Gambit

by Karna Small Bodman

  Jay reached over and took her hand. “Well, first of all, we’ll take care of Sterling and the ITAR regs. But second, there’s still a good chance that China has no intention of attacking Taiwan in an effort to reunify it with the mainland. We’ve discussed this over and over, and we just can’t fathom that they would attempt such a thing.”

  “But that’s why you went to Japan,” Cammy said.

  “Yes, and we were able to get them on board.” A small bell sounded and Jay said, “Buckle up, we’re about to take off.”

  She fastened her seat belt and grabbed the ice water. She took another drink to try and steady her nerves. She thought she’d get over her jitters about flying after the recent trips. But no. Her heart was beating faster now, almost in sync with the sound of the revved up engines. She tried to concentrate on what Jay was saying about his meeting in Tokyo.

  “By the way, the lead negotiator was this really old Japanese general. Probably in his 90’s. They brought him out of retirement to sit in on this one. I suppose they were honoring him in some way. Anyway, he told me that when he was only 18, he had been a kamikaze pilot in World War II.”

  “Then why was he still around?” Cammy asked with a grin.

  Jay shook his head and laughed. “Actually, I wondered the same thing. But the negotiations went surprisingly well. You see, after they amended Article Nine of their constitution to allow for military actions abroad, especially if they are of a defensive nature, it was easy for them to agree to provide help, if needed. And you can be sure that we’ll notify China of the agreement.”

  “So forewarned is forearmed and all of that,” Cammy said.

  “Precisely.”

  There was a light knock on the door, and the vice president’s military aide walked in. “Excuse me sir, but you have a call from the White House.”

  Jay got up and left the conference room, calling over hto Cammy, “This is the president returning my call about the new treaty. Be back in a while.”

  Jay sat down in the small communications center a few feet from the cockpit and spoke to the president’s secretary. “Jayson Keller here.”

  “Yes, thank you sir. I will put the president on.”

  “Jay, on your way back, are you?” the president said, sounding rather upbeat.

  “Yes, Mr. President. It’s been quite a trip.” He briefed the chief executive on the new treaty, on Japan’s plans to raise their own spending on various missile defense systems by almost sixty percent, Cammy’s work on Q-3 and her discovery of the bad chip in Sterling’s system. They decided to have the State Department investigate the situation since their Directorate of Defense Trade Controls was in charge of enforcing Title 22 of the Act.

  “On the whole Chinese problem,” the president said, “we got the report from Borealis.”

  “Did they find anything?” Jay asked.

  “You bet! We have some high-resolution photos of what looks like fairly new installations in Eastern China, buildings that are undoubtedly factories of some sort along with a large hangar and docks where soldiers are seen loading long canisters that could hold new types of small missiles.”

  “Could those be the ones that have been shooting down our planes?” Jay asked.

  “We’re not sure yet. But we also have photos showing additional military units being dispatched to China’s coast nearest Taiwan.”

  “You mean more troops than they normally use in those military exercises?”

  “A damn sight more. So I just got off the phone with the Chinese president. I brought up the troop movements, and I asked him, point blank, about his intentions regarding Taiwan.”

  “And what did he say?”

  “As you might imagine, he denied everything. He said that China has absolutely no plans to invade Taiwan.”

  “And you believed him?”

  “He sounded pretty adamant about it, but I still sense a disconnect here.”

  “Did you ask him about the new missiles?” Jay said.

  “No, not yet. I want to get another pass from Borealis as well as SPIRS Low, which we’ve now repositioned. And as soon as we can tell where those missiles are going, if that’s what they are, I’ll get him back on the phone and present the evidence. And I’ll also tell him about the new pact with Japan,” the president said.

  “Sounds like a good plan.”

  “Oh, and a couple of other things. I’m expecting a report from NSA any time now on the latest analysis of their new intercepts. When I get it, I’ll get back to you.”

  “Okay. I’m not going anywhere. Except to San Francisco, that is,” Jay said.

  “And the other thing. We can’t seem to find Thorne,” the president said.

  “What do you mean you can’t find him?”

  “Exactly what I said. Nobody’s seen the guy for several days now. He’s not home. His wife has no idea where he is. But she did say that he often takes short trips and doesn’t tell her where he’s going. Guess they don’t talk much. But seriously, this is very troubling. His office doesn’t have a clue. There are no reports of accidents or anything.”

  “So who’s looking for him?”

  “I’ve got Janis on it.”

  “Well, let me know if you find out anything. And on those intercepts, I’ll wait for your next call.”

  CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

  TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE

  “So you think this new contraption of yours will really work?” Pete asked Hunt as they walked across the tarmac toward the F-16. Hunt, dressed in his flight suit was carrying his helmet. Pete had come along to see him off.

  “I sure as hell hope so. It checked out in those test runs we took yesterday. At least I think it did. It’s a lot different running simulated tests than trying to take down an actual missile on your tail, so it might not be time for a victory lap just yet.”

  “I’ll bet. At least you’re only going on a short hop to San Francisco. And if it checks out, you can do your little show-and-tell for the vice president. That’s pretty good duty. And the flight time will take about a nano-second in this baby.”

  “Well, not quite. But it’ll be good to get off an Air Force base for a few days,” Hunt said.

  “After this drill, they should give you a bunch of days off to enjoy the city.”

  “I can take time if I want it,” Hunt replied.

  “That’d be nice, especially if your lady friend is along for the ride,” Pete ventured with a grin.

  “I’m not sure if that’s in the cards,” Hunt said thoughtfully. “But I’m going to give it a try.”

  The fact was, he had tried damn hard the whole time Cammy had been working with him. He had endeavored to pry through that ice shield she had erected, and there had been times when he saw flashes of the old Cammy. Times when he tossed her a compliment on her work and smiled at her off-hand remarks. She really did have wry sense of humor. He appreciated that, and he told her so.

  They had been so busy with the crew chiefs that he didn’t have a chance to get her off for a quiet dinner. There just wasn’t time. By the end of the day, they were both so exhausted, they had grabbed a quick bite with the rest of the crew, called it a night and started off at dawn the next day. But still, he thought he sensed a thaw in her whole demeanor.

  Maybe when they were both in San Francisco, he could talk her into going off for a little quiet time together. Maybe then he could sit her down and tell her the whole story of his assignments to all those bases in Russia, his search for nuclear weapons, his investigations of arms dealers and run-ins with all manner of characters.

  He’d tell her about his time in South Korea, of debriefing defectors and trying to learn about new weapons systems being developed in North Korea and elsewhere. He’d explain that there had been times when he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get home in one piece and how he hadn’t wanted to burden her or ask her to wait in case he never made it.

  He’d do all of that if she’d simply give him a chance. The only problem now was that Cammy wo
uld have spent a ton of hours on Air Force Two being charmed by the vice president. Could he compete with that?

  Just before he climbed into the plane, Pete put a hand on his shoulder. “Listen, buddy, it’s been great catching up with you the last few days. I eally hope this laser thing pans out. We sure could use it, what with crazy terrorists, the strikes and shutdowns and all.”

  “I know. Say a prayer, will you?” Hunt said, strapping on his helmet.

  “You got it. Oh, and remember, if and when that lady decides to give you the time of day, use the key I gave you. You have it with you, right?”

  Hunt patted his zippered pocket. “Got it right here.”

  CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

  SAN FRANCISCO

  “It’s show time!” Wai Yongping announced to his two young Chinese roommates. The leader of the group pushed a knot of black hair off his sloping forehead and waved a print-out at his cohorts.

  He had just deciphered the latest message from General Zhang Li about the arrival of Air Force Two at San Francisco International Airport. He knew that the air traffic controllers were on strike, and most activity at the airport had been shut down. But a few official flights were being handled by controllers from nearby military bases. That didn’t bother him. He knew they’d never be able to figure out where his precious missile came from because they’d never be able to see it until it was too late.

  Wai Yongping had lived in one of the new Chinatown areas that had sprung up in the Richmond district of the city. His apartment was on Clement Street near Park Presidio. After his father had been gunned down at the Golden Dragon restaurant on Washington Street back in 1977 in what the press called the “Golden Dragon Massacre,” he and his mother had moved away from the old Chinatown. His father had been a member of one of the Chinese gangs, and a rival gang had started the shooting spree that killed a whole slew of people back then.

  His mother had died in the 90’s. Now, after all these years, he still carried resentment about the way his father had been murdered. He had created his own gang. And his group was smarter, stronger and more careful. Except for the weak one that he’d disposed of, the other members had lived and worked together on their various plots and schemes for years.

  Their ancestors had been immigrants from the southern Guangdong province of China back in the early 1900’s, men who came to build the Transcontinental Railroad. Since that time, a newer wave had come from Taiwan, but he wanted nothing to do with that crowd. No, he still had his loyalties to mainland China. He was going to prove those loyalties today in just about an hour.

  “Get that case out to the SUV,” he ordered as he gathered up his wallet, binoculars, sunglasses and keys. The two other men carried the case out and loaded it in the back of the car. They opened the garage door, jumped in the back seat and Wai got into the driver’s seat. He started the car and headed out toward the Bayshore Freeway.

  “How much time do we have?” one man asked.

  “Enough,” Wai replied. “The general said that this will be a shining moment for his grand plan.”

  “What did he mean?”

  “Don’t ask. Just be aware that this is the most important mission we have conducted so far. We will receive special pay for this.”

  “What if someone sees us this time?” a younger man asked anxiously.

  Wai snapped his head around. “Don’t be a fool. There’s hardly anybody left at the airport, only a few military controllers.”

  “What about the police?”

  “Why would they be patrolling the area when there are hardly any planes landing?”

  The young man was silent for a few minutes. Then he asked, “What about this plane? Why is it so special?”

  “Okay. Since you seem so interested, and since it will be the headlines around the world, I will tell you. This plane is Air Force Two.”

  “Air Force Two?” the two men exclaimed in unison. “We’re going to shoot down the vice president of the United States? We can’t do that!”

  “Why not?”

  “Because … because … there will be Secret Service agents all over the place. We’ll get caught. And besides, the vice president …”

  “Shut up you idiots. The general knows what he’s doing. Besides, this vice president is on the side of Taiwan. The general says that he is returning from a trip to Japan where he was negotiating a mutual defense pact.”

  “What kind of pact?”

  “The kind where Japan comes to the aid of Taiwan in case of an attack.”

  “Our attack? The general’s attack, you mean?”

  “Well, well, now you see the light,” Wai said taking the turnoff toward San Bruno. “This vice president could be president next time. We can’t afford to have his kind in the White House. So not only will we be taking down a man who stands in our way, we will be changing history with one single shot.”

  Wai Yongping pulled off the road into a grove of trees on a ridge overlooking the airport. It was a location he had scoped out several times in the past in order to be prepared if he was asked to stage any attacks there. He knew very few people drove through this particular area. He parked the car, set the hand brake, took out his binoculars and scanned the sky. The other young men got out, opened the back of the SUV and began assembling their newest missile with the special photo enhanced warhead. Wai opened the sunroof, took the missile, hoisted it onto his shoulder and waited.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

  ON BOARD AIR FORCE TWO

  “The president just called again,” Jay said, settling into the plush leather chair next to Cammy’s in his private lounge.

  “Anything new?” she asked, trying to suppress a yawn. It had been a long flight from Taipei. She hadn’t been able to get much sleep. Every time she’d tried to doze off, the sound of the engines seemed to conjure up old dreams where she would see images of her father’s plane crashing. Then the scene would morph into the F-16 that Hunt was flying right now.

  She’d wake up with a start, try to erase the macabre thoughts and concentrate on the fact that Hunt was just fine, that he was in the air at this very moment, headed to San Francisco where they would work together to give the vice president a demonstration of her new laser.

  She thought about seeing Hunt again. He certainly had been solicitous of her back at Travis though they never seemed to find the time for quiet conversations. Still, she had to admit that it was wonderful to be working with him again and be able to glance over to see his deep blue eyes, the sandy hair, the straight line grin when she said something even mildly amusing.

  Now here she was with the vice president of the United States who also was being particularly kind to her on this trip. She figured he was completely over his initial snit about her contact with the Indian ambassador. He hadn’t mentioned it again. She was grateful for that. She hated when somebody kept harboring an issue and bringing it up again and again. At least Jay wasn’t like that.

  Over the past several hours of the flight, he had suggested she sleep on his pull-out couch, and she had tried that for a while. But she felt rather guilty knowing that he had a big day coming up with a speech scheduled at the Commonwealth Club in downtown San Francisco. So she had spent some time in another cabin chatting with the crew to give Jay some privacy and a chance to rest himself.

  A few minutes ago she had splashed cold water on her face in one of the small bathrooms and tried to hide the dark circles under her eyes with a bit of makeup. Her hair was always a bit unruly. As usual, she had brushed it back and simply replaced her headband.

  Now she had returned to the conference room to share a hot breakfast with the vice president. They would be landing soon. She took a sip of her coffee and waited for him to report on his call with the president.

  “There is incredible news, some interesting news and some bad news,” he said, reaching for his own coffee mug.

  “Tell me.”

  “First the best news of all. NSA has been able to decipher a set of messages sent fro
m various places in China to an address in San Francisco.”

  “Oh no. The terrorists? They found them? It really was China?” Cammy asked excitedly.

  “They haven’t found them, but they’ve evidently got an address and other information. The FBI is swarming all over a neighborhood in the Richmond district.”

  “But that’s fabulous. My goodness! How did they figure it out?”

  “Steganography.”

  “You mean they embedded messages under other symbols?”

  “You know about that?” Jay asked, cocking his head.

  “Well, I know the term. I think it was named after a Russian named Steganos, although the idea goes way back. So how did they do it?”

  “They evidently sent encrypted messages inside photographs.”

  “Photos,” Cammy said. She thought for a moment. “Photos. That’s what I think they also used on their missiles to shoot down our planes, remember?”

  “Yes, I most certainly do. So, it now looks like you were right fingering China on these attacks.”

  “But why? We still don’t know why the Chinese would do such a horrible thing and kill so many innocent people.”

  “It may not have been the Chinese government, though we don’t know that yet. The messages came from some obscure locations, not from Beijing.”

  Cammy covered her mouth in surprise. “Obscure locations? You mean somebody could orchestrate attacks like this, and the central government wouldn’t know about it?”

  “That does sound preposterous, I admit. But we’re checking out everything. They’re looking for the contacts in San Francisco, and they’re also trying to pinpoint the exact locations in China. It won’t be long now until we know for sure.” He took another sip of his coffee and grimaced. He touched a button for the flight attendant and continued. “Now let me tell you some other news. The leak. They figured out who leaked your name.”

  “Who? Was it Derek Winters?”

  “No. Much as I’d like to nail him with something, I didn’t really think he’d do it. It turns out it was the legislative aide to the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. They had evidently discussed your program after my briefing, and they both felt that the public needed to be reassured that we had something new in the pipeline, you know, to reassure the folks and get them think about flying again. So they disregarded my order and leaked word of your project.”