A New India
Chapter 143 - 143: A Battle of Intelligence

The world was watching.

From Washington to Beijing, the sudden and massive mobilization along the India-Pakistan border sent shockwaves through intelligence agencies, diplomatic circles, and military command centers.

This wasn't just another border skirmish between two rival nations.

The scale of the deployment had caught everyone off guard, and it wasn't long before the alarms were raised.

In Langley, Virginia, the headquarters of the CIA, the analysts were working overtime.

The tension was high in the operations room as reports flowed in from satellite imagery, field agents, and informants in South Asia.

The Americans were scrambling to piece together the puzzle, but something was missing.

Why was India moving so quickly? What did they know that the rest of the world didn't?

The most troubling question, Did India discover Pakistan's nuclear ambitions in Chagai Hills?

---

In a windowless room deep inside the CIA, James Warren, the agency's South Asia desk officer, was reviewing images.

His eyes were tired, but his focus was unwavering.

The images showed what was now obvious, India was moving its military into position along the border.

Tank divisions, artillery units, air support it was a full-scale mobilization.

"Jesus," Warren muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes. "What the hell are they doing?"

He picked up the phone, dialing his superior, David Collins, the station chief for South Asia operations.

"Collins," came the gruff voice on the other end.

"Sir, have you seen the latest imagery? India's moving their entire Western Command toward the border. This isn't a drill. Something's happening."

There was a pause on the line. Collins knew exactly what Warren was referring to, but he didn't have the answers.

Not yet.

"I've seen it," Collins finally replied. "But we still don't know why. The Indian government's been tight-lipped, and our assets in Delhi haven't reported anything concrete."

Warren leaned back in his chair, frustration gnawing at him. "It's not just a military flex. It feels too coordinated, too deliberate. I'm starting to wonder if they've discovered something. We've had whispers about Pakistan's project in Chagai Hills, but nothing we can pin down. Do you think India knows?"

Collins didn't respond right away. He was thinking the same thing but didn't want to say it out loud.

The possibility that India had discovered Pakistan's nuclear ambitions would explain the mobilization.

If that were true, the stakes were much higher than anyone had realized.

"We need more intel," Collins said firmly. "Activate our local assets. Get everyone on this. I want to know if India has gotten wind of Pakistan's nuclear program. And if they have, we need to know how far along Pakistan is."

Warren nodded, though Collins couldn't see it. "Already on it. I'll get in touch with our field agents."

"Good. And keep me updated. This could get out of hand fast."

Warren hung up the phone and immediately began typing a series of encrypted messages to the agency's operatives in Delhi, Islamabad, and Balochistan.

The CIA needed information, and they needed it quickly.

There wasn't time to wait for the politicians to figure things out.

This was a race against the clock, and right now, India and Pakistan were the only ones with a head start.

---

In Beijing, the lights burned late at the Ministry of State Security (MSS).

The Chinese government had been caught off guard by the sudden military buildup, and the feeling of unease had quickly spread through the upper echelons of leadership.

China had prided itself on knowing what was happening in its neighborhood, but the speed and scale of India's mobilization had left Beijing blindsided.

Inside a conference room, a group of high-ranking intelligence officers sat around a table.

On the wall, a map of South Asia was shown with red markers showing the locations of India's troop deployments.

Li Jun, the senior intelligence officer overseeing the region, leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, his expression grim.

"This... this doesn't make sense," Li muttered, his eyes fixed on the map.

"India's never mobilized on this scale without some kind of provocation."

Across the table, Zhang Wei, Li's deputy, nodded. "Our sources in Islamabad haven't reported any major incidents. No border skirmishes, no airspace violations. It's like India's moving its entire army to the border for no reason."

Li shook his head, his fingers tapping the table in frustration. "There's always a reason. We're just not seeing it yet."

Zhang hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Do we have anything from our contacts in Pakistan? Have they indicated any internal issues, maybe something we haven't seen yet?"

Li sighed. "Nothing concrete. Pakistan's been relatively quiet on their end. If this was just a military exercise, they wouldn't be responding like this."

"Then what?" Zhang asked, his voice laced with confusion. "What the hell is India up to?"

Li didn't answer immediately. His mind was racing, running through all the possible scenarios, trying to connect the dots.

India wasn't acting like a country preparing for a border skirmish.

They were mobilizing for something much larger, something that had rattled the highest levels of government.

"Activate our full network in Islamabad," Li finally said, his voice low and determined. "I want every agent, every asset on this. And get someone close to the Pakistani military leadership. We need to know what's driving their response."

Zhang nodded, quickly leaving the room to relay the orders.

As Li stared at the map of the border.

He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "What aren't we seeing?"

---

Back in Washington, the U.S. State Department had been blindsided by the sudden escalation.

The usual diplomatic channels were buzzing with frantic messages as officials tried to get a handle on the situation.

In a large, brightly lit room in the Pentagon, a group of top military and intelligence officials were gathered for an emergency briefing.

The Secretary of Defense, James Gordon, stood at the head of the room, a map of South Asia displayed on the screen behind him.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," Gordon began, his tone serious,

"we've got a situation brewing between India and Pakistan, and it's escalating fast. As you all know, both countries have mobilized their forces along the border, and we've seen significant movement of troops, tanks, and aircraft. This isn't a border skirmish."

The room was silent as everyone digested the information.

General Mark Reynolds, the head of U.S. Central Command, spoke up. "Any word from our intelligence assets on the ground? Do we know why they're mobilizing so suddenly?"

Gordon shook his head. "Not yet. The CIA is working on it, but so far, we don't have anything concrete. We're trying to determine if this is related to Pakistan's nuclear program, but we don't have confirmation."

Reynolds frowned. "If it is, this could go out of control fast. This will damage our reputation and give India and our enemy leverage over us"

At that moment, Jack Hayes, a senior analyst from the CIA, entered the room, looking slightly out of breath.

"Secretary Gordon, General Reynolds," Hayes began, nodding to both men. "We've just received some preliminary intel from our contacts in Islamabad. It's not confirmed, but there are indications that India may have learned something about Pakistan's activities in Balochistan. Specifically, Chagai Hills."

The room tensed. Chagai Hills was known to be the focal point of Pakistan's nuclear project, though the full extent of their progress had been kept tightly under wraps.

"If that's true," Reynolds said, his voice low, "then this isn't just a military standoff. India might be preparing to neutralize Pakistan's nuclear capabilities before they can fully develop them."

Gordon's expression darkened. "We need more information. Hayes, get the CIA to double down on gathering intel. We can't afford to sit in the dark on this one. And get in touch with our counterparts in India. We need to know if they're planning anything more than just a show of force."

Hayes nodded, already reaching for his phone as he left the room.

---

Back in India, Prime Minister Rohan sat in his office, staring at the map of the India-Pakistan border that had been laid out in front of him.

The mobilization was well underway, and reports were coming in from the ground that Indian troops were in position.

But he knew that the rest of the world was watching, and that this was no longer just a regional issue.

The Americans, the Chinese, even the Russians, they were all paying close attention to what was happening along the border.

They were all wondering the same thing

What does India know?

K.N. Rao, entered the room, his face grim.

"Sir we've just received word from one of our field agents," Rao began, his voice low. "The Americans have activated their intelligence networks in the region. They're trying to figure out if we've discovered Pakistan's nuclear program."

Rohan sighed, rubbing his temples. "Of course they are. They won't sit back while two nuclear powers stand on the edge of war."

Rao nodded. "The Chinese are also watching closely."

Rohan leaned back in his chair, then looked at Rao. "Is everything ready?"

Rao looked at Rohan with tense look

"Sir few days more and then everything will be ready for your order"

"Good"