Endgame (The Red Gambit Series Book 7)

by Colin Gee

  “Fair enough, John. Wanna bring us up to speed as far as you can while we eat?”

  Towers took a refreshing sip of wine to clear his mouth before outlining the contents of the intelligence folder.

  MacArthur and Whitehead had both finished their main courses before Towers took another bite from his.

  Going as far as he could without resorting to opening the folder, Towers returned to the contents of his dinner plate, leaving the two others to pose questions.

  Whitehead got in first.

  “So, in summary, we may or may not have one or two special nip subs still at large. It’s possible that they sank one of their own off Kannonzaki, but that’s not confirmed. We know a submarine was sunk by aircraft from the Oriskany, thirty miles off Kholmsk on Sakhalin, which somehow we appear to know was one of the big AM class subs?”

  “Yep. Sorry… should have explained. When it was sunk it briefly broached and our aviators took a photo. Intelligence has confirmed it as one of the AMs.”

  “Which leaves two of them unaccounted for.”

  “Yep, but possibly not, as we have the reports from the Hibiki’s attack near Kannonzaki, carried out on an extremely large underwater target. Could be they sunk whatever it was, and it was an AM, or something else entirely.”

  The two men permitted Towers to finish his lunch before they posed more questions.

  Dessert was waved off as the Admiral opened the folder and showed them the modest evidence that Naval Intelligence had built up, evidence of the presence of some underwater leviathans built in secret.

  “Special Type Submarine?”

  “Yes, Sir. There was some confusion early on about that name, but that’s the designation officially used by the Combined Fleet, from what we can establish.”

  “And they’re bigger than the AMs?”

  “From the evidence we have, they’re twin hulled monsters, with a hangar that can take three seaplanes. Probably the Seiran type they designed for such subs.”

  He pulled the transcript of a conversation that took place in a Nagasaki hospital.

  “We have a Japanese naval officer who confirms the armament installed, talks of rumours that dignitaries went aboard before two of these subs sailed from Sasebo on the June10th.”

  “June 10th? Where did they sail to and where are the bastards?”

  “That, Ennis, is the problem. We don’t know. My staff are unanimous. These are a problem, and I agree. So much secrecy involved, even now. The nip Admiral in charge is saying absolutely nothing. We’re still working on him but he simply won’t even acknowledge their existence. We need to find out. Two of my boys has come up with a theory, and… well…”

  He fished in the folder for the submission from a Lieutenant Waynes and Lieutenant j.g. Takeo and passed it to MacArthur.

  The silence of concentration fell over the table, sufficient to discourage the waiting steward from approaching with coffee.

  After a while, MacArthur passed the document to Whitehead, beckoned the coffee forward, and started to load his favourite pipe.

  Both men watched as the Air Force man read the ‘theory’ in front of him.

  “Shit.”

  MacArthur nodded.

  “Your opinion on that, John?”

  “Sir, I’m not sold, but I’m not rubbishing it either. They make a good case for it. Lotta stuff has to be surmised, coincidences…but it’s not impossible, that’s for sure.”

  Whitehead tapped the paper with the tip of his finger as MacArthur lit up.

  “So their time line works out?”

  “Sure does.”

  “This suggestion of a special task force of five submarines?”

  “Dockyard gossip, nothing more. Some slight evidence in signal evidence from Sixth Fleet correspondence that was not fully destroyed.”

  “And their suggestion about the missing stocks from Okunoshima fits obviously… the Hibiki attack… the Oriskany attack which sunk an AM… if this was a five boat force…well…”

  “Force 731? You gotta be shitting me. They’re reaching too far.”

  Towers shrugged.

  “I thought so, but you can see it’s possible. Key personnel from Units 731 and 516 are missing from Manchuria. We believed the Commies didn’t have them, but that’s being re-evaluated right now, in the light of a report from Kharbarovsk. A review of photo recce information is also being undertaken as we speak, particularly from around a place called Sovetskaya Gavan.”

  Another piece of paper was produced.

  “A Chinese agent in Kharbarovsk reports seeing Japanese personnel accompanying a heavily guarded convoy that was loading aboard a special NKVD train on 23rd June. Again, that fits in the possible timeline.”

  Yet more evidence was laid out.

  “We had a report of some strange Soviet ships hiding there under a temporary shelter around 21st June, which fits in with my men’s time line.”

  “Ships?”

  “That’s all we know. Our informant was at distance apparently.”

  MacArthur’s pipe was smoking heavily and he waved his hand through the air to clear his view.

  “One moment.”

  He beckoned to his aide, Francisco Salveron, and whispered in his ear.

  The Filipino Sergeant disappeared and reappeared almost in the same moment, and handed MacArthur the file he had asked for.

  “Thank you, Francisco.”

  MacArthur opened the file and took out the top sheet, handing it to the naval officer.

  “List of academics and such presently missing without trace.”

  Towers scanned the list, beside which was the area of expertise of each individual.

  “Holy crap!”

  ‘... Riken Institute… Scientific and Research Group…Weapons Research Group… Institute of Chemical and Physical Research… Imperial Institute of Sacred Knowledge…Kyoto University Special Research Projects Team…’

  “Sir, this list seems to be a who’s who of their top researchers.”

  “Sure is, John.”

  Towers passed it across to Whitehead who whistled as he took in the specialities involved.

  “I can tell you both, in strictest confidence, that the names on that list have drawn attention from some very important folk.”

  MacArthur sipped his coffee and accepted the list back, which he swiftly returned to the file.

  Whitehead asked the question.

  “Such as, Sir?”

  “Hoover, Secretary Stimson, the President… even had one of Leslie Groves’ men on the horn.”

  “Groves? Leslie Groves? Oh fuck.”

  Whilst General Leslie R. Groves was not well-known, the three men sat round the dining table were sufficiently high up the food chain to know who he was, and which project he was involved with.

  ‘Manhattan’

  “Oh fuck indeed, Ennis.”

  MacArthur beckoned the steward forward, and their coffee was refreshed before he continued.

  “So… it now all takes on a more sinister aspect and bumps this way up the list of priorities. Let me be clear on that. Finding these subs is now our number one job. Raise the level of alert… let the boys know what we’re looking for. There’s no room for territorial disputes, inter-service rivalries, or pissing competitions. Understood, gentlemen?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Make sure Europe gets to see this information too, ok?”

  He took a deep draught of the hot coffee and relaxed back into the dining chair.

  “Ok, John. So, based on what we know, where could these bastards be holding up?”

  “In short, Sir, by now… with enough supplies…anywhere on the planet where there’s enough water to put under their keel.”

  When the two senior officers departed, MacArthur spent an uncomfortable hour on the phone with the interested parties, all of whom were extremely unhappy to find a possible link between the existence of two huge Japanese submarines and the disappearance of much of the Empire’s biological and
nuclear research talent.

  Unhappy was an understatement, and huge amounts of the Allied resources were suddenly directed to finding the submarines in question, and discovering the purpose of their existence, as well as locating the scientists and engineers that could possess secrets too dreadful to contemplate.

  Reconnaissance flights trebled throughout the whole Pacific, and naval ships that had relaxed into a pseudo peacetime routine suddenly found themselves back to old ways, searching the silent waters for signs of a lurking enemy.

  Key areas like Ulithi, Tokyo Bay, Pearl Harbor, San Francisco, and the Panama Canal were suddenly under full war footing, and thousands of men who had hoped to return to their homes found themselves once more guarding against a very real threat.

  All of which was wasted effort.

  1902 hrs, Monday, 2nd December 1946, Vinogradar Young Communists Sailing Club, Black Sea, USSR.

  “I can’t sanction that, Comrade Commander. We simply cannot permit the submarines to venture into the open sea ahead of time. There’s too much risk involved.”

  Commander Nobukiyo’s language skills had developed immensely, so no translation was needed.

  “I regret, Admiral, I must ask for higher authority to sanction this mission. There is little point in keeping the Sen-Tokus secret from the enemy if my men have forgotten what it is like to be at sea when the time comes.”

  Nobukiyo turned towards the massive submarines and gestured at each in turn.

  “These wonderful machines of war are as nothing without the men that drive them, and those men have grown stale as sailors whilst they have developed their skills as engineers and missile handlers, Admiral Oktyabrskiy. I simply must insist that we be given some sea time.”

  “I can only agree, Comrade Admiral. All our men have been bottled up without anything but static diving exercises for months. We must get our subs wet out there, or there will be errors made. If nothing else, we need to practice with the ‘Sheptat’ in open water.”

  Kalinin referred to the ‘Whisper’ underwater acoustic communications system recently installed on their submarines, drawings of which had been copied from the US Navy blueprints of ‘Gertrude’ by agents of GRU [East].

  The Admiral was not a submariner by trade, but he was a navy man through and through, and understood precisely why the Japanese officer was so insistent.

  He also had strict orders from people who were extremely unlikely to bend, regardless of how good an argument might be. They had their orders from other people, who were not known for their tolerance.

  None the less, he had to try.

  “I’ll pass on your request immediately, together with my endorsement. If it’s possible to get you some sea time, I’ll get it.”

  Oktyabrskiy saluted and left the two submariners to complete the day’s programme.

  Commander Nobukiyo, much to his embarrassment, arrived last.

  “Thank you for coming at such short notice, Comrades.”

  It was rapidly approaching midnight and both Kalinin and Nobukiyo had been in their quarters inside the bunker, although Kalinin had not yet gone to bed, hence his swifter arrival.

  “Comrades, I can report that your request has been granted. You’re to be permitted to conduct sea exercises that can commence no sooner than one hour after sunset, and conclude no later than one and a half hours before dawn. We’re to coordinate with all commands to ensure there are no errors and no unwanted visits from Allied snoopers. I’ll take care of all that, as well as arranging for distractions for those with terminal curiosity.”

  Kalinin punched his fist into his other hand in celebration, whilst Nobukiyo bowed and bowed.

  “Thank you, Comrade Admiral, thank you, thank you.”

  Oktyabrskiy interrupted the Japanese’s display.

  “I have permission for four excursions over the next month, no more. Present me with an operational plan and any other requirements for a date no sooner than 10th December by 1600 tomorrow. I confess, I’m no less surprised than both of you are. Now, get some sleep. There’ll be no relaxation in training, despite the extra work you two now have. Good night, Comrades.”

  0839 hrs, Wednesday, 4th December 1946, NATO Forces in Europe Headquarters, Frankfurt, Germany.

  “Morning, Sir.”

  “Morning, Walter.”

  Ready for his meeting with the Mexican air force officers at 0900, Eisenhower had already had breakfast and was well into his fifth cigarette of the day.

  “Sir, we’ve had this come in from the Pacific, and it coincides with communications from both Secretary Stimson and General Marshall.”

  Eisenhower received the report in silence.

  After a moment, he looked up at Bedell-Smith.

  “You read this, Walter?”

  “Skimmed it as I walked it round to you, Sir.”

  Eisenhower resumed his reading and stayed silent until he had finished.

  “Wow. That’s worrying. Those two related?”

  He indicated the messages from Stimson and Marshall.

  “Yes indeedy, Sir. Both giving you some specific instructions and expectations.”

  He handed them over and Eisenhower was taken aback by the size of both messages.

  “Précis them for me.”

  He skim read as Bedell-Smith did just that.

  “Basically, you’ve got orders. Every effort to find these submarines and the people they carry. Some specific measures are detailed… navy and air force tasks in the main. Quite clearly the folks back home are worried, Ike.”

  Eisenhower looked at the clock and found he still had enough time.

  “OK. Specifics of what they expect?”

  “Well, Sir. Eastern and Western seaboards are on full alert now. Canal’s locked down. We’ve got to do the same across the board. And then we search everywhere… pretty much the whole of our side of the Atlantic, the Med, anywhere with water.”

  “Have they got intel that says it’s our threat?”

  “No, Sir, but both orders are quite specific. Consider everywhere at risk.”

  “At risk from what?”

  “That’s the part I’m not getting, Ike. Just subs and people are mentioned. General Marshall will be visiting here. He’s coming via London, so he’s obviously briefing Churchill in person. Must be pretty sensitive stuff. Anyway, I’m going to speak with a couple of guys in Washington, see if I can get the information firmed up some.”

  “OK, Walter.”

  Eisenhower rose and consumed the last of his coffee.

  “Get the staff on this straightaway. Pull in all the heads of service for a meeting at… 1300hrs. Get that lot to George Tedder… have him briefed in immediately. Heads up to all commands, be vague for the moment. Have a plan ready for implementation that can be discussed at that meeting.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Right, I’m off to chat with our Allies. Get that plan sorted and find out what the heck this is all about please.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Oh and Walter…anything happening in Berlin?”

  Eisenhower referred to the Soviet enclave that remained after the Red Army’s withdrawal, one that was now surrounded by the Allies and supplied solely by an air corridor that was designated for Soviet use.

  “It’s settled down now, Sir. They’ve fortified their ground but nothing that looks aggressive.”

  “Thank you, Walter… and keep me informed.”

  By some strange twist of fate, as the 1300 meeting was being briefed about the new orders and being shocked by the use of words like biological and atomic, scientists at the underground facility in Camp 1001 turned on the last of the fifty-four high capacity Japanese centrifuges, bringing the process of enriching uranium to its peak.

  1058 hrs, Friday, 6th December 1946, the Kremlin, Moscow, USSR.

  Stalin had greeted the news with great joy.

  “Finally! How long?”

  “The academics are unable to say with certainty, Comrade General Secretary.”


  Academician Kurchatov remained silent, reinforcing Minister Malenkov’s words.

  Stalin clapped his hands together, the sound almost shot-like, causing more than one person present to jump.

  “But, nonetheless, this will greatly assist us in producing a weapon… and producing one sooner than we could have ever expected, yes?”

  Both Kurchatov and Malenkov nodded.

  “Most certainly, Comrade General Secretary. Whilst I cannot give you a definite date on its availability, we’re most certainly talking months. There’s much more to do… engineering, delivery systems, the minutiae of technological progress, but the new arrivals from Japan have brought with them much research, and it’s all helping reduce the time.”

  Beria looked on, his eyes gleaming with triumph, as his NKVD had overseen the project to bring men, equipment, and research papers to the Motherland.

  Stalin acknowledges his security boss with a rare smile.

  “This pleases me greatly, Comrades. Keep advancing… keep Raduga on track… and keep me informed of all progress. Thank you.”

  Kurchatov and Malenkov took their cue and left.

  Nazarbayeva stood as soon as the door opened, but quickly realised it had only opened to allow two men to exit the room, not to encourage her forward.

  She nodded to Kurchatov and Malenkov, who quickly went on their way.

  Eight minutes later, she was admitted to give her own report to the General Secretary.

  Her brief was interrupted by a report from Vasilevsky, stating that the Red Army would be installed in its final withdrawal positions by 1800 hrs that day.

  1300 hrs, Friday, 6th December 1946, Lieutenant General Kaganovich’s office, the Kremlin, Moscow, USSR.

  “And what did they say to that, Comrade Nazarbayeva?”

  “Unconcerned. I was surprised at that. Such an increase in Allied activity seems to me to be unprecedented. Specifically the flying hours. Immense rise in reconnaissance flights. But they didn’t seem to worry about it at all, Comrade.”