Deep War: The War with China and North Korea - The Nuclear Precipice

by David Poyer

  Byrne said, “We’re already seeing cracks in the monolith. Hong Kong’s in revolt. Chemical weapons are being dropped on civilians. The enemy’s fighting rebellions there, in Tibet, and in Xinjiang. He’s sustaining heavy casualties in Taiwan and on the Vietnamese front. And in the Ryukyus, where the Japanese are retaking islands one by one.”

  Faulcon said, “This is the next step in bringing down our mutual enemy. Now we need to hear back from you about implementation, level of forces, readiness, and any support issues you may have.

  “Let’s hear from our hosts here in Cam Ranh first. General Trong?”

  The Vietnamese looked pained. He muttered, in French, gaze on the table, “We are unable to furnish the ground forces we promised. I deeply regret this, but the battle south of Hanoi is absorbing all our reserves. That is how we can best contribute to the war.”

  Dan translated, hoping he didn’t fumble anything. But Faulcon only nodded. “We understand. You made those commitments before the situation on your front degenerated. Perhaps the Socialist Republic can provide amphibious lift?”

  Trong nodded. He said, in English, “I think … we in accord.”

  Verstegen turned to the Indonesians. “Your government’s promised troops too.”

  The marine general said heavily, in more than passable English, “Indonesia has prepared an expeditionary force of three marine divisions for this operation. Each with three combat brigades. Also, combat and administrative support. But our reconnaissance and air support are not up to Allied standard. Also, we will need heavy artillery.”

  “Ours is fully committed,” Trong stated, firmly, as if forestalling any request.

  Faulcon only said quietly, “Our own marines are also fully engaged. In Taiwan. But the U.S. Army will furnish artillery and close air support. The Allies will strike with one fist, all five fingers together.”

  Dan rubbed his mouth, already uneasy with this plan. They’d stuck their fingers into the meat grinder off Hainan once, and barely gotten them back whole. Plus, from the history he’d read, mixing national commands had seldom led to effective coordination.

  But no one had asked him, and Verstegen went on to discuss assembly points, troop movement, escorts, and the movement to assault. Finally Faulcon checked his watch. “Let’s break for fifteen, then reconvene. A reminder: Do not discuss the plan or its target with anyone not cleared to the highest level. Or on any digital channel whatsoever. Lives depend on our maintaining security.”

  The Americans clustered at the juice tray. Byrne muttered, “So we’re going with the jayvees.”

  Verstegen looked insulted. “I wouldn’t call them that. They’ll bring fresh resolve. Especially the Indonesians. They need to bleed, to buy in for the postwar settlement. They’ll give us the bodies on the ground to take on the Chinese.” He swirled pineapple juice, looking reflective. “Dan, forces aren’t quite as skimpy as PACOM makes out. We have Spruances coming out of mothballs. Light carriers. Plus new ships.”

  “Any of the new cruisers?”

  Before the vice admiral could answer, Faulcon came back in, the sergeant with him. “It’s time, sir,” the enlisted man said.

  The screens lit with the angular, almost deformed features of Justin Yangerhans. Commander, Pacific Command. Dictator of half the globe. The man making the decisions, for both peace and war, that seemed no longer available from a paralyzed national leadership.

  “Welcome,” he said. “I’m glad we’re going to be working together in this operation.”

  * * *

  LATER that day an aide called Dan out of a logistics subconference for a call. It was the chief of naval operations, Barry “Nick” Niles. Dan’s old adversary, but lately, a supporter. A communicator set up the call on the lavender Ultra Secure phone in the Comm Room. “Dan?” Niles opened, his booming voice sounding oddly thin and wavery on the quantum-entangled circuit. “We all on the same page out there?”

  “Pretty much, Admiral. Focusing on the specifics now.”

  A lag of a second or two, then, “Good. I just saw Blair. She’s okay, no need to worry about her.” Another voice gabbled faintly behind him on the circuit. “Just a sec, important call here. But I want to get one thing across.”

  “Sir?” Dan frowned at the handset.

  A pause, as words bounced and echoed between networked microsatellites, were downloaded and decoded. “The public’s patience is exhausted. And the administration isn’t backing us up. This southern attack … Rupture … will be our last gasp before we have to either compromise, or escalate. I only hope China’s as tapped out as we are.”

  Dan took a deep breath. If Zhang Zurong was finally cornered … did they really expect him to go down without all-out nuclear war? If not to win, at least to seek a final, despairing vengeance? And what about his even more truculent and isolated fellow dictator, in North Korea?

  He wished the CNO had an answer. But no one did. Maybe not even Zhang himself.

  Niles congratulated him on the fleet-up, and told him to call if he needed anything. Then he signed off.

  Dan set the handset down gently. Then asked the communicator, “Can I place a call with this? To a cell in CONUS?”

  “I can arrange that, sir. But it won’t be on a covered circuit.”

  He called Nan’s number. Her cell rang and rang, but his daughter never picked up.

  Finally her “leave a call” message came up. He started to speak a couple of times, but couldn’t muster the right words. What could he say that wouldn’t either violate classification, or else just come across as a vague worry?

  She wouldn’t listen, anyway. He’d already advised her to leave Seattle. Her work was too important, she said.

  Anyway, how could he in good conscience ask her to leave, when millions of others would still be there, hostages to the god of war?

  A war that seemed to be approaching its climax, one way or another. And grow only more perilous to everyone involved, as it drew near a final resolution.

  Holding the phone, he squeezed his eyes shut. Remembering her as a child. Holding her, promising silently, but with his whole being and without reservation, that he would always be there for her. That he would protect her, no matter what happened.

  But how could he?

  Would their actions, no matter how carefully planned and well intentioned, bring down catastrophe on them all?

  Shouldn’t he be with her now? Or with Blair?

  No. They didn’t need him.

  His duty was clear.

  Yeah. His fucking … duty.

  So that finally he just said, forcing the words through a closing throat, “This is your dad. I’m … okay. Sorry I missed you.

  “I love you. Take care of yourself.

  “And … I’ll try to call you again.”

  The story of the war with China will continue in David Poyer’s Overthrow.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Please note that some of the links referenced throughout this work may no longer be active.

  EX nihilo nihil fit. I began this novel with the advantage of copious notes accumulated for previous books as well as my own experiences in Asia, the Pentagon, and the Pacific. The following new sources were also helpful.

  For Marine Corps passages: On the robotic target range, live-firing MGs, and Overmatch rifles: http://www.scout.com/military/warrior/story/1765379-army-pursues-guided-shoulder-fired-weapon?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%203.24.17&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief); also MCWP 3-11.2, “Marine Rifle Squad,” Marine Corps Combat Development Command, and Todd South, “New Gear for Squad-Level Marines Will Help Adapt for New Enemies,” Defense News, September 18, 2017. Hector’s chapters were reviewed and commented on by Katie and Peter Gibbons-Neff, for which many thanks, as well as to Drew Davis.

  For Navy passages: Previous research aboard USS San Jacinto, USS George Washington, USS Wasp, with Strike Group One, plus a visit to USS Rafael Peralta just after her commissioning, where Aaron Demey
er was especially helpful. A deep bow to all! Also, interview with James A. Kirk, Surface Sitrep, December 2016. Jennifer McDermott, “The Seal Whiskerers: Navy Looks to Sea Life for New Ships,” Associated Press, March 15, 2017. Some of the specs for the “Savo Island–class cruiser” were adapted from the CG(X) program.

  Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, “USS Savo Island, CVE-78.” Cheryl’s speech owes a bit to articles by James Kirk and Edward Lundquist in the Surface Navy Association’s December 2016 Surface Sitrep. Also, Roger Ellis, “Electromagnetic Railgun,” Office of Naval Research, https://www.onr.navy.mil/en/Science-Technology/Departments/Code-35/All-Programs/air-warfare-352/Electromagnetic-Railgun, accessed March 22, 2017. Jen Judson, “US Army Gets World Record–Setting 60-kW Laser,” Defense News, March 16, 2017. Adam Stone, “Tactical Data System Almost Ready for Prime Time,” C41SRNET, March 23, 2017. Halon breakdown products: Kevin McNesby et al., “Optical Measurement of Toxic Gases Produced During Firefighting Using Halons,” U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Applied Spectroscopy, vol. 51, No. 5, 1997.

  References on influenza: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h7n9-virus.htm; Baylor College of Medicine, “Influenza Virus,” https://www.bcm.edu/departments/molecular-virology-and-microbiology/emerging-infections-and-biodefense/influenza-virus-flu. Also, National Center for Biotechnology Information, “The Threat of Pandemic Influenza: Are We Ready?,” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22148. Also, Lee Ratner, “Phase II Trial of Induction Therapy with EPOCH Chemotherapy and Maintenance Therapy with Combivir/Interferon ALPHA-2a for HTLV-1 Associated T-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” National Cancer Institute. Also, L. Rudenko et al., “H7N9 Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine in Healthy Adults: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 1 Trial,” Lancet Infectious Diseases, March 2016.

  The Dublin scenes were based on personal research. Details of diplomatic protocol were reviewed by Donna Hopkins and Liz McManus.

  The following sources were valuable as background for tactics, mind-sets, and strategic decisions: Joint Publication 5-0, Joint Operation Planning, August 2011; Kevin McCaney, “DARPA’s Gremlins Could Cut the Costs of Attack Drones,” 2015, August 31, Defense Systems, https://defensesystems.com/articles/2015/08/31/darpa-gremlins-reusable-attack-drones.aspx; Leigh Giangreco, “DARPA Narrows Down Gremlins Competition,” FlightGlobal.com, March 20, 2017, https://www.FlightGlobal.com/news/articles/darpa-narrows-down-gremlins-competition-435372/; Hans Kristensen, “China SSBN Fleet Getting Ready—but for What?,” Federation of American Scientists, April 25, 2014, https://fas.org/blogs/security/2014/04/chinassbnfleet/; David McDonough, “Unveiled: China’s New Naval Base in the South China Sea,” The National Interest, March 20, 2015, http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/unveiled-chinas-new-naval-base-the-south-china-sea-12452; Franz-Stefan Gady, “China Unveils New Submarine-Launched Anti-Ship Cruise Missile,” The Diplomat, April 21, 2016, http://thediplomat.com/2016/04/china-unveils-new-submarine-launched-anti-ship-cruise-missile/; John R. Allen et al., “On Hyperwar,” Naval Institute Proceedings, July 2017.

  The scene of an airliner being cyberjacked was commented on by my esteemed classmate Mike Hichak.

  For Teddy Oberg’s strand of the story, the references listed in Hunter Killer, plus Muhammad Mumtaz Khalid, History of Karakoram Highway (Rawalpindi, 2011), especially volume 1; Shirley Kan, “U.S.-China Counterterrorism Cooperation: Issues for U.S. Policy,” Congressional Research Service, July 15, 2010; Also, Department of the Army FM 3-05.201, “Special Forces Unconventional Warfare Operations.” The U.S. Army Ranger Handbook was also useful.

  For overall help, I owe recognition to the Surface Navy Association, Hampton Roads Chapter; to Charle Ricci and Stacia Childers of the Eastern Shore Public Library; to Matthew Stroup and Corey Barker of the Navy Office of Information, East; with bows to Mark “Dusty” Durstewitz, Aimee Brennan, Bill Dougherty, Bill Doughty, James W. Neuman, Phil Wisecup, Aaron Demeyer, John T. Fusselman, Dick Enderly, and others (they know who they are), both retired and still on active duty, who put in many hours adding additional perspective. If I left anyone out, apologies!

  Let me reemphasize that these sources were consulted for the purposes of fiction. The specifics of tactics, units, and locales are employed as the materials of story, not reportage. Some details have been altered to protect classified capabilities and procedures.

  My deepest gratitude goes to George Witte, editor and friend of over three decades, without whom this series would not exist. And Sally Richardson, Ken Silver, Sara Thwaite, Young Jin Lim, Naia Poyer, and Staci Burt at St. Martin’s/Macmillan. And finally to Lenore Hart, kindest critic, anchor on lee shores, and my North Star when skies are clear.

  As always, all errors and deficiencies are my own.

  PREVIOUS BOOKS BY DAVID POYER

  Tales of the Modern Navy

  Hunter Killer

  Onslaught

  Tipping Point

  The Cruiser

  The Towers

  The Crisis

  The Weapon

  Korea Strait

  The Threat

  The Command

  Black Storm

  China Sea

  Tomahawk

  The Passage

  The Circle

  The Gulf

  The Med

  Tiller Galloway

  Down to a Sunless Sea

  Bahamas Blue

  Louisiana Blue

  Hatteras Blue

  The Civil War at Sea

  That Anvil of Our Souls

  A Country of Our Own

  Fire on the Waters

  Hemlock County

  Thunder on the Mountain

  Winter in the Heart

  As the Wolf Loves Winter

  The Dead of Winter

  Other Books

  The Whiteness of the Whale

  Happier Than This Day and Time

  Ghosting

  The Only Thing to Fear

  Stepfather Bank

  The Return of Philo T. McGiffin

  Star Seed

  The Shiloh Project

  White Continent

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  DAVID POYER’s sea career included service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, Pacific, Middle East, and Pentagon. Deep War is the eighteenth in his widely popular series featuring Captain Dan Lenson. Poyer’s work has been required reading in the Literature of the Sea course at the U.S. Naval Academy, along with that of Joseph Conrad and Herman Melville. He teaches at Wilkes University, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Epigraph

  I. I Am Here

  1. The East China Sea

  2. In the Karakoram Mountains

  3. Cast Away

  4. The Pentagon

  5. Camp Pendleton, California

  6. Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

  II. Farther Than That I Cannot Go

  7. Xinjiang

  8. San Diego, California

  9. Dublin

  10. Eastern Maryland

  11. USS The Sage Brothers Honolulu

  12. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

  III. My Ship Has No Rudder

  13. The Karakoram Mountains

  14. USS Rafael Peralta, DDG-115 The South China Sea

  15. The Western Pacific

  16. Long Beach, California

  17. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

  18. In the Tien Shan
Mountains

  IV. The Remotest Regions of Death

  19. Laguna Beach, California

  20. Central Intelligence Agency, Langley, Virginia

  21. The Taklimakan Desert

  22. Taiwan

  23. Cam Ranh, Vietnam

  Acknowledgments

  Previous Books by David Poyer

  About the Author

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  DEEP WAR. Copyright © 2018 by David Poyer. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  Cover design by Young Jin Lim

  Cover illustration by Steve Gardner/Pixelworks Studios, Inc.

  The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN 978-1-250-10110-5 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-1-250-10111-2 (ebook)

  eISBN 9781250101112

  Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.

  First Edition: December 2018

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