Another World at War

Chapter 54: Hold Position

Location: Beijing, China

Unit: Global Operations Unit

Date: 4th January 2030

Perched on the second floor of a dilapidated building, Mclaw leaned against the sturdy frame, his gaze fixed on the desolation wasteland of trench lines ahead. Eleven years had passed since the nuclear devastation, yet the remnants of the Chinese government's attempts at reconstruction lay in ruins. Despite their efforts, the relentless advance of the NZA forces broke any possibility of progress. The city remained a target, battered by artillery barrages and relentless airstrikes. They shattered the already wrecked infrastructure.

Mclaw inspected his ebony and gilded blade with meticulous care. Not a solitary chip or dent was present on its surface; a grin spread across his face in satisfaction. Peering into the distance, he caught sight of a dazzling flash emanating from a tank's muzzle, just as a shell whizzed perilously close to his face. Yet, he remained undisturbed, his composure unwavering even as the resounding explosion engulfed the earth just beyond the edifice.

He withdrew a laser from his pocket, aiming it towards the origin of the shell. Clicking a button atop, another shell descended from above, striking the enemy's position and launching its turret skyward with a thunderous explosion. Descending the shattered stairs, he ventured into the trench line, navigating past numerous Chinese militia members armed with QBZ-95 assault rifles. Their gear appeared well-used, and their attire resembled civilian wear, a harsh difference from what they saw in the States.

He entered a bunker as he walked down the main hall and into the second room on the right. "I just encountered an enemy scout tank about two klicks out. Lake, didn't you have eyes on it?"

Lake checked his cameras. "Negative, I can't see it."

Mclaw tapped the desk as he looked up, "Zeller, I want you on Overwatch. Lake, take your fireteam towards the wreck. I want to know why. That could be new NZA tech." Mclaw said.

Lake and Zeller both stood up, "Yes Sir."

They exited as Mclaw leaned over the desk, "How close are 1st Para?"

Mabasa grabbed his laptop. "Yesterday they were 50 klicks out, south, moving on foot." he placed it on the table. "They don't want to give accurate pings in case certain people get a hold of them. And we can't find them with Project Asgard, as one of their officers knows how to avoid it from files we found at the relay on East Falkland." He paused, as Mclaw rubbed his eyes, "There's light cavalry holding the left flank 30 klicks southeast. Light Dragoons, to be specific. I'm not sure exactly what's happened or why they are positioned there. But they seem to be holding position."

Mclaw scratched his chin. "I see." He eyed the diagram of the map, all known troop movements. Quite obviously, most of it was outdated by 24 hours to prevent leaks, but still useful none the less. He focused on it. "Who would have thought giving him our tactics would backfire?"

In a flash of light, an explosion went off in the distance as Mclaw pressed down on his radio, the PUURS. "Ground team. This is Mclaw, I need a sitrep. What was that explosion? Over."

Lakes' voice came back over, "Sir! Fucking enemy APCs!"

The ear deafening gunfire came through Mclaw's headset between words. Mclaw ran outside, pulling up his laser pointer and activating his heads up display, "Drop a ping! Over."

The marker went up into the sky as Mclaw grabbed a set of Binocular from a rack looking at the marker. "Looks like two." He clicked twice as he spoke into his radio, "Ground team, danger close inbound. Over."