Tiger's Claw

PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY HEADQUARTERS, BEIJING

THAT SAME TIME

General Zu picked up the telephone, knowing exactly what the call was about. He never should have doubted that Admiral Zhen would unleash Kepà debo if authorized. “What is it, Admiral?” he spoke after the secure link was established.

“The Taiwanese submarine has been detected, sir,” South Sea Fleet commander Admiral Zhen Peng said. “It is apparently damaged but under way. It used a new missile that has shot down and destroyed an antisubmarine patrol helicopter while submerged.”

“How did the traitor submarine get damaged, Admiral?” Zu asked.

“It was attacked by torpedoes from one of our carrier attack planes, sir,” Zhen said.

“If it got away from a torpedo, Zhen, what makes you think your forces can destroy it with Kepà debo?”

“It is damaged, sir, so it cannot evade the torpedo as before, and we have a solid position on it with sonobuoys,” Zhen replied. “I am confident we can kill it now.”

Zu hesitated. This was going to be an extreme escalation, and he was going to be responsible for it—not Zhou, not Gao, no one but himself.

“Sir?” Zhen asked. “Am I authorized to proceed?”

“Stand by, damn you, Zhen.”

“Sir, we must act before the traitor submarine gets away,” Zhen said. “If it challenges your restrictions and escapes, the world will think we do not have the technology or the will to enforce our own territorial waters.”

“I said shut up, Zhen,” Zu said. The deputy chief of the general staff, Major General Sun, entered Zu’s office, heard his superior’s angry retort, and narrowed his eyes with a silent question. Sun was right, Zu thought: no one, not even the Americans, were powerful enough in the region to take on China. This would leave every nation on Earth fearful of taking on China.

“Authorized, Zhen,” Zu said. “Make sure it is killed.” He slammed the receiver down onto its cradle. “Get Gao on the line immediately!”

A few moments later: “Yes, General?” Gao Xudong responded.

“There is a Taiwanese submarine preparing to attack our aircraft carrier Zheng He,” General Zu said. “I have ordered our aircraft and ships to attack. They are authorized to use ‘Terrible Wave’ to destroy the submarine. Do you understand?” And then Zu explained what the weapon was . . .

. . . and Gao gasped aloud. “Yi! By the stars, General!” he exclaimed. “That would be insanity!”

“Perhaps that would be the best deterrent—if everyone thought China was insane,” Zu said, a touch of dark humor in his voice. “It worked with Iran and North Korea for years.”

“And half the world was poised to destroy both countries if the threat even appeared in the slightest bit to be real,” Gao said. “Rescind that order, General!”

“No one is going to retaliate, Gao,” Zu said. “America has been attacked many times in the past several years and has never mounted a strategic response.”

“Tell that to President Gryzlov of Russia!” Gao exclaimed. “He is still buried under millions of tons of the rubble from his underground command center after the American bombers got done with him—after they destroyed most of their land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles!”

“And the Americans threw away what bombers they had left to get Gryzlov, and they still have not rebuilt their bomber force,” Zu said. “America is too weak to respond to anything except an attack against their homeland—they will not dare risk a general war for something that happens half a world away.”

“But if you are wrong, General, China will suffer,” Gao said.

“The plan is already in place, Gao,” Zu said. “I will give you a statement that you will issue afterward. Study it—it should appear to be your words, not mine.”

“I have a better idea, General,” Gao said. “After you employ the weapon, the Americans will certainly call Ambassador Li Peiyan in for consultation, or call me directly. As soon as that meeting has concluded, I will call President Phoenix and gauge his reaction. I should be able to convince him that all these attacks were cooked up by Zhou and that China will pull all our forces back and disengage in the South Sea.”

“Disengage? Why would I wish that? The whole objective is to occupy and defend the first island chain, not disengage!”

“General, if you don’t allow me to talk President Phoenix down, he could very well retaliate,” Gao said. “I don’t think he will, but he might, especially if we don’t open up a dialogue right away. Now if I can’t convince you to stop this lunacy, at least allow me to contact Phoenix shortly afterward, listen to him, and try to convince him that China will back off.”

“Back off? China will never back off!”

“Then China is doomed to destruction,” Gao said earnestly. “If Phoenix is assured that China only wants peace, we buy more time to build our forces in the South Sea. If we say nothing, or if Phoenix is not convinced, he could be forced to retaliate.”

Zu did not feel convinced in the least, but finally he said, “Very well, talk with him. But do not reveal a thing.”

“That’s the wrong tack, General,” Gao insisted. “We should admit everything.”

“What?” Zu exclaimed. “Why in the world would I do that?”

“General, you have been attacking foreign ships and mobilizing ground forces, and now the president of China has mysteriously disappeared,” Gao said. “I have spent a lot of time in America. Americans are the most paranoid people on the planet, especially when nuclear weapons are potentially involved. They will gear up for thermonuclear war within moments of your attack. I don’t think they’ll retaliate until they get more information, but I guarantee you they’ll target each and every ballistic missile launch pad, radar site, command-and-control center, air defense site, military port, and airfield with cruise missiles. They’ll blot out the sun with waves of cruise missiles.”

“You do not know what you are talking about, Gao.”

“I know exactly what I’m talking about, General,” Gao maintained. “I urge you not to use special weapons against any ships, but if you insist on doing it so you can send a message that you’re taking over the first island chain, you had better be ready for a devastating response from the United States. Their air force and navy may be smaller than it has been in the past eighty years, but I don’t think their cruise missile inventory has shrunk one bit.” Zu was silent, still unconvinced. Gao went on, “You’re chief of the general staff, Zu. You have a large intelligence branch, and you get updates several times a week. What do your experts say?”

“They say that the United States does not have the capability or the stomach for fighting an Asian or Pacific war, Gao,” Zu said. “They say they barely have enough resources to defend their Pacific islands. They say they would have to rely on support from friends and allies in Asia while they mobilized, which could take years and devastate the economies and military resources of several countries in the process. They say that the American government is more concerned with internal security and economic recovery than it is about Asia.”

“I believe all that is true, General,” Gao said. “But mark my words: at the first hint of a Chinese threat against the Aleutian, Mariana, or Hawaiian Islands, real or perceived, the United States will strike with everything they have, including nuclear weapons. Everything. We must convince them that China is not on the path to war.”

Finally, Gao Xudong sensed that Zu appeared to be thinking about what the acting president was saying. On his end of the line, Zu stubbed out his cigarette. “What do you suggest, Gao?” he asked irritably.

“Allow me to tell them everything,” Gao replied, “including about how you downed the patrol plane and search helicopters.” Zu’s eyes widened at that remark, but he remained silent. “Blame it all on Zhou. I’ll convince them that Zhou was insane and ordered all those attacks because he was obsessed with any foreign presence in the first island chain. You were just following orders, or perhaps Zhou bypassed you and went right to Admiral Zhen or whoever it is in charge of naval forces out there, because you resisted the idea of attacking the Americans. Then you have to cancel all the ridiculous restrictions on movements within the first island chain and remove all naval forces to our territorial waters immediately.”

“The first island chain is within our territorial waters!”

“I agree with you, General, but you know the Americans won’t accept it,” Gao said. “You must pull the aircraft carrier battle groups to within three hundred kilometers of the mainland—not three hundred from Nansha or Xisha Dao, but from the mainland. If you do that, and ask that the United States demilitarizes the South China Sea as well, I think they will agree.”

Zu thought about it for several moments, pulling out another cigarette, then throwing it on his desk without lighting up. “Very well,” he said finally. “You may speak with Phoenix. Admit everything. Offer to pull our naval forces back. But if they do not agree, or if they ask for more concessions, China retakes the South Sea.”

“They’ll accept it,” Gao said confidently. “They’ll be angry as hell, but they’ll accept. I just hope Phoenix does not have an itchy finger on the red button.”