Invasion: Colorado (22 page)

“Ms. Chen,” PM Roland said, looking up as he continued to massage his forehead with his long fingers. He wore a fraternity skull and crossed bones ring, although he lacked a wedding band. The man had never been married. “I-I simply don’t know what to make of this
request
. Is the President serious?”

“He is, sir,” Anna said.

“But—give the Germans Quebec?” he asked. “It is national suicide for us and the strategic death of the United States. I cannot conceive how your President thinks this is a good idea.”

Anna didn’t have to attempt being earnest. She was. “Prime Minister,” she said, leaning forward. “We’ve been watching the death of the United States for months now, one lost battle at a time.”

“No. I don’t accept that. My generals have kept me informed. Yes, the Chinese and their Brazilian allies have taken much of the Southern Midwest, but you’ve inflicted heavy casualties on them. If you continue on that tack, victory is assured you.”

“I wish that were true,” Anna said. “They have far too many soldiers compared to us. They can afford these staggering losses. The United States cannot.”

“We are about to drive south with half the Canadian Army to aid you in the monumental struggle.”

“Do you have an actual timetable for that, sir?”

“We’re going to go soon,” Roland said, his eyes sliding away from hers.

“Prime Minister, the Germans are poised in Cuba. We need the soldiers on the East Coast, on the Gulf Coast. We need them as reinforcements in the Midwest. This offer gives us an opportunity to concentrate our military on one enemy at a time. Well, in this instance, on two out of the three alliances combined against us.”

“No, no, this offer is national suicide for us. I will not be able to agree to it. Canada cannot willingly give up its national territory.”

“Sir, I know the President has spoken to you on the phone concerning this. As he told you, this is a temporary situation only. We’re not suggesting you cede Quebec forever, just for the moment.”

“Do you Americans think we’re naïve?” Roland asked. “Once the Germans fortify Quebec, no one will oust them from the province. Certainly, the United States isn’t going to have the strength to do so. And Canada lacks the military power to take on the German Dominion.”

“Once we finish with the Chinese—”

Prime Minister Roland massaged his forehead, staring down at the desk. “I cannot believe this. You’re abandoning us to the wolves. After all that we have done for you—do you realize the Chinese have offered us neutrality?”

Anna went cold inside and her sternum seemed to press against her. So the rumors were true about that. “Sir,” she said, “the Chinese are attempting to do just what we are: concentrate on one enemy at a time. Don’t let the enemy lull you with empty promises.”

“My Cabinet members are split,” Roland said. “The majority wishes to accept the Chinese offer and declare neutrality, sitting out the war. If the Germans invade Quebec…” He looked up at her. “We will drive the Germans out of our country, possibly gaining Chinese help in order to do it.”

“Do you think the Chinese will engage the German Dominion for Canada?”

Roland’s features hardened.

Anna realized that was the wrong tack to take. “Sir,” she said, “if you summoned Chinese aid, you would be handing Canada to them.”

“That would be better than letting the Germans in.”

“I’m not sure you’ve considered what you’re saying. Mexico shows us that once the Chinese gain admittance into a country, they stay and take over. Our way, you would not be giving the Germans Canada, but its most troublesome province. You would rid yourself of your worst headache.”

“Without Quebec there is no Canada,” Roland said. “We would lose the Maritime Provinces along with the French.”

“Sir, respectfully, you’ve already lost Quebec. The people are poised to rise up in rebellion. Can you afford to halt the Germans while the people of Quebec aid the enemy and harass your formations through guerilla operations?”

He stared at her, his mouth moving but no sounds issuing. Finally, he said, “America is abandoning us, Ms. Chen. You’re selling us down the river.”

“Mr. Prime Minister,” Anna said, clutching the front edge of the desk. “We’re on the brink of ruin, both our countries. This gives us a chance to defeat the Chinese in detail before we turn around and deal with the Germans.”

Roland shook his head. “I will not send the Canadian Army south into America if the Germans are massing in Quebec. It would be madness for us, national suicide.”

“No. You don’t understand. We must grasp this lone opportunity and wrest victory from potential defeat.”

“Words,” he said. “Those are empty words. Your President doesn’t fool me, nor will he fool Canada. We would have stood with you to the end. Now, now you have abandoned us, and still, you expect us to fight for you and die.”

Anna sat back in defeat. Her stomach knotted. This was terrible. She knew a hard moment of bitterness and words spilled out of her. “You waited too long to join the fight, Mr. Prime Minister. Canada waited when it should have joined us from the beginning so it would have never come to this.”

He looked at her wide-eyed. “On top of everything else, you will berate me?”

“Yes,” she heard herself say.

His mouth opened, and he blinked at her with astonishment.

“Act now,” she said. “Take a risk with us and we will rejoice together in another year or two.”

“In another two years, there will be no more Canada nor will there be a United States. We will all be thralls of the Germans and the Chinese.”

“Then take a risk,” she said.

Prime Minister Roland bit his lower lip. “We’re not able to stop the Germans, not if you don’t help. I will have to mass the Canadian Army on the Ontario-Quebec border. Then I will have to travel to Beijing and see if the Chinese will still accept our neutrality.”

“I wish you would have faith in us, Prime Minister. As long as you’re giving the Germans Quebec—”

“I will have to ask you to leave,” the Prime Minister said. “This…capitulation to blackmail, it makes me sick. Tell the President we will stand with America if you stand with us. But if you agree to the Germans taking Quebec, we will realize that you have abandoned us. In that case, Canada will have to seek out its own future.”

Anna blinked back tears. Was this it? Had Chancellor Kleist shattered America’s last alliance through diabolical trickery? No, she couldn’t leave it like this.

She stood, and she came around the Prime Minister’s desk. She wore a black dress. It showed her legs to good effect. She reached out, and she could see his surprise.

“This is highly unusual,” Roland said. “I will summon my security officers.”

“Prime Minster,” Anna said, taking one of his long-fingered hands in hers. She clutched his fingers, and she knelt on her stocking knees. She noticed his gaze flicker to her cleavage.

“This is the moment of gravity for each of our nations,” she said. “Canada and the United States have long been the firmest friends. We have the longest demilitarized border in the world. We are each other’s best trading partner. Many of our best scientists are Canadians. We defeated the Chinese together in Alaska. We can do the same here. What I’m asking you, sir, is to trust us. The President’s back is against the wall. We are on the verge of defeat. But I want to assure you, Prime Minster, that we mean to defeat the Chinese utterly. We will hand them such a staggering loss that it will restore the US power in North America. We need Canada. We need those hard-fighting troops of yours to stand with ours. Only then can we hope to achieve a reversal that gives us both our precious freedom. I beg you, Prime Minister, stand with us. If ever there was a moment in American history where we needed Canada’s help, this is it.”

Prime Minister Roland swallowed audibly. He stared into Anna’s eyes. “You…you are very compelling, my dear.”

“I believe in my President, sir, and I love my country.”

“Please,” he said. “Sit down. This is—this is unbecoming for the two of us.”

Anna climbed to her feet, looking down at him. She squeezed his hand before letting go. Then she returned to her chair, demurely sitting.

The Prime Minister took out the white handkerchief in his breast pocket and mopped his shiny forehead. “I-I don’t know how to respond to such a…” He waved his hand.

“Sir, trust us. Trust David Sims. He knows how to defeat the Chinese. He did it in Alaska and he did it again in California. This is a bigger war, so he needs more time. But he will do it in the end.”

“I have witnessed his successes. But can your President also defeat the Germans in Quebec?”

That was a good question. But instead of telling the Prime Minister that, Anna said with a demure smile, “Let us deal with one enemy at a time, sir, one enemy at a time.”

“Hmm, maybe you—or your President—has the right idea in that.”

“I know he does.”

“Hmm,” Roland said, knotting his handkerchief with his spidery fingers.

“You know, sir. I just thought of something.”

“Yes?” Roland asked.

“Perhaps you should go to Beijing. I don’t know if you realize it, but I happen to be an authority on the ruling Chinese party.”

“Oh.”

“If the Chinese thought Canada was negotiating for neutrality, that might give our two countries a chance to surprise them.”

“You are suggesting I lie?”

“No sir, not lie, but you might go and ask the Chinese about neutrality. That in itself might send them the signal, and they will believe what they wish to.”

“What are you thinking, Ms. Chen?”

Anna was still flushed from her experience of begging on her knees and possibly having persuaded the Prime Minister. This new idea…it was worth exploring. Still, maybe she needed to hammer down the Prime Minister’s stand with the United States first.

“I would need to speak to the President about this,” Anna said. “I am his personal envoy, not one of his strategists.”

The Prime Minister allowed himself a wry smile. “The President knows how to pick his envoys.” Then Roland glanced away as if self-conscious. Two red spots appeared on his cheeks.

He’s embarrassed
. How did a man like him ever get to be Prime Minster? Anna didn’t know, but she wondered if that should be the theme of her next research paper.

-6-

I-70 Colorado

THIRD FRONT HQ, COLORADO

Marshal Liang of the Pan-Asian Alliance Third Front sipped tea in his quarters. It was an American farmhouse bedroom outside of Pueblo, Colorado.

Liang was a sparse man in his late fifties. He seemed unassuming and quiet, and he left nothing to chance. He had never cared for Jian Hong, and he found the Chairman increasingly unappealing since the murder of Foreign Minister Deng. Still, Hong ruled with the backing of East Lightning and the man lavishly supplied the military with the materiel needed for this incredible undertaking of conquering the United States of America.

First blowing across his cup of tea, Liang sipped the hot liquid. It was good tea, and it helped settle his stomach.

Even after several days of receiving the orders, he still seethed about them. He had been given two objectives now: storm a great American city to capture the Behemoth Tank Manufacturing Plant and drive north to the Canadian border during the dead of winter. That meant pushing up through three states: Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota, and possibly passing through parts of Wyoming and Montana. That would be a harder task now with the diversion of some of his best assault divisions.

Before the new orders, he’d wished to mask Greater Denver instead of entangling part of his army in street-to-street battles. In modern terms, Denver was a fortress city. He’d wanted to cordon off the urban environment with a ring of second-rate garrison troops. If the Americans wanted a fight, let them come out of the cities onto the plains where his greater numbers and superior quality would annihilate them.

He knew the army would take brutal and, in his opinion, unnecessary casualties to capture the tank plant. El Paso, Albuquerque and Santa Fe had taught him how hard the Americans defended their cities. Worse, urban entrenchments turned second and third rate soldiers into stiff defenders. No, he wanted no more city fights. The latest estimates from his staff showed that this battle could prove even bloodier than the earlier ones of the past summer.

Outside the upstairs window, snow fell instead of the unseasonable rain. For too long the gods of war had frustrated Chinese arms with the warm rains. Here at the Front Range of the Southern Rockies, it should have been sunny this time of year.

The local region here had different names. One was the Colorado Front Range. Liang preferred its other name: the Front Range Urban Corridor. It stretched from Pueblo, Colorado north along I-25 to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Within the oblong area lived nearly five million Americans. The cities sheltered themselves where the Great Plains merged into the Southern Rockies. The majority of the people of Colorado lived here under the auspices of the looming mountains. Denver itself lay a mere twelve miles east from the beginning range.

Because of the protecting Rockies, it was normally sunny this time of year. Usually the mountains were a bulwark against the eastward-traveling storms. Instead, there had been rain, rain and more rain. Finally, for the last several days the temperature had dropped. It froze the mud into icy ground the vehicles could use. Ever since the new orders and the proper winter weather, he had been maneuvering the assault Armies into position.

The Tenth and the Fifteenth Armies would give him Greater Denver. He’d half-expected Chairman Hong to give him such a useless order as this, so he’d had his staff prepare a contingency plan at the start of the rains. The shifting of corps had already taken place.

The Third Front had become a well-oiled machine. Despite desperate months of battle, it still reacted swiftly to his will.

Liang checked his watch. The opening attack would occur in less than three hours. For this city storming, he had decided to return to the old-fashioned methods of urban assault: mass bombardments of air and artillery, followed by the attack. In this case, it would primarily rely on artillery power for the opening assaults. The bulk of his air…he had an altogether different use for it.