The President’s features hardened. “This is an opportunity for us to bloody the Chinese. Surely our soldiers can see that.”
“Maybe,” General Alan said. “Mostly, they’re terrified of finding themselves surrounded by the Chinese. There are already reports of enemy atrocities. The Chinese are letting some of their soldiers butcher prisoners.”
President Sims rubbed his chin angrily. “We need to spread those reports far and wide to ensure our soldiers fight to the death and don’t surrender.”
Alan nodded.
“Continue with the battle report,” the President said.
The largest enemy breakthrough had occurred at San Ysidro, one of the cornerstones of the SoCal Defenses. Chinese mechanized infantry had thrust through, battling remorselessly, using wave assaults when they had to. They were in Carlsbad now. Another branch was headed up Interstate 15 along the Escondido, Temecula route to LA.
“As we feared, sir,” General Alan said, interrupting the major’s report. “The Chinese launched another hover assault last night. They swung through the ocean and hit Camp Pendleton from the west early this morning. They have landed infantry hovers, unloaded troops and have already gained footholds there.”
The President ran his fingers through his hair as the general continued to talk.
The casualties had been brutal these past four days. With the amount of actual fighting—due to endless round-the-clock assaults—and the vast expenditure of munitions, these four days would have been like eight or even twelve days of the hottest World War II battles. Because of that, the entire southern front was buckling under the fierce Chinese assault.
Anna listened to General Alan wax eloquent about the battle. In his opinion, the Chinese kept attacking the trapped formations so they couldn’t regroup and push north to LA. It was costly in Chinese lives, but it was ruthlessly brilliant if victory were the sole objective.
“If you’ll notice this, sir,” General Alan said, as he motioned to the major.
She brought up fresh images on the holo-vid.
“Tri-turreted tanks,” the President said.
Anna grew concerned. This was the real reason for the meeting. On the holo-vid were masses of the triple-turreted tanks. They were big, one-hundred ton vehicles. They churned dust, creating billowing clouds. Behind them followed smaller, conventional tanks and missile-carriers and then fleets of trucks and fuel carriers.
“The Chinese have broken through in the east, sir,” General Alan said. “They appear to be heading for the Salton Sea, which lies in the Coachella Valley. I would guess their objective is Palm Springs.”
“We have to stop them before that,” Sims said.
“Agreed, Mr. President,” General Alan said. “We wish to unleash the last of the strategic reserve in Central California and rush it to Palm Springs. We have to stop those tanks or risk losing LA. Without LA, it will be over for Army Group SoCal.”
“How big is this tank attack?” the President asked.
General Alan looked down at his hands before he said, “It looks to be several corps’ worth, sir, making it a Tank Army. There are literally thousands of enemy tanks rushing Palm Springs.”
The President shook his head. “They’ll annihilate our reserve armor.”
“We have to slow them down before they get through to Palm Springs. We have to give the trapped Army Group time to break out to the north and head to LA. If the Chinese take LA and trap the forces south of the city, it means we simply won’t have enough soldiers to hold the rest of the state.”
“We shouldn’t have massed so many troops on the border,” Sims said.
“I agree with you, Mr. President. But if you’ll recall, for political reasons, you had no other choice.”
Sims nodded slowly. “Are there further suggestions on how to stop this Tank Army?”
Like many of the others, Anna looked down as the President glanced at her. She noticed beads of condensation on the nearest water-pitcher. One of those beads slid down onto the table, entering the pool of moisture there.
Like a drowning man, Sims picked up his glass of water, although he didn’t drink. With a thud that startled Anna, the President slammed the glass back onto the table, causing water to splash up over the rim and drench his hand. “Yes!” he said. “Release the last of the strategic reserves in Central California.”
Does all this spilled water signify something? Anna wondered.
In response to the President, General Alan tapped his computer screen.
“Sir,” Anna asked, “what about the experimental tanks? Couldn’t you send those to Palm Springs?”
The President brightened and asked General Alan, “Where are they?”
“They’re also in the Central Valley, Mr. President.”
“Why there?”
“Well, first, they’re hard to move,” General Alan said. “Most bridges can’t support them. Secondly, we wanted to keep them secret until we’d perfected the tanks. Maybe California isn’t the right place for them.”
The President’s scowl worsened.
“And finally, sir,” General Alan said, speaking faster as the President opened his mouth. “We believe the Chinese are planning an amphibious assault. There are reports of an invasion armada somewhere in the Pacific. The San Francisco area makes the most sense. It’s what I would do given Chinese numbers and capabilities.”
President Sims shook his head. “If I were them, I would land in LA, make certain of taking it.”
“LA is a possibility,” General Alan conceded. “San Francisco seems more likely, given that the Chinese would like to stretch our forces to the breaking point.”
“No,” the President said. “If we lose LA now, it’s over. We have to use everything in Central California. Send the Behemoths to Palm Springs.”
“They might not make it in time,” General Alan said.
“Send them,” the President said gruffly.
General Alan nodded.
President Sims stared at a wall. He soon asked, “What’s happening in Texas?”
The meeting now moved to the additional fronts.
As others talked, Anna tapped her computer scroll and studied the SoCal situation. Despite the commando gamble, the great Chinese surprise had worked. What would have happened if they hadn’t learned about the Blue Swan missiles or not done anything to blunt the blow? Likely, the enemy attack would have been even more successful and she would be sitting in on a complete catastrophe. Would the central reserve armor slow the Chinese Tank Army? Could the SoCal formations break out of the trap? Maybe if the Americans fought in a superhuman fashion… Unfortunately, it was starting to appear as if someone on the other side knew exactly what to do to gain a supreme victory.
Stan Higgins was nervous and sweaty. Grunts were loading the Behemoths onto tank carriers and the carriers would be ready to roll in another hour or so. He didn’t have much time left.
Stan was in the Detention Reception Center in Fresno. The city was in the middle of the Central Valley, a dusty place with myriad irrigation canals feeding peach and almond orchards and mile after mile of wheat fields.
He had spoken to a government coordinator and now waited in a special cubicle with a computer screen. He could hear others in nearby cubicles speaking to relatives in the Central Detention Center in Colorado. These cubicles were the only way to communicate with someone in a Detention Center. The government, he knew, kept careful records of who spoke to detainees and how often they did it. Too much, and it went against your political profile.
The screen came to life and an officious, thick-lipped woman with a mole on her nose regarded him. She wore a tan uniform of a Detention warrant officer and a tan, military-style hat with a red band.