Chimera

The village was abuzz with activity as the Indian paratroopers moved to advance north into the Chinese forces deployed to hold them at bay. The three BMP-II engines roared to life and spewed out bursts of engine smoke. Their auto-cannon turrets moved left and right as the gunners checked their optics and targeting systems.

Soon the Paras moved out of the northern outskirts of the village, advancing along the eastern edge of the river and headed north. The three BMP-IIs splashed on the mud-snow slush and began advancing up the road behind them.

Further south, near a clearing being used as a FARP by the helicopters of Delta flight, two Rudra attack helicopters remained parked on the snow-covered grass, their engines switched off and their flight crews standing around the open cockpits. There was no way in hell they would be given the go ahead to advance up the valley in support of the Paras until the PLA Yitian SHORAD battery remained active. As the army-aviation major commanding these two helicopters stood around with frustration, the skies above rippled with rocket fire as Hotel-Six battery went into action. The valley erupted into a cacophony of explosions, rifle and grenade fire. The Paras had run into the PLA defenses north of the village…

* * *

While the Paras grabbed the full attention of the Chinese defenses north of the village, Spear went into play behind enemy lines further north.

Pathanya slithered down the slope and went through the bushes with deliberate, slow movements. He pushed aside branches of trees that got in his way with one hand while holding the rifle in the other.

He and six of his men were moving down the slope and towards the road at the base of the valley. They had sneaked up close enough to the Chinese soldiers moving supplies along that road that they could hear their officers shouting orders in mandarin. Pathanya and the others could also see the squad-sized PLA patrols on either side of him climbing up the same slope that they were descending on. They ensured that they bypassed these Chinese soldiers by a good margin. Surprise was the key here, especially when there were hundreds of Chinese soldiers in this valley and only nine men in Spear team…

Of course, there was a danger of being spotted by Chinese infrared optics. The Highland Brigade forces had deployed several observation posts with tripod-mounted high-frequency radars and advanced infrared scopes.

* * *

Vikram had spent time locating these positions in the past hour and Pathanya had come up with an ingress path that would allow them to move within the expected blind-spots between these posts.

There was only one such position that they could not bypass. So Vikram and Ravi had branched off during the descent and had headed around the back of the three man position. Then Chinese soldiers at the post were far too occupied by the battle raging further south that they failed to see the two Indians sneaking up behind them, crushing the fresh snow under their boots.

Vikram unsheathed his combat knife and nodded to Ravi, who lowered his rifle and pulled out his knife as well. As he handled it into position, it glistened in the sunlight above.

Ravi smiled cruelly…

By the time the PLA Lieutenant commanding the small post heard the slight rustle of branches in the snow behind them, Vikram leapt over and grabbed the man by his head, covered his mouth with his gloved hand and shoved the large knife into his back and twisted it.

The Chinese officer’s eyes grew large with blinding pain and shock. Vikram pushed the knife in again, this time draining the life out of the man. It happened in two seconds, during which time Ravi had done the same with the NCO attempting to set up a tripod stand for a communications antennae nearby. The third soldier at the post had been looking through a binoculars at the battle near Dotanang and by the time he heard the muffled thuds around him and turned to look, he saw the body of his commanding officer being pushed aside by a dark faced Indian soldier wielding a blood soaked combat knife.

The Chinese soldier panicked at the sight and fell back on his hands, struggling to find his weapon and his face a mask of pure horror. Vikram gathered his strength and dove into his opponent, stabbing him in the gut while reaching for his mouth to prevent the man from shouting out. He got there just a split-second later than he had planned, allowed a half-muttered shriek to go out into the valley…

The PLA soldiers and the Yitian vehicle crew standing around on the road below jerked at the distant shriek. The battery commander, a PLA Lieutenant-Colonel, came running out from around the Yitian vehicle. He pulled out his binoculars and spotted the two Indians as they finished off the unfortunate Chinese soldier. The PLA officer lowered his binoculars and turned to shout orders to the gathered soldiers…

A three round burst of Tavor rifle fire ripped through his chest.