“armed guards as escorts”
The armed guards will have fled in panic—the “elites” are gonna be on their own—just like everybody else—no clue what to do—communications out in the city.
The notion that anything will remain “normal” even one moment after a nuclear attack on NYC is laughable on its face.
IMO, the guards will also be looking for their reserved space in the politburo shelters, too, and the “officials” they will be escorting will have all the credentials they’d need to exit swiftly.