Dancing with the Dragon

Chapter 23

After the president's emotional address, Jackie punched the mute button on the television and turned to Scott. "What we have here is old-fashioned brinkmanship, and that doesn't bode well for the summit in Bangkok."

Scott walked to the window and took in the view of Waikiki and Diamond Head. "For the Chinese, this will be about saving face."

"After today's events, they'll have to tether Liu Fan-ding to the ground."

"Yeah, I'd hate to be one of his personal aides."

She sat her coffee cup on the table. "Do you think he'll cancel his trip to Bangkok?"

"Who, Liu Fan-ding?"

"No, President Macklin, our ride to Bangkok."

"He's the one who called for the summit — I expect he'll attend," Scott said, and glanced at the film footage from Panama. "This clash with China is even more reason for the president to solidify our position with the Southeast Asian nations."

Jackie stared at the television for a few seconds. "We'd better check with Hartwell and get an update on their plans."

"Good idea."

"We may not want to go to Bangkok."

"Having second thoughts?" Scott asked.

"Knowing Liu Fan-ding, he might bomb Bangkok after watching President Macklin take the canal back."

"I wouldn't put anything past him." Scott checked the time and reached for the phone. "I'll call Hartwell."

Jackie had just stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself when Scott finished his conversation with Prost. "What's the current temperature?"

"Warm and getting warmer."

Scott gave her a quick brief about the two battle groups moving closer to the Taiwan Strait, then changed the subject to Bangkok. "The president's plane will be arriving here at one o'clock tomorrow morning."

"When do we leave?"

"As soon as the plane is refueled," he said; "He's using one of the command-post aircraft."

Jackie was surprised. "Wow, things must be getting serious."

"I didn't ask Hartwell why the plane change, but the president is certainly sending a message."

"Yeah, that'll flash around the world — maybe it's too provocative."

"Hey, he means business."

"Any idea yet about our role?" she asked.

"He didn't bring it up and I didn't ask."

"Well, we'll know soon enough."

"Oh, I almost forgot," he said. "The boys in Beijing are now missing three of their laser-weapons ships."

"What happened?"

"One of their ships — the Deng Ju-shan — took out an E-2C from Kitty Hawk, killing the entire crew. A short time later, the Chicoms' laser ship ran into a couple of torpedoes and went to the bottom."

"How coincidental."

"Yes, very unfortunate."

"What was the response from President Macklin?"

"The White House hasn't made a statement yet. For the time being, they're calling the loss of the Hawkeye an operational accident."

"Have the Chinese gone into full threat mode or do they know about their laser ship?"

"Beijing knows what happened to their ship, but they can't prove it. So, as it stands right now, it's a matter of who blinks first."

Jackie reached into the dresser for a pair of shorts and a colorful aloha shirt. "I have a very bad feeling about this brawl with China."

"Same here," he said, watching an update on the Panama Canal skirmish. "Another item of interest Merrick Hamilton is back on active duty and has orders to an F/A-18 squadron."

"Great." She tucked the shirt into her shorts. "What about Zheng Yen-Tsung? Do they have any idea where he is?"

"The FBI thinks he went back to China. The feds are rounding up a large number of alleged Chinese spies who are singing their hearts out."

"I hope they're right about Zheng," she said. "But he could be anywhere — that's what frightens me."

"You're right," Scott said. "We'll have to keep our guard up, but I believe the FBI knows what's going on."

"There are plenty of ways he could track us. And you, of all people, know that's true."

"Okay, it's true. But their military and our military know about the lasers and the bogus holograms, so I don't see why Zheng YenTsung would want to hunt us anymore."

"Well, the media hasn't picked up on it yet."

"After Bangkok I have a feeling it won't be long before the story is on the front page of papers all over world."

"I hope so," she said.

"Hey, we're wasting the day. Let's hit the beach and get a Bloody Mary."

She pointed to the bathroom. "It's all yours. I'm going to check in with Mary Beth and see how everything is going at the office."

"Tell her hello for me."

The world-renowned Palace Hotel was rapidly filling with high-ranking military officers summoned to meet with President Liu Fan-ding before he departed for Bangkok. Located near major diplomatic and governmental offices, the stately hotel had been the gathering place for many pleasant military functions. This occasion would not be one of them.

Word of the meeting in Beijing had spread as rapidly as the news about the deadly military clash with the United States and the voided Panama Canal treaty. From personal observations by aides to the Chinese president, information about his ire had traveled across China like a lightning bolt. It was reported that President Liu Fan-ding was consumed with rage. Other accounts indicated that everyone around him was feeling his wrath.

Quoted in the military newspaper People's Liberation Army Daily, President Liu Fan-ding threatened to "use China's neutron bombs on America and Taiwan if the Panama Canal was not returned to Panamanian control immediately." He went on to say that "Americans are standing at a critical historical juncture and they should not act on impulse."

Liu Fan-ding also accused President Macklin of "using every possible means of treachery to undermine China." He went on to say, "Macklin is playing with fire, and he will die by fire if he doesn't return the canal to Panama."

Liu Fan-ding's closest aides admitted that his doctor was concerned he might have a stroke or a heart attack. One thing was certain: The highly agitated president couldn't wait to confront the American president in Bangkok.

Enjoying the tropical breeze, Scott and Jackie glanced at the golden moon and the star-studded sky while they waited for President Macklin and his entourage to arrive. Along with a large crowd, Jackie and Scott were standing on a wide parking ramp set aside for Air Force One.

Dressed in conservative gray business suits, white shirts, and black shoes, Scott and Jackie looked like the two special agents from the Secret Service office in Honolulu. All four had ear receivers and a wire running down their collar. They were also armed.

"I think they just turned final," Jackie said, watching the flurry of activity in the group of VIPs waiting to greet the president. "You're right."

The portable lighting system bathed the ramp with enough brilliance to light a football field.

Four Hawaiian Air National Guard F-15 Eagles had just broken away from the president's plane and were preparing to land at Hickam Air Force Base. The quartet of fighters, along with two KC-135 aerial tankers, had rendezvoused with the airborne command post midway between California and Hawaii to provide additional security for the president.

Jackie and Scott quietly watched the giant E-4B Advanced Airborne Command Post "Night Watch" land and slow to a crawl before turning off the runway. Automatically designated Air Force One because the president of the United States was on board, the Air Combat Command E-4B was a modified Boeing 747–200 airliner.

Used by the National Command Authority as the National Airborne Operations Center for the president and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in all levels of conflict, including nuclear war, the aircraft could remain aloft for seventy-two hours with airborne refueling. At least one E-4B was always on alert at selected bases, including overseas military installations.

The four-airplane fleet also provided VIP transportation and supported the Federal Emergency Management Agency during times of natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods.

Scott and Jackie waited until the mobile stairway was in place and then joined the other Secret Service agents being escorted to the plane. Hartwell Prost met Dalton and Sullivan at the entrance to the big Boeing and directed them to a vacant conference/briefing room. The three of them would meet with the president after he spoke to the sizable crowd gathered to show their support for his actions.

The president's command presence during the confrontations with the Chinese had sparked a renewal of strength and support for President Macklin personally and for the office of the president. The headlines were calling the movement a tremendous rally, a common and just cause for the citizens of the last superpower.

When the E-4B was almost completely fueled, the president was discreetly prompted to return to the airplane. He made his closing remarks to the enthusiastic audience and listened to the spontaneous cheers and loud applause as he reboarded the aircraft.

Dressed casually in brown slacks and a cream-colored sport coat, Macklin entered the conference/briefing room. He gave Scott and Jackie a warm smile and firmly shook hands with them.

"Have a seat," the president said, motioning toward the conference table. He and Prost sat down across from Jackie and Scott.

"First, I want to extend my sincere thanks and deepest appreciation to both of you — what a job you did."

"Thank you, sir," Jackie and Scott said in unison.

"The two of you have demonstrated remarkable courage and ingenuity. I appreciate it, and someday a grateful nation will thank you."

"And," Hartwell said, "I want to add my thanks."

"Now I'll get down to current business," the president said. "I have another matter of urgency I want to discuss with you — a problem that is extremely important to our country and our future."

Under the table Jackie nervously squeezed Scott's hand.

"If the two of you find the risk factor greater than the reward, I will understand — it's up to you."

"We'll be honest, Mr. President," Scott said, and then couldn't stop a crooked smile from spreading across his face. "But, sir, we draw the line at bungee jumping."

Caught off guard, Macklin and Prost laughed while Jackie pinched Scott and wished she could kick him in the ankle.

"No bungee jumping." The president chuckled. "What I want you to do is rescue Dr. Richard Cheung from the Mianyang R and D production complex in China — deep in the heart of China."

"We're familiar with it," Jackie said.

"Good. We want Cheung back for more than one reason, but most importantly, we want to know with certitude what capacity the Chinese have to inflict damage on their enemies. It's imperative that we know exactly how far they've advanced with the development of the laser weapon, and what type of platforms they plan to use in deploying it."

"We want to offer Cheung a deal," Hartwell said. "If he'll work on a way to defeat the Chinese lasers, he can avoid the very unpleasant consequence of being tried for treason. Either way, we need to get him out of China. If he won't help us, we sure as hell don't want him helping the Chinese. That's what we hope the two of you can accomplish."

"And if he won't cooperate?" Scott asked.

"I'll leave the details up to your imagination," Prost said clearly, "but dragging him home to face charges of treason would be at the bottom of my list — the very bottom."

The president acknowledged his national security adviser's blunt remark with a slight nod.

There was a clumsy moment of silence as the lumbering command post began taxiing for takeoff.

Scott fastened his seat belt. "Let's go over the details of your plan and then we'll be able to make an informed decision."

"We can start on it right now," Prost suggested. "That is, if you're not too tired."

"Not at all," Jackie said.

"Please stay seated," the president said, rising from his chair. "Hartwell has all the details from our discussions with his friends from the Agency. I'm going to turn in and try to get some sleep on the way to Bangkok. Good night, and thanks again."

"Good night, sir," Scott said.

Macklin faltered in midstride and turned to face Dalton. "By the way, how did you get that Chinese sailor with the exaggerated smile to pose for the pictures?"

Not having known what was in the photos, Jackie was more than surprised by the revelation.

Scott searched for the right words. "We, ah, stumbled into each other and after the initial shock wore off, I told him I was a security inspector hired by Beijing and that he could lose his job if he didn't follow orders."

"And he believed you — a Caucasian standing there in a wet suit?"

"Yes, sir."

The president laughed. "That sailor is obviously depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."

Hartwell stared at Dalton for a long moment. "You must have an entire committee of guardian angels looking over your shoulder."

"I hope you don't mind" — the president smiled—"if I tell that story at my next cabinet meeting."

"Not at all, sir."

"I'll keep you anonymous, of course."

No one said a word until the president had disappeared. "You didn't tell me about that," Jackie said.

"Actually, I was kind of embarrassed by being caught off guard." Hartwell opened a leather case full of papers and maps and then spread them across the conference table.

"What we want to do is include you, with the proper papers attesting to your Canadian citizenship, on a legitimate tour of the Yangtze River."

"Canadian?" Scott asked. "Not Australian — `G'day, mate,' and all that?"

"Not this time. The Aussies are holding joint naval exercises with the Roosevelt battle group — near the Taiwan Strait."

"Ah, Canadian is an excellent choice."

Prost reached for two dossiers. "Corbin and Samantha Hathaway, a married couple from Halifax, Nova Scotia. We've confirmed that none of the other couples are from Nova Scotia.

"The travel company has been in business for many years, since the seventies, and is well known and respected throughout the Orient. We have spent a great deal of time setting this up, so I'll start from the beginning."

He handed them two bound folders with the CIA logo on the covers. "As I said, if you agree to attempt this operation, we're going to insert the two of you into a legitimate tour group of Canadians. The group is arriving in Bangkok this afternoon. Few of them know each other, so it will be easier for you to fit in with them."

Scott opened his booklet and thumbed through it. "Do you have personal workups for us?"

"Sure do." Hartwell opened his notes. "Page seven, and as always, I suggest you memorize everything in the briefing book."

"If we decide to take this on, when do we shove off, and from where?" Scott asked.

"Day after tomorrow from Bangkok."

The E-4B began accelerating for takeoff.

"You're going to be replacements for a couple who had a family crisis and had to cancel their trip."

Seventy miles south-southeast of Taiwan the supercarrier and her escorts, the Aegis cruisers USS Vella Gulf and USS Leyte Gulf, the frigate USS Kauffman, and the destroyer USS Hayler were on station to monitor the anticipated Chinese missile exercises.

Positioned in the Bashi Channel near the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone, the battle group was only forty-five miles southeast of Lan Hsu Island. The officers and sailors on board Roosevelt and her escorts were preparing for any contingency.

The Royal Australian Navy guided missile destroyer Brisbane, the guided missile frigate Melbourne, and the newly commissioned Collins-class submarine Dechaineux were accompanying the U.S. warships. The recently refitted Royal New Zealand frigate Canterbury had joined the battle group a day earlier.

Over the sun-drenched Strait of Taiwan, F-14s and F/A-18s from Kitty Hawk and Roosevelt flew barrier combat air patrol while other fighters were on Alert Five status on the carriers. Two E-2C Hawkeyes were airborne, as well as two air force KC-10 tankers. Other tankers were manned and ready to launch from the carriers in a matter of minutes.

On board the carrier Roosevelt, RAdm. Mark Hannifin, commander of the battle group, had the responsibility of providing the tactical picture of the expected missile exercises to the president, the Pentagon, the Seventh Fleet flagship, and senior commanders throughout Southeast Asia.

The latest intelligence reports indicated that Beijing had ordered extensive live-fire exercises in and around the Strait of Taiwan, including a special ballistic missile closure area forty miles southeast of Taitung, Taiwan. A second missile closure area was designated at a point thirty-eight miles east of Hualien, while a third was targeted fifty-two miles southeast of Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.

If the ballistic missiles were launched from the same areas the Chinese had used in the 1996 crisis, the deadly weapons would have to fly directly over the island nation in order to hit their specific target areas.

The ominous ballistic missile exercise, according to Chinese president Liu Fan-ding, was to be a routine test of missile range and accuracy. In reality, the dangerous exercise was meant to send a thinly veiled threat to Taiwan, the White House, and the U.S. Congress.

After the Chinese military newspaper People's Liberation Army Daily printed a special "saber rattling" edition, in which it said, "America and her allies are sharpening their swords and bringing U.S. interventionism to China," commercial sea and air traffic rapidly began disappearing from the Taiwan Strait.

United Airlines canceled their popular San Francisco and Chicago flights to China, followed by cancellations of FedEx cargo runs and Northwest Airlines flights.

The PLA Daily followed the saber-rattling issue with one that stated in a bold front-page headline, "Taiwan Will Never Be Allowed to Be Independent." Another headline proclaimed, "China Will Spare No Effort in a Blood-Soaked Battle to Protect Territorial Integrity."

By the time the reckless ballistic-missile exercise was announced, civilian air and sea traffic had completely evaporated in the region. Now the strait was scattered with warships and fighter planes that had replaced the usual commercial airliners and international cargo flights.

The Aegis cruiser Vella Gulfwas tasked by Admiral Hannifin with the primary responsibility of detecting and tracking any ballistic missiles fired from the Chinese mainland or from surface vessels or submarines.

All hands on Vella Gulf; the lone forward observer for the Roosevelt and Kitty Hawk battle groups, were acutely aware of the immediate danger they faced. Their orders were clear: They were to act as observers and conduct the operation in a passive mode.

The three missile closure areas were scheduled to become active at 1730 hours local time. With two minutes to go before the target areas would turn hot, the ship's crew was on a heightened state of alert. Closer than the other warships to the southernmost missile area, Vella Gulfwas in a particularly hazardous area twenty miles north of Lan Hsu Island.

When the scheduled launch time passed without detection of any missile activity, Admiral Hannifin began to feel the first tentacles of anxiety creep into his mind. The anxiety was driven by a fear of the unknown. At 1742 hours the waiting was over.

Bong! Bong! Bong! "General quarters! General quarters!" an excited voice blared loudly and clearly over Vella Gulf's 1MC, the ship's public-address system. "All hands man your battle stations! All hands man your battle stations! Ballistic missiles inbound!"

Throughout the battle group, young sailors and officers quickly settled into their GQ stations. Confident in their training and special skills, they had total faith in themselves and their shipmates.

Vella Gulf had detected two ballistic missiles rising over the Chinese mainland above the distant radar horizon. Both DF-21 missiles, fired from different locations hundreds of miles away, were tracking straight for the closure area adjacent to Vella Gulf.

In the ship's Aegis fire-control and combat-information center, the CIC watch standers were mesmerized as they tracked the ballistic missiles through the ascent phase of their trajectories, established tracks for the boosters, and generated reentry information.

The location of the missile launch sites in China had been carefully documented. Space-based assets and a Cobra Ball spy plane had provided the exact coordinates of the launch pads. The coordinates would soon be programmed into a number of U.S. weapons systems, including improved conventional air-launched cruise missiles aboard nine B-52 bombers sitting on the flight line at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

On the bridge of Vella Gulf, the captain gave the order to get under way as he maneuvered to get out of the immediate area.

Twenty seconds later, the CIC watch standers detected a third ballistic missile rise above the horizon and track straight for the target site southeast of Taipei. Seconds later, another missile, this time an M-9, rose from a different site and tracked toward Vella Gulf.

A mile south of the Aegis cruiser a LAMPS Mark III helicopter crew was waiting to observe the ballistic missile tests. As the helo crew monitored their radios, it became alarmingly clear that the M-9 missile was streaking toward their ship. The pilot began easing the SH-60B Seahawk closer to Vella Gulf.

The cruiser continued to track the missiles, while the CIC watch standers transmitted satellite voice and track reports to the battle-group commander on Roosevelt, commander, Seventh Fleet, and the task-force commander in Japan.

When the three missiles targeted at the area closest to the cruiser began their descent, it became painfully obvious that one of the weapons was on a trajectory that coincided with the ship's exact position. This was now considered a deliberate and hostile attack.

After a frantic call from CIC, the captain ordered flank speed and a seventy-degree turn to starboard. A series of flash messages were quickly sent to the National Command Authority in Washington, detailing the attack, while the Aegis weapon system's battle diary recorded the launch and track for detailed evidence and reconstruction of the attack on Vella Gulf.

Ordering the LAMPS III helo away from his ship, the captain tried a tight high-speed turn at the same time the helicopter crew saw a bright flash and explosion in the designated target area. Seconds later, they saw another explosion in the same vicinity.

After confirming the Aegis information on the point of impact, the senior CIC officer didn't hesitate to transfer the primary Aegis responsibility to Leyte Gulf. The other cruiser immediately responded, since they were providing backup capability to place a protective missile umbrella over the entire fleet.

The senior CIC officer in Vella Gulf gave a frantic last-second warning over the 1MC. "Ballistic missile inbound! Brace for impact!"

The words were hardly out of his mouth before the supersonic missile slammed into the water eighty yards from Vella Gulf's port bow.

The copilot of the SH-60B gasped as the warship, traveling at flank speed, disappeared inside a huge cloud of spray, smoke, and flying debris. A shock wave violently rocked the helo as Vella Gulf emerged from the wall of water and rapidly slowed.

"That, my friend, was a close call," the pilot said as he added power and raced for the ship.

"If that had been a nuke," the copilot said, "the ship would be heading straight for Davy Jones's locker."

The pilot glanced at his shipmate. "If that had been a nuke, Saint Peter would be taking your ticket stub about now."