Haider sighed and considered the situation. He removed his helmet and ran his hand through the white hair.
“Akram,” he said, putting the helmet on, “get this cargo away from these trucks and this open road as soon as possible. There is no telling when we might get hit again. And for god’s sake disperse those armored vehicles. Don’t send them into battle to the east. We may need them intact soon enough. I am going to make some calls. Understood?”
Akram nodded and waved to the other officers nearby who sprang to life. As vehicle engines rumbled to life, Haider fixed his helmet chin strap and walked back forcefully towards his command center. Once inside, he walked up to Saadat: “get me General Hussein. Now!”
Saadat turned around in surprise and then picked up his radio comms. As he went through the motions, Haider considered his thoughts. First and foremost on his mind was to determine what Hussein was planning. Minhas was Hussein’s right-hand man. At least he had been, Haider corrected himself. If Minhas was involved, it meant Hussein was involved. Considering the cargo at hand, it wasn’t that acute a deduction, of course. But why now? Yes, the war was going bad for the Pak army. Yes, the situation out here was dire. But that bad? Had they run out of all other options?
“General Hussein’s headquarters on the line, sir.” Saadat said as he handed the speaker to Haider.
Haider was blunt as he spoke into the speaker: “what are you doing?” He waved Saadat and the others out.
“What am I doing? I am trying to win the war. I take it that Minhas has filled you in?” Hussein replied.
“Minhas is dead.” Haider said flatly. “Died in an airstrike while fighting his way into the city.” There was no sympathy in Haider’s voice. “So I guess we will never know what he had to say. You might as well fill me in.”
“I rather not,” Hussein replied. “At least not over these comms. Minhas was supposed to fill you in on the plan. I take it that at least some of his cargo arrived intact or else you wouldn’t have been calling me right now?”
Haider took a deep breath. “It did. What the hell do you want me to do with it? We are holding this city. Send me more men and supplies instead!”
“The city is lost and you know it.” Hussein replied fatalistically. “If not today or tomorrow, then the day after.”
“And I disagree.” Haider countered. “I can hold.”
“You don’t get it. It’s not about whether we hold this city or not. It’s about what the Indians will do to the city when they realize they cannot take it. And then what we will do to them in return. Are you following? If we use first, we are all dead.”
We already used the nukes on Mumbai! Haider checked his words. He knew what the words meant and if this conversation ever leaked to the outside world, the outrage would be uncontrollable. The world community would just stand back and let the Indians turn this country into a radioactive wasteland. No, the Indians had to be seen to be the ones who used the first nuclear warheads in the war. Mumbai would remain a terrorist strike in the eyes of the world. And if the Indians attacked Lahore first with nuclear warheads, then Pakistan would have to respond. With all its might. The losses incurred by the Indians in Mumbai and outside of Lahore would be enough plausible reason for New Delhi to resort to nuclear weapons, no?
What was it about believing a lie when it was shouted enough times? Haider understood finally what Hussein was saying. And his resistance to it was futile. The decision had already been made. That he had been forced into the sidelines by his own inner circle was a question that still simmered in his mind, but it would have to wait. His next questions were more practicaclass="underline" “when?”
“Tomorrow.” Hussein replied. “Indian tanks have reached the outskirts of Rahim Yar Khan and are poised to advance towards the N-5. We are attempting to stop them. If we do sap their strength, you will receive my abort orders.”
“And if not?” Haider said as he sat down.
“Then do what you must do for this nation, my friend. Remember Allah’s promise to his warriors after they reach the heavens!”
“Spare that for the mujahedeen!” Haider cut in forcefully, and then checked his words: “but I will do what I must. Out.”
As he placed the speaker back on its holder, he remained lost in thought. He walked outside the room and nodded to Saadat and Akram, who had arrived back. As the comms people rushed back into the room to take up their stations, Akram stood with crossed arms: “well, sir?”
Haider rubbed his hands on his facial stubble and then shook his head. The situation was so unbelievable even to his mind. He walked past them and left the room. Akram and Saadat looked at each other and then followed him out.
33
The phone rang on the bedside table several times before Wencang got to it. He shuffled across the quilts and switched on the lights before picking the it up.
“Yes?” He cleared his throat and went for the glass of water nearby. “General Chen on the line for you, sir. He says it is extremely urgent.”
“Put him through.” Wencang drank the water as the secure comms encryption made noises and connected to the operations center at the CMC. A few moments later Chen’s voice came online over the background noise of his operations center.
“You need to get up here right now! I am sending a car!”
“Pakistan?” Wencang said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
“Yes.” Chen replied.
“What the hell are they up to now?” Wencang said as the doors to his bedroom opened and his orderlies walked in with his uniform and some medicines.
“I would rather not say over the phone.” Chen replied. “How soon can you get here?”
Wencang looked at his watch and then at the pressed uniform laid out on his bed: “I will be there in twenty minutes. Give me a summary.”
“Very well. We just got a message from Hussein via the Pakistani military attaché here asking us to get our people out of Gwadar and other places in Pakistan. Whoever is left.”
Wencang jerked wide awake at that. That message meant only one thing…
“I will be there in fifteen minutes. Increase readiness for our combat forces! Warn the air-force and naval commands that a forced evacuation through the Indian blockade for our citizens may be required. I want plans and options by the time I get there.”
“Yes sir. I have the command staff coming up with our options already. Twenty minutes?” Chen asked.
“Is it doable, Chen?” Wencang asked.
“In the midst of a shooting war on such short notice? I don’t think so.” Chen replied, his voice laced with anger. “This warning is not much and Hussein knows it. He just wants to cover his ass! That son of a bitch!”
“Indeed,” Wencang added grimly. “They are certainly in a desperate situation, aren’t they? He knows that if he gave us enough warning, we would act on it and the Indians would see it exactly for what it was and prepare themselves. This way, there will be no warning whatsoever. The real question is whether we should play along and risk what military people we have in Pakistan or try and get them out.”
“A difficult choice.” Chen added.
“Is it, my friend?” Wencang continued. “Is it really a hard choice? If the net result of our inaction is the unleashing of full-scale nuclear war against our enemies, isn’t the lives of a few of our men worth it? This is what they signed up for, after all! We all signed up for this job. Considering the lives lost in the great war three years ago, what’s a few more?”