks and get the force cannons pointed skyward with all systems ready.

Woodenly, Stan moved over behind a CP sergeant’s screen. He knew McGraw was ordering the right thing. Still, this was too soon to let the Chinese know the Behemoths were here. He’d wanted to keep their location a surprise. There were only seventeen of them in the entire United States. Surely, the Chinese must wonder where the super-tanks were hidden.

“Look at that,” the CP captain whispered from where he stood beside Stan.

Stan watched the sergeant’s screen. He saw it, waves of enemy aircraft.

“I’m counting over five hundred drones,” the sergeant said.

Colonel Higgins nodded. This was the right place for using the Behemoths. He just hoped he would not lose them by doing so.

PUEBLO, COLORADO

Blue light filled the large but cramped command compartment in MC ABM #3. Officers and enlisted personnel sat at their stations, checking their screens.

Commander Bao held a receiver to his ear. The Marshal’s orders came through the line firmly and quietly: “Destroy the American satellite.”

Commander Bao of the Mobile Canopy Anti-Ballistic Missile Vehicle #3 hung up the phone. He was a middle-aged man with a stomach ulcer. He kept a bottle of a thick medicine in a compartment under his chair.

The ulcer came because of his insistence on perfection, he believed. His vehicle had the best rating in the military and he planned to keep it that way. Bao knew the crew considered him a martinet, a perfectionist. That was fine with him. All his life his mother had taught him to be the best. He had achieved perfection in every endeavor: in piano playing, in Ping-Pong and in mathematics during his school years. Just as China outperformed every other country, so Bao would outperform the other MC ABM commanders. That included in how he instructed the others. For example, he had never raised his voice with them because that would indicate nervousness.

When one was the best, one had nothing that could make one nervous.

The ulcer now bit him with a twinge of pain. Commander Bao ignored it for the moment as he began to issue orders in a calm voice.

Each of the personnel put on huge headphones with noise cancellation technology. They had to in order to survive the next few minutes.

Bao checked with Tracking and got on the intercom with Power and Fuel. The operators from each told him they were ready. He checked his watch.

“Twenty seconds,” he said. As he said it, he meant neither nineteen seconds nor twenty-one seconds. He demanded perfect precision from everyone, including himself.

The small hand of his high-grade watch ticked away. Precisely twenty seconds later, green lights appeared on his board.

“Are we still tracking?” Bao asked into his microphone. His lips were too close and he heard blowing sounds in his ears.

“Yes, Commander,” the Tracking Officer said.

“Give me power,” Bao said.

In the other two links of the tier-system, chemical rocket fuel pumped into the magnetic-propulsion turbine—MPT. The whine was unbelievable and it quickly rose to a painful volume.

Commander Bao and his team in the laser unit winced or scrunched their faces. Firing the laser never got easier. The compartment shook and rattled Bao’s teeth. He pressed them together. For some unaccountable reason, his mouth had been open. That was a mistake. He noted it and told himself never to make that mistake again.

“Aim the focusing mirrors,” he said. He heard his voice as weak and small in his headphones, but he heard it. That was the amazing thing. Chinese electronics was the best.

Outside the three-trailer MC ABM system, the focusing mirror aimed into space. Inside the command compartment, Tracking followed the American satellite.

“Fire,” Bao said.

The MPT’s output combined with the stored battery power and pumped the laser with a strategic level of energy. A heavy beam speared into the atmosphere and climbed at the speed of light into space.

Precision targeting ensured the beam hit the enemy recon satellite. The wattage was too much for the spacecraft’s armored skin. Titanium melted away. The hellish laser devoured inner electronics. In a second of time, the irresistible Chinese weapon destroyed the American eye in the sky.

“Shut down the laser,” Bao said. “We have achieved success.” Immediately, the horrible whine of the MPT lowered. Bao’s ulcer bit once more.

Glancing from side to side, seeing that his crew personnel were busily engaged, Bao opened the compartment under his chair. He grabbed the bottle of gooey blue liquid. Twisting the cap, he took a slug, swallowing rapidly. The medical fluid took its time going down. That was fine. It would ease the stomach pain and help him operate at peak efficiency. He was the best, and he planned to win the top laser unit award so he could add to the plaques on his wall in his house. It would make both his wife and his mother proud.

BEHEMOTH TANK PARK, COLORADO

Colonel Higgins stood behind the CP sergeant, watching the screen with downloaded imaging from the satellite. A second later, the image went blank. After a half-second, the sergeant tapped the screen, switching it back to radar. A few enemy aircraft appeared, but the majority of the enemy appeared to have vanished as if swallowed by the Bermuda Triangle.

The captain shouted.

“What happened?” Stan asked. Was this Chinese sabotage? Did they have deep penetration commandos outside in the tank park? The thought tightened his chest.

“The satellite is down,” the captain said.

“Did Space Command spot anything approaching it?” a CP officer asked.

The captain shook his head. “The Chinese must have used their best battlefield laser they had to knock it down.

“There’s heavy jamming, sir,” the sergeant said. “Those damn Anchors are pouring it out. We’re practically radar blind.”

I’m useless here. I should be with my men. “Captain,” Stan said. “I’m heading for my tank.”

The captain nodded absently.

“Good luck,” Stan said.

“The same to you, sir,” the captain said, with his face aimed elsewhere.

Stan strode to the CP door. It was heavy, and a MP eased it open. Stan sprinted up the stairs, taking them three at a time. The blast door was closed. Stan shoved it open and closed it behind him.

The stars blazed tonight and the moon looked huge in the sky. Snow covered the Behemoth Tank Park and covered the anti-radar netting hiding each giant vehicle.

Stan kept sprinting. He didn’t know how much time was left. The seventeen big vehicles rumbled with sound. The engines were massive. They needed to be to move the three hundred tons of reinforced steel.

Stan’s tank was like the others. It was fifteen meters by six by four and mounted 260cm of armor. It had nine auto-cannons, seven auto-machine guns and an onboard radar and AI to track enemy missiles and shells. Given enough flight time, the Behemoth could knock down incoming missiles and most shells aimed at it. Whatever came close had to survive forty beehives launchers. Those fired tungsten flechettes, a spray of shotgun-like metal that often knocked down or deflected an enemy projectile enough to skew its impact against the heavy armor. It was the super-thick armor and the sheer mass of beehives that was supposed to make the Behemoth more than a big, expensive target.

Stan climbed outer rungs to the commander’s hatch up top. He knocked on the steel portal. A second later, it popped open, and Jose looked at him. The man wore his lucky scarf around his neck.

“I was wondering when you’d show up for the fun,” Jose said.

Stan’s mouth was too dry to reply. The run combined with worry had winded him. Stan squeezed through the hatch, closing it, keeping in the compartment’s warm air. Soft green light lit the compartment.

He opened channels with the CP captain as he settled into his commander’s chair.

The images had begun to reappear. The U.S. Air Force had switched to high-flying stealth drones to provide real-time intelligence.

Stan watched spellbound on his commander’s screen. If those drones reached I-70—

“Slick bastards,” Jose muttered from his location. “Thought you could trick us, huh? But we know you’re there.”

“What’s that behind them?” the captain asked someone in the CP.

Stan noticed it on his screen. Yes, farther back appeared new blips, hundreds of them.

“Looks like the Heron bombers, sir,” the CP sergeant said. “They’re using the big boys tonight.”

The Chinese were doing it right, Stan realized. Hit hard at the start. The siege of Greater Denver was barely five days old. Already, the enemy knocked at the city gates. Soon, the leading Chinese formations would be inside the city.

I-70 was like the Trans-Siberian Railroad during the Russian-Japanese War of 1905. Then, the Japanese fought the Russians in Korea and Manchuria. A single line track had connected European Russia to their army in the East. In same places, the line hadn’t even connected. Meaning the Russians had to load and unload railcars. It had been a tenuous supply thread. If the Chinese could destroy enough bridges and tunnel entrances here in the Rockies, I-70 would turn into something worse than the 1905 Trans-Siberian Railroad.

“The leading drones are in range, sir,” the Gunner said. He was a new man named Greg Zane, twenty-four years old.

“Get the cannon ready,” Stan said. He spoke similar words to the other tank commanders.

All over the Tank Park, huge cannon barrels ripped open the anti-radar netting. Turrets swiveled as targeting computers began to analyze the situation.

The rail-gun or force cannon was the heart of the Behemoth system. Unlike conventional tanks, the X1 Behemoth X1 didn’t use gunpowder shells. That was so out of date and frankly, old-fashioned. The rail-gun had two magnetized rods lining the inner cannon. The projectile or “shell” completed the circuit between the two rods. The direction of the current expelled the round, firing the shell and then breaking the circuit. It gave the shell incredible speed, one of its greatest powers.

Like an M1 tank’s sabot round it used pure kinetic energy, the same kind of energy that sent a bullet smashing through a man’s body. An M16 rifle fired a bullet at the muzzle velocity of 930 meters per second. The Behemoth’s cannon fired its round at 3,500 meters per second, over three times as fast. That was approximately Mach 10 at sea level.

The rail-gun had much greater range, less bullet drop, faster time on target and less wind drift than a gunpowder shell. In other words, it bypassed the usual limitations of conventional firearms. In fact, the rounds flew so fast, they ionized the air around them.

The Behemoth rail-gun theoretically fired farther, faster and with greater penetrating power than any comparable conventional gun. Its range was also much greater than its targeting precision, meaning it was easily possible to fire a Behemoth round over one hundred miles.

Stan had used his Behemoths in California to help shoot down incoming missiles. This time, they would help defeat the Chinese air assault.

Stan picked up his receiver and clicked the switch several times. He shook it and finally the green light appeared. He spoke to the tank crews. Soon, he switched to the air-defense captain. “Our cannons are ready to go and linking with your fire-control.”

“It’s a good thing we practiced this before, sir,” the captain said. “With our SAMs and tac-lasers, and given the fact they’re going to shoot back fast at us, I think we should let them get as close as possible. The Behemoth’s range and rate of fire is our only chance to do this, sir.”

“Don’t fire until we see the whites of their eyes, is that it?” Stan asked.

“Sir?” the captain asked over the line.

“The phrase doesn’t ring a bell?”

“No, sir,” the CP captain said.

“Where did you go to school?” Stan asked.

“New York City, sir. The public school system.”

“And no one ever taught you about the Revolutionary War? Bunker Hill?”

“Some. I remember my teacher saying George Washington owned slaves.”

Stan rolled his eyes. Owning slaves was obviously bad, but you had to judge a man by his times. In Stan’s historical opinion, George Washington was the greatest American who ever lived. In large part due to him, the American Revolution hadn’t turned into a blood bath afterward for those who had won it. In the French, Russian and Cuban Revolutions, the victors had devoured each other, killing former friends in a power struggle. That didn’t happen in the American Revolution—it had been unique in world history.

As a former high school teacher, it angered Stan how students were normally fed these days; they weren’t taught real American history. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson—the list could go on of the great men who had forged this exceptional nation.

“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes,” Stan said. He kept his gaze on his screen. They had several minutes yet, and he didn’t want to watch in silence. Talking helped ease his nerves.

“That’s what the colonial soldiers told each other on Breed’s Hill in 1775. It was called the Battle of Bunker Hill, even though it was mainly fought on Breed’s Hill. The saying—‘Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes’—wasn’t original to the colonists. General James Wolfe said it to his British troops in the Plains of Abraham during the Battle for Quebec. Soldiers fought with flintlock smoothbores back then. They were single shot muskets with bayonets attached. You had to make your shot count. That’s the reason for the saying: wait to fire until the enemy is right there so you can’t miss. The British won the Battle of Bunker Hill, but they took heavy losses and learned the American colonists knew how to fight hard.”

“I understand your reference now,” the CP captain said. “Thank you, sir.”

And that’s why I have the nickname of the Professor. When will I learn to keep my big mouth shut?

FORWARD EDGE OF THE BATTLE AREA, COLORADO

Captain Ray Smith flew an F-22 Raptor. His wingman was beside him and a little to the left. On both their fighter jets, they used super-cruise power to stay supersonic. They came from Idaho Springs, which was west of Denver. They headed west over I-70. They burned fuel in order to engage a host of Goshawk drones.

“Permission to engage,” Smith heard over his headphones.

“You are clear to engage, weapons free,” an AWACS controller said.

Within his breathing gear, Captain Smith grinned tightly. That was a Reflex interceptor pilot asking. Good. They were hitting the enemy. Captain Smith knew the importance of this mission.

“Even if it kills you,” the briefing officer had said, “stop those drones from reaching I-70.”

“We’re getting short of fuel,” his wingman said over the radio.

“Yeah,” Smith said. It was a rocket-ride to battle. There was little time left and time was on the Chinese side.

BEHEMOTH TANK PARK, COLORADO

Stan judged ten miles as the optimum firing mark. He’d told his tank commanders that, and the CP captain.

“Thirty seconds,” Jose said.

“I don’t think they know about us,” the CP captain said over the open link. “They’re heading straight into your guns.”

“Captain,” Stan said. “I think you should leave this wave to us. Save your SAMs and tac-lasers. We’re going to need them for the bombers. And this way they don’t know you’re there yet.”

“You’re talking about almost two hundred drones,” the captain said. It was the number in their sector. There were other drones headed elsewhere along I-70.

“Yes,” Stan said. “Leave these drones to us.”

“Yes sir, Colonel,” the captain said.

Stan squeezed his armrests. He didn’t like this. He didn’t want to give away the Behemoths. The enemy would have to realize what had happened. It would be too much to hope they wouldn’t. Some of the Chinese aircraft would likely survive. Probably, Chinese AWACS watched from far-off. But if they were going to give away where the Behemoths hid, they might as well get the full use out of it. They had to demolish this attack.

I can’t worry about the entire I-70, just my portion of it.

Stan had a moment where he wondered what had happened to his son Jake. Was his boy a Chinese prisoner? Was he a guerilla in Texas? Or was Jake dead? A thunderous scowl twisted Stan’s features.

The seconds ticked away. The Chinese Goshawks and fighter drones bored in toward I-70. They were eleven miles from the Tank Park.

“Ten seconds,” Jose said.

Stan wiped sweat out of his eyes. The seconds passed with agonizing slowness. He watched his screen and hoped their AI was smart enough to switch air targets one right after the other. If it failed—

“Fire at will,” Stan said into his receiver.

There was a mighty surge of engine power. A loud noise filled his ears and the Behemoth shook as the first penetrator round left the force cannon. It flew at Mach 10, burning through the cold mountain air.

In seconds, the shell reached a lead Goshawk, a heavy ground assault drone. The penetrator meant to smash through tank steel ripped easily through the drone. The machine crumpled and disintegrated, raining metal parts onto the freezing snow below on the mountain.

Stan bent forward in his command chair. He watched the radar screen as another penetrator surged out of the cannon. The Behemoth engine revved and more power flowed to the rail-gun. Another penetrator surged out. Two point five seconds later, another shell headed for the Goshawks.

The force cannon had two tremendous powers. One, its shells could blast through any armor on the battlefield. Two, it fired much more quickly than any tank cannon known.

The seventeen Behemoth tanks mercilessly shredded the nearly two hundred drones headed their way. Thirty drones died every seven seconds. Some Behemoth’s missed and others didn’t fire as fast.

The slaughter was magnificent and awe-inspiring to all who witnessed it on the American side. A solid chunk of the Chinese plan to take out I-70 failed in a minute of rarefied destruction.

But the battle for I-70 wasn’t over. Drones fought in other areas and the Herons still bored in toward the ribbon supply line.

THIRD FRONT HQ, COLORADO

Marshal Liang stared at the big screen in disbelief. A drone went down in flames, crashing into the side of a mountain and igniting. Evergreens began to burn like torches, sending up columns of smoke.

“The Americans have something new,” he told General Ping.

Ping had been working on a computer tablet. “Sir,” he said, “I beg to differ.”

Liang tore his gaze from the big screen and glanced at calm General Ping. “What have you discovered?”

“The rate of enemy fire,” Ping said. “I submit the Americans have new rail-gun anti-air weapons, or they employed Behemoth tanks.”

“In the Rocky Mountains?” Liang asked.

“High Command wondered where the Behemoth tanks hid. Now we know: near their manufacturing plant. It makes sense that they would defend it strongly.”

Liang nodded. “The Chairman’s information is accurate then.”

“It would appear so, sir,” Ping said.

“Denver must be their heart of power. Yes. The Chairman is correct. We must wrest this plant from the Americans.”

“The Chairman is always correct, sir.”

Without glancing around, Liang realized that personnel listened to their conversation. Some of those personnel could be East Lightning plants. It was wise to remember that.

“Yes, the Chairman is brilliant in his analysis,” Liang said. “The Behemoths—we must call off the attack.”

“The bombers are nearing firing position and the rest of the Goshawks—”

“Pull back!” Liang said. What had the Chairman informed them of? There were several Behemoth regiments, perhaps as many as one hundred giant tanks with rail-guns. Liang stood, and he spoke in a loud voice, “Radio the bombers and tell the drone operators to immediately flee south. We must escape the other rail-guns.”

“Sir?” Ping asked.

Liang turned to him. “This is a trap. I don’t know how, but the Americans knew what I was planning or they analyzed my former behavior and correctly predicted my actions. We must save our bombers and whatever Goshawks we can. We must not uselessly throw away important air assets.”

“Yes, sir,” Ping said. “But if even one of the Goshawks could break through—”

“No!” Liang said. “The hidden Behemoths show us they waited precisely for this in order to annihilate our air force. Recall the Chairman’s information. There are several Behemoth regiments. Surely, more are hidden there, protecting the critical I-70. Yes, the fact that the Americans were willing to show us the Behemoths in this position convinces me of this.”

Ping nodded and went back to checking his tablet.

Marshal Liang looked up at the screen. A fourth of the Herons launched at their farthest distance from target. The rest where still out of range, but that meant he would likely save them from the hidden Behemoths. The bombers began their retrograde turn. Elsewhere, Goshawks fled at speed, even as some enemy fighters attacked.

Oh, the Americans are clever. Yes, it was obvious I had to try for I-70. I must think more deeply next time.

Liang sat in his chair. The Behemoths are the key. I must destroy them. And I must think of a new way to shatter I-70.

-7-

Denver

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Anna Chen sat at the latest in technologically-enhanced, strategic decision-making. It was a massive computer table and it was in Bunker Number Five, beneath the White House.

This was an emergency session. Earlier this afternoon, David had spoken with the Joint Chiefs and Max Harold of Homeland Security. Every one of them had returned tonight, including the Defense Secretary, Luis Garcia.

Anna had entered the chamber a few minutes ago. She had been with the President when news of the Chinese air assault on I-70 arrived. He’d sent her ahead so it wouldn’t appear they’d been together before this. Those in and around the White House knew he used this time to relax. Few knew about their affair, about their intimacy. The rumors were becoming more pervasive and David wanted to squash them.

The main door to the chamber opened and a Marine guard entered, announcing, “The President of the United States.”

David strode in as chairs scraped back. Everyone stood, honoring him. He no longer seemed embarrassed by it, although he waved them down, but only after he sat and had made himself comfortable.

Anna nodded to herself. The German offer of neutrality and the Canadian acceptance of losing Quebec to gain that neutrality had renewed his confidence. Yet there seemed something more to it. Despite her time with him, she wasn’t sure what it was.

David cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’re aware by now that the Chinese have attempted a massive air assault against I-70 in Colorado. I received word that the enemy broke off the assault before committing their bombers. That’s very curious, especially from Marshal Liang’s people. We know he’s a careful organizer and tactician. Can anyone tell me why Liang did that or allowed it to happen?”

“I have a theory, Mr. President,” General Alan said.

“Good. Let’s hear it.”

“You and I watched it in real-time, sir. Likely, Marshal Liang did as well. The Behemoth tanks shattered a portion of the assault. Goshawk drones appeared to have spearheaded that particular attack. They’re a hardy Chinese drone, almost comparable to our fighter-bombers in weight. That makes them big and we know they’re armored. I think the brutality and completeness of the destruction surprised the Chinese, particularly because the quick-firing rail-guns destroyed the Goshawks in a matter of minutes. Maybe Liang thought we had more surprises like that for him elsewhere.”

The President nodded thoughtfully. “The Chinese called off the attack then? That’s what you’re saying? You don’t believe it was a preplanned maneuver to cause us to draw the wrong conclusions?”

“Yes to the first Mr. President,” Alan said, “and no to the second.”

“You’re suggesting Liang realizes the Behemoths caused the destruction.”

“I would think so, sir.”

David studied the computer table. So did Anna. It showed a map of the Midwestern United States, highlighting Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

“Zoom in on Greater Denver and the beginning mountain pass of I-70,” the President said.

A technician made adjustments so the computer map showed just that.

“Interesting,” the President said, although he didn’t elaborate. “Go back to how it was. Then show me the enemy front.”

From Denver, to Kansas City to the outlying regions of St. Louis—between the Rockies and the Mississippi River—a red line appeared.

“Show me the enemy gains in the past five days.”

A long but very narrow shaded, pinkish area appeared. The enemy had attacked along the width of the Great Plains, pushing northward. Anna checked the scale. In the past five days, the deepest penetrations showed a twenty-mile thrust. Elsewhere, it was only five.

“Their gains are deceptive, Mr. President,” Alan said. “In many areas, they passed through lightly defended Zones of Occupation. We built deceptive trenches and used inflatable artillery guns behind them, parks of dummy guns to fool their reconnaissance flights.”

Anna had only learned about that yesterday. It was a trick on a massive scale. The Zones of Occupation had been meant to absorb the initial enemy strikes: vast artillery barrages and intense air bombardments.

“In most areas, the Chinese are only now hitting our Main Line of Defense,” Alan added.

Anna continued to study the map, as did everyone else in the room. That included her former boss, the Director of the CIA. Beginning reinforcements from the East Coast had begun to arrive at the Great Plains Defensive Lines. In another few days, the first Canadian units would arrive and help stiffen the masses of Militiamen.

David stood as he told the technician to zoom back to the strip of Eastern Colorado. He had an electronic pointer in his hands. He clicked it on with his thumb and aimed it at the table. A green arrow appeared on the map.

“I consider this decisive,” the President said. A green arrow touched Denver. “General Larson and McGraw believe that two Chinese armies are involved in storming the city. They estimate that to be anywhere from three hundred to four hundred thousand soldiers. That means these forces won’t be headed north right away. The Chinese are helping us by hitting the wrong target. My question is this. Why are the Chinese trying to capture Denver instead of pouring everything north?”

Anna noticed several people glance at her surreptitiously before letting their gaze slide elsewhere. After all this time, some still didn’t trust her because of her Chinese ancestry. She blocked the thought and their darting glances, trying to put it in a drawer in her mind. That drawer, she shut.

“This two-Army assault is meant to capture the city,” the President said. “Their desire to close off I-70 proves it beyond a doubt.”

“I would agree, sir,” General Alan said.

“Then you don’t think it’s a vast Chinese deception?” the President asked.

“Why?” Alan asked. “Deception on that scale, with so many losses, doesn’t make sense. For one reason or another, they mean to capture Greater Denver.”

“Where are the Behemoth tanks as of this moment?” the President asked.

The technician adjusted the screen. The Behemoth position appeared in blue along I-70.

“Sir,” General Alan said. “Now that the Chinese know where the tanks are, they’re badly exposed. What if the enemy uses nuclear weapons to shut down the mountain freeway?”

The President looked up sharply.

“If the Chinese mean to cut off Denver’s backdoor supply link,” Alan said, “why not use nuclear weapons as they did with the California passes? If they knock out the right bridge or mountain tunnel, the Behemoths won’t be going anywhere for a long time except into Denver.”

“We must move the Behemoths now,” the President declared.

“Agreed sir,” Alan said.

“Right,” the President said. “Call the Tank Park. Tell Colonel Higgins to move his Behemoths tonight. I want them in Salt Lake City yesterday.”

“Yes, Mr. President,” Alan said.

Sims turned to Max Harold. “I have some questions about the Militia battalions in the Main Defense Lines.”

Director Harold nodded.

“First,” the President said. “I want to know…”

HIGHLANDS RANCH, COLORADO

Jake Higgins was in a makeshift Army hospital in an old office building behind the front lines. His arm was in a sling due to a badly bruised left shoulder. He was here to see the commander of the Eleventh CDM Battalion, a captain, as the man was the highest-ranking officer left of the shattered unit. Heck, the captain was almost the only officer left.

Two days ago, Jake had dragged the bleeding and wounded captain out of a burning home in Castle Rock during vicious house-to-house fighting. After the first Chinese wave where he’d killed enemy in a bakery, the Chinese had changed tactics. Maybe that was because they’d changed from using penal soldiers to regular fighters. Instead of human wave assaults, the Chinese had advanced with overhead helos for protection and with combat bulldozers to knock down walls, rubble and houses. The bulldozers had changed the game, all right.

In the grueling battle of Castle Rock, the Eleven CDMB went from the original twelve hundred combatants to two hundred and nineteen survivors. In other words, the meat-grinder of war chewed them from a battalion to a company, which was about right because all they had left was the captain.

“Higgins,” Captain Lewis whispered from his bed.

Jake glanced at the doctor, an older woman. She nodded. He stepped up to the medical bed. Tubes stuck out of the captain’s body. Both his legs had casts and they were elevated. He was pale and his eyes were glassy, no doubt due to heavy meds.

“Give me your hand, soldier,” Lewis said with a slur.

Jake thrust out his hands and felt the captain’s clammy fingers. The man barely had any grip left. But what he did have, he used.

Lewis strained to lift his head. “I owe you my life,” he whispered.

Jake didn’t know what to say.

“I read your record before all this,” Lewis whispered. “You’re a troublemaker. You protested our President. That’s inexcusable. But…that’s over. You listen to me. You make trouble for the Chinese now, you hear?”

“Yes sir,” Jake said.

Lewis released his feeble grip. His hand flopped beside his side. He’d been straining his neck. He now relaxed his head against the pillow and the life seemed to go out of him.

“Higgins.”

“I’m here, sir.”

A pasty smile creased the man’s face. “The Lieutenant is going to lead the Eleventh. I don’t think he likes you.”

“No sir,” Jake said. It was more like the Lieutenant hated him, although Jake didn’t know why. Maybe it was just because.

“I’ll get better for you,” the captain said. “I owe you. I pay my debts, too. I’ll get better and I’ll be in charge. Until then, you stay alive and you give the Chinese hell.”

“Yes sir.”

“As my last act in command, I’m promoting you to corporal. I’d bump you up to sergeant, but the Lieutenant made a phone call. The Detention Center Director vetoed the sergeant idea. He suggested you earn the slot first. Neither man understands you earned it ten times over in Castle Rock. I’m sorry, Corporal.”

“No sweat, sir. I’m used to it.”

Lewis slowly licked his mouth. It was painful to watch. He was looking worse by the second. “I did find out one other thing. As I said, I checked your records.” He smiled faintly. “Your father is Colonel Stan Higgins.”

“Yes sir. That’s true.”

“He’s close by, Corporal.”

“He’s in Greater Denver, sir?”

“Close,” Lewis said. “I’m not sure of his exact location. But I’ve spoken with the doctor. As soon as you leave my room, the doctor is going to patch you through to your father.”

“Sir?” Jake said. “Thank you very much, sir. That’s…that’s kind of you.”

“This blasted war,” the captain said. “You give the Chinese trouble from now on. Love your country, Higgins.”

“I do, sir.”

“Yeah,” the man whispered, his words weakening as he spoke. He was like a balloon giving its last air before becoming limp. His eyes closed with a will of their own. In another moment, he breathed deeply, fast asleep.

“He needs his rest,” the doctor said.

“Will he be okay?” Jake asked.

“Given time,” she said, “a long time. But unless this war lasts several years, he’s no longer going to do any fighting.”

That meant Jake would have to get along with the Lieutenant. That was great news, oh yeah.

“Would you come with me please?” the doctor said.

“Where to?” asked Jake. Now what?

“We have a phone call to make,” she said.

“Tonight?”

The doctor studied him. “I spoke with your captain earlier. He told me—well. Let’s just leave it at this: You may not have another chance to talk to your father.”

“Is my father dying?”

“What? Oh no, that’s not what I meant. Are you coming?”

“Sure,” Jake said. “Let’s make the call.”

BEHEMOTH TANK PARK, COLORADO

The stars blazed overhead as the giant tanks revved with power. One by one, the Behemoths lurched out of their holes, climbing a dirt ramp.

Huge truck-trailers pulled up on the snow-covered asphalt. They were massive vehicles with outrageously huge tires and large cabs: Behemoth carriers.

Colonel Higgins oversaw the activity and acted like a lowly cop directing traffic, waving his arms first one way and then another. He’d been running back and forth between tanks. A bullhorn hung by a strap from his neck. His throat was sore from yelling and from inhaling too much of the cold air.

The Chinese had attacked with massed bombers and heavy drones. They must have failed to close I-70, because the President of the United States had given the order.

We’re on our way to Salt Lake City.

That meant I-70 must still be open, but for how long? Clearly, the President or the Joint Chiefs must believe the Chinese would eventually cut Denver’s backdoor supply route.

“Colonel Higgins!”

Stan turned around. The CP captain ran toward him. The man held a mobile phone.

“There’s a call for you, sir,” the captain panted, handing him the phone.

In the wash of Behemoth and carrier-hauler headlights, Stan raised an eyebrow. “Who is it?”

“Colonel, it’s your son Jake.”

A flood of emotion pulsed through Stan. He ran to the phone, his boots squelching across the snow. He snatched the receiver out of the captain’s hand.

“Jake?” Stan asked. “Is that you, son?”

“Hey, Dad,” Jake said. “How are you doing?”

Stan blinked rapidly, with tears welling in his eyes. “Jake, you’re alive.”

“Yup,” Jake said.

“Where were you? Where are you? How did you find out where I was?”

“I was in Texas,” Jake said. “It went bad and we lost badly. The Chinese cut us to ribbons, surrounded most of us and forced people to surrender. Some of us decided…well, to fight our way out.”

Stan grinned and he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. This was unbelievable.

“Trouble is,” said Jake, “the Chinese were everywhere. They’re heavily patrolling the Occupied Territories. Out of the survivors…well, I’m the only who made it out.”

“To our lines?” asked Stan.

“Yup. I reached Colorado, returned to the Detention Center—”

“What?”

“They thought I’d deserted.”

“What?”

“It’s a long story, Dad. I had to convince the Detention Center people that I hadn’t deserted our side.”

“They’re crazy!”

“I’m beginning to wonder if I am. Anyway, I asked them to add me to the Eleventh Battalion roster.”

“Where is it?”

“We were in Castle Rock.”

“But…that’s where the Chinese struck,” Stan said.

“Tell me about it. It was almost as bad as Amarillo.”

“You can’t still be in Castle Rock. The Chinese stormed it. They haven’t captured you, have they?”

“No. I’m in Highlands Ranch.”

“Where’s that?”

“It’s a suburb of Denver, west of Centennial.”

The flood of emotion hit Stan all over again. “Jake. You’re alive. My son is alive. It’s so good to hear your voice. You have no idea, no idea.”

“It’s good to hear you, too, sir.”

Stan laughed. Then he sobered up. His boy was in Denver, the city the Chinese wanted bad enough to send two entire armies to capture it. The city was going to fall. That was clear to see.

“Jake, you have to leave there. I want you to—”

“Dad, no one is going to let me leave anywhere. I’m in a DCM Battalion. That’s almost like a Chinese penal battalion.”

“Don’t say that.” Certainly not over an open line.

“Dad, I’m going to die here. I might as well speak if the truth if that’s what’s stranded me here in the first place.”

Stan squeezed the receiver.

“Dad?”

“I’m here,” Stan said. “Maybe I can get you released from the battalion.”

“Sure,” Jake said. “You can call. But they’re sticklers for rules. Look, I have to go. The doctor needs the phone. Boy am I glad I got to talk to you, sir. I…I, ah, miss seeing you, Dad.”

“I love you, Jake. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. I…I, ah, love you too, Dad.”

Stan blinked again, and he wiped his eyes. This was so unfair. This was horrible. His son who he thought was dead, gone or captured by the Chinese, was alive again.

“Listen to me, son.” Stan paused. What should he tell his boy? This might be the last time he ever spoke to him. Should he tell Jake to play it safe? Stan squeezed the receiver harder than ever. For some reason, he remembered Pastor Bill from Alaska. That old soldier, his best friend, someday in heaven he planned to see Bill again. If his son died in Denver, he would see Jake again in heaven, too.

Stan shook his head. How did people make it without God? He had no idea.

“You listen to me, Jake. You’re a soldier of the United States of America. You fight hard. You beat those sons of bitches and survive. It’s so good to hear your voice. Jake, I’m proud of you. I’m proud how you stand up for yourself and stand up for the truth. I love you, and I know—”

Stan couldn’t speak anymore. It was too hard. His voice almost cracked up.

“Thanks, Dad,” Jake said in a rough voice. “That means a lot to me. I’m going to be like you, sir. I’m going to be like Grandfather.”

“You’re a Higgins,” Stan whispered.

“Just like my dad. I have to go now.”

“Bye son,” Stan said.

“Bye, Dad, and thanks for everything.”

Stan didn’t remember handing the phone back to the captain. He didn’t remember wiping tears from his cheeks. He stared up at the stars, barely noticing a dark shape—an owl—winging through the night.

“Help him, Jesus,” Stan whispered. “Save my son. Please, let me see him alive again.”

Stan swallowed. He wiped his nose. Afterward, he squared his shoulders. He had a job to do, and now he was going to do it right.

BEIJING, PRC

Guardian Inspector Shun Li woke to the sound of heavy knocking. She was in bed in a hotel in the city. She rolled over and felt the floor for her sidearm. It was dark, with thick curtains covering the window, although the edges of the curtain showed light, meaning it must be morning.

She was naked, with a thin blanket over her body. The room was extra warm, as she disliked smothering blankets over her or the cold.

The knocking continued, and it surprised her that the person didn’t call out. It couldn’t be East Lighting. An operative would have said something intimidating already.

Her fingers touched metal. She slid forward and clutched the gun. She wiped sleep from her eyes with her other hand and she sat up, aiming the gun at the door.

She heard a card slide into the outer locking mechanism, and a big man in body armor opened the door. Shun Li recognized him. He was a Lion Guardsman, one of the Chairman’s personal security operatives. She remembered him from the Ruling Committee meeting.

He noticed her gun, and it had no effect on his features. He didn’t even smile or lift an eyebrow.

She lowered the weapon. “Did your wife throw you out of the house this morning?”

The quip brought nothing, not even a flicker of annoyance. “The Chairman requests your presence, Guardian Inspector. You are to come with me.”

The Lion Guard intrigued her for several reasons, the most important of which was that he was one of the elite men who protected the Chairman. She put the gun on the bed and drew back the covers.

“Do you want me to come as I am?” she asked, as she revealed her nakedness.

The right corner of his mouth twitched. Finally, he gave a reaction. “The Chairman would prefer you in your uniform, Guardian Inspector.”

“What do you prefer?” she asked, as she stared into his eyes.

The Lion Guard said nothing more, just returned her stare.

Something about his eyes unsettled Shun Li. Yes, he had the eyes of a killer, and he seemed…bored. How many people had this Lion Guardsman murdered for the Chairman, perhaps even in his presence? He protected the most powerful man in the world. What did the Guardsman see and hear that gave him this confidence and the boredom?

Chairman Hong had climbed the rungs of power, beating out some of the most dangerous people in existence. There was a reason he had succeeded where others failed. It was more than likely that men like this were part of the reason.

Shun Li slid off the bed and padded to her uniform on the dresser. She swam among sharks. She was a barracuda, a deadly killer in her own right, but dwarfed by their larger size and viciousness. She would need all her craft and skill to maneuver correctly among them.

Why does Chairman Hong wish to see me? Was this an opportunity, or had she already stumbled? Unease touched the base of her neck.

The Lion Guard said nothing more as they left the hotel room several minutes later. Two others waited outside a limousine. Each held a submachine gun, with the strap around his thick neck. One of them opened the car door for her. She thanked him, but the guard said nothing.

She sat alone in back, and the drive took them through the eastern part of Beijing. This was the wrong way if they were taking her to Mao Square.

A moment of panic struck. Was this an assassination team? Were they taking her to a lonely place to kill her and dump the body?

Calm, calm, practice calm, she told herself. Try to enjoy the ride.

The city was huge, the biggest in the world. It had the widest streets and the largest, most expensive cars. Even with the amazing war with America, people still displayed their luxury. Perhaps that was as it should be. Beijing, after all, was the heart of the greatest empire on Earth.

The limousine hissed across wet streets. Snow from last night rested on many windowsills and she saw an elderly man slip on an undoubtedly icy sidewalk.

Soon, they exited the suburbs and drove in the countryside. Here, huge trees dominated the landscape, clustered around three story mansions with vast yards. Party officials must live here. She doubted the Lion Guardsmen would murder her among the mansions.

Why don’t the guards say anything?

Shun Li kept still. She felt a hidden inspection then. Someone watched her. Probably there were video cameras recording everything. She kept still despite the seething unease building in her chest. She was innocent. Therefore, she must act like the innocent.

Where did I make my mistake? Could it be the Behemoth Plant forgery?

The number of trees grew. They drove through a forest of huge conifers and evergreens, several miles of them. She didn’t spy any more homes, and the troubled her. The limousine took a sharp bend in the road and slowed as they approached an elaborate iron gate. There was a guard shack to the side.

“Is this the Chairman’s country estate?” she asked.

None of the Lion Guardsman paid her any attention. They acted as if she didn’t exist. They stopped at the shack and the driver’s window opened. Stern-faced guardsmen looked in, big men with submachine guns. They spoke in low voices to the driver, soon waving them through.

Shun Li allowed a small smile to play on her features. Whoever watched her through hidden cameras, she let them see how composed she was. She was innocent, and if she was riding to her death, she would do so with calm and with grace.

Large buildings appeared. They reminded her of the French Palace of Versailles. Glass predominated as the construction material. There were towers, spires and gargantuan domes.

The driver turned onto a different lane. Shun Li felt the vehicle dip, and she noticed walls outside. The sun disappeared and she realized they sped down an underground ramp and tunnel. It was dark, and the echo of the wheels almost unnerved Shun Li. It reminded her of a bad time in a tunnel as a young girl with her uncle.

In moments, the limousine came to a halt in a vast underground garage. A guard opened her door. It was the man who had seen her naked. He led the way, and the other two followed close behind her. Their footsteps echoed in the empty parking garage. The lead Lion Guard reached a door and drew it open.

Harsh eagle cries, baboon shrieks and lion roars assaulted her hearing. As she moved through, animal odors abounded. She faltered, bewildered at this.

The big Lion Guardsman must have sensed something. He turned, and he grinned down at her. The grin was a nasty thing, full of menace.

She opened her mouth. Maybe she would have asked a question. She wasn’t sure. One of the guardsmen from behind pushed her so she stumbled.

“We cannot keep the Chairman waiting,” the first guard said.

“Of course not,” Shun Li managed to say. So they’re taking me to the Chairman. If it’s a good thing, why are they acting so boorishly?

They passed large cages. In one, an eagle sat on a branch, tracking her as if she was a rabbit. In another, a baboon troop argued on fake-looking rocks. The biggest male with a mane like a lion exposed his fangs, causing the others to grow quiet. In the third, two prime tigers snarled at each other as they ate chunks of bloody meat. In front of the fourth cage, a lone man stood watching what took place in it.

The man was Chairman Hong. He wore a dark suit and tie. His extra-clean hands gripped the rail before the large pen. He peered down…at polar bears. That’s right. She’d heard of his mania concerning them. She could see one slept down there. The white bear curled around something, it seemed.

“Guardian Inspector,” Chairman Hong said. “It is so good of you to arrive on time. The traffic was light then?”

She had no idea if it had been heavy or light, but she nodded.

“Excellent,” he said. He indicated the big bear. “What do you make of it?”

She turned toward the polar bear. With its black nose, the huge creature nudged something small—

“It has a cub,” she said, surprised at this.

“Yes. It is her first. She’s nursing it.”

Shun Li had no idea what to say.

“If it lives,” Hong said, “the cub is yours.”

She blinked with astonishment. “I…I thank you, sir. It is a marvelous gift.”

“I hear the truth of your words in your voice, Guardian Inspector. Yes, I can see you love the bears as I do. They are a symbol of strength and virtuous purity. They are like China, at once savage and gentle, powerful and given to tender kindness. Only a fool antagonizes a polar bear. It is the supreme master of its domain.”

“Where should I raise the cub?” Shun Li asked. “It must have the best facilities possible.”

Hong turned to her. “Would you raise the cub in your home?”

His scrutiny frightened her. What she said next seemed terribly important. “Leader, I lack the proper funds to raise the cub properly. But yes, if I could and can, I will raise the cub in my home.”

He nodded with a gentle serenity. “I sensed this in you: that you are capable of love. This is good. Police Minister Xiao Yang cannot love. It is his greatest gift and his worst failing.”

Frightened by the comment and thoroughly alert, Shun Li said nothing.

“Ah, you are loyal to your chief,” Hong said. “That is admirable in an underling. Yet I am curious. Are you more loyal to him or to China?”

“Leader, I beg to say that I love China above all else. With that said, I cannot conceive that Xiao Yang would do anything to hurt our great land. But China is always my first and abiding love.”

“I am China and China is me,” Hong told her.

“Yes,” Shun Li said, as if that made perfect sense.

Hong’s gaze lingered on her face. Then he turned to the nursing polar bear. “You have earned my gratitude by your loyal service. You ferreted out the existence of the Behemoth Manufacturing Plant. Because of that, we know Denver’s importance. Last night, the tanks made their appearance, inflicting a deadly loss at precisely the correct moment—for the Americans. I have now instructed Marshal Wu to level the entire city if the enemy proves resistant to capture. We must stamp out this hatful tank plant and annihilate each of the dreadful Behemoths.”

Shun Li stood at attention, deciding to treat the Chairman as if he were a god come to Earth. There was something unsettling about him, and it horrified her to think he could sense her unease. He was like a beast, a creature, and she knew dogs could sense or sniff out discomfort. Perhaps in that way the Chairman had become like a dog, a beast.

“Because of your diligent work,” he said, “my field commander at Denver knew the correct action to take last night. It probably saved a goodly portion of the Third Front’s bomber force. But these tanks will not escape me so easily.”

Chairman Hong grinned, and he raised his hand before her. The oh-so-clean fingers closed into a fist, and the fist shook. “I shall crush these Behemoths. This I vow as China-in-the-flesh.”

Shun Li made her eyes shine with expectation as she looked upon him with forced adoration.

Hong let the arm drop to his side. He smiled. It seemed natural and ordinary. “Guardian Inspector, I trust and like you. You have earned the polar bear cub. For now, it will nurse with its mother.”

“May I come to visit it, sir?” she asked.

“Exactly,” he said. “You will come every day. You will learn about polar bears and you will play with the cub. I will watch, delighted with the antics. Afterward, you will tell me everything you know about Xiao Yang.”

“Gladly, sir,” Shun Li said. Her heart beat with fear. This was intrigue against Xiao Yang. Surely, the Police Minister would soon hear of this. He eventually learned of everything involving security.

“The Police Minister is my trusted confident,” Hong said. “Yet I have begun to feel the stirrings of unease concerning him. Something is amiss with his department. You will be my eyes and ears, Guardian Inspector.”

“You honor me, Leader.”

“I do. But I assure you that you will work hard for this honor. Those I favor, work.”

“Yes, Leader,” Shun Li said.

He studied her, and he nodded. “That is all for now. I will send Tang for you tomorrow.”

She began to speak, but Hong had already turned away. So she remained quiet, standing at attention until the Chairman exited through a side door.

CENTENNIAL, COLORADO

Soldier Rank Zhu and First Rank Tian knelt on the roof of a three-story, burnt-out concrete building in the heart of Centennial. The rest of the squad lay behind them, with discarded dinylon armor and jetpacks beside them. The men enjoyed a moment’s respite from the fighting.

Zhu and Tian scanned the destruction. The Americans had fought hard, and they still fought from building to building, from the sewers and from foxholes in what seemed like every front yard.

Centennial was a dirty, bloody mess. Shells screamed overhead and smashed into the ruins. Geysers of dirty snow, mud, wooden splinters and brick chips fountained upward and rained back down again, rearranging the mess.

Chinese artillery boomed continuously. Marauder light tanks clattered amongst the rubble. Gunhawks hovered high over fierce spots of resistance, pouring down chain-gun fire. Squads crawled from street-to-street, with their assault rifles barking. Always, American machine gun nests hammered back.

The glorious Rocky Mountains behind Greater Denver awed Zhu. They were so beautiful and majestic. The vast urban area spread out before him. Denver had skyscrapers just like Los Angeles. High in the atmosphere, fighters, bombers and drones left white contrails. Occasionally, one of the machines dropped like a pile of junk, as if one of the gods had emptied his trash bin.

The summons had come for them a week ago. Zhu had watched the quick build-up, the trucks coming every minute of every hour. It seemed like the entire Chinese Army had come for the main event. Tian had told him otherwise. Tenth and Fifteenth Armies were here, to take the great urban sprawl from these greedy Americans. The rest of Third Front kept going north.

“This one is going to be bloody,” Tian said.

“Another Los Angeles?” asked Zhu.

“No. We’re going to win this one.”

Zhu lowered his binoculars to glance at the thick First Rank. Tian had a wrestler’s bulky neck and sloping shoulders. A thick vein stood out in his neck.

“We beat the Americans in California,” Zhu said.

It was Tian’s turn to lower his binoculars. He motioned to Zhu, and they backed away from the edge of the building. Who knew when an American sniper might take a potshot at one of them? Tian lay back against his jetpack so his eyes peered up at the clouds.

Zhu did likewise against his jetpack.

“We killed a lot of Americans in California,” Tian said in a low voice. “But we did not win the campaign.”

“We took their city from them.”

Tian shook his head. “We were supposed to take the state, not just its biggest city.”

“We’ll take Denver,” Zhu said. “Then we’ll take this state just as we’ve taken New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.”

“Very good, Zhu,” Tian said in his mocking voice. “Can you recite all the other states we need to capture to win this campaign?”

“I cannot, no.”

“Listen,” Tian said. “I’ve seen the directive. We’re supposed to capture the most important slice of Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, half of Montana, South and North Dakota and Minnesota. That’s ten more states. So far, we’ve taken five, and winter is now upon us.”

“We almost have the slice of Colorado and almost have all of Kansas and Missouri,” Zhu said. “That means we only have to take seven more states.”

“Only,” Tian said. “There’s a nice word: only.”

“The Americans have lost every battle. We’re winning.”

“They didn’t lose California,” Tian said.

Zhu sat up with a puzzled look. “You are sounding defeatist, First Rank. We are White Tigers. We never admit defeat.”

“Don’t preach to me,” Tian said, angrily.

“We are White Tigers.”

“Tired White Tigers,” Tian said.

“Bold White Tigers,” Zhu said. “Our dash, our heroics will win us the war.”

Tian lay back and heaved a sigh. “You’re incurable, Soldier Rank. If our armies were filled with Zhu Pengs, China could conquer the world. Alas, we only have ordinary mortals filling the ranks.”

“Have I ever shirked my duties?” Zhu asked.

Tian turned his head and stared at him. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re the stupidest man in China.”

Zhu blinked rapidly. How had he failed the First Rank?

Tian smiled at him, reaching across and slapping him on the shoulder. “You have to learn how to take a joke. You’re too serious.”

“Yes, First Rank,” Zhu said.

“That wasn’t an order. It was a suggestion.”

Zhu nodded, too embarrassed to know what to say. It was a welcome relief when the second lieutenant of their Eagle Team platoon blew a whistle and shouted at them to gather around.

Zhu, Tian and the rest of the squad hurried to their feet. Each White Tiger donned his armor and shrugged on his jetpack.

Soon, they crowded around the second lieutenant and his aide. The angry-looking second lieutenant knelt on one knee and spread a computer scroll before them. It showed a relief map of the surrounding terrain.

“The Americans aren’t letting go of this high-rise apartment complex,” the second lieutenant said, tapping the scroll. “As long as they control it, they can observe our flame-throwing tanks and armored bulldozers moving up. HQ also believes they’re using it to spot for their heavy mortars.”

“They want the Eagle Teams to take the high-rise?” Tian asked in a sarcastic voice.

The second lieutenant looked up at him.

Zhu was surprised, because the officer peered at Tian with what appeared to be worry. He’d never heard of an officer being afraid of his First Rank before. The idea seemed ludicrous.

“Yes,” the second lieutenant said. “HQ wants our Eagle platoon to storm the top of the complex. We’re to secure a landing for helo-ferried troops.”

“A direct assault is costly in Eagle Team lives,” Tian said. “We learned that in Los Angeles.”

The second lieutenant blinked several times. “The general has given us orders,” he finally said. “This will be an all-arms coordinated assault.”

“We should fly high and then drop straight down on them,” Zhu said.

The second lieutenant and First Rank turned to stare at him.

“The battle-taxis—” Zhu said.

“We aren’t going to use helos to make the attack,” the second lieutenant said. “We’ll jetpack over to the complex.”

Tian grinned at the second lieutenant. “The Soldier Rank has a valid point. We don’t have battle-taxis, but we have Gunhawk support, I assume.”

“Yes,” the second lieutenant said.

“Then we hitch a ride with them,” Tian said. “They lift us high, three or four thousand meters. We jump out and drop onto the complex.”

“If the Gunhawks do that,” the second lieutenant said, “they’ll be out of position to support you during the initial landing.”

Tian stared at the second lieutenant. The officer had only joined them a day ago when the lieutenant had died. This officer was younger than Zhu and must have been fresh out of Officer Cadet School.

“If we fly at the prepared Americans this way,” Tian said, moving his hand toward the second lieutenant. “They will get a bead on us and shoot us down. This country is a nation of duck hunters. We know this from experience. If, however, we come at the Americans like this”—Tian lifted his hand and let it drop straight down. “Then it will be much harder for the Americans to shoot us.”

“We’re not supposed to make such long drops,” the second lieutenant said. “It is dangerous and troops can lose control of their jetpacks that way.”

“We’re veterans,” Tian said. “We won’t lose control.”

Now that he thought about it, Zhu wasn’t so sure. A long combat drop in the suits was dangerous. He’d seen many Eagle flyers tumble out of control. It was tricky falling straight down. That was the best way to do it: letting yourself drop and catching yourself with jetpack-power at the very last second. Of course, he much preferred that than flying horizontally at a machine gun nest.

In the end, the second lieutenant agreed to Tian’s adjustment.

“We’d better hurry, though,” the second lieutenant said. “The general wants us to assault the high rise in five minutes.”

“Tell him it will take fifteen to get into position,” Tian said.

The second lieutenant scowled at the First Rank.

Tian straightened and bowed his head. “This is my suggestion, sir,” he added.

The second lieutenant appeared to think about it. Soon, he nodded and motioned to his aide. The two of them walked off as the second lieutenant spoke on the radio.

Zhu turned to Tian. “You can’t talk to an officer like that.”

“I’m surprised at you, Soldier Rank. You just saw me do it. How then can you say I cannot do such a thing?”

“You should not,” amended Zhu.

“Ah. Now you’re saying something else. But tell me. Are you so eager to see Yan Luo that you want to fly into an American machine gun nest?”

“No.”

“Is my idea not better?” Tian asked.

Zhu admitted it was.

“Then why are you complaining?”

Zhu opened his mouth, but he didn’t know what to say.

“You are brave, Soldier Rank. But you need to temper your courage with foresight. We,” Tian indicated the squad, “should try to live as long as we can so we can fight for China. If you die stupidly, how does that help our nation?”

“I don’t know,” Zhu said.

“Neither do I. Now get ready. It looks like our rides on their way.”

Zhu looked up and saw two Gunhawks zooming toward the roof. They were bulky helos with heavy machine guns pointing downward near the nosecone and on each side by the bay doors.

Soon, Zhu climbed aboard through a bay door. So did the rest of the squad. The helo lurched up and up they climbed.

“Let yourself drop the first half,” Tian radioed the others. “But don’t wait too long to brake. Better to hang in the air for a short time than to splatter on the roof. Is everyone ready?”

There were choruses of yeses.

Several minutes later, the Gunhawk hovered high above the targeted complex. “Let’s go!” Tian shouted. “Jump!”

The Eagle flyers ahead of Zhu leaped out of the bay door and dropped from view. Then it was his turn. He jumped, and he made sure to aim his feet down. He had done this many times before, but it was still exhilarating.

Centennial spread out before him. For this second, it looked serene. Zhu concentrated on the high-rise apartment directly below. The landing zone was small: the roof of the complex. It looked like a postage stamp at this moment. He plummeted as he watched. Others plummeted with him. The attack suddenly struck him as suicidal. Look at the number of Americans on the roof. More boiled out of the stairwell. They raised their personal weapons skyward and fired.

A different Gunhawk poured chain-gun fire at the Americans. Dust rose on the roof. Some enemy soldiers tumbled. A few ran away. The rest continued to fire.

Beside Zhu, commandos ignited their jetpacks. They pulled up sharply from him. They would float down now. That presented a much easier target for the Americans. Zhu continued to drop. He wanted to get down on the roof fast, lie on his belly and shoot Americans. That was the only way to clear a roof. It was madness to attempt it while in the air. The flying soldier had two things to think about. The man with his feet on the ground or on a surface only had to think about one thing. It gave him the advantage.

Zhu plummeted and two other Eagle flyers plummeted with him. One of them must have radioed him. Zhu heard the noise in his helmet, but he ignored the message. Nothing mattered now but perfect concentration. Terror blossomed in his stomach. He ignored that, too. The grenade launcher—the man to his right triggered his. The roof rushed near and the enemy soldiers had grown into frightful menaces.

Now!

Zhu flicked on his Qui 1000s and let them roar with power. Straps cut into his legs. It felt as if the jetpack would rip him in half. The straps and belts held, and he slowed fast. The roof rushed up. Americans fired, and the White Tiger who had used the grenade launcher must not have turned on his jetpack in time. Like a meteor, he slammed against the roof and bounced. Americans turned toward him in shock. The dead White Tiger bowled over an American. The two went tumbling and they knocked over another enemy. At least the White Tiger had performed a useful combat service to his country by failing to brake.

Zhu clicked the grenade launcher. It spewed grenades, but he didn’t aim therefore some sailed off the roof. His feet crashed down. Zhu let his knees buckle and his armored body fell sideways. An American fired at him. It felt as if a giant smashed Zhu in the side. Fortunately, his dinylon armor staved off death by deflecting the bullet. He took another round, grunting in pain. Then Zhu found his assault rifle in his hands. He had no idea how it had gotten there. Methodically, from on his belly, he began firing bursts. More Eagle flyers landed. Gunhawks chain-gun fired sections of roof. It was chaos, madness—war!

The next few seconds were impossible for Zhu to understand. His face was screwed up with fear and faith, with horror and elation. He found himself on his feet, roaring words that didn’t make sense. He jammed the rifle against an armored American’s side and shot his way into flesh.

Then, as suddenly as the mayhem boiled over, it ended. The White Tigers had captured the roof.

“The stairwell!” Tian shouted. “Zhu, cover the door and shoot anyone coming out.”

Once more, Zhu dropped onto his belly. Enemies opened the door and American grenades sailed through at them. He fired, heard thuds, and the grenades went off on the roof. Speckles of shrapnel rattled off his dinylon armor, but he was okay.

From high above, two Gunhawks poured concentrated fire at the stairwell entrance. Zhu had a front row seat to annihilating destruction.

“Reinforcements are on their way!” Tian shouted. “We have to keep the Americans from getting up here.”

In the end, cargo helos disgorged Chinese infantry. They battled their way down the stairwell to begin taking this all-important apartment complex. Meanwhile, below, Marauder flame-spewing tanks and IFVs charged the building. If they could take the bottom floors, they would trap the American soldiers.

The cost in Eagle flyers proved high. The second lieutenant was killed. So was half of the platoon, although most of Tian’s squad had survived.

“This is just like Los Angeles,” Tian said, as he crouched beside Zhu. “It’s an inferno.”

Zhu was too tired to comment. He simply knelt, his mind a blank, glad that he had proved himself once again and had kept from acting like a coward.

DENVER, COLORADO

The helicopter’s blades began to turn as it sat on the tarmac. Inside the helo, Paul felt Romo tap him on the shoulder. He turned to his blood bother. The man was finally out of the hospital and ready to return to the field.

Romo pointed outside.

Paul saw a jeep careen toward the helo. It screeched to a halt and Captain Anderson of SOCOM jumped out. He motioned to Paul.

“I’ll be right back,” Paul told Romo. He slid open the door and jumped onto the tarmac. The chopper’s blades blew his hair. He ran to the jeep.

“Sir,” Paul said, holding out his hand.

“I wanted to say good-bye,” Anderson said.

They shook hands.

“Is General Ochoa still angry about the Mexican assassin?” Paul asked.

“He wished you could have disarmed him instead of giving him a metal beard,” Anderson said.

“Yeah, sure,” Paul said. “It would’ve been so easy to do, too.”

“I want you to be careful, Master Sergeant. Valdez is mental, and he’s not finished with you or your friend.”

“This war,” Paul said, “it’s making us all a little mental.”

Anderson shook his head. “I’m not crazy, though I don’t know about anyone else. Hey, I have a favor to ask you.”

Paul glanced at the jeep. He seemed to recognize the man sitting in the passenger side. The man had a hunter’s cap low over his eyes, making it hard to tell exactly whom it was. “Who is that?”

“Have you forgotten already?” Anderson asked.

“I’ve been busy.”

“That’s Mr. Knowles. You plucked him from Mr. Smith’s farmhouse, from a partisan meeting.”

“Oh, right. Is Knowles the favor?”

“Yes. I’m not too sanguine about Denver’s chances. It isn’t fair to Knowles for him to stay here.”

Paul wanted to ask if it was fair to Anderson. Maybe Colonel Valdez had done Romo and him a favor with the little hospital stunt. The Chinese wanted Denver. How long could the Army hold out here?

“Sure, I’ll take him,” Paul said. “But we’re not going south. We’re headed north to the Main Line of Defense.”

“Good luck, Marine. I hope I see you again.”

“You, too, sir,” Paul said.

They shook hands one more time. Then the captain motioned to Knowles. The older man climbed out of the jeep. He wore sunglasses, and he kept them aimed at Paul.

“You’re leaving here!” Anderson shouted. “I’ve managed to find you a ride out.”

“You want me to go with him?” Knowles asked, pointing at Kavanagh.

“It’s the only ride out for you,” Anderson said.

Knowles stared at Paul. Finally, he shook his head. “No. I’m not going anywhere with him. He’s…” Knowles didn’t finish the sentence.

Anderson licked his lips. “Don’t you understand? Denver isn’t going to—”

As Anderson talked, Knowles looked as if he wanted to give Paul the finger. He turned abruptly and headed back for the jeep, likely the reason Anderson had stopped talking.

“Guess he doesn’t like me much,” Paul said. “Can’t say that I blame him.”

“The fool,” Anderson said. “This is his chance to live.”

The words were like a knife in Paul. Was Anderson right about that? Was Denver doomed?

“I could knock him out again and drag him aboard,” Paul said.

Anderson gave him a sharp look. It seemed he would speak. Instead, he straightened. “Good-luck, Marine. Give the enemy hell.”

“Yes, sir,” Paul said. “You, too.”

“Semper Fi,” Anderson said. Then he headed for the jeep.

Paul looked around a final time. Speaking of Hell…this place was about to go through it. He turned and ran back to the helo.

A few minutes later, the helicopter lifted, heading west toward the Rockies, taking Paul and Romo to their next assignment.

-8-

Dong-Fong 15

THIRD FRONT HQ, COLORADO

Marshal Liang and his Chief of Staff General Ping stood around a computer map of the Third Front. They were alone in Liang’s study, although they could hear the sounds of the Third Front Command personnel through the closed door. Two cups of steaming tea sat on the edges of the map.

The primary frontages were in Colorado, divided between Army Group A and Army Group B. The bulk of Army Group A was storming Greater Denver, while a smaller portion had swung west and attacked Greeley. Greeley was part of the Front Range Urban Corridor, which was on the eastern face of the Southern Rocky Mountains. The city of Greeley anchored the American defenses along the South Platte River, and the fierce resistance by the enemy showed that the enemy had put the rainy weather halt to good use.

Army Group B assaulted along the South Platte River to the west of Army Group A. The area of attack extended slightly into western Nebraska. So far, Liang had kept General Zhen’s Sixth Tank Army in reserve. He waited for a weak spot to appear in the American defenses. Once he found it, he would unleash the Tank Army against the opening. The Tank Army would exploit the weakness to drive into the American rear areas, wreaking havoc by destroying supply dumps, communications and headquarters units.

Liang had expected a stiffening of the American defenses. The mud-induced halt had hurt the Chinese momentum, but he expected to regain it soon. What troubled him more than the enemy’s stiffening resistance was his ally to the east: the South American First Front, commanded by Field Marshal Sanchez. By all appearances, things did not go well with the South Americans, the Venezuelans in particular.

“The First Front is tardy in its assault,” Liang said.

General Ping nodded in agreement.

Liang picked up his tea, gently blowing across it. He touched his lower lips to the cup, but found that it was still too hot. With a click of noise, he set the cup into its saucer.

He’d spoken at length with Chinese observers placed among the SAF forces. All agreed that the Latin Americans had found the invasion too bloody and the defenders too ferocious for their tastes. Some of the elite Brazilian divisions did well, particularly their high-speed armor. But the bulk of the South Americans lacked the needed fire in their hearts and in their bellies to engage the enemy with zeal. They used prodigious amounts of artillery before every attack. They also expended an excessive number of drones, both airborne and ground. Even before the mud-induced halt, the South Americans had showed a decided lack of fervor in the attack. Now, they were late assaulting the Americans and causing a slowing all along the line because they were not pinning down the enemy’s forces.

White Tiger recon teams and deep-penetration drones showed that the Americans had built a heavy defensive system along the North Platte River and the main Platte River in Nebraska. Unfortunately, the SAF First Front had yet to reach the southern Nebraska border. Instead they inched upward through northern Kansas, clearing away American delaying battalions.

Marshal Liang attempted to be philosophical concerning the South Americans. It was good China had allies. For one thing, it added millions more troops to their side. And if the SAF armies lacked aggression, they still made reasonably good garrison troops. Frankly, China needed bodies, great masses of them, to conquer the United States. The South Americans had helped flesh out the invasion force. That was to China’s benefit and it certainly aided Third Front.

However, the lack of SAF fighting power also meant the primary advances would have to come from the two Chinese Fronts. The two outer drives would have to be like a bull’s horns. Those horns would have to encircle the American front and crush everything in the center. Therefore, the South Americans didn’t need to drive the rest of the way to the Canadian border. They simply needed to hold what they had and keep the Americans from escaping their coming doom. It meant the SAF armies were adequate for victory.

There was one problem with the fact of SAF inadequacy. The Chinese horns needed to pierce the American defenses, and the deeper they did so the better. Because of Chairman Hong’s desire to capture the Behemoth Tank Plant, and thereby force the storming of Denver, Liang lacked the necessary power to smash decisively through the hardened American defenses in his region of responsibility.

“We need all of Army Group A,” Liang said. With his right-hand middle finger, he tapped Greater Denver on the map. The tip of his finger happened to touch the “N” in Denver. “Instead of attacking the city, we could use those two armies in the north to help in the main assault.”

“The American line has stiffened considerably,” Ping said. “They have received reinforcements from somewhere.”

That was another thing troubling Liang. He said, “I have read reports of massive reinforcements.”

“I have read those reports, too,” Ping said. “I would discount the part of the assistance being massive, but I do agree the Americans have received considerable aid. You and I knew this would occur. The truth: the weather halt hurt us.”

Liang grunted agreement. Ping and he had talked about this for months before the initial invasion. The conclusion had been obvious even then. China must shatter the main American Army fast, never allowing it time to regroup and regrow.

Chairman Hong believed his armies would now race to the Canadian border, along the way snatching the crucial oil fields in Montana and North Dakota. Yes, Liang believed those things would happen. First, though, they needed to encircle the Americans in Nebraska in one gigantic trap. A gargantuan battle of annihilation, with one to two million American soldiers caught and devoured. That would win them this campaign and give China the war. For that to occur, they needed to smash through the defensive lines quickly, before more American levies could join the veteran formations.

“This winter might be our last chance to finish this,” Liang said. “The Americans must be mobilizing millions of new troops.”

“Perhaps,” Ping said. “But with German Dominion aid—”

“No!” Liang said. “We cannot count on anyone else to save us. We must mass and punch through these defensive lines now. I need all of Army Group A. I need them to add weight to our northern assaults. Later, I will need them to help encircle the Americans so we may devour the enemy.”

General Ping was silent for a time. He took off his glasses, cleaning a lens with a rag from his pocket. When he put the glasses back on, he said, “The storm-assault into Denver is proving costly in soldiers.”

“We must seal off the Americans there and keep them from receiving aid,” Liang said. “We must destroy I-70. There are many places to break the route.” As he stood, he leaned against the computer map, using his middle finger to tap various locations along I-70.”

“Our Air Force—”

“We will save our Air Force for less costly missions,” Liang said. “I have talked with Marshal Wu and he agreed I should use a portion of our Dong-Fong 15s to break the route.”

“Ballistic missiles?” asked Ping. “The Americans might believe we’re launching nuclear weapons and retaliate before they realize ours carry conventional warheads.”

“Nevertheless, I will use the DP-15s.”

“Their CEP might not be tight enough,” Ping said.

CEP meant circular error probable. It was a matter of accuracy, how many meters the warhead was likely to miss by.

“The DP-15 has a one hundred meter CEP,” Liang said. “If we fire enough at each target, it should suffice to shatter the route.”

“How many missiles do you plan to use?” Ping asked.

“Fifty should insure I-70’s destruction along critical key junctions.”

General Ping was silent.

Liang picked up his cup and sipped tea. Finally, it was the perfect temperature. He regarded his Chief of Staff.

“Fifty missiles should demolish I-70,” Ping said.

“You think I’m using overkill?” Liang asked.

Ping moved his shoulders in a deferential shrug. “You want Denver captured with speed. This might do it.”

“Go on,” Liang said. “But…”

“Even if the city is cut off from direct supplies, the Americans will use air transports to ferry more.”

“True,” Liang said. “That is the battle where we will employ our Air Force. We must starve these stubborn defenders of food and ammunition. We must show them that their cause is hopeless. I need Army Group A in the north. If we don’t capture the city soon enough, I’m afraid the Chairman might divert supplies there. He has an obsession with the Behemoths.”

“As do I, Marshal.”

Liang grunted once more. He used his middle finger and traced I-70 in the Rockies behind Denver. “This time we will achieve success.”

“With fifty ballistic missiles, yes, I would think so,” Ping said.

Liang set down his teacup and picked up a phone. He stared at the map showing I-70. Then he glanced at Ping. “It is time to initiate the attack.”

PUEBLO, COLORADO

Ten big eight-wheeled Chinese transporter erector launchers (TELs) pulled out of Pueblo along I-25. The first two drove off the side at a rest stop. First Rank Wei slowed down three miles later. He took the turn-off and came to a halt in a pasture. Five hundred meters away, a herd of Holstein cows grazed. Several looked up at the three TELs.

The captain pulled up in his command vehicle and climbed out. His comm-team hurried to complete their tasks.

First Rank Wei made sure his TEL was level. Then he began pre-launch procedures.

The hydraulic system whined. Slowly, the Dong-Fong 15, or East Wind 15, began to stand upright. It always reminded Wei of an erection.

He grinned to himself. Some of the American women were most accommodating. They liked to eat well, and few in Chinese Occupation Territory had enough to eat. Already East Lightning sent captured American food supplies back to China. That made it much easier for Wei finding good lays.

With a critical eye, First Rank Wei watched the DP-15. This SRBM—Short Range Ballistic Missile—was nine point one meters long. It weighed six thousand two hundred kilograms and had a one-meter diameter. The engine was a single-stage, solid propellant rocket. Its operational range was 600 kilometers, or about 370 miles.

Finally, the DP-15 stopped, ready for launching.

Now First Rank Wei went to work. He typed in the coordinates and checked the systems. The missile unit’s captain came by, inspected his work and told him he’d done well.

First Rank Wei waited. A half hour later, the order came down. Wei stood at the launch controls. This was going to be a coordinated attack with fifty other missiles.

The captain gave the word. Three…two…one…zero—First Rank Wei pressed the red launch button.

A billowing cloud grew and the roar of the missile brought a smile to Wei’s face. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the cattle stampeded away. He knew that was going to happen. He laughed with amusement.

Three Dong-Fong 15 missiles slowly lifted from the transporter erector launchers. One of the launchers rocked badly, going up and down, causing dirt to fly from the sides. Each missile increased speed and in seconds, they became streaks.

The ballistic missiles roared away into the sky out of view of First Rank Wei and his captain. Each missile climbed at an astonishing rate and quickly reached its parabolic apogee. First Rank Wei’s DP-15 performed as built. The warhead separated from the rocket and began its preplanned descent.

The warhead was one-tenth the rocket’s size. It possessed a maneuverable reentry vehicle. That would allow it to jink, to offset any anti-ballistic missiles or lasers the enemy used to try to shoot them down. Wei’s DP-15 was moving fast now as it dropped toward target in a ballistic arc. Its terminal velocity would reach Mach 6. Maybe as important, the rocket body trailed the warhead. It was there as camouflage, to give American radar and missiles too many targets to properly engage.

PATRIOT MISSILE BATTERY I-70, SITE 6, COLORADO

A PAC-5 firing battery at Site 6 on I-70 first picked up the DP-15 attack.

The AN/MPQ-65 radar detected ballistic missiles. The radar’s AI reviewed the speed, altitude and behavior of the target. The discrimination parameters were met and it was therefore passed on. The data appeared on Corporal Vincent Jimenez’s screen as a ballistic missile target.

In seconds, in the AN/MSQ-104 Engagement Control Station, the TCO reviewed the speed, altitude and trajectory of the track. He authorized engagement and told his TCA to go from “standby” mode to “operate” mode.

At that point, automated systems took over. The computer determined which battery’s launchers had the highest kill probability. Pairs of Patriot missiles ripple-fired 4.2 seconds apart, two Patriots per DP-15.

The AN/MPQ-65 radar continued to track the incoming missiles. Detection of greater numbers of incoming enemy missiles caused more alarms to sound.

“They’re saturating us,” the TCO said. “They’re making another try for I-70. I hope the tac-lasers are ready.”

As First Rank Wei’s Dong-Fong 15 missile headed for the western opening of the Eisenhower Tunnel, the first PAC-5 missile reached its terminal homing phase. The Ka band active radar seeker in the nose of the PAC-5 acquired the DP-15. Now the altitude control motors fired, precisely aligning the missile on its interception trajectory.

The two missiles closed, and the interceptor flew straight through the DP-15, detonating it and destroying the warhead. The second Patriot attacked the DP-15’s empty rocket body and likewise scored a hit.

The other ballistic missiles kept coming. There were forty-seven of them, for one Dong-Fong 15 had failed to launch. A second ballistic missile blew up during its boost phase due to a malfunction.

American radio chatter increased, helping coordinate the data-linked battery as the PAC-5s launched more interceptors. Tac-lasers at sister sites along I-70 incinerated incoming warheads and empty rocket tubes, creating a Fourth of July spectacle.

“Fifteen enemy missiles still incoming,” a radar operator said tersely.

Tac-lasers swiveled on their mounts. Once more, the generators hummed.

“Eleven missiles incoming,” the radar operator reported.

Behind him, the TCO grit his teeth and put a hand on the operator’s shoulder.

“Nine missiles, sir.”

“Come on,” the TCO said.

The last interceptors stuck. The final beams slashed at the speed of light.

“Hit, sir,” the radar operator said. “One bogey struck us.”

“Just the one hit?”

In the end, five Dong-Fong 15 ballistic warheads struck their targets. Their CEP averaged fifty meters. Three struck nearly perfectly, one at the western end of the Eisenhower Tunnel.

The Eisenhower Tunnel was the longest mountain tunnel in the world. The explosion caused a cave-in and did massive damage.

The second missile struck a bridge in Glenwood Canyon, destroying it. The third destroyed a viaduct in the same canyon. The fourth missile hit outside the normal DP-15 CEP. It did greater damage, though, not less, causing a landslide onto the I-70 and its nearby rail-line.

The attack cut I-70 for the moment. Repairs would take precious time and no more supplies would come through by land until these places were repaired or rebuilt.

ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO

Jake and Goose agreed, the Lieutenant of the Eleventh CDM Battalion was insane. They were down to one hundred and fifty-three effectives and one lieutenant, and half of the men were shell-shocked, with the thousand-yard stare. They badly needed rest.

It didn’t matter to the Lieutenant or to High Command. They needed everyone on the line in order to stem the enemy attack, while the Lieutenant wanted to show President Sims the loyalty of a true American. He meant to stop the Chinese, by himself if he had too.

A few times the past few days, Militiamen had gone crazy, screaming or crying, just wanting the terrible, grinding battle to end. The Lieutenant’s answer had been the same every time: beat them. Fists, rifle-butts, the steel toe of a boot, beat the craziness out of each man and bring him back to normality. The Lieutenant said the men needed the shock to wake them up: that the beating was mercy, not cruelty. The worst part to Jake about the treatment was that it worked. It left the former screamer or crier with black eyes and bruises, but he often became sane again, with the madness exorcised from his heart.

The Lieutenant and his last NCOs—former guards of the Detention Center—were all muscle-bound steroid-users. They were strong to a man and the steroids must have warped their judgment toward hyper-aggression.

Yesterday, the Lieutenant had a flash of inspiration. The Battle of Greater Denver had turned really evil, almost two weeks of constant city fighting. The Chinese used artillery. They used bombers, heavy drones, anything that could bring destruction from above onto the men on the ground. Two Chinese Armies battled their way in with continuing and frightening success.

Flame-throwing light-tanks, armored bulldozers, IFVs, heavy machine gun-pouring Gunhawks, armored infantry and the Eagle commandos seized more of the city every day. The enemy brought tremendous firepower, horrendous bombs, shells, bullets and liquid fire to the fray. It was murderous war, and like rats, the Americans in the rubble and in the ferroconcrete buildings that simply refused to collapse fired their assault rifles and heavy machine guns back. Jake and his fellow Militiamen blasted back with Javelin missiles and used mortar rounds to rain shrapnel on every Chinese advance.

The Lieutenant’s inspiration was to make a blockhouse the enemy couldn’t pass and couldn’t storm. It had to be out of the direct line of fire of heavy vehicles and hard to reach by drone or artillery. The Lieutenant said it would be a death zone and used to slaughter the F-ing Chinese.

The Tenth and Fifteenth PAA Armies fought their way into Greater Denver with meat-grinder tactics, and it was working. But—

“Here,” the Lieutenant said. “Here we stop their advance cold.”

One hundred and fifty-two Militiamen stared at him with incomprehension. Clearly, the Lieutenant was crazy and needed a beating to drive him back to sanity. The trouble was none of them—including Jake—was tough enough to do it.

The chosen blockhouse was of ferroconcrete construction, of course. It was three stories tall and had old ornate merlons on top like an ancient castle. It stood on the corner of two cross-streets. Larger, taller buildings to the east blocked Chinese line of sight. Earlier bomb raids had filled most of the streets with rubble. Even better, inside the building was a big opening into the sewage system underground.

The U.S. Army 17th Infantry Division held their right flank. The 22nd Infantry Division was to the left. Like everyone else here, both divisions had taken heavy losses, but the surviving soldiers still had some fight left.

“We’re going to anchor the entire line right here,” the Lieutenant said. “This blockhouse is going to be the grave marker for ten thousand Chinese. This I swear.”

It meant backbreaking work for Jake, for everybody of the Eleventh CDMB. They circled the ferroconcrete blockhouse with razor wire. They used picks and power drills, planting hundreds of mines farther out. They would make it a deathtrap for the enemy. Afterward, they went to work inside. Jake swung a pick until his back muscles quivered. They made holes in every floor and on the sides as firing loops.

“If the Chinese break through onto one floor,” the Lieutenant told them, “we’ll drive them back out from the others. We’re not leaving this place until we kill ten thousand Chinese.”

Days of endless fighting before this, dying and retreating, had done something to the men. They were sick of losing, of going backward. They didn’t want to die, but they didn’t want to lose either. The Chinese had sealed the back door with ballistic missiles. I-70 was effectively gone for them. Air transports brought ammo and food, but never enough. Greater Denver was a freaking grave—theirs. Now the Lieutenant with his fevered eyes gave them hope to do it to the Chinese, to fight back, augmented with bitter hatred.

Jake grumbled that night to Goose. “I don’t get it.”

Goose sat against a wall, staring off into space.

“Do you hear me?” Jake asked.

“You don’t get it,” Goose mumbled. “Yeah. I heard.”

“Has the Lieutenant ever treated me fairly?” Jake asked.

Goose slowly shook his head.

“So how come the man’s insanity has me fired up?”

Goose turned and looked at him. The man’s face had gotten thinner, and there were black marks under his eyes.

“Yeah,” Jake said. “The Lieutenant’s right. It’s time to make a stand and stop the Chinese.”

“We’re going to die tomorrow,” Goose whispered. “This isn’t smart. Shooting and scooting is the way to do it. We’re alive because we pulled out at the right moment every time before this.”

“It’s also giving the enemy our city,” Jake said.

“They’re going to get it anyway.”

Jake stood up. There were others whispering in the gloom. Jake wondered if he was going to have to beat Goose back into awareness. He’d seen the Lieutenant do it. It worked. That was the important thing to remember.

“I’m okay,” Goose said. “I’m just really tired.”

There were choruses of agreement in the dark about being tired.

“All right, let’s turn in,” the Lieutenant said in his loud voice. “Enough talk. We’ve worked hard. Tomorrow we’re going to fight even harder. So get some sleep while you can. The sentries will wake you in time if the Chinese try something fancy.”

Jake lay down. He shut his eyes and morning came all too soon. His back muscles ached from all the picking yesterday and he was cold.

There were rumbles outside, enemy artillery doing their thing. To warm them up and complete the blockhouse, the Lieutenant put them to work. At 10:17 A.M., the Chinese showed up and that was the end of the drudgery.

Jake was working on the third floor, shoveling concrete chips and dust: the blockhouse was filled with drifting clouds of dust. A shrill whistle brought him around. He looked up. Militiamen ran to their posts. Jake dropped his shovel and dashed to his weapons. He had an M-16 and a single-shot RPG. Despite his sweat, he shrugged on his jacket. Goose and Private Larry Barnes hurried to him. They each carried similar weapons.

The artillery-spawned rumbles grew. The Chinese had aimed their heavy guns at them, or near here. Big shells landed, shaking the ground and producing terrific explosions. Bits of dust and tiny pieces of loose concrete rained on them, forcing Jake to put on his helmet.

The fighting started ten minutes later.

“Steady,” the Lieutenant told the first team. The Lieutenant was a steroid freak, a little over six feet tall with massive shoulders and chest. He had a bull neck and a much-too wide of a face. He wore an armor vest, helmet and kept a heavy .50 caliber pistol ready. It was a hand-cannon, a real piece of work. Jake had seen him blow down enemy soldiers with it. Every time the Lieutenant shot, his arm remained rock-steady.

Creeping near a window, Jake saw the first attack. Chinese soldiers in body armor crept and crawled toward them through the rubble and through dirty brown slush. The Lieutenant had told the Eleventh to hold their fire. Let the enemy get close the first time.

The firefight started when the first Chinese soldier crawled onto a landmine. It blew up and the soldier rained blood, flesh and shrapnel: all that remained of him and his armor.

A whistle blasted from between the Lieutenant’s teeth.

Bullets poured onto the enemy. Grenades flew. A few Chinese fired back for a short time, until they died because they were too exposed. Jake grinned at Goose.

The next wave of infantry came with Gunhawks overhead. Blowdart missiles from the blockhouse roof brought down two of the infernal helos. Wisely, the Chinese infantry and choppers retreated.

Twenty minutes later, artillery shells pounded near, but the buildings to the east sheltered them. A recon drone showed up later, but an M2 Browning took care of it, using less than fifty rounds to drop it.

The Lieutenant had obviously chosen the blockhouse with care. It was protected and deeper in the city than any of their previous locations. If the Chinese wanted this place, they were going to have pay in gallons of blood to do it.

At 2:12 P.M., a flame-throwing tank churned toward them. The treads squealed and clanked as it neared. The Lieutenant had two big howitzers ready for such an emergency. Using direct fire, he punched holes in the tank and created a nice fireball that burned enemy soldiers that had gotten too close to their brutish flame machine.

“It’s working,” Goose told Jake. “The Lieutenant is a genius.”

Jake hoped Goose was right.

At 4:42 P.M. the armored bulldozers came. Jake peered through a firing loop and saw jetpack commandos land on top of buildings to their east. Ever since Texas, he’d hated the flyers.

“We should have put sniper teams up there,” the Lieutenant said.

“What about the bulldozers?” asked an NCO. “They’ll clear our mines without a problem.”

The Lieutenant turned to Jake. “Corporal, it’s your turn. See if you can do something about the bulldozers.”

The steroid-monster had never taken to him, but the man was killing the enemy and that counted for something.

“Yes, sir,” Jake said.

“Don’t come back unless you destroy all of them,” the Lieutenant added. “I don’t need any cowards in my outfit.”

Jake’s eyes narrowed, as he looked the Lieutenant in the eye. He noticed a small mole above the right one. Jake didn’t sneer. He didn’t laugh. He didn’t say anything. Outraged heat built in his chest until finally the words seem to bubble up out of their own accord.

“Why don’t you come with us then, sir,” Jake said. He turned for the underground entrance before the Lieutenant could answer, not caring if Goose or Barnes followed or not. He was going to destroy the three bulldozers no matter what it took.

A coward, am I? We’ll see about that.

A few minutes later, Jake, Goose and Private Barnes climbed down a steel ladder into the sewer system. Jake used a lamplight on his helmet, the beam paving the way. It was cold down here, and damp, and it stank. He marched with bitterness, gripping his M-16 by the handle and clutching the RPG with the other.

The old brick walls shook and bits of slime dripped to the floor, dislodged by the enemy artillery fire.

“I don’t like this,” Barnes said in a quavering voice. “Why did he have to choose us, huh?”

“Stay here if you like,” Jake said. How dare the Lieutenant call him a coward. He should have hit the Lieutenant in the face. Forget that, he should have drawn his gun and blown the prima donna away. He’d fought his way free of the Chinese, marching all the way out of Texas and New Mexico. He’d volunteered a second time. The captain had liked him. The steroid-freak Lieutenant—the man had a death wish and couldn’t figure out why others wanted to live.

“I think this is our exit,” Goose said, pointing up.

Jake didn’t think about it. He didn’t check on his sewer map. Instead, seething inside, he slid the straps of his rifle and RPG over his shoulders and climbed the steel ladder.

“Wait for us,” Goose said.

Jake was done with listening to anyone. He shoved off the sewer cover and popped out of the ground like a gopher. Five Chinese soldiers had their backs to him. They were in a bent crouch, following an armored bulldozer. The thing’s engine revved with power. Concrete rolled and clattered ahead of its blade.

It was loud out here and far too bright.

Jake climbed higher, slid the M-16 off his shoulder, readied it and—oh, he noticed the five Chinese wore assault-style body armor, the heavier kind. He aimed at their exposed necks, and he fired.

They dove forward, each of them. Three did it because bullets tore open their necks. The last two wanted to live and did it instinctively. Those two twisted around, bringing up their weapons.

Jake shot them in the face, ending that part right there. He climbed out of the hole, changing to his RPG. He knelt on one knee and chose the bulldozer’s engine air intake as his target. With the iron sights, he aligned the prize, fired and felt the bang of the shaped-charge grenade’s launching charge.

Jake hugged the cold snow, shoving his head down. A terrific explosion followed. He looked up. Black smoke billowed from the bulldozer. The driver inside was slumped over dead.

“Give me another!” Jake shouted into the manhole.

A second later, another RPG poked up.

With it, Jake began to hunt. A coward, am I? We’ll see about that.

Enemy fire caused him to hurl himself down onto the ground. He low-crawled as bullets chipped concrete or whined off the street. Wet slushy snow soaked his clothes. Like a rat, he used the rubble. Like a hunting leopard, he listened for the rev of a bulldozer’s engine and the scrape of its blade. Then he saw it. The thing was thirty yards away. As before, Chinese soldiers crouched behind it.

Jake sighted on the ugly little thing, fired and crawled away as the infantry turned and blasted their weapons at him.

Some of the madness departed him then. He grew aware of the cold, of his slush-soaked clothes. Dozens of enemy soldiers tried to kill him, spraying fire his direction. He popped up and emptied a magazine at the closest ones. Afterward, he crawled.

This is the Rat War.

Jake reached the manhole he had emerged from. Lying on the street, Barnes stared at him with dead eyes. Half his head was gone.

“Goose!” Jake shouted.

From a different direction, Goose came running in a bent crouch. Smoke billowed behind him. Goose’s face was taut. His eyes seemed to bulge out of his head.

“Let’s get out of here!” Goose screamed. “I killed my bulldozer!”

Jake paused long enough to drag one of the Chinese he’d killed. As Goose darted into the sewer hole, Jake reached the opening and shoved the dead enemy down. He heard the corpse hit the bottom with a thud, then Jake slid down feet first, moving fast.

“What’s this for?” Goose asked down in the tunnel.

Jake didn’t answer. He began unbuckling the body armor.

“We don’t have time for this,” Goose said.

Jake looked up. Chinese infantry might show up at any time, firing down the hole. He grabbed the corpse’s left ankle and dragged. The armor scraped against the damp concrete.

Neither said anything more. Jake pried off the body armor. Since it would be hard carrying it, he put it on. It was a tight fit, but now he had armor.

Later, the Lieutenant gave Goose and him a hand out of the sewer system. They were in the basement of the blockhouse, with a heavy machine aimed at the hole.

The Lieutenant noticed the body armor. He said, “Where’s Barnes?”

Jake shook his head.

“Dead,” Goose said.

“It’s too bad about Barnes,” the Lieutenant said. “He was a good American.” He studied them. “You two did good work.” The man turned to go.

Jake’s mouth seemed to come alive. “Still think I’m a coward?”

The Lieutenant stopped, and slowly, he faced Jake.

Jake expected rage. He wondered if the Lieutenant would haul off and hit him. Instead, the wide face looked calm. The eyes regarded him and the Lieutenant reached toward him.

Jake didn’t move, but he was ready for anything.

The Lieutenant flicked a finger against the Chinese body armor, tapping it with a fingernail. “That was a good idea, Corporal.”

“This one is mine,” Jake said belligerently.

There was a flash in the Lieutenant’s eyes. Jake’s stomach muscles tightened. A second passed. Then the tiniest of grins touched the Lieutenant’s mouth.

“You ever play football, Corporal?” the Lieutenant asked.

The question surprised Jake. “No. I played hockey. I grew up in Alaska.”

“Hockey is a man’s sport,” the Lieutenant said. “Did your coach ever fire you up so you’d skate through a brick wall to defeat the opposing side?”

Jake got it then. It made him squint at the man. The bastard had played him. He couldn’t believe it.

The Lieutenant flicked the body armor a second time. “You earned this one. It’s yours, Sergeant.”

“Sergeant?” Jake asked.

“I’m promoting you. You’re going to be in charge of our sewer squad.”

Jake could only blink.

“Get some sleep,” the Lieutenant said, “and think about the sewers down there and how to beat the enemy when he comes crawling to take us out. This fight is far from over.”

THIRD FRONT HQ, COLORADO

Marshal Liang sat before a computer screen in his study. Under the desk, he soaked his feet in hot water. They had been aching lately. The heat felt good and allowed him to move his toes.

He awaited a call from Chairman Hong. The events of the past few weeks had not gone as planned.

Liang tapped the screen, putting up an operational map. Army Group B had taken Greeley and broken through the South Platte Defense Line all the way to Sterling. Zhen’s Tank Army drove for Cheyenne, Wyoming, but at a snail’s pace compared to the summer battles. The Americans were tougher now. Worse, the SAF First Front had only now reached the Platte River in Nebraska. As Liang had predicted, the Americans had turned the river position into a fortress line. The SAF attack had already stalled.

“Prepare to speak to the Leader,” an operator said.

Liang tapped the screen. Chairman Hong’s Polar Bear symbol appeared. A moment later, Jian Hong regarded him. The Leader’s eyes were red, and he looked angry. That was a bad sign.

“Marshal Liang, this is a pleasure,” Hong said abruptly.

Liang bowed his head reverently. He didn’t like the tightening of his chest. “The pleasure is mine, Leader. This a great honor.”

Hong closed his eyes and nodded in a manner that revealed he understood the honor he did Liang. When Hong opened his eyes, his manner resumed its hostility.

“I am not pleased with Third Front,” Hong began.

“I am grieved to hear this,” Liang said. He recalled stories about Hong’s displeasure with men who failed to accept reprimands. Maybe he could nip the Leader’s anger in the bud. “I am sure the fault lies with me,” he added.

“This I already know,” Hong said.

Liang paused, as the tightening of his chest worsened. In the past, it had always been tedious and dangerous speaking with Chairman Hong. Now…he felt growing alarm. Hong had never spoken to him like this before. And why were the Chairman’s eyes so red?

“I set a task for you, Marshal. I’m speaking about the capture of the Behemoth Tank Manufacturing Plant. The city still resists your arms. Until this moment, the Americans have not been able to hold onto a defensive position for so long.”

“Throughout the campaign,” Liang said, “the Americans have become increasingly stubborn. Here, they fight as men possessed.”

“Bah,” Hong said. “They are barbarians without soul. A cornered rat will fight if the cat or dog doesn’t lunge in fast enough. In Denver, you have failed to strike with speed. You must treat the Americans like rats. Do they not hide in the ruins and rubble like rodents? Why have you not closed your jaws on their necks and shaken them to death?”

“You speak wisdom, Leader. I thank you for it. Yet if I may, I would like to point out that Greater Denver is much like Los Angeles. It is a large, urban environment and—”

“No,” Hong said quietly but with menace. “You must strike hard and fast. Did I not just tell you how to defeat these rats? Many years ago, I had to tell Marshal Nung how to properly conduct his North Shore Alaskan assault. It is my lot to see these military problems with a sharper eye than my top commanders.”

“Your wisdom is the sun to our actions,” Liang said.

“The Behemoths thwarted Chinese arms once in Los Angeles and once again with our air assault here along I-70. I will not allow these hideous tanks to stop us a third time. Therefore, you will capture the plant or stamp it out of existence.”

“Leader, if I could make an observation about the Behemoths?”

“Speak,” Hong said sarcastically. “Grace me with your military acumen.”

“We have yet to see the Behemoths in action,” Liang said.

“Are you addled? Have you forgotten your aborted air assault on I-70?”

“We definitely witnessed force cannons at work,” Liang said. “But the longer I’ve thought about that, the more unlikely it seems to me that those were really Behemoths.”

“Explain that,” Hong said.

“Perhaps the wear to the gargantuan tanks in Los Angeles was heavier than we realized. Why else have the Americans waited to unleash them in the Midwest? We witnessed the force cannons during the I-70 assault. Maybe the Americans stripped the Behemoths of their rail-guns and scrapped the tank bodies. Why would the Americans put such unwieldy tanks in the Rocky Mountains? That makes no military sense.”

“That is an interesting question,” Hong said. “If true, it makes taking this plant all the more critical. I have it on excellent authority that the Americans are mass-producing the tanks. It could be they are mass-producing the rail-guns even faster. Obviously the weapons are very effective even without their armored chassis. Yet we should have greater evidence of them.”

“Leader, I doubt the Denver plant still runs. I have—”

“Do not assure me of such a thing,” Hong said, his anger rekindled. “The Americans must be using the plant even now. The German industries remained active during World War II under heavy allied bombing. Surely, these rodent-like Americans can have done the same thing. Perhaps they are underground.”

“Our bombing raids are more accurate these days,” Liang said. “And—”

Hong made a chopping gesture with his right hand. “Your arguments weary me, Marshal. I have an order for you, a directive straight from my office. Capture Denver—and do it now. Do not give me more delays. Finish the task and close your jaws on these rats.”

Liang didn’t know what to say.

Hong’s eyes became redder than earlier. He leaned forward. “Do you lack the soldiers to do your task?”

“Leader, I would like to point out—”

“Answer the question,” Hong said.

Liang dreaded the possibility of diverted troops going to Denver. He needed them on the Northern Front.

“No, Leader. I have enough men.”

“You’re lying. Now you listen to me, Marshal. I am sending you replacement levies. Use them to storm the city. Give me that plant and do it now!”

“Yes, Leader,” Liang whispered. This was bad. He needed the replacement levies in the north. This entire operation against Denver was a waste of time and soldiers.

“I realize you cannot see the situation as clearly as I do,” Hong said. “Did I not light a fire under Marshal Nung many years ago?”

“Yes, Leader,” Liang said. He had read the reports of that Alaskan attack. It still amazed him the Chairman had shown such ability. What had happened to him in the interim?

“I say capture the city now,” Hong said, “but I am willing to give you a small amount of leeway. You are said to be among my most brilliant Field Marshals. Tell me truthfully, Liang. Can you guarantee me the city’s capture within the next two weeks?”

Liang saw the look in Hong’s eyes. His exalted rank as marshal and perhaps his very life rested on his answer. There was only one thing to say.

“Chairman Hong, I guarantee the city’s capture and I will hand you the manufacturing plant within the next fourteen days.”

“I am pleased to hear it,” Hong said, sitting back. “Since time is pressing, I will leave you to your task. Let me give you one last parting word of advice. Do not fail me, Marshal Liang. No, do not fail.”

“No, Leader, I will not fail.”

Hong nodded, and a second later, the screen went blank.

It left a bitterly reflective Liang. And he finally noticed that the bowl of water had cooled. He removed his feet so water dripped, and he put them on a towel.

He must storm all of Denver in the next fourteen days. It would be a difficult task. Still, he had a secret weapon. He’d hoped to save the system for a different emergency. Now, it appeared as if he would have to unveil the secret to the Americans early. It would help knock out stubborn points of resistance in the city, of that he had no doubt. But to let the Americans know about the secret this soon, that might be a mistake.

Liang picked up a phone, and it troubled him to see that his hand shook. He sighed. The sooner he put this into operation, the quicker the city would fall to him and the sooner he could concentrate on the northern advance.

CENTENNIAL, COLORADO

Commander Bao of MC ABM #3 had finished his inspection around the triple trailers. In the chill morning air, he climbed the rungs of the main compartment, watching his breath puff.

They had moved the vehicle last night and positioned it on this hill in Centennial. The vehicle was exposed up here, precisely against regulations. The normal SAM launchers weren’t even in position yet. It was unnerving, and it made Bao’s ulcer bite. Since he was alone outside, he winced, and he pressed his left cheek against the cold metal. The ulcer had been getting worse lately. The American Air Force kept attacking the Chinese ring around Denver, and his kill ratio was down. MC ABM #6 had almost overtaken him in efficiency.

He could never allow that to occur. Yesterday, Bao had raised his voice against the crew. In the past, he’d prided himself on always remaining calm. Several operators had glanced at him sharply. He regretted the raised voice, and the glances had angered him, which had worsened the ulcer.

I am the best MC ABM Commander. At the end of the campaign, my vehicle will achieve the highest award. I will show everyone that I outperform all who challenge me.

Bao glanced around at the devastated city. Everywhere stood ruins and rubble. Smoke drifted from places and the city stank of oil, dirt and death. In the distance stood tall buildings. The Americans held those. The Americans still clung to too much of Denver.

Marshal Liang had given a new order last night. It was rumored he did it at the command of Chairman Hong. Not only did Bao’s MC ABM sit up on a hill, but six others did also. Their primary mission was anti-air and anti-missile defense. That was always in heavily defended positions, as these machines were the greatest and most prized military vehicles in the entire invasion Army. In a pinch, though, the MC ABM could operate in a different and still very lethal way.

Bao reached the hatch, opening it and climbing into the warm command compartment. A soft blue light lit the cramped chamber. Everyone sat at his station, checking systems.

He’d been outside because there were many things that could have gone wrong due to the movement. Together, the triple-trailered vehicle weighed over six hundred tons. It took time and effort to move the tiered system into place. In some ways, they were like towed pillboxes of fantastic ability.

Taking off his coat, Bao settled into his chair.

The Army’s tac-lasers were pygmies compared to the MC ABMs. Bao’s monster together with the others had been providing an effective defense against American air attacks and enemy cruise missiles. Today, they would be used for something completely different.

Bao checked his watch. It was 7:32 A.M.

Marshal Liang planned the heaviest assault on Denver to date, heavier even than the beginning attack. The MC ABMs would help directly today.

7:33 A.M. now, it meant the assault battalions were poised to go. The drones surely gathered in the air, ready to enter the fray, and the standoff bombers likely awaited the word.

The Chinese and Americans had already waged grim weeks of city warfare. Bao knew that each side had taken bitter losses and would likely take many more.

Despite the twinge in his gut, Bao allowed himself a small smile. This morning, the toughest U.S. defensive positions would wake up to a science fiction surprise. He rubbed his hands in anticipation. Then he went to work, checking his crew’s performance.

Good, the laser-aiming mirrors were pointed toward the city. They would soon direct the beam on a parallel course with the ground.

Bao flipped a switch, bringing up the main targeting screen. He tapped it and found that Tenth Army HQ had already linked with them. A red dot appeared. Bao ran a check on his coordinate map. Ah, this was interesting. Did the Army HQ think it would be a test for them? Bao had no doubt at what his vehicle could achieve.

Quietly, Commander Bao spoke the required words.

Everyone put on their huge headphones/mufflers. A few of the personnel shifted in their seats as if uncomfortable. Bao wished there was some way to dampen the terrible noise that was about to occur. The continuous exposure to the sound was affecting his crew’s performance.

Checking his watch, Bao saw it was 7:46 A.M. The crew had finished the prep work and targeting had selected the object of assault.

“Give me power,” Bao said in his calm voice.

Chemical rocket fuel pumped the magnetic-propulsion turbine. The whine climbed the octaves to a nearly unbearable level. Crewmembers hunched their shoulders. Like Bao, they endured the hateful noise.

“Fire,” Bao said.

Relays clicked. A second later, a heavy laser beam poured out of the focusing system. The beam flashed across the city and struck its first objective with annihilating energy.

The other MC ABMs came online and they too poured their beams at carefully chosen targets.

Inside MC ABM #3, Bao studied his split screen. A White Tiger recon team provided real-time data. His beam burned into an enemy bunker. It melted the outer surface and punched through.

“Move the turret point three degrees,” Bao ordered.

Slowly, the turret shifted. That moved the focusing mirrors. That in turn moved the constant beam. At the end of the ray, it sliced the bunker, melting and burning through. The hellish beam must have fried the Americans inside, causing them to turn into vapor.

Bao didn’t realize it, but his hands balled into fists as he watched. This felt different from missile destruction. Now he was killing people.

“Raise the projector a half degree,” Bao said, with a twinge in his voice. Because of the horrendous noise inside the MC ABM, probably none of the crew noticed the difference.

At his command, the focusing projector lifted, and so did the beam destroying the American bunker. As if the ray was a giant knife, the strategic-level laser sliced and diced the American bunker that had stood against countless Chinese assaults.

Bao flinched as a red alert beacon flashed on his screen in the corner. It kept disappearing and reappearing, and put red spots in his eyes. The beacon had never flashed before. With missile and air destruction, they used pulse shots, not a continuous burn.

“Shut down power,” Bao said, speaking sharply.

The horrible whine climbed down the octaves, bringing needed relief to the crew.

“Dampening estimate?” Bao asked.

“Two minutes,” the dampening officer said.

Bao licked his lips. This was going to be a long day. He’d read the report on projected MC ABM use for today. It would leave them with less anti-missile and anti-air protection than usual. High Command must believe this ground use outweighed a possible American surprise air attack.

First glancing around to make certain no one watched, Bao opened the compartment under his chair. He took out the medicine. He twisted the lid and drank from it. The cool, thick liquid slid down his throat. He was going to have to take several swallows to put his ulcer to rest today.

In another few minutes, they would fire again at a different target. The Americans were going to learn a lesson they would not soon forget. Bao hoped it didn’t ruin his MC ABM or any of the carefully calibrated components.

He checked his watch. Then he took another sip before stowing the bottle. This was going to be a long day.

ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO

The morning began like many others for Jake. He stretched sore muscles and ate a light breakfast of MREs.

The blockhouse position had held off countless attacks. The landmines, the razor wire, the heavy ferroconcrete walls combined with the stubbornness of the defenders had thwarted the Chinese many times. The blockhouse indeed stood like an anchor.

More than once the Chinese had driven back the U.S. divisions on either side of the blockhouse. But because the three-story building stood, pouring fire on the Chinese from the flanks, the Americans soon regained the lost ground. Bulldozers, Gunhawks, drones, Special Infantry assaults, mortars from the top of the tall buildings to the east, nothing had dislodged the dwindling Eleventh CDM Battalion from its castle.

Fifty-three effectives remained, led by the Lieutenant. None of his old muscle-bound NCOs remained. Jake and Goose still lived, and they had fought many grueling battles in the sewer system.

Jake donned his stolen Chinese body armor. He picked up his M-16 and strode to the Lieutenant. They were on the ground floor. The big Lieutenant listened to the radio.

“Anything new?” asked Jake.

The Lieutenant looked up. Like the rest of them, the man had gray features and hollow-staring eyes. He’d lost weight, but something still flickered in his gaze, something solemn and maybe even majestic, although it was certainly crazed with inhuman determination.

“The Chinese—” the Lieutenant said.

A strange phenomenon halted his words. Nothing like this had ever happened before. A gaping hole appeared in the wall. It just appeared, and there was hot wavering air in the center of the room. A second later, another hole appeared as if an invisible nail had been punched through, although the edges of the holes burned.

“What’s happening?” asked Jake.

The Lieutenant stared at him in incomprehension.

The hot wavering beam in the building began sliding leftward. As it did, an invisible knife appeared to cut out the front wall and then the back wall at exactly the same position.

“Enemy laser!” the Lieutenant roared. “Everyone into the sewer system!”

The blockhouse shook and trembled, and dust rose and concrete rained.

Jake didn’t know what was going on, but he’d heard enough. This was freaking crazy. He grabbed the lip of his helmet—he wore it on his head—and he raced for the stairs. As he ran, more of the blockhouse trembled and shook, and now the strange phenomenon started to climb, cutting out wall as it did.

The world became a giant earthquake for Jake. Concrete rained and walls collapsed. Everything rumbled. He sprinted, dodged, caromed off something and made it into the basement. He moved to the opening to the sewer system. Like rats running for their lives, Militiamen disappeared into the opening.

Jake looked back.

The Lieutenant turned ghost white. “Go, go, go!” he seemed to say. Jake couldn’t hear a thing. The earth was too busy rocking and roaring. It was surreal. It was a nightmare. Jake made it down the hole. He didn’t bother with the steel ladder. He just dropped and landed heavily. It hurt his feet and he collapsed. Survival instinct kept him going. He crawled on his hands and knees. Something smashed behind him, a body perhaps. Heavy thuds hammered above him. Was the blockhouse coming down on their heads? This was madness. The damned Chinese had everything.

With his mouth opening as he panted heavily, Jake crawled and crawled. Maybe a hundred yards later a shouting voice brought a modicum of sanity to him. He looked back. In the gloom and drifting dust, the Lieutenant stared at him with nearly blank eyes.

“What?” Jake managed to ask.

“Heavy laser,” the Lieutenant said. His voice was without emotion.

“What do you mean?” Jake said.

The Lieutenant shook his head. Then he said, “Is there an open area near here?”

Jake tried to think. More rumbles sounded, crashes and roars. The blockhouse came down and a billowing dust cloud rolled at them, choking him and turning everything dark.

An hour later, the Lieutenant took roll call in the sewer. Nineteen effectives were left, among them Goose.

“Do you know which way to our lines?” the Lieutenant asked.

“Yeah,” Jake muttered.

“Then let’s go,” the Lieutenant.

“Why?” asked Jake.

The Lieutenant took his time answering. Finally, he asked, “Did you enjoy that?”

Jake managed a dull laugh.

“Neither did I,” the Lieutenant said.

“So?”

“We’re going to report this. Then I’m going to pay back the Chinese. I remember every hurt, then double it and look for a way to do it back to them.”

Jake shook his head. “We can’t do anything like they just did.”

“We’ll see,” the Lieutenant said. “Until then, are you still with me?”

Jake knew the Lieutenant was nuts: not just a little battle crazy, but truly over the deep end. What did it matter, though?

“Yeah, sure, I’m with you,” Jake said.

“Good,” the Lieutenant said. “Lead the way. We need to report to somebody what just happened to our blockhouse.”

BEIJING, PRC

Two East Lightning operatives flanked Shun Li as she strode down a large corridor leading to Police Minister Xiao’s chamber. Each had an open holster, with his gun-hand drifting near the weapon. The leftward operative had a jet-black ring on his middle finger.

The two operatives had picked her up at her apartment after Tang—one of Hong’s Lion Guardsman—had dropped her off.

They had said nothing driving her to the Police Ministry. Now the three of them hurried. The truth of the matter was that Shun Li had been expecting something like this for several days.

She visited Chairman Hong’s country estate every day. She often played with the polar bear cub. Each time was a frightening experience. She played with the cub as the mother bear paced behind iron bars, watching. Often, the mother roared at Shun Li, furious that a human should touch her precious cub. Shun Li had begun to wonder if this was a game with Hong. Would he let the iron bars rise one of these days and laugh as the mother bear destroyed her?

I am a barracuda, Shun Li told herself. I swim among larger, more dangerous predators, but I, too, am dangerous and capable of battle.

She knew it was a vain thought.  What could a barracuda do to a killer whale? The answer was: absolutely nothing.

No. A barracuda could gnaw the killer whale’s flukes. But what good would that do the barracuda?

The trick, she supposed, was swimming away fast enough if a killer whale chased her. She could swim toward a monstrous great white shark and dart aside as the two creatures fought for supremacy.

She had come to this conclusion yesterday for a specific reason. Chairman Hong continued to question her about Police Minister Xiao. Hong wanted to know all kinds of things: the Police Minister’s habits, his various visits, his comments, his work orders, the way Xiao treated her. Hong had listened with avid interest as she’d told him how Xiao had once slapped her across the face. The Chairman seemed to have forgotten that he’d witnessed the incident himself.

“Indeed,” the Chairman had said. “How very interesting. I wonder if Xiao would like it if I slapped him across the face.”

Shun Li didn’t think so. What troubled her with all these questions was Hong’s motive. The Chairman relied upon East Lightning as part of his power base. He needed the secret police in order to corral the generals, the Army. Had Hong come to fear Xiao? She could understand that. The Police Minister was a crocodile, an emotionless beast with hidden thoughts and likely a hidden agenda.

“Stop,” the operative on her left said.

Shun Li stopped before the Police Minister’s ornate entrance.

The East Lightning operative knocked. Twenty second later, a small red light winked above the door.

“You may enter,” the operative told Shun Li.

They had of course divested her of her gun. She touched the cold bronze latch and twisted. Nothing squeaked. Everything was well oiled. As she walked through, the door shut behind her. One of the operatives must have closed it.

Across the spacious room, Police Minister Xiao stared out of a wall of windows. He had his hands clasped behind his back.

Should I approach? Should I announce myself? What am I supposed to do?

Shun Li did none of those things. She waited nervously, disliking this game playing. What was the purpose of it? He’d pressed a switch to cause the red light to shine. He knew she was here.

Finally, he turned. It was impossible to tell where he stared due to the ceiling lights shining off his thick lenses. Xiao seemed like a robot then. He seemed inhuman. At that moment, Shun Li believed she knew whom to trust, and it wasn’t the Police Minister.

No, no, don’t make up your mind so quickly. You must survive, not attempt to fight these stronger creatures.

“Guardian Inspector,” he said in his emotionless voice. “This is a surprise. Usually, you are too busy to report to me: your superior. You are too busy hobnobbing with the Chairman to see the lowly likes of me.”

Shun Li had no idea what to say concerning that. So she continued to wait while standing at attention.

“Please, come, sit down so we may chat,” Xiao said.

Shun Li strode across the chamber and sat in the nearest chair, sitting upright.

“Are you comfortable?” Xiao asked.

“Yes, Police Minister.”

“No,” he said. “I do not want you to be so formal. You must relax. You are worthy of the Chairman’s time and I must now take that into consideration.”

Xiao moved to his desk, sitting, folding his hands on the top. He attempted a smile. It appeared false.

“Can you elaborate on your visits?” he asked.

“Certainly, sir,” she said. “The Chairman gave me a polar bear cub.”

“How fortunate for you,” Xiao said.

She dipped her head to acknowledge the statement.

“I imagine the Chairman was delighted with your work discovering the Behemoth Manufacturing Plant,” he said.

She nodded.

“You house your cub at his mansion?” Xiao asked.

“Yes sir.”

“And do you visit with the Chairman sometimes?”

“For short periods, sir. Have I done wrong doing this?”

“Guardian Inspector, you surprise me. How can you do wrong visiting with the Great Leader? That is preposterous. Tell me, what do the two of you talk about.”

“Polar bears.”

“And?”

Fear squeezed Shun Li’s chest. She didn’t know the right answer. Did Hong and Xiao speak together about her? Was this a test? She decided the Police Minister was acting much too formally for this to be a test.

“Sir,” she said, “at times the Chairman asks about you.”

“Does he indeed? How flattering,” Xiao said. The man attempted another of his false smiles. “What does the Chairman wish to know about me?”

Shun Li told him because she feared he already knew the answer. Xiao was too much like a robot, a crocodile with a nasty appetite and secretive ways not to know.

As she spoke, Xiao watched her carefully. There was no expression on his wooden features to give a hint to his feelings.

“I will ask you one question, Guardian Inspector. I expect nothing but the truth. Do you understand me?”

“I do, sir.”

“Yes,” he said, staring through his thick lenses at her. “I believe you do, which is good for you. Does the Chairman ask these things because he fears me or because he wishes to dispose of me in some nefarious way?”

Shun Li’s heart began to thud. This was a terrible question. It would make her choose sides. She didn’t want to choose, she wanted to be able to skip whichever way would let her survive.

“Police Minister, I believe the Chairman fears you.”

Xiao smiled. It was a cruel thing.

Shun Li waited to hear him tell her she was lying. He didn’t. Instead, he surprised her by saying:

“The Chairman plays a dangerous game, Guardian Inspector. He needs me, but that is because he makes serious blunders. I have built a careful web around him. It protects his Lion Guards from harm. It is good that I have security operatives in the Chairman’s home. You will now add to their security work as you begin to study the exact layout of the estate and the strength of his personal security. Am I making myself clear?”

Yes. That you’re lying to me. Why would you need to know these things if you already had people there? I am your first and only operative in the Chairman’s country estate.

Shun said aloud. “You wish to provide the ultimate security for the Chairman’s safety and ask that I aid East Lightning in that.”

“Precisely,” Xiao said. “You have divined my thoughts perfectly.”

Shun Li’s eyes felt hot, as if smoke would drift out of her pupils. What intrigue did Xiao play at? Could he believe he would keep his seat of power if Hong died? Or was Xiao thinking the unthinkable: of reaching for supreme power himself?

If she could have, Shun Li would have gladly gone back to North America. These stakes were too high for her. But she was here now and would have to swim with these deadly creatures as best as she could.

-9-

Phase II

From Military History: Past to Present, by Vance Holbrook:

Invasion of Midwestern America, Phase II, 2039-2040

BACKGROUND

By late October 2039, the Pan-Asian Alliance and the South American Federation troops had become mired down due to the uncommonly warm rainy season. (They were warm rains in a relative sense, as it was still cold weather to the troops on the ground.) The torrential showers turned the landscape into mud and added vast, shallow lakes throughout much of the Central Midwest.

During this time, Chairman Hong received several pieces of intelligence that caused him to alter the plans for Marshal Liang’s Third Front. The Chairman was only now becoming aware of the full extent of Chancellor Kleist’s offer to the Americans: the Canadian province of Quebec, in exchange for German Dominion neutrality.

Due to their battlefield supremacy during the Californian invasion, the Chairman loathed the Behemoth tanks. To that end, he demanded the capture of the Denver manufacturing plant. This would entail the subjection of the greater Denver metropolitan area. At the Chairman’s orders, Marshal Liang allocated the Tenth and Fifteenth Armies to the task. Because of the difficult terrain and circumstances, Liang removed their tank corps and added assault and Special Infantry divisions.

The PAA and SAF formations had taken substantial losses throughout the summer and autumn battles. Even after adding replacements, they were at seventy-five percent of the start-date strengths.

The Third Front’s objectives were now twofold: Denver with the accompanying capture of the Front Range Urban Corridor and a continuation of the northern assault. The Rocky Mountains would continue to be their western wall as they surged north. The SAF First Front would drive north in tandem with the two Chinese forces on either side of them. The PAA Fourth Front would mask St. Louis as it continued for the distant Canadian border, with the Mississippi River on its eastern side. The offense’s directives would take it through Iowa and Minnesota.

The Chinese and Brazilian strategists believed the drive, together with well-placed garrison troops, would divide the continental United States into two distinct halves. From such a position, they believed two more campaigns would complete the conquest of the United States.

Despite their victorious armies and the success of the earlier drives, the Aggressor powers had several critical problems. The first was the incredible wear on their vehicles. Too many had broken down and keeping the rest in operational condition took millions of precious man-hours.

The second problem was the constant human toll of war. Formations were depleted due to battle losses and extreme fatigue.

The third was the need for garrison formations along the Mississippi River and the even greater need for security troops in the vast American hinterland. In the growing Occupation Territory, the U.S. partisan and guerilla attacks were now beginning to intensify. Taken altogether, the cutting edge of the Aggressor armies had diminished considerably.

The Chinese strategists in particular understood the danger. They added a fourth problem. The plan to push their forces to the utmost would cause a substantial weakening everywhere else in a short span of time. The reason was obvious. A man couldn’t operate at his highest capacity for any extended length of time; neither could an army. Both a man and an army needed rest to recoup from exhaustion. The strategists believed several critical factors would offset the combined problems or risks.

One, the American Army had taken staggering losses, meaning it was much weaker in comparison to its beginning strength. The Chinese strategists understood the Americans mobilized new formations, but they didn’t appreciate the vast quantity about to be unleashed upon them. They believed these hastily-trained and equipped formations would lack the high standards as the veteran units. They also assured themselves these new formations would be composed of second and third-grade quality soldiers.

Two, the Chinese strategists assumed that American morale had been and would continue to be sapped by constant defeat and retreat. There would naturally come a point when the enemy folded.

Three, the loss of the American heartland meant less food production and industrial power for the United States. They believed this would slow the appearance of the new formations.

Finally, the Chinese strategists supposed that the waning strategic strength of the United States meant that any American offensive would lack power. In essence, that likely meant the U.S. could not inflict strategic-level defeats on either the PAA or the SAF armies.

The key ingredients on the American side were threefold. First, there was Chancellor Kleist’s offer and acceptance of neutrality. It gave the American’s more regular Army formations to put into the Midwest. Two, the Canadians were coming. The Americans would have allies again. Finally, the volume of the newly-raised Militia battalions together with the transfer of the bulk of the East Coast Militia surprised everyone. Most of these battalions lacked armored vehicles of any kind and also lacked artillery. The new Militia levies relied on heavy mortar teams for indirect support. Still, the majority of these battalions were brave and committed defenders of their homeland.

The historical campaign now entered Phase II of the assault. As an icy Alaskan cold descended over the land, the Chinese continued their original plan, with several seemingly minor alterations, the largest of which was the Denver assault.

The Americans, meanwhile, gathered strength in the north. The rains had given them time and now they were beginning to regain numbers.

The brutal contest was nearing the critical clutch. The powers involved were like giant wrestlers exhausted by their previous efforts. A short breathing spell meant they would now throw everything into the final grapple.

2039, November 7-18. Renewed Offensive. As the fierce American winter descended on the Midwest, turning the mud and miles-long shallow lakes into a tundra-like landscape, the PAA and the South American Federation renewed their stalled offensives.

Army Group A of Third Front gained several miles in the initial Greater Denver assault. After a week of battle, and with constant American reinforcements, the U.S. positions stiffened. After several attempts, the Chinese cut the key I-70 supply route, completing Greater Denver’s isolation.

Elsewhere in the West, Chinese and Brazilian armies fought their way to the South Platte and Platte River Defenses. In the East, the Chinese Fourth Front broke through the Missouri River Defenses. American High Command decided on a fighting withdrawal as workers feverishly constructed the Des Moines Line in Iowa four hundred kilometers to the north.

The differences from the earlier summer and autumn battles were distinct. This time there was no vast haul of American prisoners. The PAA Third Front grained bitterly-contested ground, while far to the east, the PAA Fourth Front matched some of its earlier tank drives, but the Americans retreated in good order.

The South American offensive showed the greatest difference. They stalled sharply against the Platte River Line.

2039, November 18-December 2. Battle of Denver. Over the course of a month, increasing Chinese reinforcements entered the grinding siege battle. Urged on by Hong, Liang unleashed the Grand Assault against the city’s 28-mile perimeter. In a tremendous battle of attrition, the Americans defenders resisted stubbornly from house to house as the Chinese gradually closed in. Grueling winter weather now descended upon attacker and defender alike.

Army Group B of Third Front neared Cheyenne, Wyoming and the North Platte Defense Line. Stubborn American resistance and a constant drain of Chinese units sent south and fed into the Denver meat grinder made sweeping PAA advances here impossible. SAF assaults against the Platte River Defense decreased over the course of a month until the Brazilian generals were content with daily artillery duels. Their soldiers hated the bitter North American winter and morale sank accordingly. In the East, Fourth Front’s advances slowed as they neared the Des Moines Line.

By now, Chinese and Brazilian commanders were all too aware that the Americans had changed since the summer and autumn battles. The U.S. Army was stronger in a quantitative sense and was more robust in quality. The majority of the soldiers exhibited high morale, characterized by a desire for revenge.

The U.S. strengthening came from three sources of new soldiers: The Canadians had arrived, along with the East Coast regulars and the new Militia battalions. In Iowa, the Americans often employed cunning tank tactics. The favored ploy was feigned flight, as the Americans lured overeager Chinese attackers into TOW ambushes.

Chairman Hong decreed that one more push would shatter the built-up American defenses. His rage at German perfidy caused him to demand a brutal end to the campaign, before the Americans could take advantage of the German Dominion removal of their formerly Cuban-based amphibious army.

On the American sides, commanders worked feverishly to integrate their forces and unleash their long-awaited strategic surprise.

From Tank Wars, by B.K. Laumer III:

It is interesting to note that both the U.S. and the Chinese armies used an abundance of cheap and expendable weapon systems on the American battleground. To field such an amazing number of soldiers with more expensive equipment, the various economies would have beggared themselves into penury. Even so, the more elite formations of each side used the most sophisticated weapon systems possible.

The Behemoth tank represented a giant leap forward in battlefield armored vehicle technology, but it wasn’t the last word on the subject. The Behemoth had trumped the tri-turreted T-66 tank. Now the Chinese would attempt to trump the Americans with a newer marvel.

Yet with all deadly weapons of war, one needed enough of them to gain victory. Eighteen Behemoth tanks would face the challenge of an era. In contrast, the T-66 tanks roamed the American landscape in their thousands. The Chinese secret weapon—the MC ABM—few knew existed, and even fewer knew how to exploit properly.

The Battle of Denver saw the MC ABMs first unleashed as a ground-combat unit, reminiscent of the WWII Germans’ field-expedient employment of the 88mm anti-aircraft gun. Rommel in particular in the North African deserts had used them as superior anti-tank guns. Liang’s Chinese learned to use the MC ABMs in a similar manner. It therefore became a contest of king dinosaurs—the Behemoth tank and the MC ABM fought among the scrambling lesser creatures.

This bitter and interesting contest is the next topic in the panorama of our study of modern tank warfare.

-10-

Operation Saturn

SECRET BUNKER, NEBRASKA

Colonel Higgins nodded to several Canadian generals as he scooted past them to his seat in the underground auditorium. He had to work to keep his feet from tangling with theirs.

The place was filled with high brass from many different military branches. To get here, MPs had driven Stan over twenty miles from the new Behemoth Tank Park. The MPs had told him exactly nothing along the way, which was okay, as he already knew what was going on.

Much had changed since the midnight drive along I-70 to Salt Lake City. That had been weeks ago. Now the snowstorms howling across the Great Plains reminded him of Alaska during the bitter retreat to Anchorage.

He hadn’t heard from Jake since the phone call from Denver. It haunted him. Was his boy alive, dead or rotting in a Chinese POW camp? It ate at him not knowing.

Footage out of Denver had shocked the nation. Scenes of the Chinese laser tanks had particularly inspired awe and despair. The beam—it was better surely than a Behemoth’s rail-gun. Stan dreaded facing the Chinese laser tank in battle. How many of those did the Chinese have? How had the Chinese managed to generate enough energy for such a powerful beam? In America, only the strategic ABM sites had the means.

From Salt Lake City, tank haulers had brought the Behemoths north. They always traveled by night, with integral MPs going to great lengths with security procedures against enemy surveillance. Here was the middle of nowhere, Nebraska, a flat land of endless snow and wind. The Platte River Defense Line was thirty miles south from the tank park. South beyond the river was the SAF First Front, which stretched across the entire state of Nebraska and even a little into Iowa.

Stan glanced around the vast chamber. Generals and colonels abounded. From what he’d been seeing the past few weeks, America had finally gathered a force to hit back at the Aggressors.

The lights flicked in front, probably to get their attention. Sure, Stan recognized General Tom McGraw. McGraw strode up a short set of stairs onto the stage and moved to the podium.

The murmuring in the great chamber lessened.

McGraw cleared his throat into the microphone. That brought silence to the auditorium.

Stan felt a surge of expectancy.

“Welcome,” McGraw said. “I’ll get right to the point, as we still have much to do and very little time to get it done in. First, I want each of you to know that this location is secret to everyone but a handful of people. That is why each of you came in an unmarked car chauffeured by very special MPs. In fact, each of these MPs was actually a Secret Service agent.”

Stan’s eyebrows lifted. If the Secret Service was involved, that meant so was the President.

“That brings me to point two,” McGraw said. “This meeting has one purpose. To win this war, the United States must go on the offensive. To date, we haven’t had the mass or the resources to attempt a major offensive. We’ve been too busy trying to stave off defeat. Well, that has finally changed due to several critical circumstances. I would explain that to you, but the President of the United States has insisted on telling you personally. Therefore, it is now my honor and privilege to introduce President Sims.”

From speakers around the auditorium, a recording started playing “Hail to the Chief.” Stan felt it. Everyone else must have felt it too. As one, the massed generals and colonels in the auditorium rose to their feet. To the side onstage, a curtain fluttered. President Sims appeared. He marched toward General McGraw. The President held a sheaf of papers at his side, and against tradition, he wore an Army uniform.

Sims was considerably shorter than McGraw, but the President didn’t act like it. He grabbed McGraw’s outstretched hand and pumped it heartily. Stan could see Sims whisper to McGraw. Tom released his grip and saluted. Turning smartly, McGraw strode down the steps and took a vacant seat in the front row.

Sims faced the assembled officers. He put his papers on the podium and cleared his throat. Pulling the microphone closer to his mouth, he glanced behind him.

A screen appeared. On it were the American and Canadian flags.

“This is a rare privilege,” President Sims said. His voice reverberated through the loudspeakers. It told of his confidence and restrained excitement.

That excited Stan as well. He sat straighter. So did many others around him.

“I’ve been waiting for this meeting for some time,” the President told them. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here tonight to implement Operation Saturn. If anyone has heard about that, please raise your hand.”

No one did.

“General,” the President said, looking at McGraw and smiling indulgently.

McGraw raised a meaty paw. So did several officers sitting beside him.

The President nodded. “Except for these few officers, Operation Saturn has remained secret for a simple reason. We mean to surprise the Aggressors. To that end, we have clandestinely transported masses of supplies at night. This has been done under the strictest procedures and with a constant watch on spy satellites, enemy AWACS and recon drones. We have also moved powerful formations into position. This, too, has proceeded under the strictest protocols. Many of you have complained about that, which is good. In fact, your complaints have heartened me, because it means the security people have been following my orders to the letter.”

The President paused, and he smiled. There was a polite ripple of laughter and nods from the audience. The President gripped the podium with both hand and leaned toward them. His eyes burned now with earnestness.

The laughter evaporated. Stan felt a sensation along his spine. This was serious business tonight. It gave him hope, and his expectations rose.

“I have personally selected each of you,” the President said. “I have personally selected your divisions or regiments for the coming task. Together, you are Army Group Washington. The name means something to me and I have no doubt it means something to you. George Washington was the father of our great country. He fought the Redcoats and defeated them after many grueling years of warfare. In the Revolutionary War, it often looked as if General Washington was finished, his soldiers beaten on the field of battle. Yes, many times, he faced battlefield losses, but he fought back from defeat. In the end, General Washington vanquished the enemy and he helped give this new nation the breath of life.

“In the past few months, we have faced many defeats,” Sims said. “In fact, we have faced years of Chinese aggression. First, they attacked us in Alaska where I had the great privilege of defeating their forces. Later, they successfully invaded Hawaii and obliquely attacked our interests with the clandestine invasion of Mexico. If that wasn’t enough provocation, they helped detonate a terrorist bomb at Livermore, a nuclear weapon. We haven’t forgotten that, their perfidy or the lack of courage to admit it was their doing.

“This year, they invaded California. We stopped them in Los Angeles. So they switched fronts. Starting this summer, they smashed their way into Texas and New Mexico. They’ve driven deeply into the Midwest. To do it, they needed help. The Chinese bully convinced the South American Federation that America lay supine, ripe for the taking. There is no doubt these two power blocs have caused havoc and immense destruction to our beloved land, but the fight is far from over.

“Due to our diplomacy, we convinced the German Dominion of the danger of remaining an aggressor against us. With the removal of their troops from Cuba, we have been able to shift many formations from the East Coast to here. I know that many of you gentlemen have spent the summer and autumn waiting for those Germans to land. But they’re gone.”

There was some pointed coughing from the audience. Stan saw it came from the Canadian officers, who sat as a bloc. One tall officer had a tattoo on his cheek.

The President noticed the coughing, too. He shifted his stance and regarded the Canadians. “As the price of their withdrawal, the Germans demanded Quebec Province from our staunch ally, Canada. Believe me when I say that such a land grab won’t stand for long. America knows how to help its allies. The Canadian officers among us are a welcome addition to our great objective this winter. In the year to come, we will help you regain Quebec. First, however, we have another task to perform, a task of national honor demanding justice and fierce retribution.”

The President paused and dramatically scanned the audience.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the Canadian and U.S. Armed Forces, Operation Saturn represents our turn to twist the screws on the Aggressors. We have gathered the elite formations of both militaries and pressed them into one awesome force of destruction. Army Group Washington will be composed of three Armies: the U.S. Second Tank Army, the U.S. Ninth Army and the Canadian First Army.”

The President shuffled papers on the podium, glancing at them. When he looked up, he said, “Before I go into detail on your objective, I want you to understand the nature of your task. Operation Saturn will be a two-pronged assault. The first part of the operation is a mass assault against the South American First Front. You will have no part in this. You are the exploitation thrust that will only come after a general offensive meant to shatter a critical section of the SAF forces. Once this has been achieved, I will unleash you upon the Chinese.

“Second Tank Army will lead the attack. In it are the bulk of our cutting-edge armored divisions. This includes the Behemoth tanks that proved so decisive in California. It also includes the new American main battle tank, the MBT-8 Jefferson.”

As the President spoke, various slides appeared on the screen behind him.

Stan saw a Behemoth tank shown from various angles. He now saw the new U.S. Jefferson. It was radically different in appearance from the Behemoth or even the old M1A3 Abrams. The Jefferson was five meters long and 2.4 meters tall, making it the puniest of the MBTs on the battlefield. It had much better high-tech materials than an M1. Like the Behemoth, it had magnetically balanced hydraulic suspension and armored tracks. Unlike the Behemoth, it had inner wheels for highway movement, giving it greater mobility. With its heavy armor, it also had a huge 175mm cannon. It fired rocket-assisted shells: anti-personnel, anti-armor or anti-air. The fire control computer could lock onto targets and direct a six-salvo round in two minutes. It had six Beehive flechette launchers and 25mm autocannons to blast down most incoming enemy missiles or shells. It was a vast improvement to the mainstay but old M1A3.

The President glanced back at the screen before regarding the crowd again.

“It is true we do not yet have the Jefferson MBTs in great number. But there are two divisions of them in Second Tank Army. We have carefully tested and saved them for this moment. Instead of feeding the new MBTs piecemeal into the summer and autumn battles, we wanted a significant number of them to use as a hammer at the right time and place. That time is now and that place is here in Nebraska and Colorado.

“Instead of spreading the Jeffersons around, we’ve gathered the best armor into a mailed fist. That’s the secret to this venture. We have combed our forces for the latest and best formations. You are the cutting edge, gentlemen. It will be up to you to drive to …”

The President peered at them, scanning the crowd as if searching for something special.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the purpose of Operation Saturn is to bring a swift end to the enemy invasion. The Germans thought to bargain with us while we were down so they could drive a hard deal. Very well, I accepted their offer. This was to give us a single objective: hurt the Aggressors in the Midwest hard enough to drive them back into Mexico and end their venture.

“My advisors tell me that the SAF formations have lost their fighting spirit,” Sims said. “For the last several weeks, the SAF troops have fired artillery at our soldiers, but not dared to attack across the Platte River. They’ve become scared. They are the weak sister in the coalition presently directed at us. Therefore, we will overwhelm a portion of their line with a giant offensive, smashing their confidence and sending them reeling back in disarray. Once we achieve that, you will go onto the offensive.

“You will be the spear that tears out the enemy heart. Army Group Washington must sprint to Colorado Springs, reaching the Rockies. By doing this at speed—by making the greatest tank drive in history—you will trap the PAA Third Front in a gigantic cauldron. In order to destroy Third Front, we will have to keep them inside the bag and any enemy breakout attempts from outside.”

The President grinned a predatory smile.

Stan found himself grinning in return.

“That means a twofold operation for you,” Sims said. “The first part, as I’ve said, is to drive to Colorado Springs at great speed, letting nothing slow you down. I’ve already hinted at the second objective. It will be to build two fortified defenses along your deep penetration route. The western defense line—stretching from the Platte River to Colorado Springs—will keep the PAA Third Front captive. The eastern defense stretching the same distance will stop any SAF forces from breaking through and letting the enemy escape the trap.

“If we can do this,” Sims said, “—and I most certainly believe we can—if we can do this, we will have destroyed or captured one-half of the Chinese invasion force. That will cripple the enemy and swiftly bring about his total destruction. As a matter of fact, it will do so before the devious Germans can change their minds and decide to invade our respective countries from Quebec.”

The President reached inside the podium, picking up a glass of water. He drank and set the glass down. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have assembled Army Group Washington with great secrecy and care. As Marshal Liang concentrates on completing the subjection of Greater Denver and attempts to batter into Cheyenne, you will be the tornado that howls down on his head. We’ve waited a long time for this: I mean the turning of the tide of war.”

President Sims paused, studying the audience. “Let me speak very frankly for a moment. Everything depends on your success. If you fail, you might be the last U.S. Army to attack anywhere. We have to knock out the Chinese now, in a blitz of several weeks. You have the means. Hopefully, we have given you enough numbers. My question, gentlemen, is do you have the will and the drive to kick the Chinese in the teeth and boot him out of our country?”

President Sims waited then, watching expectantly.

General Tom McGraw was the first man onto his feet. “We have the will, Mr. President! We have the drive!” McGraw’s words boomed throughout the auditorium.

Stan found himself on his feet as everyone else stood up.

“Yes, Mr. President,” the chamber full of officers said. “We have the will! We have the drive!”

“Good,” Sims said. “It’s good to hear your heart. We have much to do before we unleash Operation Saturn. Therefore, I will give the microphone to General McGraw as he explains the coming attack in greater detail.”

Stan grinned. They were going to attack. They’d saved the Behemoths for the most important battle yet. He was going to get a chance to reach his son.

Is Jake still alive in Denver? Boy, you’d better have stayed alive. You—

Colonel Higgins pushed the thought aside. He had to concentrate. He had to listen to McGraw. If his boy still lived, this drive was going to save him.

Nothing is going to stand in my way—nothing!

REAR EDGE OF THE BATTLE AREA, NEBRASKA

It was the second day of the offensive against the SAF formations across the Platte River Line. The particular South American Federation soldiers around here were Venezuelans, junior partners with the dominant Brazilians.

Master Sergeant Paul Kavanagh, Romo and Sergeant Kline lay on a low, icy hilltop well behind the main enemy defense.

Paul wore cold-weather gear, as did his two companions. The gear was camouflaged white, and included a helmet with a special HUD visor allowing night vision and binocular sight. The rest was composed of body armor and an internal heater. It allowed him to lay on snow or ice for hours without freezing.

It was nearly dawn in this winter netherworld. Temperatures fell far below freezing and it was only supposed to get worse. It reminded Paul of Alaska and his trek across the Arctic ice. He wondered what had ever happened to John Red Cloud.

Paul shook his head. He needed to focus on the present. With this visor, he didn’t need binoculars, because with the proper move of his chin, he switched the HUD’s range-sight.

To the north, giant U.S. artillery tubes thundered. They created mighty flashes of light that reflected off the low clouds. Paul heard the accompanying booms much later. Those guns were miles away. The barrage was unending, and the artillery rained many varieties of munitions on the shocked Venezuelans.

“They don’t have these kinds of fireworks in Caracas,” Romo said.

“I guess not,” Paul said.

They were back to their old game of LRS—Long Range Surveillance. Instead of cross-country motorcycles, now they had snowmobiles. That reminded Paul of Alaska, too. He remembered the Green Berets on their snowmobiles, the ones from the submarine that had popped up out of the ice. What had ever happened to them? It was strange he’d never run across them in SOCOM. He’d have to ask General Ochoa about that. Not that Ochoa spoke to him much anymore, not since the little run-in with Colonel Valdez.

“Look,” Romo said. “I see movement.”

“Where?” asked Kline. He was the new guy.

“Six-three-six,” Romo said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Paul noticed Kline shift his helmet.

“What is that?” Kline asked.

Paul moved his jaw. This suit had taken getting used to, that’s for sure. He had to shift his jaw slightly to the left. Ah, there it was.

The visor zoomed the night-vision picture. Paul squinted. He couldn’t believe it.

“Looks like soldiers,” Romo said.

Paul grunted. That’s what he thought, too. He saw South American soldiers running across the snow, hundreds of them, many thousands of poor slobs. They weren’t running north at the American lines, but south, fleeing from the defenders.

He’d read some reports on the Venezuelans. They were warm-weather soldiers and had done well this summer. Likely, none of them had ever faced a winter like this. Maybe as importantly, Venezuelans didn’t feel the same about the war as the imperialistic Brazilians. Venezuelan hearts weren’t in the fight, and that made a huge difference sitting in a trench in the middle of America during an Ice Age storm and a violent assault by troops burning for serious payback.

“I don’t get it,” Kline said. “Who are those other soldiers attacking?”

In silence, Paul watched the dark horde. He had listened to the SOCOM captain during the briefing session. This was Operation Saturn. Of course, Paul had noticed the build-up of American troops for weeks. This part of the American defenses had crawled with new troops: Militiamen, Canadians, East Coast regulars and the hardened veterans of the earlier Midwestern battles.

“Those soldiers out there,” Paul said, “they’re not attacking.” Those boys were running away. As he scanned back and forth, Paul couldn’t spot a gun on them.

“They’re running away?” Kline asked.

Romo chuckled.

“Did I say something stupid?” Kline asked. He had a chip on his shoulder and was too aggressive. It seemed to Paul that Romo liked needling the new man.

“Our assault troops must have hit them pretty hard,” Paul said. “Maybe it’s our new Sleeper mines. They must be better than we were told.”

“The Venezuelans are coming our way,” Kline said, and for once, he sounded nervous.

Paul was well aware of where the enemy soldiers ran. The three of them were up on this small knoll behind enemy lines. This part of Nebraska didn’t have any real hills and nothing like the Rockies. At the bottom of the hill to the south were hidden three white snowmobiles with plenty of gas and other supplies.

“Don’t worry,” Paul said. “They’re not going to run all the way here. They’ll fall down from exhaustion long before that.”

Sergeant Kline swore soon after. “I don’t believe this. They just keep on coming. It looks as if the whole land is moving. There must be thousands, tens of thousands of them running away, which means running toward us.”

Paul silently agreed. What had caused this? Had it been the new Sleeper mines? They were deadly landmines fired into position by artillery tubes. Or had the Venezuelans buckled in the face of the assault troops launched across the ice? Before he left on this mission, Paul had seen the massed artillery. In his opinion, the government must have robbed every other park and site to put so many guns in one place. He actually pitied the poor slobs down there. He had listened in to some SOCOM chatter. The Venezuelans were sick of the cold and getting worried about reports of massing North Americans. Probably those boys sprinting across the snow just wanted to go home to their sweat señoritas.

“We need to call down an air strike,” Kline said. “This is the perfect moment to hit them.”

Paul didn’t say anything to that. He watched the masses of men running away from the flashes on the horizon. The enemy soldiers were doing a bunk, all right. Let them run, was his feeling.

“He is right,” Romo told Paul.

“Yeah?” asked Paul.

“They are scared now,” Romo said, “and out in the open. In time, they will regain their courage and their sanity. Now they are easy targets for a napalm strike.”

Paul stared at Romo. Like him, the man lay chest-first on the snow, looking like a white-armored version of the old Iron Man movies. Paul could well imagine Romo lifting a palm and firing a magnetic repulser ray. With these suit heaters, they could lie in the snow all day. Too bad they couldn’t fly.

“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a cold-hearted bastard?” Paul asked his friend.

“I have heard it said, yes,” Romo replied.

Paul had a bad taste in his mouth. Despite that, he knew Romo was right. With his suit, he radioed in to SOCOM HQ. He told them what he saw and requested an air strike.

“Can you pinpoint their location?” the operator asked.

“Yes,” Paul said, feeling even more dispirited than before.

Romo had his laser rangefinder and locator out. He aimed it at the mass of running soldiers and fired an invisible beam.

“We have target acquisition,” the operator said. “The drones will be in position in three minutes.”

Paul muttered a reply, and then he waited.

“Do not feel bad,” Romo told him. “Those soldiers running down there, they raped your women and killed civilians this summer. If you let them live, they will do it again later. The time to kill a wolf is when he is running away, not when he is full of fight.”

Paul thought about the little girl with red shoes hanging from a tree. Venezuelans might have done that.

“War’s a dirty business,” he said.

“We are good at it,” Romo said. “It is why we see so many evil things. Others in our position, they would be dead by now.”

“I guess so,” Paul said.

“What’s wrong with you?” Kline asked. “This is our job.”

Paul didn’t answer as he waited for the inevitable. A few minutes later, American heavy drones appeared. They roared low over the fleeing soldiers.

Paul could swear he heard groans, the mass sound of frightened men looking up at their doom.

Napalm canisters tumbled from the bellies of the fast-flying drones. The canisters hit the snow and sheets of flame appeared, roaring into life. The napalm roasted hundreds. More canisters tumbled toward the fleeing and now screaming mass of humanity.

Paul watched the slaughter. He didn’t know if they were conscripts or volunteers. The Brazilians ran the show in the South American Federation. The Venezuelan soldiers down there were paying for Brazilian misdeeds. They were paying the butcher’s bill in roasted flesh.

The napalm fires roared across the plain. Thousands of twisting, flopping humans became living torches. It was nauseating, but Paul supposed Romo was right. The sooner they killed enough enemies, the sooner this war would be over. What did it matter how it happened?

Maybe my time for soldiering is up. I want to defend my country, sure. I don’t want to butcher fellow human beings like this anymore, though.

“Let’s go,” Paul said, as he climbed to his feet.

On the formerly snowy plains in the distance, the napalm fires raged unchecked. Black smoke billowed skyward. Was Romo right? Had those same soldiers butchered innocent American civilians?

Yeah, he’s right. I have to believe it. He has to be for them to deserve that.

Paul left deep tracks in the snow. These suits were great except for one thing: they were heavy. Heavy wasn’t good for wading through snowdrifts.

Soon enough, Paul climbed onto his snowmobile and used a gloved thumb on the starter. The engine turned over and revved into life.

“You guys ready?” he asked over the radio.

Two positive answers sounded in his helmet. Paul twisted the throttle and the small machine lurched forward. He listened to it whine as he plowed through this lonely land. There were folds in the terrain and hidden rivers and gullies. He kept it at fifteen miles per hour. That was slow going, but at night like this, it made sense to be careful. They kept the headlights off and used their night vision visors.

After two miles, Romo spoke. “Where’s Kline?”

Paul glanced back. A glimmer of dawn broke on the eastern horizon. The American guns still flashed and boomed to the north. He saw Romo on his snowmobile, but there was no sign of Sergeant Kline.

“What happened to him?” Paul asked.

Romo shook his head.

“Sergeant Kline,” Paul said over the radio. He didn’t get an answer. “We can’t leave him out here.”

“Si,” Romo said.

Paul twisted the throttle and turned around. In the glimmer of dawn, they backtracked. A half mile later, they found him. Kline had strayed off the path following Paul and Romo. That was against regulations. They went single file so the enemy wouldn’t know how many of them were out there. Kline hadn’t gone too wide, but wide enough.

The soldier lay at the bottom of a gully. His machine had broken through a crust of snow hiding a narrow ravine. The sergeant lay on his stomach at the bottom with his head through some ice.

With a sick feeling, Paul climbed down the ravine. He slipped and slid, bumping his way down until his heavy boots cracked through the ice and hit underwater rocks.

He cursed, and he dragged Kline out of the icy stream. He unbuckled the helmet. Water flowed out as he removed it.

“How is he?” Romo asked from the upper bank.

Paul took off his helmet. It was freezing down here in the shadows of the gully. He checked for broken bones. The neck seemed good, but the man didn’t breathe.

Paul gave him mouth to mouth. He unsnapped the man’s body armor, pushed on the chest and hammered against the heart with his fist. Nothing helped. Sergeant Kline was dead. He must have drowned to death.

“What a stupid way to die,” Romo said.

Paul glared up at his blood bother. Would Romo have preferred to burn to death like the unlucky Venezuelans?

“Help me carry him to my machine,” Paul said.

Romo took his time answering.

“I don’t know how the Apaches did it,” Paul said, “but we’re not leaving his corpse for the enemy.”

“No,” Romo said. “You are right.”

It took work, and Paul panted by the time he reached his snowmobile. He tied the body to the back. What a worthless war. The Chinese, the Brazilians and their proxies—they should have all stayed home.

“You know what I think,” Paul said.

“Only some of the time,” Romo said.

“We have to make it hard and bloody and show everyone you don’t mess with the United States of America. This was a stupid way to die. You were right about that.”

“You are glad now we burned the Venezuelans?”

Paul stared north. “I didn’t start this war. All I know is that I’m going to do whatever it takes to finish it.”

“Si,” Romo said. “We will finish it.”

The two men roared away on their snowmobiles, heading for the pickup point.

NORTHEASTERN EDGE OF THE STATE, COLORADO

Colonel Higgins sat in the commander’s seat of his Behemoth tank. Computer screens faced him on three sides. A soft blue light glowed in the compartment. Outside, snow swirled, reducing visibility but doing nothing to slow the assault.

It was the third day of the great attack when Army Group Washington made its move. A screen of M2 Bradleys led the way, followed by M1A3 Abrams tanks. Stan followed them by a kilometer.

In this, General McGraw and Stan had agreed. Hit the Chinese hard from the beginning. Annihilate them fast with the Behemoths, with everything new that America possessed.

The giant tank churned over the flat, frozen landscape. This was the perfect territory to use the rail-guns. Almost, Stan felt pity for any Chinese tankers daring to take him on now.

“I’m going up,” Stan told the others.

Jose made a show of shivering.

Stan understood. None of the crew liked it when he opened the hatch. Cold air seeped down through the opening, stealing all the carefully built up warmth in the compartment. Despite the understanding, Stan had a duty to the Regiment. He could see a lot with his computer screens, but sometimes, he needed to see a thing with his own eyes.

He stood, shoved a woolen hat on his head so it covered his ears. He wrapped a scarf around his neck and zipped his coat all the way. Only then did he open the hatch and thrust his head and shoulders into the snowstorm.

Shivering from a blast of icy air, Stan hastily put on goggles. It was crazy out here, a real Arctic blizzard. Ominous gray clouds scudded low across the sky, while snow swirled all around. Behind him, he saw the giant, looming shapes of other Behemoth tanks. Visibility was practically zero. That didn’t matter. Now was the time to catch the Chinese, hopefully, by surprise.

Stan forced himself to stay up here out in the open, to feel the cold. This cold was an ally. They might gain a march on the enemy and hit the Chinese before they knew what was happening. Hit hard, hit from the start and gain as much ground as possible while the enemy was surprised.

Finally, Stan couldn’t take the freezing anymore. He slid inside and banged the hatch shut behind him. The heaters poured warmth out of the vents. He put his face in front of one and let it thaw him out.

“I have a message for you, Colonel,” Jose said.

Stan moved to his commander’s seat and put on a pair of headphones. “Colonel Higgins, here,” he said.

“Stan, this is Tom McGraw.”

“General,” Stan replied, waiting.

“SOCOM has some information for you. There are two divisions of T-66s heading to block your passage.”

“How did the Chinese find out we’re here?” Stan asked.

“I’m sure we’re not the only side with ground-based observers,” McGraw said.

“T-66s you said?” Stan asked.

“That’s right. Maybe the Chinese think they can slip those monsters in close and blast your tanks at close range. It’s the 14th and 92nd Armored Divisions. Those are top-notch formations, Colonel. Intelligence believes they have three hundred T-66s, and plenty of artillery.”

Stan tapped one of his screens.

“Speak to me, Colonel,” McGraw said. “Can your rail-guns fire at extreme range in this weather?”

“Clear weather would be better,” Stan said.

“I hope you’re not avoiding the issue, Colonel.”

“No sir,” Stan said. He’d just looked outside. Clearly, this wasn’t long-range weather.

“We want to keep the drive alive,” McGraw said. “We don’t want to stop for anything. You have a lot of ground to cover before you reach Colorado Springs.”

“Understood, General,” Stan said. “Hit hard and hit fast.”

“We also want to keep your tanks around for the duration,” McGraw said.

“Do you know how far the Chinese divisions are from us?” Stan asked.

“Less than twelve miles,” McGraw said. “The Chinese have reacted fast to our penetration.”

Stan’s gut tightened. Why can’t it be easy for once? In clear weather, he could have already engaged and destroyed these T-66s. The enemy was already too close, and that was due to the blizzard.

“General, it’s time to ram this attack down their throats. I’m want the forward units—”

“The Bradleys?” asked McGraw.

“Yes sir,” Stan said. “I want them to remain in position ahead of us. They’re going to spot for me.”

“You believe the Chinese will expect you to back off?”

“I think anyone would back off in this weather,” Stan said. “Sane people wouldn’t be out trying to march in a blizzard, let alone fight. We’re going to have to trust our thermal sights and radar tracking.”

“God help you,” McGraw said.

“Yes, I hope He does, sir.”

“And good luck, Professor. Kill them all.”

That’s exactly what Stan planned to do.

GRID NINE-FIVE-EIGHT, COLORADO

First Rank Wang shivered uncontrollably. He commanded T-66 Number Two of Eighth Troop. His was the last tri-turreted tank in the unit. Originally, there had been three.

Months of war and countless hundreds of miles advancing had worn down his great machine. One turret didn’t work anymore. The tracks needed changing again and the crew was dog-tired. Worse by far, the main heating unit didn’t work. It meant the tank was an icebox inside.

As he sat in his commander’s chair, Wang wore a winter parka and a woolen ski mask. His breath puffed white and the controls were freezing to the touch. Putting on a pair of goggles, he poked his head outside the main turret. Snow swirled in a vast sheet of blindness.

He’d never seen it like this. This was real Ice Age weather. He glanced around. Other T-66s plowed into the shrieking wind. To Wang, it almost seemed as if the one hundred ton tanks leaned into the storm.

It was crazy to fight in this kind of weather. They’d been moving to intercept American tankers. He found it difficult to believe the Americans drove south to attack now. For months, they had retreated before Chinese might. Sometimes, a few of the braver Americans fought their tanks. Each time the Americans did so, they died uselessly. Most of the time the Americans ran away. First Rank Wang was used to Americans running away.

He could well understand why. The T-66 possessed two hundred centimeters of Tai composite armor in front. Normally, such a tank had three turrets and three cannons. Each could traverse 180 degrees and each had a huge, 175mm smoothbore gun. They fired hypervelocity rocket-assisted shells against enemy tanks, and HEAT rounds for lesser targets. Six 30mm auto-cannons and twenty beehive flechette defenders made the tank sudden death for any infantryman out in the open. Linked with the defense radar net, the massed T-66s could knock down or deflect most enemy shells. The main gun tubes could also fire Red Arrow anti-air rounds, making it a deadly proposition for attack craft trying to take it on. The tank had a magnetically balanced hydraulic suspension, so Wang’s gunners could fire with astounding accuracy while moving at top speed.

It’s true the Americans had a better tank in the Behemoth. But better was a relative term. China fielded thousands of T-66s. Three tri-turreted tanks were a match for one Behemoth, he believed. Army Intelligence said the Americans only possessed one hundred of their supposedly better tank.

Despite the terrible weather, Wang grinned. Americans could fight stubbornly behind buildings and while in trenches. But in his experience, he’d learned that Americans could not fight out in the open. There, they died. It’s why the Americans had been retreating for months on end.

“First Rank,” the radar specialist called.

Wang could hardly hear the man. He pulled his head in. Everyone wore gloves or mittens and great bundled garments. Their cold breath threatened to fog the gauges. They needed to get the heater fixed. That was even more important than getting the broken turret repaired. How could a soldier fight if his teeth were chattering all the time?

“What’s the problem?” Wang asked.

“HQ says Behemoth tanks are out there,” the specialist said.

It took Wang a moment to decipher what that meant. “The Behemoths from California?” he asked.

The radar specialist nodded. “The general has ordered us to attack.”

Once more, Wang grinned. The general always ordered them to attack. So far, except for a few bitter fights, they had overrun everyone brave enough to face the T-66s.

“The general said this is the perfect condition to take on those beasts,” the specialists said. “They are fancy, long-range fighters who fear to come face to face with us.”

“Do you have coordinates for the Americans?” Wang asked.

The specialist handed him a paper with scribbles on it.

Wang studied the paper a moment. “It’s time to wake up!” he shouted to the others. “Eat your favorite food and relive yourself. We’re racing to kill these American heroes.”

“Heroes?” the Soldier Rank driver asked.

“They dare to face us in the open,” Wang said. “The last American heroes to do that are all dead or in the POW cages.”

“These are the Behemoths,” the driver said.

Behind his woolen mask, Wang sneered. “They can’t be that good, or the Americans would have used the Behemoths by now. These Americans can never get it right. The Behemoths are long-range fighters and now we’re facing them in a blizzard. That’s the right weather for us.”

“If only our heater worked,” the driver complained.

“No malingering in my tank,” Wang said. “I want to personally destroy two of these giant tanks. That will gain us a prize from the General. And you know what I’ll ask for?”

“That they fix our third turret?” the radar specialist asked.

“No!” Wang shouted. “That the mechanics fix our heater. That’s why we’re fighting today: for a new heater.”

The crew glanced at each other and began to nod.

“Let’s kill these Behemoths,” Wang said.

The crew cheered.

NORTHEASTERN EDGE, COLORADO

Stan didn’t do anything fancy. This was the Great Plains. It was flat terrain. He spread out his eighteen Behemoths in a long line.

He climbed out the hatch. He could barely make out the Behemoths on either side of him. The howling had stopped, so he heard the rattle and clank of the treads. Around him, the snow fell with great big flakes.

“Stan!” Jose shouted from within the compartment.

Stan shut the hatch and sat in his commander’s chair. Despite the magnetic hydraulics, the great vehicle lurched as it lumbered across a dip in the terrain.

“What’s all the shouting about?” Stan asked.

“Fred Larch’s Bradleys have T-66s on their radar,” Jose said. “He’s pretty nervous exposed out in the front like that. If the snow clears, he’s dead. He said he doesn’t t know how long he’ll be able to keep his location.”

Stan began tapping the information onto the various screens. This fight was going to be by radar. Visuals and thermals would be better, but in this weather, one had to take what he could get. Picking up his microphone, he began giving orders to the various crews.

In less than two minutes, the Behemoths were ready for battle.

“Here we go,” Stan said to his own crew. “I don’t know how the falling snow will affect our penetrators, but we’re about to find out. Fortunately, the wind has mostly died down.”

The engine revved to provide extra power. They would need every volt to supply the energy to fire the rail-gun.

Four and a half miles away, the lead elements of the Pan-Asian Alliance 14th Division came into Fred Larch’s Bradleys’ radar range.

Stan picked up his microphone to speak to all the Behemoth commanders. “Those are T-66s, gentlemen. If we knock them out—these two armored divisions—the Chinese don’t have anything else near that can possibly face us.”

Stan nodded to the gunner. The man fed the Bradley-gained data into the targeting AI.

“Fire,” Stan said softly.

A fierce surge shook the tank as the penetrator left the cannon three times faster than a speeding bullet. It burned through the air at Mach 10, a lethal round aimed at a distant, tri-turreted tank.

Stan watched his screen, watching by radar. The round hit the T-66. The one hundred ton tank stopped dead in its tracks. Slowly, it toppled onto its right side. That’s what he wanted to see. They could hit the enemy in this weather—beautiful.

“Fire at will,” Stan said into his microphone.

In the heavily falling snow, the eighteen Behemoth tanks—the ones spread out in a line—began to do exactly that.

GRID NINE-FIVE-EIGHT, COLORADO

First Rank Wang’s eyes were huge and staring in his ski mask. Like a frightened gopher, he had his head outside the hatch of his T-66. Snow fell around him in big flakes, wet and heavy. Through the dampening snow, he heard another sickening clang. It was like a devil beating a beastly gong, like evil thunder. Something unseen exploded mightily. A second later, he witnessed the craziest, most surreal thing. It appeared as a hazy shape first. Then Wang realized what he saw: a turret doing cartwheels before his tank, rolling and rolling. It pin-wheeled back into the falling snow and became hazy again and then it disappeared. A moment later, he heard a great thud on the frozen ground.

Wang had never seen something like that at close range. The Behemoths—the Americans monsters—were living up to their terrible legend.

“Fire!” Wang shouted.

“I don’t have a target,” the gunner shouted up.

“Fire anyway!” Wang roared.

He hated the waiting. There was flash of something to his right. He spied a burn of light through the falling snow. The burning thing hissed overhead. He waited, but there wasn’t a clang to tell him this enemy round had hit.

Was that for us? Have they targeted my T-66?

For the first time during the war, First Rank Wang wanted to flee the battleground.

“First Rank!” the radar specialist shouted. “There are…American Bradleys to our left.”

“Turn the cannons on them!” Wang screamed. “We must hit back. We must—”

Wang heard a shriek of noise. It sounded like death calling. Then a shock of tremendous force struck the tank. Wang’s eyes opened even wider than earlier. He felt the heat first. Then a shock wave and then a sensation like fire blew him out of the turret. He flew into the air, and he had the rare privilege of seeing his tank explode beneath him. Flames belched from the cannons. One tongue of fire flickered wildly. He knew those didn’t come because they shot at someone. No, they were pure flames because of the destruction of his tank and crew inside the compartments.

The Americans are finally fighting back. He had time to think that as he flew through the air. Then he became aware of something wrong with his legs. He looked down and saw that he lacked trousers. They had burned off. He tumbled down and struck the frozen ground hard enough to snap his neck.

The great Chinese invasion of the United States of America ended that moment for First Rank Wang. He had known months of victory and months of advance. Now, he was dead, just another corpse in the falling snow.

THIRD FRONT HQ, COLORADO

Four days after the start of what everyone now realized was an American offensive, Marshal Liang had lost his icy calm, his legendary steadiness. He did not pace, even though he itched to walk up and down in his study. He could control that urge. The giveaway was a tic in his left eye. It twitched from time to time. He could do nothing to stop it, and it shamed him.

He stood with General Ping around a computer map. Outside the closed door, they heard officers arguing in the command center. Ping glanced at him too much lately, but Liang refused to say anything about it. Instead, he concentrated on the map, trying to derive an insight that would allow him to deal with the new situation constructively.

The last few weeks had been frustrating enough. Army Group A controlled ninety percent of the Front Range Urban Corridor. He had toured the shattered Behemoth Manufacturing Plant in Denver. The plant was smaller than he had envisioned, and there was nothing mass-production about it. He hadn’t sent the specific information on that to Chairman Hong yet because he feared the man’s reaction to the news. It was the one piece of good news, however. It meant the Americans owned fewer Behemoths than he had envisioned. The enemy already had too many of those amazing tanks.

As he thought about the Behemoths, Liang’s left eye quivered. He wanted to clamp a hand over it and make the tic stop. He glanced at Ping, but the general didn’t look up. Did Ping know the orb twitched? Is that why he studiously kept his head down?

Enough! I have more to worry about than a twitching eye.

Army Group A controlled ninety percent of Greater Denver, but the remaining Americans in the pocket still hung on. The few American prisoners were grimy to a man. Every one of them had filthy, worn clothes and gaunt, staring faces. How the remaining soldiers found the energy to keep fighting, Liang didn’t understand. He had finally prevented the American airdrops to them. His fighters and particularly the MC ABMs had made it too costly for the Americans to attempt any more dropping of supplies to the trapped soldiers.

That interdiction had been achieved seven days ago now. The remaining enemy in Denver was like a pack of rats living in the rubble and ruins. He didn’t really care about them now. The cost to take the metropolitan area had been staggering in numbers and time. He had squandered a full month—five and a half weeks actually. Worse, at Hong’s orders, he’d fed an inordinate number of troops into the urban furnace to achieve the victory. And for what: that pathetically small manufacturing plant?

Now, he withdrew vital units from Denver and the surrounding towns. He pulled tanks and hovercraft from Army Group B, which had reached Cheyenne and taken it. Yes, they had taken the city in time for the Americans to attack.

Where have the Americans gotten all these extra soldiers?

He knew part of the answer. It was so galling. Chairman Hong had fallen for a sly European trick.

“The Germans betrayed us,” Liang said.

“That is true,” Ping said. “Yet strategically, I can understand their thinking.”

Liang’s left eye twitched again. Ping could speak calmly. It wasn’t his head on the chopping block. Chairman Hong hadn’t berated him for allowing the catastrophe to occur.

As if I was the one who ordered Army Group A into Denver. But even that misses the point.

“We miscalculated concerning the American reserves,” Liang said. He shook his head. “We needed to crush the Americans at the very beginning. We made them bleed, but we needed to kill their Army. It survived long enough to regroup because of the treacherous mud.”

Ping looked up. He appeared stupefied with the last statement, with his enlarged eyes staring through thick and distorting lenses.

Liang managed a brief smile. Didn’t Ping see? Didn’t the Chief of Staff understand? Am I the only one who knows what this enemy offensive means? It’s the end of our grand adventure. We miscalculated, thinking the Americans a weak and beaten people. That was the real mistake.

“The Brazilians are regrouping,” Ping said. “They’re gathering their best armor divisions for a counterattack. Soon, together with us, they will nip these American penetrations and crush their formations. Afterward, we will resume the offensive.”

“You can say this after the destruction of our two armored divisions?”

“They were a stopgap measure,” Ping said. “We did not yet realize the magnitude of the enemy offensive. Now that we know, we will take the necessary steps to crush them.”

Liang looked away. His Chief of Staff spoke for the recordings now. Had it gone this far then? Where their heads already on the chopping block?

Liang focused on the map. Army Group A was embroiled in Denver and Army Group B engaged in and around Cheyenne. The savage fighting in Denver had whittled down too many divisions, bleeding them white. In Cheyenne and the surrounding territory, the problem was quite different. The Americans facing them pressed forward, keeping up the pressure. Any rearward movement in mass might collapse the entire front. That would bring about a disaster during the middle of a grim American winter.

“Zhen’s Tank Army—” Ping said.

“Yes, we must use the Tank Army,” Liang said, interrupting his Chief of Staff. He would have to withdraw Zhen’s forces from the northern front and rush infantry divisions into their place. He needed to fortify the north front in and around Cheyenne, putting Army Group B on the defensive.

“Here is my quandary,” Liang said. He’d been thinking about the problem for hours already—no, longer, in fact.

The enemy had shattered the South Americans nearest Third Front. Weak Venezuelan corps had fled en masse, a large majority dying on the open snow. The Americans had been merciless. Worse for the Venezuelans, it had been a most disgraceful way to perish.

The loss of those corps had created a large gap in the SAF Front. Field Marshal Sanchez rushed new units there, but the Americans had driven a wide gap between the PAA Third Front and the SAF First Front: it included northeastern Colorado and the bottom, southwestern Nebraska. Through the gap raced an American Tank Army of tremendous hitting power. It swept everything before it, crushing the 14th and 92nd Armor Divisions, two excellent tank formations. They were gone now, destroyed during a snowstorm.

Liang had wanted the two divisions to buy him time. They should have done so. They should have been able to halt the American advance for at least a day or two. Instead, they’d vanished in a hail of unprecedented American firepower. It was simply incredible these two armor divisions were gone. The Behemoths had done it, and the new Jefferson MBT-8s.

One thing he’d learned. The T-66s could match the Jeffersons. They could not face the Behemoths, though. The Behemoth was three times bigger and could fire its shell three times farther. Most of the time, T-66 shells bounced off a Behemoth. The Behemoth shells left smoking holes every time.

Liang had already recalculated. He must hit the flank of this drive—hit where there were no Behemoths. He’d do it with massed hovertanks, the perfect raiding vehicles. The Americans had Behemoths, but they advanced south as if flank protection didn’t matter. It did, and would. He would show them how much. The problem was one of timing.

“My quandary is picking the right time to make a second attack,” Liang told Ping. “Should I wait for the Brazilians and coordinate our strike? If I wait, the Americans might get too far, and they might throw trench-works into place. How long will they drive without bothering with their flanks? Not for long, would be my guess. Now they are mobile and aggressive. Now—or in three days, to be more exact—I can mass Zhen’s Tank Army to engage them. The Brazilians will take longer to get ready. If I fight the Americans alone, I may be allowing the enemy to engage our two forces one at a time instead of smothering them with an overwhelming assault.”

Ping nodded, saying, “It is hard to choose the right decision.”

Liang’s left eye twitched. Damn Ping. The Chief of Staff wasn’t committing. It was a hard decision. This is why they made you a Marshal, Liang. You’re the one who has to decide this. Don’t fob it off onto someone else.

This time, Liang was wrong about having a choice. A half hour later, Hong took the matter out of his hands.

There came a knock at the door. Liang opened it and regarded a worried aide.

“Sir,” the aide said, “Chairman Hong is calling.”

Liang’s left eye grew worse. He closed the door and put his hand on the eye, stilling its involuntary motion. “Sit down to the side and out of sight,” he told Ping. “I want you to hear this.”

Nervously, Ping did as ordered.

Soon, Liang greeted Hong on the screen. “This is an honor, sir.”

“This is a worsening disaster,” Hong grumbled. “The Americans keep driving deeper south. The untrustworthy Germans have caused this mess. If they had invaded the Eastern Coast as planned, we would be crushing the Americans. Now the Americans have regrouped and attacked. Marshal Wu has explained the situation to me in greater detail last night. The Americans drive a wedge between our fronts. It is very clever. They appear to be headed for Denver.”

“I agree,” Liang said.

“You will stop them, Marshal. You must stop them now before they ruin our winter campaign.”

“Leader, I am busy pulling back Zhen’s Tank Army from the frontages near Cheyenne. It will take three days to get them into position. I want to hit the Americans with my full force then, using massed T-66s and hovertanks.”

“No. Three days is too long,” Hong said. “You will gather what you have and do it in two days.”

Liang took a careful breath. The Leader was too impulsive. Didn’t the man realize…?

“Leader, the Americans have caught us by surprise. They must have planned this with great care. Our main forces are engaged elsewhere too deeply for us to simply withdrawal them. I ask for three days to gather my forces. A Tank Army is not a division, sir. It takes time to—”

“Do not think you can lecture me on military tactics,” Hong said angrily. Surprisingly, he checked himself a moment later. He turned away.

Liang waited, uncomfortable with the Chairman’s unpredictable behavior.

Hong faced the screen, regarding him. “You may have a point. Sixty hours, and you must launch a killing counter-offensive.”

The Chairman’s unexpected reasonableness—meeting him halfway—emboldened Liang. He knew how he wanted to do this. Perhaps this was the moment to take a chance with Hong. The American attack seemed to have shaken the Chairman’s usual confidence. The sudden loss of two armored divisions had apparently made the Leader more reasonable. Good for Marshal Wu—I wonder what he told Hong last night?

“Sir,” Liang said. “I wonder if it might be better to wait until the Brazilians are ready to strike from the other flank with us. If we coordinate this attack—”

“The Brazilians?” asked Hong. “Did I hear you correctly? We are in this dilemma because the Brazilians couldn’t defend their own front. You will not wait for anyone. You will destroy these American hotheads. I tell you, they have scraped the bottom of the barrel and put the last East Coast troops there. If you strike them hard, they will shatter. All that bolsters them are these Behemoths. Destroy them, and their game is over.”

Liang heard the Chairman’s bitterness. He also calculated the time and routes of travel. Zhen was a brilliant tank general. He had a rare gift for moving armor. Sixty hours…yes, he could be ready to start the counterattack by then. But it would be so much better to mass with the Brazilians. There had to be a way to make the Chairman see reason. He had to use the man’s own thinking against him.

“Leader,” Liang said, “I think the Americans have become too bold.”

“Explain that.”

“Sir, you’re right about their scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of manpower. To amass so many tanks in one location, they must have striped other fronts to do it. If we engage them in a fierce tank contest, our T-66s and hovertanks will chew them to death in a vast battle of annihilation. I will use air to help kill the Behemoths. We will take losses. The battle yesterday taught us that. But we can resupply our Army faster with new tanks than the Americans can with their side. Now if we—”

“See to the counterattack,” Hong said. “Destroy this American Tank Army and kill those Behemoths. I do not want to hear of another Chinese defeat like yesterday. The Brazilians will mop up once you’re done. They’re always late to a battlefield. So you cannot count on them until after you’ve won.”

Hong appeared thoughtful. “The enemy has gathered his final strength and come out in the open. The Behemoths being here show us this is their last throw of the dice of Fate. They no longer hide behind their cowardly defenses. Yes, I am glad to see you’ve regained heart. Once again, I have bolstered one of my wavering marshals. Do your duty, Liang, and I will reward you handsomely. Fail me like the tank generals did yesterday, and your end with be a bitter one.”

Liang despised threats. He was a professional and he would do his best because that’s what he was. The threat was all too real, however.

On the face of it, the American attack looked like a disaster for China. But some hard and clever fighting might well turn everything around again. Perhaps the Chairman had a point. Despite their Behemoths, the Americans were taking a grave risk. They had come out of their defenses to strike. Now was the time to spring traps on them and destroy their Behemoths and operational mobility.

“I hear and obey, Leader,” Liang said.

“I await the coming victory with anticipation,” Hong said. “See that you do not disappoint me.”

With that, the screen went blank.

Liang didn’t waste a moment. He picked up a phone and called General Zhen so they could begin making plans. He had one ace card, one secret to use against the Americans. The enemy had their Behemoths. He had the MC ABMs. It was time to begin moving them into position.

-11-

Counterattack

NORTHEASTERN FLANK, COLORADO

The stars shone brightly as Master Sergeant Kavanagh and Romo patrolled the western flank of Army Group Washington.

There were Militia and Regular Army infantry divisions slogging to close the gap of the advancing tanks. The foot soldiers would build defenses to keep the PAA Third Front surrounded, but the trap hadn’t shut yet and that made the deep-driving units vulnerable.

Paul and Romo moved slowly on their snowmobiles, the front skis sliding over ice crystals, leaving a furrow behind them. Each man scanned the western flatlands. They used their night-vision visors switched to long-range scan. For Paul, it was an endless wasteland where little moved, a frozen land supinely accepting the Arctic cold. Each snowmobile pulled a sled, the skis hissing over the white powder. The attachments carried an abundance of ordnance and survival equipment.

Paul and Romo were part of a larger effort to provide coverage against PAA counterattacks. The Chinese had grown cunning. They used hovertanks and UAVs against the Americans’ growing logistical tail. Each day the rear area lengthened, stretching back to the Platte River Line.

The American Second Tank Army spearheaded the advance toward Colorado Springs. The lead units had already covered an incredible two hundred miles, half the distance there. Behind Second Tank Army followed Ninth Army and then the Canadian First Army. Trucks, oil tankers and haulers crisscrossed back and forth, bringing up badly needed supplies. The fighting had been stiff in places, the use of U.S. munitions prodigious. Despite the around-the-clock effort, the ground haulers weren’t enough. The Army Group used an inordinate number of air transports, bringing fuel to thirsty tanks.

Lately, the Chinese pinprick counterattacks had increased. They sent hovertank companies, sometimes battalions. The objective was simple: destroy supply dumps and transport vehicles. If the enemy could drain away enough gas and munitions, the drive to Colorado Springs would dry up of its own accord without any major combat. That would also strand Army Group Washington out in the open for the Chinese to slice and dice at will.

Paul and Romo were only part of the side guard. Helicopters and AWACS patrolled the lengthening flank. Drones and bombers waited in the air with Hellfire III missiles. The air assets swooped out of the night sky, bringing vengeance against the Chinese raiders. Various LRSU units, together with Marine Recon and other elite soldiers, formed an early warning line thrown out like a net to catch the elusive Chinese.

The enemy hovertanks acted like ancient Scythians or Great Plains Indians. They raided, using their mobility to flee the strong and their cannons to destroy the weak: in this instance, supply vehicles or supply and fuel dumps.

Paul swayed on his snowmobile, half-asleep from endless days and nights of patrolling. His suit’s heater had been malfunctioning lately, shutting off at the oddest times. He needed to see a tech about it, but hadn’t been back to base for some time.

“To your right,” Romo said, the words reverberating in Paul’s helmet. “We’d better stop,” the former assassin added.

Paul took his hand off the throttle, letting the machine slide to a halt. In the darkness, Romo pulled up beside him.

“Eight-eight-two,” Romo said.

Using the grid coordinates on his HUD, Paul looked there. He moved his jaw, giving him extreme magnification with his binocular vision.

“They look like dots,” Paul said.

“We’ve seen these types of dots before,” Romo said. “The very top seems to have a little hump.”

After a moment, Paul grunted agreement. Romo had good eyes.

“They’re Chinese hovertanks,” Romo said.

Paul kept his head still. If he twitched even the slightest bit, he lost visual due to the distance. “Okay. I’m counting seven of them.”

“Seven,” Romo agreed.

Paul yawned. It lost him the visual, but he didn’t care now. He used the helmet radio, reporting in to SOCOM HQ, AG Washington. He spoke to the air controller on duty and quickly discovered that there weren’t any drones available in their region.

“The hovertanks are moving,” Romo said. “It looks like they’re headed in our direction.”

Paul heard a noise then. He looked up, scanning the star-studded sky. “Hey, what’s that?”

Romo glanced up. A second later, he dove off his snowmobile, landing on his chest in the snow. “It’s Chinese—a chopper! Get down. I think they spotted us.”

Paul didn’t dive. Instead, he jumped off the snowmobile and clumped to the sled. Flipping off the top, he grabbed the last Blowdart launcher.

Machine guns opened up from the enemy helo hovering in the night. Clearly, the Chinese also patrolled along the flank, not like guards but like hungry wolves. Romo was right: they’d been spotted.

Were the helos hunting patrollers? It was crazy bad luck to have this enemy machine here now. Why’s the helo so quiet? We should have heard it way before this. Paul knew the Chinese used ultra-quiet helos to hunt guerillas, with some success.

There was little discreet about the Chinese machine gun. Big, brutal bullets tore into Romo’s snowmobile. The assassin had a sixth sense about these things and moved in time, although just barely. Paul heard the bullets’ metallic screeches. It sounded like a giant throwing punches. Something metal struck his helmet, propelling his head forward. It must have been a glancing hit, though, because he was still alive and his helmet lacked a hole.

Snarling, raising the Blowdart launcher, Paul sighted the helo hovering to his left. Its heavy machine gun blazed, raining bullets at him. In a moment he would be dead from them.

Before the fatal gun-swivel brought those bullets hosing into his body, Paul calmly pulled the trigger. The ejection charge whooshed, launching the missile. Its orange contrail climbed into the sky, doing it fast.

“Get down!” Romo shouted over the radio.

For once, Paul didn’t. He watched. Maybe he was too tired to realize his danger. The missile raced up at the helo, a winter gift for the invaders. The helo pilot must have realized his danger. The machine swerved to the right, and it threw off the gunner. Bullets hammered the ground in front of Paul. He could feel them, the slugs ripping into the frozen sod. It made his nape hairs stand on end. Then the bullets stopped hitting so near, falling elsewhere.

At that moment, the missile struck the helo. Paul heard the Blowdart warhead explode, and it created a spectacular effect. Paul watched with his night-vision visor as a fireball billowed into existence. Metal rained as the helo flipped in a seemingly slow-motion cartwheel, and then it plummeted. Going down, the burning machine shed two Chinese aircrew.

Did they bail out, or were they thrown out by the centrifugal force? Paul had no idea. He knelt in the snow, watching the spectacle. The helo hit the ground with a tremendous smash. It shook Paul so that he swayed, which seemed to wake him up.

“Are you crazy?” Romo shouted. He came running, doing it much too slowly. It was difficult to move quickly in the heavy suits and the assassin was proving it.

Paul blinked dry eyes. He was so freaking tired. He just wanted to sleep. Instead, he stood up.

Romo neared, and he inspected the shot-up, tipped-over snowmobile. “It’s ruined.”

Paul turned back to the distant specks—only they weren’t specks anymore. The hovertanks had covered ground fast. He could clearly see the smaller turret and the short-barreled cannon sticking from it. Had one or more of them seen this little firefight? Yes, of course they had. How could they have missed it in the darkness?

“The hovers are coming,” Paul said.

Romo looked up, and he cursed in Spanish. He rechecked his flipped sled, and he began pulling out Javelin launchers.

“They’re coming for us,” Paul said.

“Si. That means we don’t have much time.”

Paul glanced at his blood brother. Right. They had to fight. He lurched toward him, and he helped Romo cart Javelins to his sled. He piled the extras among his own.

Flipping up his visor, exposing his face to the cold, Paul rubbed his burning eyes. His gloves dribbled snow, which slid down to his throat. Yikes. That was cold. Blinking, he closed the visor and studied the hovertanks. They were coming on fast, seven of them. Seven armored vehicles with cannons and machine guns. It would be David against Goliath out here on the open snow.

“Let’s go,” Paul said. The sleepiness had vanished from his brain. He was wide-awake as his heart pounded in his chest.

He jumped onto the snowmobile and twisted the throttle, listening to the engine whine with power. Romo sat behind him. Paul turned the vehicle and he opened it up. The back treads clattered as they zipped, and they fled across the snow before the approaching hovertanks.

Paul contacted the air controller. “Hey AWACS!” he shouted. “Do you have some kind of air support for us now?”

“No, sorry. I already told you. There’s a big attack going on one hundred miles south of you. You’re on your own for another half hour at least.”

That was just great. Army Group Washington was supposed to have everything the soldiers needed. It looked like that didn’t include the flank guards.

As he and Romo sped across the snow, Paul gave the coordinates of the seven following hovertanks. “If they get us—”

“I’m alerting Supply Company Nine now,” the air controller said.

Paul looked back. The hovertanks were faster than the snowmobile. The mothers were catching up faster than he’d expected.

“Good luck, Kavanagh,” the air controller said.

“Sure,” Paul said. “You too.”

“We have to go to ground!” Romo shouted. “They’ll pick us off soon if we stay on the snowmobile.”

“I’m already there, amigo,” Paul said. “Do you remember the place half a mile from the farm house?”

Paul felt Romo turn and look at the hovertanks.

“We won’t make it there in time,” Romo said.

Paul glanced back. The hovertanks would be in range long before he reached the area he sought. Romo was right.

“Okay, listen up,” Paul said. “I’m going to stop and unhook the sled. You keep going and I’ll—”

“Forget it, brother,” Romo said. “If you stop, I’m jumping off with you. We’ll use the Javelins in tandem.”

Paul decided it was a waste of breath arguing with Romo. Operation Saturn—it was too ballsy. The President and General McGraw had bitten off too much. The logistical tail was too long. This was an effective use of hovertanks by the enemy, blowing up the rear areas. How did High Command figure they could guard such a large region with snowmobile patrollers and drones? Why were the infantrymen so slow getting into position?

“Okay,” Paul said. “Our suits are supposed to have camouflage gear. We stop, grab two Javelins each and split up. We crawl through the snow away from each other. Don’t fire until they’re inspecting the snowmobile. Let them think about where we’ve gone, or maybe until one of them pops out of the turret and sees our snow tracks. Then you launch a Javelin, blow up a hovertank.”

“After that we die,” Romo said.

“No one lives forever, brother.”

Romo put a hand on Paul’s armored shoulder. “You are a good brother, my friend. It has been a pleasure knowing you.”

“We’re not dead men yet.”

“Si, but we will be soon.”

Paul didn’t want to think about that. He wanted to hold and kiss Cheri again. He didn’t want his son to be an orphan. This was screwed up. Stupid hovertanks.

“Are you ready?” Paul asked.

“Si.”

Master Sergeant Kavanagh throttled down. In seconds, they stopped. He shut off the machine and hurried to the sled. Paul flipped open the lid and grabbed two Javelins. In the starlight, he stared at Romo.

“Good luck, you stubborn Apache bastard,” Paul said.

“You were right before. We’re not finished yet, my friend.”

Paul ran away in the heavy suit. Then he dove onto the snow and started crawling. He dragged the two Javelin launchers, so he didn’t move fast, that’s for sure. Then he found a small dip in the terrain. He swiveled around and crawled to the lip. He was a football field and a half away from the snowmobile. He couldn’t spy Romo. This was Apache-style warfare, wasn’t it?

Paul breathed heavily, and he hoped this special suit did indeed camouflage him from the hovertanks’ sensors.

In the distance a hovertank cannon roared with a belch of flame. Its shell howled in flight, and it blew up the snowmobile, making it jump and turning it into a mess of flying junk.

Paul readied a Javelin launcher. Through his visor, he watched the hovertanks approach the crumbled snowmobile. Each battle-vehicle rode on a cushion of air. The things floated like science fiction machines. Some of the armored skirts looked shot-up. One of the machine guns on a turret had crumbled. These Chinese hovers had been through a lot of wear and tear. That was something at least.

Paul waited. What a war. The Chinese and Brazilians tried to conquer a continent. That was just too much territory. How many hundreds of thousands of soldiers had died already? Maybe millions had perished, or they would before this was over. This crazy new Ice Age with its mass worldwide starvation…was U.S. land worth this much blood, sweat and tears? His own—yeah, it was worth it. But why did the individual Chinese soldier bother? He’d heard about the need for marriage permits. Did the Chinese want hot American babes for wives?

Once he died, was one of these grasping invaders going to get Cheri?

“I don’t think so,” he muttered.

He could hear the hovertanks now. They were loud. The engines whined like giant snowmobiles.

A flash of light erupted to the west of the first hovertank. Romo—the idiot—he fired too soon.

The flash or sprouting flame kept going, and it wasn’t bright enough to be a Javelin launch. Paul heard hammering bangs—bullets striking hovertank armor. There were pings and a crash of reinforced plate glass.

That’s a heavy machine gun firing. Someone else is out here with us. Is that who the helo had been hunting? Partisans?

Machine guns returned fire from the hovertanks. It took all of ten seconds. The flash of heavy machine gun fire in the snow ended as quickly as it had begun. Hovertanks one, partisans zero.

That’s it then. Paul aimed a Javelin, and then he pulled the trigger. The missile popped out and whooshed away in a rush.

Dropping the empty launcher, Paul rolled and grabbed the other one. Then he crawled like a man possessed. Machine gun fire opened up around him. Bullets whined overhead. Others thudded into the ground uncomfortably near. Fortunately, he’d chosen his location well. None of the slugs hit him because he had this concealing fold of ground. Paul kept crawling until sweat beaded into his eyes.

He swiveled around, and he dared to look up over the lip of terrain. Two of the hovertanks burned nicely. One had a thin oily fume spiraling into the night sky. Two hits, but he’d only fired one missile.

The other one must be Romo’s Javelin. Good shooting, Tonto.

Now another heavy machine gun opened up from the ground. There came more bright flashes of light and more hammering strikes against enemy armor.

The remaining five hovertanks opened up again, silencing this machine gun as well. Hovertanks scored two against the partisans. Marine recon tally was two against the hovertanks. It sucked to be a partisan.

Paul waited. Romo must have waited as well. Either that or the Chinese had already killed his blood brother. Paul could have called on the radio to check, but he was sure the Chinese would have a locator to pinpoint their positions then.

Five hovertanks now approached the blown snowmobile.

“Screw this,” Paul muttered. He sighted his last Javelin, and he fired. Another Javelin from the right appeared.

That’s all Paul had time to see. He crawled away again. Now he had nothing but a sidearm. The M-16 was on the snowmobile. He realized as he crawled that Romo must have waited each time for him to fire. Give the enemy two missiles at once to worry about—that was battle wise.

Paul heard an explosion. Scratch one more hovertank, he hoped. He waited for the second explosion, but it never came.

Finally, from his new location, Paul stopped and eased up to look. Another hovertank burned. Good. That left four. Those four—

The hovertanks whined with loud engine revs. They zoomed away across the snow, floating away from the wrecked snowmobile and toward the American rear areas. Perhaps they wanted to hunt easier game.

Paul grinned tightly. Maybe the hovertank commander figured this was too costly, fighting invisible Americans who kept taking out his vehicles. The enemy commander couldn’t know they were out of Javelins. All the Chinese commander knew was that three of his hovers burned from “partisan” attacks.

Paul watched the hovertanks float away. After a time, he stood, and he saw others stand, four men. He used the night visor to see them. Make that one man and three women in thick parkas. They carried hunting rifles and shotguns, and they advanced on the burning hovertanks. He saw Romo stand next and wave to him.

The partisans killed the Chinese who survived the burning vehicles. They were a hard-eyed group, taking the rest of the Javelins for themselves, as well as Paul’s M-16. He let them. A helo was on the way to pick Romo and him up. His blood brother had survived, thank God.

When he approached them, the partisans didn’t speak much to Paul or Romo. They had lost three older men, who had been firing captured Chinese machine guns at the hovertanks. Their looks accused him, as if to say, “Why can’t you defeat these invaders? Why are you leaving it to us to do your dirty work?”

It was a good question, even if it was unspoken. Paul thought about it during the ride back to SOCOM HQ, Army Group Washington.

This was a bitch of a war.

Are we winning or losing? And when will we know?

Paul shrugged as he sat at the door of the helo. The snowy ground rushed past one hundred feet below. Someone would tell him when America had won. Until then, he’d keep fighting. What else could he do?

LAKEWOOD, COLORADO

Corporal Jake Higgins threw up his hood. It was bitterly cold this morning in the trench. He slapped his gloved hands together, rubbing them. When he was finished with the exercise, he used his teeth and pulled off the right glove. Using his finger, he tapped a computer scroll.

It was a tech gift from their neighboring Mexico Home Army battalion. Really, the battalion was down to a platoon in strength after the bitter weeks of defending Greater Denver. The Home Army Mexicans were a tough group, excellent soldiers.

The scroll was linked to an armored video camera at the top of the trench. It beat using a periscope, which is what they had been using until this nifty little device.

Jake scanned the blasted cityscape. Only a few skeletal buildings remained. Mostly, he saw was snowy rubble and frozen body-parts of Chinese and Americans alike. Artillery shells had turned over the terrain a thousand different times these past weeks.

He recalled the first week of battle. What a difference. Only a few of those Militiamen still lived. He wore Chinese body armor. Everyone did, including the Lieutenant.

Oh-oh, what was this? Jake spied movement on his scroll. “Goose,” he said.

Goose poked his head out of a hole in the side of the trench. The man was gaunt and dirty. They all were. Goose had the far-off stare in his eyes. They all had that too, including the Lieutenant.

“What’s up?” Goose asked.

Jake pointed toward the enemy line.

“I thought it was your turn,” Goose said.

Jake shook his head.

Goose crawled out of the small cave. He used the steps, climbing up to the machine gun platform.

“They’re getting clever,” Jake said. “It’s a robot. I’ve never seen one like this. Mark seven-three-seven.”

Goose checked his tablet, nodding as he tucked the device away in a cavity in his body armor. He exhaled, blowing out white steam. Then he grabbed the butterfly controls and surged upward.

Jake watched on the computer scroll as the heavy machine gun chattered hard. Bullets whizzed across no-man’s-land, hammering at the target. The small, turtle-like robot blew out metal parts. A gun appeared from its turret, but he steel-jacketed .50 caliber bullets didn’t give the Chinese robot time to fire. The robot scout stopped, frozen in time.

“Down!” shouted Jake.

Goose ducked, moving the machine gun mount down with him.

Seconds later, the hiss of enemy bullets came from overhead.

“Let’s move,” Jake said.

They ran along the trench with their shoulders hunched. Enemy mortar shells landed, exploding ice, snow and dirt. Particles trickled into the trench.

“You’re welcome,” Jake muttered to no one in particular, with his back now pressed against the freezing dirt wall.

“When is this going to end?” Goose asked.

“You’re one to talk,” Jake said. “You’re a protester. You got to prove you love your country by bleeding to death in the snow.”

Neither said a word afterward. They endured, as everyone in the pocket waited for the end. The big question was how. Would they freeze to death when the wood ran out? Or would they starve to death? If it became too much suspense, one could climb up into no-man’s-land. Many had. That would end the game quickly.

At this point in the siege, all the quitters were long gone, dead or captured. The hardened survivors waited, inurned to terrible punishment and deprivation.

CENTENNIAL, COLORADO

Commander Bao of MC ABM #3 scowled so fiercely his eyes had almost disappeared between two slits. The angry face was not due to the orders to move out. He was sick of the city siege and sick of using his great laser to blast strongpoints. The scowl was not because of the cold weather that refused to let up.

No, he made the terrible face because his ulcer hurt abominably. He was out of the soothing bottle. He’d drunk the last of it yesterday and the quartermaster said there wouldn’t be another consignment for some time. The Americans had sunk the supply ship that carried more.

Therefore, Bao was in agony as he sat in the giant tractor cab that pulled the three segments of his Mobile Canopy ABM. He looked out the window, but hardly saw a thing. The sun shone, so his lack of sight wasn’t due to falling snow. He hardly saw because the ulcer pain was beginning to overmaster him.

Bao opened his mouth, panting silently.

The driver must have noticed. “Is something wrong, Commander?” the man asked, sounding worried.

Bao shook his head. He didn’t want to speak and let the man hear the pain in his voice. He put his forehead against the cool glass of the passenger-side window. He wanted the aching to stop, but he couldn’t let himself think about it. He had a great task to perform. Marshal Liang himself had spoken to all the MC ABM commanders via computer screen.

Bao understood how important his next fight would be. China had the T-66 tank, and the Americans had trumped it with the Behemoth. Now Marshal Liang wished to trump the American marvel with one of Chinese’s latest technological inventions.

As Bao panted silently, he realized that he hadn’t trained in tank tactics. None of the MC ABM commanders had. This was a makeshift use of a great air-defense laser.

We used our lasers in Denver and it gave the city to the Army. Now we must deliver our Army from a surprise attack.

Bao realized his mother must have seen this moment long ago in her dreams. Why else had she always told him to do his best? The fate of the great invasion—Liang had told them—rested on the coming fight. The lasers must defeat the rail-guns.

Shutting his eyes, Bao listened to his stomach grumble. He wanted something to eat. He always did when he became nervous. But if he ate, his ulcer would only become worse. No. He must fast or he must find some milk to drink. Unfortunately, he hated the taste of milk. He needed ulcer medicine. Why did the American submarines have to sink that supply ship?

Concentrate, Bao. You still have to fix several critical problems before the fight.

There were nine operational MC ABMs trundling toward the ambush positions. According to Marshal Liang, eighteen Behemoths converged toward Denver. Therefore, each MC ABM needed to destroy two of the American super-tanks. Of course, Liang had told them he would help even the odds with a fierce air attack at precisely the right moment.

You’re not concentrating on the right thing, Bao.

MC ABM #3 needed new laser coils, and fresh coolant in bin-washer seven. He needed to make sure that each was repaired before the coming battle. All the MC ABMs had beamed often during the siege. The endless laser use meant deterioration in the high-tech equipment. Yes, he needed to recalibrate the mirrors as well. This would be a precision battle, as the MC ABMs needed to engage the Behemoths at the farthest distance possible.

How hot a ray did they need in order to burn through a Behemoth’s plate? How long would he have to keep the laser on target to destroy the heavily-armored tank. An enemy missile or aircraft had tinfoil armor compared to the approaching land-monsters.

What’s the effective range of their rail-guns?

Nervousness only made the ulcer worse. The MC ABMs were leaving Denver to go to their ambush points. The Americans drove for the city, smashing everything before them. Soon now, the enemy tanks would face a tech marvel greater and stronger than their rail-guns.

I-70, COLORADO

Stan dreamed and he didn’t like it. He began to shake. It seemed as if his whole world was under assault. Maybe it was an earthquake.

He opened his eyes, waking up to reality. He realized that someone touched him. No, they had been shaking him. He looked up. Jose stood over him, with a hand on his shoulder.

“You sleep like the dead,” Jose told him.

Groggily, Stan sat up. He was in a tent beside his Behemoth. They’d stopped near I-70. This part of the freeway system was much different from the system in the Rockies. Here, the land was Great Plains flat. Stan had called a halt because everyone had been exhausted. It was vital to keep rolling, moving toward the enemy, but sometimes, a commander had to give himself and his men a badly needed rest.

“Is it morning already?” Stan muttered.

“I woke you because General McGraw wants to speak to you.”

“He’s here?”

“He’s on a tight-linked screen,” Jose said.

Stan struggled to his feet and put on his clothes. He accepted a thermos of hot coffee. He wanted to crawl back into the sleeping bag, but that was impossible now. He checked his watch. It was almost six A.M. He wanted to be moving again by six forty-five.

Eating a bagel and washing it down with scalding coffee, Stan climbed into the Behemoth and took his place in the commander’s chair. He was getting sick of the compartment, as if he’d lived here weeks. It smelled like a mixture of a gym locker room and a mechanic’s shop: sweat and grease.

He tapped the screen and General Tom McGraw appeared. The big man was bent over his desk, hard at work.

Stan sipped coffee.

The general must have noticed the movement on his own screen. He put down his pen, straightened and nodded a greeting.

“Hello, Colonel,” McGraw said.

“Sorry, I was asleep just now and—”

“No, don’t apologize,” McGraw said. “You’re in the middle of the most important offensive in American history. In thirty minutes, you’re off again. I want to speak to you a moment before that. Are you alone?”

“Yes sir.”

“None of that now, old son,” McGraw said. “This is you and me talking. We’re older than we used to be, but we were friends once.”

“True enough,” Stan said.

“I think we’ve surprised the enemy, Stan. We’ve surprised them good. You’ve gotten farther faster than I would have thought. But the game enters the hard part now. The Chinese have regrouped. It looks like Zhen’s Tank Army is going to hit us in the flank today. By the looks of it, the Chinese are trying to cut you off by driving through to the Brazilians. The Brazilians are going to try the same thing on their side. We figured they would do something like that. Since our Militia formations have been tardy taking up their assigned defensive positions, I’ve ordered the Canadian First Army to turn back. They’ll have to deal with General Zhen, buying the struggling Militia divisions time to get their trenches built and defended.”

“What about the Brazilians on the other side of our penetration?” Stan asked. This sounded bad.

“I’m hoping the Brazilians are tardy and will give us time. Marshal Sanchez is still reorganizing from the collapse of his Venezuelan corps. In any case, I have some scout units and Bradleys who are supposed to buy the First Army time against the Brazilians. The Canadians are going to have to face two attacks. If the enemy can coordinate the assaults…it will get a lot harder for the First Army to keep the corridor open. If the Chinese and Brazilians strike separately, we might keep this offensive alive. If we can close the trap, Stan, I think it will bring an end to the war.”

“That sounds good to me,” Stan said.

McGraw grinned, showing off his big horse-sized teeth. “You’re wondering why I woke you up to tell you that—the Canadian information isn’t pertinent for what you’re going to attempt today. Well, old son, I wanted to tell you because you have a bigger job than the Canadian First Army.”

Stan raised his eyebrows.

“Listen, Higgins, you’ve seen the Chinese laser tank before on video out of Denver, haven’t you?”

“I have.”

“We have intelligence data that shows they’re going to try to bar your path with those laser vehicles.”

Stan nodded. It’s what he would do in their place. He’d been expecting to hear something like this for some time now.

“Can you beat those MC ABMs, Stan?”

“I’m going to try, sir.”

McGraw scowled. “That isn’t good enough. I don’t give a damn if you try. You’d better beat them. You’d better kill all those laser tanks without losing any Behemoths.”

“You don’t really think that is going to happen,” Stan said.

“That’s what I want to have happen.”

“So how am I supposed to do that?” Stan asked.

“As a matter of fact, I’ll tell you. I’ve studied photos of those vehicles. Old son, they’re huge, much bigger than your Behemoths are. I don’t think they’re tank-armored, though. They’re meant to shoot down missiles, ballistic missiles in particular. This use of them—”

“It’s like Rommel’s 88s,” Stan said.

“I’m sure you’re right.” McGraw checked his watch. “We don’t have time for more history lessons. So listen, Higgins. The laser will surely have reach on you.”

“I’d think the longer their reach the weaker the beam.”

“How do you figure that?” asked McGraw.

“A flashlight’s beam spreads out over distance. It dissipates. It becomes weaker. The same must be true of a laser tank.”

“There’s no way to know if that’s enough,” McGraw said.

“Still, it has to be able to shoot pretty far to knock down missiles in the stratosphere,” Stan said. “Twenty or thirty miles to hit our tanks…”

“They are precision weapons,” McGraw said. “Probably they can shoot and hit targets at a much greater range than you. I’m hoping it takes that laser too long to burn through your armor.”

“How much time it takes is the key,” Stan said.

“That and your mobility,” McGraw said.

“We’re not exactly nimble, General.”

“No. But by moving around it should throw off the beam just enough. In fact, the farther you’re from them, the less you’ll have to move to throw them off. It’s your thick armor and zigzagging that will get you in close to hit one of the MC ABMs.”

“We’re going to take damage today,” Stan said. Maybe we’re all going to die. Stan grew thoughtful. “If I were them, I’d give our Behemoths more to think about than just the lasers.”

“We plan to do the same thing to them,” McGraw said.

The implication of the words sank in. Stan straightened in his seat. “You’re taking over the tactical coordination of the attack?”

“Stan old son, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Now listen up, here’s what I’m thinking.”

FORWARD EDGE OF THE BATTLE AREA, COLORADO

Captain Tzu in his Heron bomber bored in toward the most forward American penetration toward Denver.

The pilot glanced outside. It was bright and sunny today. Far below, the sun shined off the vast expanse of snow. How could men fight in that amazingly white brightness?

Tzu frowned. He needed to concentrate. There were seven other bombers with him. The eight of them were part of twenty-nine Herons attacking the Behemoth tanks. Each of the standoff bombers carried four air-to-ground missiles. The missiles were special tank busters, very big and very fast, with ECM to survive enemy counterattacks.

Tzu licked his lips. He recalled the Behemoth tanks all right. They had been waiting for him in the Rockies weeks ago now. Since then, Tzu had been busy bombing Greater Denver and making more attack runs on I-70 in the Rockies. Actually, he’d made long-range attacks on the repair parties trying to fix the freeway from Chinese ballistic bombardments.

Earlier this morning the briefing officer had told them how important the mission was. The American offensive had driven much deeper than anyone had expected. Marshal Liang had plans for these over-bold Americans. First, though, Liang needed the Behemoths destroyed. Tzu’s bombers were the key to that, or so the briefing officer had told them.

As Tzu sat up here in the bright sunshine, he had his doubts about that. The Behemoths had destroyed one hundred Goshawks in a matter of minutes in the Rockies. Here, the Behemoths would have even better targeting conditions.

There was another thing troubling him. Captain Tzu had been hearing for months now how each of his bombing runs was utterly critical to the war effort. He had fired many missiles and launched even more Goshawks. High Command had told the bomber teams many weeks ago that the Americans were almost finished. Yet now the enemy was on the verge of reaching Denver. If the Behemoths completed the encirclement, the Americans would have trapped Third Front in a gigantic cauldron.

How could twenty-seven Herons bring about a great enough victory to change that? Tzu didn’t know. But that didn’t matter now—there were many things he didn’t understand. What he did know was that he had a task to perform. As always, he hoped to survive the battle.

The longer this war lasted, the less likely that would be. One of these days, the enemy had to get lucky. The law of averages demanded it.

“Are you ready?” Tzu asked his navigator.

“Yes Captain,” the navigator said.

“Then radio HQ and tell them we’re nearing attack position,” Tzu said. “I’m curious to see how our missiles do against the Behemoths.”

WASINGTON, D.C.

Anna Chen sat in Underground Bunker Number Five. Like everyone else present, she was excited and terribly worried about today. The great spearhead of the American Counterattack—the Behemoth tanks—were about to face the dreaded Chinese laser system.

She’d watched the grim footage of the weapons destroying Denver bunkers and strongpoints. One seemed to peel away bricks so they tumbled to the ground and exploded into fragments there. She’d heard those beams explained by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Initially, the MC ABMs had been mobile strategic lasers to protect the Chinese from missiles and massed air power. Someone on the Chinese side had seen another use for the vehicles.

General Alan was speaking, explaining once again how the Siege of Denver had tied down critically needed Chinese Armies. Marshal Liang might have deployed those armies north, speeding the Chinese attack. General Alan believed those “missing” armies had been the margin. The Third Front’s drive toward Cheyenne and the North Platte River Defense had been contained these past weeks, although they had lost Cheyenne in bitter street-to-street fighting. If the Tenth and Fifteenth Armies had added their considerable weight to the attack, the North Platte River Line would have ruptured. As that line had mostly been composed of Militia formations, the Chinese would likely have encircled and annihilated them. America would have lacked the necessary numbers then to launch the counter-offensive.

“If Liang would have been content to smash the Rocky Mountain I-70 and mask Denver with a ring of garrison troops, he could have sent the Tenth and Fifteenth Armies north,” Alan said.

The President finally entered the chamber. After everyone had sat back down, Sims turned to General Alan.

“Are the ballistic missiles ready?” the President asked.

Alan nodded.

“Put me through to General McGraw,” Sims said.

Soon, General McGraw appeared on the wall screen. He stood in his headquarters, surrounded by staff and screens. It was a flurry of activity there, with a buzz of talking people. At last, Tom McGraw turned to Sims.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, sir,” McGraw said.

“No, no, that’s quite all right, General,” Sims said. “Are the Behemoths in position?”

McGraw motioned to someone off-screen. “If you’ll allow me, sir, I can patch the tactical situation through to your computers.”

“By all means,” Sims said. “Let’s see that.”

On the great computer table in Underground Bunker Number Five appeared the present spearhead of Army Group Washington.

McGraw explained what they were seeing. “The two divisions of Jeffersons—the 10th and 21st Armored Divisions—are spread out in a wide arc before the Behemoths. They’re the screen, sir. If the enemy uses T-66s or other armor, the Jeffersons are to engage and destroy them. If it’s Chinese missiles or air attacks, the Jeffersons will link their targeting computers and provide a wall of counter-missile or anti-air fire.”

“And if the enemy laser tanks take out the Jeffersons?” Sims asked.

“It’s what I hope they try to do, sir,” McGraw said. “That will give me time to study their capabilities.”

“All while they’re destroying our newest main battle tanks,” Sims said, angrily.

“Yes sir, that’s exactly right.”

“You’re a hard-hearted man, General.”

McGraw’s face tightened. “No more than you are, Mr. President.”

Anna glanced sharply at David Sims. Something dark passed before the President’s face. He didn’t like the comment, but he let it pass.

“When do you fire the ballistic missiles?” the President asked.

“Right after the laser tanks open fire. I want to know exactly where those Chinese MC ABMs are before we launch the missiles. Sir, those heavy stations are slow or practically immobile in a tactical sense. As important, through radar and thermal imaging our AIs will be able to track the beams directly to their sources. I consider that a flaw in the Chinese weapon system.”

“I hope you’re right, General.”

“So do I, Mr. President. I know you know the old saying. No plan of battle survives contact with the enemy. Today we’re going to—”

McGraw turned away as someone spoke to him urgently. A moment later, he faced the screen. “I’m sorry, Mr. President, but if you’ll excuse me.”

“Get to work, General. Kick the Chinese in the teeth.”

“Roger that, Mr. President.”

AURORA, COLORADO

Commander Bao of MC ABM #3 nervously sat in his command chair. The three sections of the laser vehicle sat on a hill in the outskirts of shattered Aurora. The city belonged to Greater Denver and was the closest to I-70 heading out onto the Great Plains.

From here, the laser vehicle had an excellent line of sight. The other MC ABMs were also in position. Already, Bao watched inflowing data from high-flying UAVs.

Smaller American tanks were between him and the approaching Behemoths. Marshal Liang had a surprise for those tanks, but that would take time to make it happen.

Bao swallowed and desperately tried not to think about his stomach. He had a carton of milk in his chair compartment, but he hadn’t opened it yet. He was so hungry. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday. He couldn’t afford to eat now. The combination made his mind a little fuzzy, but he would force such fuzziness away through willpower.

His mother had often told him he had a strong intellect, a strong will. Now was the time to use it. China watched him today. Marshal Liang had let the Mobile Canopy commanders know that Chairman Hong personally monitored the situation.

For such a time as this I was born, Bao told himself. Today, the giants fight for world supremacy.

The crew awaited his word. Each man sat at his station. Techs had replaced the worn lasers coils. New coolant gurgled in the bin-washers. Bao had carefully inspected the vehicle last night, all the interchanges and the hookups. The six hundred ton tier-system rested in a level position. If needed, the tractor would pull them behind the hill. Such an action would take time, and once they moved, it would take hours to recalibrate. The key was to save the MC ABM if the American Behemoths could do the impossible and outrange the lasers.

“The enemy tanks, Commander—”

“I see it,” Bao said, with an edge to his voice. His ulcer hurt. He was hungry and feeling woozy, but he was still in charge of the MC ABM #3.

Sitting in his chair, surrounded by his screens, Bao watched data from high-flying UAVs. The great lumbering Behemoths rolled over the last blocking ridge. Bao tapped a console. The first Behemoth was a little over forty-one kilometers away.

“Prepare for firing,” Bao said, as he put his headphones/mufflers over his ears. The left one was sore and he winced from the hard contact.

Everyone else put on headphones, too.

“Engage the turbine,” Bao said.

The MPT whined into life, and the command compartment shook. Bao, along with the entire crew, winced at the howl. HQ had ordered the MC ABM #3 into action too many times these past weeks. It had fired far too often. Bao had replaced many worn components, but not all of them. Liang would have been wiser to save the laser vehicles for this critical moment, but hindsight was always more accurate than foresight.

The MPT sounded off, but it still worked.

“Energy levels rising, Commander. In twenty seconds, the laser will be ready.”

Bao nodded. The fuzziness in his mind faded as his adrenaline surged. He sat forward in his chair. The great moment of his life had arrived. It was inspiring. His frown evened away to a calm appearance. He forgot about the pain in his ears.

“Engage the lead Behemoth,” Bao said.

The MPT pumped massive power into the laser coils. The energy poured into the chambers and pumped the laser. The incredibly heavy beam struck the first focusing mirror. Then it shot out of the cannon in a tight ray, traveling at the speed of light and crossing the forty-one kilometers instantly.

Bao curled the fingers of his right hand into a fist.

“Miss,” the targeting officer said.

“Recalibrate,” Bao said, refusing to raise his voice. He could imagine American surprise, seeing the ground burn near the tank. He wanted the enemy to face an even greater surprise.

“We’re ready,” the targeting officer said.

“Fire,” Bao said once more.

The massive beam shot again, and this time it struck the Behemoth.

“Keep the beam on target,” Bao said. His eyes itched as he stared at the screen. Would it work? Did the MC ABM #3 have the power to burn through the thick armor?

“The tank is moving, Commander,” the targeting officer said.

“Keep the beam on target,” Bao said.

The MPT’s howl turned into something fiercer. Despite himself, Bao’s face screwed up in pain. The magnetic-propulsion turbine wasn’t supposed to sound like that. Bao clamped his hands around the headphones/mufflers, pressing them against his ears to protect his hearing from the horrible sound.

He watched the screen. The beam struck the same tank again. The enemy vehicle kept moving. The ferocious beam speared across the forty-one kilometers. It stayed on one spot now, burning and melting into the incredible armor. Much of the heat dissipated throughout the rest of the armor. The front plate began to glow. Liquid metal poured away as the beam chewed deeper into the armor. Then the beam breached the mighty Behemoth and exploded the power plant inside. A tremendous explosion blew off the top turret hatch. Flames geysered twenty meters high. The giant enemy vehicle ground to a halt, its crew dead and burned and its vitals destroyed.

“We killed it, Commander!” the targeting officer shouted.

“Good,” Bao said. “Shut down the MPT.”

Immediately, the horrible howl quit.

“Red levels in octagon regions,” the Engine Tech said.

“Flush it with number seven coolant,” Bao said. “We’re going to need the laser soon.”

“The recommended wait is twenty minutes, Commander.”

“No,” Bao said. “You have three. Now begin the procedure, we lack time for further discussion.”

I-70, COLORADO

“Fire!” Stan shouted from his commander’s seat.

For the seventh time so far, the mighty engine revved and supplied power to the rail-gun. A surge shook the tank. The penetrator roared from the cannon and sped at Mach 10 toward the hateful laser tanks.

Forty-one kilometers was longer than effective rail-gun accuracy. They were deadly accurate within ten kilometers. They could hit most of the time at twenty. Forty-one was too much for battlefield accuracy, although the shells had no problem reaching that far.

“Miss,” the gunner said.

Stan could see that on his screen.

“We’re heating up,” Jose shouted.

Stan heard the hateful sound once more. A heavy laser beam chewed through the armor. It was a bubbling noise and a high-pitch screech.

“Move, move, move!” Stan shouted.

He’d already lost three Behemoths to the lasers.

The air-conditioners began to hum and sweat beaded onto Stan’s face. The heat rose to an intolerable level in here. The great Behemoth lurched to the right and then it spun on one giant tread, and went back and left. The beam missed now, flashing past.

The terrible heat in the compartment lessened as the air conditioner did its work and because the laser no longer poured heat onto the tank.

“Fire again,” Stan shouted.

The engine revved, the surge came and Stan pushed out of his seat and climbed up, throwing open the hatch. He looked down. The front armor was still red hot, and there were three big burn holes, but none had breached the hull. Some of the melted metal had cooled into strange-looking lumps. Stan looked back, and he saw steam rise from clumps of burned-off Behemoth armor sitting in melted snow.

As Stan watched, Dan Clifford’s tank ground to a halt. The front armor was glowing red, with a hole in it. The top hatch blew away. Flames roared upward.

With a sick feeling, Stan slid back down to his seat. “Fire in a spread around our target,” he said. “Do it one right after the other. We have to hit one of those bastards or we’re all dead.”

Surge after surge powered out of the Behemoth. Each penetrator roared across the distance at Mach 10. Each missed except for the last. It hammered into the MPT trailer, cutting through the armor with ease. A terrific explosion caused the armored compartment to blow apart in a glorious and billowing geyser. It knocked out the first MC ABM on the enemy side.

Inside his tank, Colonel Stan Higgins led the cheering. “Keep doing that!” he shouted. He picked up the microphone and called the other commanders, telling them what he’d just done. He wanted them to barrage-fire into an area, hoping that one of the penetrators hit the targeted MC ABMs.

FORWARD EDGE OF THE BATTLE AREA, COLORADO

Captain Tzu took the Heron down low. With the other seven bombers, he roared at the American Behemoths. The order had finally come through.

“Tracking,” the navigator said.

Tzu pulled a lever. The standoff bomber shuddered. One of its big air-to-ground missiles detached from the bay and dropped. Its rocket engine fired and the missile shot toward the distant Behemoths, quickly gaining speed.

Tzu did the same thing again, dropping another missile.

“Captain!” the bomb specialist shouted. He monitored the Heron’s defensive gear.

Tzu looked back at the man.

“Americans missiles—”

The bomb specialist never had a chance to finish his sentence. A flock of anti-air missiles arrived from the Jefferson MBTs nearest the Herons.

An anti-air missile struck the left side, hitting the planet at the joint between the fuselage and wing. The warhead ignited, tearing the wing from the plane and creating a huge hole.

Captain Tzu looked through the opening. Then the Heron turned on its wounded side and began to plunge earthward. Tzu’s seatbelt held him in place. It felt like a hot poker had thrust through his gut. The fuselage began to spin faster and faster. He had been right about the law of averages. One of these times, the Americans would hit and destroy his bomber.

Centrifugal force rendered Tzu unconscious seconds before the Heron plowed into the pristine snow and exploded in a fiery ball of destruction.

AURORA, COLORADO

Commander Bao clamped his hands to his headphones/mufflers. The whine of the MPT had risen to another pitch of unbearable. A hazy fume of smoke drifted through the main compartment.

The laser had operated much longer than it ever had during the Siege of Denver. Things were going wrong with the turbine and the laser coils had begun to overheat.

“Destruction!” the targeting officer said.

“We’ve destroyed two Behemoths,” Bao told the crew. Despite the smoke, the ulcer and the pounding in his head, Bao was proud. He had achieved greatness. He had destroyed two American super-tanks.

“Shut down the turbine,” he said. “We’re moving out.”

The targeting officer cast him a sharp glance. Other crewmembers shot him a look of relief.

“Is something wrong?” Bao asked the targeting officer.

The unbearable whine lessened and then went off altogether.

Bao shoulder muscles loosened.

“We haven’t received orders to move,” the targeting officer said. “We—”

“Ballistic missiles!” a crewmember shouted.

Bao snapped to his screens. Ah, the Americans attacked with missiles.

“Start up the turbine,” he said.

The turbine chief tapped the switch. He did it again because nothing appeared to happen the first time.

“Start it up now,” Bao said.

The man swiveled toward him. “It won’t start, Commander. It’s overheated.”

“Use override,” Bao said.

The man typed on his screen and began shaking his head. “We must have burned out the override system,” the man said.

Bao licked his lips nervously.

“You shouldn’t have shut off the turbine,” the targeting officer said.

Bao gave the man a withering glance. Who was he to give him a reprimand?

“Commander Bao,” his superior officer said from a screen. “Do you see the incoming ballistic missiles?”

“The turbine has overheated and won’t come back online,” Bao said.

The superior blinked at him. “You must fire at them.”

“I cannot,” Bao said. “I do wish to report two Behemoth kills, however.”

“Start your turbine!” the superior shouted.

Commander Bao shook his head. “It is inoperative. I suggest I move back out of range for repairs.”

The superior stared at him a full three seconds. “Yes!” he shouted. “Do it.”

Bao didn’t glance at the targeting officer. That would seem too much like gloating. Instead, he informed the tractor driver to engage his vehicle’s drive system and take them down behind this hill.

His part in the battle was over.

I-70, COLORADO

Colonel Higgins wanted to weep. He’d lost seven Behemoths so far and knocked out only two MC ABMs.

The laser vehicles kept pouring fire, and then he lost the eighth tank.

Should I retreat? No. It’s be too late for that. All I can do is charge in a zigzag. “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” he muttered to himself.

This was a regiment, though, not a brigade, and it wasn’t light but had the heaviest super-tanks ever built. Were the Behemoths already obsolete?

“Stan—I mean Colonel,” Jose said.

Stan looked over at his friend.

“The Chinese have stopped firing at us.”

“Do you know—” Before Stan could finish his question, he stared at McGraw on his third screen.

“I’ve sent ballistic missiles at them, Colonel.”

“What?” Stan asked.

“Didn’t you hear me earlier?”

Stan was too dazed to remember. He’d lost eight Behemoths and only destroyed two enemy laser tanks. This was terrible. Now he knew what it felt like to be a T-66 versus a Behemoth.

“Advance now,” McGraw was saying. “Get closer while they’re focused on the ballistic missiles. I fired the missiles to come in bunches. I want to keep the MC ABMs busy in order to buy you time to get closer.”

“Yes sir, General,” Stan said. He got on the microphone and shouted the orders to the others. He wanted to be Mr. Calm, but he couldn’t do it now. He was too full of adrenaline.

He watched the three screens. The enemy knocked down the ballistic missiles one right after the other. Doing so kept the Chinese lasers and SAM sites busy, though. It brought the surviving Behemoths another kilometer closer.

The enemy had seven MC ABMs left. Actually, it only had five left that could fire. According to his screen, two were pulling out.

“We’re one kilometer closer,” Stan said. “Let’s pour it on now, gentlemen. Let’s kill these invaders and finish the fight.”

The force cannon surged once more. Penetrators flew at Mach 10. The range was still too much for perfect accuracy. It was close enough, however, that the penetrators began to hit with greater frequency, perhaps one shot in ten.

That was more than enough. One after another, the MC ABMs blew up and burned spectacularly. One in particular flew up into the air. Six hundred tons blew fifty feet high before smashing down to the ground. Stan would never know it, but that one had been MC ABM #3.

Commander Bao would never again have to worry about his ulcer. He had been turned into pulped flesh, boiled blood and pulverized bones, disappearing from life and history, a red smear on a hill in Aurora, Colorado.

BEIJING, PRC

Two East Lightning operatives marched Guardian Inspector Shun Li toward Xiao’s office in the Police Ministry. They were about to turn into the selected corridor. Before they could, a large old military man with rows of gaudy medals on his chest limped in front of them, coming out of that corridor. An escort walked with the officer.

Shun Li stopped in surprise. One of the operatives behind her didn’t notice in time and bumped against her, propelling her against the old man.

The old military officer caught her, and he peered down into her face, breathing a foul odor.

“Excuse me, please,” Shun Li said.

The old man shoved her away so several of his medals tinkled against each other. He turned, scowling at his escort.

“This way, Marshal,” the escort said in a subservient tone.

As she straightened her uniform, Shun Li had time to notice several things. The escort took the highly decorated marshal down a hall that would lead to the underground garage. The implication was that this Marshal of China hadn’t come through the front doors, but through a hidden route. Shun Li watched them, and she realized that she recognized the man’s limp from TV footage. That was Marshal Gang, the leader of the PAA First Front in California. He had taken over after Marshal Nung had perished against American commandos.

“We must hurry,” one of the operatives told her.

Shun Li didn’t think so. Hurrying to Xiao’s office now would likely be disastrous for her.

“A moment, please,” she said. “My shoe is untied.” She knelt and pulled apart the shoestrings. “There’s grain in my shoe.” She pulled off the shoe and then her sock, pulling it inside out and shaking it, pretending to watch bits of dust or gravel fall.

Her toenails were orange painted. She’d forgotten about that. She tried to hide that from the operatives. East Lightning Guardian Inspectors shouldn’t paint their toenails. Shun Li had begun doing that after several intimate meetings with Tang, the original Lion Guardsman who had invaded her hotel room. She went to Chairman Hong’s country residence every day, usually driven by Tang. Weeks of conversation in the car had led to one thing and then another. She painted her toes orange because Tang said he liked that, and she’d discovered that she indeed liked the big Lion Guardsman.

“Look,” one of the operatives said.

Shun Li looked up. The operative tugged the other man’s sleeve and pointed at her orange toenails.

That was the problem with East Lightning operatives, especially ones working this near the Police Minister. Secret policemen were trained to observe. They were ferrets sniffing out disloyalty to the state. To do so, they often looked for the smallest of clues that would give a person away.

The second operative laughed. “Orange toenails, Shun Li?”

She shrugged, smiling at the man.

He did not smile back. Instead, with such a serious look in his eyes, he was obviously filing the information away. Xiao would have likely tasked these two with studying her behavior. The toenail painting would go into the databanks concerning her personality. On such little things could a career—or a life—hang.

I am a barracuda among killer whales and great white sharks.

Yet even barracuda’s had eyes, and they could think and file information away, too. She stalled now in the hallway for an excellent reason. Marshal Gang of First Front should be in California, of that she was certain. It would be easy to discover if he’d made a trip to China. If he had not made an overt trip, then logic dictated he had some covertly. Shun Li had spent much of her time studying the political situation—her life depended on it, as she was a mole in the Chairman’s estate for the Police Minister.

Chairman Hong disliked Marshal Gang. The old man with the chest full of medals had belonged to the discredited faction backing dead Foreign Minister Deng. At the end of the California invasion, Hong had instructed Xiao to shoot Deng.

Why had Hong left Gang in military control in California? Shun Li didn’t know the answer to that. Likely, it was for reasons of political maneuvering. The military and especially China’s Army represented the most powerful political bloc in the world. Hong needed to tread lightly with them and at the same time keep them disunited and terrorized if he could.

If Gang had belonged to Foreign Minister Deng’s side, the Marshal probably resented Deng’s untimely passing. He might even want revenge. Certainly, he would have resentments against Hong.

Therefore, the conclusion was terrifying to Shun Li. If Gang had secretly flown to China to meet with the Police Minister, then it would appear that a dangerously advanced coup might be in the making.

Did Xiao fear for his position? Did the Police Minister resent the Chairman’s questioning of her concerning him? Did it even matter what the reason was?

Shun Li stalled because she did not want to enter Xiao’s office so soon after Marshal Gang had left it. The Police Minister might realize she had seen Gang. And there was something she had learned about Xiao Yang these past weeks. He was thorough to an extraordinary degree. He took great pains and observed the minutiae. To protect himself during such a dangerous scheme, he might execute her.

“The Police Minister is waiting,” said one of the operatives. “You can scratch your foot later.”

“I don’t understand it,” she said, continuing to scratch. “My foot itches abominably.”

“We must hurry,” the operative said, pushing against her shoulder.

“Yes, of course,” she said. She pulled on her sock.

She’d learned another thing about the Police Minister. He was an intensely ardent nationalist. He breathed love of China and the greatness of the present venture. He wished America prostrate before China’s feet.

Slipping her foot into the shoe, Shun Li tied the laces tight. She couldn’t think of another way to stall. It might be bad policy to drag this out much further. The orange toenails had diverted the two operatives. If she took any longer, they might realize her stalling had to do with Marshal Gang’s surprise appearance.

“There,” she said, standing. “That’s much better.”

They turned into the corridor and marched the length to the Police Minister’s ornate door. The senior operative knocked discreetly.

The red light above the door stayed dark. Finally, the intercom buzzed.

“Yes, who is there?” Xiao said.

“It is time for Shun Li’s weekly interview, sir,” the senior operative said.

The red light shined.

“Go in,” the operative told Shun Li.

She did so, closing the door behind her. The Police Minister sat at his desk, and he watched her closely as she approached.

As she sat down, he appeared to hesitate. He opened his mouth as if he were about to ask a question. She dreaded the possibility that he would ask if she’d seen anyone. Fortunately, the mouth closed and he tapped a finger against the desktop. He checked his watch.

“You’re late,” he told her. “I expect promptness.”

“It won’t happen again, sir.”

He continued to stare at her. She found it terrifying. The crocodile had become suspicious. If the Police Minister played for the highest stakes, he could ill afford to take chances.

She realized then that he must suspect that she had seen Gang. But her position in the Chairman’s country estate could prove priceless if Xiao planned assassination.

It felt as if her chest hollowed out. Did Xiao expect her to assassinate the Chairman?

No, no, you’ve become too paranoid. What higher rank could Xiao possibly seek? If the military practiced a coup, they would never leave Xiao as the Police Minster. He must understand that.

Shun Li’s mouth almost opened in surprise. Could Xiao be seeking the highest office of all? Surely, he couldn’t yearn to be Chairman himself. Few people wanted a ruthless secret policeman to become head of state.

“I’ve become curious about the feeding,” Xiao said.

“What?” Shun Li asked, startled out of her thoughts.

The Police Minister refolded his hands on the desk. “You attend your polar bear cub daily. You said the Leader has allowed you to hold the cub’s milk bottle.”

“Yes sir.”

“I want to know the exact times this occurs.”

“Of course,” Shun Li said.

“Oh, and I’m also curious about a little thing. Does the Leader attend the feedings?”

“No sir, not every time.”

“But I expect there is a pattern.”

“I’m not sure.”

“You will write a report, stating the exact times you feed the cub. In the report, you will also record the exact words the Leader utters.”

Shun Li nodded.

Xiao put an insincere smile on his face. It was more a drawing back of his lips, stretching them across his teeth but keeping them hidden.

“I have become concerned about the Leader’s mental health,” he said. “These setbacks in the Midwest are disconcerting. We must help the Leader in any way we can. We must ease the terrible burden for him.”

“That would be wise, sir,” Shun Li said.

The insincere smile widened into a crocodilian grin. “You have become fond of the Chairman?”

“Police Minister,” Shun Li said. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for China. This is a…stressful hour for our country.”

“We will defeat the Americans.”

“I have no doubt of that, sir. They struggle against fate, but in the end, Chinese arms will prevail. It pains me, however, to see the Chairman’s unease at these setbacks. I wish there was some way I could aid him.”

“Yes, that is exactly my thinking. You will write the reports and then I think—depending on the outcome of the next few days of battle—you will be able to help China indeed.”

Cryptic crocodile, he is planning a coup. I cannot believe it. It left Shun Li short of breath.

“That will be all for now,” he told her. “Go. Write the reports, and make sure you are prompt next time.”

“Yes sir,” Shun Li said. This was terrible. Now she didn’t know what to do.

-12-

The Cauldron

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Anna sipped coffee as she sat at the huge computer table in Underground Bunker Number Five. The endless days of emergency meetings had begun to take its toll on everyone, including her and the President.

He’d grown irritated with her lately. And he asked for her advice less often. She felt betrayed, and she wondered what would happen to her if she lost David’s favor. These days, people were even more Sino-phobic, not less. She didn’t understand that. For once, America was on the ascent. They were winning, if encircling two Chinese Army Groups could be called that.

During the summer and autumn battles, the Chinese and Brazilians had often trapped American forces. Sometimes the Americans fought their way out. Sometime, too many U.S. soldiers surrendered to the enemy, marching into captivity.

There had been disturbing rumors about the POWs, about ill-treatment and starvation. David had often asked if they could launch rescue missions into Northern Mexico. The answers had been obvious each time. America couldn’t even defend itself. How could it launch missions into Mexico? How would they ferry ten thousand men to freedom, never mind one hundred thousand or more?

Anna sipped more coffee. She was tired and found it harder to concentrate at these meetings. No one asked her opinion anymore. Their Sino-phobia had begun to eat at her.

She studied the big screen as General Alan spoke about Zhen’s Tank Army. The Canadian First Army had gone through several grueling days of desperate battle. Zhen’s soldiers were veterans and knew their business. For the first two days, it looked like they would burst through the Canadians and destroy them. Several factors had worked against the Chinese. The critical fact in General Alan’s view was worn equipment.

It was true the Canadians lacked the Chinese combined-arms coordination, but no one could doubt their northern neighbor’s stubbornness. By the end of the third day of the slugfest, the Canadians managed to blunt the T-66s and transform the maneuver part of the conflict into grinding attritional fights. There it was more a matter of courage and newer equipment.

Through their blood, the Canadians had bought America time. More Militia formations had moved south, dug trenches and built defenses along the penetration route. A few Regular formations with fast artillery now engaged the tardy Brazilians.

“Mr. President,” General Alan said, “the danger isn’t over for us. General Zhen’s offensive has stalled, but that could be a momentary thing. Marshal Sanchez has begun his drive to reach Zhen. We have a thin screen of Regular Army soldiers holding the line here and here.”

General Alan used a green electronic pointer on the computer map, showing the positions.

“The Canadians are exhausted and still have their hands full corralling the Tank Army,” the President said.

“Yes sir,” Alan said.

“How many Brazilian divisions is Sanchez using against the penetration?”

“He’s stabilized his northern line here in Nebraska, sir,” Alan said. “He’s has to put some of his best units there to stiffen the remaining Venezuelans and Colombians. It has left him little in way of an assault force. I think three of his fastest armored divisions are making the attempt.”

“These soldiers,” the President said, using his pointer. He highlighted the eastern edge of the American penetration, particularity at and around the Nebraska-Colorado-Kansas point, where all three states touched each other. “How many divisions do we have here?”

General Alan shook his head. “We don’t have any divisions, sir. But in numbers, in various battalions, companies and elite units, we have about a division’s worth of men.”

“That’s the critical point then. It looks as if Sanchez knows we’re weak there.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Three to one,” Sims said thoughtfully. “I like those odds for us. I held in Alaska whenever the Chinese attacked at three-to-one odds.”

“Yes sir. Normally, I’d agree with you. But these are three of the best Brazilian divisions and the men facing them are from all kinds of units. They’re an ad hoc group. They’re not used to working together or trusting each other. That makes a difference. The key is that they won’t have to hold for long. But they do need to buy us three days, at least.”

“Air power—”

“We’re stretched everywhere, sir. Our air is engaged helping the Canadian First Army and keeping our Second Tank Army supplied. We’ve completed the encirclement. The Behemoths and other forward elements reached Colorado Springs. Now we have to hold the line against all comers. For an emergency, a critical moment, I’m saving these ballistic missiles. They can reach anywhere on the battlefield.”

“Hmm, that’s not very many,” the President said.

“No sir, but it is our last reserve at the moment.”

President Sims studied the map, switching his gaze from spot to spot. He sat down, stroking his chin, and his features turned from a scowl to a crooked smile.

“Ms. Chen,” he said.

Anna looked up in surprise. David hadn’t addressed her for some time.

“How will Chairman Hong take this encirclement?” the President asked.

“I’m not certain I understand the question, Mr. President.”

“Will he go nuclear to free them?”

“Doubtful, sir,” Anna said. “He would likely expect a massive nuclear retaliation against the trapped troops. With the destruction of the MC ABMs and a massive SAM depletion, he must realize his trapped formations couldn’t stop American nuclear ballistic missiles.”

The President nodded thoughtfully.

“I think Chairman Hong is more concerned about his prestige at home,” Anna said.

“Explain that,” the President said.

“If he loses the Third Front to us—if you march those soldiers into captivity—that’s a massive loss of face for him. It might shake the military’s confidence in Hong. It could cause a severe to total loss of power. It might even cause a coup.”

“I don’t think so,” Director Harold said. He paused to scratch his bald head, his fingernails scraping one of the liver spots. “That’s why Hong has East Lightning. The secret police keep a tight leash on the military.”

“There may come a time when East Lightning loses confidence in the Chairman,” Anna said. “If we defeat the Chinese here…I have no doubt it will cause terrible political consequences for those in power.”

“Do you think Hong understands his danger?” the President asked Anna.

“Not yet, sir,” Anna said. “Given his psychology, I’m sure he still believes he can free his soldiers and continue the conquest of America.”

President Sims rapped his knuckles on the table. “You raise a good point, Ms. Chen. We haven’t won this cauldron battle yet, far from it, in fact. Alan, tell me more about this division’s worth of soldiers facing the Brazilians. And I want to know the exact capabilities of this ballistic missile reserve.”

“Yes, Mr. President. First, I’d like to point out that—”

POINT NEBRASKA-COLORADO-KANSAS

Master Sergeant Kavanagh and Romo waited behind a log redoubt. No one could tell it was made of timber because a thick blanketing of snow covered the wood from last night. Fifty yards on either side of them ranged other snow-clad bunkers, holding other recon teams. The line stretched for several miles with a little under one thousand soldiers spread out in teams.

Paul and Romo wore their white suits, with the heaters presently shut off. The sun shone today, around one in the afternoon. The flat white expanse before them was brilliant because of it. Behind the redoubt sat a single snowmobile.

This line was the forward tripwire against the enemy. There was another line behind them with a greater abundance of Militia troops busily digging trenches and setting up mortar and TOW teams.

Every hour the Brazilians failed to attack gave High Command time to bring more supplies and more soldiers into position. If the Brazilians hit elsewhere, Paul had orders to pack up his precious supply of Javelins and attack the Brazilian flank.

Snowmobiles attacking tanks: Paul didn’t think he’d ever heard of that. It sounded desperate. Was America worried after the grand assault? Maybe they were anxious to hold what they’d taken.

Paul and Romo each sat cross-legged. They had a backgammon set between them. Romo tossed a pair of dice onto the wooden board. The dice bounced and clacked, coming up with seven. They used to play chess, but having to think…Paul and Romo were too tired for that. It was enough to roll the dice and move the pieces around the backgammon board.

From time to time Paul heard jets. The two of them stopped playing and lay flat. Once they saw the markings. Brazilians jets zoomed low to the ground. They didn’t strafe or unload bombs, so that was something. From far to the rear of their positions came explosions.

“The Militia line,” Romo said. “I doubt it’s as well-hidden as our post. I hope the jets didn’t bust it up too much.”

Paul grunted agreement.

Around four in the afternoon, distant American artillery opened up. It fired from the northwest.

Paul shut the backgammon game and set it to the side. Romo took out a cigar and smoked it. Paul lay back and put his hands behind his head. He thought about Cheri and watched cigar smoke curl into the clear sky.

A squawk came from the radio. Paul stirred, acknowledging the call. He discovered that a general spoke to them. The man spoke to the front line of recon teams. Paul had never heard of this general, but the officer ordered them out of the redoubts. He wanted them to head east and attack whatever they found. The Brazilians had struck fifteen miles north of their positions.

“Yes sir,” Paul said, stowing the radio afterward.

“Attack?” asked Romo.

“Let’s mount up,” Paul said.

They left the redoubt at 4:43 P.M. The recon teams didn’t bunch up. That wasn’t their habit. Each set out east and slowly they spread apart from each other.

By 5:36, Paul and Romo discovered they were alone in a wide expanse of nothing. It was dark now. They turned on their suits, used night vision and long-range scanning.

At 7:12, Romo said, “Do you see that?”

Paul didn’t. It was obvious that between them Romo had the better sight. He was younger so it made sense.

Romo pointed. Paul drove and after another quarter-mile, he saw a ribbon of movement on the horizon.

“Hang on,” Paul said. He opened up the throttle.

At 7:52 P.M., the snowmobile’s engine quit. They slid silently for a time and then came to a halt in the snow. They tried, but couldn’t repair it.

Finally, Paul focused on the distant movement. “Trucks,” he said.

“And other supply vehicles,” Romo said.

“It’ll take an hour to get there on foot. They might be gone by then.”

“Radio it in.”

Paul shrugged. He had been about to do that, but he wondered why he bothered. Their side was always running out of smart bombs. Why would it be any different now?

“Say again,” the air-controller said.

Paul told him the info, giving the man the coordinates.

“Do you have a target designator?” the air-controller asked.

“Of course,” Paul said.

“Get closer and put it on them.”

“Let’s go,” Paul told Romo. They left the snowmobile and jogged through the snow. Paul carried a Blowdart launcher and the laser designator. Romo had taken a Javelin.

At 8:17, the air-controller came back online. “Are they still there?”

“Yes and no,” Paul said. “The former supply vehicles have moved on, but we’re near another group.”

“Can you reach them with your laser from where you are?”

“Yes,” Paul said. “You’re telling me you have smart bombs this time?”

“Negative,” the air-controller said. “But somebody upstairs must like you. Once you pinpoint them, ballistic missiles will be on their way.”

Paul knelt and fired the laser at the big trucks moving slowly in the distance. Soon, the ballistic missiles hit the convoy. They started big fires, with belching oil-flames billowing into the starry sky. It was spectacular.

It took an hour and a quarter of trudging through the snow for Paul and Romo to reach the destruction, which took place on an old dirt road. The ballistic missiles had cut a wide swath of destruction. The two men counted fifty-three vehicles. Some still burned. There were countless dead and wounded. Some soldiers carried QBZ-95 assault rifles.

Romo pointed out a truck tilted at a crazy angle. Brazilian soldiers in heavy snow coats manhandled huge crates out of the back of it. The soldiers moved the heavy crates to waiting jeeps. There were seven of them in a line. One jeep already held several of the crates. A soldier climbed into the driver’s side and started the engine.

Paul and Romo glanced at each other. Without a word, both lay down. Paul readied his M-16, wrapping the carrying strap around one of his hands. He nodded to Romo.

Romo prepared the Javelin for firing. “Bad odds for us, my friend,” he said.

“Let’s just get it over with,” Paul said.

“Si,” Romo whispered. He sighted and fired.

The Javelin whooshed and sped fast, hitting the piled-high jeep, causing a fantastic explosion. The blast flattened everyone around it, and the explosion started other fantastic blasts—the biggest and worst in the truck.

Paul barely had time to shove his visor down against the ground. The blast lifted him, tumbling him backward through the air. He struck ground, rolled and rolled like a rag doll. Finally, he came to a stop. He just lay there face down, breathing, glad to be alive.

What had been in those crates?

Finally, Paul stirred. He moved his fingers first, his wrists next and then his elbows. Nothing appeared broken. He stood up and checked his suit for breaches, for holes. It was whole. He was okay, if badly bruised.

“Romo,” he radioed.

“What was that?” Romo radioed back.

Paul found his blood brother twenty feet away. After checking him, Paul discovered that Romo had come through all right as well. The assassin was harder to kill than a bad tax.

From a distance, they examined the former truck with the jeeps. All the vehicles were flipped over or on their sides. None of the Brazilians stirred.

“I wonder if there’s another one around here that still works,” Romo said.

They searched and found one ten minutes later. The engine had a bad knock. Taking a final look around, finding nothing left to destroy, the two men climbed into the Brazilian jeep. They headed west for the American lines, hoping that their part in the Brazilian offensive was over.

PUEBLO, COLORADO

Marshal Liang paced back and forth in a captured Wells Fargo bank building. As he marched, his bad eye flickered due to the constant tic. He couldn’t help either the pacing or the eye. Disaster stared him in the face.

The Americans had tricked him, tricked Chairman Hong and—

No, no, no, it was the perfidious Germans. Chancellor Kleist made a deal with the enemy, freeing too many American soldiers.

By remaining in Cuba before, the GD had tied down nearly a million American GIs from the East Coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Now those soldiers poured to the Midwest and south along the penetration to Colorado Springs.

They’ve trapped over two thirds of my Third Front. I can’t believe this is happening.

Marshal Liang massaged his forehead. He’d been busy while General Zhen attacked the Americans and the Brazilians hammered to break through the encirclement. Both assaults had failed, which was more bad luck.

During that time, Liang had sent a flurry of orders to his generals. The bulk of Tenth and Fifteenth Armies disengaged from Greater Denver. At the same time, Army Group B in the north gathered assault troops, while the others held the line in Cheyenne and the forward areas near the North Platte River.

In the south, Liang gathered his garrison troops and those hunting partisans in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and southeastern Colorado. From now on, he’d use armored convoys for the supply routes and let the rest of the Occupied Territory fend for itself. Let the partisans roam free for a time in most of those places. After freeing Third Front and with rushed reinforcements from China, he would reoccupy his designated states. Unfortunately, it was taking time to gather the scattered formations. His portion of the Occupied Territory was huge. The good news was that he already had eight divisions here in Pueblo and there would be more pouring in during the next few days.

The Americans had encircled the Third Front, but they could never hold such a mass of soldiers. Field Marshal Sanchez reconfigured his divisions in order to give him a decisive assault force. The SAF commander understood that the war could go either way now. Liang had begged Chairman Hong for reinforcements from Fourth Front in the east. Marshal Wen didn’t like the idea, but the man understood the terrible need. This was the battle for North America. The Pan-Asian Alliance and the South American Federation could smash the Americans and Canadians for good now if they could free Third Front.

A little more time and quicker concentrations of troops and I will drive through and resupply my Army Groups.

“Sir,” said Chief of Staff Ping. “The generals are ready.”

Liang turned around. His left eye quivered. He nodded, and strode into the other room. Eight generals snapped to attention around the situational map, saluting him. The map showed the area between Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Denver.

Saluting back, striding to the table, Liang picked up a pointer and began to outline the coming assault.

The eight divisions around Pueblo would become Army Group C. The burnt-out remains of Tenth and Fifteenth Armies and fast formations from Greeley were altogether Army Group A. These two Army Groups, in a coordinated attack, would hit the American Second Tank Army in and around Colorado Springs.

“We have five to one odds, gentlemen,” Liang told the generals. “Yes, the enemy still maintains a few of the Behemoths. Fortunately for us, Intelligence has reported that each of the super-tanks has taken severe damage. We have the means to defeat them and the combined-arms skills to crush these over-bold Americans. Gentlemen, they turned the situation against us like skilled jujitsu fighters. They failed to perceive that we are better jujitsu warriors than they are. Now it is our turn to flip them. The Americans have put themselves in a precarious situation and we will use it to our advantage.”

“When do we begin the assault?” a general asked.

Liang tapped the map with the pointer. He had read the reports. He knew the Americans raced supplies and extra soldiers to the Second Tank Army. U.S. fighters could dig, and behind trenches, they become stubborn foes indeed. He had to strike before they hardened the defenses. But he needed time to coordinate the attack.

“Two days,” he said. “In two days, Army Group A will be ready. During those two days, I hope to add another division-worth of troops to Army Group C.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.

In the Oval Office, Anna sat to the side of the President. Last night, their lovemaking—how had she ever doubted his affection for her? It had been tender and beautiful. He’d told her how the stress had eaten at him as a man. It had made him, well—

Anna smiled to herself. There hadn’t been anything impotent about the President last night. He’d been a tiger.

Now David Sims rocked back and forth in his chair. From time to time, it gave off a wooden squeal, a comfortable noise. He wore his old, Alaska Joint Force Commander uniform, as today was a military meeting.

Having flown in from the Colorado Penetration, General McGraw sat across from David in a big stuffed chair. There were others here. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs sat on one end of a couch while Director Harold sat on the other end.

David regarded the group as his Brain Trust. Months ago, they had decided to accept Chancellor Kleist’s offer. And these three had helped David to decide on the risky and so far successful counterattack against Third Front.

“We’ll make this meeting short,” David said. “General, I know you’re anxious to get back to your men.”

“Yes sir, Mr. President,” McGraw said. He had a burn mark on his right cheek. The skin around it was red.

“Alan, you’ve seen the reports,” the President said. “The entire Chinese and Brazilian military is on the move. Our drive has upset every one of their timetables. Marshal Sanchez’s First Front has pulled back from the Platte River Defenses. Even Marshal Wen’s Fourth Front is retreating from the Des Moines Line. Clearly, Marshal Liang is gathering strength in Pueblo. He’s freed much of Tenth and Fifteenth Armies in the Denver area. We can’t keep things the same on our side if they’re changing up the game on theirs.”

“Mr. President,” Director Harold said. “I’m anticipating you, perhaps. But are you talking about a general offensive everywhere?”

“You’re asking about our northern defense lines?” David said.

“Yes sir,” Harold said.

“It’s crossed my mind to launch a general offensive, yes,” the President said. “We must push now that the Aggressors are shaken. We mustn’t allow them time to regroup and catch their breath.”

Max Harold shook his head. “I would advise against a general offensive everywhere, sir. We’ve learned the hard way that the Militia battalions are fragile formations. On the defense behind built-up works, they can fight as hard as most Regular formations. Out in the open in battles of maneuver…” Harold shook his head.

“What do you think about that?” the President asked Alan.

“The Director has a cogent point, sir,” Alan said.

“Hmm,” the President said. “You don’t think the Militia should leave their defense works?”

“It would be a risky move,” Alan said. “Perhaps it’s even premature.”

“But we must keep up the pressure,” David said. “If we let the enemy withdraw as he wishes, he can reform at will. Then he can select where to strike back. No. The enemy is on the run. We have to keep him running and unbalanced.”

“What if this is a massive trick?” Harold asked. “What if these pullbacks are meant to lure our Militiamen out in the open where the Aggressors can cut them to pieces?”

“I doubt this is a trick,” David said.

“Sir,” McGraw said. “I think you both have a point. We have to keep the pressure on, but we must move the Militia formations with great care. I suggest there is a way to throw a monkey wrench into the Chinese timetable without risking the Militia. Once we unbalance the Chinese a second time, then we could move the Militia to forward positions, but always in junction with brother Army units and always to prepared defenses posts.”

“I’m listening,” the President said.

“St. Louis is the key,” McGraw said.

“I hope you’re not going to talk about Army Group South again,” Alan said.

Anna perked up. Army Group South was the carefully built-up “fire-brigade” stationed in northern Mississippi near the Tennessee border. Over the months, Militia formations had taken over Regular Army positions along the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. Army Group South was supposed to be the reaction force if the Chinese ever made a strong invasion across the Mississippi River into the Deep South.

“That’s exactly what I’m going to suggest we do,” McGraw said.

“We’ve been over that before,” Alan said, angrily. “If you move Army Group South, we’re essentially defenseless if Marshal Wen decides on a cross-Mississippi River attack.”

Big Tom McGraw laughed. “Do you hear yourself? Marshal Wen make an attack into Tennessee or Mississippi now? I don’t think so. The Aggressors are on the ropes and frantically attempting to free formations to fix their essential problem. Look, we’ve encircled the bulk of Third Front. The SAF forces are backing up from the north. The Fourth Front is also backing up and sending units west to help Marshal Liang. Gentlemen, I say that now is the time to make the Aggressors crap their pants. We’ve encircled one front, why not another?”

“Because we don’t have the manpower or the materiel to beat the Aggressors on two Fronts,” Alan said.

“You know we can’t do that,” McGraw said. “Does that mean the enemy knows the same thing? No. He’s running like a rabbit now, frightened at what we’ve done. They’re reacting to us. We have the initiative for the first time in this bloody war. We must keep the initiative until we’ve driven them back into Mexico.”

“I’m well aware we have the initiative,” Alan said. “But that doesn’t mean one goes hog wild. We have to practice caution so we don’t overextend as the Chinese have done in Wyoming. We can’t let them do to us as we’ve just done to them.”

McGraw banged the arm of his chair and thrust his huge torso forward. “That’s where you’re wrong, dead wrong. ‘Audacity, audacity, always audacity’.”

“Who said that?” the President asked.

“Frederick the Great of Prussia,” McGraw promptly answered.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs shook his head. “You have your facts wrong, General. That’s a misapplied quote to Frederick the II. Actually, Danton, a radical of the French Revolution, said it.”

“Either way,” McGraw said. “The quote still applies to us. Now is the time to take calculated risks.”

The President appeared thoughtful.

“Sir,” Alan said, “if we moved Army Group South to St. Louis in order to launch an attack—” He turned to McGraw. “You do mean to attack with the Army Group, right?”

“Yes!” McGraw said. “I think Army Group South should attack hard out of St. Louis. It’s our bridgehead over the Mississippi River. The objective for the attack would be to pin down the Fourth Front where it is. Let Marshal Wen, and Chairman Hong for that matter, believe we’re trying to encircle the Fourth Front. That will keep Wen from sending needed soldiers to Marshal Liang.”

“But you would not try to encircle Fourth Front?” the President asked.

“No sir,” McGraw said. “We can fake it, but we don’t have enough troops to actually do it.”

“What about the Mississippi River Line?” the President asked. “Taking Army Group South away from there opens us up to an attack across the Mississippi River into the Deep South.”

“Firstly, the Militia guards the Mississippi River in strength.” McGraw said. “They’re not going to be blown away unless the Chinese attack with overwhelming force. Secondly, as of now, you don’t have to worry about the Mississippi River because the Chinese are focused elsewhere. Sir, they’re worried about two different fronts—if we make the attack out of St. Louis that is. By the time the Chinese realize the St. Louis assault was a feint, we’ve sewn up Third Front and turned their soldiers into POWs. The idea of this is to keep needed reinforcements out of Marshal Liang’s hands.”

“I see,” the President said. “Yes, your idea has merit.”

“It also has grave risks,” Alan said.

“This is war,” McGraw said. “Great victories come to the men who are willing to take the big risks. We’ve caught the enemy off balance and out of position. As the President says, now we have to keep the Aggressors upset until we’ve destroyed Chinese Army Groups A and B: Third Front. Actually, that would be approximately two thirds of Third Front.

“Destroying that many soldiers takes time,” McGraw said. “Soon, the Chinese in the encircled area are going to be short of food and munitions. That’s when we begin chewing into them. Until that time, we have to hold on to what we’ve taken. To do that, we have to keep the pressure on. Director Harold is right about the Militia. They’re sorely needed troops, but they’re fragile if used wrongly. Wrongly means putting them out in the open. My idea puts the burden squarely on Army soldiers who are trained to attack. Hell, maybe we’ll even get lucky in St. Louis and destroy more Chinese.”

“Sir,” General Alan implored the President. “I beg you, don’t do this. It’s too risky. We need Army Group South where it is. We can’t risk any more of America to the enemy.”

“You’re wrong,” McGraw said. He raised his hand and almost scratched the burn mark. He glanced at his hand as if seeing it for the first time. He put the hand in his lap. “You can’t afford to let Army Group South sit on its butt. We have to use everything now and keep the Chinese on the defensive. The greatest risk is to let the Aggressors concentrate against us in the west. We can’t let them regain the initiate. That’s the greatest risk to us.”

The President scowled as he stared at the floor. Looking up, he asked the Director of Homeland Security. “What do you think, Max?”

Director Harold was slow in answering. “Sir, I’m with General McGraw this time. I’m sorry, Alan. I think McGraw is right. I like the quote by the way,” he told McGraw.

“Anna?” the President asked. “What’s your take on this?”

She’d been waiting for him to ask her. “General McGraw came up with a winner the first time,” she said. “I think you should keep doing what he suggests until he fails.”

President David Sims put his chin on his chest, deep in thought. He pursed his lips. He sat like that for a time. Finally, he raised his head, glancing at each of them in turn.

“It’s a big risk,” the President said. “Yet I believe it’s what George Washington would do if he were in my place. Yes. Let’s get started on a new offensive. Let’s get Army Group South to St. Louis as fast as we can.”

ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO

Soldier Rank Zhu accompanied First Rank Tian into the captain’s office.

Everything was in disarray: the radio equipment, the computers and masses of paper. Bai Hu HQ Denver was moving out to join the others for the breakout attempt.

The captain of the Eagle Teams was an ordinary-looking Chinese officer. He didn’t seem like the leader of the most elite soldiers in Third Front. But then, Zhu didn’t seem like the highest-rated sniper, either.

Despite the commotion, the captain sat behind his desk. Both Zhu and Tian came to attention before it, saluting and waiting.

“Sit, sit,” the captain said with a wave of his hand.

With a grunt, Tian fell back into his chair. Zhu perched on the edge of his. He’d never been in the captain’s office before. This was a great honor.

The captain glanced at a computer scroll on his desk before eyeing Zhu. “So, you’ve slain one hundred and sixteen Americans with your sniper rifle.”

“Yes sir,” Zhu said.

“Impressive.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“At ease, Soldier Rank, at ease,” the captain said.

“Yes sir,” Zhu said. He remained perched on the edge of his chair, with his back ramrod stiff.

“Is he always this way?” the captain asked Tian.

“Zhu is the best soldier in my unit, sir. I believe he is the most conscientious soldier in the entire Chinese military.”

“Well, well, well,” the captain said, eyeing Zhu once more.

Zhu felt miserable under the scrutiny.

“Such zeal should be rewarded,” the captain said. “We’ve lost too many good White Tigers in this blasted city. These Americans don’t know when they’re beaten. Well, in any case, we’re going to beat them now in Colorado Springs. High Command tells us the enemy has brought their super-tanks along, the Behemoths. It won’t help them this time, not once we join the assault.”

The captain leaned back in his chair. “What caused you to pick up the sniper rifle, Soldier Rank?”

“Sir?” Zhu asked, uncertain what he was supposed to say.

Tapping the computer scroll, the captain said, “I’ve read the reports. You jetted up to some of the tallest buildings and hid up there for half a day, at times. You waited for an American to poke up his head and then you shot him. Why did you go to such lengths to hunt the enemy?”

“I am a White Tiger. I am an Eagle flyer,” Zhu said.

“Go on,” the captain said.

“Sir, the Americans refused to surrender. That meant they needed killing. These past few weeks, sniper attacks have proved the most effective means of whittling down their remaining numbers.”

The captain slapped the table. “I don’t have all day. So we’ll get to the point. Soldier Rank Zhu, due to your excellent performance and skill as a soldier, I am promoting you to First Rank.”

Zhu could only blink his eyes at this astonishing news.

The captain grinned and winked at Tian. “He’s the strong and silent type is he?”

“He’s silent,” Tian said, “and he’s very strong of heart.”

“A real White Tiger,” the captain said. “First Rank Zhu, let me be the first to congratulate you on your new rank.”

“Thank you, sir,” Zhu said. This was unbelievable. He was a First Rank now.

“With your exalted status, I can’t very well leave you in Tian’s squad,” the captain said. “Therefore, you’re going to get a squad of your own.”

“Sir?” Zhu asked. He glanced at Tian in worry.

The captain chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll still be near Tian. The man’s unstoppable, I know. Yes, it’s good having several of those like Tian in your command.” The captain paused before telling Zhu, “If I could, I’d like to give you newer recruits, First Rank.”

Zhu was still shocked at his promotion. Gaining rank in the White Tigers was much harder than in regular Army formations. Yet he had become a First Rank.

“I’ve amalgamated the fragments of several squads and formed them into one unit,” the captain was telling him. “You’ll be their First Rank, Zhu. Do you believe you’re up to the task?”

“Yes sir,” Zhu said with enthusiasm.

The captain smiled indulgently. “I don’t want you going off and getting drunk in celebration. We have too much work to do.”

“I won’t sir,” Zhu said.

“It would be good if you could go through several practice runs with your men, but there’s no time. After we establish the breakthrough through this Second American Tank Army, then you’ll have time.”

The captain stood.

Zhu shot to his feet. Tian rose too, although more slowly.

“I want to show you gentlemen my little surprise for the enemy. The Eagle Teams are still the cutting edge of Army Group A. If you’ll follow me…”

The captain marched out of the room.

Zhu followed Tian. He was a First Rank. He would have his own squad to lead. What an honor. Zhu grinned and his eyes shined. This was so marvelous that he could hardly believe it. After months of grueling battle, someone finally noticed his effort. That was a good feeling. No. It was a great feeling.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

In the right time and place, the Behemoths were unstoppable. That was Colonel Higgins’ belief. He picked up a pipe, fingering the opening. He’d found this in an abandoned house and had picked it up on impulse.

The trouble was, none of his ten remaining super-tanks was unscathed. Each had taken damage from the Chinese heavy lasers. Tests to the frontal armor on each showed that the lasers had deeply stressed the plate. Each tank also had compromised systems, such as the thermal sighting, cannon control, the AI or the main power plant. These were not the same Behemoths that had begun the attack along the Platte River Line.

Still, there was nothing in Second Tank Army even closely approaching the Behemoths in capability. The Jefferson MBT-8s had also performed well. They were able to face the T-66s on relatively equal terms. The Chinese tank still had an edge due to having three guns to the Jefferson’s one.

The Jefferson divisions had lost half their new tanks to a variety of problems: enemy hits, battle stress, engine failure and teething problems, kinks that still needed hammering out.

Second Tank Army had originally spread out to face both north and south. It contained a critical number of the nation’s M1A3s, all the Jeffersons, all the Behemoths and far too many of the remaining Bradleys, Strykers and self-propelled artillery. Reinforcements had arrived: attack helos, vast amounts of munitions, tac-lasers and mobile missile launchers.

Stan had spoken to General McGraw, who had flown down to the southernmost position of the penetration.

As Stan waited in his Behemoth, with his head and shoulders outside the hatch, he recalled the earlier conversation.

“The Chinese have assembled too much north and south of us for Second Tank Army to handle,” Stan said.

“You’re getting cold feet?” McGraw asked.

“I’ve read the Intelligence reports. Tom, we always knew this would be the hardest fight: keeping the Chinese sealed. Marshal Liang is good at his job. He’s assembled a fighting force to break through faster than we thought he could. He’s accepted greater risks than we thought he would.”

“I’ve read the Intelligence reports too,” McGraw said. “So this is it? You’re suggesting I withdrawal Second Tank Army and try to bloody the Chinese as much as we can as they drive past us? And we do this because they’re too strong for us to contain?”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Stan said “But I have a different suggestion.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Stan took a deep breath. “Let Second Tank Army deal with the southern attack. Those are relatively fresh enemy divisions but they’ll be ill-coordinated, would be my guess. They’re not used to working together. Second Tank Army can stop them.”

“That still leaves the Tenth and Fifteenth Armies from Denver to worry about,” McGraw said.

“You mean the burned-out hulk of those two armies,” Stan said. “They’ve taken losses in the house to house battles. They’re not the same formations that started the attack.”

“Go on,” McGraw said.

“I propose that you leave them to me.”

“You’d better explain what you mean.”

“It’s simple: my ten Behemoths against them.”

“Are you crazy?” McGraw asked.

“I’m not going to wait for them to launch a perfectly coordinated assault against me,” Stan explained. “I’m going to attack, but with the ten super-tanks bunched together. I’ll want plenty of artillery to help me. But those tubes can turn around later and assist our Second Tank Army.”

“The Behemoths are good, old son. I admit that. But you can’t take on two entire Chinese armies.”

“Burned out armies,” Stan said. “I’m guessing many of those soldiers have had their fill of fighting in the city ruins. Perhaps just as importantly, they’re now used to trench warfare. I’m going to give them mobile warfare and long-range destruction that they won’t believe.”

“You’re crazy, Colonel.”

“You’re going to have to give me several battlewagons as supply vehicles. I’m going to need everything in them: lubricants, penetrators, gas, 30mm shells and .50 caliber bullets by the ton.”

Battlewagon was an old term for a Navy battleship. The Army version were low, wide vehicles and heavily armored. They carried fuel, munitions and extra spares for radio equipment, AI components, loaders, calibrators and a host of other articles.

“With what you’re suggesting, your tanks will burn out,” McGraw said.

“I’ll let you in on a secret, Tom. They’re already burned out. The fight against the heavy lasers ruined their forward plates.”

“So how do you expect to face two Chinese armies then?”

“I already told you,” Stan said. “I’m going to attack, and I’m going to count on my beehive flechette launchers and the AIs to knock down most incoming missiles and shells. The armor will just have to hold against shrapnel and bullets, and that the stressed plates can still do.”

“Go over your plan in greater detail,” McGraw said slowly.

Stan had. Now he was out there alone with his ten Behemoth tanks. He was north of Colorado Springs. He had a plan all right. He’d read so much military history that there was always a battle he could go to for inspiration. This time, it was the battle of Leuthen in 1757.

Frederick the Great of Prussia with 36,000 soldiers had decisively and crushingly defeated the Austrian army of nearly 80,000 troops. Napoleon had said of the battle: “His (Frederick’s) Oblique Order could only prove successful against an army which was unable to maneuver.”

That’s something Stan was counting on. He didn’t think the Chinese Tenth and Fifteenth Armies could maneuver as they used to. For one thing, most of their tanks had gone north weeks ago. Two, a large number of their vehicles had perished in Greater Denver. Finally, as he’d told McGraw, these soldiers had been fighting siege battles for weeks on end. A soldier became used to that. He began to turtle, and built a shelter he loved. Now they were supposed to maneuver quickly and boldly as they had this summer. No. They would be sluggish, if not downright slow in reacting to his plan.

Stan recalled reading about Frederick the Great explaining the oblique order of attack: “You refuse one wing to the enemy and strengthen the one which is to attack. With the latter you do your utmost against one wing of the enemy which you take in flank. An army of 100,000 men taken in flank may be beaten by 30,000 in a very short time…The advantages of this arrangement are (1) a small force can engage one much stronger than itself; (2) it attacks an enemy at a decisive point; (3) if you are beaten, it is only part of your army, and you have the other three-fourths which are still fresh to cover your retreat.”

Stan had a small force all right: ten Behemoths with artillery well to the rear. He would not so much withhold part of his force, as let depth of space hold the enemy. He was counting on sluggishness and suspicion to keep the Chinese from pouring into that empty space. He was also counting on dummies and some U.S. deception troops traveling back and forth behind trenches, giving radio signals as if there were whole divisions waiting for the Chinese. Hopefully, the Chinese would take time to deploy for a combined-arms attack instead of just rushing forward into the otherwise empty space.

The key to the plan was to attack from a flank. With the ten Behemoths, he could concentrate an unbelievable amount of firepower in once place. His plan was to concentrate that firepower one spot at a time against the enemy.

The other key to his plan was the Southern Rocky Mountains. The Chinese could not escape into them. Instead, those mountains would act as a wall. If this worked, he would drive the Chinese into them, demolishing the enemy as he drove into the flank of Army Group A.

It was a bold plan. It was a preposterous plan. It also adhered to the idea of “Audacity, audacity, always audacity.”

Lastly, he hoped to prove to the full the great superiority of these monstrous tanks. Kept together under tight control, he believed he could overwhelm the Chinese in detail faster than they could turn around to swarm him with materiel.

It was the test of a lifetime.

“Are you ready, Professor?” Jose called up.

Stan scanned the snow. One hump showed a branch poking out: a small bush of some sort. He glanced around at the ten tanks. Then he darted down into the Behemoth, with a bang, closing the hatch behind him.

PUEBLO, COLORADO

The inside of a former Wells Fargo bank bustled with activity. Headquarters staff hurried back and forth, while others watched on screens. In the center of all the hushed speech and clicking shoes was the main situational map. Marshal Liang with his Chief of Staff studied the computer images.

“The Americans are putting up much stiffer resistance than expected,” Ping said.

Liang couldn’t believe this. Army Group C seemed to have hit the Great Wall of Second Tank Army. The Jefferson tanks darted forward against the T-66s as if the American commander didn’t care about losses. For the first time in battle, the Americans were living up to their legendary image of vast expenditures of firepower. Missiles in abundance, artillery shells like a downpour and massed tank cannons roaring as if they were ancient dragons roused from sleep hit his force.

In stunned silence, Liang watched the computer map. The Second Tank Army chewed through his hastily formed Army Group C. It was like throwing wood into a blazing furnace.

“I’m beginning to believe the Americans have put everything they have against Army Group C,” Ping said.

Liang’s eyes blurred red from having studied hundreds of different Intelligence reports. He recalled one strange paper that spoke about vast dummy emplacements to the north of Colorado Springs. Other reports had impressed Liang with the American ability to erect a defensive line in days. Had the Americans been so bold as to use everything against one side of his assault?

The enemy had the interior position. He could shift from side to side. Was the strange report correct whose writer had insisted little stood against the Tenth and Fifteenth Armies?

“We must light a fire under Army Group A,” Liang said, speaking as if coming out of a deep sleep.

A man ran to Chief of Staff Ping and handed him a note. Ping read it and looked up.

“What is it?” Liang asked with a sick feeling in his stomach.

“The Behemoths, sir,” Ping said. “We’ve finally found out where they’re hidden.”

“Where?” asked Liang. “Put it on the map.”

Ping adjusted a set of controls. Red images appeared to the east of 5th Division, the easternmost formation of Tenth Army.

“The Behemoths are flanking us,” Liang said. “They’ve put themselves badly out of position.”

“Uh, sir,” Ping said. “The Behemoths aren’t just flanking. They’re attacking.”

Liang scowled. “We need better reconnaissance. I don’t care what it costs in our drone reserve. Get me better images of the Tank Army’s northern edge.” He picked up a phone. With a deeper scowl, Liang turned to one of the communications people. “Put me through to General Xi.”

General Xi commanded Tenth Army of Army Group A.

“It’s time to light a fire under him,” Liang muttered. “They’re moving much too slowly against the Americans.”

FORWARD EDGE OF THE BATTLE AREA, COLORADO

Like a thunderclap from Heaven, Stan Higgins and his ten Behemoths poured penetrators into 5th Division of the PAA Tenth Army.

Stan rocked forward in his commander’s seat. The engine revved with power and yet another surge sent a penetrator screaming at the helpless enemy.

The ten super-tanks charged across the snowscape at speed. It put the magnetic suspension to the test. Behind the ten Behemoths followed specially-built battlewagons.

Stan had already called one halt to resupply. Each Behemoth had its own battlewagon and team of experts. They moved with the speed of NASCAR specialists, rushing fuel hoses to the Behemoths and carting extra penetrators and buffers through the large back ports.

So long as each cannon worked, Stan planned to use them against the enemy and maintain the assault.

“Enemy incoming!” the tech sergeant shouted.

“I see them,” Stan said, turning to his number three screen. “Artillery shells,” he added.

The tracking AI had already spotted the shells. The ten Behemoths were linked with the Phalanx Defense System. Automated .50 calibers, 30mm auto-cannons and the beehive flechettes spewed counter-fire at the shells, knocking ninety-nine percent of them.

Some always made it through. Probability dictated it. The three hundred ton Behemoth shook as shells slammed into them.

With worried eyes, Stan studied his screens. His tank was okay. …So were the other nine. Damn! One of his battlewagon’s treads had been knocked off. He’d have to leave the supply vehicle behind. To lose it this early in the battle…

“Who are you kidding?” he muttered to himself. This was the death ride of the Behemoths. Ten tanks no matter how super could not defeat two entire Chinese Armies, not even these burnt-out shells of armies that had whittled away their strength in Denver.

But…the death ride might give Second Tank Army time to defeat the southern rush so they could turn around and take on the others later.

There was one other component to Stan’s plan. He hadn’t told anyone else about it. His son was in Denver—at least, he hoped Jake still lived. The thing Stan wanted more than anything was to free his son from the trap. To do that, they had to keep these Chinese sealed up in the encirclement.

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Stan said.

“What’s that, Colonel?” Jose asked.

“I said: I’m wondering when they’re going to throw their remaining air at us. They can’t afford to let us keep chewing into the Tenth.”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Jose said. “The enemy air will be along soon.”

Stan kept an eye on the AI meter. This new Phalanx link was amazing. Ten Behemoths threw up a massive amount of counter-fire. He wondered now if he’d brought along enough extra munitions.

Too bad the Chinese had already knocked out a battlewagon. Stan had a feeling he’d be wanting those supplies before this fight was over.

PUEBLO, COLORADO

Marshal Liang’s tic grew worse as the information poured in.

“Ten tanks can’t do this!” he shouted. It happened after the third division in a row of Tenth Army fell apart.

The worst were the images of ten Behemoths destroying infantry too slow to flee from their line of advance. Beehive flechettes and 30mm shrapnel blew down soldiers like combines scything wheat. The worst was a Chinese soldier sprinting for safety among rubble. He blew apart into red mist, simply disappearing from history. The mist settled and sprinkled the snow red.

During the slaughter, the first piece of good news flashed on a screen. It happened after Liang ordered a mass artillery bombardment on the Behemoths.

“Such a bombardment will kill our soldiers, too,” the general of Tenth Army complained.

“They’re already dead,” Liang said. “The least they can do is to take their tormenters to the grave with them.”

Soon, the artillery barrage and cruise missile attack reached the hateful tanks. On a screen, Liang and the entire Headquarters staff watched a ground-hugging missile slam against a three hundred ton beast and blow a gaping hole in it.

Officers and orderlies cheered. A few even slapped each other on the back.

That alone brought home to Liang several key factors. The Behemoth tanks were amazing. Hong had been right to expend two armies to destroy the Behemoth Manufacturing Plant. It also meant the MC ABMs were equally fantastic. Before their destruction, they had killed eight of these super-tanks. China needed more MC ABMs. China should field hundreds of the great vehicles.

Liang shook his head. That was the future. Today, the viability of the North American conquest might very well rest on destroying nine American super-tanks.

The cruise missile barrage during the slaughter of Chinese infantry gave Liang the answer to his problem. Now he would have to coordinate the next strike and make sure it took out several of these grim monsters.

FORWARD EDGE OF THE BATTLE AREA, COLORADO

“Colonel Higgins, my force cannon has malfunctioned.”

“Can you repair it?” Stan asked the commander. He sat in his Behemoth. He’d spent hours now, driving west as he destroyed one Chinese formation after another. The flank attack—hitting the Chinese piecemeal with the full force of the remaining Behemoths—had been more wildly successful that he would have thought possible.

Frederick the Great knew more than he explained. When this trick works, it works.

Stan accepted a stim pill from Jose, put it on his tongue and slugged it back with bottled water. The endless hours of surges, stopping to let the AI Phalanx-link do it task and watching the murderous efficiency of his tanks at close range against infantry had taken its toll on him.

War was young man’s game, and he was in his fifties. All the working out over the years helped, but his body wasn’t what it used to be.

“Well, Ted,” Stan told the Behemoth commander. “If your force cannon won’t work, you’re along now to provide protective cover with the rest of your armaments. Concentrate on searching for air assaults.”

“Yes sir, Colonel.”

The screen flickered, removing the commander and showing the operational situation. What remained of Tenth Army and the Fifteenth turned to face and swarm the Behemoths. American artillery kept pounding the enemy at the longest range possible, and drone strikes hammered in to keep the Chinese busy. Even with all that, the enemy was finally doing the right thing.

It’s a matter of speed. Who can accomplish his task quicker: our Behemoths or the great, unwieldy armies?

“With the loss of the force cannon and the destroyed Behemoth earlier, we’ve lost one-fifth of our offensive firepower,” Jose commented.

“I know,” Stan said. He’d been thinking the same thing.

“How many force cannons do you need to keep the attacking going?” Jose asked.

“That’s a good question. I’ll tell you in a little bit.”

Jose laughed nervously. “I never realized our Behemoths were this good, Colonel.”

No, Stan thought, neither did I.

I-25, COLORADO

First Rank Zhu gripped the handlebars of his battle-taxi. To his right, First Rank Tian’s squad clung to their battle-taxi. The helos flew nap-of-the-earth, a bare twenty meters above the snow. This was trick flying and he was leading his squad into the fray for the first time.

This felt different from any other time. Now, he was responsible for the others. It wasn’t just how well he fought; he had to make sure his men fought well, too.

Zhu licked his lips. Today, they didn’t carry assault rifles or grenade launchers. Each Eagle flyer carried a big magnetic mine. Each Eagle flyer had a single task to perform: land on a giant American tank, attach the mine—that would automatically set the device—and fly away for safety.

Zhu doubted they could escape again. This was a suicide mission.

This is for the glory of China.

It saddened Zhu that he would have to die today. But if he was going to die, he was going to take an American super-tank with him. He had become a First Rank. Who would have ever expected that from him? His mother, if she were still alive, would have been proud of him.

Zhu glanced at his men. They watched the ground, each wrapped in his own thoughts. Zhu didn’t know them well. He had no doubt they were brave.

He looked up. Missile streaks left trails in the sky. Beside them flashed long cruise missiles. They were almost to the great tanks. Yes, he saw the monsters blazing fire. They were beasts, and the firepower pouring from them was awe-inspiring.

Against orders, Zhu chinned on his helmet radio. “First Rank Tian of Second Squad, this is First Rank Zhu of Fifth Squad.”

“Hello, Zhu,” Tian said in a tired voice.

“Are you well?” Zhu asked.

“No I’m not well. I’m not supposed to die in America. The astrologer said so. But look at those tanks. How are we supposed to destroy them?”

“We will die gloriously today,” Zhu said.

“…Zhu, my friend, you are a good man.”

The sadness in Tian’s voice was difficult to take.

“Tian…everything I know…you taught me.”

“Zhu, Zhu, Zhu, you are China’s best soldier. Do you know that?”

“You mock me at a time like this?” Zhu asked. The tanks were getting bigger, and none of the missiles streaking at them or the cruise missiles hugging the ground could reach those tanks. This was incredible. The tanks shot the missiles out of the air.

“You are like a brother to me,” Tian was saying. “I wish you well.”

“I…I wish you well, First Rank.”

“You are my best friend, Zhu.”

“You are also my best friend.”

“Ah, Zhu, what a strange thing life is. I did not realize how much I wanted to live until this moment. Don’t you want to live?”

“Not at the price of dishonor,” Zhu said.

“Is this honor?”

“Yes!” Zhu said. “We are White Tigers. We are the greatest soldiers in the world. We have lived well, with honor and with pride. I am happy to perish well, fighting the enemy with every particle of my strength.”

“They picked the right man to be a White Tiger. I will miss you.”

Zhu blinked rapidly, finding that his eyes were wet. The moisture leaked out of the corners and streaked his temples. His chest felt so terribly hollow. He wished he could live. But this was the price of being the greatest soldier, a White Tiger. One had to be willing to lay down his life for his country. This was China’s hour of greatness. His country called upon him to destroy the dreaded tanks that annihilated his fellow warriors.

They were more blooms in the nearing distance. Nine great vehicles in a line stopped everything sent at them. As the helo closed, more explosions occurred all around the Behemoths. It was most incredible.

“Launch!” their pilot shouted.

Zhu shoved up for what would likely be the last time in his life. He engaged his jetpack and lifted at exactly the right angle. A moment later, an enemy shell obliterated the battle-taxi. It took half his squad with it. They had been too slow in exiting.

From ten meters above the ground, First Rank Zhu flew at the great tanks. Concussions in the air shook him as he closed. More Eagle flyers tumbled from the air.

“Tian?” Zhu radioed. He did not get an answer. Tian must be dead. The astrologer had been wrong. It didn’t matter. Zhu’s eyes shined and he flew at the tanks.

He dropped another few meters. And then he gave his jetpack full thrust. Artillery rained on the tanks. Cruise missiles came down. How could nine tanks stop so much at one time?

Then an explosion knocked a Behemoth tank onto its side.

Zhu shouted wildly, the sound reverberating in his helmet. His heart beat with excitement. He was terrified. He was alive. He snarled and activated the mine strapped to his chest.

“I am First Rank,” he said to himself.

Zhu closed as shrapnel rattled against his armor. The last Eagle flyers with him went down, plowing into the snow. Only First Rank Zhu continued. He had practiced long hours to become the best. He flew, taking another hit that breached his armor so a hole appeared in his stomach and fluids leaked out. He felt his strength oozing from him. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered now but the hulk of steel before him.

Zhu Peng, White Tiger First Rank, struck the Behemoth tank. The impact ignited his mine, and it blew a hole into the main compartment, killing the entire crew and destroying the greatest battlefield weapon on either side.

FORWARD EDGE OF THE BATTLE AREA, COLORADO

Stan Higgins reluctantly ordered a retreat. The latest enemy attack had broken through the defensive fire, destroying three Behemoths and four battlewagons.

He had five operational Behemoths left, and one more that could fire defensively. After the latest mass assault, he didn’t believe he had enough firepower to keep the Chinese off balance.

Of the five tanks left, three of the force cannons had lost their fine calibration. They could hit close objects, but not the miles-long distant enemy.

As the Behemoths backed up, retreating at speed as friendly artillery laid down thick, anti-thermal clouds, he judged the flank attack a success, at least while it had lasted.

The Pan-Asian Alliance Tenth Army had ceased to exist as a fighting formation. The Fifteenth had stalled. The new Sleeper mines had done some damage to it. Mainly, however, the Chinese were now out of position and would need time to redeploy.

Already, elements from American Second Tank Army raced for the empty trenches facing what was left of PAA Army Group A. Their encounter with the southern Chinese had been decisive.

Stan retreated, dragging two hulks of Behemoths with him. The others he left on the battlefield.

The remaining super-tanks would need a lot of repair to fix them back up to full efficiency. But it appeared right now that they had more than fulfilled their role as America’s saviors. They had blunted the Chinese breakthrough attempt.

The question remained, though. How was Jake doing? Was his boy still alive?

Stan sat in his commander’s chair, too tired for words.

-13-

Readjustments

GENESSE PARK, COLORADO

Corporal Jake Higgins trudged along I-70. In the distance behind were the ruins of Greater Denver.

The bulk of the Chinese Army had pulled out several days ago. The remnants in the ruins shot at Jake and the others, but it was desultory fire. The danger came from sporadic artillery barrages.

“Incoming!” the Lieutenant shouted.

Jake sprinted off the freeway and hit the snow, hugging the ground. Shells roared overhead and slammed against the Earth. Jake felt the tremors and relaxed. From endless weeks, he knew the shells hadn’t landed near enough to hurt him.

“They’re taking revenge against us,” the Lieutenant said.

Jake looked up. Everyone around them was flat. They waited for more salvos. More didn’t come this time. The Chinese fired here and there at random, seemingly trying to catch soldiers by surprise. It was a petty way to make war, going for more wounded to make life miserable for the Americans. Like the others around him, Jake dragged himself to his feet and continued walking.

After a little while, Jake trudged past freshly killed soldiers. Companions dug graves for them.

“That’s lousy luck,” Goose said.

Jake nodded. After the endless weeks in the city, surviving flame-throwers, grenades, sniper fire, artillery and bombs, and now to die as they marched for freedom, it was rotten luck.

What a thing, Jake decided, his thoughts bouncing all over the place today. He’d survived the encirclement in Amarillo, Texas this summer. He’d survived the harrowing trek to Colorado and now it looked like he might survive the siege of Denver. If they reached Idaho Springs, they should be safe until the next venture. It would be nice if they could stop the Chinese advance for once and push them back.

Four hours later, Jake, Goose and the Lieutenant sat around a small sterno flame that burned under their tin pot. They heated a can of pork and beans, a delicacy after their nearly starvation diet.

Darkness fell around them, and Chinese artillery boomed in the distance. The flashes played off the low clouds. One flash highlighted a cloud that looked like an arrow pointed back at the enemy.

“They don’t want to let us go,” the Lieutenant observed.

Jake stirred the pork and beans. The aroma was killing him. He was hungry and his stomach ached.

“You know what I think,” the Lieutenant said.

Jake shook his head as he kept his eyes on the beans. When it began to bubble, they would be ready.

“We’re the ones who broke their back,” the Lieutenant said.

“We’ve lived like rats for months,” Jake said. “I don’t know how that broke anyone’s back.”

“I don’t mean just you and me. I mean all the ordinary Americans who picked up a gun and joined the Army, the Militia or the partisans. Here in this hellhole, it was all of us working together. The Army has better equipment, but we held just the same.”

Jake thought about the earliest battle where most of the Eleventh CDMB had run away. Still, some had fought the enemy until the very end.

“I don’t know if I agree with you,” Goose said. “The Chinese chased us out of Denver, didn’t they? And they destroyed it.”

The Lieutenant snorted so snot flew out of his nose. He used his sleeve to wipe his nostrils. “Sorry, but I don’t feel as if we were chased out. The enemy shoved and we shoved back. Yeah, they pushed us out of the majority of the city, but we made them pay in blood. We made them pay so much that our Army had time to regroup and turn the tables on them. Why did that happen? I’ll tell you, because you and me picked up our guns and fought to the last drop. We ground them down and weakened them enough to give the tank lords the opportunity. But without us, the Chinese would have conquered America.”

“Seems to me they’re still in America,” Goose said.

“Yeah,” the Lieutenant said, “with a noose around their necks. Give it a little more time, and we’ll hang these SOBs.”

Jake used the spoon and scooped some pork and beans. He ate the sample. It was hot and tasted great. “Supper’s ready,” he said. “Are you guys?”

Goose and the Lieutenant held out their tins. Jake divided the pork and beans evenly into three parts.

“Another few days,” Jake said, after he licked his spoon and tin clean. “And we’re out of—”

“Don’t jinx us by saying it,” Goose said.

Jake blinked at his friend and finally smiled. “No. I won’t jinx us. Let’s clean up and get some shut-eye.”

“We’ll clean up,” the Lieutenant said. “But then we keep moving. I want out of here and now’s our chance. So we move until we’re out or we’re dead.”

“Yes sir,” Jake said. “I like that advice.”

IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO

Paul sweated from the hard work and his hands were sore. “Ready?” he asked Romo.

“One, two, three,” Romo said, grunting the last word.

The two of them lifted a stretcher with a soldier on it. They carried the man from a truck out of Denver to a waiting Chinook helicopter. The helo was near capacity and Paul and Romo had carted at least a quarter of the patients into it.

There were here because SOCOM had been ordered to harass the Chinese in Denver. They hadn’t started on their mission yet because the medical people were short-handed and had asked for help.

The soldiers coming out of Denver looked more like skeletons. They were gaunt, all of them with the thousand-yard stare and too many having lice. The last few weeks had been the worst for them, as most of the airdrops hadn’t landed near enough the besieged soldiers to give them enough supplies.

Paul knew the orders for these men. The strongest were supposed to hike west along I-70, bypassing the ballistic-missile damage. It would take strong men to do that until they reached waiting trucks.

So far, eight thousand of these survivors had reached Idaho Springs. Belatedly, the Chinese attacked the rear guard, halting another eight thousand hastily digging trenches to face their tormentors.

Paul used his forearm to wipe his forehead. He was dog-tired from lifting stretchers and he was tired in his soul. SOCOM had been using him and the other LRSUs back and forth in the hottest spots for weeks on end now. He’d been fighting too long, and it had taken its toll to his spirit.

“Poor bastards,” Paul said.

“What did one of your great generals of the past say?” Romo asked. “War is Hell.”

“That it is,” Paul agreed.

A truck’s brakes squealed as it lurched toward the Chinook. MPs raced over to block it. The trucks were supposed to wait behind the barricade for inspection.

A tough-looking man with a Mexico Home Army uniform jumped out of the driver’s seat.

“You!” he said to Paul. “I have men that need loading.”

The MPs moved up.

Paul recognized the mean-looking driver: the man was an assassin for Valdez. Paul wasn’t sure what motivated him. “Just a minute,” he told the MP captain. “I think I might know some of these men.”

“Doesn’t make any difference,” the MP said.

“Is Colonel Valdez here?” Paul asked the driver.

The Mexico Home Army driver’s head swayed back. He squinted at Paul, and recognition flared in his eyes. Slowly, suspiciously, the driver nodded.

Paul faced the MP. “Sir, Colonel Valdez is a VIP to the President of the United States.”

“What?” the captain said.

“He’s an important figure to our allied soldiers,” Paul explained.

“What’s going on here?” the captain asked.

A hand clutched one of Paul’s elbows. Romo whispered in his ear, “What are you doing?”

Paul wasn’t sure. Maybe he was paying back a blood debt to Maria Valdez. The Colonel wanted him dead, could hate like few others, but he had fathered Maria and Paul hadn’t been able to rescue her from the Chinese. It still bothered him. He couldn’t give the Colonel his life, as Paul wanted to live, not die. But maybe he could give the Colonel back his own life as payment for a grim burden of the soul.

“Sir,” Paul told the captain, “I belong to SOCOM. The President tasks us from time to time with secret missions. I happen to know how important Colonel Valdez is to America’s war effort. Let us carry him and as many of his men as it can hold aboard the Chinook.”

The MP scowled and finally threw up his hands. “Hurry it up then. The helo is slated to take off in ten minutes.”

The captain and his MPs stalked off.

The driver studied Paul. The man’s features had become stony and then thoughtful. “You have a lion’s heart,” he said. “Follow me.” The driver took Paul and Romo to the back of the truck and opened the gate.

A dozen Mexico Home Army soldiers sat in the gloom on benches. On a stretcher lay Colonel Valdez. One of the men held up Valdez’s head. Another whipped back a blanket covering the Colonel, showing that Valdez held a pistol aimed at Paul’s chest.

Paul saw eyes of burning hate. Those eyes flickered to take in Romo.

“Both of you are here,” Valdez whispered. His skin was gray and he seemed feverish.

Paul wondered how much of an idiot he was, but he decided to play it through. “Do you want to live?” he asked the Colonel.

“I want to put a bullet in your chest,” Valdez whispered. “You are a pig and a traitor.”

“Colonel,” the driver said, surprising Paul by speaking up. “This man just interfered for your sake. The MP would have forced you to wait. Now you can leave on a helicopter and get the medical help you need.”

“I heard what this traitor said,” hissed Valdez. He glared at Paul. “Do you think you can buy my forgiveness?”

“Apparently not,” Paul said.

The Colonel began to cough and his gun-hand lost strength so he set the weapon on the floorboard, although he kept his hand around the butt and his finger curled around the trigger.

The Mexico Home Army soldiers in the truck stared at Paul and stared at Romo.

“He needs medical help,” Romo said. “I doubt he’ll get it if he shoots the American.”

“Traitor,” Valdez hissed so spit flew from his mouth. A particle landed on his chin as he raised the gun.

Before he could fire, the driver lunged into the truck. The man had a leopard’s swiftness. He grabbed the gun and twisted. A shot rang out. Amazingly, the bullet hit no one.

The captain and his MPs raced back. “What’s going on here?” he demanded.

The driver had ripped away the pistol, holding it in his hands. With hostility in their eyes and as they gripped their weapons, the others in the truck watched the MPs.

“The Colonel is delirious,” Paul said. “He thought we were Chinese soldiers and fired at us.” Paul put his fingers on the end of the stretcher. “Come on, Romo, give me a hand.”

Paul dragged the Colonel out of the truck-bed and Romo grabbed the other end of the stretcher.

“Let him go with the Colonel,” Paul said to the captain. He used his chin and pointed at the driver. “The others can wait.”

“The others can walk along I-70 with everyone else,” the captain said. “Only the wounded are getting a ride out. Well, he can go, I guess. But don’t give him the gun until he’s well.”

“I won’t,” the driver said.

“Come on,” Paul told the driver. “I’ll show you the way.”

Paul and Romo carried a sick Colonel Valdez onto the Chinook, laying him down among other wounded.

Valdez’s hot eyes flickered open. “This changes nothing,” he told Paul.

“No,” Paul said. “You’re wrong. This changes everything. I just saved your life. Heck, I probably saved you from jail, too, or from the firing squad. That’s what would have happened to you if you’d killed me.”

“My men—”

“Would have been badly outnumbered here,” Paul said. “Anyway, just shut up for change. I’ve listened to you rant before. The way I figure it is that you owe me big time. Most people are grateful to someone saving their life. How about you: are you an ingrate and a dog, or are you a man who pays his debts?”

Valdez’s eyes seemed to burn hotter.

“Think about it,” Paul said. “What I know is that I’ve paid you back for what happened to Maria. There isn’t any more guilt in my heart that you can tap. If you keep coming after me, I’ll kill you just like the assassin Santiago that you sent after Romo.”

“Words,” Valdez said with a sneer.

“It’s time to start channeling your anger the right way,” Paul said. “Kill the Chinese, drive them home and then worry about your stinking honor, as worthless as yours is.”

“No one speaks to me like that.”

“You ready?” Paul asked Romo.

“Si.”

“Then let’s go. Be seeing you,” Paul told the driver. “And thanks. I owe you one.”

With that, Paul left Colonel Valdez in the Chinook, which took off five minutes later. It was strange, but it felt good saving a life for once instead of taking it, even that of a man who hated him.

BEIJING, PRC

Shun Li knelt in the cage with the small polar bear cub. The fur was so soft and she loved listening to the little fellow as she held the milk bottle for him.

He sucked strongly, drinking deeply. The Chairman no longer let the mother bear pace in the next chamber, watching. Shun Li smiled. She wondered how much longer she would get to do this.

She’d been agonizing over the correct course of action. The Police Minister’s plot continued apace. She had written many reports for Xiao, and his questions about the Chairman and his Lion Guards had become very pointed. She enjoyed Tang and his rough lovemaking. She loved this little polar bear cub. But she did care for either enough to die for them?

She had come to wonder if the Chairman’s days were numbered. China’s armies had suffered hard defeats. The North American conquest hung in the balance. How could the Chairman defeat Xiao if the military backed the secret policeman?

She stroked the cub’s fur as he suckled.

“You love him,” the Chairman said.

Shun Li twisted around in fright. She hadn’t heard the Chairman sneak up behind her. Tang waited with Hong.

There was one thing about Tang that impressed Shun Li. The Lion Guardsman never acknowledged her while he was on duty, never winked or joked. He acted utterly like the Leader’s protective guardian. He was loyal.

“I have been studying you,” Hong said. “And I have finally reached a conclusion.”

That sounded ominous. She tried to smile, but failed. So she went back to helping the cub suckle the bottle.

“There,” Hong said, as if speaking to Tang. “That is why I trust her. She loves the cub. Xiao Yang could never love.”

“He loves China,” Shun Li heard herself say.

“He is a fanatic,” Hong said. “He has always been a fanatic and it warps his judgment. I’ve begun to wonder if having Xiao around me has warped my judgment.”

Shun Li stared at the cub. If Xiao won, he would slaughter the polar bears. She sighed as she thought about that. She had spent a lifetime killing people. It had warped her. She had no doubt about that. Likely, she was going to pay a bitter cost for her killings. She’d fled to China to escape her fate, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen.

She thought about an interview she’d had with Xiao several days ago. The Police Minister had almost seemed emotional, delighted as he told her about the Behemoth Manufacturing Plant. It had proved much smaller than her estimate. He had wondered aloud if she had doctored her document. The threat was obvious. He would tell the Leader about the forgery if she did not do exactly as he wanted.

“Sir,” Shun Li said. “I have something to tell you.” As she squatted before the cub, holding the bottle, she twisted around.

“The Police Minister has…forced me to write reports about my visits here.”

Hong glanced at Tang. When the Leader looked at her again, he seemed like a different individual. His eyes had hardened and his lips firmed.

“The Police Minister spoke with Marshal Gang in his office,” Shun Li said. “It occurred the day the heavy lasers destroyed many Behemoth tanks.”

“Gang was in Beijing?” the Leader asked.

“Yes sir.”

“You have evidence of this?”

“Only the evidence of my eyes,” Shun Li said. “And that of the two East Lightning operatives who escorted me to Xiao’s office.”

“So…” Hong whispered. The Chairman of Greater China began to pace before her. “The Army thinks I am weakened by these temporary setbacks. Yes, the marshals are clever. They realize they must pry me from my secret police.”

Hong stopped, and he stared at the cub suckling from the bottle. The Leader stroked his chin.

“The polar bear is an unpredictable beast,” Hong said. “Often he lazes on the Arctic ice. He will amble in peace and go away if a man approaches him. Sometimes, however, the polar bear turns savage, and then nothing can stand before him.”

Chairman Hong smiled. “Shun Li, you can love. Do you love China?”

“Yes Leader.”

“Then you must aid China this hour and help me decapitate the cancer in charge of the police. You will go the Police Ministry. You will take Tang and several other Lion Guardsmen. You must know the passwords.”

“They change every day.”

Hong made a decisive gesture, chopping the air with the edge of his hand. He had a new ring, and it glittered golden in the light. “Listen to me, Shun Li. There is a secret to power that I am about to share with you. Strike first and strike hard. Do you understand?”

Shun Li stared at Hong.

“I will tell you another secret. I can only trust those who love, as you love. I have searched long and hard for a new Minister of Police. I believe you are that person, Shun Li. Are you ready to risk everything for China?”

She nodded, wondering if Hong’s plan had any chance of success. Then she realized it was her only hope. She might have been Xiao’s knife or means to get to the well-guarded Chairman. But Xiao was a crocodile who would eat her without pause. The Chairman was eccentric and strange. But he could love, and that made him more human.

“When shall I go, sir?” she asked.

“As soon as you are done feeding the cub,” he said.

Shun Li nodded, and wondered what the next few hours would hold.

IDAHO SPRING, COLORADO

Jake, Goose and the Lieutenant were dug in outside of Idaho Springs. The city was in the mountains, thirty miles from Denver. It was nestled beside I-70 and the town had become the forward point against the Chinese still in metropolitan Denver.

As often happened in war, the military seemed to change its mind abruptly. The survivors of the siege of Denver formed the core group of soldiers holding the line here. Soon came regular food, new uniforms, weapons and plenty of air and artillery support. If the Chinese wanted to knock them out of here, they were welcome to try.

Several drafts of Militia replacements had already joined them out here. The Lieutenant had persuaded the Director to bump Goose to sergeant. He didn’t enough sergeants and if he was going to run a full-strength platoon, he needed more.

For Jake, the reward came when the Lieutenant escorted him to the Battalion comm-shack.

Sergeant Jake Higgins and the Lieutenant stamped their feet on a pad outside the shack and then entered the warm room.

“Heaters,” Jake said. It was like a different world in here.

“Go outside for a bit,” the Lieutenant told the comm-operator.

“Orders are strict, Lieutenant,” the operator said. “I can’t do that while someone else is in here.”

The Lieutenant didn’t hesitate. He drew his pistol and put the barrel against the operator’s stomach. “Let me ask you a question. Do you see the captain in here or am I the highest ranking officer?”

The frightened operator looked down at the gun and then up into the Lieutenant’s face. The operator appeared as if he wanted to say something. Finally, he gulped and hurried outside.

“I’m going to make sure he stays out until you’re done,” the Lieutenant said.

Jake stared at the man, the fanatic who had fought the hardest these past months. This crazy, ardent nationalist had turned out to be his good comrade at arms. They had gone to the wall for each other and they would continue to do so.

“Thanks,” Jake said.

Without another word, the Lieutenant went outside.

Jake used the code words given him. He had to provide them several times. Finally, his father appeared on the screen.

“Dad,” Jake said, grinning from ear to ear.

His father stared at him and tears welled in his eyes. It made Jake’s ears tear up too.

“Jake,” his dad said. “You’ve alive.”

“Yes sir, so are you.”

“Oh, Jake, it’s so good to see you.” His old man wiped his eyes.

Jake did the same to his.

“Where are you?” his dad asked.

“Idaho Springs. We’re all that’s left from the siege.”

Colonel Stan Higgins grinned. “Have you phoned your mother yet?”

“She’s next on the list, Dad. Hey, I’ve seen some footage. You did a real number on the Chinese armies that killed a lot of my friends.”

“We did our best,” Stan said.

“Guess what. I’m a sergeant now. I guess I made it off the bad list and onto the good.”

“You’ve made me proud, Jake, very proud.”

“Is America going to hold this giant pocket and round up the Chinese in it?” Jake asked.

Stan became grim. “This is more than a giant pocket. It’s most of Third Front. The Chinese can’t afford to let us capture more than a million of their soldiers. Heck, it’s probably closer to two million. But to answer your question, it’s going to take a lot more fighting before these soldiers surrender.”

“Do you think they will try to get out this way through Idaho Springs?”

“It doesn’t make any strategic sense for them to try that. I’m thinking you’ve seen the worst of it.”

That was good news, but who could tell?

“Son, I want you to call your mother. I have her number and a priority clearance you’ll need to get through to her. Call her. Tell her you’re well. Don’t tell her anything about the fighting, though.”

“I understand, Dad.”

Stan Higgins grinned. “I’m so glad you’re well. Call me again after you’re done with her, if you can.”

“Yes sir.”

Stan grinned even wider.

It made Jake felt great. He nodded, and then he broke the connection and began typing in the code that would let him talk to his worried mother.

BEIJING, PRC

Shun Li figured the plan was crazy and far too risky. Didn’t the Chairman have any idea of the security arrangements around and in the Police Ministry? She’d even been bold enough to question the Leader directly on his insane plan.

“Guardian Inspector, you would be surprised what audaciousness can achieve in a situation like this. The key is twofold. Do not hesitate to kill and act with supreme confidence.”

She now sat in the back of a big Chinese four-door automobile. The vehicle lacked American aerodynamics and often struck her more as a giant metal box with wheels than a car.

A Lion Guardsman drove, and two others sat up front with him. Each wore body armor and the submachine gun they liked carrying. In back with her sat Tang and one other thickly built and heavily armed and armored killer.

A mere six of us to topple Xiao from power. This is preposterous.

They passed several security checks without a problem. It was different at the guard shack before the great gray Police Ministry Headquarters.

The driver’s window rolled down. A stern-faced East Lightning operative looked in. “You are not cleared for entrance.”

“Show him your pass,” Tang whispered to Shun Li.

“Diver,” she said to the Lion Guardsman. “Please instruct the security officer to come to my window.”

The East Lightning officer heard her. His face moved away from the driver’s window. Shun Li opened her window and withdrew her credentials from a packet. This didn’t make sense to her as a way to get in, but she faced the angry-looking officer staring down at her suspiciously.

Before she could hand him the credentials, two loud phuts went off beside her head. She whirled around. Tang held a big silenced pistol, with smoke curling from the barrel. Outside the car, the East Lightning officer crumpled onto the cement.

Three doors opened and the Lion Guardsmen boiled out. Shun Li watched in amazement. East Lightning officers also watched for just a moment. That moment proved too long for them. The Lion Guardsman killed each of the security officers. They gut-shot most, so the officers clutched their stomachs. Then they blew away the faces.

At Tang’s orders, the Lion Guardsmen dragged the officers into the shack.

“Make the call,” Tang told her.

Shaking from surprise, Shun Li climbed out of the car and went to the guard shack. With trembling hands, she patched herself through to the next checkpoint.

“Be confident,” Tang whispered. “You have the Chairman’s complete backing.”

This is the play of my life, she realized. It had been some time now, but she resumed the arrogance of a Guardian Inspector in North America. She spoke to the officer in charge of the next checkpoint.

“Do you recognize this badge?” she asked. She spoke via a screen and held up the Leader’s personal badge of unique design.

The East Lightning officer on the screen scowled at her.

“Check the badge’s authenticity against your secret roster,” she ordered.

The officer did so, and he appeared surprised. “It is genuine?” he asked.

“You know it is,” she said. “But check the code eleven points of confirmation just to make sure.”

He typed and read something on a split screen. He appeared even more surprised, and he lost some of his angry arrogance. He bowed his head to her. “How can I be of service, sir?”

Either the East Lightning officer was a superb actor or Xiao’s coup plans hadn’t reached the lower ranked operatives. She would have been amazed if most of them did know. Xiao seemingly worked with the Army. The secret police and the military were natural enemies and they were seldom in agreement. It was more than likely he worked with only a few of the highest ranked officers and in secrecy.

She explained the situation to the guard officer, and she saw the operative’s nervousness, but he nodded once again.

“Be ready for us,” she said. After signing off, she turned to Tang. “Let’s go.”

The Lion Guardsmen piled into the blocky car. They passed the next checkpoints, and ten minutes later, Shun Li was amazed to find herself marching down the long corridors toward Xiao Yang’s office. Behind followed seven high-ranking East Lightning officers. They were wary and kept glancing at each other. On two different occasions, an East Lightning officer had phoned the number Shun Li gave him. The man listened to Chairman Hong telling him that Shun Li had full authority to do as she saw fit.

It worked so far. The great test approached.

The group turned the corner to Xiao Yang’s office.

“The Police Minister has cameras,” one of the East Lightning officers said.

“Break down the door,” Tang ordered the lead Lion Guardsmen.

Two of the big men sprinted, building up speed. They didn’t try the handle. The first guardsman launched himself at the door, bashing against it with his shoulder. Splintering sounds followed, but the door held. The second Lion Guardsman did the same thing. The door crashed inward.

The three other Lion Guardsmen rushed through the door and fanned out. Xiao Yang was on the phone. He looked up in what might have been surprise. The ceiling lights shined in the lenses of his glasses, giving him an inhuman quality. Even so, Shun Li was slow in drawing her pistol.

Tang drew his heavy revolver. He’d unscrewed the silencer some time ago. The gun barked three times and the magazine must have held exploding bullets. Xiao’s head shattered and the body blew backward, crumpling onto the floor behind the desk.

As one, the five Lion Guardsmen whirled around, aiming their guns at the East Lightning officers. Shun Li opened her mouth to calm everyone. The guns roared until the East Lightning officers lay dead and twisted on the carpet.

Shocked, Shun Li turned to Tang. He faced her, with his gun aimed at her belly.

“Am I next?” she whispered.

Tang shook his head. “Chairman Hong instructed me to purge the leadership. I have done so. Now, it is time for you to grab the reins of the Police Ministry. We will remain with you for a few days, until you feel yourself sufficiently in control.”

She stepped close to him so only he could hear. “Do you love me, Tang?”

The big man hesitated. “I serve China, Shun Li. I cannot love anything else. But I have enjoyed our times together.”

“I see.” And she thought she did. The barracuda had survived the killer whale and great white shark. Now it was time to become something more than a barracuda or she would end up like Xiao Yang.

She went to the former Police Minister’s desk, deciding her first order of business was to search for secret documents. She wanted to find everything Xiao had pertaining to the Denver Behemoth Manufacturing Plant.

-14-

Phase II, Continued

From Military History: Past to Present, by Vance Holbrook:

Invasion of Midwestern America, Phase II, 2039-2040

2039, December 2-10. Breakthrough. The Americans and Canadians achieved operational surprise against the Aggressor forces along the Platte River in Nebraska. In a bold tank assault, Army Group Washington burst between PAA Third Front and SAF First Front and drove to Colorado Springs. The Americans encircled the bulk of Third Front and fought off the initial Chinese and Brazilian counterattacks.

2039-2040, December 10-January 3. The Pocket Tightens. In the bitter winter weather, the Americans and Canadians continued to repulse every Chinese and Brazilian effort to break through to the trapped troops of Third Front. Giant air battles occurred as the Chinese attempted a vast airlift of supplies. American tac-lasers and growing SAM belts soon made the air operation too costly to continue.

To the east, Fourth Front pulled back in a fighting withdrawal. The Americans attacked out of St. Louis but were unsuccessful in trapping Fourth Front as they had done to Third Front.

2040, January 3-February 22. Marshal Gang takes over. After a swift political rearrangement, Hong relinquished direct military oversight of the North American Invasion. The Ruling Committee entrusted the position to Marshal Gang, formerly of First Front. Gang became the Commander-in-Chief of North America.

The last efforts to relieve the shrinking pocket holding Third Front failed. Using the Allied preoccupation with Third Front, Marshal Gang instituted the Great Pull Back.

In carefully arranged moves, which became the trademark of Gang’s oversight, the Aggressors successfully withdrew to the New Mexico-Oklahoma-Arkansas Line. There, Gang began to rebuild the weakened forces, pumping reinforcements into the tired divisions.

Renewed anti-guerrilla and partisan hunting campaigns proved the Aggressor intention of continuing the invasion assault come summer.

COMMENT. Chancellor Kleist’s offer and acceptance of GD neutrality allowed the Americans to make one of the greatest comebacks in history. Excessive Chinese aggressiveness and by exhausting their formations in the winter cold proved costly for both the Pan-Asian Alliance and to a lesser degree for the South American Federation. When the starving Third Front surrendered on March 15, over one million Pan-Asian Alliance soldiers marched into captivity. Hundreds of thousands had already died in the bitter winter battles. Perhaps no other coalition could have endured such staggering losses and continued to believe in ultimate victory. It was a testimony to Chinese tenacity and the lure of the productive American heartland in a world increasingly on the brink of worldwide Ice Age starvation.

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

John Red Cloud sat on a bench in a cold winter park in Montreal. The slates of the bench pressed against his back, as did a nub or rounded bolt of iron. The city was no longer Montreal, Canada, but Montreal of the nation of Quebec, a full member of the German Dominion.

An arctic wind blew through the park, whipping up icy particles and causing empty playground swings to ease back and forth. John didn’t shiver. He wore a thick parka with the fur-lined hood up and a thick pair of mittens. Still, when the gusts howled loudest, it felt as if someone shoved him in the back.

He thought about the news this morning. The last Chinese soldier in the embattled pocket around Cheyenne had surrendered to the Americans. That was historic. The Americans had obviously seized the opportunity given them. The Rocky Mountain victory should have brought an end to the war. That it hadn’t yet meant something important.

John sighed. He had a feeling he knew what that significance meant. He had not only read about Cheyenne on the blogs, but about the new Rationing Law that the Germans had so kindly inflicted upon the Quebecers. It was the second intrusive law the foreigners from across the Atlantic Ocean had forced on the new nation.

Did we make a mistake by accepting GD help?

By the “we”, John did not mean the rest of the Quebecers. He cared little about what happened to Quebec unless it related to the Algonquin Nation.

Several days ago, John had spoken to the GD ambassador. John had reminded the Berliner of promises made to him in secret and to the Algonquin Nation.

The ambassador had been polite at first. The man checked some computer files and smiled to him afterward. The tall man from Berlin had the gall to tell him there were no such accords on record. He suggested that John must be mistaken.

John had insisted the ambassador must know about the accord. He had come to Montreal as the Nation’s representative and he wished to begin membership proceedings with the German Dominion. John had even shown the ambassador his Algonquin credentials.

After studying the credentials in detail, the annoyed ambassador had said, “I will keep these.”

“I did not give them for you to keep.”

“I’m not sure I appreciate your tone.”

“I don’t care what you appreciate. Return my credentials to me at once.”

The ambassador had pressed a button. The door opened and two thick Germans with guns had entered.

“Mr. Red Cloud,” the ambassador had said. “Let me make this perfectly clear. The Dominion allows native identities to flourish. But we will not allow any terrorist activity or a fractioning of the new nation of Quebec. The Algonquin people have our best wishes. Unfortunately, your numbers—or lack of them, should I say—does not allow us to recognize you as a country. You are part of Quebec, and Quebec is part of the German Dominion. Do I make myself clear?”

John hadn’t answered. Instead, he had stared at the ambassador, memorizing the face.

With a flick of his polished fingers, the ambassador had said, “Remove him.”

The two guards had escorted John out of the building, but not before writing down his driver’s license number. The telling moment came when one of them had called it his identity card.

John Red Cloud of the Algonquin Nation now sat on a bench in a freezing Montreal park. He endured the wind and the cold as he waited.

He had been walking the city streets these past few days. He had counted the number of armored cars with GD lettering on them. He’d observed detachments of assault rifle-armed squads patrolling the streets.

At times, he stood on a street corner and watched big GD Army trucks roar toward the highways. The number of trucks, the tank carriers—John had been on his smart phone, placing calls.

As he sat on the park bench, he did some mental arithmetic. It caused his leathery eyelids to lower into a hunter’s squint.

There had to be over two million GD soldiers in Quebec. That was more than the Germans had put in Cuba. It was more than they needed to stop an American-Canadian invasion of Quebec.

Two million GD soldiers could not defeat the Americans. Maybe they could conquer the rest of Canada—if the Americans did nothing.

Two million Germans combined with the Pan-Asian Alliance and the South American Federation could well turn the tide of the war. Yet how could the Chinese trust the Germans after what Chancellor Kleist had done to them?

John Red Cloud sighed once more. He widened his eyes and looked up at the harsh sky. There were never any good choices for the Algonquin People.

The Germans had imposed rationing laws and movement laws on the Quebecers, which meant on the Algonquians as well.

As John sat on the bench, waiting, he noticed three men crossing the park. One was tall with a heavy coat. That one walked fast. Two shorter but thicker men followed. They hunched and they kept swiveling their heads, looking about.

As they neared his bench, one of the thicker men shouted. The tall man looked up. The thick man pointed at John. The tall man said something that was lost in the wind.

The two thicker men approached John. He recognized them. He should, as he’d been waiting for them. They were the two security men and belonged to the GD ambassador, the tall man waiting behind them.

Before John had gone to see the ambassador, he had been watching and studying the man’s habits. It was good to know your enemies, but it was even better to know your friends. Or who should have been his friends.

John took off one of his mittens and partly zipped open his parka. He did it in such a way that neither of the security men witnessed his action. Old habits died hard. He was bitter, and he realized this wouldn’t help his people. That didn’t matter. The ambassador had insulted the Algonquin Nation by treating their representative as he had. John could have farmed out the payback, but that wasn’t his way. He was the representative; he would repay the insult. Then he would begin his campaign to fight in the only way a small nation could, though cunning and ruthlessness.

Beneath the parka, John gripped a gun with a suppressor screwed onto the barrel.

The two security men approached him on a slippery sidewalk. One of them walked harder than his friend did. His shoes clicked on the cement.

The Loud Walker asked, “Why are you sitting out here in the cold?”

Slowly, John turned his head to stare at them. Neither recognized him.

“I asked you a question,” the Loud Walker said.

John Red Cloud raised his suppressed pistol and shot both security men in the head. He stood quickly and turned to the ambassador. The man shouted in fear and tried to flee. The man’s feet slid out from under him due to the icy sidewalk. He fell hard.

As if at a target range, John lifted the gun and emptied the rest of the magazine into the ambassador’s body. The man twisted this way and that. Finally, the ambassador turned toward John, opened his mouth, and recognition filled his eyes.

John walked closer, putting a new magazine into the gun.

“You,” the man whispered.

John nodded.

“Help…” The ambassador licked his bloody lips, staining his tongue. “Help me…”

John holstered the gun and zipped up his parka so the metal tab touched his throat. The ambassador was as good as dead, and now he must realize the wrong of having treated the Algonquin Nation so poorly.

The ambassador worked his mouth once more.

John turned and walked away. He had just declared war on the German Dominion. He didn’t have armies at his command. Instead, he had a gun. But he only needed to kill one man: Chancellor Kleist, the lying bastard.

Why should millions of simple soldiers die? No. John had a theory about war. Kill the leaders who start them. He hunched his shoulders and strode into the icy wind. He needed to get out of Montreal and then out of Quebec.

John Red Cloud didn’t smile, but his dark eyes smoldered. The Algonquin Nation was now at war with the Germans.

The End

To the Reader: I hope you’ve enjoyed Invasion: Colorado. If you would like to see the story continue, I encourage you to write a review. Let me know how you feel and let others know what to expect.