Colonel Martin was in his Humvee on the road to New Delhi when the convoy of vehicles was stopped suddenly. He looked out the front window and said to his driver, “What now?”
The female corporal named Millie Kellter replied, “It looks like a traffic jam, sir. I’ll get out and see what’s happening.”
“No, I’ll do it. You stay here and monitor the radio.”
Luis stepped down from the Humvee and put on his helmet. He walked along the Humvees in front of the line until he saw what was causing the hold up. Numerous vehicles bumper-to-bumper in front of his convoy of troops were blocking a road crossing. Honking noises were deafening. It was bedlam all around him and Luis knew what was causing it. The people were fleeing from New Delhi megacity. The Chinese Army must be closing in on the city.
“Sir, can I help?” Luis heard a voice say over his headset. He turned around. Captain Hood was walking up to him with two fellow officers.
“Hello, Captain. It looks like we need to clear a path through this crossing if we want to reach New Delhi by nightfall.”
“I’ll take care of it, sir. You need to get back to your vehicle.” Jason was concerned for Luis’s safety. It wouldn’t be good for morale if the colonel was shot or hurt before the mission was completed.
Luis took one more look at the chaos before him and realized things in New Delhi must be worse than he realized. Time was running out for India.
“Use two of the Cougars to open the road, Captain. Send word to proceed when the road is open.”
“Will do, sir.” Jason spoke on his headset to bring the heavily armored 6x6 Cougar MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles to the front of the line. Each Cougar carried ten soldiers and was equipped with a fully automatic, camera operated CROWS (Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station) that supported grenade launchers, .50 caliber machine guns and automatic 5.56 mm light machine guns capable of hitting targets at 1500 meters. The sight of one of these vehicles would scare the bejesus out of anyone in sight. Two would get the job done.
Jason waited for the Cougars to force its way up to the blocked intersection. Slowly the soldiers forced an opening through the traffic jam and held it open for the troop convoy to begin moving once again over protesting people trying to escape. The convoy contained over twenty vehicles carrying a company of 100 heavily armed soldiers on a mission to reach the UAC Embassy in New Delhi and escort the ambassador and all embassy personnel to safety in Jaipur where they would fly home to the UAC. Jason knew they had to reach the megacity by nightfall. The latest army intelligence reported the Chinese Army invading from the south would reach the megacity in a day or two. Under no circumstances, would they allow the Chinese to capture the ambassador.
Colonel Martin waived at Captain Hood as he passed through the open intersection. He said over the headset, “Good job, Captain. See you in New Delhi.”
“We’ll be right behind you, sir,” Jason saluted the colonel before he rode past.
The convoy made better time after that short delay. People on the road moved to the side as the convoy came into sight. They hoped the army was coming to New Delhi to save them from the Chinese. They looked hopeful, but Luis knew the sad truth. India no longer had the manpower or troops to save itself from Eurasia Federation control. The whole Eastern Hemisphere was slowly, but surely, falling under Premier Wing’s self-determined authoritarian rule. Sooner or later the UAC would have to fight Wing. It would become another World War, perhaps on the eve of human extinction. Either that or the whole human race would die from the effects of Climate Crisis. The atmosphere might run out of oxygen before the war could even start. That’s how bad the environment had become in the year 2096.
The sun was setting when the convoy reached the gates to the UAC Embassy in New Delhi. Luis instructed his driver to find the front entrance and drop him off. The rest of the convoy found parking on the grounds and began to deploy defenses for the night. The weather was much warmer here compared to the high mountain ranges in the Depsang Plains of Kashmir. The air was also more polluted and harder to breathe without facemask filters. The troops would have to set up their enclosed tents with oxygen machines to sleep tonight.
Luis entered the embassy building through the front door. There was only one Marine guard on duty. He pointed the way to the ambassador’s office. The door was open. Ambassador Younger looked up when Luis entered the room. “Can I help you, Colonel?”
“Mister Ambassador, I’m Colonel Luis Martin of the UAC Army, part of the World Federation Peacekeeper Force. I am in command of Company A with 100 soldiers. I have been instructed by General Bradley Clark to escort you and your embassy staff to Jaipur for extraction to the UAC.”
Steven replied, “Thank you for coming. Sorry for the mess, we’re trying to destroy all our confidential records before we leave tomorrow.”
“Do you need any help from my soldiers?”
“They can help carry some of this stuff outside to burn. My staff is clearing out all the offices now.”
“Very well. I’ll get some soldiers in here to help you. If you don’t mind, I would like to talk to you about plans for the withdrawal when you have a moment.”
“Give me a few minutes, Colonel Clark. I’m almost done here. We can talk in the conference room down the hall.”
Luis said that would be fine. He left the room and called Captain Hood on his headset to get a dozen soldiers to come inside to help the embassy staff with the destruction of classified material. Then he went to the conference room to wait for the ambassador. A few minutes later, Steven entered the room and asked, “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Coffee would be great. Thanks.”
There was a pot of coffee already brewed on the dinette table in the corner. Steven poured them both a cup and handed one cup to Luis. Steven took his with cream. Luis liked it black.
“How was your trip here?” Steven asked.
“The roads were packed with people leaving the megacity. It slowed us down some.”
“Do you know how close the Chinese are to New Delhi?”
“Less than a day from the megacity in the south. Maybe two or three days from the north.”
“I see. Then we don’t have much time, do we?”
“No, Ambassador Younger. We should leave by early morning at the latest. The Indian Army can’t hold the Chinese Army back for very much longer.”
“Please, call me Steven. So you think India will fall to the Chinese as soon as that?”
“I do, Steven. You may call me Luis if you wish. I’m sorry for the urgency, but time is not on our side.”
“It’s a shame we couldn’t do more for the President and his country. It seems all of Asia is going to fall under the control of the Eurasia Federation and Premier Wing. What is the news in the European Union?”
“The situation in Europe is not as bad as here, but once India falls, there’s nothing to stop the EF from coming after the European Provinces next. The only country than could stop Wing now is Russia.”
“Have the Plague Wars been brought under control in the European Provinces?” Steven asked. He knew most wars between countries around the world were started because of the numerous plagues caused by global warming that spread out of control killing billions of people. The lack of food and medical support resulted in neighboring countries fighting each other for needed resources. These wars started in 2084 and intensified each year until the World Federation members sent peacekeeping forces to try and stop it. The UAC and other Security Council Member Nations contributed the most troops. The efforts barely slowed the fighting down until recently.
“We may be able to save the Western European Provinces if Premier Wing can be stopped, but it doesn’t look good right now.”
Steven took a long sip of his coffee before speaking again. “Well, I better get back to work. I’ll inform my staff to be ready to leave by morning. We’ll have to work through the night.”
Luis said his goodbyes and left to find Captain Hood. He needed to make sure the embassy and its people were protected for the night. If all worked out, they would leave in the morning before the Chinese made it to New Delhi. Jaipur was five hours away by vehicle. It was southwest of the capital. With luck, this mission would be over within twenty-four hours.
Early morning conditions turned out to be hazy and full of air pollution or smog. The atmosphere was heavy with suspended particles harmful to breathing without some type of filter. People in India handled the air they breathed by wearing face masks to cover their nose and mouth, even their eyes. Luis’s troops used protective plastic face masks attached to the front of their helmets with a hose connected to a small portable air purifier on their backs. When the weather was hotter than normal, most people had to stay inside their homes or offices. It looked like the temperature was climbing fast and would be warmer than normal once the sun came up behind the dark clouds in the sky.
“We’re almost ready to move out, Colonel,” Captain Hood announced as soon as he found Luis standing in front of the embassy.
“I’m waiting for the ambassador. Have the convoy line up at the front gate. Send some scouts out to check the roads. I received a report from General Clark. The Chinese are breaking through the Indian Army line south of here. We don’t have much time.”
“Yes, sir!” Jason ran off to the front of the convoy to give orders to two of the Humvee crews to move out.
Luis was getting impatient and was about to enter the embassy to find the ambassador when Steven appeared carrying his briefcase. “Sorry for the delay, Colonel. I had to make sure everyone had left the building before we departed. If you don’t mind, I called the World Federation Director-General George Durant to join our group this morning. He should be arriving at the front gate now.”
“I wasn’t aware he was still in the megacity. I thought he left a few days ago.”
“His flight out was cancelled when they closed down the airport. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all, Mister Ambassador.” Luis did not sound surprised by the news.
They were back to addressing each other by their titles. Steven should have mentioned it last night when they first met, but it slipped his mind.
“Thank you, Colonel Martin. I meant to bring up the subject last night. His safety is as important as mine, I believe.”
“We need to go. You’ll ride with me. We’ll pick up the Director-General at the front gate.”
Luis’s driver was waiting for them to get inside the Humvee. Luis said hello and introduced her to Steven. This is Corporal Millie Kellter.” Millie said hello and took off as soon as everyone was seated inside. Luis told her to stop by the front gate to pick up another passenger. They found George waiting inside a black limousine. He got out of his car when Steven rolled down his window and waved for him to come inside.
Steven introduced him to Luis and Millie before Luis instructed the driver to join the convoy that was leaving the embassy compound. Luis checked in with Jason to see if everything was in order. So far, so good. Jaipur was five plus hours away. They would be safe once they reached the military airbase in Jaipur. It would be the end of duty overseas for Colonel Martin and his troops. Two years of fighting in a war that never seemed to end. He was ready for the rolling hills of Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. He had family nearby and he missed them. It was time to enjoy what time he had left with his family and friends before the world as he knew it ended. The only decision he had to make in the near future was if he would stay in the army or retire. He would decide after he reached home, if he made it that far.