Internet Cafe and caught a glint of something that may well have been a weapon. He turned to see Mayukh slumped in the rear seat, the gun lying uselessly by his side.
'Dammit!'
David stopped the SUV and brought up his M4, scanning the area to his right for any imminent threat. With the crowded road ahead, if they were up against attackers with weapons, he would never be able to get away in time. He had far better chances sticking around and counting on his training and firepower. A tuft of silvery hair showed and a face emerged and he could hear Hina gasp behind him. He had his sight trained on the head. At any sign of trouble, he would put a round through the forehead. As the man emerged, David put his finger on the trigger and then brought his gun down, exhaling loudly in relief.
'What's going on? Who are they?'
David had his head back against the seat, thankful that he had not fired. Hina looked over his shoulder and saw who had been hiding in the shop. They were an ancient couple, perhaps no younger than eighty, dressed in rags. It was likely they had lived in one of the nearby slums, and when the chaos began, had sough refuge in the shops. Both the man and woman looked around uncomprehendingly, with blank, terrified eyes. Hina guessed that they perhaps had no idea of what had happened, just that one day, ordinary people had turned into bloodthirsty monsters. The old couple stumbled towards them, holding out their hands as if seeking help. Hina started to say something, and David cut her off, guessing what she was going to say.
'No we can't take them with us.'
'But look at them…'
In response, David got out of the vehicle and opened the back, taking out a handful of canned and packaged food, which he handed over to the old man. The man began crying tears of gratitude and then looked on as David climbed back in and drove away.
'That was a nice thing you did.'
David just grunted at Hina's words and kept his focus on the road. Without looking back, he addressed Mayukh.
'Kid, you need to decide whether you want to stay alive or not. If they had been attackers, we could have been in big trouble. In a few minutes, I'll be on my way, and won't see you again. But here's some friendly advice- snap out of it, otherwise you'll get yourself and Hina in big trouble.'
As they drove into the heart of Delhi, past India Gate and then onwards towards the Diplomatic Enclaves, they saw signs of other survivors. A family walking on the roadside, a group of young men carrying rods and swords, two policemen walking around as if wondering what they should do. The entire city seemed to be in shock, but there was no sign of the infected attackers who had wreaked so much havoc the previous night. It was as if they had disappeared at first light.
They drove by the Prime Minister's residence, and saw it totally deserted. There was not a single policeman in sight. Hina wondered whether that was because the Prime Minister had been evacuated or because even he had not escaped the chaos.
'We're here, folks.'
Hina looked up at David's words to see the high walls of the US Embassy. The gate was shut, but there was no sign of anyone around. David drove right up to the gate, when pandemonium erupted all around them.
'Freeze. Stop the vehicle and keep your hands where I can see them!'
David did as he was told, and Hina followed suit. A second later, a fully armed US Marine appeared, assault rifle at the ready. He seemed awfully young, and his rifle shook unsteadily in his hands. He looked at David and took in his uniform and stripes.
'You in the US Army?'
David snorted dismissively, looking at the soldier's name tag.
'Private Shafer, I'm a SEAL. And that's
The man stood straight and saluted, as if relieved to have someone who could take charge. He pointed at Hina and Mayukh.
'What about them?'
'They're with me, for now.'
The Marine opened the gates and David drove in. As soon as he got out, the Marine ran up, eager to learn what had happened outside. David asked incredulously.
'Where are the others? Don't tell me you're the only one around.'
The Marine answered, his voice now betraying his fear.
'Sir, all the senior diplomats and families left day before. They left me here to guard the last diplomat here. They told me we'd be evacuated yesterday, and then everything went to Hell. We just turned off all the lights and hid in the basement.'
'That's the best anyone could have done. So don't be too hard on yourself, soldier. Now, where's the diplomat?'
David was led inside where he saw man crouched behind a desk, burning documents in a fireplace.
'Excuse me, Sir. I'm Captain David Bremsak, US Navy SEALs. I was told you're the ranking diplomat here. Could you tell me what our plans for evacuation are?'
David was shocked when the man turned to face him. He was balding, red-faced and visibly drunk as he struggled to get up. As he came closer, David could smell the alcohol on his breath.
'Captain, I'm Jeremy Abbot. I'm the frigging Cultural Attache here, which means I'm the CIA spook.'
The man laughed and David wondered just how unhinged the man had been by the pressure to talk so loosely.
'Captain, if you're here to get help, I'm afraid this is the only help I can provide.'
David saw that he was motioning to a half empty bottle of Black Label on the table behind him, as Abbot continued.
'Just got a transmission. No help coming our way. They asked me to stay behind and ensure all our dirty work is destroyed. It seems those bloody secrets of whom we're spying on are more valuable than expendable old me. And now they realize they can't get any of us out.'
David was shattered by the news, but something in what the man said gave him a surge of hope.
'Your radio's working? Someone's still transmitting?'
Abbot shrugged and took a swig straight from the bottle.
'Don't get your hopes up. Just a burst this morning, telling all overseas personnel to stay where they are, and that people are working on plans. Basically, we've been left to rot.'
David walked out, and Hina immediately saw his downcast expression.
'David, what's wrong?'
'Looks like we're on our own.'
***
David had asked the Marine if he wanted to come along, but the young soldier had said he'd stay by his post. David thought he was being stupid but had to admire his courage. They drove around for a few minutes, all of them silent, trying to reconcile to the fact that there did not seem to be any help headed their way. If there was a government in control anywhere, it had given up on this corner of the world. Finally, Hina broke the silence.
'David, it's past noon now. We need to have a plan for how to survive the night.'
David stopped the car and when Hina looked at him, she was truly frightened for the first time since she had met him. So far, he had exuded nothing but quiet confidence, and with his obvious training and firepower, she had come to regard him as something of a safety blanket. But now she saw that his eyes were downcast, his shoulders slumped, and he slammed his fist against the steering wheel in frustration. Hina looked on, ever more afraid as she saw the first cracks appear in David's confidence. Then, as if with a conscious effort of will, David took a deep breath, and his settled, calm look was back.
'Let's take it one step at a time. First, we need a place to stay where we can be safe.'
They were now driving past Delhi's Connaught Place, and Hina saw the Imperial Hotel to her left.
'How about a hotel?'
David shook his head, with a slight smile.
