High Alert

CHAPTER 21

Three of the nine men who ruled China sat at a round, black-lacquered table inlaid with characters of good fortune and prosperity. They were meeting in the private residence of Zhang Jei, General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of the People's Republic of China. Zhang sipped his tea and waited for Minister of State Security Deng's analysis of the newspaper article that had appeared in the American press, concerning their erratic ally to the south.

Zhang wasn't smiling, but that was nothing unusual. He seldom smiled. He wore the uniform of powerful leaders worldwide, a tailored dark blue suit and a red tie. It was one of the concessions to the Western world that Zhang hated. He preferred the comfort of traditional garb.

Sitting next to the Minister of State Security was a thick bodied man in army uniform. His tunic bore the three stars and leaves of a full general in the People's Liberation Army. General Liu commanded the Guangzhou Military Region bordering North Korea, with over one hundred and eighty thousand first level troops at his disposal. His forces included three motorized infantry divisions, a mechanized division, armored and artillery brigades and antiaircraft brigades.

It was one of the premier commands in the People's Liberation Army. If military action against North Korea was ever needed, Liu would command China's forces on the ground. His presence at the meeting was a sign of how seriously Zhang was taking the report that had appeared in the United States about chairman Yun's involvement in the death of Ambassador Li.

"Well?" Zhang said to Deng. "Is it true?"

Deng controlled the repressive intelligence and security apparatus that kept the rulers of China feeling more or less secure at night. China's intelligence network was as good as America's CIA or Britain's MI-6. In many ways, it was more effective. Deng's ministry was not subject to the kind of oversight practiced in the Western democracies.

Deng had a round face that seemed to wear a perpetual frown. For a Chinese, he had large ears that stuck out from the sides of his head. It had been a long time since anyone had dared make fun of those ears.

"I am not convinced this article is entirely true," Deng said. "It may be what the Western press is fond of calling a 'false flag.' On the other hand, there is no doubt that the assassin who murdered our ambassador was a member of Yun's Ministry of State Security."

"You are certain of this?" Zhang asked.

"Yes. Our asset in the American CIA confirms it. He has been positively identified."

"Yet you doubt the truthfulness of the report."

"I do not doubt the assassin's identity, but why would Chairman Yun do such a thing? Without our support, his regime will collapse. Why would he risk offending us in such a manner? It could only bring bad luck to him."

"Give me permission and I will bring much more than bad luck to our esteemed ally," General Liu said.

"This is a time for caution, General," Zhang said. "Like you, I am tempted to remove this annoying thorn in our side once and for all. But we must be aware of the consequences."

"You mean the Americans."

"That is exactly what I mean. If we annex North Korea, it will almost certainly mean war. The Americans are already unhappy with our actions in the South China Sea."

"That is our rightful area of control," Liu said. "The gwai lo will not risk nuclear war over fishing rights."

"No, but we both know that much more than fishing rights are involved."

"The Americans will not permit us to enter North Korea unopposed," Deng said. "Look what they did when Yun sank their submarine. They were angry and sent their Seventh Fleet in spite of his warnings about entering North Korean waters. That is a formidable force. If Yun had attempted to stop the rescue effort, they would have crushed him. They know he has nukes, but they chose to risk it."

"Even Yun wasn't stupid enough to take on the American Seventh Fleet," Liu said.

"He may not be stupid, but you are making the mistake of thinking he is rational," Deng said. "He is not. The man displays disturbing signs of mental disorder. He is delusional."

"Paranoid?"

Deng nodded, once. "The medications he takes support an assessment along those lines. Unfortunately, he does not take them as regularly as he should. If he had not agreed to the solution proposed by our Russian comrades, I believe war would have started. He would have attacked the American ships."

"Comrades?" Zhang looked amused.

"In a manner of speaking, in this particular instance."

"What do you propose?" Zhang asked. "We cannot let this pass unnoticed."

"'A moment of patience in a moment of anger prevents a thousand moments of regret,' " Deng said. "I need time to verify the truth or falsehood of this report."

"How will you begin?"

"I already have. Interestingly, the Korean murderer was recently treated here in Beijing for terminal cancer. My agents are questioning everyone who interacted with him. Perhaps the disease unhinged him and he acted on his own."

"That seems unlikely," Zhang said. "How did he get from Pyongyang to Washington? Where did he get the explosives he used?"

"You have mentioned two reasons why it is possible the report is true," Deng said.

"How much time do you need, Minister Deng?"

"A week should be sufficient."

"What if the report turns out to be accurate?" Liu asked.

"In that case, we will have to consider the best response."

"Yun should be eliminated."

"That may not be possible without starting a war with the West."

"Perhaps," Zhang said, "perhaps not. There is always more than one way to accomplish a goal."