Despite the commotion, the captain sat behind his desk. Both Zhu and Tian came to attention before it, saluting and waiting.
“Sit, sit,” the captain said with a wave of his hand.
With a grunt, Tian fell back into his chair. Zhu perched on the edge of his. He’d never been in the captain’s office before. This was a great honor.
The captain glanced at a computer scroll on his desk before eyeing Zhu. “So, you’ve slain one hundred and sixteen Americans with your sniper rifle.”
“Yes sir,” Zhu said.
“Impressive.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“At ease, Soldier Rank, at ease,” the captain said.
“Yes sir,” Zhu said. He remained perched on the edge of his chair, with his back ramrod stiff.
“Is he always this way?” the captain asked Tian.
“Zhu is the best soldier in my unit, sir. I believe he is the most conscientious soldier in the entire Chinese military.”
“Well, well, well,” the captain said, eyeing Zhu once more.
Zhu felt miserable under the scrutiny.
“Such zeal should be rewarded,” the captain said. “We’ve lost too many good White Tigers in this blasted city. These Americans don’t know when they’re beaten. Well, in any case, we’re going to beat them now in Colorado Springs. High Command tells us the enemy has brought their super-tanks along, the Behemoths. It won’t help them this time, not once we join the assault.”
The captain leaned back in his chair. “What caused you to pick up the sniper rifle, Soldier Rank?”
“Sir?” Zhu asked, uncertain what he was supposed to say.
Tapping the computer scroll, the captain said, “I’ve read the reports. You jetted up to some of the tallest buildings and hid up there for half a day, at times. You waited for an American to poke up his head and then you shot him. Why did you go to such lengths to hunt the enemy?”
“I am a White Tiger. I am an Eagle flyer,” Zhu said.
“Go on,” the captain said.
“Sir, the Americans refused to surrender. That meant they needed killing. These past few weeks, sniper attacks have proved the most effective means of whittling down their remaining numbers.”
The captain slapped the table. “I don’t have all day. So we’ll get to the point. Soldier Rank Zhu, due to your excellent performance and skill as a soldier, I am promoting you to First Rank.”
Zhu could only blink his eyes at this astonishing news.
The captain grinned and winked at Tian. “He’s the strong and silent type is he?”
“He’s silent,” Tian said, “and he’s very strong of heart.”
“A real White Tiger,” the captain said. “First Rank Zhu, let me be the first to congratulate you on your new rank.”
“Thank you, sir,” Zhu said. This was unbelievable. He was a First Rank now.
“With your exalted status, I can’t very well leave you in Tian’s squad,” the captain said. “Therefore, you’re going to get a squad of your own.”
“Sir?” Zhu asked. He glanced at Tian in worry.
The captain chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll still be near Tian. The man’s unstoppable, I know. Yes, it’s good having several of those like Tian in your command.” The captain paused before telling Zhu, “If I could, I’d like to give you newer recruits, First Rank.”
Zhu was still shocked at his promotion. Gaining rank in the White Tigers was much harder than in regular Army formations. Yet he had become a First Rank.
“I’ve amalgamated the fragments of several squads and formed them into one unit,” the captain was telling him. “You’ll be their First Rank, Zhu. Do you believe you’re up to the task?”
“Yes sir,” Zhu said with enthusiasm.
The captain smiled indulgently. “I don’t want you going off and getting drunk in celebration. We have too much work to do.”
“I won’t sir,” Zhu said.
“It would be good if you could go through several practice runs with your men, but there’s no time. After we establish the breakthrough through this Second American Tank Army, then you’ll have time.”
The captain stood.
Zhu shot to his feet. Tian rose too, although more slowly.
“I want to show you gentlemen my little surprise for the enemy. The Eagle Teams are still the cutting edge of Army Group A. If you’ll follow me…”
The captain marched out of the room.
Zhu followed Tian. He was a First Rank. He would have his own squad to lead. What an honor. Zhu grinned and his eyes shined. This was so marvelous that he could hardly believe it. After months of grueling battle, someone finally noticed his effort. That was a good feeling. No. It was a great feeling.
In the right time and place, the Behemoths were unstoppable. That was Colonel Higgins’ belief. He picked up a pipe, fingering the opening. He’d found this in an abandoned house and had picked it up on impulse.
The trouble was, none of his ten remaining super-tanks was unscathed. Each had taken damage from the Chinese heavy lasers. Tests to the frontal armor on each showed that the lasers had deeply stressed the plate. Each tank also had compromised systems, such as the thermal sighting, cannon control, the AI or the main power plant. These were not the same Behemoths that had begun the attack along the Platte River Line.
Still, there was nothing in Second Tank Army even closely approaching the Behemoths in capability. The Jefferson MBT-8s had also performed well. They were able to face the T-66s on relatively equal terms. The Chinese tank still had an edge due to having three guns to the Jefferson’s one.
The Jefferson divisions had lost half their new tanks to a variety of problems: enemy hits, battle stress, engine failure and teething problems, kinks that still needed hammering out.
Second Tank Army had originally spread out to face both north and south. It contained a critical number of the nation’s M1A3s, all the Jeffersons, all the Behemoths and far too many of the remaining Bradleys, Strykers and self-propelled artillery. Reinforcements had arrived: attack helos, vast amounts of munitions, tac-lasers and mobile missile launchers.
Stan had spoken to General McGraw, who had flown down to the southernmost position of the penetration.
As Stan waited in his Behemoth, with his head and shoulders outside the hatch, he recalled the earlier conversation.
“The Chinese have assembled too much north and south of us for Second Tank Army to handle,” Stan said.
“You’re getting cold feet?” McGraw asked.
“I’ve read the Intelligence reports. Tom, we always knew this would be the hardest fight: keeping the Chinese sealed. Marshal Liang is good at his job. He’s assembled a fighting force to break through faster than we thought he could. He’s accepted greater risks than we thought he would.”
“I’ve read the Intelligence reports too,” McGraw said. “So this is it? You’re suggesting I withdrawal Second Tank Army and try to bloody the Chinese as much as we can as they drive past us? And we do this because they’re too strong for us to contain?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Stan said “But I have a different suggestion.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Stan took a deep breath. “Let Second Tank Army deal with the southern attack. Those are relatively fresh enemy divisions but they’ll be ill-coordinated, would be my guess. They’re not used to working together. Second Tank Army can stop them.”
“That still leaves the Tenth and Fifteenth Armies from Denver to worry about,” McGraw said.
“You mean the burned-out hulk of those two armies,” Stan said. “They’ve taken losses in the house to house battles. They’re not the same formations that started the attack.”