Chimera

“I want to start by stating that Pakistan’s assistance during this crisis has not gone unnoticed here in Beijing. In helping us bring India to her knees as well as terminating their aggressive stance in Tibet, the Pakistani government has validated its credentials of all-weather friendship. And for that we are grateful. Your aircraft continue to provide us with valuable airborne radar coverage and signals information over Kashmir and Ladakh and your intelligence agencies have passed volumes of data on Indian military movements throughout their country. But now we need to deliver the killing blow,” Liu said and then paused to let Mahmoud grasp the essence of what was being stated.

Mahmoud was no fool. One of the advantages of offering the PAF’s airborne-radar and signals data was that he, and by extension Rawalpindi, was fully aware of where the war really was…

And now they want to drag us into this sinking quagmire!

“I am not sure I follow, Liu.” Mahmoud said after consideration. “What exactly is Beijing prepared to offer us in return?”

“We are prepared to offer your government the opportunity to end a continued threat from India once and for all. A joint strike against Indian forces in Kashmir and elsewhere now that they are already weakened will allow your forces to retake the Kashmir valley quickly and allow China to take back the eastern territories that it has allowed to stay under Indian control for the last sixty years. Its time India was shown its real place in the subcontinent!” Liu said grandly. Mahmoud nodded physically but his thoughts lay elsewhere.

Sure. Why not? Let’s all indulge in our fantasies while we are at it!

“General Liu, I will pass this offer to Rawalpindi and Islamabad but I am unsure where our own capabilities are at this point to deal with India. The Taliban menace gripping our nation is already taxing the army’s capabilities to…” Mahmoud was interrupted mid-sentence by Liu.

“Am I to understand that you are refusing Beijing’s offer?”

“Not at all. I am not authorized to make any such statements. But I am preparing you for what will undoubtedly follow. Let’s face facts here. This war is not going as you had planned for. Yes, India is weakened, but more so are your forces in Tibet. Your only recourse at this point is nuclear ballistic-missiles. Under these circumstances, where is the time for a conventional buildup of Pakistani land forces? And then there is the question of the Indian armored forces that are basically un-blooded in this war and are straining at the leash to be let loose. Since they cannot do that because of terrain, they will willingly do so with us if we joined the war. Such a massive ground engagement is beyond Pakistan’s ability. The way I see it, the only way we can contribute anything is via a combined nuclear missile strike. And that decision will have to come from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. But if a nuclear exchange is the only recourse left, I think you are already equipped for it even without Pakistan’s involvement…”

WEST OF BARSHONG

NORTHERN BHUTAN

DAY 13 + 1540 HRS

The first sounds he heard above the ringing in his ears were the desperate screams of the soldiers running by. He coughed and spat out blood along with the dirt. After several seconds of staring at the blood slowly seeping into the crisp white snow in front of him, he got up on his knees using his hands. Dirt and dust fell off his digital-camo uniform as he sat straight and stared above.

The cold winds were still whipping his body, but he felt this immense heat from around him. He turned around to see the trees on fire and uprooted from the ground further down the slope. That was where a column of smoke was rising into the darkening sky above. He did turn his head up to see the blue sky there with white puffy clouds…

Suddenly his body became weak again.

He fell down on his hands and used them to prevent himself from falling forward. He took deep breaths to fill out his lungs after the air in them had been sucked out by the pressure waves. His hearing started to come back as he realized that he was beginning to hear the howl of the winds and the rumble of fires.

He looked at his headquarters down the slope, a few hundred yards from him.

What used to be my headquarters anyway… he corrected himself as he saw other soldiers further down writhing in pain and screaming for help. Others staggered around looking for their comrades.

He was lucky and he knew it. Had he not been away inspecting the ridges east of the village when the Indian artillery rockets had rained down on his headquarters, he might have been scattered all over the slope like the rest of his men here.

How did they locate it so efficiently?