"Thanks, Sam, Michelle. Knew I could count on you two. My only requirement is that we don't put our rangers too much at risk with one of your crazy schemes. Don't want anyone else in the infirmary, or worse. Let's go see how the tech teams are doing."
Now I just needed to come up with a plan to defeat a major power's naval battle group with two ranger platoons, an LCS, and maybe a Filipino commando force. Plus, convince them to start it.
No problem…
* * *
Raven had finally done something right. Heroic even, returning to help Sam.
And really, really, stupid.
At least Omar was in the destroyer's infirmary, if the Chinese hadn't killed him yet.
If only she hadn't listened to her crappy professor. She'd be back in Texas right now.
As she'd discovered, there were worse things out there.
Chinese naval ships didn't contain a lot of spare space for the highest of the high. She could almost stand all the way up in her prison for the lowest of the low.
Pahk, Omar's supposed benefactor and friend, peered through the plexiglass window in the door.
A star pattern of five circular holes allowed air and speech to pass through.
"Are you sure you don't prefer to be chained in my stateroom? The accommodations are much nicer there, you'll find."
She bent her knees in order to hold her head high. "This bucket of rust is nothing compared to the American navy. Give up now. They'll be coming for me."
Pahk laughed. "First, the imperialists won't risk war over a terrorist woman. Perhaps they'll negotiate for your release in a few years and be grateful for whatever condition you're in."
Would they leave her to rot in Chinese jails?
He ticked each item off on his fingers. "Second, their only nearby ship is outclassed by this destroyer, China's largest and stealthiest, with one-hundred-twelve vertical missile launch tubes. Anti-ship and anti-air missiles. Could take out an enemy fleet by itself.
"Third, our battle group also contains two frigates, a replenishment vessel, and anti-submarine aircraft. Face it, even if the Filipinos helped them, hardly likely, the imperialists wouldn't have a chance before we destroyed them. Especially if you're on board and they don't want to kill you by firing at us."
He dropped his hand. "No, their best bet is to hope for negotiation, not war. It's too late for that. So, care to bring the spoils to the victor?"
Raven slumped. "Maybe you're right about the navy, but you'll need to drag me kicking and screaming to your room, if that's what you want."
She'd had enough of men like Omar. Never again.
Pahk grinned as he stared through the cell window. "We don't have time for female histrionics, but I'll visit later. We'll see if you ever want to straighten your body again. Seems such a waste, to me."
He winked. Turned and strolled down the passageway.
Raven allowed herself to sob, now that there were no witnesses beyond the protected security camera blinking in the ceiling's corner.
If she stuffed her shirt in the window holes, blocked the only source of fresh air, would she pass out before they came to stop her?
Was she that desperate yet?
Chapter Thirty-Two: Disinformation Solutions
Schnier sat in the sand, just outside the wave's reach. Elbows on his knees, he held his head in his hands.
Stared at sand-bubbler crabs scurrying into their burrows to avoid the water's destruction.
At least they had a home.
His used to be the rangers, but now he belonged with Raven, trapped on a Chinese destroyer.
Pathetic. Disgusting. Sad.
But what could he do about it?
Sam dragged Larrikowal across the beach toward Schnier, pulling his arm.
Schnier looked up and around. What was he so excited about? Some nerd news?
When they arrived, Sam just thrust the Filipino officer forward. "Tell him!"
Hmm… he wore major's insignia. Schnier could've sworn he was only a captain before. "Congratulations, Major. Tell me what?"
Larrikowal cleared his throat. "Thanks. My tech team, using the trained expert system your analysts provided, and their internal access to the system's records, found something interesting."
Schnier was already depressed. Now they wanted to bore him as well?
Sam bowed his head. Shook it. "Not like that. He doesn't care about the details. Give him the bottom-line, like you'd tell your Defense Secretary."
"Umm… yes, of course. We found two items of interest related to the Chinese. Regular communications between our President and Admiral Hu, the PLAN political commissar—"
Schnier snorted. "I know who Hu is. What's the point?"
Sam didn't wait for the SAF officer. "We've confirmed their President arranged with the Chinese for the sniper attack. Rigged it through multiple cut-outs to make the Speaker out to be a hero."
"We knew that already."
"No, we suspected it. They've confirmed it."
"So?"
"So tell him the other thing."
Larrikowal hung his head, as if he wanted to avoid further embarrassment.
"Spit it out, sir." That last word may have not conveyed all the respect Schnier would normally have included in it.
"You're not the only ones who've infiltrated our communications. With access to all the data flows in and out of the Philippines, we've spotted massive exfiltration of government data to China as well. Illegal flows of secret information."
Schnier shrugged. "Good to know, I guess, but I don't see how that helps us get Raven back. Besides, how did you pull that off so quickly? Sam's men have been pouring over that data much longer than you."
Sam pulled Larrikowal back. Stepped forward. "Besides access to our fully trained parsing model, they all speak Tagalog. We had to rely on translations of anything which looked interesting. But lucky for you, I do."
"Do what, speak Tagalog?"
"See how that can get Raven back, you idiotic captain, sir."
Could he really have a plan? If so, he'd forgive the disrespect in front of their ally. "How?"
"Disinformation. Comment Crew doesn't know that we know about their infiltration and the President's shadiness. They've been negotiating over government concessions in exchange for funding his post-government retirement. He needs the speaker elected to continue to cover up his corruption, but he also needs a big score from the Chinese between election day and when he leaves office."
"So?"
"So we take over the negotiations. Dangle in front of Admiral Hu the greatest political coup in his career. Control of a new port in the South China Sea."
"West Philippine Sea." Larrikowal corrected.
"Tilik Seaport becomes Tilik Harbor, or whatever the Chinese want to name it. Right on Lubang Island. Offer Hu a contract for economic development. An expanded fishing port. An unspoiled tourist attraction. Give them a contract to build the new harbor and a lease to run it afterward, in exchange for a substantial bribe to the Filipino President."
Would that work? Schnier had his doubts. "They'll never go for it. Too good to be true. The Chinese could use that to dominate the area. Run disguised spy trawlers in and out. Service their navy. Expand and support their economic claims."
"That's where Comment Crew comes in. If the President was suddenly much more willing to make the deal of a lifetime, Hu would wonder why. But what if his hackers inside their government found all the right evidence? Minutes of feasibility meetings. Off the record notes of legal discussions. Internal complaints and formal protests from officials about the very idea. If everything they know, all the intelligence they have, points to the same conclusion, could Hu risk not accepting?"
"Can you do that?"
"Well, no. It'd take a bunch of work. Lots of Tagalog speakers. Intimate familiarity with the inner workings of the government. We couldn't do it."
Of course not. "So again, what's the point?"
"Larrikowal could. His SAF
team has everything we need to make it look real."
"How does that get us Raven back?"
"If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain. We can't go get Raven, but that doesn't mean Hu can't bring her to us. I'll get with Michelle and your supply clerk, but if we know exactly where and when they're coming, we just need to set the right trap."
Behind Sam's babble of nonsense, Schnier sensed something serious. Hope.
"You're always optimistic about your crazy schemes, and then someone gets hurt and I have to come bail you out. You can't risk my platoon to pull this off."
"Don't worry, dude. I'll have it all figured out by the time Larrikowal gets approval from his chain of command to put it all together. Might even find time to go surfing. Trust me. This is our opportunity."
Schnier's heart was ready to burst, but he couldn't let his emotions rule his head. He had responsibilities to his men, not just to Raven.
"Don't mess with me on this. You better be right."
But what if Sam was right?
* * *
Major Larrikowal hung up his secure connection to Dorenza.
They had approval!
He'd also been interested in the election-related possibilities, but no need to share that with their American allies.
Besides, the President's Party had already cheated to make the Speaker appear as a martyr. Ended his sergeant's career.
Blown his arm off in the process. Larrikowal would expected payback for that.
He fired off a coded message to his technical team. Pre-arranged wording to order them to implement the solution Sam and he had hashed out overnight.
They were prepared. He hadn't waited for approval, but instead gotten everything ready for when it arrived.
His message was simple. "Approval received. Execute operation Disarm."
They'd do the rest in the virtual world, which consisted only of data packets pretending to be real communication. Inject communications for the enemy to snare.
For now, he needed to call Maria. Gather his physical force at Lubang Island. He'd need them to pull off the rest of the plan.
He rubbed his hands together.
Even as a major, he still got to fight in the field. No need to tell Sheila.
Just another routine training exercise.
Chapter Thirty-Three: Island Prep
While the SAF tricked the Chinese, I told Schnier and Michelle I was going surfing off Lubang Island to check out the new port location.
So I put Hyo-jin out of my mind. Focused on the here and now. Broke out the eSurfboard.
My favorite type of reconnaissance. I stood on the front of the board. The slight upward angle of the underwater foil pushed it, and thus me, a foot above the waves.
I pulled the trigger on my wireless controller to increase the speed of the electric propeller.
Soared through the air, king-of-the-world-style.
Downhill from the jihadist's mountain camp, along the north-east side of the island, Tilik Seaport lay inside a U-shaped bay with a half-klick wide mouth.
Enough space for two super-tankers to pass each other, so no problem getting a Chinese destroyer and it's escorts to fit through.
After a bit of intercession by the SAF's Sergeant Maria, the local customs dudes even let me set my equipment up on the concrete pier once I'd apologized for their earlier failed pursuit.
First, I circled the bay. Noted landmarks.
Besides the concrete pier and the town with sea walls in backyards, the jungle overgrew about half of the edge of the water, while sandy beaches covered the shore's other half.
I measured the widest portion of the bay at about a klick across. The water next to the pier was plenty deep, but a shallow underwater island rested 250 meters away in the center of the proposed harbor.
Hu's ships would avoid that shallower area, of course.
I surfed from the calm waters inside the bay's mouth to the rougher waves outside. The sea quickly deepened. My vision turned from a clear view of the bottom into an inky depth with no end.
All the action would need to take place inside the harbor.
I took the opportunity of deeper water to test my eSurfboard's latest update, which included a stealth mode. The SEALs had asked for an underwater option for greater flexibility, even if the board ran slower.
A knob on the controller angled the underwater foil. The V-shaped wing could alternately lift the board itself into the air for less drag and more speed, or drop it below the surface for a much slower, but stealthier ride.
I dropped to my knees and then lay flat on the board. Held the edge of the side. Released the trigger to slow the motor.
My eSurfboard sank to the surface of the water. Bounced over wave crests instead of cruising above them.
I dialed the foil's angle of attack downward.
The front of the board dipped into the water. At first, waves just crested over the top, splashed me in the face, as it resisted upward pressure.
Then I held a deep breath. Accelerated again.
Not a lot, just enough to pull the board underwater, with me on it.
Too fast! The water pressure on my face and shoulders became an intense pounding. Like a continuous wipe out into the depths of a wave, with no hope of surfacing.
I released the speed trigger.
Pressure reduced to nothing as the board stalled its forward momentum. Popped to the surface now that water wasn't running past the underwater wing at high speeds.
I took a breath.
To make the stealth mode really work, I'd need additional equipment and preparation. Perhaps a Velcro strap to secure my waist to the board.
Definitely at least a rebreather and goggles.
All doable, so scraping past the PLAN ships as they entered the bay was workable.
Good. Raven's life, Schnier's platoon, and the SAF troops supporting us would depend on it.
Not to mention my own minor interest in survival.
* * *
Pahk stood with head bowed in the flag cabin's open hatch. "Admiral?"
"Enter."
The PLAN crew member who'd escorted Pahk nodded and departed to leave him with the Political Commissar and his senior aide.
Pahk stepped into the room dominated by the Admiral's table. No tea tray this time.
All business.
Hu sat at the head of the table. His senior aide typed away on a laptop on his right. Hu gestured for Pahk to join them on his left.
"Pahk. Welcome. You've read the President's offer?"
Pahk stepped over to the table and took his indicated place. "Yes, sir. It's quite the opportunity."
"I don't trust it. Too easy. Convince me otherwise."
"Sir. We know from our infiltration of the Filipino's systems that his cabinet, even those who have been friendly to our interests in the past, also don't approve. Surely, what they find as too much of a concession must be good for us?"
"Continue."
"Also, we know the Filipino President's incentives. To continue to cover up the previous rewards we've given him in exchange for many of their government contracts, he needs the Speaker to win. He's already gone so far as to accept as payment from us my arrangement for Omar to fake an assassination attempt. So clearly, he's been desperate."
"How is Omar's health?"
"The ship's surgeon reports he is out of critical condition. Now, he just needs continued rest and recovery. We could return him to his people, if that was your decision."
"We'll see. Your next point?"
Pahk nodded. "According to the communications from his political advisers, which Comment Crew provided, the assassination attempt wasn't enough. Dorenza's SAF received some of the credit in the public's mind when they risked their lives to protect the Speaker. So to win their election, the President needs something decisive. The two Parties differing views on our assistance and cooperation are one of their major points of contention."
"So?"
/> "If he can hold a press conference with you. If rather than being seen as opponents, he can present their people with the accomplished fact of peaceful partnership with us for their benefit, he believes that will guarantee the election."
"Their voting is obnoxious. He should have their election officials report whatever it is he wants them to report. But I suppose it works to our advantage, because he cannot truly consolidate power."
"Of course, Admiral. And beyond the election ploy, the Filipino President will certainly benefit personally, with the amount of gold we'll be delivering to him."
"I'll be delivering to him. I'm not sure I want to be as personally involved as he's requested."
"He needs to be seen to have a high-level counterpart on our side. You're the highest available on short notice. Besides, the Filipinos are hardly going to attack us or our ships. That would give an international justification for war and the immediate loss of his Party's power."
"Small comfort, if we are dead. But as you say, their incentives line up. Very well, we shall commit to the agreement. Permanent dominion of the South China Sea is too good of an opportunity to pass up."
Hu's senior aide typed notes of their discussion. "I'll record the decision and send out your orders, Admiral. Our legal team has reviewed the 99-year lease agreement and the corresponding exclusive economic zone rights and provided their approval as well."
"Good. Pahk, arrange for Omar to be ready to visit Lubang Island, even if in a wheelchair. We want to make clear to the natives, including his soldiers, that we'll be in charge as soon as we sign the lease. It's only for the extended port area, but there are no other power centers within the island's population. I expect to quickly gain control of their tourist trade and lock down the import/export of food and other goods. After all, it must flow through our new port, even before we've built the agreed upon facilities."
"You asked me for the positive case, Admiral. May I make one more point?"
"Go ahead."
"On the negative side, we'll be exposed, with your task force constrained by the harbor. At least take some precautions. Keep the torpedo boats on patrol around the entrance. Require the Filipino Navy stay out of range. No joint naval forces as they've requested, just civilian craft. After all, this is a civilian agreement on their side, so why should they need comparable military forces?"
Covert Commando: A Sam Harper Military Thriller Page 21